What's so special about Goldshire Inn on Moonguard?

After raid today, Roshii said to me that I had to go to Moonguard.  And specifically, Goldshire Inn.  He wanted me to write about it.  And I said OK, and I wondered what it was all about.

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THIS POST CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! DO NOT CONTINUE READING AS YOU MAY BE OFFENDED

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In Vent I said OK, and off I went.  Barkhoof was on Vent too and said amusedly "You're going to Moonguard?" and giggled.  I was bemused.  What is going on?

So I logged over to the server.  It was a US RP server.  And it was full.

"Don't forget, it has to be a human, Navi," said Roshii.

"You're going to Moonguard?" said Azadelta,.  "Wait, I'm coming too.  Oh, and you have to roleplay along, Navi."

I threw up a few random names but they were terrible.  "I'm just going to use my own name."  I said.

"Don't use your name!" said Aza

"I'm not using my name, no way," said Roshii.

 Bizarre, I thought.  But I went ahead and made a warrior female.  I logged in and Roshii and Az invited me to party.

So we head off to the inn.  As we approach, Az said, "Now you have to walk into the inn.  We are on an RP server and we have to play along."  OK, I can play along.

I walk into the inn.  Wow.  It's a party in here.

 And um, there are lots of naked people.  And this night elf here is talking to me...

 Oh my.  While I'm downstairs taking in the scenery, Az and Roshii said to fit in here I have to take my clothes off.  I took everything off except my boots.  OK, so I'm in some sort of pick up joint.  I get it.
"Navi, you have to come upstairs, that's where it all is," said Roshii.
So I head upstairs.  Aza is already up there.  "This room is typical, look at these guys!" he says.

This druid kept sitting, standing, sitting, standing.  Over and over. OHHHHHH.  I see.  Oh my gosh, I think they're having... sex.  My goodness, even standing looking from here it looks blushworthy.  I go into the next room.  There is another couple on the bed, but it looks like they're just talking.  And there are dead bodies all over the floor!

"What happened here?" I asked.
"Horde often come here and try to ruin the fun," said Roshii.  "So they get slaughtered."
Uh-huh.  OK.  I wonder if Horde have their own brothel on their own side...  I doubt it, if this is an RP pick-up server.  Humans and night elves are probably more sexy.  Maybe in Silvermoon it's different, in the low level inn on that side.  Full of sexy blood elves... hmmm.  Roshii was asked to dance, and so he obliged the person with a dance.

And I went into the other room.  Oh my goodness.  Now that really made me giggle and blush.  I had to leave.  I felt like a voyeur.  Oh dear, I was BEING a voyeur, that was my whole purpose here.

Someone whispers me.  It's the person who was dancing with Roshii.
"First time here?"
"Yes." I reply.
"I sometimes prefer the fishing cottage.  There's a nice fire and beds there.  And it's quieter."

I relayed this information to Aza and Roshii.  "Let's go!" said Roshii.  So off we went to check it out.

And it was quieter there.  There was only one couple in the bedroom, and they appeared to be deep in conversation.  I rapidly backed out.  Leave them to their private conversation, I might spoil their mood.

Another person chatted to me.
"Hi, how are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine thanks," I replied.  "You?"
"A lil bored," he says. "But I'm OK."
":) everyone is so friendly here," I said.  "So many people chatting."
"So what brings you to town? :)" he asked.
"Curiosity." I replied
"About?  Most ppl here are looking for sex lol :P"
"Really?" I said. "I thought it was just RP.  Oh My."
"Why you think everyone's naked?" I could almost sense his amusement. "That's what you get with ERP."

I had to ask.  "Oh, What's ERP?"
"Erotic Role Play."
Ding!  The light switched on.  Everyone must think I'm so stupid.  /facepalm "Ohh, right."
He replied with a :P
"I had no idea!"  and I really didn't.  They really HAVE those kinds of WoW servers??
"Hehe, I'm shocked noone's tried anything as you're naked," he said.  "I guess you're an ERP virgin :P"


I think I had seen enough.  I felt like a fraud being here.  I was, actually.  I was a tourist.  There are people here trying to get their "business" and I was here pretending I was in the business but I was really here to gawk.  I felt like I was leading people astray.  I put my clothes back on.

"I've seen enough." I said to Aza and Roshii.  "I'm deleting this character now."
"So what did you think?" said Roshii.
"It's... different." I said.  "I didn't know people did this."
"They've clamped down on it," said Aza.  "I think it was really bad before in BC here, but now it's just like this."
"I can't believe you've never heard of this," said Roshii.  "Everyone knows about Goldshire Inn on Moonguard."

I wondered, how do people find out about these things?  I can't imagine that it's written up on any popular websites anywhere.  It must be one of those secret dirty things that everyone seems to know about, but nobody talks openly about.  Is this what happens on every RP server?  I thought about Vidyala, who played on an RP server before.  I remember her talking during her Twisted Nether Blogcast interview about how friendly everyone was on RP servers, happy to help out when you needed help.  Is it because all RP servers.. are like THIS?  I thought RP servers were just about playing in character, like in D&D or something, and so people were nicer because they were more about playing in character, and dressing up in cool clothes and making friends.

So, I have to say this was a real eye-opener for me.  I never knew this sort of thing existed, openly, like this.  And I won't say that I didn't WANT to know that these things existed, because I think it's good to know, because, after all, we are adults, and we are free to do as we wish, consensually.  If this is what people want to do, then by all means they can do it.  I am not going to belittle them or say they're weird, because I don't think it's harmful to anyone what they're doing.  The only thing that would concern anyone is if they let their young children or young teenagers play and they get accosted by people looking for online sex.  But if you're here and looking for it, then you know to avoid it.  Besides, young children, like my daughter, can't read so even if someone talked to her, she wouldn't know what it was about anyway.

So people say it's creepy and sleazy.  Well, if I hadn't gone there, nobody would have tried to pick me up or dance with me anyway, so really, I think that it's a place where everyone goes to do this sort of thing.  And if you go there, then people will THINK you are there looking for it.  And you can always just avoid the place, or go to another server.

But I have to say, I don't think I will be going there again.  But I didn't regret going to see it.  Just another one of those secret things in World of Warcraft.