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The Gaiscioch Social Gaming Community was inspired by founder Benjamin "Foghladha" Foley's favorite childhood Irish legend found within the "Lebor Gabála Érenn" and "Cath Maige Tuired". The Tuatha de Danaan and their Gaiscioch were one of the most inspirational stories for Benjamin, who finally took the philosophy and applied it to a social gaming community. In 2001, Benjamin found the means to bring this story to life in the MMO classic "Dark Age of Camelot".
The "Gaiscioch na Anu" were formed in Dark Age of Camelot on November 11th, 2001, on the Nimue server to bring classic Celtic fairytales to life in a virtual version of Ireland. Originally designed as a Roleplay guild, the Gaiscioch excelled at mixing roleplaying with large scale all inclusive siege warfare. The Gaiscioch na Anu became leaders of the Hibernian realm in all things Realm vs Realm as well as host to monthly Dragon raids. The first round of community events came in the form of Gaiscioch Siege Nights. These events were large scale coordinated assaults on the enemy realm which were always focused on using speed and tactics to out maneuver our much larger foes. By the time the Gaiscioch left Dark Age of Camelot they were over 500 members strong and built an extended alliance which included 32 guilds. In 2006, like many Americans, the leadership of the Gaiscioch were hit by financial hardship and ended up closing down the community until the economy recovered or a more suitable game was found. Many moved on to play Guild Wars while they searched for employment, while others scattered to the wind trying every game under the sun.
On September 16th, 2008, a few of the original members decided to give it another go and give Warhammer Online a try. With 8 members of the original team, the focus was changed from roleplaying to one of casual nature. The leadership learned how the economy, and life situations could hinder one's ability to participate in a moments notice and they wanted to create an environment within Warhammer Online where people of all skill levels, ages, or professions could come and have a good time, make some new friends, and contribute In their own time and their own way.
Within the first 3 months the Gaiscioch ranks swelled to 500 members. Within 6 months the Gaiscioch grew to fill 2 guilds with over 900 members. This Multi-Guild approach was re-branded as the "Gaiscioch Family". Where each guild was a room within the Gaiscioch house. By the 1 year mark the Gaiscioch had 1,200 members and launched it's 4th Gaiscioch room. At it's height the Gaiscioch had 1,700 members before the collapse of Warhammer Online (Patch 1.4).
Through the 2 years of running the Warhammer Online "Family", the Gaiscioch hosted 3 community driven public events per week including the smash hits "Battle for Badlands" and "Open PuG Night". They focused on building communities and organized the 58 guild Tuatha Extended Alliance which organized community events for the entire server. The Gaiscioch gained recognition for these events from Mythic Entertainement, Massively.com, GameTrailers.com, Warhammer Alliance, and TenTonHammer.
At the hard collapse of Warhammer Online, the Gaiscioch knew they had to find somewhere to move, and fast. The collapse that happened in Dark Age of Camelot lead to the majority of the community to scatter to the wind and never be heard from again. In an effort to keep the community together the Eldership evaluated dozens of games, none of which supported the community development rich environment which we found in RIFT.
RIFT developer, Trion Worlds, invited us to visit their headquarters in Redwood Shores, Ca. To take an inside look at RIFT and share some comments for the RIFT publicity video "Enter the RIFT" which featured Gaiscioch Leaders Benjamin & Juliana Foley. RIFT had a very strong development team, a close connection to their community, and the technological know how to produce an awesome game.
On March 1st 2011 the Gaiscioch formed in RIFT. Within it's first week, their roster swelled to over 1,000 characters. By Month 6 they had over 2,500 characters and over 2,000 registered members. By the end of the first year the Gaiscioch branched into both factions and found themselves with 2,800 members and over 5,000 characters.
The Gaiscioch assisted in testing upcoming patches, worked directly with Trion staff members to identify issues, suggest features, and provide field reports to developers. In addition they led large scale public community events such as the Telara Saga, Telara's Last Stand, The Great Conquest, Capital City Sieges, PvP Rift Trainings for both factions, and hosted several events every week for the benefit of the community.
Trion's commitment to their title and the lively player base have led to a very successful expansion into this next-gen MMORPG title.
On August 28th, 2012 the Gaiscioch launched their 4th chapter in Guild Wars 2. This launch held special significance as through their relationship with ArenaNet, which they nurtured for over 2 years before launch, the Gaiscioch were given a server named after Roger "Oldroar" Rall titled Sanctum of Rall. The campaign to get a server named after the fallen member of Gaiscioch involved hundreds of people who baked cookies, pies, cakes, and other sugary treats and mailed or hand delivered them to ArenaNet as well as a letter writing campaign that not only involved the Gaiscioch, but much of the Warhammer Online, and RIFT communities. Roger loved Guild Wars 2's concept to the point he spent the final 2 years of his life ranting and raving about every piece of news.
As the protectors of the Sanctum of Rall the Gaiscioch also committed to building a community site at SanctumOfRall.com for members of the SoR Community to communicate in a friendly respectful manner. Their commitment to the community also is apparent in game where they are host to more than 5 public community events every week.
The Gaiscioch grew to over 1,300 members in their first month on Sanctum of Rall requiring 3 guilds to be formed to house them all. The Gaiscioch continue to grow today anxiously awaiting the addition of an alliance system to unite the rooms of the house into 1 voice. The Gaiscioch look forward to making Guild Wars 2 their official long term home for Free-2-Play gameplay allowing members who experience a loss of work, health issues, or financial strain to continue being part of our vibrant community.
On April 4, 2014, we launched our 5th chapter in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). At launch ESO scored the highest ever compatibility score for our community. At launch membership boomed into the 1,400 range. We held many Alliance vs Alliance events with more than 100 people in attendance. Together we shared many memorable victories and enjoyed the world of Elder Scrolls Online.
However, a few crucial flaws, such as God mode players, lack of coop in main story line, instancing issues, and the lack of guild recognition (Emblems & Nameplates) hindered our overall success. Our numbers dropped to the 220 range within the first 5 months.
Despite it's flaws, our community has stayed focused on continuing the adventure. Since the initial drop in population we have re-evaluated our focus and have taken to the small scale activities such as dungeons and trials for our focus. In addition we changed our recruitment policy in game so that we can start welcoming new members in that we run across in the world. Since October 2015, our community has been on a slow but steady rise. While we may not be the mega-power we once were in ESO, we still share epic memories and memorable moments on a smaller scale.
In 2019 the Gaiscioch opened their sixth official chapter in World of Warcraft: Classic. The chapter held a special meaning for the community as it was created in honor of Nona, one of Gaiscioch's earliest members and a longtime friend of the community. For nearly 15 years Nona had encouraged Foghladha to give World of Warcraft a chance, and with the arrival of Classic she finally succeeded. Following her lengthy battle with cancer and her ascension, the chapter became a tribute to the friend who had spent so many years trying to bring Gaiscioch into Azeroth.
What began as a tribute quickly grew into one of the community's larger adventures. Within the first few months more than 300 people joined the Gaiscioch World of Warcraft community. Weekly adventures, dungeon groups and Friday night raiding gave both returning veterans and first-time Warcraft players opportunities to explore Azeroth together. Gaiscioch also brought its community marketplace into World of Warcraft, allowing members to earn Vault Credits through events, crafting and donations that could then be used to request materials and crafted equipment from other members.
More than simply another game on the Gaiscioch roster, World of Warcraft: Classic became a reminder that the friendships built through gaming can extend far beyond the games themselves. Chapter Six carried forward the memory of one of the community's earliest members while finally taking Gaiscioch into the world she had encouraged them to experience for so many years.
Unfortunately, when Covid-19 hit, our community was hit especially hard with budget cuts, layoffs and reduced availability for social activities. This left our World of Warcraft community dormant waiting for the fire to be rekindled.
In September 2021 the Gaiscioch sailed for the mysterious island of Aeternum and launched what would soon become Chapter Seven in Amazon Games' New World. The community chose the Marauder faction, preserving Gaiscioch's traditional green colors, and made its original home on the Falias server. The name held particular significance for a community rooted in Irish mythology, as Falias was one of the four legendary cities associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann before their arrival in Ireland.
The response at launch was immediate. Within the first month Gaiscioch was operating two full Marauder companies and continued rotating new players into the community as openings became available. Working alongside longtime friends and allied companies, the Gaiscioch approached territorial warfare with the same philosophy it had carried into previous MMORPGs: diplomacy first, low taxes, limited aggression and a desire to create territory where players of every skill level could learn, gather and grow. During its early months the community captured First Light three and held the territory for much of its remaining life before server mergers reshaped the world around them.
As New World's population shifted, so too did the Gaiscioch. The chapter survived multiple server mergers, accumulated new friends along the way and participated in wars, invasions, expeditions, crafting, gathering and the game's evolving seasonal content. After nearly three years of adventures, declining participation led Gaiscioch to place New World into Legacy Chapter status in April 2024. While the organized chapter slowed, the friendships, victories and memories forged across Aeternum remain part of the Gaiscioch story.
In 2019 the Gaiscioch marched into Conqueror's Blade and found a game uniquely suited to the community's roots in large-scale siege warfare. What began with a handful of Gaiscioch and Tuatha players quickly expanded into multiple houses as the community learned the game's combination of tactical combat, unit management, diplomacy and territorial conquest. During its first year alone, Gaiscioch helped coach hundreds of players while establishing a philosophy that would guide the chapter for years to come: build a homeland where people could harvest, quest and learn without requiring domination of everyone around them.
As the territorial wars became increasingly complex, Gaiscioch created The War Report, a post-war community news program dedicated to breaking down every Territory War, tracking the movement of houses and alliances, and telling the ongoing story of the server. Originally launched as The War Report of Cloudwing Valley, the show rapidly became one of the community's most successful livestream productions. Players from across the server began gathering after wars to review the results, analyze the changing political landscape and see what might come next. As servers merged and names changed, the War Report followed the community, eventually becoming The War Report of Elysium Peak.
Over the seasons the Gaiscioch and their Hibernia alliance became one of the most enduring forces on Elysium Peak. Rather than measuring success solely through seasonal championships, Hibernia focused on longevity, territory development, rebuilding and remaining competitive season after season. Historical records maintained by ConquerorsBladeHub.com rank Hibernia as the leading historical North American alliance by total prestige accumulated since the Season 15 North American server merger, while Gaiscioch itself remains among the highest-ranked houses in Elysium Peak's historical records.
One of the chapter's most unlikely accomplishments came in 2026 when circumstances gave Gaiscioch an unexpected opportunity to attack the greatest prize in the game: Conqueror's City. Against all expectations, the Gaiscioch captured the capital and raised their banner over the city. The occupation lasted only 23 glorious minutes before the server's endgame forces arrived and reclaimed it, but for those 23 minutes the Gaiscioch banner flew over the capital of Conqueror's Blade. It was never expected, certainly wasn't permanent, but it became exactly the kind of improbable memory the community has always treasured.
Years after first entering the battlefield, Gaiscioch continues to call Conqueror's Blade home. Through multiple server mergers, dozens of seasons, changing alliances and an ever-evolving battlefield, the chapter has remained focused on the same principles that brought the community into MMORPG siege warfare decades earlier: defend your friends, help new players learn, fight hard when the horns sound, and leave the world and its community a little better than you found it.
In 2001, the founders of the Gaiscioch formed the Gaiscioch flag-football team in San Jose, California. This team ran 4 seasons until team leader, Benjamin "Foghladha" Foley moved to Oregon. In 2008, co-founder Don Rush & Benjamin Foley reformed the Gaiscioch Football program in Eugene, OR for 2 seasons. In 2010 the Gaiscioch Football program moved to Portland, Oregon.
The Gaiscioch Football program won their first B-Division Championship on September 16th, 2012 in PortlandFootball.com's 5-Man Competitive Flag-Football league. In the fall of 2014 Gaiscioch Football won their second Championship in the Recreational Division of PorlantFootball.com's 5-Man Competitive Flag-Football league.During the summer of 2014, in the hottest weekend in Portland's recorded history, the Gaiscioch played 8 football games over 2 days in the Comcast SportsNet Summer Football Challenge and swept the tournament with an unbeaten record.
In 2001, the Gaiscioch Football program retired after Foghladha's 30th year of playing flag football due to the Covid-19 pandemic closing all flag-football leagues. In its lifespan, Gaiscioch won 10 Championships, 1 Regional Tournament, and built a strong community of friends who still communicate today.
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| About the Gaiscioch |
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