Hi all. Achaea has always had many flaws of course, but one of the ones that I think is the worst and most damaging is the attrition rate of our Gods. Too often, Gods stop playing, leaving their Orders in the lurch and sort of damaging roleplay. The problem is a lack of dedication on the part of the Gods who flake out (as opposed to our other Gods, who are quite dedicated). Just yesterday, for instance, I am displeased to announce that I changed Lorielan and Aegis' passwords, due to a total lack of dedication (Aegis hadn't been on for 4 weeks, Lorielan for 3).

Now, I'm sure many of you are jumping up and down right now, raising your hand and saying "Ooh ooh, me! I'll be dedicated! Give me a try!" I fully appreciate that everyone who starts THINKS they will be dedicated, but sadly, the fact is that we get told that by every God, and more than half of them do not last very long. I've had a brainstorm. We are going to sell Godhoods. Before you work yourself into an outraged state though (yes, I know how bad it sounds), let me explain my reasoning.

By paying money (and serious money), you are investing a _lot_ into your Godhood. You are MUCH more likely, I think, to treat Godhood with the seriousness it deserves if you have paid real money to get it. A good analogy is to look at players. Compare the differences in behavior between your average newbie and someone who has put either a lot of time or a lot of money into a character. _On average_ the newbie is going to be far far less dedicated, and much more apt to act like an idiot. He's got nothing invested, so what does he care?

In the case of a Godhood, it has to be money, however, because there is no way to put time into being a God, without first being a God, and of course, that would be a bit silly as the entire point is to create Gods with a high level of character investment right from the start.

So, we will sell Godhoods for US$3000. There are some caveats though. First, we will not accept the money from just anyone. You must pass some formal or informal interviews with existing Gods (including Myself), before we would take the money (we don't want some jerk who happens to have money becoming a God). Further, you would have to sign a contract with Achaea stating that you would obey the rules we set for Gods. Finally, this isn't an Ascension. You would have to give up your mortal character.

It's important to note that this does not mean that all people who become Gods have to pay. We still may offer Godhoods to people who catch our collective eye, and Ascensions are still possible (though rare obviously, as only Servelan has ever Ascended).

Once again, I want to emphasize that this is not a grab for money. I don't really expect it to generate much money, in fact. However, if we even get 1 really long-term dedicated God out of this, it helps all of us, in every way. If you're interested in doing this, please e-mail me at sarapis@achaea.com.

Penned by my hand on the 15th of Lupar, in the year 246 AF.