My friends, it is time for me to move on. For the last year or so I have been here less and less due to factors that exist outside the realms of GemStone3. It has become more and more apparent to me that for the next few years I won't have the time to dedicate to you and to the progression of our Art that I would like and that you deserve. Rather than to continue to stand between the Sorcerers and the progress you deserve I am stepping aside to give Simutronics the opportunity to appoint another Guru for Sorcery in my stead.
Let me make this clear before anyone decides to start any rumors: No one at Simutronics or on staff with GemStone3 has asked me to step aside or to resign. My leaving has nothing to do with anything or anyone except my sons and my full time job.
Being a single dad with two very active sons means that I have duties elsewhere that preclude my work here. It is my opinion that keeping both of my sons too busy with schooling and sports to get into trouble is the best tool I have to try to keep them from screwing up their young lives like so many of us do. Being a parent is probably the single most important thing I can do with my life, and consequently my being a good father to them will in my opinion be invaluable to them when they become fathers themselves. We all must look at the long term and try to do our best to follow the correct path. Even if we screw up every once in a while, which we all do, the two most important things to keep in mind are our intentions, and the grace with which we clean up our mess.
I have felt guilty over the last year or so due to the lack of progress I have made for the Sorcerous Art while I was busy with my sons. When I was staying very busy for GemStone3 and while we were making good progress for Sorcery I was feeling guilty for the lack of time and direction I was providing for my sons. I'm tired of feeling guilty and have decided I need to clean up my mess by stepping aside. To me it was a simple choice of what was my most important role; Guru of Sorcery for thousands in a realm of fantasy or father, role model and friend of my two sons. For me, though the choice was simple, implementing that choice and and giving up on a responsibility that I took very seriously for several years was not as simple. But it's my time to do what must be done for the betterment of all concerned.
It is my hope that you as a group will remain steadfast in some few things that have always been important to me. First is that Sorcery is and always should be considered the great Dark Art, full of challenge for our prey and a mystery for the uninformed. Second; we should always remain flexible in our thinking because Sorcery, more than any of the lesser Arts should require competence and training to be used to its full effect. Third; the term "sorcie" should only be used by the ignorant. In my opinion those who use it brand themselves as such. Had I my wish, any who uses that term to reference true practitioners of the Dark Art should be unbreakably chained to a catty Empath. Oh, the horror.
It is also my hope that you will support and help whomever is selected to continue on in my stead as the Guru of Sorcery. When change seems slow try to remember that we (the staff) do this because we want to, not because we are somehow getting rich doing it. I don't know about the others, for me but the pay never caught up with the expenses. Basically, GM'ing is volunteer work we do because we want to and because we enjoy it. Whomever is next appointed the Guru of Sorcery will bring with them their own vision, their own goals. Whatever is to be, I hope it is for the benefit of Sorcery. I trust SGM Warden to see to it.
I'll always regret that I wasn't able to bring us farther down the path of my vision for Sorcery, but what is done is done and what wasn't done may eventually be. Be patient.
I joined the GemStone family as a customer back in the fall of 1988 and have enjoyed the challenging journey from GemStone2, to GemStone3-Genie to GemStone3-Unix, to GemStone3-Web. I was hired on staff, oh, I forget how long ago, but I think it's been almost seven years now. (Ask Melissa as she and I were hired by Elonka on the same day at a D.C. area gather.) The point is that I have journied along with GemStone and Simutronics for quite a few years and I have watched the world grow, and fortunately for me I was able to participate in that growth in my small way.
SGM Warden is requesting that I have the opportunity to be classified as extended LOA. This would mean that while I would no longer be the Guru of Sorcery, the mongens, the janitor system or the fame system I would be allowed to come back to visit and to do some work from time to time as my schedule allows. This status is not guaranteed and is not his decision. it is simply a request. As busy as my schedule is at this time I don't see where I will find the time. The last day I worked a full day on Sorcery I had to take a Sunday off from work as a vacation day. I don't think I need to do that any more.
For any who may be upset about this change or my leaving, please remember that change is the only constant in this physical universe. Change does not always mean improvements, but in this instance it is my belief that it does. You need someone, and you deserve someone actively working on the progress of the Dark Art and as I am not able to at this time this old Sorcerer needs to step aside and let some new blood do the farming. I'll be passing on what works I have done and had planned to do to the appropriate people.
Oh, and a last thing; I no longer plan to attend the SimuCon this year. My father is not well and I plan to visit him this summer rather than attend SimuCon. We all have a limited amount of time in this world and it seems that his time may be less than I would prefer. The reality of our mortality relentlesly persues us, and there is no escape.
From now into the future I hope the best for all of you.
-Romulus Conundrum
Guru of the Dark Art
Steve Lux
Father and caretaker of two young lives.
reg