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As one of Torn's oldest factions looks set to crumble after being sold to Saitoma, the Torn City Times presents this early obituary for the late, great, Memento Mori.
Earlier this month one of Torn City's oldest factions, Memento Mori, was sold by its leader Tascon for a fee of $62.5billion TCD. The news was broken in a thread posted by Harley which exposed the buyer as Saitoma, aka Seraphim, aka Egypt.
In the discourse which followed, Harley inferred that Memento Mori's members may be about to be purged, as Saitoma reportedly has a long history of clearing factions out before selling them on for a profit. Many MM members have already left the faction in anticipation of such a move, but Saitoma claims such fears are unfounded, and he made the following comments to the TCT:
"I contacted top factions owners / leaders till I got 2 replies from Memento Mori and another faction both showed willingness to sell for the right offer. I intend to keep and raise it further to bec[ome] my home, will enjoy it with other loyal members. I know Memento Mori for long and I have been into it before."
Former member Donandres is not so easily fooled. Having served Memento Mori almost his entire Torn life, he had already departed the faction by the time he learned of Saitoma's purchase:
"If you want my honest opinion, I think he will run it to the damn ground! From I have read and heard afterwards he doesn't seem like a guy who can run a faction with that much respect."
Makeway remains in the faction but isn't convinced in Saitoma's leadership qualities either. He was happy to be quoted publicly as he expects to leave soon, believing that many would follow if he were kicked for speaking out. Makeway says that while the remaining members of MM are doing everything they can to keep things moving, nobody will pay much for the faction in its current state.
"I'm sure soon we'll see him selling forum... He deleted all the important faction forum including the crime exp, nerve bar n stats n other valuable info... He keeps on telling everyone he's doing his best, he wanna run the faction n all the same old crap but he has already changed the image, faction tag, no solid step to keep the old strong members."
N.B. It has been reported by Jeffbridges that some of the faction forum data was deleted by MM members, not Saitoma.
Pictured: An outside observer's impartial observation
It would be a crying shame to see such a long serving faction fall by the wayside. Memento Mori haven't always been considered one of the top HoF names, but they do have a strong history of challenging those above them. Their strength was drawn from a core unit of active members who seemed to treat each other like family. Under Tascon's leadership, MM retained this close-knit atmosphere for many years, turning down several high statted players whose personalities were deemed unsuitable.
Tascon was clearly a man with a firm idea of exactly how Memento Mori should be run. Conversely, when Saitoma was pressed on his future aspirations for the faction, his answers were about as reassuring as those you'd expect from a two-year-old in the cockpit of a commercial airliner.
"No territorial ambitions, I'm satisfied with what I have. Hopefully won 't fall into others fights. I'm peaceful and like to be friendly to all surrounding. I already paid most of what I have to purchase the faction, I don't have enough money to buy armoury to support members, but I try to raise money for that atm."
"Most big faction do fake wars to farm respect, but I don't need that atm and don't have enough money to support it. Plans need money and I need time to raise that , Patience is the key for now."
It's easy to call for patience when you're the only one who knows what's to come. Saitoma's comments read like a man with no interest in Memento Mori's past, present or future. During our interview, he told me he expected a more friendly environment at MM, claiming that some members feel uneasy about him due to the bad reputation others tried to spread. He also stated that MM are now in "training mode" like any normal faction, and that he expects his members to raise money by flying rather than fighting all the time.
Pictured: Memento Mori in the process of becoming Torn's first entirely airborne faction
In light of Saitoma's acquisition and imminent flipping of Memento Mori, many have wondered why former leader Tascon sold the faction in the first place. Sadly, I have been unable to obtain comment on this matter as he has blocked me for unknown reasons - most likely my constant hilarity. Without being able to question him directly, it was hard for me to fathom how Memento Mori's long-serving leader could send his faction up the creek in this way - until I asked his former colleagues, that is.
As this short faction bio by IIIlusionist explains, Memento Mori was formed way back in 2009. In its early years MM came under the Unwanted Family banner, with their leader CARR conferring its leadership upon a player called Scampi.
"We were a peaceful faction back in the day when that option still existed, as was the whole family if i remember rightly. That would have limited what we could gain in terms of respect, but we had created a pretty strong team, some of those guys went on to stay in MM for quite some time after Tascon became leader." - Scampi
Tascon joined forces with two others to purchase what would later be known as Memento Mori from UWF when the family disbanded. According to Donandres, Tascon's leadership was crucial in these early years, as he provided help in the form of company startups and financial assistance to the members of this embryonic faction.
When their bio was published in 2015, IIIlusionist noted how they did not appear in the Hall of Fame. Today, Memento Mori sit eleventh in the respect rankings, so clearly Tascon performed an excellent job during his time as leader. One wonders how far they might fall now that Saitoma has his claws in them.
But perhaps this assessment of Memento Mori's future is unfair. I have heard that Tascon had been planning to sell the faction for some time due to his lack of free time, and that several strong and active members had already left before Saitoma took over. According to Harley, Memento Mori's slide towards a most memorable death had already begun to set in long before the faction flipper came along.
"I only really remember how it started to fall apart slowly basically when the new chaining system was introduced. I heard that there were only really two people leading these immensely long chains, after which there was a first dip in activity and some people left, then a few months after they decided to merge with forged through war. This was successful for a while but failed anyway after a while, both factions went their own way, and memento mori again saw many people leave."
Pictured: Gnarly graphics bro
Para is the co-leader of Forged Through War, and he told me that the FTW / MM merger failed because of bad timing and personal circumstances. Having led MM for so long, Tascon hoped to share leadership with members of FTW so he could spend more time enjoying Torn while being able to concentrate on real life.
Sadly, this was not to be. The two FTW members earmarked for co-leadership, BFM and Janet, were themselves forced to reduce their faction responsibilities as real life commitments took over. Tascon ended up doing more work than before, and as the pressure began to take toll, Para believes a sale must have seemed like the only way out.
"I'm personally sad to see MM was sold but I totally understand the reasons behind why he did it. Eventually the game becomes a chore when you have so much to do. Tas didn't have the luxury of being able to take a break from it. RIP Memento Mori."
Rumour has it that Tascon is currently looking around other big factions to scope out the lay of the land. And after so many years of dedicated service, who could begrudge him a break and some time in the sun. It seems that his former warriors have similarly followed suit, with many heading for pastures new in the form of JFA. This move came as a surprise to Donandres, especially when he himself pitched up at Memento Mori's one time rivals.
"The fun thing about that is, that when MM were at it best, we hated JFA. We had some run ins with them, and those bastards always called big brother and won!! Damn cheaters! ;) I never imagined joining them, but we had some guys who left to go there, and they were thrilled to be there."
"Most of us still believed they were JFA of old - where they really were *******s. However, Vic and Stretch have changed the mentality of the faction and I really like it here, and I think all the former members of MM do as well. Both here in main and in JFA 2.0."
So is this truly the end for Memento Mori? Perhaps so, but despite Tascon's role in selling the faction, soon-to-be-former member Makeway doesn't blame his old leader for any of this. He believes Tascon's legacy remains intact, and if the Memento Mori we knew as a faction has all but perished, its memories will live on in the hearts, minds and possibly colons of its loyal former members, wherever they pitch up.
"I can understand we all soo hurt that some may even get upset from him but I know that it would be the hardest decision of his torn's life. I have always followed n supported u Tas n will always do the same. All I wanna say is I'll miss each n every member of MM from the day I joined n hope to all again at least once again."
In the discourse which followed, Harley inferred that Memento Mori's members may be about to be purged, as Saitoma reportedly has a long history of clearing factions out before selling them on for a profit. Many MM members have already left the faction in anticipation of such a move, but Saitoma claims such fears are unfounded, and he made the following comments to the TCT:
"I contacted top factions owners / leaders till I got 2 replies from Memento Mori and another faction both showed willingness to sell for the right offer. I intend to keep and raise it further to bec[ome] my home, will enjoy it with other loyal members. I know Memento Mori for long and I have been into it before."
Former member Donandres is not so easily fooled. Having served Memento Mori almost his entire Torn life, he had already departed the faction by the time he learned of Saitoma's purchase:
"If you want my honest opinion, I think he will run it to the damn ground! From I have read and heard afterwards he doesn't seem like a guy who can run a faction with that much respect."
Makeway remains in the faction but isn't convinced in Saitoma's leadership qualities either. He was happy to be quoted publicly as he expects to leave soon, believing that many would follow if he were kicked for speaking out. Makeway says that while the remaining members of MM are doing everything they can to keep things moving, nobody will pay much for the faction in its current state.
"I'm sure soon we'll see him selling forum... He deleted all the important faction forum including the crime exp, nerve bar n stats n other valuable info... He keeps on telling everyone he's doing his best, he wanna run the faction n all the same old crap but he has already changed the image, faction tag, no solid step to keep the old strong members."
N.B. It has been reported by Jeffbridges that some of the faction forum data was deleted by MM members, not Saitoma.
Pictured: An outside observer's impartial observation
It would be a crying shame to see such a long serving faction fall by the wayside. Memento Mori haven't always been considered one of the top HoF names, but they do have a strong history of challenging those above them. Their strength was drawn from a core unit of active members who seemed to treat each other like family. Under Tascon's leadership, MM retained this close-knit atmosphere for many years, turning down several high statted players whose personalities were deemed unsuitable.
Tascon was clearly a man with a firm idea of exactly how Memento Mori should be run. Conversely, when Saitoma was pressed on his future aspirations for the faction, his answers were about as reassuring as those you'd expect from a two-year-old in the cockpit of a commercial airliner.
"No territorial ambitions, I'm satisfied with what I have. Hopefully won 't fall into others fights. I'm peaceful and like to be friendly to all surrounding. I already paid most of what I have to purchase the faction, I don't have enough money to buy armoury to support members, but I try to raise money for that atm."
"Most big faction do fake wars to farm respect, but I don't need that atm and don't have enough money to support it. Plans need money and I need time to raise that , Patience is the key for now."
It's easy to call for patience when you're the only one who knows what's to come. Saitoma's comments read like a man with no interest in Memento Mori's past, present or future. During our interview, he told me he expected a more friendly environment at MM, claiming that some members feel uneasy about him due to the bad reputation others tried to spread. He also stated that MM are now in "training mode" like any normal faction, and that he expects his members to raise money by flying rather than fighting all the time.
Pictured: Memento Mori in the process of becoming Torn's first entirely airborne faction
In light of Saitoma's acquisition and imminent flipping of Memento Mori, many have wondered why former leader Tascon sold the faction in the first place. Sadly, I have been unable to obtain comment on this matter as he has blocked me for unknown reasons - most likely my constant hilarity. Without being able to question him directly, it was hard for me to fathom how Memento Mori's long-serving leader could send his faction up the creek in this way - until I asked his former colleagues, that is.
As this short faction bio by IIIlusionist explains, Memento Mori was formed way back in 2009. In its early years MM came under the Unwanted Family banner, with their leader CARR conferring its leadership upon a player called Scampi.
"We were a peaceful faction back in the day when that option still existed, as was the whole family if i remember rightly. That would have limited what we could gain in terms of respect, but we had created a pretty strong team, some of those guys went on to stay in MM for quite some time after Tascon became leader." - Scampi
Tascon joined forces with two others to purchase what would later be known as Memento Mori from UWF when the family disbanded. According to Donandres, Tascon's leadership was crucial in these early years, as he provided help in the form of company startups and financial assistance to the members of this embryonic faction.
When their bio was published in 2015, IIIlusionist noted how they did not appear in the Hall of Fame. Today, Memento Mori sit eleventh in the respect rankings, so clearly Tascon performed an excellent job during his time as leader. One wonders how far they might fall now that Saitoma has his claws in them.
But perhaps this assessment of Memento Mori's future is unfair. I have heard that Tascon had been planning to sell the faction for some time due to his lack of free time, and that several strong and active members had already left before Saitoma took over. According to Harley, Memento Mori's slide towards a most memorable death had already begun to set in long before the faction flipper came along.
"I only really remember how it started to fall apart slowly basically when the new chaining system was introduced. I heard that there were only really two people leading these immensely long chains, after which there was a first dip in activity and some people left, then a few months after they decided to merge with forged through war. This was successful for a while but failed anyway after a while, both factions went their own way, and memento mori again saw many people leave."
Pictured: Gnarly graphics bro
Para is the co-leader of Forged Through War, and he told me that the FTW / MM merger failed because of bad timing and personal circumstances. Having led MM for so long, Tascon hoped to share leadership with members of FTW so he could spend more time enjoying Torn while being able to concentrate on real life.
Sadly, this was not to be. The two FTW members earmarked for co-leadership, BFM and Janet, were themselves forced to reduce their faction responsibilities as real life commitments took over. Tascon ended up doing more work than before, and as the pressure began to take toll, Para believes a sale must have seemed like the only way out.
"I'm personally sad to see MM was sold but I totally understand the reasons behind why he did it. Eventually the game becomes a chore when you have so much to do. Tas didn't have the luxury of being able to take a break from it. RIP Memento Mori."
Rumour has it that Tascon is currently looking around other big factions to scope out the lay of the land. And after so many years of dedicated service, who could begrudge him a break and some time in the sun. It seems that his former warriors have similarly followed suit, with many heading for pastures new in the form of JFA. This move came as a surprise to Donandres, especially when he himself pitched up at Memento Mori's one time rivals.
"The fun thing about that is, that when MM were at it best, we hated JFA. We had some run ins with them, and those bastards always called big brother and won!! Damn cheaters! ;) I never imagined joining them, but we had some guys who left to go there, and they were thrilled to be there."
"Most of us still believed they were JFA of old - where they really were *******s. However, Vic and Stretch have changed the mentality of the faction and I really like it here, and I think all the former members of MM do as well. Both here in main and in JFA 2.0."
So is this truly the end for Memento Mori? Perhaps so, but despite Tascon's role in selling the faction, soon-to-be-former member Makeway doesn't blame his old leader for any of this. He believes Tascon's legacy remains intact, and if the Memento Mori we knew as a faction has all but perished, its memories will live on in the hearts, minds and possibly colons of its loyal former members, wherever they pitch up.
"I can understand we all soo hurt that some may even get upset from him but I know that it would be the hardest decision of his torn's life. I have always followed n supported u Tas n will always do the same. All I wanna say is I'll miss each n every member of MM from the day I joined n hope to all again at least once again."
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