[✗] Maenads - Bringers of Wrought Excesses

[TavernLich 324]

Maenads - Bringers of Wrought Excesses

 

[Music]

 

Lore Terms

 

Death Site: A series of deaths occurring in an area, wherein a maenad may potentially be

made.

 

Lodestone: A stone capable of ensorcellung and conscripting maenads. It harbors a stray spiritual vestige.

 

Personality: The formal name of the numerous spiritual vestiges bound to a maenad.

 

Spiritual Vestiges: The traces of a person’s soul after dying.

 

Tattered: Another name for the maenad.

 

Tending to / Tend: The bond between a personality and a descendant who they are attempting to influence, commonly referred to as hauntings.

 

True Death: A ritual in which a maenad(s) may purloin another’s spiritual vestiges and either reduce them to a crippled state or permanently kill them, the choice being left up to the victim maenad.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

The heavens above thundered as their envoys, a covey of gale winds, thrashed Ansel von Kraus’ ship. A seaman at heart, he endured the duration of the tempest with a fierce longing and vehemence and relished the thought of traversing the uncharted waters of the sea. However, these local waters, he thought, were far too well knowing of him as he was of them. Alas, after having sailed through the same tides along the same coasts and seas, boredom had finally rooted itself within him and so, too, did a fanatic yearning.

 

* * *

 

Ansel felt his body’s warmth wane as he slipped through a chasm in between two adjacent mountains. These seas were known to harbor the dwed and their kin, many of which Ansel caught sight of floating belly-up in the icy water. His crew, those who resisted the urge to turn tail and run, soon found themselves lacking in resolve as their persistent captain urged them to continue forward into the unknown. Darkness crept upon the chasm, like a raptor to a cowering mouse, and so, too, did Death. One by one, shipmates whom lacked Ansel’s will succumbed to His forces and embraced the icy, body-ridden waters below. This debacle of suicide persisted until all that remained of Ansel’s crew were his quartermaster and a moping deckhand.

 

“Sir Ansel, we’ve to turn her around. We can’t survive another day.” pleaded the deckhand, practically sobbing as he beseeched his superior with desperate indignity.

 

A shipmate having fled to a nearby bastion.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

Common Mythos

 

“The man did what? Well no wonder why he was exiled! Preaching this and that just before sinning.” A peasant mouthing off to a portly stablehand. Vailor, modern times.

 

The origins of maenads have ceased to hold much truth, many tales already loaded with the ramblings of superstitious cut-wives and their ilk. One famous legend has it that the maenads were birthed from the loins of unfaithful husbands, another claims it to be the byproduct of a woman’s sorrows after having committed infanticide. These outlandish testimonies are spread all throughout the land, many originated from the yurt-dwelling savages of Aeldin and made their way to Athera and, now, Vailor like a sickness. Unfortunately, despite the various advances in education, mostly played out within Haelun’or and the other houses of Malin, these myths continue to thrive within the hovels of peasant folk. In truth, however, maenads, or the tattered (as referred to by dagger-ears), are the sister-spirits of the common graven and the occasional apparition. These maenads often manifest themselves as specters luring the unsuspecting commoner into committing vices and actions they’d normally never think of doing.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

Origins & Creation

 

“What is your craft? The cultivation of excesses.” Hadrian du Gevaudan interrogating an ensnared maenad. Athera, circa 1450.

 

It is through the work of Death, much like other supernatural entities, that has given rise to the maenad. Accordingly, since Death has existed, so, too, have they. Recorded, albeit crude, appearances of maenads date back to Aegis and many continue to appear within Vailor today. The first maenad, ideally the progenitor, is said to have existed shortly after the emergence of the undead. Unknown to many, the first maenad was created within the sight of a massacre. A small troupe of a dozen actors, having been slain by the undead, rose up and became the first maenad, Xersei. However, while Xersei may have been birthed through death alone, the creation of future maenads will require the presence of another. For example, after a series of deaths, occurring relatively close to one another, a maenad must then linger within the nearby area and, through means unknown even to the maenads themselves, give rise to another. Otherwise, the deaths will be much like any mundane occurrence and will fail to produce a maenad. Unlike an apparition, which is bound to an area of death and puppeteered by a select soul or cluster of souls, a maenad is comprised of a single soul that will work in tandem with numerous spiritual vestiges, these being the traces of person’s soul after dying, which are often referred to as personalities. Each individual personality is allotted a specific amount of time to reign over his fellows, including the actual soul residing within a maenad. This range of time can be anywhere between a matter of hours or months at a time, usually depending on the amount of personalities bound to a maenad. While these personalities are bound to a single maenad, they each have their own, unique agendas. Much like gravens, they’ve the need to fulfill a task. One personality within a maenad, during its allotted time, must try their best to fulfill such as a means of sustenance. However, a personality’s tasks are not entirely similar to a graven’s, instead their tasks consists of attempting to influence or radically change a person’s demeanor, actions and so on and so forth. It is because of a maenad’s composition of multiple unique vestiges (manifested as personalities, as stated earlier) that a maenad must allot a single person to each of its varying personalities. Take note, however, that a personality is not entirely bound to this person, they may move on to another depending on the person’s will or resistance to temptation.

 

The first maenad scouring the night.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

Behavior, Habits and Tendencies

 

A maenad will always have a plethora of habits and tendencies, each manifested in the form of their varying personalities. Their tasks of influencing and tending to mortals, however, is universal to all maenads and their respective personalities. Also, a maenad’s strength is not determined by the number of personalities it possesses but the length of its time spent as a maenad and how well it has tended to its tasks; a newly formed maenad that has taken its tasks lightly will be frail in comparison to another of its kind that has dutifully tended to their tasks. This gradience in power and strength has given rise to a loose hierarchy of sorts, which is furthered strengthened by laws made by the very first maenad, Xersei, itself.  As creatures reliant on interactions with mortals, maenads instinctively abide to a series of fundamental laws known as the Six Tables. It is as follows:

 

The Six Tables

 

- Maenad kind shall not harm one another without given reason.

- Those that do harm another of its kind, without valid reasoning or permission, will be stricken down and stripped of its being, that is the true death.

- Maenad kind shan’t physically tamper with the fates of men unless duly wronged.

- Maenad must obey and abide to a superior’s wishes, failure to do so will result in punishment short of the true death.

- Maenad shall not tamper with another descendent already tended to by another of our kind, failure to do so will result in punishment short of the true death.

- Maenad shall protect another of its kind without prejudice unless banished.

 

An etching of the Six Tables.

 

Lodestones

 

Lodestones are rarities found within any given death site. These stones, while mundane to the naked or untrained eye, harbor stray spiritual vestiges and, accordingly, are able to summon forth maenad. This process is largely unexplored, but what is known is that lodestones attract any nearby maenad and conscript them through bribery. Conscripted maenads are inclined to forge a covenant of sorts with the bearer of the lodestone. For each lodestone an individual possesses, a maenad will grant them a single wish or command in return for the lodestone(s). It will then whisk these stones away  into a hidden stash, kept secret even from its brood. And, while in a maenad's possession, will grant an additional spiritual vestige. However, should a person fail to meet their end of the bargain, the lodestone, in response, will shatter and alert the maenads of the realm of his or her treachery, most likely resulting in a hunt.

 

A shattered lodestone.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

[Translated from Blah to Common] “A phantom? Yes, it wailed about treachery and betrayal before it slew her.” Ulghan’Dom conversing with a fellow orc. Athera, circa 1490s.

 

* * *

“What do you have there, lad?” Spat out the quartermaster, eyeing the deckhand toil with a flat, blackened stone.

 

“None of your concern,” he’d retort, evidently engrossed with this stone. “Don’t disobey your superior you damned child!” The quartermaster snatched the stone from the deckhand’s frigid digits and retreated to his quarters after reminding the young man of his place with a few kicks to the groin. “What’ve we here?” the quartermaster thought, fingering the stone’s various nooks.

 

“That’s your salvation,” A voice whispered in the man’s ears.

 

“Know your place, boy!” he’d snap, whipping back toward the voice. “Von Kraus won’t tolerate mischief!” The quartermaster awaited a response but eventually groaned at the lack of one. He released a defeated sigh as he looked back down at the stone.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

Powers & Abilities

 

“These are the seeds we oft sow.

Watch carefully,

For you’ll not know when they grow.

We will linger in your dreams.

So don't sit by,

Come and greet us with your screams.”

The homunculus Phinn reciting his troubled woes. Vailor, circa 1528.

 

To further assist in their endeavors, hierarchy and tasks, maenad are capable of the following abilities:

 

- Invisibility: Simply put, all those save farseers and moongazers are unable to see a maenad while they maintain this ability.

 

- Change in Appearance: Maenads may cosmetically change into any of the following races (without their strengths nor their weaknesses): orcs, humans, elves and dwarves. However, this ability is not without limits; frequent physical and psychological interruptions will render a maenad’s guise null and leave them exposed. These disruptions can be anywhere from a sword to the gut or a hard slap on the shoulders. In addition, maenads are only able to don the guise of their personalities’ former descendant appearance; thus, they are incapable of conjuring up false disguises on a whim.

 

- Touch: Maenads are semi-corporeal and may hold and move objects with strength no greater than an average dwed or uruk.

 

- Myriad of cosmetic/ aesthetic abilities: No combat uses, usually performed automatically or without thought.

 

- Magical Capabilities: As supernatural entities, they are naturally endowed with the capability to learn magic. Unfortunately, casting requires them to expend their own energy, which is their sustenance and makes up their vitality. In essence, while using magic they risk killing themselves, resulting in a permanent death.

 

- Absence of Mortal Coil: They have no need to eat, sleep, bleed or even breath.

 

- Imperfect Immortality: Maenad, while still vulnerable to death, are granted a form of immortality. This type of immortality has no uses during combat and is simply a substitution for Cloud Temple revival. After its death, a maenad will remain unmanifested for a period lasting at least a few seed days until it reappears elsewhere, typically a location it considers its home. Should a maenad, for whatever reason, choose to rush this process, it would be incredibly weak and frail, only capable of drawing on its invisibility for an entire seed week.

 

- Administration of the True Death: Maenads are able to partake in a ritual which allows them to quite literally devour another’s spiritual vestiges. Enduring such a process will either leave a maenad a husk of its former self, weakened, unable to utilize the entirety of its powers and reduced to the vague semblance of an average poltergeist with all the weaknesses of a maenad or vanish from existence entirely, a permanent death. This choice is up to the player’s discretion. This process requires three maenads of equal strength and caliber or a single elder maenad, usually the maenad that assisted in its creation; additionally, maenads must be taught or observe such a process before attempting to do so.

 

A maenad assuming the guise of a peasant woman.

 

Weaknesses

 

- Aversion and Vulnerability to Aurum: Aurum of any kind will bring both fear and pain to a maenad. As such, they are unable to cross aurum barriers of any kind.

 

- Aversion and Vulnerability to all Deific Magic: Whether it be a spear imbued with moonbinding, the spiritual sorceries of a lautaman or the powers of a druid, maenads will falter and experience effects similar to gold and will result in their death. PK rules still apply when dealing with clerics and shamans, but require player consent.

 

- Aversion to Sunlight: When exposed to direct sunlight, a maenad’s strength and abilities will be severely sapped. It will be restricted to T1 arcane spells and, during their exposure, are unable to utilize their invisibility. When attempting to don or maintain the appearance of a mortal, their forms will periodically flicker and, depending on their strength, may entirely collapse. In addition, when exposed to sunlight, a maenad will give off a shroud of ethereal mist that may reveal them to be otherworldly entities, the amount of mist is determined by a maenad’s strength. It is for these reasons that maenad don an array of heavy shawls, headdresses and robes.

 

- Vulnerability to the Mundane: While they are unable to feel the pain and are resistant to a wound made by a ferrum blade, severe damage (i.e. spear through chest, severing of head, etc) will still demanifest/ kill them.

 

- Consequences of not Performing their Tasks: A maenad, should it not properly perform its task, will be gradually robbed of its strength until it dies a true death.

 

- Prayers, Mantras and other Religious Idols or Sayings: For some unknown reason, maenads are naturally pained by the uttering of certain religious texts and objects, these may repel or, should a maenad be in a state of weakness (i.e. exposed to direct sunlight), kill it.

 

An exposed maenad no longer able to maintain its disguise.

 

Quirks

 

In addition to a maenad’s strengths and weaknesses, they also possess a myriad of non-combative and minor quirks.

 

- Strange Thoughts: When in the presence of a maenad, a person may hear strange and foreign thoughts within their heads. These are usually incoherent babblings, and its strength is determined by the player RPing (not the maenad).

 

- Gusts of Wind: A slight gust of wind, it can be used to identify the presence of a maenad nearby.

 

- Disturbance of Wildlife: Animals and plants alike may act odd while near a maenad.

 

Appearance

 

Maenad, while undisguised, manifest themselves in a variety of forms. This includes a decayed humanoid figure, a specter wrapped in heavy shawls, etc. While disguised, maenad will appear to be any of the four descendant races. However, while weak, their disguises may falter, flicker or entirely collapse.

 

An undisguised maenad taking refuge in the shadows.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

* * *

 

The quartermaster’s stock of supplies.

 

A medley of  dried fruits and cured meats hung by the quartermaster’s study. “What a catch,” he’d beam, stashing the food under the floorboards beneath.

 

“Trade,” a familiar voice whispered in the man’s ear.

 

“Aye, get me another batch and you’ll have it.” The quartermaster busied himself with a slab of beef and eagerly gnawed on it.

 

“I'll entertain you this once, then.” A gust of wind billowed through a nearby porthole as the sound of squabbling gulls echoed in the distance.

 

* * *

The next week, when Ansel and his quartermaster’s belly were plump and their stash of food waned, they called upon the voice once again.

 

“Did you dispose of that castaway?” Ansel inquired as he watched the quartermaster rap the stone. “Aye, by then he was as bloated as your mother, von Kraus.” The quartermaster’s laughter was drowned out by the sound of shattered glass. The two men snapped behind them as they shielded their brow from the onslaught of debris, rain and wind. Food rolled down from the heavens, it seemed, and onto their laps.

 

“You've done it now, Klaus.” Ansel approached the pile of food and gorged himself before turning back to the quartermaster with half a cantaloupe in his mouth. “We’ll never starve again!” Klaus reached for a stray roll of pork and stuffed it in his mouth.

 

“A trade,” the familiar voice whispered.

 

“Once more!” The two men exclaimed in unison, still wallowing in the pile of food.

 

“Trade,” mist gathered at the two men’s feet as the voice continued to beseech them.

 

“We aren't finished yet!” The seamen began filling their pockets with bits of food, unknowing of the mist that now surrounded them.

 

“Treachery! Greed! Damned pigs!” The voice wailed as it took on the appearance of a man draped in heavy shawls, its  face was that of their familiar shipmate, the young deckhand from before. The maenad swept the room as it encircled the two men, wrapping them in its shawls. “Your greed will be the death of you.” It ran an icy, gnarled finger across Klaus’ trembling lips.

 

“Take it!” Klaus pleaded, offering the maenad the now-shattered stone.

 

“I've no need for broken things,” the maenad clutched Klaus’ nape and hurled him up and across the room. “*** for tat, seaman.” It abandoned Ansel and whipped toward Klaus with a drawn blade. “Know that this could have been avoided,” the maenad surged forward and buried the sword into Klaus’ abdomen.

 

* * *

 

Ansel awoke amidst a sea of sweat, he clutched his ears as though he could hear Klaus’ dying squeals once again. In the quartermaster’s death throes, he reached for the fleeing Ansel in vain, only to be afforded a look of terror.

 

“I am truly sorry for your friend’s death,” whispered an all too familiar voice.

 

-=O=-

 

---

 

 

Purpose

 

Ghosts, gravens and other spectral entities have been reduced to alt-like characters. They’ve become so bland, predictable and isolated that they’ve become rarities. When we see that occasional ghost or graven, they are either in one of the following situations: (1) shying away from people, (2) attacking or haunting random passerbies without reason, (3) getting slain by random passerbies or (4) deleting their persona. Currently, we’ve a select few playable spectrals (Ghosts, 1st and 2nd generation gravens) all of which are forced to adhere to one or more of the following limitations: (1) demanifested by sunlight, meaning little and strained interactions with others, (2) continue their afterlife in isolation, or risk facing the consequences of Supremacy's lore 3) and/ or flat, two-dimensional characters. Maenads are not bound to these limitations, instead their RP is based on interactions with others, and we've given them lodestones, various personalities, tasks that involve influencing, interacting and developing RP with normal players to further facilitate their interactivity. Even their weaknesses are designed to allow anyone to combat them, including mundane religious figures who’ve been largely ignored until now.

 

Red Lines

 

• Maenads must give Out-of-Character consent before being permanently killed.

• No maenad is strong enough to be able to avoid the occasional flickers or “tells” of their disguise.

• A maenad can not tend to one person alone, they must each allot one person to each of their varying personalities.

• Maenads are unable to learn deific magic of any sort, the reason being obvious. In addition, due to their lack of a mortal coil, maenads lack the ability to learn and utilize necromancy and blood magic.

• A person must wait at least three IRL days before spawning elsewhere after his or her maenad’s death, failure to do so will result in an incredibly frail maenad only capable of invisibility for an entire IRL week.

• Maenads will always grant one favor in return for a lodestone.

• After transitioning to a personality, a player must wait at least three IRL hours before switching to another.

• It is in a maenad’s nature to abide to the Six Tables, so much so that it is incredibly rare for a maenad to act against these laws.

• Maenads must wait a period of six months before being able to assist in the creation of another.

 

Questions & Answers

[More to be Added]

 

Question: What mechanical race would represent maenads?

Answer: The necrolyte race will represent maenads, as they aren't geared for spectre pvp buffs.

 

Question: If a maenad desires to assist in the creation of another, are they required to make a teaching application?

Answer: Yes.

 

Question: How and where may I find lodestones?

Answer: Should this piece be implemented, lodestones will be shortly distributed to the player base via a series of events shortly. Future lodestones may be found within a maenad’s death site, but requires staff approval.

 

Question: Because of their hierarchy and the need for a maenad’s presence regarding another’s creation, will these creatures congregate in groups?

Answer: Indeed! That's a fundamental aspect of this lore, aiming to allow maenads to thrive off of each other’s activity.

 

Question: Is there a limit to how many personalities a may be bound to a single maenad?

Answer: Yes, a maenad is limited to a dozen personalities. If, however, a maenad comes to possess more than a dozen, either via devouring another’s spiritual vestige or by possession of a lodestone(s), a personality will gradually replaced and fade away until the limit is reached.

 

Question: Is there a time limit regarding the transition from one disguise to another?

Answer: Yes, that being a total of ten minutes.

 

Question: If a maenad is made, will each death be equivalent to a permanent kill?

Answer: No, only the single, actual spirit will require a permanent death.

 

Question: If a maenad is robbed of its spiritual vestiges and reduced to a weak state, will they remain stuck there?

Answer: No, they may either collect lodestones to replace the vestiges they lost or they may attempt to take another’s, the latter being highly unlikely due to the gap in strength.

 

[Matheus 525]

Encore! Beautiful! +1

[Luxury 619]

"Very unique! This looks like it will bring something great and new to LotC!" -I say sarcastically

 

Honestly though, it just looks like suped up ghosties from what I've skimmed over.

 

[tea with Gwyn 217]

Too much Witcher. Be unique. -1

[drfate786 1639]

Great, you gave me a craving for some:

 

[manicfairy 178]

plus one

[TavernLich 324]

1 hour ago, Luxurypoop said:

"Very unique! This looks like it will bring something great and new to LotC!" -I say sarcastically

 

Honestly though, it just looks like suped up ghosties from what I've skimmed over.

 

I take it you didn't bother to read the purpose then? 

[TavernLich 324]

56 minutes ago, Big Piggy said:

Too much Witcher. Be unique. -1

The images were from witcher but these aren't witcher creatures lol, perhaps read the lore?

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

I feel we have too many spectral entities at the moment (wight, wraith, ghost levels 1, 2, 3, gravens, apparitions). That being said, this lore is better than the gravens in my opinion and I wouldn't mind seeing this on the server. If, you could convince the LMs to replace graven lore with this lore, then I'd give all the +1s to you.

 

Now onto the lore itself, I feel you should either allow them to use magic or remove their magic capabilities all together (preferably the latter, as you said that using magic could cause them to PK, which basically is saying they shouldn't use magic at all). The vague inbetween that you have it at now is iffy and I can see it being circumvented by people saying that while it /could/ PK them, it's not going to in their case.

 

Also, how do these spectral beings respond to mysticism users (sorry if you covered that, I can't seem to find it)?

[excited 10834]

Replace Graven with these, or make them ET beasts. 

[Mephistophelian 972]

I like it! I think the invisibility part should be limited, however, because it has the chance to be ridiculously OP. Perhaps it can be as follows?:

 

-Invisible Maenads can be seen by moongazers, farseers, Mystics and felt/found by beings that can draw mana/lifeforce (e.g. Necromancers).

-Whilst invisible, they can't physically manipulate their world or cast magic.

 

Else we will have this unseeable creature that doesn't feel mundane pain casting magic and stabbing people, which is quite OP.

[Jistuma 1995]

I'm sorry to say that this lore has been Denied.

 

You may contact an LM for the reasons.

[Jistuma 1995]

This Lore has been denied. Topic moved to Denied Lore forum.