Thank you to everyone who came to the Ball! It was a great turnout, and apparently folks were all night well after I decided to call it quits ^.^
Special thanks to Mingonashoba for providing the music!
Also thanks to my wonderful co-leader Adassos for taking on this year’s speech.
(and condolences to my other co-leader Wildshot who spent the entire speech moonwalking)
For the interested, the full text of Adassos’ speech:
"So here we are again.
We aren’t in the best place this year, but not the worst, either.
It’s an honor for me to say that we are currently holding a tentative armistice between the Horde and Alliance at this year’s armistice ball.
However, I think we all know it’s not enough. And it probably won’t last. Not unless we use this limited time, this fleeting moment of maybe-peace to try and mend the wounds that fester under the surface.
It’s easy to point fingers and place blame, it’s easy to fight, to throw our bodies and our gold at war rather than spare our hearts and minds to communicate peace, confront the universal pain and joy we all experience, and see one another as equals who can coexist.
How can we work to grow as a united, multi-racial, faction-irrelevant people? How can we learn from the mistakes we made here in the Broken Isles, where we came together only because it was necessary to join forces to defeat the Legion?
There’s no Legion this time. But it’s important to understand our histories, and how maybe real peace is only possible when we come together for a reason other than world-threatening battle. Maybe peace can’t happen with enforced cooperation.
This year, I have a suggestion, or a challenge, if you prefer. Stop forcing yourself to accept our society and your experience as it stands, and start looking inward. Find where your own personal biases and grievances contribute to animosity towards someone else.
Factions or no, hatred and revenge will always be founded on personal pain.
Your pain is valid, your pain will help you grow. But we need to grow as individuals before we can grow as a united people. Communicate and confront the injustices that prevail, and find a productive way to solve them that doesn’t result in rage and bloodshed.
The AAMS has been, and always will be, a safe haven for those willing to have these tough conversations. We come together as a unit to do something simple, that everyone needs.
But there’s a core commitment we have, and that is to facilitate communication, whether via mail or translation services.
Think about the simple things you can do in your life to promote understanding and empathy amongst one another, and the effects will be made known.
You have already taken the first step just by being here. Make it the first step on the path to real, enduring peace.
Thanks."
No hostile mobs outside the ones immediately next to the stone. No flying required to reach event area once summoned.