Smaw

Good job.

I mean, they’re literally called Dark Elves. If you ban the word and people come up with another one, would it not have the same inference? It’s easier to moderate excessive use of a phrase than to ban it altogether where it may be applicable in certain RP circumstances.

+1 if you add Void Rats and Spirit Frogs.

You should end this map with some kind of plague.

Don't reveal the secret. 🙊

Preface: Sien'ii and The First Souls "those that toil with souls of men, how you feast on the fruits of our labour, the tools of harvest, we have found again now the "gods" will pray for our favour" Indeed, the Mortal Soul was not always imperfect; at least not in its essence. It was the Creator himself that found an unforgivable darkness in its first iteration, forcing a dim light to sunder the perfection. This debasement formed the feeble souls and their subsequent mana observed today; a fraction of the true mortal potential. It is this bastardisation of the soul that causes the deaths of our bodies; they were not made for one another, not complete in their symbiosis. Yes, it was when the perfect light of the immortal AenguDaemonic soul was cast that nature's duality reared its head and bore the first shadow, the first of mortal souls. Sien'ii, they call it, the realm forged from the Creator’s very hands. A prison, littered with the coffers of these souls, entities of the first mana deemed erroneously as failures. Those souls remain in Sien'ii, trapped away inside towering monoliths, prisons of vantablack in the darkness. Of course, they could not be destroyed, instead condemned to exist without the bodies they were made for, or the land they were to inhabit. Yet the marriage of time and power leads inevitably to progress, and the First Souls have found a means through which to escape. Once in every blue moon, a stygian bolt strikes our earth, a temporary hand reaching from the otherworld. In its wake it forges within the land a material capable of containing a fraction of the original mana, for a time... You know of it. It is the stone that Mortals have happened upon over the ages, referred to with caution as Zalitz. We have finally discovered the true nature of this material, and with it, the true nature of our souls. Zalitz, Stones of the First Souls Xionists have recently discovered the deeper nature of the Zalitz stone, harnessing its raw energy in a bid to rediscover the progenitors of mortal kind and reclaim the power that had been stolen from them. These Xionists have adopted the name of the realm where they source their power, subsequently referred to as The Sien’ii. Properties of Zalitz Zalitz is a dark rock that on the surface appears to be quite ordinary, yet casts a shadow on all sides. It can never be larger than the size of one block, and cannot be combined with other stone, even of its kind, quite naturally; excluding the Heart Stone detailed later on. It is formed when a black lightning strikes the earth, an attempt by the First Souls to anchor themselves to the mortal realm. They are unsuccessful without fail. However, they do leave behind material that holds some of their energy. This process cannot be used to open a gateway to Sien’ii, and the First Souls cannot fully materialise in the mortal realm or float around as formless souls. When Zalitz is first found, it functions much like a battery, in that it stores the energies of the First Souls (dark mana) for a period of time. This length of time depends entirely on the amount of mana available to it through direct contact. Zalitz has the ability to passively consume mana in order to lengthen its lifespan. When it does not have any mana to consume, it will last for two hours before crumbling. It can serve as a conduit for the dark mana, which will be detailed below in the ritual section. It is for this reason that most Sien’ii attempt to store Zalitz within their bodies, where it will slowly consume the light of their soul in order to morph them into the mortals they were originally made to be. This is achieved through two states, both with different stones that aid the transformation process. Zalitz is for all intents and purposes stone and so offers all of the same weaknesses and susceptibilities. Additionally, the properties of the stone may be weakened by holy magic. The Core The first of the two stones, the core stone is essential for a Sien’ii to use any of the powers available to them. It can be of any shape and any size within the redlines, though is usually cut into a small stone so as to not impede the Sien’ii. The core houses a fraction of a First Soul, which will slowly take over the Sien’ii until body and soul become one perfect machine. Subsequent to grandfathering, this process will be detailed in the symbols/rituals section. The Sien’ii, Core Stone Progress (Month 1 & 2) In the first month, the core stone begins to consume the mana of the mortal, which causes any Magic they can use to be half as effective across the board. When mana is consumed, it allows room for the original darkness of the soul to spread, which makes a Sien’ii progressively more powerful. There are very few physical changes that occur within a Sien’ii during their transformation, as the bodies that they inhabit are perfectly capable of containing the powers of a first soul; if not originally designed for them. However, if a creature warped by other Magics houses a core stone, the Zalitz will eat away at the energies that made them unlike mortal men, and will cause them to revert back to their original form. For example, a Dryad that was an Elf would once again become an Elf if embedded with a core stone. As the core stone strengthens the soul, several features of the mortal body begin to return to their “original” fortitude. Hair and nails cannot be trimmed without considerable force, and for this reason many Sien’ii sport long, flowing locks and clawed hands. The skin begins to push out any tattoos, and heal any scars, freckles, warts and blemishes. Any need to use glasses is no longer necessary as eyes strengthen, and any loss of sight and hearing returns; note, missing limbs cannot be regrown during this process, including eyes. Typically at this stage, Sien’ii can be hard to tell apart if of similar stature. In the second month, the Sien’ii’s mana has been totally consumed, preventing them from using any other available Magics. It is at this point that they are given Dark Insight, which is a knowledge of symbols that may be etched upon Zalitz to give it various additional properties. Sien’ii at this point in their progress are capable of calling further strikes upon the earth so that they may produce more Zalitz with which to fashion tools. Month 2 Abilities & Rituals Dark Insight - Sien’ii gain the knowledge to use dark symbology, and may etch these symbols into Zalitz in order to call upon certain powers and features. These forms of Zalitz are not compatible and cannot be held together at the same time. These are as follows: Ozzokith - This symbol is used on a Zalitz stone in order for it to become a Core Stone. Core stones are inactive until the ritual of The Calling has been performed. When the ritual is complete, the Core Stone will house a fraction of a First Soul, where it will develop over time. Ikoth - Used on rods of Zalitz in order to perform the ritual of The Calling, detailed further. Enihot - This hastens the mana consuming properties of Zalitz, causing it to last only one hour without a source from which to draw energy. When passive, it causes anyone in a five block radius to use only half of their typical magical potential; this includes magical creatures. When in contact with a mortal it completely disables their ability to use mana, and prevents magical creatures from using their inert abilities, but requires the complete focus of the Sien’ii.; again within a five block radius. In other words, this causes both parties to be unable to perform any Magics, putting them at an equal playing field. Enihot stones are typically fashioned into arrows that can be shot into a target, or can sometimes be seen fashioned into rings or jewelry as items of trickery, where a Sien’ii could subdue a targets mana without them knowing; they must be within a five block radius for this to take effect. Please note that the degradation of mana will take place over the span of 5 rounds of emotes or dialogue, where a reduction of 20% potency occurs every emote. Calit’oz - The nature of Zalitz allows it to cast a shadow on all sides, even in the presence of light. It is within these shadows that a Sien’ii may call forth the imprint of the First Souls, horrific shadow creatures with humanoid form, that may only exist within the shadow cast, and cannot be larger than the size of the Sien’ii or, before awakening, cannot be larger than the size of the shadow which is cast; at maximum one block of mass. Initially, Imprints are not typically capable of throwing punches or holding any kind of weaponry, but can restrain their targets and strangle them. They can only exist within the parameters of the shadow that is cast until a Sien’ii is awakened. Typically, low level Sien’ii will throw rods large enough for a hand to emerge, so as to help them hold down a target. Imprints are weak to fire, piercing and holy magic, but will prevent the use of mana when holding their target. They are not susceptible to crushing or punching damage unless in a hardened state. When a Sien’ii is awakened, they may bolster the strength of the Imprints to change shape and form, and wield weapons. Ilinialon - This symbol is etched into piercing Zalitz in order to complete the ritual of the Deific Purge, and crumbles when the ritual is complete. Ualoth - On the last day of the second month, a Sien’ii is capable of hosting the Heart Stone, and learns how to etch one with the use of this rune. A heart stone must be the size of the heart being replaced, and Sien’ii will often harvest organs so that they can get the details correct. (A Sien’ii and Imprint producing a horrific form) Rituals The First Prayer - A Sien’ii may call to the First Souls so that they may strike the earth and allow the Sien’ii to harvest the Zalitz that subsequently forms. This ritual may only be performed once every two weeks, per Sien’ii so as to limit the amount of material they can work with. This requires an ET in order to strike the land in question with an actual bolt and change its appearance. The Sien’ii must then emote harvesting this material like they would if they were typically mining. The Calling - In order to become Sien’ii, a ritual of The Calling must be performed, where a core stone is implanted into a host, as well as four rods of Zalitz with the Ikoth symbol impaled each into both of the hands and feet. A Sien’ii will then call to their realm of darkness. If the ritual is successful, four bolts of lightning will strike the rods of Ikoth, awakening the core stone into action. This ritual MUST be performed in an open environment where the sky may reach the ritual altar. The Sien’ii must recite the following chant in individual sentences as outlined below, and must have an ET present to perform the lightning strikes so that the surrounding population may investigate. The lightning strikes must follow each sentence of the chant in a 5 second delay after the Sien’ii speaks. The Calling: Oketh itz ob tuur etz ek Oketh itz ob iil etz ek Oketh itz ob ton buur lig Oketh itz ob shon buur lig Deific Purge - The ritual of purging requires three Sien’ii, and is used to reverse any process which has changed a mortal into something other than its original state. The three Sien’ii must produce rods of Ilinialon capable of piercing the body, and all three must strike into the torso of the victim at the same time. The three core stones present will then begin to consume the energies that shaped the creature until they are mortal once again. During this process, the Sien’ii cannot perform any other abilities and must each chant the following ten times in shout to complete the process: Deific Purge: Olob oz tulon Heart Awakening - On the last day of the first two month period, a Sien’ii is eligible to have their heart replaced with the heart stone in the awakening ritual. This requires three Sien’ii to perform the ritual alongside the Sien’ii undergoing the it. The Awakening requires one of the Sien’ii to literally cut out the heart of the one undergoing the ritual. Additionally, the wrists and neck must be slit to drain their blood entirely for the new heart to function. This will clearly cause the Sien’ii to die momentarily. If the ritual is interrupted, they will die and will have to try again later. The heart that is cut out must be smashed with the Heart Stone as all three Sien’ii chant the following. The heart must be struck with the stone five times, each with the sentence below chanted. With every strike, an ET must call down lightning to once again notify the surrounding populace, and must be performed in an open space with the sky above. The heart will then be struck, crackling with a dark energy as it is placed where the Sien’iis heart once sat, where the Sien’ii will awaken, born anew. After this, the Core Stone must be removed as it is not compatible with the Heart. However, the Heart Stone allows one extra Zalitz to be used by an awakened Sien’ii. The Awakening: Ghuul ob etz tenn hohraak otez The Awakened Sien’ii As the new heart awakens, the Sien’ii’s veins are filled with a black substance akin to blood. Due to its coluration and the pale skin of the Sien’ii, veins become more apparent across the body, as if the Sien’ii is covered in tattoos or black veins like lightning. The awakened Sien’ii is now an anchor for the world beyond, a mortal of cold calculation no longer burdened by the weak nature of the heart. It is now at this final stage that the Sien’ii is complete; a perfect host for the will of the First Souls. The Dark Will Indeed, the centuries deprived of true purpose have driven the First Souls mad and impatient. Finally, with a tool through which to work, the energies they have spent their imprisonment strengthening and perfecting may influence the world. With the blood of the First Souls, a Sien’ii is now capable of using a Magic referred to as The Dark Will. An awakened Sien’ii will never become a fully fledged First Soul, however, they may work in symbiosis with one in order to enact their will. The blood that courses through the Sien’ii may be transformed into a fine mist that may escape through the skin and call upon the energies of the world beyond. Without the blood or mana of typical mortals, an awakened Sien’ii’s blood serves as its mana. Kuuroth An awakened Sien’ii may produce a fine, black mist that crackles with energy. It may spread to a radius of 5 blocks and drain the mana of anything within that vicinity. Kuuroth cannot shock anything like typical electricity, but may cause significant pain similar to electrocution as the victim has their mana drawn upon. If a Sien’ii focuses Kuuroth into a finer stream they may corrupt a victim to serve as their thrall. They will be able to influence their motor controls but the victim would still be capable of their own thought and speech. This version of Kuuroth cannot influence anyone to kill or harm themselves unless consent is given. This mist may be dispersed by strong winds and holy magics. Imprint Empowerment The Sien’ii may use the fine mist of Kuuroth to serve as a vessel through which an imprint of the First Soul may take a full, humanoid form. These creatures and their limitations/weaknesses are detailed in the Calit’oz symbol. When an Imprint is brought to full form, it may shape one of its limbs into a weapon that is limited by the total mass an Imprint can form as; a copy of the Sien’ii. For example, an arm may take the shape of a weapon provided it is no larger than the size of the original arm. An Imprint could in theory sacrifice a leg in order to allocate more of its form to a weapon. The weapons formed take on a similar substance to rock, and therefore offer crush damage with little to no ability to pierce or slice. Additionally, they will be quite weighty for the Imprint, leading to fairly average movement or swing speeds. A Sien’ii may choose to summon an Imprint specifically as a weapon instead, limited to all of the previous red lines disclosed. If so choosing, an Imprint can instead enshroud the Sien’ii to bolster their defenses. They may corrupt themselves into a substance akin to Zalitz which serves as an armour to the Sien’ii. It may crumble under heavy, blunt damage but holds up fairly well against slicing and piercing. When a Sien’ii protects themselves with an Imprint, they are incapable of producing any other Magic they can use and the typical consuming nature of their magic is significantly reduced in lieu of personal protection. It also becomes fairly heavy, causing the Sien’ii’s movements to slow. Prosthetic Limbs An awakened Sien’ii may create for themselves a prosthetic limb from Zalitz which is compatible with the Heart Stone. They may only have one at a time, but it will function more or less like an average limb would due to the new blood within the Sien’ii. They are hard like rock and fairly light in their nature so offer little in the way of significant damage outside of general collision damage; a slight buff over the average fist. Animal Magnetism Animals have always been the pawn of mankind, and such a rule of nature is not remiss for the Sien’ii and their ways. Unlike other mortals and the sphere of limited influence the Sien’ii have over them, the animal kingdom is far easier to manipulate. An awakened Sien’ii may corrupt wildlife by embedding them with rods of Zalitz, which they may influence through the powers of the Kuuroth; the mist that they produce. Typically, a Sien’ii will fashion the stone into arrows, to strike animals from afar. If a Sien’ii decided to sow some chaos within a small town, or cause an affront to the Druids, they may corrupt the nature of an animal in order to make them more ferocious. Due to their weaker nature, a Sien’ii may influence an animal from a distance of 10 blocks. The Dark Craftsmen When a Sien’ii awakens, they bear a greater understanding for the intricacies of the Zalitz. Where before they would have only known how to etch symbols, they may now harness their latent energies to shift and manipulate the Zalitz with three specific purposes. Perhaps the most common example of this comes in the form of jewelry, where a Sien’ii will make a necklace or ring for an unwitting victim in order to drain their mana. Of course, if the item is crushed or purified it will no longer have the intended effect. Secondly, a Sien’ii may fashion an interesting type of Zalitz which is used to strengthen the radius at which their magic may extend. Generally, these are small in nature and embedded within the skin. They allow the radius of the Sien’ii to extend to 10 blocks, however, this type of Zalitz, like most others, is incompatible with anything but the Heart Stone. Lastly, and with significant time and effort, a Sien’ii may utilise his or her energies in order to produce a type of Zalitz used in building; represented as an obsidian block. This effort leads to large, stygian forts and castles that have beset on all sides an odd and everlasting shadow that defies the persistent sun above. Typically, these constructions do not have doors or even windows at times, as an awakened Sien’ii is capable of manipulating the Zalitz to move so as to make an entryway. While strong as a reinforced version of Zalitz, they are not much more resistant than a typical stone fortification. Red Lines:

Everyone wants to do something and staff want them not doing anything.

Quite right, because of the cosmic void our galaxy is in. It's real, man.

Do you think the idea that we live within a void in space could be the reason we haven’t been contacted by extraterrestrials?

Having had a previous feature doesn’t necessarily make it passable in today’s climate. If the recent lore passed without it, we can assume it was needed in order to prevent the Necro lore from being too overwhelming.

Don’t Necros have enough in their arsenal already? Curses are for Witch Doctors; curses that have been nerfed heavily. Can it be justified here as well?

We can assume in most cases that these creatures would simply assume any mana blob in their vision to be a threat. I could see this resulting in a lot of trigger happy confrontations which just wouldn't be fun for anyone. Really, arrows and the like aren't exactly a weakness in their inability to perceive them because it reads like they would do little to no harm to the creature anyway. It seems like you could shoot them with a barrage of arrows, but they wouldn't bleed out, they don't feel pain and they don't have the musculature to keel over. If as you stated in a later response they're held together magically (clearly) then what, besides from water (assuming submerging) would actually break them apart? A Ugr'sil with broken arms and legs, or even no appendages at all seems irrelevant to their overall ability to cause harm. I appreciate the blindness conveyed here and the agility being hindered by the aforementioned, but if they really do end up being bumbling creatures stumbling into everything then what RP would be gleaned from this? I can see it being largely ignored. This one was less a critique than a general enquiry to understand the lore. If they can speak and hear magically, why can't they smell and taste? Point being that there are some clear drawbacks here that could be expanded upon to make the creature more viable. Not being able to communicate traditionally, or even hear would be huge weaknesses. You could forgive many of the overpowered features in light of something like that. Let's be fair, they're just not. I've read through it and from what I understand there really aren't any weaknesses to this creature apart from blindness. It's far too immune to so many world aspects that tacking on the fact that they suffer all traditional void red lines just isn't sufficient.

The formatting is brilliant, and the general idea and imagery follow suit. However, these appear to be horrendously overpowered. If I were to write a summary for such a creature, based on the various features presented here, we would have the following: ----- Ugr'sil are traditionally blind, skeletal creatures that do not feel pain. They are unharmed by swords, arrows and general sharp weaponry. Additionally, they do not need to breathe, are mostly fireproof, cannot bleed and are immune to poisons, diseases, venoms, voidal corruption, blight, taint and mana that would ordinarily harm or kill a descendant. These creatures have superhuman agility due to their light weight, allowing them to move one extra block in RP. Despite their lack of musculature, they are capable of wearing light plate armour and can wield weapons, often negating the drawbacks of their physical form. Despite being blind in the normal sense, they are capable of perceiving mana and therefore the descendants that inhabit the world. They are adept at using voidal magics, and can learn one extra voidal art over the average descendant. Due to their affinity for this magic type, they also do not need to emote a connection, hastening their offensive capabilities. ------ Basically what we have here are absolute units of magical proficiency that can only be harmed by crushing blows that they can avoid quite easily. I do have some questions and concerns which I hope can be answered here. - Although unable to see in the normal way, they can see mana and we can assume they can see descendants. If this is the case, they are more than capable of avoiding combat that would actually cause them harm; heightened agility and magical prowess. We can assume in the case of projectiles that most will cause little to no harm. - If Ugr'sil cannot taste or smell, why can they hear and communicate? - Apart from the blindness that has some clear loopholes, what real weaknesses do they present? In many ways they seem to have exceptional immunity to most mortal concerns. Considering they would have 6 magic slots available for voidal arts, is it really a drawback not to have access to other (most likely inferior) magics? - If voidal corruption is what causes their deterioration and consistent pain, why are they immune to it elsewhere?

RP is a medium many use to escape the ills of the normal world; it's a fantasy setting of high intrigue and adventure. In the same way we avoid particular RP scenarios, I think the majority of mental illnesses should be avoided where possible. It just presents muddy, often ineffective roleplay. Do you RP a consistent knee pain? Do you RP hayfever? Some things are better left alone.