Talia Sturmwind is official member of the Santharian Dream since December 27th 2001. She is expert on the Shendar culture, avid role player at the RPG Board, "Mysteries of Nepris" RPG developer and also a Santharian artist.

How I found Santharia and why I plan to stay here...
Well, it is all the fault of Focx, my meanwhile grownup son. He seduced me to play online games. Then I wanted to do his bed - voluntarily, the bed and sheets were brand new - but his sleeping gallery was brand new as well and the ladder not fixed, so I fell, with the ladder, more than two peds and broke a lumbar vertebra and my right hip several times.

And why was this the reason I found Santharia?

As I said, I played online games, very addicted, Planetarion and Utopia. And while staying in hospital for two weeks trying to walk again, my Utopian account was deleted during vacation mode due to inactivity, though I had played very passionately. I had started some time ago and was already in the same kingdom for the fifth or sixth age, being one of the top regions all the time. There Talia Sturmwind of MyDelight (I loved it so much!) was born, and what I liked most, was the RPG with my friends in the kingdom. And now all was lost, I was very disappointed. And not being able to play with my friends anymore, I had the feeling that Talia Sturmwind had died.

Now I was looking for something else. While playing Utopia I had saved a link from a banner, and now - at home lying on my bed in the middle of our living room with my laptop on my knees - I remembered that link and what did I find? Sorren!!!

However, I was still sad and disappointed, and so I chose a name which mirrored my feelings: Salix Grey.

It didn‘t take long to see the Santharian link in Sorren and about this time (summer 2001) I wrote my first e-mail to Artimidor. But being busy with Sorren I didn‘t visit Santharia very often. But thanks (LOL) our German telekom, our flat rate expired and I had to stop playing Sorren - at least for half a year. Therefore I could become more active in Santharia and became a team member around Christmas.

And I didn‘t even notice, how I was chained more tightly to it every day I logged in. And with the pleasure of finding Santharia, Talia came back out of the burial vault she had been in.

Sometimes I asked myself - what would I choose, if I had to decide, with which one I want to go on, Sorren or Santharia. Well, meanwhile I stopped playing Sorren, gave up my good hero. I‘m still missing Sorren and the adrenaline bursts if you have incomings. I miss the friends from there - whom I try to bring to the RPG board. I never could give up Santharia though, despite some trouble now and then.

Somehow I believe, my "ladder fall" was a blessing. I was lucky enough, that the fracture was not an easy one and I was sent to a bigger hospital, specialised on such things. I had the best doctor available in Germany. He had the nerve, not to send me to surgery, but to give my broken vertebra the chance to heal without interference. After a few days, he said to his assistant doctors during his visit: "I bet you that it would be ok without surgery!" I was a bit baffled! It took me only three months to recover.

Without being deleted in Utopia, I would probably not have found Sorren and not Santharia. So meanwhile I look back thankfully to an incident which could have been a disaster as well.

The question still unanswered is: Should one do the bed for grown-up sons???

Artemis is official member of the Santharian Dream since September 15th 2002. She is the main developer for the desert continent of Aeruillin, basically focussing on religious aspects at the moment and the elaboration of the fae.

Some random things about me and my way to Santharia...
Santharia. A bunch of people aimlessly making up a pointless, imaginary world? A group of crazed, immature people who live for that which is not real? Or, as my mum succinctly put it, a waste of time? I suppose this is the way some people will see it. Just a load of pointless letters, making up aimless words. It’s just writing. How can people be so addicted, so crazy about it?

To me, writing is a lot more than just putting words onto a screen, or paper. To me, writing is an expression of not only yourself, but of everything around you, how it affects you in a number of ways. One day, I may be cheery, happy. My writing will reflect that. Another, I wish that the world will close up around me, swallow me whole. Again, my writing will reflect that. Just as some people get obsessed by cars, money, fashion, I’ve become addicted to writing. Ever since I was young, from about six years old, I’ve been fascinated by language and books. This interest gradually turned into me being up late at night (against the wishes of my mother, who in vain tried to stop me, but was unable to when she finally fell asleep) scribbling away (there was no computer back then!) at my latest masterpiece. I used to read them out at school, I was so proud of myself. As I got older, we got a computer, and I started to write more, until the routine was, I’d come home from school, eat, do my homework, then I was on the computer, writing. I had so many novels on the go I could barely count them. Then, the unthinkable happened. The computer became seriously ill, and died. I lost everything I had written up to that point. It happened just before I began year twelve, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried. After that, I stopped writing altogether. I couldn’t face the thought of starting everything again. I did however, start playing an online game. I played it for sometime, and then, one day, I came across a banner advertising something called the Santharian RPG board. I clicked it, out of boredom I guess, and up popped an ezBoard, and for the first time I saw the names of Wren, Viresse, Bahran the Big, Uragel, and many others that have remained, and others that have sadly gone.

I almost didn’t bother with it. I scrolled up and down, saw it was a text based RPG and thought that I really couldn’t be fussed with it. Too much like writing. However, next time I saw the banner and clicked, I decided to give it a go. I posted a character, who at the time was highly inappropriate, and I didn’t actually realise at that time that the RPG was based on an actual world in development. One of the Moderators kindly pointed me towards the Santharian site, and I was transfixed. All the detail, imagination and talent that was in the writing, I was amazed. I didn’t know anything like it existed. It took me a few months from my first sighting, but eventually I plucked up the courage to post on the development board, and so I started to write again, a good nine months after the poor computer popped its clogs. And so it was there that I met many people – Rayne (who actually joined the same time as me but has a post count about ten times of mine – oh dear!), Artimidor (who I’m sure was rather frustrated by my early insistence that I wanted to create something wholly inappropriate for Caelereth, if he remembers my early Fae attempts), Wren (who encouraged and helped me very much in my early entries) Tarq, Xarl, Talia, Viresse, Dalá, Thuja, Bard Judith and so many others who I apologise right now for not including their names.

Whilst my writing has definitely not been as prolific as it used to be (mainly due to my mum’s disapproval of time spent on the computer during my ‘A’ levels, which was fully understandable I suppose) I hope that I have contributed my part, and will continue to do so for many years to go.

So, Santharia. Not a bunch of freaks stuck in a fantasy, but a group of mature individuals, scattered throughout the world, united in dreaming a dream which means so much to so many and I'm very happy to be part of.

Capher has joined the Santharian Dream on September 22nd 2001 and was forced to leave the Dream due to non-Santharian related problems. He has written several chapters of a Santharian novel and also contributed a good deal on the elaboration of the human tribes of southern Sarvonia. He has played a famous Shapeshifting Dragon at the Santharian RPG board and only can appear every now and then on the boards to say a quick "Hello!"

Afterthoughts of a lost member...
Capher flies low over his beloved lands. He spies someone he has not seen in ages. It is Drogo, the barbarian. So, he has returned from his travels, he thinks. He bellows out a firey hello. Scrolling it across the skies. As he then continues on he notices another being whom he has not seen in a while. Wren, she has come back also, he thinks.

As Capher flies around the world tears drop from his eyes as he thinks of the times he had with all of his friends, too many to name, but not too many to remember. His tears falls down and as it goes through the atmosphere it changes; until it is a substance called diatanium, a crystal with magical powers from the Dragons themselves.

Soon Capher flies close to the capitol of the lands and sees his old friend Artimidor. He bellows out a hello to him all of those in the lands; scrolling fire across the sky. He then turns, smiling to himself. He will have many things to tell Ethan, the Wizard of the White Tower; many new plants, new animals, discoveries of different kinds of magic, and of course old and new friends discovering the wonders of themselves and of their world.

As a last scroll of fire crosses the sky: Remember always that though I may not be seen, I am always watching over you. May Avá bless you in your continuing work!!

Take care my friends, I miss you...

Silfer became official member of the Dream on Feburary 22nd, 2002. He concentrates nearly exclusively on all things magical, and is mainly responsible for the long list of spells we already have managed to create.

Proud of being a Santharian...
When I first discovered Santharia, it was nothing but a new way of gaming to me. And after a while, it got boring... Strangely enough, I discovered the Development Board. And don't ask how, I remember not. My first entry was the entry on the Jhehellrhim elves... and although the pass limit for an entry was lower then, it was still hard work. But I pulled it off. Later, I dug into magic.

Through Santharia, I met my maybe closest friend, although he is no longer with the team. I also met many people who mean something to me: Rayne, Coren, Fox, in general everyone I knew a tad better than the average. Santharia is like a big family - there are happy times, sad times, quarrels, madness... all that comes with a family.

A lot more could be said, but I can wrap my feelings up like this: My name is Silfer Darkflare. I am a proud member of the Santharian Dream Team.
 

Member since August 11th 2002, Fox is still one of our younger members. Her focus lies in the development of magial schools and spells. Recently she has started to deal with motivation problems and couldn't manage anymore to gather the energy to work on the project - another side of the Dream, which we shouldn't forget to mention.

About about breaking away and still being part of the big family...
It was a dark and boring night, when I stumbled across this wonderous world from an ezBoard search... indeed, it did help to cure my boredom, and, after story-writing grew in itself boring, I changed to the developing side of this world. My goals were unclear, though I had a fondness for magic, and so, following in the footsteps of the great masters of magic before me, Xarl and Tarquet, took to the art.... never knowing what I would truly be getting into. The magic revisions, such a crazy thing, of which Xarl and Tarq left the little newbie of myself to work out. Thankfully, the efforts of Rayne, Mistress of Magic and Silfer, the Great Spellsmith, along with the All-Knowing Artimidor and others from around the board helped to lay out the foundations for that enormous task. Which still to this day has yet to be done, a fault on my part, I know.

I know I have done little, for which I apologize, being just a mere shadow delving around these boards as I am. Even in the field that I was placed in charge of. Helping Arti to prepare entries for the site update was the least I could do, and helping the Moderators and Admins with their critiquing of CDs (character descriptions) at the RPG board oh so long ago back in my active days. Though my help then seems only a speck compared to what Rayne and the others are doing now with the CDs. Heh, I can recall the days when Rayne thought I knew more about Santharia than her. I wonder how many months ago that was?

I recall the old days of the RP board, when Tarq was a Mod... how much I loved watching him argue with the newbies over their characters... even though myself once was subject to his words. I remember when Rayne first popped up as Kalika Avalotus, a character that was rejected and caused her to leave for several months before returning as Rayne, at which point she yelled at me for failing to stay in contact with her. And I also remember when Uragel was a part of Santharia... how great of an admin for the RP board she had been, even creating the famous 'Uri-check'.

Of course, like all things, I became impatient with the slowness of the posters in my stories and desired something more from this wonderful world. So, I took up pen and paper (or keyboard and notepad) and started my developing run.

After over 1.5 years of being here, I wish my love towards it was as it was when I first joined. I had been like a child then, so curious and amazed at such wonderful things. But, like I have done oh so many times, I grew up to a severe case of apathy and laziness. *sighs* I hate the fact that I so easily get bored with doing something I like to do... or when I do a job only half as good, or even less, of what others can do, even those who have come in after me. The perfectionist part of me dreamed of outstanding entries. Entries that never came. And when those who were of far better help to the Dream than I began showing up and writing out thousands upon thousands of basically perfect entries and accomplishing so much for Santharia, I felt whatever energy kept me here dwindle, looking on my own works as... well, unsatisfactory, in the broadest of terms that could be said.

But, still I linger, like the aforementioned ghost of the forums. Bonded to Santharia like an elemental is connected indefinately by the strands of Xeuá to its master, I cannot come up with the force to break away. I stay because I feel that I would possibly let many people down (there's that perfectionist egoism again...) and I wouldn't dare leave magic to Rayne alone after Xarl and Tarq left, and Silfer being somewhat a wandering shadow like I. Rayne worries too much about everything else already.

In any case, I've rambled on enough, so let me just get to the point. The point is... that you all have become family to me, and I appreciate all the times I have had to spend with you all, the good, and the bad. And that's why I wrote this long thing out. I generally don't disperse with my feelings like this, except with family. Yeah, even the guy-with-no-problems has his own downer moments. Whether or not I can build up the creativity and the desire to write up more entries, I don't know.... but I do know that as long as there is a Santharia, I will be here, even if only at the edge of your Dream... I'll watch my family, and this wonderful world grow and become even greater than it has already become. Congratulations Artimidor, and everyone else here. You've all done and are doing something great, something I'm glad to have been a, if only small, part of. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful times. *big group hug*

Since July 26th 2002, Rayne is official member of the Santharian Dream. And though she has only particpated for one and a half year, she has doen a tremendous amount of work mainly concerning the Bestiary and the Herbarium, but she is also Moderator of the Magic section, RPG Admin and enjoys to write poetry.

What I've lived through in my time as a Santharian...
Rayne sat outside the group a little ways, watching with a gentle smile brushing her lips. Her indigo hair was tied back in a big, turquoise bow. Her eyes looked out in a striking cerulean. ‘The anniversary of Santharia,’ she thought to herself. ‘Five years.’

The memories of the past year flood back: her fight with Wren, and then the make up, her sometimes emotional talks with Mommy-Judith, her long discussions with Artimidor on Cár'áll and Xeuá and the revelations that came out of them, her playing with Silfer, and a funny image of Fox and herself in a canoe talking about magic.

She could recall all the arguments she had with Talia over various things, and yet she smiled, feeling blessed to have her around. She remembered talking with Lucirina late at night and could recall the melodious sound of her voice when she sang across the Yahoo IM. And when Viresse made cat pictures for her entries, she had been so happy.

She remembered the way her heart felt when she had read Dalá’s stories, how she both disliked and enjoyed her small fights with Koldar, how excited she was when Quallion made a picture of her Ceruwing butterfly, the pride she had when Tarq approved her Kraken entry, and how she laughed at Xarl’s amusing, clever antics. When Faugar posted his paintings, she had stared in awe. She remembered her fascination when she first saw one of Enayla’s pictures.

She recalled her frustration with Coren, and yet how she couldn’t help but see him as a younger brother. ‘Lamertu still has to do his cow entry,’ she thought to her herself. She remembered how sad she was when Amuwen said she was going away, and when Catchfire posted his last post on the RPG boards. She remembered how she had listened to Gararion, wishing with all her might that she could deliver him from sorrow, or how she wished she could melt all the frustrations in Mortus’s life away.

A sigh left through her lips. She had been at Santharia for nearly a year and a half now, and yet in that time she had gained, not just friends, but family, and memories she wouldn’t easily forget. Now the five-year anniversary had come and gone, and Rayne wondered to herself how much longer she would be here, hoping with all her might that Santharia would not fade away from her. It had been her escape, her own private sanctuary for so long now, and felt like it was part of her.

She looked around a bit. ‘Come what may,’ Rayne thought, ‘This will always be my home and these people, the truest friends and family I could wish for.’

She jumped up from where she’d been sitting and wandered to the group.

“I could go for some anniversary cake,” the elfling said with a smile, her eyes hinting with a nostalgic shimmer.

Lucirina is member of the Santharian Dream team since May 22nd 2002. She is often refered to as wandering bard and songbird, which not only describes here role playing character, but also hints at her interest in writing poems, songs and stories. Lucirina also enjoys working on Santharian beasts and has recently been promoted to Santharian RPG Admin.

My discovery of the Santharian Dream...
My first encounter with Santharia was quite by accident. I am an avid IRC FFRP gamer and I was searching for some Tolkien writings to use as reference of one of my elf characters. Thus I stumbled over the site and started wandering around, I decided to join the RP board and try my hand out at the play-by-post RPG, staying mostly at The Thirsty Herald where I met my first friends on this site, Capher, Bobbo and Gararion.

Then one day, just because I felt like it, I posted my first entry in the Development Board, a poem. Which in first instance had nothing to do with Santharia at all. But I got hints and ideas from the Moderators and I started digging trough the information available at the site... and what can I say.... I fell in love with it, with the people entries and the histories.

Since then I got to know (I would like to think so) some of the members on this site and I do consider them to be my dearest friends. I simply decided that I wanted to be a part of this place that had captivated me so... and thus... here I am, glad to have joined.