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The Monarch's First Ice Cream Social

Greetings, brave souls running for election, those watching them, and those considering voting for them! Seeing as there hasn't been a steak fry in some time, I've taken it upon myself to invite you all to Frosthold Castle for my first ice cream social! This is an opportunity for candidates to state their thoughts on the region in general, delve into some of the issues that were brought up during the last term, and most importantly have unlimited amounts of free ice cream. So let's begin, shall we?


1. First, introduce yourself! What position(s) are you running for, and why did you want to run for them?

2. What's your favourite memory of Wintreath so far?

3. If you could force any one person from Wintreath past or present besides yourself to assume a government position, who would it be, what position, and why?

4. What do you believe is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness in Wintreath right now?

5. Now onto some issues. The most controversial topic at the beginning of the season was honorific titles...who should get them and who should be able to reward them. What are your thoughts on the matter?

6. More recently, there's been some talk about our place in the greater NS world. Do you believe we should seek closer relations with other prominent regions, or do you believe we should keep our distance? Why?

7. Related to the last question, it appears that a late attempt to revive the 2015 ban on Citizenship in the New Pacific Order (NPO) will ultimately be decided by the next session of the Storting. What are your thoughts on that?

8. If you are elected, what's something you would be able to do from your position to build activity in the region, and especially on the forums?

9. Are there any other issues in the region you feel that the candidates running for election should address?

10. Finally, what is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Is this just for the UH elections, or...

I worded it so that anyone running for any position could answer.

1. Hi, my name is Laurentus (hello, Laurentus).

I am running for the Werewolf Thane position. I am torn between this and the RP Thane position, but for the coming term, I am going to try and remedy my tendency of overloading myself by focusing on one thing exclusively.

People like North and Saerien have been instrumental in bringing back RP, so as much as I love RP and want to help out there, honestly, I think better candidates for this position exist.

I am also choosing this (and this might come as a surprise), because I actually love Werewolf more than RP. RPs can tend to drag after a while.

If I can help make Werewolf the same game it used to be that attracted me and the other Valerias here more than 3 years ago, I would be a very happy man indeed.

2. Werewolf: Until Dawn. Pengu really pulled off something special there, and for the next few weeks while the game went on, we were hitting new activity records and having a great time as a region. My favourite point, of course, was when Colby realised he wouldn't be able to eliminate me without sacrificing himself, and I, realising the jig was up when he was revealed to be the Seer, began quoting Monty Python from thereon out, in an attempt not to draw attention to any connections between me and my team mates. Great times, even though I ended up losing.

This is the gift I want to give to everyone who participates in these games.

3. @Sapphiron, for some sort of Thane of Culture position, most likely RP, and also as the Speaker of the Underhusen. It's kinda tricky to think of just one person.

4. Strength: We're getting shit done with the Orendi, thanks to Tau's guiding hand, and this can only serve to improve our image under like-minded regions, possibly leading to an influx of new members.

Weakness: Holy shit, we're divided, and there's no one to mediate any of these divisions. We need to get back to a place where we don't get so emotional about people's actions or take it so personally. Even though we pride ourselves on being a friendly, open place, that simply is not the reality anymore. We have grown far less tolerant of people who disagree with us.

5. This ties back into my previous point. We allowed something like a title to derail the entire previous UH term, and I have no less of a role to play in it. Good idea in theory, I believe, but in execution, we were lacking a lot.

6. A bit of both. We should widen our horizons and seek to engage with other regions, but these should be regions we can form a natural, strong bond with, away from the machinations and intrigue of gameplay. Nothing good has ever come from Gameplay, for this region.

7. STAY AWAY FROM THIS MESS. DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH A TEN-FOOT POLE. I realise this is pretty much a moral stand, but I don't like the impications around it. It will draw us back into gameplay again, and we were much better off without it.

8. Host a Werewolf game or three, possibly one that can shatter activity records and get more of the NS community involved.

9. Yes. Can anyone think of a way to improve this division that has sprung up, and more productively mediate any potential arguments that come up?

10. Death by Chocolate.

1. First, introduce yourself! What position(s) are you running for, and why did you want to run for them?
Hi! I'm Katie! I'm running for Skrifa as well as Thane of Dispatches. I wanted to run for Skrifa because I've highly enjoyed my 2 terms in the Underhusen as OoI and want to continue doing great work for the region. I wanted to run for Thane of Dispatches because as OoI, I think I've gained valuable experience with making dispatches. In addition, I have contributed to the Orendi so I know how it works to a small degree. Finally, I've wanted to be involved in Foreign Affairs in NS for quite some time, and I think this'll finally be my chance.

2. What's your favourite memory of Wintreath so far?
My favorite memory would have to be something that only Wintermoot and I know about

3. If you could force any one person from Wintreath past or present besides yourself to assume a government position, who would it be, what position, and why?
I sadly don't know enough people in Wintreath to make that call

4. What do you believe is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness in Wintreath right now?
The biggest strength in Wintreath is its vibrant and active roleplay community! While I am not much of a roleplayer myself, I think that it's amazing to see so many people having fun on the RMB and our Roleplay forums.
Our biggest weakness is our foreign image. I've been told repeatedly that our foreign image shouldn't matter, but making enemies is not something to simply sweep under the carpet. As Thane of Dispatches I'd work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make us at least tolerable to people in outside regions. However, as people have pointed out that individuals in GCRs and such aren't people that'd fit well in our community, I'd also want to find regions that we click with and attempt to create bonds.

5. Now onto some issues. The most controversial topic at the beginning of the season was honorific titles...who should get them and who should be able to reward them. What are your thoughts on the matter?
I personally did not have a preference in terms of the titles or who gives them. I think both the current way and proposed ways are fine.

6. More recently, there's been some talk about our place in the greater NS world. Do you believe we should seek closer relations with other prominent regions, or do you believe we should keep our distance? Why?
Not to be self-centered, but I think I'm the main person who initiated that debate. As I said earlier, I think we should be working to seek closer relations with prominent regions due to their high level of influence over other, less-prominent regions, but also we should be focusing mainly on regions that we click with

7. Related to the last question, it appears that a late attempt to revive the 2015 ban on Citizenship in the New Pacific Order (NPO) will ultimately be decided by the next session of the Storting. What are your thoughts on that?
I have a conflict of interest in this area, as I have held a grudge against the NPO for a long time. I think I will abstain from voting on any legislation related to that

8. If you are elected, what's something you would be able to do from your position to build activity in the region, and especially on the forums?
Well, in terms of being Skrifa, I think just continuing to do what I do as OoI will build activity! I'm certain that at least some people read it, and one of these days someone we're not familiar with will read my reports and think "I want to get involved with that."
In terms of being Thane of Dispatches, I think that making sure that the Orendi and foreign updates are as accessible to the layman as possible will create more interest in our region, and potentially they will come over to RP or even become citizens!

9. Are there any other issues in the region you feel that the candidates running for election should address?
I feel that the other candidates should be more open to other modes of opinion

10. Finally, what is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
Homemade Vanilla! (specifically Blue Bell's variant)

1. First, introduce yourself! What position(s) are you running for, and why did you want to run for them?

The name is Pengu, and I'm running for Werewolf Thane.  Werewolf has always been a passion of mine since my first game of Mafia, and continues to be so.  I want Werewolf to be a force to be reckoned with, and I think there are still ways we can continue to make it that force.  I'd love to be the person to help drive some of those ideas, bringing new and exciting ways to continue keeping this exciting game unique and fun.

2. What's your favourite memory of Wintreath so far?

Overall, my favorite memories are with Summersend, when we see activity explode because of all of the exciting things that we have going on.

My favorite Werewolf memory with Wintreath is definitely Until Dawn.  It completely blew me away how big of a game that was, especially since it was my first attempt with a Choose Your Own Werewolf.  I never thought in a million years that I'd ever host a game of that caliber.  I want more games to be like that: grand, exciting, full of constant activity, and just an experience for the people that play it.  I want to host games that leave a positive impression on the players, so that even years down the road, they can still recall moments from that game.

Like Laurentus, I think it's a gift that everyone who enjoys a game like Werewolf deserves, and it's a gift I want to keep giving.  I know U.D was a rare instance, but if I can do it, so can others, and I want to find ways to help others host and share their own experience of a game as well as see if I can make lightning strike a 2nd, and even 3rd time and more with future games.

3. If you could force any one person from Wintreath past or present besides yourself to assume a government position, who would it be, what position, and why?

Weissreich, pretty much any position, but ideally Thane of Roleplay since he basically created the Wintreath lore that we still add to in some of his threads.  He's been instrumental in that field, and he'd be the perfect Thane for it, as well as some of our other current RP Guild leaders.

4. What do you believe is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness in Wintreath right now?

Strength: Culture, undoubtedly.  When we have games running, we have a good amount of activity, and people stay for them during the time.  Past games have proven this, Summersend proves it constantly.

Weakness: Recruitment and Integration.  When the games end, the people leave.  Many see no reason to stay, though we do get some that get interested in politics and linger on for differing amounts of times.  But most of the time, when a game is finished, people leave because they don't care to get involved much outside of the game...and even those that come to the politics but don't stay long don't care to get involved outside of the political system.  They come, they run, and if they lose they leave.

5. Now onto some issues. The most controversial topic at the beginning of the season was honorific titles...who should get them and who should be able to reward them. What are your thoughts on the matter?

The idea is nice, but the implementation is tricky.  I think more people deserve honorific titles, but my worry would be the watering down of nobility and commendations if honorific titles became too common.  In the former, I'd worry that honorific titles would be given in place of nobility, which is already rarely given in the first place.  In the latter, I'd worry that commendations would feel less prestigious if every recipient was given a title, but likewise would feel inconsistent if only some of the recipients were given one.  Again, it's a wonderful idea, but a tricky thing to implement without some negative connotation to it.

6. More recently, there's been some talk about our place in the greater NS world. Do you believe we should seek closer relations with other prominent regions, or do you believe we should keep our distance? Why?

Yes.  In fact, there are times where I think we should rescind the forum requirement if the region is active in other areas...say their RMB and/or Discord.  I think Wintreath's biggest hurdle is its growth, and extending our branches to more regions is always a good idea.  There are the few that I definitely condemn, mainly region and especially forum destroying regions, but I think other larger, older regions that we haven't established embassies/relations with definitely deserve a chance.  They've been around longer, they may have something to teach us to help us last a long time as well.

7. Related to the last question, it appears that a late attempt to revive the 2015 ban on Citizenship in the New Pacific Order (NPO) will ultimately be decided by the next session of the Storting. What are your thoughts on that?

I'm a bit iffy on this one.  I lean mainly to yes, because the last thing we want from one of the regions that doesn't care for us is to have our members be on it.  Not because I'd be afraid that they wouldn't want to come back here, but more because I'd be afraid of trouble being caused over there which would result in retaliation towards us.  We already have people that don't care for us, the last thing we need is that resulting in something worse.

8. If you are elected, what's something you would be able to do from your position to build activity in the region, and especially on the forums?

Basically, Werewolf promotes activity.  The more exciting the game, the more it draws players.  What I'd be able to do would be to attempt to find ways to make the games more exciting, to find ways to promote it to more people.  That in turn would bring potential tourists and even potential new citizens to Wintreath, which in turn would really increase activity.  Think Summersend, but that's the activity I'd want to promote throughout with Werewolf.

9. Are there any other issues in the region you feel that the candidates running for election should address?
*Fleshing out ideas that could promote substantial activity
-Fully and effectively implementing the Krone and its uses, since digital currency can open the floodgate for new games and activities, which paves the way for boundless activity.
*Getting constant help with the Orendi, which is getting better but still has a way to go.
*Getting people interested in recruiting, being mentors, and ambassadors (which yes, I've been slacking on the latter).  If people get more interested in helping integrate members, those members will be more interested in sticking around.

10. Finally, what is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Rocky Road when I want chocolate, cake batter when I want sweet, and Rainbow Sherbet when I want fruity.

1. First, introduce yourself! What position(s) are you running for, and why did you want to run for them?

I am running for reelection as the newly renamed Thane of Foreign Releases and Information. Over the past nine months, I've helped revitalize and (with Hydra) redesign the Orendi, create fun puzzles, and more. It's been quite fun, and I would love to continue managing this effort.

2. What's your favourite memory of Wintreath so far?

Well, that's a difficult question...

The first thing that comes to mind (even though it technically was in the Wintreath embassy in New Hyperion) was solving Emoticonius's Puzzle #2. It was such a wonderful feeling working through the puzzle, searching through my knowledge of NS and Wintreath lore, working together with fellow Wintreans, Hyperians, and other people across NS, and having everything finally come together. It's part of what eventually encouraged me to seek out the Dispatches Thane position, and create puzzles of my own for the community to solve.

There are so many more though—the many various spam wars in Dumping Grounds and Summersends through the years, forcing a tie in Werewolf VI: Until Dawn, exploring the official Minecraft server with friends... I can't really decide, Wintreath is just that amazing.

3. If you could force any one person from Wintreath past or present besides yourself to assume a government position, who would it be, what position, and why?

I'll have to agree with Pengu and say that Weissreich would be amazing if he came back to work on RP. I would love to see an RP helmed by him, set in his amazing world and lore. And more generally, it would be wonderful to see what he could do to establish and further our RP revival.

4. What do you believe is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness in Wintreath right now?

I think Wintreath's biggest strength is its community. As time has gone on I've found myself in Wintreath largely to be with the wonderful people here. The fact that there are many activities, especially cultural, to do in Wintreath helps facilitate this, but ultimately I think Wintreath's community is its greatest asset.

That being said, the fractured nature of Wintreath's community has been for quite some time its greatest weakness. This was clear when I was Thane of Integration under Laurentus last year, and it hasn't improved that much today. Doc has helped improve things, but we continue to have issues with the RMB being a rather toxic place that doesn't mesh well with the forum community, causing newcomers to have a poor first impression of our region and making internal recruitment from the region onto our forums somewhat more difficult.

5. Now onto some issues. The most controversial topic at the beginning of the season was honorific titles...who should get them and who should be able to reward them. What are your thoughts on the matter?

I do not have much of a stake in this conversation. I am not currently involved in the legislature of this region, and do not plan to be involved for the foreseeable future (aside from perhaps entering in laws into the laws page if the Speaker/Administration wishes to put me into that position).

The later stages of this controversy seemed to happen behind closed doors, given the "turmoil" Wuufu referenced in his closing OH post. Given that I was not privy to these conversations, I do not think it would be particularly relevant for me to comment on this. However, if we take what Storting members are stating/implying at face value, this controversy is more of an indication that greater communication is needed in and between the two Storting houses than anything else.

One thing I would like to point out, though, is that if the Monarchy needs a law to grant honorific titles to people, then all past Wintreath's Finest awards are arguably illegal.

6. More recently, there's been some talk about our place in the greater NS world. Do you believe we should seek closer relations with other prominent regions, or do you believe we should keep our distance? Why?

Wintreath has and continues to do well in its own sphere. I am somewhat concerned that our foreign affairs focus may have shifted toward major "gameplay" regions. Our community and culture are our greatest assets, and we should (as Laurentus says) be seeking out like-minded regions in that regard. There are, after all, good and growing, yet young and largely unknown, regions out there that we could probably mutually benefit from by connecting with one another.

That said, because our community and culture are our strengths, I do think we need to take steps to make sure that they aren't misrepresented by the greater NS community. For that reason, perhaps we should place greater efforts in extending friendly ties to those influential "gameplay" regions, though I remain doubtful about closening these ties.

7. Related to the last question, it appears that a late attempt to revive the 2015 ban on Citizenship in the New Pacific Order (NPO) will ultimately be decided by the next session of the Storting. What are your thoughts on that?

Domestically, I do not think this is a particularly controversial issue for most Wintreans. After all, the ban was simply repealed without much fanfare after someone who happened to hold citizenship in the NPO (and many other regions) wanted citizenship in Wintreath. In that sense, I do not think Wintreath will be affected much regardless of what stance we take on this issue.

This stance, however, would likely affect how we're viewed abroad in certain regions, so there may be some merit in reinstating this ban. However, as Laurentus says, this would largely affect our view in gameplay regions, which we may not wish to associate that closely with anyway.

8. If you are elected, what's something you would be able to do from your position to build activity in the region, and especially on the forums?

Everyone is free to (and incentivized via game rewards) to work on the Orendi, so that is the most direct way I will be helping to drive activity.

Realistically, of course, Orendi work is not a major drive of activity on this forum, nor should it be. Rather, the Orendi reports on existing activity, often with the hope of encouraging more people to participate, either by coming to our forums (as tourists or dual citizens) or by informing existing citizens who also read the Orendi. This goal is most clearly illustrated in the RP synopses and interviews—which directly encourage people to join our RPs—that will be forming part of Orendi XVIII.

More directly, I welcome anyone who is holding an event in the region to work with me to draft an invitation dispatch if they wish. Anything from my Werewolf XIV Game of Thrones trailer (which was rather fun, if time-consuming, to help make) to a simple text-based invitation, depending on the situation.

Additionally, I know that quite a few people in our region enjoy solving my puzzles, so any new puzzles I make would help generate a little bit of minor activity (particularly if the puzzle leads you through the forums somehow; in that case it is possible we may see tourists being drawn here from the puzzle, similar to what happened on the Discord with Puzzle #4).

9. Are there any other issues in the region you feel that the candidates running for election should address?

Nothing that is general to all candidates.

10. Finally, what is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Matcha green tea, obviously.

You've come a long way, Tau.

1. First, introduce yourself! What position(s) are you running for, and why did you want to run for them?
I'm running for Underhusen, and partially because I have unfinished business and partially because I always run for underhusen.

2. What's your favourite memory of Wintreath so far?
Do I have to pick one I've been in Wintreath for so long I have several 'favorite' memories.

3. If you could force any one person from Wintreath past or present besides yourself to assume a government position, who would it be, what position, and why?
Hugsim, and it would probably the in the Underhusen as he was a decent legislator/speaker during his time.

4. What do you believe is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness in Wintreath right now?
The biggest strength is the openness of the community, however the biggest weakness is the propensity towards isolationism and away from other regions, GP or not.

5. Now onto some issues. The most controversial topic at the beginning of the season was honorific titles...who should get them and who should be able to reward them. What are your thoughts on the matter?
I'm a bit conflicted on it, I don't necessarily mind the Monarch being allowed to grant the titles, but it just feels iffy.  As to who should get them, I think those that performed good deeds for Wintreath, in the name of Wintreath, or displaying Wintrean Values should get them.

6. More recently, there's been some talk about our place in the greater NS world. Do you believe we should seek closer relations with other prominent regions, or do you believe we should keep our distance? Why?
I'm probably a black sheep here, but I would say we should seek closer relations, and let me explain why.

First off, a decent portion of our population came from other regions, both large and small, and many of those members seem to be more stable in their participation than those that call Wintreath their first home. As such isolationism isn't really going to help us grow, if anything it is just going to distance us from the rest of the game.

Next is the fact that if we do not interact with them, we kneecap ourselves. We keep ourselves from being able to grow with other communities, and also influence them. We can all agree GP is rather Toxic now, however Wintreath has good values and shows that good behavior can get people ahead in places, as such the more people that can experience Wintreath the more likely it is that Wintreath can positively influence GP to be a bit less toxic for the future.

7. Related to the last question, it appears that a late attempt to revive the 2015 ban on Citizenship in the New Pacific Order (NPO) will ultimately be decided by the next session of the Storting. What are your thoughts on that?
Given that I introduced that idea, I support it. It is both good FA and good domestic policy in my opinion.

8. If you are elected, what's something you would be able to do from your position to build activity in the region, and especially on the forums?
Well I would be able to help advanced my agendas and thus advance legislation.

9. Are there any other issues in the region you feel that the candidates running for election should address?
Should we reform some of our Judiciary to have a more balanced system, in order to prevent a Storting from doing whatever it wants (legally)?

10. Finally, what is your favourite flavour of ice cream? 
Potato