Aelu / Rel (Combustionary)

beautiful

accepted

Accepted. ((Your discord name didnt work, so PM me at Combustionary#0520

As long as that's the case I'm 100% in support

I will say that I do think existing Teachers should at least have the opportunity to become a Drowned. We had to make do when you left, and idk what your end goal with the magic is, but we did work to make things fit in your absence and I don't think that all should just be undone now that you're back. The lore itself is nice, and I like the idea as a whole, past my main concern.

Accepted.

Accepted

Accepted

accepted

Both Accepted

Accepted! ((I'm about to head to work, so I'll reach out to you tonight at 11:30ish PM EST))

hydra dominatus

Accepted

Accepted!

Both accepted.

Accepted. ((I'll be around after work tonight.))

Accepted. ((Contact me on Discord at Combustionary#0520 - Or PM me here. I'll be around tonight after work.))

Accepted Pending until adequate proof of innocence can be provided for accusations made by the Teutonic Order of Axios.

The Order Absolute Founded in 1643 The purpose of the Order Absolute is to protect and advance knowledge of the Void through adherence to the Tenants of the Truth Absolute. The order is based in the Principality of Norseth’onn, though is not bound to political happenstance of the greater realm. The Tenets of Truth Absolute I. The Truth Absolute is the nature of the Void, and the nature of the Void is Truth Absolute. Pursuit of this is paramount. To study the Void is to study reality itself. Every step must be taken to further understand the mechanics of our realm, and all other realm. As such, the Order Absolute’s first and foremost mission is to facilitate this pursuit. The Order is to remain free of worldly politics and conflicts, with the exception of those that directly threaten the residence of the Order, or her places of research. II. The ever-flowing cycle of Mana must be forever protected from corruption. Those who would taint the Manapool are foe. To taint the Manapool is to twist the world’s mana from its pure state - to defile such mana, in the creation of ‘taint’ or any similar form of derived power. Those who would defile the Manapool are to be eliminated wherever found. III. The Hollows are to be preserved wherever found. A Hollow is perhaps the most precious resource in discerning the Truth Absolute. Any who would seek to damage these resources are to be eliminated wherever found. IV. Relics and Artifacts related to the Truth Absolute are to be recovered wherever found. The discovery of any ancient magicks, or the histories surrounding them, are to be considered paramount to the pursuit of the Truth Absolute. Any relic of Voidal significance is to be recovered and studied. "Thus do we invoke the Thaumissiah. Thus do we make whole that which was sundered." - The Rite of Reclamation Hierarchy of the Order Absolute The Order Absolute follows a Hierarchy of ranks based on specific tasks and their delegation. In addition to these ranks, honorific rewards and special privileges will be awarded as deemed worthy. The Scholarhood The Scholarhood encompasses the Officer ranks of the Order Absolute. Each rank is assigned a certain delegation over the Order as a whole. The Magus-General The leader of the Order Absolute. Presides over all matters of the Order. Ac’Aelu Tinuvial (Combustionary) Sil’ibar Presides over the Training and Maintenance of the Order. Ensures that rosters are kept, and the soldiers prepared for combat. Authority is second only to the Magus-General in matters of battle and expeditions. Lord Magus Presides over the Order’s Research and Coffers. Ensures that all knowledge is documented, and all relics and artifacts are kept secure. Is also responsible for ensuring the Order has sufficient resources. Magus A proven member of the order tasked with the more esoteric duties associated with its goals. Typically, a Magus will be in charge of a specific research project, and will be given limited command over the blades to pursue their goals. Laurirsil’vallel An honored Sil’vallel. Typically, this rank is assigned alongside a specific task - such as the hunt of a monster or the protection of a specific site. A laurirsil’vallel is given increased authority in matters related to their charge. The Void’s Wardens The rank and file of the Order, these members are denoted based on the colors of their manablades - with a mundane, iron blade representing a recruit, and the green and blue blades representing initiated members. Sil’vallel A distinguished member of the Order and denoted by blue-tinged manablades, Sil’vallel function as the order’s lower command. They are responsible for holding training, leading small expeditions, and generally keeping order amongs the Sil’taynei and Sil’ikurn. Sil’taynei A proven, but otherwise undistinguished member of the Order Absolute. Those of this rank are afforded all the benefits of the Order as fully initiated members, including their own manablade. Sil’ikurn Newcomers to the Order. Given a blade of steel rather than the traditional manablade of fully initiated members. Sil’ikurn will be promoted to Sil’taynei after nominal service to the order - typically after completing a few trainings to a satisfactory degree. Registration Those interested in joining the Order are to send the following information to Norseth’onn. --- MC Name: Discord: Timezone and Usual Availability: Name: Race: Age: Nation of Residence and Willingness to Relocate: Do you currently know any Magicks?: Are you willing to devote yourself to the Tenants of Truth Absolute?: Membership of the Order will require regular participation in the Order’s Activities. Are you willing to devote the required time to the Order?:

It would affect mages, but the amounts of mana that a normal mage works with wouldn't come close to even stage one. It would only affect things around Nodes, tears, hollows etc. Anything of that magnitude.

The Diamond Pox - Studies on Thaumic Petrification Lore by Combustionary OOC Note [ This lore is to primarily serve as a tool for events, and as flavor available to those whose characters are regularly in contact with large quantities of mana. In its current form, it is not something that can be easily manipulated by a character, and is simply a description of a natural occurrence in the realm of Voidal Mechanics. For example, mages working with Voidal Tears might opt to RP the formation of these crystalline growths, or areas with high mana concentrations can be populated with crystalline trees and petrified corpses. It is, for now, merely a worldbuilding tool. ] Since the exploration of the first Hollow, the strange crystallization found in sights of Voidal upheaval has been noted. The exact nature of the creation of these crystalline landscapes largely eludes reason, but the emergence of sources of a more controlled flow of mana has led to cases of this process, known as ‘Thaumic Petrification’, to occur over a much more easily studied period of time. Known colloquially as “The Diamond Pox”, for its most immediate effect, the stages and consequences of convalesced mana has at last been thoroughly documented. On The Nature of Thaumic Petrification Any flow of a large amount of mana, be it from the explosion of a Void Node, or the gradual seepage of a Tear, will ultimately convalesce into its surroundings. Typically, less mana is absorbed into denser materials such as stone and metals; and more into into supple organic materials such as flesh and wood. As seen in the hollows formed from explosive Nodes, highly concentrated mana tends to form into crystalline structures. While most dramatic in the ruins left from these mentioned hollows, suitable materials left near a voidal tear or other mana source will eventually begin to host such growth. Thaumic Petrification is the process of an organic material becoming host to such growths, and eventually being overtaken by them. On The “Stages” of Thaumic Petrification Thaumic Petrification is much more of a scale than a series of steps. All changes are gradual, and simply describe the effects as the victim further succumbs to the effects of excess mana. Furthermore, all stages are reversible. Should the victim be removed from the source of mana for an adequate period of time, the growths will gradually fade - leaving only the scars and wounds they may have created. Stage One - Skin Irritants The earliest form of Thaumic Petrification occurs only hours after contact with a suitable source of mana. This stage is neither harmful nor unsightly. At this stage, miniscule crystal fragments form within the outermost layer of the victim’s skin. Usually, this is not even felt by the subject, and even then, only as mild pain or itches. The growths are not yet visible at this stage. Stage Two - Minor Growths The second stage of Thaumic Petrification, and the one for which it is called “The Diamond Pox”. At this point, the tiny shards have grown into pea-sized crystals, found within the outer layers of the skin. It is highly reminiscent of a pox, except the growths are both crystalline, and faintly glowing. These objects are, by this point, highly painful to the victim. By this point, this pain combined with the obviously-voidal appearance of the growths leads to the majority of victims removing themselves from the vicinity of any obvious source. By this point, most victims who leave the area and let the mana disperse will be left with scars from the outermost growths. Stage Three - Major Growths Should the victim, by choice or not, persevere through the pain of stage two petrification and linger still, the growths will continue to both grow in size, and appear deeper within their tissue. The defining aspect of this stage is that, by this point, the growths have appeared within the victim’s muscular system. While the exact effects vary with the location of these initial muscular growths, they are typically lessened function within the affected muscles. This is the first stage where the affliction can regularly prove fatal, usually due to growths appearing near the arteries in the neck. Permanent effects for a survivor vary, based on the exact locations of these growths. Usually, it is simply damage to the affected muscles - a victim who experienced numerous growths in his legs may forever have trouble running, for example. Stage Four - Lethal Growths Stage four is simply defined - It is the point at which these growths have interrupted vital life functions, and given the victim a lethal injury. Typically, this is the result of the growths piercing an organ, or obstructing blood flow. Stage Five - Petrification Thaumic Petrification, as a whole, fully begins to occur after the victim’s death. Should the corpse remain within the vicinity of the mana source, the dead tissue will continue to grow the crystals as the flesh decomposes around it. Depending on the nature of the mana source, there are two primary classifications of Thaumic Petrification - Petrification and Ossification. These are based on the general mana output of the source. They are in no ways exact classifications, and are more of a scale - with victims appearing more petrified as a result of more powerful sources of mana. Petrification The result of Thaumic Petrification through a fast-acting mana source, typically the explosion of a Void Node (where all five stages are almost instantaneous). A petrified victim tends to, ultimately, resemble a smattering of crystals vaguely in the shape of a man (or whatever creature was petrified). Little to no identifying features can be found, and in extreme cases, it becomes difficult to discern even whether it was a living thing in the first place. Ossification The opposite of Petrification, Ossification is the end result of a victim to a slower source of mana. As such may imply, this takes a much longer amount of time, but as a result, the crystallized remains will grow more closely to the shape of the victim. Ossification can create nearly life-like replicas of the victim, and in many cases, faces, expressions, and any other features are nearly perfectly preserved.

Vectra, The Scaled Forest In the southern tip of a faraway continent named Aarlan, nestled between great ridges of mountains, lay the forests of Vectra. These forests, at the time gentle and welcoming, were considered a cradle of life, home to a number of prosperous Mali’ame seeds and revered druidic sects. The idyllic home of the Aarlan Wood Elves would not last, though - such things never do. It was no special occasion when a neighboring human kingdom sought to cross the mountains and expand into these woods, adding land to their holding. The war would change the continent forever, and turn this serene forest into something much less hospitable. I - A History The First Forest Unrecorded - 1129 From as early as even the oldest living residents remember, Vectra has always been a bastion to the Wood Elves. No stories or histories document a time when any other race dominated its trees. This large period of time, referred to as ‘The First Forest’ or ‘The Forest Before’ specifies the centuries where Vectra’s denizens lived in relative peace - the mountains surrounding the woods kept out all but the most determined bandits, and the simple lives of the Mali’ame left internal disputes to a minimum. Life was quiet in these times, and life’s focus was placed on the arts and spiritualism, for most. While most men were hunters of some sort, true combat training was rare. Only among a subset of druids named as “The Huntsman’s Chosen” was fighting skill truly sought, and it was these druids who served as the closest thing to a standing military within Vectra. Highly skilled, they would be dispatched to protect the realm from the minor threats it faced - rabid beasts, bandits, or even the rare criminal. In the First Forest, some degree of druidism was followed by nearly every resident. For a many families, a child’s early years would be spent in dedicancy with his attunement taking place on the day of his coming of age. By the year 1100, approximately two-thirds of Vectra’s wood elven denizens were attuned druids. The Mother’s Reckoning 1129 - 1134 In the early days of 1129, seeds closest to the Northwestern mountains began reporting sightings of more and more small bands of humans, all bearing the same colors. At first, they did little more than keep to the mountains - and the ‘ame were happy to let them, having no need of them. Forts and roads were made, and in subtle response, a small recruitment drive was initiated for The Huntsman’s Chosen. By the time human emissaries arrived to the first settlements of the outer seeds, demanding they disperse, the band of hunters had amassed into a small army. With the demands of the emissaries, the fears of many had been made real - the armies of the humans were coming, and so began the war that would be later called ‘The Mother’s Reckoning’. The Wood Elves met initial success in the war, with the Chosen harrying the incoming troops as they passed through the mountains. This guerilla war was initially quite effective, with minimal casualties to the Chosen. The few humans who made it past the mountains were stranded in a hostile land, their supply trains broken, and reinforcements uncertain. Unfortunately for the ‘Ame, though, the Chosen were few in number. Even after the recruitment drive, every loss had impact. Where the scores they slain were simply replaced, every fallen hunter was a hard blow to the defense. As the months turned into years, the Chosen grew fewer and fewer, and the quarry grew smarter. Desperate for numbers, any elf willing was soon given a sword - and where they were once elite marksmen, the Chosen soon came to more closely resemble a militia. With the defense weakened, the human armies soon made it over the mountains. It cannot be said that the defenders did not fight with valor, but with the mountains crossed, little could be done as the invaders made their way to the coast. By 1134, all but the heart of Vectra, its most sacred grove, had been taken. Most of the remaining Mali’ame sought refuge in its outskirts or in the treetops, hiding in rough canopy villages. It was in this grove that the event known as the Mother’s Reckoning would take place. Little is known about it, today. The most faithful say it was a deliverence by the Aspects themselves. Scholarly folk theorize that the druids had somehow harnessed a void node’s power. Others still think darker forces were involved - nonetheless, the shrouded ritual changed Vectra forever. It came quickly, forewarned only by select messengers mere hours before starting. Telling the wood elves to flee into the trees while the most powerful of the druids met deep within the grove. Of the events that occured within, only two things are known - that Vectra’s animal and plant life experienced extreme growth, and that all druids involved were never seen again. Villages were sundered as massive trees sprung from nothing, and the survivors could only hang onto their branches in terror as the forest underwent a thousand years’ growth in moments. The aready impressive treeline became impossibly tall, and the creatures within grew with it. When the movement finally stopped, the forest was an entirely different place. The Scaled Forest 1135 - Present The first days after the Reckoning were deadly for all those within the forest. Where once the most dangerous creature to roam it was typically the stray snake, giant reptillian monsters now traversed its floor. The humans who survived the initial event were forced to return home, the once ripe lands now effectively uninhabitable. Over the coming years, the ‘Ame adapted. The remaining druids formed settlements out of the now-massive treetops, and those seeds with substantial influence ruled them. In a sense, the Wood Elves were forced to centralize. Only so many druids lived, after all, and only the most powerful leaders could guide their hand. Starting with the great city of Cannavin, and expanding out, the strongest seeds came to house the weakest. For a hundred years, life became more and more normal. With the aid of the druids, food was plentiful. Many elves were born and never saw the ground until decades into life. The Chosen once again grew, this time much larger and dedicated to protecting the city-bearing trees. When the forest finally settled, the humans returned. Many of the details are lost to time, but what is known is that a civil war erupted in the very same kingdom that sought to take Vectra. Confined to their own lands, internal strife began to set in as soon as the soldiers returned home, and soon after, war broke out. Of those defeated, many were executed. The rest, banished to the lands that had plagued this kingdom - Vectra. The arrival of these refugees was met with apprehension at best, and hostility at worst. Veterans of the war sought them dead for their part in the Reckoning. Others wished for kindness and hospitality. Eventually, an unspoken truce formed. So long as the humans kept from the trees, the Elves would let them live, and die, in peace. For most, this was adequate, but as with any such situation, tensions soon rose. Groups on both sides contribute to this - some of the more warlike seeds hunted humans as eagerly as they hunted monsters. Of the humans, the most desperate of them would sometimes try and capture even a tiny treetop settlement, to escape the massive, roaming beasts. Such is the case even today - the exiles suffering in the dirt as the elves look on from above. II - The People of Vectra The Forest’s Floor At the forest’s floor reside the dangers that give the region its name - massive reptilian monsters. Some walk on four legs, some on two. Some are peaceful grazers, others terrifying hunters. These creatures, dubbed ‘scalebacks’ locally, make conventional life on the forest floor impossible. Only on a few small permanent islands, just off the coast, can normal life occur. None would live here by choice, only by force. Such is the case of the humans residing here. The descendants of exiles, families who sided the wrong side of some faraway civil war, they have long since abandoned the feudal ways in the forest floor. The changing seasons sees the rising and lowering of the levels of the various rivers, and in the widest of them, some islands will appear and disappear from the waters. These temporary islands offer some of the only safety from the scalebacks, and most human residents move between these islands as the seasons change, living in camps. The Wandering Clans When the exiled families first came to Vectra, unity soon gave way to pragmatism. Those with the strongest followings made way to the islands, and held them. The rest were trapped on the mainlands, forced to compete with the scalebacks for survival. Unable to return to their old lifestyles, these humans were forced into a life on the move. Any sort of permanent housing was impossible on the mainland, as the only places safe from the creatures were small, temporary islands along the rivers that were submerged at various points around the years. Instead, the wandering clans keep to tents, and stay on these islands. For as much as months, or as little as mere days, these islands provide a refuge from the scalebacks. Today, the clans operate much the same. They plant crops along the riverbeds, and harvest them next time they return to the area. They hunt the giant fowl of the forests, and for the fastest, survival isn’t the worry it was for the first. Many seek to escape, though. The most skilled of the men often take up hunting - the hide of just one scaleback could get them enough money to take a ship away from Vectra. The humans of the clans are a fairly primitive people. While much of the technology of their old home remains in their possession, rarely does an opportunity to put it to use arise. As such, society has for the most part regressed to tribalism. Religion among the clans is notably absent, between the misfortune experienced by their ancestors and the wrath of the druids inflicted on them, few of the human residents are particularly religious. If anything, many of them have grown a healthy disdain of Druids and Elves. Most of the humans take the roles of hunting and gathering, sustaining their tribes during the periodic movements through the forests. Most work revolves around this - leatherworking, trapping, and fletching are highly valued here. The Canopy In the forest’s canopy, life takes a much easier turn. Far above the scaleback’s reach, great wood elven cities are built into the treetops. Wood Elven life here is a stark contrast from the humans below - food is plenty, and danger is rare. They live off of fruits and the giant fowl found in the trees, and only rarely visit the forest’s floor. The Cities and Seeds It comes as no surprise that the Wood Elves of Vectra tend to be quite reverent of the Aspects. Many consider the forest itself to be particularly blessed, and the druidic practises are prevalent within the raised cities. The canopy cities are plenty, and they are prosperous. Most of the larger seeds have some form of holding, be they small treetop villas or even control of one of the great cities. The Mali’ame of Vectra live easy lives. They suffer no real enemies, as the Scalebacks below keep any formidable force from nearing them. With their protected treetop cities, the menace that makes Vectra so inhospitable for the other races makes it ideal for the ‘Ame. Only the scattered humans below prove troublesome, with particularly desperate bands attempting to seize smaller canopies, from time to time. Few ever seek to truly permanently the forest, but many of the young are encouraged to spend their early adult years in adventure and exploration. To experience the rest of the world, away from the relaxed and soft life in the forest. Some take druidic pilgrimages, seeking out the world’s natural wonders. Others seek fortune hunting and fighting to build wealth for their return. The Haven Islands Once largely barren, a handful of small islands off the forest’s coast provided safe haven to some of the exiled humans. Only here is life somewhat ‘normal’, as the most enterprising of the exiles quickly asserted control over the islands. As small as they are, only some of those exiles were able to reside here. Those that did quickly resorted to force to protect their new homes - everybody wanted a place free from the scalebacks. The largest of these islands, Strast, makes up the region’s only port. It has few exports, but one, the scales of the scalebacks, has made its rulers quite wealthy. The Islanders When the human exiles first arrived in Vectra, the most influential quickly took hold of the limited resource that was security. With space only enough to sustain a few, they claimed the small islands off the coast, and over time we able to build a life not terribly unlike the normalcy of home. Of course, these islands posed their own challenges. While fish and fruits provided some food, inland expeditions are regularly needed to provide the rest. In the early years, small farms were made inland, as close to the shore as the grain would grow. Every harvest, men and armed escorts would make way into the fields, grabbing what crop they could and bolting back to their ships, eagerly awaited the next safe moment. In more recent times, trade and prosperity have begun to come to these islands. With some careful planning, the scalebacks of Vectra prove to be quite profitable neighbors. Be it through hunting or trade with those living within, those on the Islands eventually came to be widely regarded for the sale of the iron-like hides of the beasts. Where they were once scared men, clinging to rocks, the Islanders today are proud, wealthy people - much to the disdain of those abandoned to the forests. III - Vectran Fauna and Flora Vectra, ever since the Mother’s Reckoning, has been home to numerous forms of life seen nowhere else in all the world. When this druidic calamity occurred, the growth of many things accelerated to such a degree that many of the results no longer even resembled what they had once been. The Scalebacks Truly the terror of Vectra, the Scalebacks are a general name for the variants of reptiles that were brought about by the Reckoning. While they are a wide group, almost all of them are vicious, deadly creatures. Most numerous of them are the Despots, the Thieves, and the Wanderers - though other, smaller species exist. The Despot So named for its new place as the ‘king’ of this forest, The Despot is perhaps the most threatening breed of Scalebacks. Walking on two legs, the Despot is one of the tallest of the beasts. While its front arms are fairly short, it’s large mouth is host to nearly a hundred wicked sharp teeth, and its jaws have been seen to snap trees. A popular superstition among the Clans is that the Despot cannot see stationary targets. Unfortunately for the many who have tried to evade them in this way, this is false. Few things can be done to escape an angered scaleback of this size but to run and hope that it chases somebody else. To make matters worse, the Despot has the thickest scales of all its kin. Nearly impossible to harm with conventional weaponry, these scales make this beast as dangerous to fight as it is lucrative. To those aspiring hunters of the world, the thought of killing a Despot is a tantalizing ambition. The Thieves The thieves are, structurally, not dissimilar from the Despot. The main difference is in size - where a Despot towers over all those around it, the Thief is roughly eye-level with the humans who must live around them. What it lacks in size, though, it makes up for with speed. Typically found in packs, the Thieves are named for a horrifying means by which they hunt. Rather intelligent creatures, in the wild they tend to resort to dragging off young prey while the adults are away - they steal eggs, they butcher pups, and they drag off even children. It is not unheard of for the young, both elven and human, to be lost to them if they wander too far. The Wanderers Not all of the scalebacks are rampaging monsters, in fact, many of them are fairly docile. The Wanderers are the most numerous of this sort, and they are quite content to keep to themselves. They are fairly large, roughly the size of a large cow, and primarily graze on the grasses and low-growing plants of Vectra. Some clans have attempted to use them as livestock, or beasts of burden, but soon discovered the difficulty of simply directing these creatures - they are quite difficult to force to do anything. The only threat of the Wanderers comes in passive scenarios - they are known to eat growing crops, or trample the outskirts of camps. The Flora of Vectra When the Reckoning occured, the trees were not the only plants to experience extreme growth and change. Most changes were fairly mundane - In the forest, things grow bigger, and faster. Watermelons the size of men are commonplace, and apple trees bear fruits the size of an elf’s head. However, some fairly dangerous flora emerged. The Beastvine Some say that these creatures were the result of plant and animal somehow merging during the Reckoning. While these claims have nothing to support them, the appearance of these floral beings certainly lends itself to the theory. The Beastvines are usually found in the canopy of the forest, growing from the massive treebranches. They consist of a long vine ‘neck’ supporting a head-like bud, complete with thorn ‘teeth’. The exact means by which they function is unknown, but they react with extreme aggression towards anything within their reach, and the largest of them have been known to swallow elves whole. Only the strongest of druids are capable of calming them, and then only temporarily. The Seductress Another green killer, the Seductress is known for its bait-and-trap method of feeding itself. Creatures of all sort are vulnerable to its intoxicating fragrance. Beast and man both experience an extreme compulsion when struck by its scent - a compulsion to find its source. It is here that the Seductress grows, it’s ‘mouth’ covered by large, luscious leaves. When the victim is close enough, its vines snap out, attempting to pull the target into its waiting maw. While not impossible to break free from, the lovely scent of the Seductress has been the end to many a Vectran. ~~~~ Lore by Combustionary

Jburg is an example of a scenario where a hollow can form - not the only way. They can be found out in 'the wilderness' at sites where Void Nodes have exploded, for instance. I believe additional structure to the Hollows will rekindle interest in related events. Even if not, it still elaborates on an under-explained subject. Anyhow - I've altered the Void Gem effects after some discussion.

The implosion hollows will operate most closely to what you've said. They're the ones where things start to get transmuted into other structures. However, as far as both voidal lore and event implementation goes, I think it's simpler for them to create random structures that are simply based on what's already present - Buildings in a city, etc. They've been underutilized for a while now, the last one I can remember seeing was in Anthos. Right now, the best location for one to go would likely be Johannesburg. They're not particularly common, but a map only needs one to provide events.