Wretched

THE BALLOT ((MC name: Wretched)) Name: Ode Vote for Aiera Sullas: ( X ) For ( ) Against

Just a request for when you release the first creative writing side of this, could you keep this theme for it?

That’s a whole different argument, though. I’m addressing the idea of expanding what is defined as suicide, not whether death in general should lead to permakills. You could have a system where death is permanent and enforced, or a system where the player chooses when to permakill – any middle ground just won’t work at all in my opinion. Right, but who determines how many times you can die stupidly before it’s a PK? Who documents and keeps track of that? No matter how specific you make the criteria, it’s still not enforceable because it relies on either word of mouth or the word of the player in question. Sure, staff could go digging through logs and screenshots to find out, but at that point you’re investing a lot of time and effort into something that is still grey. Its a system that primes people to argue with each other, and that should be avoided.

I disagree. Again, too much of a grey area. The character may be naive, mad, dumb, psychotic, etc... And none of those are justifiable permakills. If you were to accuse a player of this, there are any number of in-character excuses they could use to circumvent it. It’s just not a realistically enforceable thing.

I think the current PK rules are fine. You’re dipping into too many grey areas – breaking the laws of a nation is not an attempted suicide, as that persona may well assume they will be successful/unnoticed, they’re not intentionally killing themselves. Likewise entering combat when the odds are stacked against you, is not an indicator that the person is committing suicide. In fact, very rarely would both sides be evenly matched. Don’t get me wrong, I see your point; it can suck when roleplay happens and it leads to the death of certain characters, and then that character appears again a little later as though nothing happened, but tbh this is an absolutely necessary evil. Players are here to have fun, and should never be forced to permakill their character unless it is their own choice – your fun does not outweigh theirs, no matter how little sense it may make to a particular session of RP.

IGN: Wretched Category: Creative Writing Reader discretion is strongly advised!

In-character homophobia as a by-product of cultural or religious laws seems acceptable to me. The issue arises when what should be a minor in-character ruling of a belief, instead becomes a major aspect of the roleplay (or its niche). A hard in-character push of that agenda should be both avoided and discouraged, because it then becomes an outlet for genuine homophobes to express their beliefs under a veil of ‘being in-character’. All in all, it’s just a matter that should be treated carefully and with respect to fellow LoTCers. Homophobia can cut very deep to some, and upset may still be justifiably caused despite no obvious OOC motivator.

**A small envelope is delivered back, the parchment within reading as follows:** Your invitation is graciously accepted. **Curiously, a token is also enclosed within the envelope; a small wooden coin with an engraving of an eye on both sides.**

**A scroll has been pinned to Haelun’or’s notice-board.** Fellow citizens of Haelun’or, Over my years of reading and interpreting fate, I have come across consistencies, and these constants are the omens I offer to you with this notice. Though much of my studying in the art of foresight has required little outward aid, with scribing assistance I now write to you to beg your attention to the omens that follow. With the kindness and resources of the Silver State, I have made great lengths in mapping the motions of fate, and delving into its many pockets of otherwise unlearnable knowledge. As my vision of the unseen expands, so does my sense of obligation to the Mali’thill; I aim to bring further benefit and advantage to the people of Haelun’or, and ask that should you encounter or experience one of the following omens, whether they occur in reality or within a dream, please come and find me. Lend me your eyes and watch for omens. With your help, you will further my efforts to study, and to understand. -- Ode, The Soothsayer The Green Glow of Dawn **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** The appearance of green lights in the sky as the sun begins rising on the horizon, is an omen of Great Change. This omen will usually occur before an event of political reformation, the altering of significant laws, or the resettlement of a people from one home to another. The Green Glow of Dawn is most frequently sighted across large bodies of water or over mountainous terrain, and may last several minutes or appear as a brief and instant flash. The Wilting of a Lone Flower **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** A wilting lone flower amongst others that still thrive, is an omen of Loss. This omen is personal to the individual that discovers the flower, foretelling that soon they will lose something, or someone, that they care for deeply. The wilting of a lone flower does not necessarily predict death, and is representative of loss in all its forms. While the omen may be located anywhere, it will typically be found in gardens where other greenery is lush, or nestled within plant-pots amongst other living flowers. The Snake in the Sapling Birch **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** A snake coiled around the sapling of a birch tree is an omen of Evil Intent. It is a foretelling that a nearby malevolent force is poised to strike the innocent. The snake in the sapling birch is an omen of the shadows; its presence indicates that the malevolent force is under the guise of an innocent. If the snake in the sapling birch is of totally white pigmentation, then the omen is of Great Evil Intent, and foretells of a malevolent force that will strike on a grander scale. The Bleeding of the Oak **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** An oak tree that seeps a blood-red sap is an omen of Broken Ties. It is a foretelling that a people, be they group or nation, will dirty their bond with another. Often will the bleeding of the oak occur before moments of grand betrayal or neglect, where something once considered an ally will soon become adversary. The scale of the ties broken may be determined from the quantity of blood-red sap that leaks from the oak tree; a trickle may represent a broken friendship, while a thick gushing will foretell of ties broken on a larger scale. The Triad of Doves **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** The presence of three white doves in close proximity is an omen of Prosperity. This omen is a personal one, foretelling that the individual to discover the triad will soon come across good fortune, often manifesting as an accumulation of wealth or the achieving of a higher social status. If any of the three doves are dead when discovered, it is instead an omen of Misfortune, where wealth or social status are lost rather than gained. If all three of the doves are discovered dead, it is an omen of Great Misfortune, where the individual will experience a fall from which they will never fully recover. The Soaring Star **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** A star flying at speed overhead in the night’s sky is an omen of Birth. The star foretells of fertility, and its presence is an indication of a successful pregnancy to come. As well, the soaring star may foretell the abandoning of an old life and beginning of a new one. The Soaring Star is an always fleeting omen, appearing for approximately one second before vanishing again into the blanket of night. The Blood Moon **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** When the surface of the moon glows a crimson red, it is an omen of Undoing. The Blood Moon foretells of destruction in its most hateful form. The omen will usually occur before acts of unjust war, the attempted purging of a people, or a hostile invasion from a divine entity. The Blood Moon is a very rare omen, and its occurrence indicates significant changes to the entire world rather than a select group of people. If experienced in a dream, the Blood Moon may indicate a more personal undoing. The Spoiling of the Sea **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** When the corpses of fish, rotting or skeletal, rise en masse to the surface of nearby waters, it is an omen of Sickness. It foretells of a coming wave of illness and tribulation, with the severity of the event determined by the number of fish present. This omen may predict a more personal sickness of the mind if only one carcass is discovered or if experienced in a dream, but if there are more than one then the omen foretells many will be affected. The One-Eyed Wolf **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** A wolf bearing only one eye is an omen of Choice. The wolf is a personal omen, foretelling that the individual that encounters it will soon have to make an important decision. To the best of knowledge, the one-eyed wolf will only occur in dreams. The Lone Crack of Thunder **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** A single pronounced strike of lightning and accompanying crack of thunder that is followed by no others, is an omen of Sinister Creation. The lightning foretells of the birth, creation or formation of a dark and predatory entity, somewhere out across the world. This omen should be considered an early warning, and the closer the lightning strikes to you, the nearer the thing that has been born. The Blotting of the Sun **A depiction of the omen is sketched below** The blotting of the Sun is the omen of Endings. When the moon passes before the Sun, and in an instant turns day to night, it foretells that soon a great ending will occur. This may range from the collapse or eradication of a nation, to the end of the world as we know it. Though a dark sun may not necessarily predict the end of the world, if an apocalyptic event of an irreversible nature were to soon occur, then it is this omen all the world will look up to behold. The blotting of the Sun is the rarest omen, but its presence represents the very greatest of coming dangers.

Quiet was the Soothsayer, isolated again within the dim confines of his darkened tent. A peaceful solemnity entrapped him, binding him in place where he sat as shakily he turned his palms to the sky, the matching tattoos of an eye upon each vacantly staring upward. Carefully and deliberately, his polished visor raised to peer in the same direction, quivering lips becoming agape as he allowed an ethereal trance to overcome him. What little torchlight that glanced across his features wavered as a sourceless wind encircled him, rattling the torn drapes of his abode and slowly causing him to stand. But still, he rose further, his feet lazily dragging upward through the air as he levitated above the ground. The Soothsayer drew in a sharp inhale as a barrage of prismatic colour invaded his sight, followed by a kaleidoscopic vision of unseen, unknowable things. The Soothsayer was blasted through a tunnel of shifting symbols and blindingly vibrant light, briefly glancing a thousand landscapes of alien worlds in a matter of moments, witnessing the formation of mountains and the flooding of great seas, peering into abstract forces beyond verbal comprehension and becoming totally overwhelmed by them. Blindness seemed to threaten him again as he found his mind muddled by cosmic uncertainty, having now seen what could not be known, what should not be known. With a prominent clap, the bestowment ceased, and a single flash of the most divinely pure white light violently thrust the Soothsayer back to his body, which slumped down hard onto the floor of his tent as his levitation abruptly subsided. He knelt on his hands and knees, pained gasping escaping his weathered lungs. He dug his wiry digits into the floor, allowing himself time for ringing in his ears to dissipate before slowly, he struggled back to his feet. Now, knowing what sight really meant, the Soothsayer’s narrow lips curled at their edges into a wicked smile.

Very nice lore; I do think voidal magic is a bit stale and could use an endgame for characters that focus on it, but I have a few qualms about some of the mechanics. It’s not so much a voidal endgame as it is a transfigurationist endgame. It’s exclusive to transfigurationists, but its abilities seem to dabble in transfiguration, translocation, illusion and telekinesis. I think the quite heavy use of telekinesis would probably require its own lore, as it is borrowing from a shelved magic. Had this been purely aesthetic like Seer’s invisible hands I don’t think this’d be an issue, but it is combat focused. Seizing a projectile in mid-air is a really cool idea, but that may not work the way you intend it to; you would either need to have a very fast reaction time, or know specifically that a projectile is about to be sent your way. I appreciate that these Praetors are powerful – they are an endgame, but this may be dancing a fine line between appropriate power and powergaming. I would expand/reword your description of ‘brisk step’ – I’m not sure hopping into the Void itself is feasible, it would mean piercing the Veil to get there, and then again to get back in a matter of seconds, this is something even Aengudaemon’s don’t do. I would search for a more viable reason and also heavily red-line it; teleporting around even locally is a very exploitable thing in the wrong hands. I also think alter-appearance needs some more redlines. Make it clear you can’t disguise as an already existing Descendant on a whim. And then just generally, this is a particularly easy way to avoid consequences of your actions – with some traits still remaining visible like aura and eyes despite the disguise, I can see metagaming arguments arising where people argue they would recognise you anyway even with the changes. I would personally avoid this spell entirely as I think transforming between normal descendant and Praetor form is enough forms to take. Not sure I like the ‘3 lives’ mechanic. It relies on a lot of player-honestly, and it introduces an OOC motivation to win if you are on your last life, in turn potentially leading to powergaming. And just being super nitpicky but I’d make all the redlines red and everything else not red, just so they’re easier to find and reference when in the middle of RP. I really like the use of rituals, I think that’s a mechanic you could get a lot of use/fun rp from, but communing with things in the Void to gain knowledge of future events is dabbling a little too much into Prophecy magic, and prophecies are a deity focused thing rather than a Voidal magic. Just in general, I think it could be fine-tuned to transfiguration as it takes from fragments of a variety of already existing lores. Alternatively, you could allow for Praetor’s to have a unique set of skills depending on the already known/mastered magics rather than letting all Praetors cast all spells. Overall, really good work. Voidal magics could definitely do with some more RP substance. +1 EDIT: so brisk step going through the void is translocation so isn’t a problem with this lore I was mistaken, but I’m still not sure it could be learned without knowing translocation first.

For everyone reading; ‘Remnant’ in the title here was Johann’s idea first. I looked over this lore a little while back and must have glossed over it. Wasn’t intentional, but I’m the thief, not him. If it’s needed, I will change the title of my lore to something else. As for the lore, I think I created a flawed lore with the Tomes of Power. The intention was good but the execution was not. I think if they were to ever get used in RP again, this is the overhaul they need. I’d love to see you propose some more +1

Exactly, I did think that would be more limiting to you, so that clause of OOC involvement really doesn’t matter because it instantly loops back around to just wanting to be able to dye fur white. This is all totally pointless. Nobody is going to agree with each other. I know the ST reads the feedback too, so it’ll be their decision when it gets reviewed.

If the issue is purely that it’s coming from an OOC place, a redline can be written that states something along he lines of a Kha’s fur cannot be bleached/dyed because it will fall out, or something similar.