Indeed it is. There is a great deal of history behind that thread Realm, which is why if an individual is not "in the know", it is very difficult to determine what is going on. For the sake of posterity however, I will do my best to answer any questions that you or anyone else have about the thread in question.

Hey Realm, it is too difficult to answer that while in-game because game chat only allows two lines at a time and the thread takes more like a 2 page explanation.

Okay, all of us here got our names from somewhere. I am Irish, interested in history, and used "Druid" as my pilot name when I played Elite as a kid. Esquilax was an animal, hare-horse with the head of a rabbit and the tail of a rabbit which appeared in a Simpsons episode. Tawakalna...google it. Indy? Well I know that one.

Each of us has our own style and our own relationship with the others. A kind of character history has developed, Mustang for example is a Grand Llama of the Hidden Kingdom, Indi is a capitalist based in NooDworkia and Tawakalna is a Mullah (say no more).

The closest thing I can refer to in order to give you an idea of what is going on is Role Play. Each character has his own agenda, his supporters and his own style. Much of these elements of the character are a real reflection of the person and others are just exagerated to help the story. As each of us posts it is similar to a role play character making a move.

Remember, the current thread is just one in many where these fictional characters have bounced off each other and the longer we visit here the more history we bring to new threads.

This one started when a new entry to TLR, a Mr Tors Denneti, kidnapped the "Doctor" and held him to randsom. Read the post topic, he needed something from Esqui but also contacted Indy. Obviously playing both sides of the fence from day one. From then on a war ensued where Taw sought revenge for the kidnapping of his ally the Doctor and Indy, Parabolix, Leonheart and many others lent support.

Currently Esquilax has over run Tawakalnastan and the Mullah has made a glorious retreat to one of the capitalist Indy's resort hotels.

So, some of the characters?

Esauilax or Esquilaxativia is a demi-god worshipped by the bunny people.

Taw from Tawakalnastan, being a Mullah himself, of course finds the worship of this false god offensive not to add their hole-dwelling lifestyle repugnant.

Mustang from high in his Hidden Kingdom supplies (or has supplied) arms to Esquilax but tends to stay at home and live his life of debauchery.

Indy is less political and more of a capitalist financier based out of Noodworkia. Taws purse is buried deep in Indy's pocket.

Parabolix is just a rampant bunny hater. No harm there really.

Jagged? Re: parabolix in reverse.

Finalday: Leader of the bird men if only 'cause the rest of us cannot hit him while up there. (Taw your SAM Missiles are en route) Conscientious objector? Interested spectator? Confused Admin?

Freight Fighter: Just confused it seems.

Zeta: relatively recent addition if I am not wrong, ally of Esquilax and leader of the soon to be road-kill Squirrels.

Me? Well I am what you may call a venture capitalist. Granted my religious order must bless my dealings, but if there is a potential profit the prophets don't stop me.

They call me "Swiss" because my char is a Lada Carsalesman and provided Taw (when doing so was profitable) with his military fleet. So Swiss as in Swiss Tony. My land is thus SwissDruLand. Lately it has been rather more wise to invest in Esquilaxativia. In earlier times I was also known as Dr U I by the way.

Now that is the general gist. It will be hard for anyone just arriving to follow it even if you read all 1,000 posts as much of what is said is based on what we have already developed over the years here. Just about every single thing in the thread makes sense but only if you are "in on" the joke and know the characters and their history.

Why this thread is so successful is perhaps because it arrived at a time when the OT was quiet. We cannot discuss religion, pilitics or other such "heavy" stuff but did enjoy each other's company so a thread which plays out a war between all of our fictitious characters was a good outlet to keep joking with each other without having to get into any forbidden territory.

I hope that makes some sense.

As for "Tors" (Tors Denneti). Well that is a WHOLE other subject.

EDIT: Forgive any mistakes, errors, omissions. It is late and I dont have time to correct it. Also I apologise if I left anyone out. Thanks by the way to everyone who posted for "that" thread.

Edit: sorry, I said I can't single everyone out but...J Dawg too.

Edited by - Druid on 11/10/2006 3:29:44 PM

Doc Id (my own name for the swiss) however left out the most intersting part... how it all started that is simply because he doesn't really the know the full history (Id, if you do want to know, look for a topic called utopias by effs, it is how it started)

back in 2003, late at that, freighter fighter started a thread called utopias, trying a new model of discussion, simply stating his own utopia, or otherwise what would be the perfect outlook on the world for him. The thread started off quite well, 'till Taw stated his own Utopia, which was basically a Socialist state with a few Islamic influences, be it purely innocently, or otherwise, Mustang retorted that with the model of a full blown Capitalist state, the exact opposite to Taw's Utopia, et voíla, the conflict as it exists today was born. Taw chose the monicker PRNS (Peoples Republic of North Staffordshire, a spoof of the Soviet union during its earlier years during which Stalinism began to consolidate its power, and a bit of modern day North korea thrown in) which was later re-monickered to PDRNS with the D standing for Democratic.

Mustang chose the name of Mustantopia for his realm, and soon people began to take sides, Indy, me and a couple others joined Taw in his quest for a Socialist state (me being a Communist) and as it was loosely based on the Soviet Union, we began to twist the names a bit, Indy11 became Political Commisar Indynski, in chief of all Propaganda affairs, my name back then being locutus, it became the name I bear today, Locutov, general of the Dear Leader's grand Army, on Mustang's side, zlo and RILMS joined, of the more notable ones. zlo just because he got as many booze and smokes as he could smoke and drink and I forgot the reason RILMS joined, what followed was a war of propaganda flinging over and back, in the latter part, FF also joined as an independant faction, allied with Mustantopia, being its sole supplier of arms and methods of torture.

the story in utopias concluded with the betrayal of Commisar Indynski, forming his own faction which still exists, Noo Dworkia, this story was later joined together in a fan fic story, written by both Esquilax and Indy11. after utopias closed, it was replaced with a facsimile of it, called the RYOC thread (Rule Your Own Country) which kinda continuated the story, although with a bit lesser content from the sides of both Mustang and Taw, the RYOC threads were not really as booming a success as the simply brilliant spoof of marxism and Corporate Republicanism that was utopias, but continued nonetheless.

It was I believe during either the third or Fourth RYOC that the state which is still in existance, it being the Islamic Peoples Republic of Tawakalnistan, with Taw installed as Grand Mullah, in the beginning, a little war was waged against Mustantopia, but it was no longer its principal nemesis, thus began the rise of Esquilaxitavia, having risen from the ashes of the PDRNS as once it being its principal conscripted scientist () to the Rabbit God he deems himself now, having made peace with Mustantopia and Noo Dworkia, Mustantopia disappeared from the world stage and is assumed to just live its life in peace, Noo Dworkia became the principal financer of the Tawakalnistani war effort and its principal source for research and development of new weaponry to counter the threat from the Unholy Army of Rabbits, mobilized by the Rabbit God Esquilax, thus it made the stage for the conflict it is now.

I still serve, although half on half off as retired General, the dear leader/grand Mullah as he now fights the UAR (Unholy Army of Rabbits), at a later point SwissDruLand with SwissDru joined the fray allied with Tawakalnistan, with Tors Denetti as a shadow in tow.

thats about a short History of the conflict as it exists today.

Yours Truely,

(still) General Locutov

You haven't explained why FD is King of the Birdmen. Let's see who remembers! (apart from FD and me)

thats just because you seem to have the impression his massive beard is hiding a nest of vultures

I feel that I must clarify a few points, so allow me to explore them systematically..

1) The Esquilax *was* mentioned in "The Simpsons", however there are also links to ancient mythology, Greek/Roman if I recall correctly.

2) "Roleplay"? Me? Lies! The Rabbit-King Esquilax is as existant as anyone else on this forum. Hmph!

3) Esquilax, aka "The Great Chimaera" (among many others) was once the God of the rabbitfolk of the land of "Esquilaxitavia". Recently however, the rabbitfolk elected to move beyond a backwards theological society, and have moved to a Monarchy.

4) It is "Swiss Toni", not "Swiss Tony" .

5) In relation to the history of the conflict, please check the threads entitled Utopias and Rule Your Own Country! (listed chronologically) as mentioned by Loc. They are quite humorous, trust me .

ah, FD's beard encompasses more than that!

a long time ago, a colleague of ours on TLR, named Gromit, who you may recall is a plasticine dog of a North Country extraction, observed with a stroke of sheer brilliance during a "let's insult FD's beard" posting session, that FD bears a remarkable resemblance to the actor Brian Blessed, famous for having a very large beard, and who played the character of KIng Vultan of the Birdmen in the film Flash Gordon.

Brian Blessed
FD

the resemblance is indeed uncanny...



Edited by - Tawakalna on 11/15/2006 11:01:17 AM

@Loc, Esq, Taw: Thanks for providing the extra info a blow in like myself would not have had.

As I said, apologies if I left out any particulars, still I do think I was pointing anybody trying to figure it out in the right direction. The thread has jokes which go back far beyond the 1,000+ posts you will find in it. It generally concerns the struggles between the various characters and their countries (hill side kingdoms, destert wastelands, used car emporuim, stock exchanges and filthy holes in the ground included). Once you understand the general relationship between the characters and the names by which they are referred to you will have a better idea, if you are daft enough to want one, of what it going on.

Some of the points I put in are shown to be true by what the others say. Loc for example chose to side with Taw because Taw's state was socialist and in reality Loc would favour such a "utopia", Mustang really is a bear swilling heathen (no wonder we get on so well) and so forth. So some of the elements of the characters are based in reality. Realm, who asked the question, would have no problem understanding why for example "SwissDruLand" ended up with a used car emporium on every corner. However I do not really wear a cloak to work with no undies. C'mon, it's Ireland lads, you ever felt the cold breeze we got here? The tensions and the insults however are not to be taken seriously...I think.

I regularly check up on whats going on here, I just post very rarely.
Too busy trying to keep the Mullah out of the Gorge...though, I have to admit, my kitties are never hungry with all the hunting they get to do...

I assure you, I have no territorial ambitions against a tribe of pygmies armed only with guava-halves.

That would be razor sharp guava halves...

@dr.id

Why am i not in this list u've known me for years, i'm quite frankly disgusted at not being mentioned

@Realm

Well young fellow me lad i've been lurking here for many a moon, but circumstances and responsibilities have stopped me posting here as much as i would have liked. I had just turned 15 when i first joined here and was taken under the wing of my good friend loc and others who know who they are I'll be 20 next year which shows u just how long i've known some of these guys, good people like Taw, FD, Indy, Loc, eskie, mustie, Rec, sw, Druid, Chips and of course BP and Eraser to name but a few. But as i said before i am out there, as someone once said Lancers is like the Hotel California u can check out whenever u like but can NEVER leave!

@Taw

You can spot the difference from a mile away. The second picture has to be Fd ... his beard is fuller.

@GP: Hey mate! Good to see you come out of theTLR shadows. Not so much a lurker for me though as I still see you most days.

The reason I did not mention you is:

A: Those mentioned have posted in the thread, you do not actually appear in the 1000+ monster in question, although you do appear in the historical annals which precede it.

B: Not knowing if you even wanted your name dragged back onto the forums I would not have done so without first asking.

C: Meh!

D: Ref C.