Good guy Helmsman helper of newbies, Sieged in Keshalia

This article is somewhat biased but tries to ask questions, which are up to the reader to answer with their own opinions and feelings, as well as revealing facts about in-game policies and unspoken rules which question the actions of the few.

Illyriad is a great game with many different ways to play. There are almost no limitations once the basic game has been mastered. Of course, the mechanics have boundaries and borders to what is possible and some aspects of the game exist to push the player base into experimenting.
There exists an agreement; rules set in stone after over a decade of play that a good chunk of players subscribe to. Then there are those who ignore this agreement, to attack others for no apparent reason other than to throw around pixel power and wield a giant scuttler stinger.
Previously there were confederations who stood up to aggressors and enforced the tenets of that agreement. Who is there today to uphold these principles?

On the 18th of February, The Colonist Empire [TCol] laid siege upon a player who goes by the name Helmsman, from the alliance Achaean’s League [ACHE]. The town being sieged had been grandfathered into TCol’s land claim (LC) by previous TCol leaders.

He has a reputation in this game for being the good guy; the friendly neighbor who brings you a keg of beer, when all you needed was a few cents to get the one beer at the corner shop. He asks nothing in return and will keep helping someone until they feel ready to venture onwards in the Illyriad lands.
The player sieging Helmsman goes by the name of Ashka and is currently the leader of TCol. The raze text is on his profile page: “2022-02-18 Pants Free for Boggie, belonging to Helmsman which was located at 756|-128 has been razed by Ashka.” It is like it is displayed proudly as a trophy. An achievement. What a great win, sieging the friendly next-door neighbor who did nothing and razing his town to the ground. Truly impressive.

TCol are currently at war with Northern Ascension [ASCN] and have been involved in that war for around 7months by now. Lots have happened for ASCN in the war, but it seems their true foe is not TCol; The Fallen Order [FALLN]. FALLN are in many veteran players eyes, the fiercest military alliance in the game, although TCol claim that title on their profile page, quote:
“TCol has a long and proud history as one of the oldest military alliances in the game. Over the years we merged with DB, TA2IN, SIN, and TRST, resulting in the preeminent pvp alliance in Illyriad. We are a group of nice people who enjoy, and are knowledgeable about, Ilyriad [sic]. We believe in strategic play and enjoy the military aspect of the game.” 

The author of this article has been a member of TCol for 2 years and knows many of the players. Yes, most of them are nice – But man, they can be some cruel mudafukas and only really care about who they can target next. Will it be you?
Here is a quote from the leader Ashka, that he wrote out to the Global Chat on the 22nd of February: 

[23:22]<Ashka> If it wasn’t for Skarr my policy of razing all noobs would be in effect
[23:23]<Ashka> I could care less if they stay or go
[02:10]<Ashka> But yes I’m the bad guy. I warned someone over 6 months to leave my land. I know most of you hate the landclaim but it’s there.

The fact that a leader of an alliance means this, is disturbing to most people. Sure, sometimes we get hot-headed in a game that we all spend a lot of time in. Discussions or debates take a turn and all of a sudden, we find ourselves in the deep end of the swimming pool, after reading back what has been written by our own hands. Still, four days after the siege, Ashka displays how he feels and thinks by writing this to the public eye to see. Disgraceful? Honorable? Up to you. Regardless of what you think, this player is the leader of 50 other accounts who probably also have an opinion weighing one way or the other.

The matter at hand here, is how an innocent player was sieged. The LC is the excuse given; according to Ashka a period of 6months was given to Helmsman for him to move his city out of the LC. And according to Helmsman and some other people ACHE, there existed a truce for Helmsman to be in the region. No evidence has been presented to show that Helmsman provoked TCol, posed a threat to anyone or bothered anyone when residing peacefully in Keshalia. Still, Ashka felt the need to use his tiny scuttler stinger and raze Helms to the ground. Some of Ashka’s followers claim he did it simply because he could.
How many of you can raze peaceful players because you can? Probably 100% of you. But do you do it? Do you just ignore long standing agreements made by those who came before you? That is in a lot of people’s reality overstepping many boundaries and showing disrespect to the alliance that you are a part of.

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Before writing this article, Helmsman and Ashka were both contacted and asked if they wanted to chip in with information but have not responded.