The Federal Estates Prime Minister election is still being debated in the courts. Meanwhile, a storm blew through Cabotton last week, stripping most of the trees of their beautiful autumn leaves.

But most importantly, Karlin Maryk, who won the Dungeonmaster re-election last Saturday, just announced that 1261 would be his last year.

This came just after the Caucus voted to amend the Statute of Principle to move Dungeonmaster elections to every Saturday of the twenty-second week of every year going forward. It used to be November 8th.

I just don't know what to make of all this change. Has the Society as a whole lost its sense of being?

And I cannot believe the outcome of the debate over Terrings' idea. Right from the moment Maryk first delivered the proposal, there was definitely a significant portion of the Caucus, slightly more than half of them, largely undecided over this. In fact, it was Adam Mensley, the one pushing the Jackson endorsement, who stood up and admitted that he was undecided, stressing that we should "take some time to think about this."

Though I was dismayed about his external political agenda, I thought that maybe Mensley would have more sense than that, since he, too, was an outspoken "Steamster" up until last year. So I was disappointed by him yet again.

Meanwhile, those of us who were not undecided were almost evenly split between those adamantly opposed and those adamantly supportive. Needless to say, I was among those opposed; and so was my friend, Alan Schott. We had discussions among ourselves, be it small-group and also large-group, in times and places giving us opportunity to do so, so that we were able to deliver sound arguments in the Caucus meetings that followed.

And need I say, we had a lot of special sessions between then and today.

During these sessions, Marylin Conleigh, a Freshman but one with profound charisma, apparently, touched on Maryk's points outlining Terrings' proposition, and emphasized the excitement she felt at the prospect of the change taking place.

We countered that with a relentless argument that our Society Founders, including Ivella Ogden and her granduncle, Merlin Kent Ogden, had intended for the existence of the other worlds out in the Cosmos to be "peripheral." In other words, these "other globes" would influence the Arturian Realm only by the coming and going of avatars cast only automatically by algorithm as well as communication from the other worlds generated only by algorithm, just as we had been doing it this whole time. We also argued that Terrings' adjustment would be expensive beyond our reasonable budget of time, resources, and money. Not to mention, we emphasized the importance of our "Steamster" fabric in holding our Society together in spite of the Traditionalist-Progressivist divide, and cautioned on the damage to this fabric to be done should Terrings have his way.

"It would make the Arturian Realm, and our Society too chaotic," I said at one point. "Our best resolution: leave everything the way it is. Have all the Administrators come together to form and implement a new plan of dynamics and questing material so that we may prevent 'dullification.' That's all we really need!"

Honestly though, when I had emphasized the existence of our "Steamster" culture, the passion and interest regarding that was simply not present. In fact, it seemed to me that only me and Alan Schott were two Members with the most interest, far removed from the rest of the Chamber. It was a moment of reckoning for me. The Terrings-supporters, obviously, were not so keen on prioritizing that fabric; and our fellow "Steamsters" remained quiet, for some reason. I felt as I feel now that they were losing hope.

The Caucus approved Terrings' idea. Karlin Maryk signed it. Maryk was re-elected Dungeonmaster for 1261. And right after he won, he stated that 1261 would be his last year.

Marylin Conleigh called for Marcus Terrings to be the next Dungeonmaster. Terrings accepted this.

I had written to Meon Bell last week and got a response tonight. He is in Bridgetown now, and just invited me over. Hopefully a discussion from a seasoned former Member will bring clarity to things.