Timeno and Vallie passed the torch of leadership to Pita, Pita was a leader before and said he was able to continue atleast till the end of August as leader of Gouda.
So we ofcourse gave him that, and he did great. He brought the guild to great heights, arranged a server transfer and with the help of a great alliance he conquered the castle in the course of 1.5 months. Unfortunately, being a top guild always comes with drama. Pita wasn’t resistant to drama, we all aren’t.
It took a toll on his health, and eventually he lost track of what Gouda is all about. He was forced into a decision to pick sides.
One side, let’s just call it “The dark side”: was Riyuki mostly, speaking “the word” of the statics he was most entrusted and close to.
The other side, let’s just call it “The Gouda side”: Was Timeno, Flinty, Exlin, Firebomb, Coebergh, Prodelux, Rottenbyte, Anxel0.. lots of original Gouda members and their friends.
Typical drama, one a leader encounters often… Friends of the other side want to join, and the opposing side refuses to let them join as they are part of the wrong side.
Two weeks passed and this drama kept repeating, causing Pita do be done with it all. Instead of looking for a proper solution for both sides, or talking to everyone related… he felt like he alone should solve this issue and was provided with an exit strategy.. one that would involve kicking the original Gouda members and rename the guild.
So at sunday, the 24th of august, in the middle of the night. Pita, without any word or warning, kicked the original Gouda members and instructed the alliance leaders to remove their rights.
Pita, someone with such a big history related to Gouda, someone that come to our real life guild meet and we shared so many fond memories with.. stabbed the original Gouda members in the back by removing the Gouda name from their characters, and destroying the Gouda legacy where it had come to existence: in Throne & Liberty.
He did not search for another max level guild in advance, so he could provide everyone with a new guild. He did not face the drama, or asked help from us. Like a coward, he simply thought of an exit strategy with the majority of the players on “The dark side”, orchestrated a switch of Discord and TLGM in silence and in one night silently destroyed what we tried to build the last year.
So unfortunately, this is the sad ending of Gouda in Throne & Liberty. The guild’s name carries on in the players hearts, and lot’s of Gouda members are still playing the game.
Especially in the early days, Gouda(Garde) was great, but now everything that has Pita’s name in it… is like throwing salt in a wound. And unfortunately, as he would say.. “It is a lot”.
Gouda is about connecting with people, and Gouda is about making friends. Gouda is having fun as a first priority, and preventing drama. We have always been able to do so, the staff of the original Gouda. Let’s hope we will flourish once again, when the next new MMO hits. And that we will join together again, without those that abused our trust and friendship.