HISTORY

Chapter I: The Shadow of Yserbius

Long ago spirits of mighty adventurers were drawn to a distant land where the cursed King Cleowyn, haunted his former domain with fell armies of hobgoblins and trolls. Betrayed by his chief wizard, Arnakkian, the ghost of the slain sovereign seeks to avenge his murder and end his curse.

Guarding the forsaken palace were the apostate wizard Arnakkian himself and the King’s manservant, the stalward dwarf, Deldwinn and the most dreaded of all foes, En-li-kil himself, the elemental scourge at the heart of the restless mountain.

In the shadow of the great volcano “Yserbius” there gathered a host of warriors, artisans, bards, poets, jesters and healers all united for common purpose under a single banner of legendary fellowships to do battle with the evil spirits that plagued this realm, among them, the New OutRiders.

Warm was the home in which I long abided, with rich amber fires and bright faces to greet me. We danced to magical music, took our fill of splendid feasts and endless mead. E’er was I surrounded by friends and companions and our laughter echoed into the dawn. Not in our darkest thoughts had we dared imagine it would ever end. Yet from those very shores I bore witness to the death throes of ancient Yserbius, as the implacable wrath of the mountain finally consumed itself and lay waste to all that I held dear. It all seems like a magnificent dream, dreamt more than a lifetime ago. I am left with only the faintest memories to inspire me, fleeting moments to fill my heart. Yet my heart is thirsting, for even these distant wisps drift quickly away and I am only grasping at smoke as I wander aimlessly through the shadows between worlds …

— Lasarian Kinnuen

There were many such fellowships, some of common purpose, others not. Most were fleeting, yet a few endured. Those well known to the New OutRiders and other denizens of Yserbius were SOF (Soldiers of Fortune), KOY (Kingdom of Yserbius), DEADZ, The Gypsies, WP (Warriors of Peace), Companions, ILLUMINATI, SK (Shadow Knights), The Mercs and KAAOS.

The “Tavern” is where everyone gathered to rest from the trials of the volcano.

There were three major categories that most Guilds fell into. They were: Social, Teaching or Warrior. Some were a combination of both as NOR was; a Social and Teaching Guild. Some of the more stable and venerable Guilds were: “The Mercs” and “KAAOS”. These Guilds were formed to do “battle” or to “joust”. The difference was that “battle” was done in “anger” and “jousting” was done as a sport. Regular jousting events were held.

The New OutRiders shared its earliest beginnings with a guild named The NoMads. However, conflict within the ranks resulted in a small group calling themselves the “OutRiders” striking off on their own. Of the founding members, Lady Messalina once recounted: “That guild somehow never quite came together.” Later that same year a group of four friends, including the few that had left NoMands formed “The New OutRiders”.

These were our founders and the first High Council: Lord Bromber, Lord Damien, Lady Elidriel and Lady Messalina.

The nascent guild was a loosely organized group with a vague mission that stated all new members “Have fun and help your fellow NOR”. The home Duchy to NOR was the Evil Way host in Yserbius. Early NOR followed this creed by socializing and questing with a heavy element of role playing. These early games were very simplistic by today’s standards and much of the fun or entertainment value was through the interactions with other players, rather than the game itself. There were many ‘marriages’ within the Guild, as well as ‘births’, ‘adoptions’ and even a few ‘deaths’. There were also ‘wars’ with other guilds when occasion arose, in addition to planned battles or jousting tournaments.

The online marriage of Lord Damien and Lady Elidriel would ultimately turn into a real life marriage …

As the guild grew a more formalized rank system was developed by Lord Damien and Lady Elidriel, organized feudally as Squires, Knights, Barons, Counts and of course Lords or Ladies of the High Council. Dukes and Champions were added later.

The alliance with the LLOA (Lost Legion of Atlantis) was NOR’s first official ally in the realm of Yserbius. NOR was regarded as one of the most honorable guilds.

New OutRiders eventually made forays into other realms adjacent to Yserbius, such as Twinion and Cawdor. the Guild moved to the other RPG game on INN which was The Fates of Twinion. After a year of sluggish membership recruiting, it was finally decided that it was not a viable place for NOR and the Duchy in Twinion was abandoned.

Even this early in our history divisions began over how to manage the guild. Continue to expand the membership and presence on other INN games, or stand pat with that we had? The founders had at this point added another Lord to their rolls, Lord Baldrak; and it was he that pushed for expansion. Another Lord, Leto, was added to the HC … Leto was made Lord of the High Council and Lord Baldrak, opening up Role Play Inn as a new Host for the NOR Guild. To accomplish this he promoted Avatar from Knight to Duke and gave him the mandate to make the new NOR host successful.

…as would that of Eagle and Cnedran … and Roxanne and Zifnab.

Into an unknown sea the surviors fled … bound for Faerun.

Chapter II: Neverwinter Nights

With the blessing of the High Council, Duke Sarmaran founded the first Duchy in NeverWinter Nights. This would be NOR’s first foray onto another game away from the support and resources of the homoe realm. With the help of his mentor, Lady Gwen, they began to rapidly increase the population of NOR in its new home on AOL.

“For years untold, the lands of NeverWinter were home to many folks of power and might … This was a land of magic, a land of glory, and a land doomed to become a victim of it’s own excesses. The continual use of such powerful magicks on a land by so many folks for such a long period of time finally began to take it’s toll … a family gone from it’s farm, a guild’s scout disappearing … The final event that quelled any doubts was the formation of the Nothing. A great pitch-black cloud had appeared at the edges of the realm, completely surrounding it. Nothing that ventured in ever ventured back out. Nothing. In time, the cloud began slowly, ominously closing in on the lands, evetually cutting off this part of Faerun from the rest. As the outer lands became engulfed, people began to flee towards the center, to NeverWinter, in the hopes that it’s fabled walls could hold back the coming gloom.”

— Bard of Norrath

Chapter III: Diaspora

Until now NOR had principally been a one-game guild. Technically, there were members on both TSoY and NWN simultaneously, but the writing was on the wall for TSoY and the members had gathered in ever-increasing numbers on NWN until Yserbius’ eventual demise. Moreoever, the expectation was that once Yserbius collapsed, the guild would simply move its headquarters to NWN.

The NOR “jacket” is a holdover from our psuedo-biker origins (Nomads, Outriders) and members arriving in the Tavern on their Harleys.

NeverWinter Nights would be the last time all members of NOR called a single realm their home and were gathered in one place. After the fall of NeverWinter, the scattering that occured threatened to undermine the unity and cohesion NOR had enjoyed thus far.

“Jacket” lore included a quest on Yserbius undertaken by all members to acquire a ‘cloak’ – which they trashed if they resigned.

Chapter III: The Realm

Here is were NOR truly came into its own. Still the longest running Realm at eleven years, NOR was easily among the dominant guilds of the entire game with memberships rolls numbering in the hundreds.

Chapter IV: EverQuest

Azure & ardent, the NOR colors (blue and silver) were born of the crafting skills on UO and members dying their cloaks the same color to more readily recognize fellow NOR.

Chapter V: Dark Age of Camelot

The addition of white (or silver) was a mere convenience for visibility and contrast to the blue.

Chapter VI: EverQuest 2

EQ2 was to become the core of NOR for the next seven years, populated by the vast majority of its members and host to several High Council members. Although Warcraft would eventually come to rival EQ2 in size … members at the time are unlikely to soon forget Raid night on EQ2 when forty people were crammed into Ventrilo on the EQ2 Channel. .

Chapter VII: World of Warcraft

I realize I cannot write this.

Chapter VIII: 20th Anniversary

Yet to be written …