Teras Kasi Archive
Thread: Letter to the TK community, especially those leaving.
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Taigei
Sat Nov 05, 2005 4:28 am
#1
If you would be so kind as to take a few minutes to read a true story, and, to those who are leaving, accept my sincerest good-bye.
There's a special place in my heart for all TK who fight and die courageously, all who have contributed to the making of TK in SWG, those who crave near impossible odds and never turn their back on their foe, we who take the hard road.
On Bria, I am Eirie Noh (Zabrak), founder of the Teräs Käsi Order who's first incarnation was in April, 2003. And although I was self-conscious about playing a female character, I couldn't bear to delete such a lovely creature, so I hope all you guys who hit on me will be somewhat forgiving.
Eirie was my Beta Test character, and continues to be my main.
When I first joined Beta, I had, like almost everyone else, wanted to play a blaster-slinger. But being consciencious of the need for all professions to be balanced before release, I committed myself, and Eirie Noh, to the least popular profession in the game: Teräs Käsi.
I don't know if I can adequately describe how difficult it was to advance in unarmed combat in closed Beta 3, but it may suffice to say that it was nearly impossible to defeat an even con. So difficult that I knew it would take a group of Betas working together to progress to TK Novice and beyond.
So, I took Eirie to the steps of the Combat Hall in Keren, Naboo, where many melee players went to train. There, Eirie offered to teach Unarmed for creds, and invited players to join Noh Dojo, the first TK guild, for the purpose of mastering TK and providing critical feedback to the devs. The sole RP requirement for all members was that we /bow2 upon meeting and departing.
Of the 25 or so people who joined, only 3 besides Eirie dedicated themselves to each other and the dojo's mission; Sinjin Otola (Human), Ariakas69 (Trandoshan) and Zeladrijn (Wookiee). Of the four of us, Sinjin was the only one who cared more about the company he kept than about TK. He, in fact, only ever wanted to be a smuggler and a Rebel pilot, but while he didn't pursue TK, he supported the rest of us in our goals by earning creds to contribute to our training. I must say, as well, that without Sinjin, there would not have been a TKO: he was Eirie's First Officer, and co-founder of the guild, and led the guild from behind Eirie's chair.
There is a lot here I could detail, about what we went through, how our feedback led to the development of VKs, of specials, of balancing, but such things were only unique to us at the time, because we were the first and, until Open Beta 3, only Teräs Käsi. I hope it is satisfactory to say we were also exceptional Beta Testers,and that because of these first masters' works and true TK spirit (aside from the total coolness of TK, of course), it was these three who stoked many a gunslinger's interest in Teräs Käsi.
In Open Beta 3, you could not turn a corner without running into a TK (usually Trandoshan), and, while that was a bit dismaying because we liked being unique and mysterious, the tremendous feedback on TK from so many Betas is what made our beloved profession solid from day one.
There are many stories I could tell as well, which would make you proud, at least to know that the spirit of the fighting TK, the one against odds, the borthers and sisters for each other, has always been since the very first of us...
And he who was first is Zeladrijn, who played CookietheWookie. He was the most contented Wookiee I ever met, whether he was lifting your sprits or dropping a braggadocious Imp on his head. I actually wrote down the exact time and date Zel mastered, but, unfortunately, that is lost with 3 or 4 legal pads full of Beta notes. Mid-May, I think it was, 2003.
Ariakas became the second TKM, right on the heels of Zel, and was simply the berzerkest Ninja ever. I only knew him to have lost one duel in those days, and that was to Zel, the day Zel first unleashed the Spitting Rawl. Ari was, a scant few remaining Betas may recall, famous for running Krayt hunts out of Bestine.
Eirie was third TKM -- always the late bloomer.
Noh Dojo became the Teräs Käsi Order when the game went gold, the same day teraskasi.net (web-home of TKO and support site for the TK community) was published. Perhaps some of you have read the "About TK" page or the interview with Steve Perry, or Used the impecibly accurate DPS calculator.
TKO has always stood for courage and excellence in battle, fearlessness, honor and, most of all, family. "Hands of Steel, Hearts of Goodwill," is our motto, and among our texts and training you will find phrases such as "the surest sign of a crack melee team is a ranged team that never needs healing" and "Discretion is the better part of Valor, Fear is a hallmark of immersion, cowardice is selfish. Avoid being selfish."
TKO has always served the TK community by providing something of a player-run POI for those who wish to live the life of a TK -- traditionally through induction by trials, missions and story-telling, coupling initiates with a master who teaches our honored principles and venerable history; a master who must then bring the initiate before the guild for a final test in formal ceremony. In this way, each member of TKO has inherited the legacy of the first masters.
And every initiate which Eirie has graduated to member in formal ceremony, she has acknowledged with "Welcome home" and /bow2, the traditional bow between the first TKs.
Each of us is family in TKO (once is always), but so is every true Teräs Käsi.
I hope I have written well enough to convey what is behind my feelings for TK: Eirie Noh is Mother of all Teräs Käsi. If you understand how deeply I feel this, then you know how it mus break my heart to have to say this; I will miss the Teräs Käsi.
To each true TK, to Sinjin and the first masters, to Mankind00 who should rightly see us through our last days, and especially to all TKO:
/bow2
Taigei
Sat Nov 05, 2005 4:30 am
#2
I'll leave you with oneof TKO's historical mission trials -- the favorite story of Ariakas. It contains several lessons a TKO Master will teach an Initiate.
-----
>>> Ariakas: Hands of Steel
>>> 49, 3944 Singing Mountain, Dathomir
>>> 49, 3944 Singing Mountain, Dathomir
It is on this place on Singing Mountain that Eirie knelt in meditation as Ariakas made the journey across the caldera to die, never to return.
From the very start, Ariakas knew he wanted to master Teras Kasi, and his every decision was based on becoming the greatest duelist alive. He was one of very few Trandoshans, and that race he chose because of the innate bonuses to unarmed combat and the innate ability to regenerate.
At a time without tailors he scraped together dark brown robes and a sunshade from the corpses of his fallen foes, which he wore almost exclusively for the rest of his life. To this day, seeing a Teras Kasi in robes and sunshade reminds me of Ariakas.
Although Eirie and Zeladrijn were also magnificent and relentless duelers, it was Ariakas who stood clearly as the greatest duelist of the time. He was undefeated until Zeladrijn became Teras Kasi Master before him, and beat Ariakas in the only duel I know him to have lost.
Ariakas was most widely know for leading Krayt hunting parties. Imagine the site of it: A sole Teras Kasi in robes and sunshade taking on a Krayt toe-to-toe amidst a hailstorm of blaster fire. Ariakas's Krayt hunts were very successful, and very profitable for those who joined his party, and, at the time, the Krayts were the most feared foes in the galaxy - no one felt shame for running from them.
Ariakas was the best of all in understanding how to make the most of Teras Kasi, and was a fearless combatant. He fought everyone and everything, and seemd undefeatable. Thus Ariakas represents the principle of Hands of Steel: Expertise in profession.
The fame Ariakas engendered during closed Beta3 was undeniable in post-wipe (Open) Beta3. Everywhere there were Trandoshan TKs in robes and sunshades to the point you could not go anywhere without running into one.
It was Ariakas's success that eventually led to his downfall, for as much as one makes the most of the circumstance of a time, that one's success can become dependant on those circumstances. Open Beta3 was very different than Closed Beta3 - the founding members of Noh Dojo had made their mark in the imagination of the community, and balanced and improved the Teras Kasi profession making it more accessible for other players. By Open Beta3, one of Eire's posts about balancing TK led to the introduction of Vibro Knucklers, for example, which made advancing UA and TK more on par with other combat professions.
Ariakas was never unnoticable, but he could not stand being just another Trandoshan TK in robe and sunshade. He changed his 'look' many times trying different clothes. What he could not overcome was the hungry enthusiasm with which others pursued TK mastery, and he found himself losing duels to those very people who had followed his lead.
That is often how the mighty fall.
On a time, one could not travel Dathomir without being in a group - and even the most powerful assemblies did not wander far from the outpost. It was the rancors which brought the hunters to Dathomir, but as difficult a game to hunt was, they were nearly impossible with the witches about.
Eirie happened upon Ariakas who was with a rancor hunting group and joined them. The group made it's way onto the southern face of Singing Mountain and found a place to set a base camp along a ridge. There they spotted rancor and successfully fought them by drawing one at a time into the camp. It was careful going and many of the group fell many times.
Then a witch appeared in sight of the camp and culled half the group from range. Once they regrouped, Ariakas enouraged them to move on to find more rancors. He led them west along the southern face until they came to a stand of trees. There, two groups of witches silmutaneously appeared and spotted them. "Run!" several people yelled, and Eirie moved to cover their retreat - there was no way the group would defeat six witches.
As Eirie turned to follow the group, she spotted red streaks out of the corner of her eye. Knowing instantly that Ariakas had engaged the witches, she immediately turned to join him. "We will die together," was her only thought.
Ariakas had four on him, and two were headed his way. As Eirie ran to his side, she looked in awe at the site of Ariakas in his robe and sunshade of old as he faced, unflinchingly, insurmountable odds. Eirie engaged and fought by his side for a moment until she was near death, then drew three away from him and made her stand some 30 meters away.
Wordlessly they fought. Eirie managed to take one witch down and severly injure the other two, while Ariakas had sent two to their deaths. Eirie fell unconscious and the two witches turned their attention to Ariakas who still fought with one. Eirie, lay unable to help, watching in unbelieving awe as Ariakas, so near to death, defeated the remaining witches, then knelt in meditation.
Eirie recovered and joined him, kneeling across from him. They had fought impoosible long against impossible odds, yete there were no words of congratulations. Eirie and Ariakas had stood beside each other acting exactly as they had come to expect, yet Eirie sensed there was something unusual. Moments passed in meditation.
Presently, Ariakas said to Eirie, "Would you do something for me?"
"Yes," said Eirie.
"Tell them I was the berzerkest ninja ever," he said. Eirie knew then Ariakas intended what no one, and no group, would dare in those days and hope to live: Climb Singing Mountain. And Ariakas had no intention of living beyond that day.
"I will," said Eirie, and she remained in meditation, watching as Ariakas headed up the mountain's face. Night had fallen and, soon, all Eirie could see of Ariakas were the red streaks revealing the rancors and witches Ariakas fought. Then, nothing. Minutes passed without word - Eirie knelt in silent witness thinking Ariakas must have crossed the caldera by then, to the northern face where no one had gone. Finally, Ariakas was gone, never to return.
Additional Information:
As much as I regret that Ari used the term "ninja," that is what he asked me to say. So there. The image of Ariakas on that last night has been well impressed upon me. With the loss of so many TK skills in the CU, I find it hard to imagine there will ever be TKMs as there were pre-CU. The loss of TK identity with the CU reminded me of Ariakas and I wrote a short poem (of sorts) in one of my posts about the CU changes to TK:
Where are the red streaks in the Dathomir night,
lighting up witches and rancors on Singing Mountain?
Where are the dervish rogues who fearless roamed?
They have climbed mountain and caldera crossed:
Shadows on the ghost of Palawa.
lighting up witches and rancors on Singing Mountain?
Where are the dervish rogues who fearless roamed?
They have climbed mountain and caldera crossed:
Shadows on the ghost of Palawa.
Message Edited by Taigei on 11-05-2005 06:31 AM
JeetBadwarrior
Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:19 am
#4
/Bow2 thanks for all your hard work in beta....TK my be gone but the memories can never be taken from us...
/Bow2 to all TKM's
/middlefinger to SOE/LA
Kili_Daran
Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:22 pm
#6
/bow2
Its sad that the day of the TKM is nearing its end. I have been a tkm for some time and have liked it all along. I would love to remain melee and hopefully the devs willing i will.
Someday Teras Kasi shall return.
Its sad that the day of the TKM is nearing its end. I have been a tkm for some time and have liked it all along. I would love to remain melee and hopefully the devs willing i will.
Someday Teras Kasi shall return.
lordvader104
Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:50 pm
#7
It would be nice if SOE made some time of shrine or temple a place in which us former TKM and TKA could come and see artist depicted pictures of us with our famous Katarn knuckler 
. Or something to just cry at at the loss of our favorite profession.
. Or something to just cry at at the loss of our favorite profession.
TheDivineMajin
Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:17 pm
#8
That was such a heart wrenching read. Thanking you for your work in beta just seems wholly inadequate, but is the most I can do. I was a TKM for longer than I held any other profession. It was my home, so to speak. It turns my stomach to know that SOE is eliminating one of the most entertaining professions in the game, even post-cu. Again, I can't help but think that merely saying"thank you" is enough. A very fond /bow2 to you for all you have did.
bmwpower
Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:42 am
#9
/salute Taigei
/kowtow TKO
Krayt Dojo is very proud and honored to be affiliated with the TKO family. Wehave faced and endured a lot of challenges to our beloved profession but still managed to hold true to the Teras Kasi ways. It truly has been a wonderful experience which I am thankful to be part of.
Message Edited by bmwpower on 11-10-2005 03:43 AM
chopitup
Thu Nov 10, 2005 6:47 am
#11
A TK master need only be armed with his fighting spirit to be considered a deadly weapon.
/bow2 to all those practiced the art
TKM/MDoc/Scout 1000
joe21191
Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:06 pm
#12
So sad how one crushes what we enjoy so much without a thought.....only what they hear from their bosses.
/bow2
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