[✗] Spam-Test Amendment #2: Mystic Aromatherapy Edition

[Morigung-oog 5697]

 

OLD:

 

Recipe:

Spoiler

-Lard (base)
-Rigidity x2
-Death x3
-Connection x2
-Light x2
-Dash of Descendant Ashes x1
(The ashes of any cremated descendant will suffice: be it a leper’s amputated leg or a witch burned at the stake. A ‘dash’ of ashes equates that remaining from a burnt limb or head, with the torso offering two measures if cremated properly. an urn containing the ashes of an entire person would therefore permit 7 dashes appropriate for 7 Siegmund’s Candles)

 

 

Effects:

Whilst the wax candle is being physically handled, beings made from (or containing, as Mystics do) ectoplasm will forcefully gleam, causing their ghostly forms to shine and be unveiled, instantly ceasing once touch has been broken.

The main use for the incense or wax, however, comes from ignition. When burnt, vapors provoke sources of nearby ectoplasm and cause it to gleam. Mystics and phantoms will feel inclined to avoid it as if physically repelled, a gentle force tugging at their minds with the suggestion to get as far from the burning candle as possible. This can be ignored should any of these creatures be inclined to remain near, though would eventually force them to gleam brightly and create a visible aura over objects and people they are possessing or hiding within, though they will not be otherwise weakened. 

 

Mystics, due to their only partial ectoplasmic composition, must actively work to suppress the gleam while holding or standing in the radius of a lit candle, causing discomfort and prohibiting them from connecting to any of their magics while doing so. This includes the stronger connection of a mystic blade, and thus prohibits them from going invisible through their diminish ability similarly to phantoms.

 

The effect upon ectoplasm across the phantom spectrum - from menhirs to polygeists within hexed objects - are for the most part the same: causing it to ripple and feel repelled before going to gleam and shine regardless of its host’s will. This interestingly affects Mystic’s ‘Deadbreath’ spell, which is flimsy and ill maintained by contrast to solid bodies of ectoplasm, causing it to be unfurled and dispelled in a lit candle’s range or cut through by Siegsmund’s Candle wax like butter..
 
Siegmund’s Candles require [3] Emotes to ignite and will slowly and indefinitely burn (for the remainder of the scenario) with a 5 block radius lest adequately snuffed. Ectoplasm caught in its vapor will then be subject to the above mentioned effects, causing ectoplasm to gleam if kept within range for 2 emotes after ignition; the effects if applied on a spectre past this point will linger for 3 emotes following the ectoplasm’s departure from the Candle’s range, preventing phantoms from using their ‘fading’ ability in this timespan and resetting should the ectoplasm return within said range before the 3 emotes transpire. 

 

 

NEW:

 

Spoiler

Recipe:

-Lard (base)
-Rigidity x2
-Death x3
-Connection x2
-Light x2
-Dash of Descendant Ashes x1

-Rakir x5
(The ashes of any cremated descendant will suffice: be it a leper’s amputated leg or a witch burned at the stake. A ‘dash’ of ashes equates that remaining from a burnt limb or head, with the torso offering two measures if cremated properly. an urn containing the ashes of an entire person would therefore permit 5 dashes appropriate 5 Siegmund’s Candles)

 

 

Effects:

Whilst the wax candle is being physically handled, soul-altered beings [CAs] and constructs imbued with or made of ectoplasm will forcefully gleam [Wights, Phantoms, Pale Knights, Pale Lords, Menhirs, etc.] causing their ghostly forms to shine and be unveiled, instantly ceasing once touch has been broken.

The main use for the incense or wax, however, comes from ignition. When burnt, vapors provoke sources of nearby ectoplasm and cause it to gleam. Mystics and phantoms will feel inclined to avoid it as if physically repelled, a gentle force tugging at their minds with the suggestion to get as far from the burning candle as possible. This can be ignored should any of these creatures be inclined to remain near, though would eventually force them to gleam brightly and create a visible aura over objects and people they are possessing or hiding within, though they will not be otherwise weakened. 

 

The effect upon ectoplasm across the phantom spectrum - from menhirs to polygeists within hexed objects - are for the most part the same: causing it to ripple and feel repelled before going to gleam and shine regardless of its host’s will. This interestingly affects Mystic’s ‘Deadbreath’ spell, which is flimsy and ill maintained by contrast to solid bodies of ectoplasm, causing it to be unfurled and dispelled in a lit candle’s range or cut through by Siegsmund’s Candle wax like butter..
 
Siegmund’s Candles require [3] Emotes to ignite and will slowly and burn for a total of ten emotes in combat or up to 1 narrative hour outside of conflict. (for the remainder of the scenario) with a 5 block radius lest adequately snuffed. Ectoplasmic CAs and Constructs caught in its vapor will then be subject to the above mentioned effects, causing ectoplasm to gleam if kept within range for 2 emotes after ignition; the effects if applied on a spectre past this point will linger for 3 emotes following the ectoplasm’s departure from the Candle’s range, preventing phantoms from using their ‘fading’ ability in this timespan and resetting should the ectoplasm return within said range before the 3 emotes transpire. 

 

-Mystic blades who enter a candle’s radius while using their diminish ability will be made visible due to the enveloping of their entire form in ectoplasm, as will Mystic Conjurers who utilize passive tyking.

 

 

[Explanation]

 

There is something of a double standard when it comes to ST’s stance on Darkspawn Testing. They nerfed aurum so darkspawn aren’t as easily outed yet then buffed Siegmund’s candles to the point where almost anyone can make them. Because there is no way to record who knows infernal alchemy, the previous mechanics could easily be abused. CAs tend to be more powerful and have a much higher risk/reward factor than MAs, and most dark MAs, Necro, Naz doesn’t have such a concrete way of outing users. The addition of Rakir as a component on its own is enough as well to restore the cultural roots of Infernal Alchemy as inherently dark and reduces the risk of these candles being made to ‘spam test’. As such, I would also be completely happy if the only the Rakir addition was approved. As with the corcitura amendment, I aimed to balance out the pseudo-buff with some new consequences as to not subtract from the value of the items themselves.

 

The implications of using a descendant's ashes to make a candle is not enough killing criminals is justified in every nation on Aevos, and nobody IC will cry over a bandit's ashes being used, for example.

 

 

Pre-review changelog:

Upped Rakir cost from 2 -> 5 per suggestion of @_Leyd

[Xarkly 17299]

Again, a huge objection to amendments like these.

 

While I won't repeat the yapping I did on the Corcitura post, Mystics are - in my experience as someone who plays a darkspawn hunter - one of the most difficult schools of dark magic to test for. Yes, Siegmund's Candles aren't the rarest thing, but I don't think it's accurate to say they're really being spammed outside of very specific communities or circles (which, again, makes it very easy for Mystics to know where to avoid ...). The reason moreso is that justifying the use of a Siegmund's Candle on a dark magic that doesn't have many other tells is my point - I would be fine with a redline along the lines of 'you must have reasonable suspicion ...' to use a Candle; from my experience this is already the case, but I'm not as familiar with how widespread Candles are outside of Canonism. 

 

Also, I'm not sure if this is true so you might let me know - is it possible to subvert a Siegmund Candle through the use of Null Arcana?

[amongus 816]

candles and their effects are generally fine as is imo. at most i'd just make them require fresh bodies/body parts like argentum and ensure that people who use body parts show valid RP from the player it's being harvested from. 

 

1 hour ago, Morigung-oog said:

The implications of using a descendant's ashes to make a candle is not enough killing criminals is justified in every nation on Aevos, and nobody IC will cry over a bandit's ashes being used, for example.

 

in regard to this, people choosing to ignore the fact ur desecrating the remains of a person (or using regenerative flesh taken from someone who has turned mutant through witchcraft) is an IC thing that could be handled IC tbh. just my thoughts. 

[PrimnyaQuorum 4008]

52 minutes ago, Xarkly said:

Also, I'm not sure if this is true so you might let me know - is it possible to subvert a Siegmund Candle through the use of Null Arcana?

 

Carrying Null-Arcana (or antithing anti-magical such as Thanhic Steel) prevents someone from connecting to any magic/utilizing any enchants - though as far as I understand Mysticism stuff, Gleaming is not so much a aura as you'd find in something like Void Magic as the other soul(s) becoming apparent.

 

Regardless, it is a little absurd to have a alchemical remedy for a exact MA. I think a change that forces people to do a little more effort to prove something or chest is fine - besides, this now forces people to either Hunt CA-Inferi for Rakir, or work with Infernals and not simply emote going to the nearest graveyard build and emoting stealing a corpse. 

 

16 minutes ago, amongus said:

at most i'd just make them require fresh bodies/body parts like argentum and ensure that people who use body parts show valid RP from the player it's being harvested from. 

 

This or the Rakir seems fine - both would be a bit extreme, but the candle is from Infernal Alchemy. The whole niche of the hells is chaos and slaughter. 

[Morigung-oog 5697]

20 minutes ago, PrimnyaQuorum said:

 

Carrying Null-Arcana (or antithing anti-magical such as Thanhic Steel) prevents someone from connecting to any magic/utilizing any enchants - though as far as I understand Mysticism stuff, Gleaming is not so much a aura as you'd find in something like Void Magic as the other soul(s) becoming apparent.

 

Regardless, it is a little absurd to have a alchemical remedy for a exact MA. I think a change that forces people to do a little more effort to prove something or chest is fine - besides, this now forces people to either Hunt CA-Inferi for Rakir, or work with Infernals and not simply emote going to the nearest graveyard build and emoting stealing a corpse. 

 

 

This or the Rakir seems fine - both would be a bit extreme, but the candle is from Infernal Alchemy. The whole niche of the hells is chaos and slaughter. 

Using Null Arcana/Thanhium does not prevent mystic gleaming.

Furthermore, Infernal alchemy is meant to be, well, infernal. Most recipes now don't require rakir so its just glorified mundane alchemy add on.

 

The issue is there's no longer any real consequence for making candles because the ashes are overlooked. A consequence and social drawback stops becoming a drawback period when people don't regard it, like how the ascended decided to co-exist with Naztherak.

 

I will also add that these testing methods do subtract from the niche of investigation as just candling someone can bypass hours of potentially interesting rp to uncover a darkspawn. It is difficult as well rn to establish covert narratives when it can all be foiled by funny candle that is meant to be the product of taboo and infernal workings but actually isn't.

[NightcastorKitty 2780]

One dark magic group makes an effective thing with their alchemy that outs/tests another dark magic group. 

 

Kinda funny when you think about it. 

[Morigung-oog 5697]

On 10/14/2024 at 9:45 PM, NightcastorKitty said:

One dark magic group makes an effective thing with their alchemy that outs/tests another dark magic group. 

 

Kinda funny when you think about it. 

 

Funny but incredibly irritating as it draws away to investigation rp and is a way of cutting corners without contributing anything really interesting to longterm rp. 

[Morigung-oog 5697]

Per the suggestions of @_Leydwho also disagrees with the current state of the candles, I have upgraded the cost from 2 rakir to 5.

[Islamadon 9162]

This lore has been denied.

We changed Sigismund Candles in the past to NOT require Rakir because they were MEANT to be used by Priests and Holy People, at the request of the author. It is meant to be a mundane tool used by alchemists and the like; tracking isn't really an issue.