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Sagwort

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  1. Character Analysis & Writing Compelling Dialogue Forward This guide is being written as a more refined version of a roleplay guide I wrote several years ago which was sheer chaos and entirely too long (I’m not even going to link it). This distills the concepts in that guide with a few additions. Ideally, this guide is used to improve upon current characters and understand their psyche so roleplay becomes more deliberate and rich. That being said, this is best suited for experienced roleplayers who are familiar with their characters and comfortable writing. Note that not all of these ideas are necessarily mine. Many of them are altered writing concepts that I found on various writing blogs and guides. Granted, I’ve always had the belief that roleplay is much like collaborative, real time writing with story that unfold before those involved. Of course, those involved still need to put in the effort to unfold a decent story. Since we, as players, can only interact with this story via singular characters, it would seem most appropriate to start there. Character Analysis Mayhaps the most provocative aspect of roleplay is the creation of characters. Personas upon which we as players can project our fantasies and fears. However, I find that many character creation guides only explore surface level concepts such as ineffectual physical traits and humdrum quirks. No one cares what your character has in their left pocket or that they hate the taste of nuts. The only “traits” you should be concerned about are those which reveal something about your character’s inner psyche. An excellent motto to develop characters by is: “Everything should communicate something.” That might seem quite Freudian, but for the purposes of developing compelling and unforgettable characters, it is crucial. Now, in my last guide I talked about six pillars of character which were: secrets, fears, desires, quirks, flaws, and strengths. While useful, they tend to be too situational in their application. The goal of this new system is understand one’s character so thoroughly that they can react to any situation believably and consistently whilst in character. Too often people revert to their own reactions when facing roleplay circumstances opposed to how the character they are attempting to cultivate would react. Lose yourself in your character, don’t lose your character in yourself. Of course, to even attempt this one must understand their character on a level far deeper than simple personality traits. Lose the concepts of strengths and weaknesses. While useful starting points, they will forever leave your character feeling one-dimensional and unbelievable. People are more than a list of traits, afterall. Below are the five dimensions of character which explain the psyche and persona of one’s character. Presence Your character’s presence is how they present themselves to the exterior world. It includes three major concepts: energy, attention, and movement. Note; however, that none of these should be superficial. Remember, everything should communicate something. What does your character’s default posture reveal about them? What about their walk? Their eyes? If your character walked into a job interview, what would one’s first impression be? The presence should be an outward manifestation of their personality. Below are a few questions to get you started on understanding your character’s presence. Avoid recreating cliches or character tropes which often arise from questionnaires such as these. Think about your character as an individual and how their experiences have uniquely shaped them. Furthermore, these questions should be answered as though you were someone else describing your character’s presence. What mannerisms does your character have? How does your character move? Does your character seem present or detached? Is your character lively or still? Is your character expressive or stoic? Is your character forward or reserved? Is your character tense or relaxed? Is your character confident or reluctant? Is your character sensitive or resilient? How intense is your character’s stare and how much eye contact do they make? What is your character’s habitual posture? Do your character’s movements seem cultivated or natural? Interaction It is said that our relationships define us. This is quite true in our case. How your character interacts and communicates with others should reveal something about their psyche. One should ask themselves how quickly their character opens up to others. Are they naturally suspicious or perhaps a bit too trusting? Motivation Motivation is what prompts your character to react. It explains the catalyst behind reactions and emotions. So far as we are concerned, the only motivation is fear. Or, more specifically, insecurity. For our characters, every motivation is prompted first by a fear. The desire to travel comes from a fear of mundanity. A desire to find love comes from a fear of loneliness. One seeks a profession because they fear a meaningless life. So, when looking for a motivation start with fear. What does your character fear on a subconscious level? Motivations can be used to dictate a character’s presence and interactions. One should ask why their character behaves the way they do. Mayhaps they have intense eye contact because they crave fulfilling relationships. Maybe they walk fast because they fear wasting time. Method A character’s method is the approach they take to solving problems, or more broadly, their motivations. Indirectly, it should reveal how your character thinks. When faced with adversity do they prefer a familiar procedure or do they prefer to experiment? Do they face their dilemmas alone or actively seek help? Are they methodical or do they rely on intuition? Are they proactive or do they run from their fears? Method is directly tied to motivation in that it explains how your character intends to achieve their goals or how they react to their fears. Underpinning When all personas and agendas are stripped away the underpinning of one’s character is left. It is the seat of their personality, the subconscious core of their existence. This dimension is difficult to explain due to its inherently abstract connotations. The most efficient way to find a character’s underpinning is to explore their backstory, early childhood would be most effective. Based upon these foundational memories one can then determine how they might affect their character’s development. Remember that one’s underpinning is subconscious. While the creator should be aware of it, the character should not. However, their underpinning should still leak through their methods, motivations, interactions and presence. Here I have laid out a rough procedure one can take when analyzing their character: Developing Compelling Dialogue While a proper character analysis is all well and good, poor utilization of the analysis makes the process useless. We have discussed how physical interactions can reveal a great deal about a character’s psyche. However, particularly in LotC, dialogue is the most used form of communication. With dialogue we continue to live by the motto “everything should communicate something.” Most writing advice pertaining to dialogue typically advises using plot to advance the plot, raise stakes, etc… Unfortunately, this only works when the author has a direction they are heading. The intriguing aspect of roleplay is that we do not always have a direction. However, this often leads to mindless, meandering conversations that quickly become boring. This becomes such an issue that most people don’t even want to start a conversation unless they have an obvious reason to. Truly excellent dialogue should not only be interesting to partake in, but also observe. A bystander should be fascinated by your conversations and draw them in. This does not mean fabricating elaborate stories or speaking in melodramatic ways. If we allow every aspect of our dialogue to communicate something beyond the words being uttered, we produce captivating dialogue. In summary, the secret ingredient is subtext. Reveal Character This sort of dialogue ties directly to what we discussed in the character analysis section. Note that dialogue should not just reveal character. It should be subtle subtext to your dialogue which would otherwise be a mundane conversation or a high stakes argument. Much like a character’s presence, a character’s dialogue can expose their inner psyche through word choice, pacing, tone, and of course, presence. Examples of what dialogue can reveal are as follows: Show what your character is thinking. Show how your character thinks. Suggest conversational styles and skills. Reveal relationship dynamics. Hint at backstory. Suggest worldview, perspective and morals. Imply emotion and attitude. Divulge goals, passions and dreams. Again, subtlety is key. Avoid simply stating any of the above points. The age old writer’s advice of “show don’t tell” applies here. Furthermore, don’t use emotive words as a crutch either. It is often said that a writer should never need to use any other word besides said following speech. As in, he said, she said, they said, etc… This is because using such things as, he chided, or he said sarcastically simply tells the reader how the character sounds opposed to showing it through tone and subtext. If you do use emotes, show tone through body movement and facial expressions (i.e. presence) Here is a bad example: Opposed to: Which one is more compelling? I would say the second one. We did not change a single thing about the dialogue but communicated a great deal by showing nervousness and insecurity opposed to simply stating he was nervous. We have also revealed deeper aspects of the character’s presence, interactions, and even motivations. He fidgets when nervous, a form of presence. He is also clearly uncomfortable sharing his feelings, suggesting he is probably insecure about such things, likely due to a fear of rejection. That one line of dialogue has revealed a boat load of information without stating a single thing. Here is an example more focused on the speech itself: Opposed to: The first example is a classic infodump. Stating information as though it were in a list with no subtext. The second one proves to be more subtle, however. For instance, the use of the word mother opposed to mom suggests their relationship was professional, at best. Furthermore, the fact that he pauses before describing her suggests a certain amount of uneasiness on the topic. This person does not think about his mother often since he is forced to almost recall her by looking off into distance. It dusty memory was just shaken out of him. Furthermore, he says “I never liked her”. This suggests that others had different opinions. Now both of these bits of dialogue reveal the same amount of information. However, one does it through infodumping and one does it through subtext. If I were listening into this conversation I would find the second example twice and interesting as the first. How will the other person react? How will this conversation continue? Pace Control When writing dialogue we must also consider the entire interaction opposed to a few lines of text. Real conversations are not he said, and then he said, and then he said, and then he said. No, there are pauses, awkward silences, moments for information to sink in, etc… An endless rambling of dialogue becomes boring quickly. To avoid this we can inject pacing into the conversation. Pacing is momentum. It should be perpetually fluctuating, speeding up and slowing down like a compelling story. This momentum can be monitored by injecting emotional cues via emotes or slightly longer strings of speech. For example: This is a bit of an exaggerated example, but you can see a variation in pacing and momentum. There are a few lines of quick back-and-forth followed by a few longer lines which slows the conversation down considerably. Even more, these few lines of text tell us about the characters themselves as well as the sort of relationship they have. The boy is clearly quite reserved and finds it difficult to portray whatever emotion he is experiencing here. The girl; however, is more forward, if a bit crass. Yet, she seems endearing and cares for the boy. The last few lines suggest that this kind of interaction is common between them. There is also something else here, even more subtle yet adds considerably to the interaction. That is… microtension. Microtension Perhaps the most difficult aspect of dialogue is microtension, a subtle dissonance between two characters when they interact. In a single conversation this tension can increase or decrease depending on the subtext and pacing of the dialogue. For instance, in the last example the dialogue begins with fairly little tension. It comes across as a mundane interaction. However, within three lines the interaction becomes considerably more tense. There is dissonance there, emotional conflict between what the girl wants and what the boy wants. The boy is reserved, probably wants to be left alone whereas the girl wants him to open up, she wants to help him. Conversations don’t need to be weighty and melodramatic to achieve this tension, however. Something as simple as asking for a glass of water can have tension. Through tone, emotes and word choice, the asker can reveal what they think about the askee. Do they look down on them? Do they consider them an equal? A superior? Is there tension between a past interaction which may be strained their relationship? Have they recently healed their relationship and are still nervous about setting the other person off? Remember, subtext, subtext, subtext. Do not expect to become a dialogue guru overnight. This sort of thing takes practice and a deep understanding of your character. You shouldn’t need to write a book report on every line of dialogue you write. You should know your character so thoroughly that these lines of subtext and microtension flow from your character instinctively.
  2. Alright, I took a screenshots of each section and organized them into spoilers for easy reading.
  3. It's done, unfortunately, due to formatting issues many of the diagrams and all of the equations could not be brought in. If you are concerned about us "altering" the lore... the most relevant information is within the text itself and won't be changed.
  4. This lore has no direct impact on day to day roleplay. Really, it was made for people who wish to study astronomy in-game. Oocly, I suppose it might, down the line, provide guidance for people who want to add more lore pertaining to the cosmology of lotc whether that be deific or magic or whatever. Or, allow the event team to make more consistent astronomical events such as eclipses (which is another topic entirely, our system does not allow for eclipses even though one has occurred in-game before leading us to conclude that eclipses must be supernatural in nature) or something similar to that. Put simply, it adds depth to our world but is really only relevant to people who are rply interested in astronomy. As stated in the post, we presented it as an rp thesis because we wanted it to be accessible for everyone rply. We also provided only information one would be able to conclude by viewing these astral phenomena from the surface of the physical plane. So in that sense, this is all able to be learned through in-character means. Whether that be through observation or by reading this as though you found it in a library. Edit: areas of more... "lore" interest that we might go into more detail later, or someone else can, include the exact nature of these celestial bodies, what they like, etc... I have heard people say that they are the realms of Aenguls and Daemons which is of some major debate since theese realms are supposed to be immaterial. We purposefully did not go into much detail on that topic for that reason. I suppose they might be simple projections of the actual realms from the point of view of the physical plane, or maybe they're all gaseous, or maybe they're portals to the realm only accessible to the Aenguls and Daemons, idk but a lot of potential.
  5. Yeah, Swgrclan mentioned this in the early stages of the lore. However, we wanted all of the information within the lore to be things we could observe from the physical plane... we were not sure how we could conclude that the moon was limbo just by staring at it and math. That being said, our observation that there is a physically dark and light side of the moon may shed some light on that, should this lore be accepted.
  6. In the lore we state that the seasons are caused by the physical plane passing closer to the primary celestial bodies. So, as the physical plane's orbit comes closer to the celestial bodies of Medeis, Lychnus, and Securis the seasons are summer. As the physical plane passes near Virgam the season changes to fall. As the physical plane passes near Hiem and Ceryx the it becomes winter, and as the physical plane passes near Alvus it becomes spring. We initially ran into some problems changing the season because the orbit of the physical plane is uniform and there is no "axis" like there is for irl earth so seasons are not caused by the sun in our lore but by the primary celestial bodies. Also, I'd like to point out that our "names" for the planets need not be canon since we came up with them in rp. Thanks for the support.
  7. On the Heavens By Dr. Ambros & Dr. Lorolith Iira, a thesis from the Imperial Phrontistery 12th of Malin’s Welcome, 1623 Preamble Herein is the cumulative empirical observations of the Imperial Phrontistery concerning the movement and cosmology of the heavens. For many a century has the scholarly pursuits of the realm neglected, or perhaps avoided, the nature of the skies, at least in any substantial amount. By the nature of scholarly inquiry, all conclusions which can be read below are falsifiable and disputable should more inclusive theories arise from different or similar observations. Beyond mundane observation, cultural inspiration has been drawn from older and more mythological sources which will be described aptly. [[HUGE special thanks to Swgrclan for general lore input. Lorolith did all of the math, thanks to him we have proofs!]] READ THIS [[Take note that this is a rather dense piece of literature and was more so written for the furthering of astronomy roleplay and astronomy research type roleplay. It is not necessary for the wellbeing of the server, and will not change anything about how the world or the realm currently works. Consider this document more of an elaboration on what is already known about the world through canonical lore as well as making conclusions based upon what we already know, and using it as proof.]] [[Yes, there is a lot of math, but that is what astronomy is, mostly math. We could have certainly posted this as just a basic roleplay post but we wanted to get it canonized so that more astronomy type roleplay and research could be built off of it since “astronomer” seems to be a fairly neglected job title in the world of LotC. This lore can be read without taking too much consideration of the math, though it is interesting. The math is mostly, again, elaboration for the sake of astronomer roleplay. A very short summary is included in the ‘final structure of the cosmos’ section.]] [[We are presenting this as a roleplay post so that it can be referenced and known in-game since, again, we are making primarily for in-game academic roleplay.]] Concerning the Structure of the Physical Plane Concerning the Sun and the Movement of the Physical Plane Concerning the Moon and its Movement Concerning the Stars and Their Movement Concerning the Primary Celestial Bodies, Their Influence on the Physical Plane, and the Seven Houses Concerning the Lesser Celestial Bodies and Their Movement Final Structure of the Movement [[For the full experience, we suggest you listen to this and read the document as fast as you possibly can.]] [[If you don’t fancy reading or math we have provided a convenient bullet pointed form of the lore to get the main idea across oocly. For more indepth “proofs” of each section read the actual section provided within.]]
  8. Arithmancy The Poetry of Number Lore by Sagwort Credit to Toxzero & Phil for commentary “Mathematics are most necessary in magic, for everything which is done through natural virtue is governed by number, weight, and measure. By mathematics one can produce without any natural virtue, operations which seem natural, statues and figures which move and speak. Pythagoras said that numbers have more reality than natural things, hence the superiority of mathematical magic to natural magic.” -Cornelius Agrippa STOP, READ THIS Forward Arithmancy, the distilled beauty of man’s knowledge of reality. Like the poet composes inspiring verses and prose within the age old rules of rhythm and linguistics, so too does the arithmancer bend the will of nature utilizing the very fabric of its being, that is, the wonders of ratios, numbers, and their relation. While the voidal magi might spend their days observing and recording natural phenomenon in hopes of reproducing it through their nixian magic, the arithmancers busy themselves within some fetid study pouring over charts and equations, distilling the abstract essence of these same natural phenomenon through language and number. In this way, arithmancy is inherently “rational” in its execution while normal voidal magics are empirical. While arithmancy is not technically a distinct magical discipline within its own right, it is a form of magical study, a curiosity for magi and scholars alike. However, arithmancy’s focus on mathematics, pattern identification and symbology links it more closely to alchemy and glyph enchanting than the traditional voidal magic. Concept art from FFXIV arcanist class, which is where this magic was inspired Arithmancy, as a field of study, is a composition of three distinct skill sets which are: gematria, metrica, and formulae writing. Together, these makes up the breadth of arithmancy, all of them required to effectively practice this abstruse magic. The Governing Laws The entirety of arithmancy is built upon two laws: the law of names, and the law of abstract reality. They are described herein. Law of Names The law of names suggests that since all magi have a connection to the void through thought, so too does language, as language is but a translation of thought. Just as the magi might use their own mind to weave spells of the void, language may be utilized by arithmancers in a similar fashion. Of course, being a translation, much of the original thought loses its potency upon utterance so the magi must use arithmancy to strengthen this power of language. Law of Abstract Reality The law of abstract reality states that reality, finding origin in the void, is nothing more than organized and materialized chaos that is the void. This is, to mortal minds, represented through relation, number, measure, space, etc… Giving order to discord. These two laws are used in tandem by the arithmancers. Words have power, and mathematics is the ordering of voidal chaos, thus, by ascribing mathematics to language one is able to bolster these inherent laws of reality and manipulate it to some degree. This is the discipline of arithmancy, manipulating language and mathematics to alter and reorder. These methods are described through Gematria, the assigning of value to words and Metrica, the study of ratio and numerical relations and their meaning to language. Gematria While more commonly known as numerology, Gematria is one of the three primary disciplines of arithmancy and is the study of assigning linguistic meaning and symbolism to numbers. Study of gematria provides arithmancers with foundational knowledge in performing their magic. The Mather’s Table Perhaps the most widely utilized tool of the artihmancer is the Mather’s Table which is is the table of single digit numbers and the letters which they represent. Using this table words or entire phrases may be assigned numeric value. For instance, the letters used in the word fire are 6, 9, 9, and 5. These values can be added together to produce 29. 2 and 9 can then be added together to produce 11. 1 and 1 can be added together to produce 2. This single digit value is the vibrational value of the word fire. This value reveals a certain hidden nature of the word which is what defines the practice of numerology or gematria. There is a more “disputed” practice among arithmancers to attempt to predict future events utilizing this technique and the names of people or certain dates. For instance, the name Billy Bob has the values 2 + 9 + 3 + 3 + 7 + 2 + 6 + 2 = 34. 3 + 4 = 7. Thus, the vibrational value of Billy Bob is 7. Or, the date 2/13/1619 is added to produce 2 + 1 + 3 +1 + 6 + 1 + 9 = 23, 2 + 3 = 5. The vibrational value of the 13th of the Amber Cold, 1619 is 5. These vibrational values can, theoretically, be used to provide insight into a particular person, family, or date. Granted, whether or not vibrational values can be used in divination is up for debate. Metrica Metrica, or arcane geometry, is the fine science of ratios and proportions. While a great deal of useful magic can be produced using basic gematria, by applying metrica more complex and specific magic formulae can be produced, which will be elaborated on later. One of the most integral concepts in metrica is the prime numbers: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, etc... A visualization of prime numbers While any word can be summed to produce any number, in order to have any amount of significant power the word must initially sum to produce a prime number. For instance, fire is 6 + 9 + 9 + 5 = 29. This is a prime number and, thus, the word fire has strong voidal ties. We shall call these prime number words, words of power, in that, prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and the number one which makes them the “fundamental values” of arithmancy. Notice that when summing words, only use vibrational values, that is, never sum values with more than one digit. When producing magical formulae only words of power may be used. This makes producing magical formulae exceedingly tedious and the need to construct lexicons of words of power to easily be pulled from is useful. In this way, spells are not created but discovered. Another fundamental property in metrica is the vibrational sequences or a sequence of numbers which all sum to the same vibrational value. Any number within a vibrational sequence can also represent its vibrational value in a magic square. This allows arithmancer to utilize larger and larger squares for more powerful formulae. This will be explained next. A Brief Lexicon of Words of Power Activating Words These words of power are used in formulae to determine “how” the magic takes place. Summon - 23 Induce - 29 Disperse - 41 Hurl - 23 Ward - 29 Ignite - 37 Energy Descriptor Words These words of power are used in formulae to determine “what” magic takes place. Fire - 29 Aqua - 13 Ice - 17 Wind - 23 Stone - 19 Sand - 11 Burn - 19 Light - 29 Bugs - 13 Avoirdupois - 59 Addle - 17 Weariness - 41 Force - 29 Aegis - 23 Modifier Words These words are used to modify descriptor words. Evocation - 41 Illusory - 41 Orb - 17 Aegis - 23 Shard - 23 Magic Squares The magic square is founded on basic arithmetic concepts where the numbers in any direction on the square add up to the same number. More complex square are considered to produce more powerful formulae. There exists five practiced magical squares, though there is theoretically infinite. The value each row adds up to is known as the magic constant. Generally speaking, the larger the square the more powerful the spell. For this reason, arithmancers use vibrational sequences so they can represent vibrational values as larger numbers and, thus, use larger squares. Essentially each square is a “tier” in magic totalling in five, the progression of use of quite similar to normal magic tier progression, except less subjective. Tier 1 Magic Square All numbers add up to 45, each row adds up to 15 Tier 2 Magic Square All numbers add up to 136, each row adds up to 34 Tier 3 Magic Square All numbers add up to 325, each row adds up to 65 Tier 4 Magic Square All numbers add up to 666, each row adds up to 111 Tier 5 Magic Square All numbers add up to 1225, each row adds up to 175 Magical Formulae Creating magical formulae is the cornerstone technique in practical arithmancy which utilizes all the above techniques. The process can be broken into 4 steps: An arithmancer produces a magical formulae 1. Describing intent At this point, the arithmancer must decide what they want their formulae to depict and produce. For example, we wish to produce a magic formula that will protect against fire evocation. Thus, the arithmancer must determine the most efficient way to produce such instruction clearly and without any potential misinterpretation, exact language is crucial. Remember, only words of power can be used when describing intent. For instance, to produce a magical formula to ward against fire evocations one would use the words of power ward fire evocation. 2. Reducing intent to numeric cipher Once the intent has been clearly described it must then be reduced into its numeric cipher. Note that one should refer to individual letters and their respective vibrational values when reducing. If one were to use the vibrational values or one of the sums of a word in the phrase and then drew the formula, it would be impossible to interpret. First, all vowels are removed from the intent: WRD FR VCTN This becomes the numerical cipher 5-9-4 6-9 4-3-2-5 Stumped by a particularly difficult formula 3. Select magic square Now, the arithmancer must select a magic square to produce the formula upon. The larger the numbers used in the formula the more powerful the formula. Thus, advanced arithmancers use vibrational sequences to increase the values in their formula which then requires the use of larger squares. Notice that words cannot start and/or end on a number which is repeated anywhere else in the cipher. Assuming our arithmancer has full knowledge of all magical squares, he will maximise their spell power by first changing all numbers to their largest possible form. 41-45-49 42-45 49-48-47-41 Then, he will change any repeated numbers at the start or end of words to a lower value within its respective vibrational sequence. 41-45-49 42-36 40-48-47-32 This is the most powerful form of the given magic cipher. 4. Drawing the formula The most intriguing part of magical formulae is the actual drawing of them upon the magic square. Each word is drawn individually, each number connected by a straight line. Each word starts with an open circle (o) and ends with a short perpendicular line (⟂) or arrow. Note that in order for a number to be considered part of the word it must have a point, circle, or sharp curve. A straight line passing through a number does not include the number it passes through. If the line does happen to move straight through a number but that number should be included in the word, it is marked with a bump in the line over the appropriate number. To indicate two of the same number in a row the line is made with with two bumps in it. All good arithmancers carry a compass to measure angles for their formulae If the end of a line and the start of another line are on the same number, a triangle is placed there. Thus, the words ward, fire and evocation respectively using the above cipher is: When layered atop each other they produce the full formula. Example Formulae Induce Weariness | NDC WRNSS | 5-4-3 5-9-5-1-1 | 41-49-48 32-45-23-46-37 Would produce an illusory fatigue to the wearer Ward Fire Evocation | WRD FR VCTN | 5-9-4 6-9 4-3-2-5 Protects wearer/object against fire evocation Ward Aqua/Ice Evocation | WRD Q/C VCTN | 5-9-4 8/3 4-3-2-5 Protects wearer/object against water/ice evocation Ward Stone Evocation | WRD STN VCTN | 5-9-4 1-2-5 4-3-2-5 Protects wearer/object against earth evocation Ward Wind Evocation | WRD WND VCTN | 5-9-4 5-5-4 4-3-2-5 Protects wearer/object against air evocation Induce Burn | NDC BURN | 5-4-3 2-3-9-5 Causes wearer to feel burning sensation, or any who touch object feel burning sensation Ignite | GNT | 7-5-2 Formulae ignites spontaneously Induce Avoirdupois | NDC VRDPS | 5-4-3 4-9-4-7-1 Causes object to feel heavier Summon Light | SMMN LGHT | 1-4-4-5 3-8-7-2 | 46-49-49-41 48-44-43-47 Causes object to glow Summon Aegis Orb | SMMN GS RB | 1-4-4-5 7-1 9-2 Summons a spherical arcanic shield around wearer Summon Aegis Barricade | SMMN GS BRRCD | 1-4-4-5 7-1 2-9-9-3-4 Summons an arcanic shield wall before the wearer On Roleplaying an Arithmancer Arithmancy is, of course, not for everyone and, I believe, would require a very distinct sort of playstyle that goes beyond spell slinging. One might be turned off by the amount of independent work required to perform arithmancy. In fact, the very act of being an arithmancer forces the player to produce a character willing to live a quiet scholarly life pouring of charts, formulas, magic squares, tables, etc… Women can be arithmancers too! One visual goal of the arithmancer image was to produce a magi that, may not, be entirely grounded in reality or even practicality even though an arithmancer might consider themselves above a far more practical and… even “powerful” voidal magi due to arithmancy’s “logical purity”. It is a magic for high society scholars, professors, and academics. Imagine walking around, always with a hefty tome at your character’s side containing all myriad of charts, graphs, formulae, drawings, and, of course, a lexicon of words of power. IDK, maybe he just activated one of his formulae and is now using it
  9. A nearby person would say: Your concerns are duly noted, and the The Council will review said deceased Avenel.
  10. To Whom it May Concern, The following have been accepted to the Worshipful Guild of Astronomers. Contact Ambros of the Astrologicum in Bastion for further consorting.
  11. ☉ THE WORSHIPFUL GUILD OF ASTRONOMERS ☾ VTᐧAPVDᐧSICᐧINFRA - Est. 18th of Snow’s Maiden, 1602 “And Horen, may your people one day explore the Seven Skies” -Ancient History, by Availer In Conversation with God “There exists a cardinal harmony which cascades and ebbs through the cosmos; it is as if the grand architect did strike a tuning fork, letting the resounding song of creation ring into eternity, for this is what we sense when we turn our gaze to the heavens, the notes of genesis.” - Musica Universalis Ever has man coveted the knowledge of realms beyond the physical plane. Thus, the ancient and divine arts of magic came to be. That is, until he decided to look to the stars above and learned to read the heavens through its eldritch composition. So comes the Worshipful Guild of Astronomers, an order of sky gazers who seek to unravel the untold mysteries of the planes of existence. Royally chartered by the Crown of the Westerlands, the Guild of Astronomers is positioned within the city of Bastion inside of the Astrologicum. THE DISCIPLINES The Guild of Astronomers recognizes three disciplines of the heavens and beyond. They are as follows: Astrometry Otherwise known as celestial mechanics or celestial navigation, astrometry is the study and measurement of the movements and positions of celestial bodies. An understanding of astrometry requires a deep knowledge of geometry and mathematics which serves as the cornerstone of more advanced disciplines of astronomy. Cosmology Among the most coveted of astronomical disciplines, cosmology is the study of the structure, nature, and origins of the cosmos and existence as a whole. From the Spirit Realms, the nixian Void, and the Immortal Planes of Aenguls and Daemons, the ethereal nature of worlds beyond our observation makes cosmology a highly theoretical, philosophical, and even theological pursuit. Astrology A new and alluring field that involves the study of the movement and relative positions of celestial bodies as a means for divining information or determining the optimum time for terrestrial affairs such as weddings, marriages and war. It is considered a form of “practical” or “useful” astronomy. MEMBERS Master ☉ In order to be deemed a Master Astronomer of the guild, one must publish a “master work” of celestial observations which demonstrates a understanding of advanced and novel concepts. Journeyman ☾ After completing several years of training, an apprentice of the Guild may become a Journeyman in which they have proven a satisfactory understanding of basic concepts. Apprentice ☆ Burgeoning astronomers are apprenticed to a Master of the Guild who will teach them basic knowledge in the three disciplines of astronomy. They are expected to assist their Master with any requests pertaining to research. CONSORTING The Guild of Astronomers, while prestigious and rigorous in its work, is permissive to those who seek the wisdom of the great beyond. Potential apprentices need only complete the following inquiry: --------☉-------- Reason of Admittance: Prior Experience in Astronomical Study: Signature: --------☾-------- Astronomer Consorts with Monk After a brief consultation with a master of the Guild, potential members will be given an appropriate position within the Guild. Note that a period of examination will commence after said consultation, with Masters of the Guild being able to dismiss new, uninitiated members. All knowledge discovered by the Guild will be open to members of the venerable order and the selected public. PUBLICATIONS OF NOTE N/A
  12. Anyone interested in lotc cosmology?

  13. I'm a fan of this recent turning with divine and dark magic focusing on souls and the nature of mortals, etc.... While mayhaps a "dark souls-y" I think it really helps streamline lore opposed to just existing as separate pockets of disconnected lore as well as establish an actual theme and tone for the server overall. We were getting a bit too fractured there for a bit.
  14. What do you consider good roleplay?

    1. neopsychedelia

      neopsychedelia

      i think the most fun ive ever had with roleplay has been with people who are new or inexperienced. that isn't to say every new player is going to be enjoyable to interact with, but they're typically much less stiff with how they choose to develop their characters, and less prone to the entrapment of "i'm a better roleplayer, so i dont want to roleplay with that guy". a lot of people associate good roleplay with quality. i associate it with an enjoyable interaction between characters.

  15. [[Yes, we just don't have much of a need to post things on the forums at the moment]]
  16. How long does day last on lotc and how long does night last?

    1. Mephistophelian

      Mephistophelian

      One day and night combined is an hour long. So a 'day' is 30 minutes and a 'night' is 30 minutes.

      Unless they changed it, in which case idk.

  17. Issue No. 3 13th of the First Seed. 1577 Wizard Quarterly to Change Management After the inevitable collapse due to inexplicable lethargy and dawdling of the late Wizards Guild, the Galdorcreft College has since taken over editorial and revisional administration of the Wizard Quarterly magazine by the authority of Scholarch Ambros. The observant reader would note that the second issue of the Wizard Quarterly has seemingly vanished from existence. Galdorcreft researchers have since given up explaining the literary phenomenon they are deeming Lettered Diaphaneity in which nonsensical, poorly written periodicals spontaneously vanish from existence. Regardless, the Wizard Quarterly will continue as usual being released at sporadic dates potentially determined by the alignment of the celestial bodies and their erudite manipulation of mortal souls. This issue has been released by the suggestion of some unnamed star, or a comet or something that came to me in a feverish, drug driven dream. Thank you for your understanding and have a wonderful, bountiful lustful day, Chief Editor, Enoch Solomons Galdorcreft College Grand Opening The Administrative Board of Galdorcreft College would like to formally announce that grand opening of the college campus with the completed construction of the college with the aid of the Archduchy of Lorraine, most notably the labor of the Viscounty of Chambery and the town of Chambery, near which the college presides. In memoriam to the family which presides over Chambery, the VonSchlichten family, the main lecture building has been named the Gestahl-VonSchlichten Lyceum, so named after the accomplished cow farmer ancestor of the present VonSchlichten family… or something like that. To celebrate this most illustrious of days, the college is hosting an opening ceremony to display the facilities to the general populace. Note, however, that it is by invite only one may attend the opening ceremony. If you did not receive invitation via perspiration, then DO NOT come to the college on the date enclosed within the invitation, failure to fail to attend could lead to catastrophic consequences. Granted, I suppose if you did not receive an invitation you wouldn’t know the date not to attend… you know what? It might be a good idea just to stay away from the college all together. Galdorcreft Now Accepting Students and Professors The Board of Administration would like to invite all potential students and professors to send a letter expressing interest in enrolling or joining the college to the Provost, Scholarch, or Curator. If one is feeling particularly brash they may come to the college uninvited to show off their own prowess in the magical arts, of course, not on the same date as the opening ceremony, that would be madness. Absolute madness. Do note that the Galdorcreft College only accepts students with preexisting knowledge of the arcane arts and a connection to the great nothingness which can be adequately proven by a display of some arcane magical feat or vanishing into the nothingness entirely. Also note that an existing position must be open for a Professor to join, and the college does not teach the evocational disciplines. The Domestic Charm In this issue and the following issues, the Wizard Quarterly will release a simple spell for the public’s education and use. This issue’s charm: A Spell for Sleeping This spell will effectively put most mortal assailants into a deep slumber. Materials 1 Knife of Stabbing Procedure Choose a victim target on which to cast the spell, making sure they are not of the immortal sort. Insert your knife into the target at least once. Should they not collapse to the ground and cease groaning, repeat step 2 until this occurs. The target is now asleep. Note that the college researchers have yet to devise a reverse spell for waking the target up. Alternatively, this spell can be cast on oneself. Galdorcreft Redefines Magical Schools The mission statement of Galdorcreft College is to emphasize research in magical and natural areas of study rather than simple practice. For centuries magic has been deemed a “scholarly pursuit” and yet, as of recent years little has been done to further our understanding of the supernatural and natural. Mages are instead trained for “performing” magic rather than studying it. Knowledge has been passed from master to apprentice and little has been added in between. For this reason, Galdorcreft considers many of the “evocation” schools of magic to be little more than frivolous in the world of academia. “To understand the secrets of the universe, we must stop hurling balls of fire.” -Scholarch Ambros To encourage this sort of curiosity and progression of knowledge, Professors of the College must conduct original research in order to remain employed at the College. It is not only the duty of a master sorcerer to teach, but also learn. The Quarterly Witticism “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away. Seriously… eat apples, or he WILL come for you and he WILL find you.” If you wish to post an advertisement within the Wizard Quarterly, send a letter to Galdorcreft College with at least 100 minas, or a precious gem, or a priceless family heirloom (preferably cursed). Have a wonderful, bountiful, and lustful day.
  18. Galdorcreft College Non spectant ad occidentem Galdorcreft College advances learning through scholarship, research, and teaching of unsurpassed quality, with an emphasis on alteration and magic theory based education that is distinctive among the realm’s great research institutions, and with a pervasive commitment to serve mages and the realm. Faculty Scholarch Ambros Lead overseer and administrator of the College. The Scholarch has full jurisdiction of all occurrences within and concerning the College. Such a position is bequeathed by the previous Scholarch or given to the Provost, should the old Scholarch be unfit to perform their duties. Provost Eliza A senior administrator of the College, the Provost serves as “Vice-Scholarch” to the Scholarch and carry out any of their duties should they be unfit to do so themselves. All legislation given by the Scholarch is to be administered by the Provost. While the Provost can make these decisions on their own, they are better advised to consult the Scholarch beforehand. Curator Zaviel Carcimor Archiver and librarian of the College, the Curator serves to organize, gather, and distribute the books held within the College. The Curator also serves as secretary to the Scholarch. Professor The title of Professor refers to the highest rank one can achieve within the College and academia. Such an illustrious achievement only comes after several years of dedication at the College and being recognized in a respective field by conducting and publishing original research. Professors at the College are more dedicated to their own individual research rather than teaching or assisting in others’ research like the Lecturers or Readers. The rank can only be bestowed by the Scholarch, generally after completing at least three theses on unique original research. Reader The title between Professor and Lecturer, Readers conduct and assist in research as well as teach. The title of Reader is given to a member of the College when they have completed at least two original theses on their own novel research. Lecturer The lowest title within the faculty of the College. After graduating from the College in any one subject an alumni may apply for a position as a Lecturer. For a majority of their time, Lecturers will be assisting Readers and Professors with their own research, however, they will also be responsible for conducting their own research and the writing of a thesis based on this work. Once they have completed at least one thesis while working at the College they will be given the title of Reader. Applying for a Faculty Position If an alumni of the College, or another recognized academic institution, wishes to apply for a faculty position at the College they must first submit a thesis of original research to the Scholarch and Provost in one of the fields of study listed below. Should both the Scholarch and Provost approve of the research, the applicant will then have to present and defend their research to the Scholarch, Provost and a board of Professors. Thereafter, the board will assess both the research as well as the individual skills of the applicant, should they approve the applicant will be bestowed the title of Lecturer at Galdorcreft College. If an applicant feels that they have completed enough independent research to be given a higher title (ie. Reader or Professor) they may consult the Provost and Scholarch for further appraisal of experience and skill. Enrolling The Galdorcreft College, located in the Duchy of Lorraine near Chambery. Being an institution of higher education and primarily research, the College expects all “students” to enroll with preexisting knowledge on voidal and mana theory, the ability to practice one form of an arcane magic is also highly recommended. Upon enrollment students will take an entry exam to prove their knowledge as well as perform any arcane magic they practice before the Scholarch or Provost. Only upon a satisfactory score on the exam and an acceptable showing of their skill in magic will they be admitted into the College. The College prides itself on exemplary students and will, thus, only admit the most intelligent and skilled of magi. Areas of Study The College emphasises the research of magical concepts and related fields rather than the practice of arcane magics. While all members of the College must show satisfactory ability to use a discipline of arcane magic, this is not what the College itself teaches. Galdorcreft believes that magic itself is simply an application of far more primordial principles, this is what the College is most interested in. However, the College does vilify the elemental evocations, considering them “unscholarly” practices of magic beyond the applications used to cast them such as Arcane Mechanics. More academic forms of magic are encouraged such as Transfiguration and Apparition. Do note that students may enroll while only knowing an elemental evocation, but before they may graduate they must show proficiency in a different form of magic. The approved list of “academic” disciplines of magic are: Transfiguration, Telekinesis, Apparition, Divination, and Conjuration. The College has no standard curriculum for the teaching of magic disciplines and such arrangements must be made between the student and faculty of the College on an individual basis. The aforementioned list of magics are all considered “Lower Disciplines” while the following areas of study are dubbed higher disciplines: Supernatural History Professor: Vacant Prerequisites: Any arcane magic, Conjuration recommended The study and experimentation upon supernatural organisms of the realm and beyond. While the flora and fauna of the physical realm are intriguing enough, the College puts a certain emphasis upon the beyond and what might reside there, abstractical or not. Emphasis areas include Esoteric Zoology, the study of magical creatures; and Mystical Botany, the study magical plants. Arcane Engineering Professor: Vacant Prerequisites: Transfiguration Dubbed a “higher discipline” due to the need for the knowledge of several fields of magic and science prior to studying, Arcane Engineering is the most heavily studied and avant-garde form of magical study in the modern magical community. Students will learn advanced magical metallurgy as well as applied enchanting, transmutation techniques, and mechanics. Alchemy Professor: Kardel Irongut Prerequisites: Any arcane magic, Transfiguration recommended The classical study of Alchemy is a discipline nearly as old as magic itself. The College defines Alchemy as the study of the primordial properties and essences of matter. Most importantly, alchemy’s esoteric and secretive nature leads room for a great deal of in vogue research. Emphasis areas include Arcane Metallurgy and Mineralogy, the study of the properties and structure of magical metals and minerals. Arcane Mechanics Professor: Vacant Prerequisites: Transfiguration or Telekinesis A field of study exclusive to the College of Galdorcreft, Arcane Mechanics is defined as the study of magical energy, force, and movement. Whether it be mana or divine energies not of this world, those who study Arcane Mechanics wish to understand the primordial forces which govern the planes of existence. Metaphysics Professor: Ambros Prerequisites: Any arcane magic, Apparition recommended Otherwise known as Magical Theory, the field of Metaphysics covers a broad spectrum including cosmology, ontology, causation, and epistemology. In essence, the field of metaphysics studies abstract concepts within magic such as the makeup of the cosmos, the nature of gods, being, knowledge, and abstruse laws. Magical Axiology Professor: Eliza Reader: Rosalyn VonSchlichten Prerequisites: Any arcane magic, Divination recommended An understudied subject, magic philosophy is perhaps the most necessary area of study for any modern mage. Approaching such topics as arcane ethics, how to define “maleficium”, the moral dilemmas that come with practicing various forms of magic and arcane aesthetics. Dark Studies Professor: Kardel Irongut Reader: Zaviel Carcimor Prerequisites: Any arcane magic While Galdorcreft, for certain, does not condone the practice of any dark arts, it does consider having knowledge of them valuable. Thus, the field of Dark Studies delves into such sinister practices to further the understanding of perhaps the most enigmatic form of magic. Students within this field are cautioned to never entertain the idea of performing a dark magic.
  19. A Guide To Accents Based upon Watyll’s Languages of the Realm post, we can see that the world of LotC has almost two dozen languages, most of which exist for lore purposes and have never been spoken in-game. The language spoken most commonly in-game is Common, or our English. Now there are numerous other racial languages that are usually only spoken in ritual or tradition such as Elvish, Dwarvish, Flexio (Latin), etc… etc… However, perhaps the most distinct difference linguistically between races are accents or dialects. While it is clear that Dwarves speak in a quite pronounced Glasgow or Highlands Scottish accent (an old Fantasy trope), while the Orcs speak Blah which share many things with Common other than a handful of words (opposed to Old Blah which is an entirely different language) but has no real world equivalent, and the Kha speak similarly in another conspicuous accent which has no real world parallel. What this guide hopes to achieve is to show how to type various accents that I believe go unexplored but would most likely be spoken by a majority of the descendent races of LotC. Ideally, when someone reads back the dialogue using the accent rules below it would automatically have the sort of sound that is trying to be achieved. Granted, this is very difficult to achieve since people will most likely read them back in their own native accent so… Presently, everyone speaks in a form of neutral English that one would write casually and subtle accents are generally stated in the character bio. However, if you want to go that extra mile and SHOW your accent when your character speaks then read on as I believe it would be highly immersing for those you role play with, none of these accents are warped so much that you wouldn’t be able to understand it (unlike Blah, Kha, or some Dwarvish (Scottish) accents I see). Note that text can only go so far, so I am going to do some very basic dialects (I might add more later) where the differences are clearly seen. We could talk all day about Midlands British, Northern England English, West Country English, etc… but on text the differences would be difficult to detect so I’m leaving it to the most identifiable accents. Note: I believe it is fairly understood (as is with most Medieval Fantasy tropes) that there are no American accents since this trope generally takes place in a European or even British Isle inspired setting so the following dialects are taken from this idea. Note Note: And before you ask, Old Common I assume is the LotC equivalent of Old English which, contrary to popular belief, is an ENTIRELY different language than modern English. Old English is not the whole ye olde, thou art, thee, hither, thine, etc… that is Early Modern English or Elizabethan English or the language of Shakespeare. Old English is more like… Leornian bêga rihtl¯æcung bôc êow f¯ærbena. Which translates roughly to “Read a history book you peasant.” I don’t speak Old English so that is the translation according to the internet. But you get the idea, don’t think of Old English or Old Common as a different dialect of English as it is an unrecognisable language. Also, since no one in-game really speaks in Elizabethan English either I will not be covering that sort of dialect here today. However, if you want to add an old timey flare to your character, I will add a brief section of when to use such words as thee, thou, thine, etc… Received Pronunciation Received Pronunciation, Standard English, Queen’s English, or Oxford English has no particular geographic origin and was used by those of a high social class. In the world of LotC I would imagine Nobles, Aristocrats, and Academics would use this dialect. As far as sound goes, it sounds rather posh, upper class, and clear. A good fantasy example of such a “manufactured” accent would be High Elves from Lord of the Rings, Galadriel in particular. Thus, this would the accent an elf from LotC would most likely have, most notable the Mali’aheral. Similarly, numerous other examples of this sort of accent can be found in other fantasy movies, Game of Thrones for example. Accent: Non-rhoticity or dropping the “r” sound from the ends of words, so “mother” sounds like “mothuh”, and “farther” and “father” sound the same, being “fathuh”, or “fire” becomes “fiuh”. Trap-bath Split results in broad “a” so “bath” is “bahth”, and “cat” is “caht” or “tomahto”. Essentially “a” becomes “ah” in words. But “nation” remains the same. Unlike some other accents, the “h” sound at the beginning of words is NOT dropped. The “y” sound of “ee” sounds more like “eh” so “happy” and “sorry” which sound like “happee” and “sorree” become “happ-eh” and “sorr-eh” The “t” sound is always pronounced. To drop the “t” is considered lazy and informal. Dialect Dialect in the Received Pronunciation is quite simple or even nonexistent. Since Received Pronunciation is not geographically based it does not actually have a dialect since dialect is the regionally based on region. However, little to no slang is used and large, latin based words are used. So instead of “good” use “excellent” or “exemplary”. Examples: “Here is some pronunciation. Rahtion nevuh rhymes with nation, say prefuh, but preferahble, comfortahble, ahnd vegetahble.” “Get the cah from the hahbuh yahrd.” “In whaht othuh language do people recite aht a play and aht a recietal? We ship by truck but send cahrgo by ship. We have noses thaht run and feet thaht smell. We pahrk in a driveway ahnd drive in a pahrkway.” Here is an example of Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) speaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKaAXnP0pmo An example of Thranduil (Lee Pace) speaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h318jKI9uC0 A prime example of Received Pronunciation from who the accent is so named after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMHseSSRxgQ Cockney The accent of the working class of Britain. While certainly not medieval in origin it still holds the same sort of dialect of the peasantry. Unlike Received Pronunciation, Cockney is generally full of slang and such. Note that Cockney is generally not what the Halflings would speak, Cockney is more exclusive to the race of humans at least in LotC, of course, there are always exceptions. However, Cockney does seem to be a more urban lower class accent. Accent: Glottal Stops or dropping the “t” from words. So “butter” sounds like “bu’uh” and “Scottish” sounds like “Sco’ish”. Perhaps iconically, “Don’t know” becomes “Don’ know”. Non-rhoticity or dropping the “r” sound from the ends of words, so “mother” sounds like “mothuh”, and “farther” and “father” sound the same, being “fathuh”, or “fire” becomes “fiuh” Trap-bath Split results in broad “a” so “bath” is “bahth”, and “cat” is “caht” or “tomahto”. Essentially “a” becomes “ah” in words. But “nation” remains the same. Drop the “h” from the beginning of words so “hopefully” becomes “‘opefully” and “house” becomes “‘ouse”. This also includes such things as “who” which would be “‘oo” The “y” sound of “ee” sounds more like “eh” so “happy” and “sorry” which sound like “happee” and “sorree” become “happ-eh” and “sorr-eh”. Th-Fronting is quite difficult and something that can only be done with practice. The “th” in words is replaced with a more forward consonant such as “d”, “f” or “v” so “something” becomes “somefing”, “this” becomes “dis” and “mother” becomes “muvuh”. A prime example of this would be "That guy over there" would become "Da' guy ovuh dare" The “l” in words is replaced with a “w” sound. So “milk” becomes “miwk” and “mail” becomes “maiw”. This can sometimes be difficult to actually pronounce. In the “ing” sound the “g” is dropped so “nothing” is “nofin’” Dialect: Use “ain’t”. Use doubles negatives such as “I didn’ see nofin'!” Use “me” instead of “my”. So “I’m going to walk me dog.” Similar to Blah it can be difficult to understand a Cockney accent with all the slang as well as the actual accent. While comprehension is important, sometime the effect you are trying to produce is obscurity. Instead of saying “we were” say “we was”. For instance, “When we was…” Examples: “‘ere is some pronuncia’ion. Rah'ion nevuh rhymes with na'ion, say prefuh, but prefe’ahbwe, comfor’ahbwe, ahnd vege’ahbwe.” “Ge’ the cah from the ‘ahbah yahd.” “In whah ovuh language do peopw reci’e ah' ah play ahnd ah' ah reci’aw We ship by truck bu’ send cahrgo by ship. We ‘ave noses da’ run ahnd fee' da’ smew. We pahk in ah driveway ahnd drive in ah pahkway.” Pretty solid Cockney accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGhHowLOrlg Another pretty solid Cockney accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvufHABS0Ng Northern Pretty self explanatory, the Northern, Midland English, or Yorkshire accent can be found all throughout the Game of Thrones, most notable by the… Northerners. Accent: The “uh” and “oh” sound in “cup”, “love”, and “stone” becomes “coop”, “loove” and “stoone”. This is a very rough phonetic spelling and not exact. Non-rhoticity or dropping the “r” from the ends of words, so “mother” sounds like “mothuh”, and “farther” and “father” sound the same, being “fathuh”, or “fire” becomes “fiuh”. Trap-bath Split results in broad “a” so “bath” is “bahth”, and “cat” is “caht” or “tomahto”. Essentially “a” becomes “ah” in words. But the hard “a” in “nation” remains the same. Drop the “h” from the beginning of words so “hopefully” becomes “‘opefully” and “house” becomes “‘ouse”. This also includes such things as “who” which would be “‘oo” The “y” sound of “ee” sounds more like “eh” so “happy” and “sorry” which sound like “happee” and “sorree” become “happ-eh” and “sorr-eh”. The hard “a” or “ay” sound such as in “taken” and “cape” is replaced with a “eh” sound so “tehken” and “cehpe”. In the “ing” sound the “g” is dropped so “nothing” is “noothin’” Dialect Use “me” instead of “my”. So “I’m going to walk me dog.” Examples: “‘ere is soome pronoonciehtion. Rahtion nevuh rhymes with nehtion, say prefuh, but preferahble, comfortahble, ahnd vegetahble.” “Get the cah from the ‘arboor yahrd.” “In what other language do people recite aht a plehy ahnd aht a recital? We ship by troock but send cahrgoo by ship. We ‘ave nooses thaht roon ahnd feet thaht smell. We pahrk in a drivewehy ahnd drive in a pahrkwehy.” Two northerners from Game of Thrones showing of their northern accents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ewcnjd-SlY An example of some annoying girl with a Yorkshire accents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhkZgNkmk0A Bristolian This is a rather rural or farmer accent that can be found in the Southwestern portion of Britain, or Bristol. This form of accent ha also been said to sound quite “pirate-y”. Samwise Gamgee has the quintassential Bristolian accent, granted, I wouldn’t really know what is and isn’t a good Bristolian accent since I am very much American. However, it does hold some similarities to Cockney. I actually find that on LotC, most dwarves achieve this sort of accent rather than the Scottish one I assume they are going for, thus, this will also serve as a dwarf accent guide. Accent: Drop the “h” from the beginning of words so “hopefully” becomes “‘opefully” and “house” becomes “‘ouse”. This also includes such things as “who” which would be “‘oo” The hard “i” sound sounds like “oi”. So “time”, “eye” and “ice” becomes “toime”, “oi” and “oice”. Unlike most other accents in this guide, the “r” sound is very much pronounced such as in Scotland and America. So “muthuh” is pronounced “motherrrrr”. Over exaggerated just to show the differences clearly. In the “ing” sound the “g” is dropped so “nothing” is “nothin’” Glottal Stops or dropping the “t” from words. So “butter” sounds like “bu’er” and “Scottish” sounds like “Sco’ish”. Dialect Use “ain’t”. Use doubles negatives such as “I didn’t see nofing!” Use “me” instead of “my”. So “I’m going to walk me dog.” Instead of saying “we were” say “we was”. For instance, “When we was…” Examples: “‘ere is some pronuncia’ion. Ra’ion never roimes with na’ion, say prefer, bu’ preferable, comfor’able, and vege’able.” “Ge’ the car from the ‘arbor yard.” “In wha’ other language do people recoi’e a’ a play and a’ a recoi’al? We ship by truck bu’ send cargo boi ship. We have noses tha’ run and fee’ tha’ smell. We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.” Samwise Gamgee speaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrOueZ3g2c Some guy with a Bristolian accent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENw5satQsA Elizabethan Grammar This is the sort of speech with all thee, thou, thine, ye, etc… etc... I will include a brief grammar lesson in these words as well as a few Elizabethan vocabulary words. Note that this is most likely not something you would see someone use casually and would probably be used ritualistically. 1st Person The next word begins with a consonant: My Ex. “My cattle” The next word begins with a vowel: Mine Ex. “Mine apple” 2nd Person Subjective: You/ You all = thou or ye Ex. “Thou art loved.” Objective: You/ You all = thee or ye Ex. “I love thee.” Adjective or the next word begins with a consonant: Your/s = thy Ex. “What is thy qualm?” Ex. “Thy cattle” Pronoun or the next word begins with a vowel: Your/s = thine Ex. “Is this book thine?” Ex. “Thine apple” Conjugating Verbs 2nd Person singular verbs add -est (Thou givest) 3rd Person singular verbs add -eth (She giveth) Sometimes these sentences can be switched around so “What dost thou thinkest” can be “What thinkest thou?” Vocabulary Do = “Dost" Are = “Art" Hello = “Good morrow”, “Good den” Good bye = “Anon”, “Fare thee well” Please = “Prithee” Hey! = “Hark!” Alas = “Alack” Soon = “Anon” Truthfully = “Forsooth” Please tell me = “Pray tell” Very = “Verily” Here = “Hither” Unless = “Lest” Nothing = “Naught” There = “Thither” Where, from where = “Whence” Please note that giving your character one of these accents can be quite a bit of trouble and most of it is implied. Once a person sees it in a certain way they will hopefully simply adopt that sort of accent in their head when they read it. Also, be aware that I am an American and cannot do any of these accents for the life of me in real life. If there are any “experts” out there that have additions or corrections please comment below.
  20. Where are you employed?

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Jonificus

      Jonificus

      If Insurance Norway

    3. John Ivory
    4. Seliyne

      Seliyne

      I would tell you, but I'd have to kill you.

  21. If applicable, what college/university are you attending?

  22. I think if Arcane Magic was JUST Arcanism, Transfiguration, Mental Magic and Telekinesis it would force everyone to be a lot more creative and would leave the elements to shamans and nature to the druids...

    1. Show previous comments  8 more
    2. FreeHongKong

      FreeHongKong

      I have a suit with a voice activated armor lock and no one can stop me from spamming my HALO memez. ((Except for the part where its to heavy to practically be worn outside the laboratory environment it was created for.))

    3. EdgyMagey

      EdgyMagey

      magic should be removed

    4. manicfairy
  23. How tall are you?

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. Angmarzku

      Angmarzku

      6'2-6'3, did not check in months.

    3. garentoft

      garentoft

      193 centimeters.

    4. Crowbill

      Crowbill

      198 cms, feet are for scrubs.

  24. 7th of Malin’s Welcome, 1568 The Wizards Guild would like to formally recognize its resurgence to activity with the first ever issue of the Wizard Quarterly Magazine which will be released semi-annually or whenever… Through this periodical we hope to acquaint the magical community of Vailor and future realms on the major supernatural occurrences, as well as the daily dealings of the Guild itself. Congratulations Retlin Orman! Retlin Orman, Senior Wrangler of the Wizards Guild and Lecturer at the WIZ University has recently received his Masters of Magianism in Conjuration. His diploma has been publicly released for the general populace to motivate other burgeoning young scholars into enrolling at the WIZ University in hopes of one day receiving this fine, not useless, piece of paper. On that note the WIZ University is presently located within the city of Felsen on 3 Gainford Road. The Guild’s new and expansive facilities hope to attract all number of bohemian intellectuals and reactionary academics alike. New Classes at the WIZ and Professor Jobs Available The Board of Administration has decided it best to begin focusing energy on the much neglected Wizard Institution of Zapping which that Guild has been funding since its establishment on the continent of Anthos. Thusly, the Guild would like to extend a request for Professors who are experts in the following fields to come forward teach at the esteemed WIZ University. Dr. Ibar Elsiol Voted Sexiest Elf Alive! It’s in! A based on an extremely thorough survey involving catatonic parrots and an aloof student, Ibar Elsiol has been found to be the sexiest elf alive! Our very own Provost! We went to interview the hunk of a mali but he was passed out in his study so we wrote something we thought he would say: “Don’t talk to me…” -Dr. Ibar Elsiol, Wiz.D. Riveting. An amateur drawing to the likeness of Dr. Ibar Elsiol New Classes at the WIZ and Professor Jobs Available The Board of Administration has decided it best to begin focusing energy on the much neglected Wizard Institution of Zapping which that Guild has been funding since its establishment on the continent of Anthos. Thusly, the Guild would like to extend a request for Professors who are experts in the following fields to come forward teach at the esteemed WIZ University. Eldritch Lacemaking Arcanism Elemental Evocations Implied Anthropics Arcane Metallurgy and Engineering Alchemy Theurgy and Theology Logic Dust, Miscellaneous Particles, and Filaments Send an inquiry to the Guild hall for further information. New Department The writers at Wizard Quarterly have the privilege of announcing an all new Department of the Wizards Guild. A quote from a member of the Board of Administration suggests the Departments has long been needed. How the Guild managed to survive for so long without such a necessary task force is astounding. The Department will be known as Department of Future Operations Classifications Under Study (F.O.C.U.S.). The job of this distinct Department is to make new acronyms. That concludes today’s Wizard Quarterly, not much to talk about. If you would like to write a story for the Wizard Quarterly place an ad within the next issue place an inquiry by the Guild Hall on 3 Gainford Road, Felsen. Have a good today and a better tomorrow!
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