>>96682471

From the beginning, there was a steady creep in magic and an overcompensation in everything else. Magic would slowly become more powerful (elementals/spirits remain a disaster, as a wizard could whistle up something immune to small arms fire for a bit that'd do them a favour or two before fucking off. It was exhausting though) and eventually they'd drop in something dumb and poorly considered to updated everything else - like the battle rifle weapons post-embezzlement, which out classed every other weapon class in their size category. Quality remained.. acceptable. So, the killing blow: embezzlement.

Cut to 2010. One of the founders decided he was going to use the money that would pay freelancers to redo his house. I have been banned for posting the images of his house before, because both moot and hiroshimoot are cunts, so I won't. Nothing happened - the guy was 'forgiven' by the other founder. Many of the freelancers went 'fuck off' and withdrew the rights to their work - this is most notable in the Dawn of the Artifacts series, a set of adventures about retrieving magic artifacts from a prior world as part of an elven dickwaving contest. Between book.. 3 and 4, I think? It goes from an attempt at turning the metaplot away from what it was becoming and evening the playing field a bit between the factions (Less magic secrets for dragons and elves, more 'here's some magic for everyone, but nothing earth shattering) to "WELL NOW WE HAVE MAGIC ARTIFACTS WE HAVE TO HOLD ON TO FOR SOME REASON, HOORAY!". The metaplot, previously separated into corporate and 'elder worlds' threads, merge a little but the elder worlds thread takes a big step forward in prominence. Now, I personally don't mind the thread - I loved Earthdawn - but it was a bit grating and also done as though it was supposed to be annoying.