Ascension Q&A
On 23 November 2008 Valentine Janus prepared this notecard and sent it to the New Deseret group and the Queen of Camelot.
Q and A about becoming a TE queen
Q: So is it true that you’re going to be a Queen?
A: Thanks to great people like you, it’s now a real possibility.
Q: Why would you do that?
A: Because my most senior subjects thought I could do it and talked me into it. Seriously.
Q: How soon are you ascending?
A: I plan to do it by New Year’s, and hope to do it up to three weeks sooner.
Q: But that means leaving Camelot?!?
A: Sadly, it does. There can only be one monarch in a kingdom.
Q: Isn’t this like a civil war or something?
A: Not at all! Almost all the kingdoms in TE, over 100 of them, began by ascending out of another kingdom. Many ascensions were very harmonious. Our Queen has commented about the pride she takes in her “children” . . . the current #1 kingdom, Avalon, ascended from Camelot.
Q: So you plan to be friends with Camelot?
A: Yes. My first TE home has taught me many things, and I have many friends there. I would not be competent to lead a TE kingdom but for the example and advice of Queen Foxy and the additional leadership of many of her chief subjects.
Q: What if I want to stay behind?
A: I will be sad to lose you. A princess – or a queen – is NOTHING in this game without a whole lot of wonderful players to keep them strong and pointed in the right direction. I have only one favour to ask: stay through the coronation, help us – it’s a team achievement not a personal one – finish what was started, then go with my blessing after the party.
Q: You won’t be mad?
A: It’s a game, not a lifestyle. The only thing that would upset me is people tearing each other down or ceasing to talk to each other because of choices they made. Follow your heart and be happy.
Q: What will you do differently?
A: We have the ability to build a place in-world that is ours. I hope to make the City of Enoch our capital, and use the resources we have available in that sim and in Deseret sim for events. We have a website already built for information and outreach. We also have a perfectly good chat room to be built into that magic point of consistent community contact that is a hallmark of our current home. And we have the potential excitement of building from the ground up, instead of being tiny elements in an established sea of 1200 players.
Q: What will you call the new kingdom?
A: The same as the principality and the TE support group we’ve had all along: New Deseret.
Q: Is this going to be a religious kingdom, especially with that name?
A: I doubt that! Of my direct subjects, only one of four is even a member of my church.
Q: Then why use the name at all?
A: It’s a matter of heritage. This kingdom-to-be was born in a particular homeland in Second Life. All the early recruiting was there. Many of us have homes there. I now own two sims there. The name recognises the kingdom’s origin, and has become established through use including in-world group name and WWW address.
Q: Aren’t you worried about turning people away?
A: Not really. We haven’t been doing that before this, and I do not propose to start now or ever. Some will fit better than others, of course, that is one reason for the existence of over 100 kingdoms. But the welcome mat is out for all who want to come. Just play nice and have fun.
Q: Can you explain that flag?
A: Sure. The beehive is a symbol of the industry and unity it takes to build a community anywhere, including here. The green remembers my Queen’s grant of the title of Green Jello Princess. The white makes proper heraldic contrast with the green and adds interest to the flag as opposed to being all green with a beehive.
Q: What are your goals from here?
A: Once I decided to walk the path to royalty, I set three goals: 1. To become a Queen. 2. To strengthen that kingdom so it stays reliably on the map of Terra Aurea. 3. To one day spin off a daughter kingdom (or several), a granddaughter of Camelot and a way of helping others even as we were helped.
Q: Those are some pretty steep goals. Can you do it?
A: Less than five months ago I had no acres and no downline, just a HUD and a vague idea that playing this all the way to Princess might be fun. Today I stand at the threshold of a dream that started with, and lives in, the hearts of many people. I got here like any high-ranking TE player does, with the help and love and support of many others. As we build on that foundation, there is no limit to where we can go together.
Q: Can I help speed it up?
A: Mostly, just keep building like you have been. If you are a prince, princess, duke, or duchess, there is one more thing you can do. If you can spare the occasional acre — do NOT cut yourself short — please consider giving one to me every so often. Personal acres will be the last requirement to finish before the coronation itself, and I still need to spend a half-billion gold to complete this. So an occasional acre will be a great boon and help us all to move forward to the next phase of our TE play.
Once again, thank you all for everything. My progress is entirely due to a marvelous team. That means all of you. 
Val
