This comment wasn't received with the jest that was, I am assuming and hoping, it was intended. It hit me not long after amul revisited his frustration with me. That wasn't sitting particularly well with me, either. I thought I had explained the five year thing pretty well. I see things getting done that players had set their goals for pretty early on in the saga. I'm addressing story flaws now, and most of them also tie into the overall saga arc.
So I'm going to address amul's frustration. I believe amul is frustrated because he's taken on the bulk of planning for the Tribunal (which is what his character was "hired" to do). He also wants some level guarantee that the things that have been done are going to lead to a successful Tribunal and has been asking me to adjudicate that.
The duties required of the Tribunal host are pretty clear and I already stated them once, and even when you guys started going off on a tangent, I adjusted your discussion a bit and tried to get you to focus on what was required. Above and beyond that is an exercise for the players, and it isn't my place to be involved.
Going back on qcipher's comment. Yeah, I do expect players to read something. I don't mind pointing the way now and again or even swinging the clue-by-four, but I really do expect players to read my posts. I like to think I do leave some nuggets of information in them.
I'm extending the break I've taken since Sunday. I'm going on vacation next week, I plan to unplug a fair bit, so I'm not sure if I will do any posting. I think you have enough to do as far as satisfying your characters' goals for the five year interim.
Also, I'd like you guys to really think about the Tournament; Alexei said he isn't going to participate because he's princeps during that season. I'm suggesting as SG that it doesn't make a lot of sense for the champion of a game to not participate. His participation in The Joust is a big reason why you guys won the Tournament in 1221, further, you're going to be handicapped by Falconball (it's unseemly to win at a game of your own design).