As we slide out of 2023 and into 2024, I would like to thank those who have supported TamerlaneRP through the good, the bad, and the ugly and continue to do the work to support this world we call home.

This is our Tamerlane family's 2023 in review.

Andy Dastardly, or Andy J as the rest of us fondly call him, is a founding member who not only helped build and texture a lot of Tamerlane’s history but also ran our events staff when Bri was not around to do it herself.

In his return, he will help with builds and textures as he did in the past, plus return as an IC Staff Assistant Manager, Chat Manager, and RPD: Ideas, storylines, and guides.

Another founding member, Ssinjinxukuth McMahon, who helped with builds, handled our advertising and served as an assistant editor for the former Tamerlane Times and Nevermore Mag, has returned after a long hiatus.

Ssiny has volunteered to take those tasks back, write for our blog, and run the Nevermore Cafe; she plans to introduce the My Story role-play system for those who want to try it out and as a means of attracting people to the sim in Second Life.

When things get bad, they can be devastating.

The sudden loss of not just a founding member of Tamerlane and Gamer’s Haven but a real-life family member to most of us, Rick, named Daeron Hotaling in Second Life, earlier in 2023.

His loss is felt by many, both online and in Real Life.

After two years of being slandered and harassed by a group in Second Life simply because we stood against bigotry, we have ripped the proverbial “band-aid” off and worked to start over and give Tamerlane a new lease on life and out from under the trolls.

What we endured as a group proves that Internet trolls can come from all walks of life and age groups, even from those who masquerade as “family. "

We have put our medieval tournaments on hold because of the whole issue with this particular group. We don’t want that kind of toxic in our midst, not because of fear.

There is a saying that you cannot go home again, and our fearless leader, Bri, wishes she had remembered that when she took us back into their midst.

When Jotow’s archery program he created back in 2014 for a specific group got stolen from underneath him, it should have reminded us what this group of people was about.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, you know there are more than just a few issues when people in that particular clique decide to tell others not to join into cancer fundraising events you are holding or officiating, or you will “be blackballed like the rest of the trash.”

Irony, you never know who you are talking to when you decide to be that shady. Sometimes, you may be talking to a friend or family member of the people you are trying to destroy. Just a little food for thought…

At any rate, when you give control to a tyrant, your group will go off-kilter. Let’s leave it at that.

… say goodbye to Legendum, as there had been no advancements in 2 years, and people quit playing. We wish the creator all the best; if the advancements promised come about, we may return to it. The role-play system could have been one of the best in Second Life if he had had the time to move it forward.

… A move forward in a new direction with Role-play, bringing our Tabletop gaming into Second Life in our new Game lab and setting up a new group called Heralds of the Die.

The Heralds of the Die (HoTD) is a collaboration of tabletop gamers willing to teach new players to play, to GM, and to hold one-shot games just for fun. It is not exclusive to Second Life. We are currently working out more elements of HoTD.

As a sponsor of The HoTD, we have created the Virtual Tabletop Gaming Association, the premier group in Second Life and other virtual worlds for tabletop gaming enthusiasts to discuss and play tabletop games inside and outside of Second Life!

The group, as is the VTGA Discord Server, is free to join in Second Life.

Visit our Gaming Lab | Join the VTGA Discord Server  |  Join the VTGA Group in Second Life.

Not to be outdone by tabletop gaming, the former Gamer’s Haven/Dice Monkeys MUSH and Forum-based role-play was integrated into Discord. Storylines and cannon will tie into the Second Life role-play as we go ahead into the future.

We plan to extend to other virtual communities, starting with Second Life for Virtual World RP, HoTD, and VTGA.

… A war to end all wars we managed to win, but not without heavy chaos and destruction. Our Keep was leveled, and we had to flee due to the toxicity of the Daemon fire and its devastation to our Human populations.

Unfortunately, we had to flee 300 years into the future, and our rebuild is underway.

We lost our little Hobbit, DiamondHemlock, during the battle; she fought as bravely as any Hobbit could but fell in battle.

While Thangwen and Qhol’xaan managed to bring her back, she isn’t the same little Hobbit she was… Let’s say we don’t let her around mirrors anymore…

Role-play and all that Jazz

Role-play areas in Second Life and our Discord server will tie into each other, so you don’t have to be in SL to role-play.

After some requests and discussion, we will add My Story to the SL sims. As mentioned above, as Ssiny implements it, playing is not mandatory, and you may go about your RP business as usual.

Characters In The Spotlight

A forum was added to our Discord channel so you can add your character to the directory.

We will highlight a character (if approval is given) on our website in the Characters In The Spotlight section of the website.

The notecard can be picked up in The Kingdom of Tamerlane SL Group notices or in the forum on our Discord server.

Events are being reworked!

We are deliberating on times for future events other than the ones already on the schedule.

Times and date considerations are for:

• Classes
• Our Monthly Formal
• Special Events
• Other Events

We have added a monthly Saturday Matinee in our movie theater, starting February 17, 2024, at 12 pm SLT.

Keep an eye on our calendar for our events schedule!

Tamerlane Times

With the return of our former assistant editor, the Tamerlane Times will make a comeback, with Thera becoming the editor-in-chief.

Are you interested in writing for, making video content, or photographing for the Times? Stay tuned for the job listing!

As we approach Tamerlane’s 17th year in Second Life, we look forward to growing, having fun, and enjoying each other’s company as we always have, through roleplay or just hanging out and chatting.

Despite being an RP sim and group, many people over the last decade don’t roleplay and enjoy hanging out, chit-chatting, and participating in events and other activities. That will never change going forward in 2024.

We welcome everyone to participate in Tamerlane RP, regardless of the desire to RP. We are proud to call many wonderful people family!

See our FAQ page for more information.

Please share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions in the comments below. Smart remarks are also welcome but be prepared to get them back. *winks*

Much love and best wishes,
Bri McMahon