[Magic Lore] Cernunnos's Rangers

[Badgermordakin 607]

Cernunnos’s Rangers

Origin

Ancient myth surrounds the fae realm of the three Aspects. Each inhabits their own land, dominated by the stars of their way. Together, as one, they grant the gifts of the Aspects to the druids of the material realm, allowing them to protect nature and the balance. Their duties are held with high importance and reverence, for the Aspects do not grant their gifts to everyone. As it has been since time immortal, the Aspects have granted these gifts. But as of late, the master druids have begun to specialize, seeking out further gifts with the guidance of their chosen patron Aspects. The deepening of their skill corresponds with their choice of Aspect from which they choose to rebond with, connecting once more so that they are granted gifts anew. These gifts manifest themselves as a mist, generating out of the druid’s body akin to a Blight Healer, from which the druid may draw upon and use their powers.

 

Cernunnos, the patron of Twilight Bound of the Fae Realm. His duty is done solemnly, his demeanor stern. When those lucky few druids who chose to expand their gifts with him chose him, he chose to grant gifts that reflected himself. A patron for hunters, trackers, rangers. The gifts he grants are those to silently stalk prey, track them down, and eliminate them. For the balance is served best when solemn duty is fulfilled.

 

Magic Explanation

Cernunnos’s gifts are only granted to master druids, those who have honed their gifts already granted to the finest degree. Primarily used by hunters during the hunt, the gifts are for maintaining the balance through combat through the use of the druid’s mists. 

 

Redlines:

• Cernunnos’s Rangers requires a valid [MA] to use

• Cernunnos’s Rangers takes up [1] Magic Slot

• Cernunnos’s Rangers requires one to be a T5 Druid before learning

• Cernunnos’s Rangers is mutually exclusive with the Cerridwen’s Guardians [MA]

• Cernunnos’s Rangers is taught through a teacher that must hold a valid [TA]

• A valid [TA] can be achieved once one is T5 in the magic

 

Mental & Physical Effects

As with more basic druidism, the gifts of the Aspects do not come free. The mind and body find themselves warped from the greater amounts of power gained from the Aspect the druid dedicates themself to. Common effects that might occur are:

 

Spoiler

Mental Effects:

• Bouts of constant solemness

• Obsession with the hunt

• Tendency toward quiet brooding

• Affinity for Twilight

 

Physical Effects:

• Tiredness

• Insomnia

• Headaches

• Stiffness

 

Abilities

Stalking Shot [T1] [C]

Cerrnunos is said to be the one who taught the elves the art of archery. Naturally, it makes sense that his chosen rangers would have perfected this art. Calling upon their mists to change its direction mid-flight, Rangers of Cernunnos may lead their arrow to track their target, ensuring that it hits its target wherever it may be.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

By adding [2] additional emotes to their shooting ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists) a ranger may use their mists to guide their arrows as they shoot to ensure their shot hits the intended target with pinpoint precision..

 

Redlines:

• Stalking Shot may only be used with standard bows and Woadbows (NO crossbows, arbalests. etc.)

• Stalking Shot can be used with arrows treated with other magics e.g. alchemically treated arrows

• Stalking shot is 2 ADDITIONAL emotes, meaning 5 emotes for a standard bow shot, 6 for a woadbow minor channel shot, 7 for a woadbow major channel shot

• Once connection is established, it is not needed to be reestablished again for further shots unless broken

• Stalking Shot requires line of sight

 

 

Cernnunos’s Mark [T1] [C]

The hunter is only as good as his tracking ability. The rangers of Cernunnos have perfected this craft, learning the ability to use their mists to track their prey with superhuman ability, never losing them.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [2] emotes ([1] Connect, [1] Attach Mists to Prey) a ranger may attach a part of their mists to a chosen enemy. When marked, a ranger will know where a prey is at all times for the duration of the combat encounter.

 

Redlines:

• Cernnunos’s Mark only lasts for the duration of a combat encounter, no using it to metagame secret lairs or whatnot. This can be circumvented with permission granted by affected players or ST in events

• Cennunos’s Mark may only be active on one prey. If casted onto another prey it would lose all effects on the previous prey

• If a prey turns invisible or makes themselves otherwise more difficult to see, the mark persists, allowing the ranger to still know where they are, but not able to see them

• The initial casting of this spell requires line of sight for both emotes, but line of sight is not needed once the spell is cast

 

 

Camouflage [T2] [C]

As they lie in wait for the hunt, the adept ranger is able to conceal himself within his mists, camouflaging themselves among the brush.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [3] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists, [1] Cloaking Self in Mists) a ranger may use their mists to surround themself. These mists then color themselves according to the background with which the ranger rests at the time. This camouflage would be rather effective, but would still lead to making the surface the ranger is hidden in front of look “off” making it not impossible to find the ranger. [3] focused emotes of looking are required to discover the camouflage. 

 

Redlines:

• Should the ranger move, the camouflage will not change according to its new background

• The camouflage would maintain as long as the ranger desired, allowing for increased stealth, but would not perfectly match any new background and would allow others to see through it far easier

• If the ranger moves significantly the 3 focused emotes to spot them are no longer needed

• One using true sight would be able to see through a camouflaged ranger’s mists

 

 

Ranger’s Stride [T3] [C]

Stealth is the friend of all hunters, through the use of their mists a ranger is able to silence their own steps and leave them untrackable, moving through the land as one with the land.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [3] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing upon Mists, [1] Silencing Step) a ranger may call upon their mists to mask their movement, making it entirely silent and untrackable by conventional methods.

 

Redlines:

• Movement made while using this spell is entirely silent, from steps to grazing against sticks and bushes

• It is impossible to track a ranger using this spell through conventional methods e.g. footprints, scent, etc. 

• Ranger’s Stride lasts for 10 emotes in combat and 1 OOC hour outside of combat

 

Thorn Whip [T3] [C]

While the primary weapon of the ranger is usually the bow, sometimes the time arises where a bow is not the best tool for the job. Adept rangers have thus learned to train their mists to quickly harden into a more destructive force, a whip from which they might draw their prey closer.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [4] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists, [1] Hardening Mists, [1] Using Whip) a ranger may create a whip of a thorned vine that quickly grasps on to all material, dealing some damage and allowing the user to pull their prey in closer.

 

Redlines:

• A thorn whip would attach to its victim with a solid strike of the whip, a binding strong enough to pull the foe on without breaking the bond

• Detaching a thorn whip that is locked into someone would demanifest the whip, causing the ranger to have to recreate it

• Detaching oneself from the thorns of a thorn whip require [2] emotes of focused concentration on the task but will demanifest the whip, causing the ranger to have to recreate it

• A Thorn Whip will not demanifest unless detached or the casting ranger actively wills it so

 

Cernunnos’s Sense [T4] [C]

The astute ranger is familiar with his own limitations. He knows the eye of the hawk, the nose of the hound, the ear of the bat, to be far superior to his own. Rather than ignore this, Cernnunos has granted his rangers the ability to use the senses of the creations of nature.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [3] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Communing with Beasts, [1] Taking on Senses) a ranger may inhabit a SINGLE sense (Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste) of a nearby beast. This would become all that they can perceive, leaving their body inert while inhabiting the sense of the nearby beast.

 

Redlines:

• This spell can only be cast on creatures within the balance, meaning no descendents, darkspawn, voidal creatures etc. If you have to ask, the answer is probably no

• A ranger can only use ONE sense at a time

• A ranger cannot control the beast they inhabit, they may only gain use of their sense

• A ranger is rendered inert while casting this spell

• This spell cannot be used to metagame any information

• The spell can only be cast on animals within range of #s

• This spell can only last for a duration of 10 emotes before needing to be cast again unless stopped earlier

 

Corrosive Spores [T4] [C]

The hunter must be light on his feet, bearing limited armor to allow for him to keep agile. However, this has its drawbacks, particularly when facing a beast or foe bearing heavy armor. To combat this, Cernnunos taught his rangers the art of mimicking the spores of mushrooms to turn their mists to a corrosive force against such armor.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Over the course of [3] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists, [1] Casting) a ranger gathers their mists and turns them into a corrosive force that erodes armor over time around them. Any metal armor within [4] meters (blocks) of the casting ranger will begin to erode for every emote after the first spent within this radius. After [2] emotes of being within the Corrosive Spores spell, a hole will appear in said armor, roughly the size to allow an arrow or small dagger within. With each subsequent emote after the 2nd, a new hole will appear in the armor. Other metal objects may also find themselves rusted or blunting from the interaction with the spell.

 

Redlines:

• The Ranger must be actively maintaining this spell for its duration, they cannot commit any other actions whilst doing so

• Corrosive Spores only affect objects made of metal

• The Corrosive Spores spell has no effect on Thanhium due to its anti-magical properties

• The crp capabilities of this spell extend only to armor, any extension to other objects like weapons is purely for flavor and not required to be emoted

• If the ranger is wearing metal armor themselves, this spell maintains its effect on it

• If someone leaves the range of this spell and reenters, their “timer” resets

 

Summon Twilight [T5] [NC]

Cernunnos lives within the Twilight Bound, his domain within the fae realm. It is only right that his rangers be granted the power of twilight. The pinnacle of their craft allows them to bring some of the power of the twilight realm into their world.

Spoiler

Mechanics

Over the course of [6] emotes ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists, [1] Opening a rift in the material realm, [1] Causing Twilight to Spill Through, [2] Cementing the New Twilight) a ranger may call upon the twilight realm to bring in small amounts of the fae world into the material world. When bound within, it would change the scape of nature surrounding them, causing an eternal twilight in a maximum area of 20x20 meters (blocks). The world around them would warp over time to appear similar to the Twilight Bound of the fae world, even, in very rare cases, causing fae creatures to break through the strengthened link between worlds.

 

Redlines:

• Any creatures that need to be rp’d by ST can only be rp’d by an ST

• Fae creatures coming through the tear are exceedingly rare

• This spell must be mechanically represented with a sign once placed

• Creatures and plants changed by this spell will not look exactly like they would in the fae realm, at best they would be cheap replicas 

• A Twilight Bound area can have its effects reversed by either being blighted or by a blight healer casting Decay on it

 

Tier Progression

Tier 1 - Novice

The ranger is new to their gifts and still learning to use their skills. This lasts for 2 OOC weeks.

Spoiler

Spells:

Stalking Shot, Cernunnos’s Mark

 

Tier 2 - Apprentice

The ranger is becoming more skilled with their gifts, though still very new to it. This lasts for 3 OOC weeks.

Spoiler

Spells:

Camouflage

 

Tier 3 - Adept

The ranger is starting to get a better hang of their gifts, adeptly wielding their mists.This lasts for 5 OOC weeks.

Spoiler

Spells:

Ranger’s Stride, Thorn Whip

 

Tier 4 - Expert

The ranger is nearly perfecting their gifts, wielding their mists near the best of rangers. This lasts for 6 OOC weeks.

Spoiler

Spells:

Cernunnos’s Sense, Corrosive Spores

 

Tier 5 - Master

The ranger has perfected their gits, wielding them to their maximum capacity.

Spoiler

Spells: Summon Twilight

 

Purpose (OOC)

Spoiler

It’s no secret that Druidism is pretty bad in a crp situation. Ironically, I think that is a strength of the base magic. However, I do feel that there is a benefit to having the ability to flex some druidic powers in a modern crp situation. Not being able to has been a source of frustration for myself and other druids I know. Particularly so in blighted lands where we do our most important fighting but have little to nothing in the way of using druidism as everything’s blighted. Even being a blight healer myself, I see the limitations it places on druids who want to use their MA but can’t until the blight healers roll through and heal everything, by which time, the whole encounter’s over. As such, I figured the best way to approach it would be to place it as its own new magic, specifically aimed toward crp for druidism so as not to indict base druidism with crp. Plus it works toward filling the amount of slots that a “master” druid has which is only like 3 slots. I think there is a cool benefit to splitting it based on the different Aspects as it allows more specialization and customization of different druids to crop up with the Cernunnos piece being aimed more toward offensive abilities and the Cerridwen piece being aimed more toward defensive abilities. There is a case to be made for a matching Nemiisae piece, and I do have some rudimentary concepts for one. But I feel that a Nemiisae piece is starting to overlap a bit with Mori stuff, which is an understandably more touchy topic that I think requires a little more special attention than these writes are intended for.

 

 

Citations

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/229809-%E2%9C%97-magic-lore-druidic-communion-control/ 

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/191507-aengudaemonica-cernunnos-the-green-man/ 

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/161000-%E2%9C%93-the-fae-realm/

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/227298-%E2%9C%93-magic-lore-druidic-blight-healing/ 

 

Credits:

Badgermordakin - Author

 

Changelog:

Spoiler

formatting

 

 

[alexmagus 647]

2 MAs locked to tier 5 druids which is solely based on combat

 

ST won't like these ones... Would've been more suiting to do a single feat.

[Johann 1500]

WTF DRUID WYRMSTALKERS

[NightcastorKitty 1289]

oh snap

[ScreamingDingo 17502]

lol paladins aren’t dead yet no need to absorb wyrmstalker and vindicators into a magic with 5 different sub magics 

[Java17 1224]

i think druidism might be getting a little too big but what do i know 

also... T5 druidism requirement feels a little excessive.

[Unwillingly 11666]

alexmagus put it well but there are players who have desired for nothing more than an alternative wood elf niche magic or FA that isn't druidism. druids have enough toys for combat and non combat as is, give people an FA or alternative wood elf magic if they decide they aren't a fan of druidism. dare I say that druidism is the most gatekept, difficult-to-progress-in magic on the server
 

2 hours ago, Badgermordakin said:

Mechanics:

By adding [2] additional emotes to their shooting ([1] Connection, [1] Drawing Upon Mists) a ranger may use their mists to guide their arrows as they shoot to ensure their shot hits the intended target with pinpoint precision..

it's cool conceptually but busted and falls into prohibited magic criteria or whatever, borderline telekinesis. I can literally just guide my arrow towards somebody's head, spine, or heart and instantly kill them with no way for them to escape or counter. and ur telling me I can also imbue this with alchemy?
 

2 hours ago, Badgermordakin said:

Cernnunos’s Mark [T1] [C]

The hunter is only as good as his tracking ability. The rangers of Cernunnos have perfected this craft, learning the ability to use their mists to track their prey with superhuman ability, never losing them.

I actually think the adverse would be way cooler where this can only be used outside of combat. it would give people a really unique way to kind of hold leverage over somebody and would help enable more malicious, ill-intent themes of RP. "do this deed for me or I'm literally going to hunt you down like prey" interactions would be wicked asf. this doesn't really have anything unique to it other than just being lore approved metagaming

[SlitheryC1 530]

powermancy lets fuckin gooooooooooooooooooo

completely agree with Unwillingly, & maybe add some more flavor non-combat spells or traits. Give it a distinct identity other than 'ranger that shoot good'. Maybe you could go for a wendigo-like appearance, & as they go through the tiers these effects intensify? Think that'd be perfect for a fantasy-forest-magic-hunter instead of just a list of mental side effects & forced personality traits, & gives freedom for people to completely delve into it and possibly go 'evil'. To prevent this from being forced, give them the option of when to stop advancing in the Magic.

Speaking of mental side effects, a desire to have a carnivorous diet would also fit well, and give freedom to the MA/FA holder on what kind of vibe they want with their hunter alongside any other flavorful, specific traits you might have in mind. Again, these effects could intensify as the person dives deeper and deeper and gains tiers- making an interesting story for both the person with the MA and those who IRPly know the MA user.

Lastly, Camouflage the spell is literally just an Adunic-Alchemy Bowie Cloak but magic. Maybe get rid of that one.

Edited May 14 by SlitheryC1

[creamynoteblock 2667]

cant wait to do 4 months of dedicancy then 4 months of druid tiering then 4 months of whatever this is just to have the whole magic

[Wizry 546]

Make this another magic, perhaps applicable with Druidism - but not druidism itself in my opinion.

 

 

[twinwolf1 199]

6 hours ago, Johann said:

WTF DRUID WYRMSTALKERS

Exactly what i thought

[Johann 1500]

6 hours ago, ScreamingDingo said:

lol paladins aren’t dead yet no need to absorb wyrmstalker and vindicators into a magic with 5 different sub magics 

 

yet

[Wizry 546]

Now that I have more time to read over this, I have a few more reasons to explain my problems with this lore to dedicate to in an essay. I will organize it in disagreement with the ‘origin’, the ‘abilities’, and generally the overall out-of-character wishes as described in the ‘Purpose (OOC)’ sections of this lore-piece.

 

There is no will, from the Aspect, ‘Cernunnos’, to provide these gifts as they would constitute as explicit meddling within the mortal realm – which is described to be refrained from within Cerunnos’ own lore. What I am referencing here comes from the ‘Present Day’ section of the Aenguldaemonica lore, ‘Cerunnos, the Green Man’, where it is explicitly said that “In the sense of active meddling, the Aspects have always refrained and will continue to refrain. Their very presence and power directly in the Descendant realm may offset the balance they go to such ends to preserve.” The lore here gives the origin that, “When those lucky few druids who chose to expand their gifts with [Cerunnos] chose him, he chose to grant gifts that reflected himself.” This is an explicit contradiction with the lore as it reveals an attempt to actively meddle within the descendant realm by provisioning ‘gifts’ that would constitute such, which results in this lore’s origin not working from the ground up.

 

The abilities as well don’t fit from an OOC standpoint outright. One issue is that two of these spells are simply better replications of what herb oils can already make, for example: ‘Camouflage’ and ‘Ranger’s Stride’ both replicate Adunic Alchemy’s ‘Bowie Camouflage’ and Botany’s ‘Paddfoot’ respectively. The only difference is that ‘Camouflage’ requires, “[3] focused emotes of looking are required to discover the camouflage…”, while ‘Bowie Camouflage’ has no specific requirement for being discovered as used. Furthermore, ‘Ranger’s Stride’ is “… entirely silent, from steps to grazing against sticks and bushes.”, while Paddfoot is not entirely silent, with its reference being, “This reagent may be treated into a sound-absorbing oil, which may be applied to things such as boots – allowing for quieter movement.”. Both spells, as a result, are simply just ‘better’ versions of things that already exist in our current roleplay, which is an uncomfortable thought for me at the very least.

 

I have distinctly a lot of issues with the spells provisioned – from lore-allowances to just general power-scaling issues. I have thus separated this into a separate structure where I will go into each spell, explaining why I think they should not be allowed or how they may be changed.

1.     Stalking Shot is a spell you have provided in the first tier of this magic. Now, avoiding the fact that this is essentially a ‘guaranteed killshot for two extra emotes’, this simply doesn’t work within the context of Druidism. This is something that indicates shifting the air, which more evokes the idea of ‘air-evocation’, rather than ‘manipulating nature’. This doesn’t fit within the context of being Druidic.

2.     Cernnuno’s Mark is a spell also provisioned in the first tier of this magic, which isn’t exactly something that should be allowed as it’s rather overpowered to be able acknowledge where someone is with absolutely no way of removing this ‘mark’, even with null-arcana or auric-oil.

3.     I have already discussed Camouflage and Ranger’s Stride, thus will not discuss them here.

4.     Thorn Whip is a spell provisioned in the third tier of this magic, and simply doesn’t fit. The lore of Druidism is about balance & nature – a thorn whip being formed from what is essentially themselves doesn’t work out in the same conception. It’d be better to have this one formed from some kind of thing around them – and not focused around being a whip, but instead ‘any type of standard weapon’.

5.     Cernunno’s Sense is a spell provisioned in the fourth tier of this magic and lacks sense as well. Unless you are a shapeshifter, you cannot act in any form as another creature – which this intrinsically allows. So, this doesn’t very much fit as well within the context of Druidism.

6.     Corrosive Spores is a spell provisioned in the fourth tier of this magic and I have distinctive issues with it. It manipulates mushrooms to be corrosive – which doesn’t exactly fit into any other druidic subtype than herblore. And even then, herblore doesn’t allow you to be able to cause more harm.

7.     Summon Twilight is a spell provisioned in the fifth tier of this magic and I don’t think it should be allowed in general, as it is purposefully allowing for the fae-world to be brought into the descendant-world – which should probably be handled in transcendence magic. And probably… wouldn’t be allowed by the aspects in general as it’s active meddling.

 

Now, to discuss the Purpose (OOC). I think the initial statement reveals why I disagree,” It’s no secret that Druidism is pretty bad in a CRP situation.”. It is trying to improve Druidism to be more CRP-oriented, but I would recommend that you instead try doing as Unwillingly put it, “… give people an FA or alternative wood elf magic if they decide they aren't a fan of druidism.”

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15 by Wizry

[Child Neglecter 2266]

based on the lore and what i'm reading here you're better off scrapping this whole thing and going bottom up

 

you know, not all things need to necessarily be linked to druidism or an existing trope when you're writing a magic like this - come up with something new and unique, something actually set apart from everything else on the server. put your creativity to use. 

[Drdobetter 122]

I like the art. But, Druid has too many subtypes already. Someone write more dark magics