Here's my input. After the Sin'sholai(which was arguably one of the best things to ever happen on CoTH), and the retaking of Stromgarde, Northrend was just opening up.
So, we started sending exploration expeditions to the frozen continent, the first of which was the Copperpocket Expedition belonging to Ben, all members of which turned out dead, if I remember it right. Aside from ol' Copperpocket himself.
But we didn't give up. The second trip to Northrend, called liberally The Expedition, gathered up most of the active players on CoTH at the time. Out of the 38-ish players online, 32 were usually Expedition. And we were active on a daily basis. So, after a long IC trek through the Eastern Kingdoms, from Booty Bay to Southshore, with stops of around a week(OOC-ly) in every town/city, including awesome moments such as crossing the Thandol Span, or the stay in Stromgarde(which will forever be a fond memory for me), to the week in Aerie Peak, the Expedition held a two-week-long(OOC-ly, once more. All times are OOC) continuous boat event to simulate the trip to Northrend.
And that wasn't even the start of it. We'd landed at Valgarde, and after fighting the creatures in the surroundings, we had an entire caravan trip to Westguard and such. We've actually had people die in the Expedition. But in the end, it was successful, and it turned into The Coalition, as we started accepting aid from the Horde as well(where it had been 100% Alliance beforehand). Aye, things were good. And it was completely and 100% player-driven and player-moderated, and one of the longest-running eventlines I have ever known of on CoTH. Though Walluce did help us out at some points, he only did so as far as any player could.
I miss Walluce. I miss Werewolf1, Monolith, Angorianka, and so many others. Even Jason's awesome poet, Dune, or NoSecrets' Naiti, and so many others. Therios, Narn, Xetre, Cellenar, every single one of the people that made my coming to CoTH an incredible and lengthy and in-depth experience.
But aye... As the Expedition-turned-Coalition started dying down, I recall going Horde-side with my first profiled character on CoTH, and had tonsa' unforgettable adventures courtesy of ThePharaoh(whose name at the time was Pharoah, because spellinglol). The time when the Light of Nova was just the Light of Nova, a merc company spawned of restless revolutionaries and rebels was amazing. I got to meet so many people and oldies of CoTH, more so even than during the Expedition.
In parallel to Light of Nova-centric stuff, I ended up somehow rabble-rousing on Sylvandre, whom... well, I only stuck with at first because I got compliments on my playing of her from Monolith. That warmed my heart, heheh. It turned out a good idea to stick with her, because she started a guild/group of friends/vigilante organization that lasted for about a year and a half, from running through Helmer's Thieves' Guild to helping the little effort against Satyr in Winterspring in one of the best warfare-events I've ever been to(4 GMs'd cooperated to make it. A battle on the frost bridge there.), to helping combat the Heretic Circus alongside the rest of the Force of Reckoning, and even a bit of time-travel courtesy of Grakor's awesome event. We'd wanted to get in on the Nexus War, but Walluce left and there was no one to run those events after that...
While all of that was going on Alliance-side, Horde-side, I'd gotten to make a Paladin. And it was awesome. Inspiring the future leader of the Crimson Templars with a bit of philosophy, and fighting giant demonic serpents and whatnot. The CTs became a sorta' adoptive family throughout the next years, and that circle of friends expanded to accomodate a few others, too, all of whom are people I'm honored to have met during my stay on CoTH.
CoTH has been a wonderful experience for me. Glorious beyond compare, for the people that it has brought together and allowed me to meet, and the ideas its community has put forth and enacted. I love it. I always will.
(09-14-2012, 02:18 PM)Kretol Wrote: [ -> ]I never like to... er... acknowledge those early-day activities. Heh.
(Posted from teh phonez)
I don't mind the idea of Kretol as a demigod... /cough cough