WuHanXianShi14

Artimec squints when reading some human’s interpretation of elven gods.

Quote

- If the Leadership of Nation Y is attacked by Nation X, and they have reason to believe this was organized by Nation X, they earn the ‘Assault on Leadership’ CB.

I don’t like this “have a reason to believe” part.

Make it an OOCly confirmed fact that a faction definitely attacked leadership.

Otherwise its way too easy for a war-hungry nation to make absolute bullshit claims about attack on leadership by a group who had nothing to do with it, just so they can go to war with that group.

i.e. “Someone with a beard threw a rock at our King, Dwarves have beards! We go to war with Urguan!”

And you can claim that GMs will identify poor “RP” claims and not allow them to lead to war, but frankly, I don’t have much trust in the discretion of GM decisions and neither should anyone else.

It also opens up people using alts to start ****. And before you say “We’ll know if its a one day alt”, no, it doesn’t work like that. Most people have some shelved character who they just almost never play, but can conveniently bring out when some OOC manipulating is needed.

i.e John mains an orc, but also has an elf he plays once a month or so. The orcs want a reason to war the elves, so John gets on his elf and starts raiding the orcs. When confronted about the alting, John says “But I’ve had my elf character for a year!” which is technically true, although he’s barely played that character nor done any meaningful RP on him. The GMs wont enforce this.

Artimec, a keeper of elven history, squints his eyes and wonders why the high elves are making up fake history.

((https://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/White-Gold_Tower

https://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Niben_Bay

https://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/First_Era

youre using a lot of names, themes and nomenclature ripped straight from elder scrolls lore here...

Did you seriously use an APA in text citation on a mineman roleplay forum 

The Moieties of Aspectist Elves

The principal people group in the young Princedom of Irrinor are the Aspectist Elves, a tribal culture defined by its worship of the Elder Gods of Nature- the Aspects and the Mani. Unlike the other Elven races, the Aspectist Elves have a lot of internal diversity, with different creeds, faith variations and tribal identities between them. This post will be a brief guide to the different Wood Elven moieties that inhabit the forests of Irrinor and beyond, and introduce you to their unique cultures.

There are two main moieties of Aspectist Elves. The Alder Folk, and the Irrinites.

Shared Beginnings

It is important to understand that Alder Folk and Irrinite peoples share common history and a common pantheon of the Aspects and the Mani (collectively referred to as the Gods of the Forest), as well as many overlapping rituals and traditions. These all largely stem from the first Kingdom of Malin, and the Era of the Nomadic Seeds that followed it.

At the beginning of the Elven history was the first Kingdom. This Kingdom was ruled by the elven forefather Malin himself, and thus retroactively referred to as the Kingdom of Malin. This Kingdom existed before a time of any sub racial divide between the Elven people. Malin was a lover of nature, and promoted the worship of the Aspects, the gods of Nature, and the Mani, immortal beast lords, among his people. Although rebellious soon came to his lands, in the form of an uprising led by the warrior Lathledan. Lathledan was defeated and exiled, and his followers retreated into the deep woods, these would become the first of the Alder Tribes.  

Soon after, the unity of the first Kingdom began to crumble upon the still-unexplained dissapearance of Malin. As a result, schisms formed resulting in the genesis of the Dark Elven and High Elven peoples, who both made their exoduses to new homelands, leaving the ancient city of Malin a depopulated husk.

Those elves that remained true to the old rite of the Aspects and the Mani soon too would make their exodus from the old Kingdom, and adopted a simpler, nomadic lifestyle. They became known as Irrinites, named for the huntress Irrin Sirame- who led them into the deep woods. They separated into many different Tribes, called Seeds. They evolved into the Wood Elves, and even though they were divided into many clans, they retained a common identity apart from the other Elven Subraces by virtue of their shared Gods and tribal identity. These Irrinite tribes soon came into contact with the Alder tribes, and over the centuries would develop many shared customs and rites between the two moieties.

And so the Era of the Seeds began in earnest, with dozens of tribes, big and small, all roaming nomadically in the deep woodslands and plains of old-Aegis. While Irrinite clans and Alder tribes would interact on a fairly regular basis, two distinct sects of the faith of the Forest Gods still developed, Ichorianism and the Emerald rite. This led to the further development of two main moieties of Tribes. The Alder Folk, and the Irrinites, two peoples mainly divided along religious lines.

The Irrinites

The Irrinites are thus named due to their reverence of the prophet Irrin Sirame, considered by them to be the progenitor of the Wood Elven people.

Irrinite Wood Elves are generally shorter in stature, and have darker skin tones, ranging from olive to dark brown. It is said their skin was darkened by the Aspects themselves to help them blend in the deep wilds. They commonly take roles as craftsmen, musicians, artists, scholars, and nature ascetics. Many undergo Druidic trials to become Priests of the Forest Gods.

Irrinite Wood Elves are not naturally warlike, but practice martial discipline to defend themselves. They favour the bow in combat and wear light armour or silk garments.

Irrinite Wood Elves principally follow the Emerald rite of the Aspectist faith. This sect personifies the Aspects as a great Mother and great Father of nature. The Aspects are often depicted in humanoid form in Emerald shrines and prayed to above the Mani. Emerald Aspectism emphasizes oneness with the wild, and the balance of nature.

The current Irrinite Tribes are as follows:

• Caerme’onn
• Aureon
• Torena
• Csarathaire
• Terin

The Alder Folk

The Alder Folk are named from the Alder trees they would pray to, due to the belief that the gods of the Forest watched over them through their trunks.

The Alder Elves are taller and more broad shouldered in stature than the Irrinites. Where the Aspects darkened the skin of the Irrinites, no such thing happened to the Alders, who maintained the traditionally paler hue of their Malinite ancestors. The Alder Folk have a warrior culture, so commonly take roles as tribal warriors, smiths, and mercenaries. They wear pelts, wools, and heavy plate armours.

The Alder Elves actually made their exodus from old Malinor before the Irrinites, and thus owed no loyalty to the Prophet Irrin. Nevertheless, they shared the same Gods and tribal traditions as their Irrinite counterparts so considered the Irrinites to be their Wood Elven cousins, as opposed to a different race entirely.

Later in their history, the Alder Tribes’ faith evolved from traditional Emerald Aspectism, forming into the Ichorian rite. Ichorian Aspectism favours war, strength and conquest. Unlike the Emerald rite, it does not personify the Aspects, depicting them as omnipotent energies in all living things. Instead, they directly worship the Mani, the animal Gods that roam the world.

The current Alder Tribes are as follows:

• Ithelanen
• Vanlethan
• Aeldinic families

Shared Customs

Be it Alder or Irrinite, all Aspectist elves are organized into separate Tribes called Seeds. In ancient times, as well as modern, each Seed had a distinct culture and identity. Thus there developed core requirements to be recognized as one.

• All members of a Seed must share a common Tribal Tattoo, known as the ilmyumier, to indicate themselves as a member of that Seed.
• All members of a Seed must worship the the Gods of the Forest.

The Seed was the principal way in which the Wood Elves organize themselves politically, and both the Alder Folk and Irrinites are split into many different Seeds.

The act of ritual tattoos extend beyond Tribal indicators. Alders and Irrinites both ink themselves with the same set of status tattoos. These tattoos almost all bare the likeness of a particular Forest God and indicate ones role within society. For example, the Beaver’s mark is that of the craftsman. The Wolf’s mark is that of the warrior, and the Snake’s mark is that of the traitor.

The full list of status ilmyumier is here.

Closing Notes

Nothing is ever black and white. This is doubly true when talking about history and culture. Not all Alder Tribes are Ichorian, and not all Irrinite Tribes follow the Emerald Rite. The Irrinite Torenas are Ichorian. The Caerme’onn, despite being principally of Irrinite blood, are partially descended from Alders.

It is important to see this guide as just that, a guideline, not a set of concrete rules. However, it should help you contextualize the different flavours of Wood Elven RP.

We encourage all new wood elf RPers to come to Glaedwynn so you can encounter these cultures yourself, and learn more about them in RP!

3 hours ago, Humanistic said:

I’m sure you would be the one to know the best about PVP though. That’s all I got to say about that.

I PVP a decent amount, for defense, warclaims, when it comes up in RP, etc. I’ve been around long enough to know how it goes, appreciate the ad hominem though

The King of Glaedwynn and the Prince of Alders

The fires of war burned at the heart of the Wonkawoods. The city of San’Kala was not the imposing sight it had once been when it was surrounded by scores of Imperial soldiers adorning a platitude of heraldry, and Elven warriors wreathed in black steel. They mingled around the war machines, trebuchet counterweights aimed at the primitive orcish walls.

A council of elves stood apart from the human soldiers and the rest of the Glaedwynn warriors. Among them Kairn Ithelanen, Chieftain of his Clan and the Prince of Alders and the old Oracle of the Gods, the Hawk Druid.

The Prince grunted. “Not getting too old for war, are you, Hawk?”

“I’m not like you Ichorians,” The old Priest murmured to the Prince. “I don’t relish in battle. I dislike killing. For me it is only a necessity. But I must admit, after everything the greenskin cockroaches have done to our people… shedding their blood makes me very happy. I know the Father and all the great beast Mani are with us today.”

“Then let us shed blood in their honour.”

The old oracle nodded, kneeling down to dip his fingers into a bowl of red ochre. He spread the war paint across the Prince’s face in such a way that it resembles a crown baring a row of sharp teeth. He then repeated it for himself, so Morea’s blessing touched both of them.

And so the siege began, and the stones began to fly, drenched in pitch and tar and set aflame, the trebuchets hammered hole after hole into the rugged fortifications of the orcish ranks. The first wall fell, and the thundering sound of “OORAH!” resonated as thousands of Imperial soldiers and Elven warriors marched deeper into the Orcish citadel with little resistance.

And thus the charge began. Streaks of barbed Orcish arrows raised down from the sky at the invading force. Elves and Humans alike were struck down by cowardly greenskins hiding within their central bunker. “SHIELD WALL!” The commanders cried, and the warriors locked their shields. Another “OORAH!” as the defensive line slowly approached the last bastion of the Orcish defense.

A shout erupted. The Imperial battering ram had battered through the gate of the final bunker. Thus the final charge. Elves and Imperials clashing with brutish Orcs. The Oracle fought alongside the Prince as they cleaved down the Greenskin horde with the names of their gods on their lips.

“MOREAAAAA!”

“CERNUNNOS!”

The Hawk felt a spray of warm blood coat his skin, the squelching of entrails and the the thud of a heavy orcish falling on the floor behind him. The day was won.

The invasion of the Loftywoods had been avenged. Orcish blood had been spilled by elven hands. All the defenseness travellers and slaves who had suffered at cowardly greenskin hands had been avenged at the hand of an actual army. True warriors.

The Gods of the forest were smiling, the war was won. Nordengrad was in Imperial hands, and the Wonkawoods belonged to the Elves now.

2 hours ago, Humanistic said:

In what other war-claim has any single person taken out a whole half of an army, especially in the midst of lag which doesn’t even allow you to notice when your hits actually interact.

He got 13 kills I believe that’s not that far fetched sweaty pvp goons win battles where they’re outnumbered all the time, factor in the lag and the fact Tornado had a huge army to hide behind and its p believable

Won’t there be a bit of thematic dissonance seeing as the rest of the human playerbase is mostly based off of cultures from the mid to late medeival era?

I understand its a fantasy world but it would still be out of place if 18^th century baroque courtiers were hanging around with dudes in Togas and people in medeival clothes

Artimec uses an ivory knife to serrate his hunting arrows, always happy to spill orcish blood.

I helped

“This ultimatum is supported by the founder and first chieftain of the Caerme’onn, of whose right it was to choose who would succeed him as chieftain. Aelin Caerme’onn was chosen, not Toren. Aelin was fully within her right to move the Seed to Glaedwynn. That was her choice, and as the chieftaness, I shall respect that decision despite my lack of sole allegiance to either Aspectist state. That Toren Camoryn would declare himself chieftain and create a schism within the seed is the highest order of treason and disrespect.

Forgiveness will be given if Toren Camoryn renounces his claim to chieftainship, and this must also be recognized by those who follow him. He and his branch of Caerme’onn may live in the Dominion of Malin in peace, as long as they recognize Aelin Caerme’onn as the rightful chieftain of their seed, and come to her side when called upon by her.

Toren Camoryn, I call upon you to approach your rightful chieftain with one offering of tribute to Aelin Caerme’onn to offer your fealty, and one offer of tribute that will be given to the Aspects. You will bow before her and acknowledge her as your chief and the keeper of your tribe.

If you do this, you will be allowed to live in peace within the Dominion. If you fail to do so, you will face dire consequences.”

Answer wisely,

Oracle, Hawk Druid, Elder

Artimec Caerme’onn.

This ultimatum was written in Artimec’s recognizable hand, and inked with a seal depicting a stag’s horns, blood red.

@Sky

“Toren Camoryn,

You are arrogant, hot-headed and foolish to proclaim that you can declare yourself chieftain of ANY seed, let alone Caerme’onn and your claim has been denied. You, who was a Naelurir priest and abandoned both the circle, and the nation of Aspectist faithful you were supposed to guide, to cavort with the Mother Circle. You’ve done little for your people but cause controversy and (supposedly) die repeatedly in the last two hundred years.

You have no claim to Cheiftainship of Caerme’onn. The title of chieftain of a seed has never been passed down through bloodline, although a chieftain may pass the title down to his son if he deems it worthy, it goes always to the man or woman most worthy to uphold the values and duties of the tribe. You, are not worthy, nor are you capable.

I am both the founder of the modern Caerme’onn and its lifelong chieftain. It was my decision to pass the chieftainship on to Aelin Caerme’onn and that decision is final. I served our people, fought for them and spent my waking hours instilling our traditions in their collective consciousness for centuries while you plotted and schemed in the mother grove. I kept the Seed alive while you spent most of your time divorced from your people, or faking your own death. Aelin has shown initiative and a drive to reinvigorate our traditions and culture, something you never had any desire to do.

If you think you have a greater right to choose who gets to be chieftain of our tribe than I do, you are not only insolent, you are delusional. You are an opportunistic scavenger bird. It matters not if our seed are mercenaries, or fishermen, or dollmakers or professional masseuses. So long as Aelin ensures our seed keeps to the Mani, the Aspects and the old traditions she is doing her job, something you have never done.

You will renounce your foolish desire for a title you have done nothing to earn.

Any other Caerme’onn baring the seeds ilmyumier will renounce their recognition of Toren Camoryn as the Chieftain of the Seed. If they refuse, they will be officially expelled from the seed for treason, their ilmyumier removed and their titles stripped from them and will be branded with the ilmyumier of the snake.

I, founder and first Chieftain of Seed Caerme’onn, of whom the right to choose my successor is fully vested, hereby affirm that Aelin Caerme’onn is the rightful cheiftain of our Tribe, and Toren Camoryn is a pretender and a usurper. I hereby affirm that any who support his claim will be considered enemies to the seed, and if they persist in their mission to split the Caerme’onn seed in half, the traitors will be hunted down and dealt with as necessary.

Addendum, it matters not where you choose to live, be it Glaedwynn or the Dominion. Whether you are of the Emerald, Sage or Ichorian rites. You may choose freely your form of worship and your home. But you may not claim a title that does not belong to you, nor may anyone support one who claims such a false title.”

Regards,

Artimec Caerme’onn

“I grew a tree’s root into someone’s mouth and out his arsehole once then let crows pick at his impaled body for a week once.” Artimec said dryly.

“Wait, the poster said worst thing I’ve ever done, not funniest.”

A golden-tailed hawk circles about in the sky, where it can watch the newly appointed cheiftainess with her new tribesmen away from prying eyes.

3 hours ago, Harold said:

 

hey i agree with this guy for once

16 minutes ago, Narthok said:

I think elves are partly to blame. My village has very low walls and is extremely rp focused yet has only been raided once this map. I do really dislike the elitism coming from both sides and try to punish it where it is warranted.

 

Every major nation’s capital is a magnet for raids. Freebuild villages are less so. Elves are generally the highest raidbait considering their (false) reputation as noncombatants.

Just now, Narthok said:

 

Blame LOTC PVP culture. I’d have loved to RP a primal nomad but the only way to sustain a playerbase on this server is behind a raid-proof city with high walls.

23 minutes ago, Narthok said:

Good to see elves doing something that isn’t tea sipping rp for once. Leo’s culture was always really cool but I feel like it wasn’t taken far enough because of the way the elven community is. Certainly excited to see peasant rp elves.

I guess thats a fair way to see it

But the culture I helped to create is still living on in this playerbase. As long as the lore, gods, and concept of elven culture lives on, then I dont mind if its adapted into a different context, or used in new ways. Its liberating in a sense that the upkeep of elven culture is no longer in my hands, and I’m finally free to enjoy it as an observer.

I hope this group does well. I mainly hope that it will provide a different experience that you would find among humans or dwarves and that aspects of the tribalistic culture I helped build lives on, which it has, via the Ichorian sect of Aspectism and the Mani worship

“Never Forget, that in the Era of the Seeds, we were known as the Forgotten Folk.”

    “Laran Moccus. Oem heya ordivhiuw ito nae’leh.

    Lae heya cerun malarehan lomera.

    Kaean’leh ortilrun nae illerae.

    Kaean’leh Sirame ay’nae’leh lye myumierae.

    Oh Moccus, ordivtilrun, nae’leh ahern kae illera.”

    “Morea, Ellaurir’Chirran

    Heya iheihuii Velulaei hiuwera,

    Kaean’leh ortilrun nae illerae.

    Kaean’leh Sirame ay’nae’leh lye myumierae.

    Oh Morea, llytan, nae’leh ahern kae illera.”

    “O’ Laurir’Orkina, kae’leh wy’anuh ceruereh

    Ito kaean’leh enet’adiln, kae nae’leh lye medinera adontere.

    Nae kae’leh taliyna lentere il’Sirame bilokereh, ay’kinal karin’ento

    Wyl kaean nae peritherae, ito kaean’leh lluman.

    Haelun’Lle, lluman kae’leh hiylun myumiera’onn:

    Partuva nae’leh y’Malii suliera, partuva llean.

    Kae’leh hiylun evara, iyal kae’leh nae’leh Malii’ehya yallran oerneh suliere, karinto.

    Kae ay’nae halere, kae’leh hiylun taynan’ehya tennae kae’leh eth myumiera.

To my old comrades among Ithelanen and Torena,

It pains me greatly to see a divide between my people. When I first set out to revive what at the time was a dead culture, I envisioned a Princedom that rivaled all other great nations in power. Whose pride and zealous devotion to their old gods, customs and songs rivaled the passion the Valahan have towards their church, or the Silver Elves had towards their dogma.

What was in essense a century long rough start, mired by wars, internal weakness, and Imperialistic foreign rulers by the likes of Kalenz Uradir meant that our revitalized way of life, our old traditions and Aspectist faith, took many years to fully bloom into its own. Yet, eventually it did.

First came the old faith. Not many elves alive now remember the dying days of old Malinor, when elves cared more for themselves than any idea of a society. It took many years more for the first generation of our mali’ame priests, warriors and leaders to convince our people to abandon their petty magics and individualistic aims and embrace the idea of our ancestral Gods- the Green Mother Cerridwen, and the Horned Man Cernunnos.

Next came the Seeds. In ancient times of yore our people roamed the deep wilds in nomadic bands, wild and free. This was when our ancestors were most in touch with our Gods. I encouraged our people to look deep into their ancestry, and re-embrace their tribal roots. And you did. It was during this time that the names we know now well- Aureon, Torena, Caerme’onn- and later Ithelanen- came to become names of great influence among the Elven nations.

Finally came the rest. Our old traditions. Our songs. Piece by piece our old customs, the heritage of the Era of the Seeds returned to us. We reinvigorated our worship of the Mani- among whom your Ithelanens’ chief patrons the Wolf and the Boar. We performed sacred dances that had not been performed in centuries. For the first time in forever, our warriors went into battle with their Gods prayers on their lips. Their ancestral warpaint upon their face.

Yet this period of cultural prosperity came at no small cost. You know as well as I the battles we fought to prevent our people’s collapse. I have fought alongside mali’ame of all seeds. Torena, Ithelanen, Aureon, Reithel, Silma, Calithil and Tresery alike. We have together slain hordes of savage orcish animals until an Ithelanen won our war with a single stroke.  We rooted out countless bandits that plagued our roads like cockroaches. Yet it was not just enemies on the outside we fought, but the corruption within as well. Together we fended off the darkness within our nation. Be it the occultists that crept within our walls, or the liberals, the secularists and the mages that attempted to place their claws into our Council, and erode our traditions.

It is because of this history we share that the current state of affairs pains me so. Three hundred years ago when I began this whole endeavor, a weak, divided and cultureless elven people would have pained me little. Now, the prospect that we might return to those days pains me greatly- for I have had a taste of what it is like to be part of a strong elven society. A society with identity, with proper warriors.

I approach your Seeds today not as an appeal to return to the Dominion of Malin, for I feel such an attempt would be a doomed endeavor. But I must implore that all Elven peoples of the Seed tradition must remain linked through a common culture, and a common faith. No matter how divided our Seeds become, no matter how many nations the Mali’ame reside in. Even in separate polities, we must make an effort to retain a common identity, lest we drift too far apart culturally that we cease to exist as a people.

So to the cheiftains of Ithelanen and Torena, I ask of you this:

Allow proper place of worship to be grown within your Enclave. A proper sacred grove where Druidic priests may reside, so the Songs, Dances, and Customs we worked so hard to revive may continue to be taught.

Allow Naelurir Druids of any affiliation to preach openly to your people. For we Priests are not warriors of any one nation, but of our Gods. I told Kairn Ithelanen myself in the Caras Eldar courtroom myself not long ago, that I serve my faith and my people’s cultural identity first. Before any nation, and before any king. The same will apply to any true Naelurir who wishes to ensure Aspectism and our customs remain alive in these tumultuous times.

Allow the appropriate shrines to be erected within your Enclave. Although the Ithelanen’s chief patrons are the Princes Boar and Wolf, the other great Mani must also be honoured, as well as the great Mother and Father themselves, so that balance remains in our faith.

Remain true to your faiths. Do not let foreigners, liberals or secularists to erode your traditions. Pray often, and openly. Leave offerings to your Mani Patrons and to the Aspects. Pay tribute to your Gods. Sing your sacred songs and dances. Celebrate your seasonal festivals. You are a warrior people, but fighting is not all there is to your Seeds. Remember that a hundred generations of Mali’ame customs lives or dies by the choices you make in this lifetime, and the knowledge you choose to impart upon the generation that follows yours.

Signed,

The Hawk Druid, Oracle of the Aspectist rite

Artimec, Chieftain of the Seed Caerme’onn

Do it, remove all raid caps, remove cbs, make the server unplayable so it'll be easier for me to quit and finally move on with my life lol 

I’m a bit torn, in the sense that I already have encouraged people to use lore to flesh out their culture, adding little bits of flavour to add depth to your culture’s RP.

However, a lot of this lore falls into the same niche as already existing deities and I’m concerned we will end up with two groups of Nature-based deities. The Aspects are generally this server’s go-to nature gods, and they have the Mani- a pantheon on spirit-Animal-Prince-things, hence why I think the “Children of the Forest” concept here is problematic.

I think the main question you have to ask yourself is this: How does my deity lore fit in with already existing deity lore? If there is an overlap (like with the Aspects) then you should work to create some sort of merger, like using the Aspects to explain the existence of your Deities for example, rather than just have your lore be an entire seperate, isolated appendage with no relation to anything it shares the same niche with. That’s how we get lore bloat and thematic dissonance and its whats led to @FlamboyantRage going auscwitz on magic lore.

I suggest you do one of the following things:

• If no magic is involved, then RP out your gods without having canon lore for them

• Instead of having your Deities be isolated, standalone lore, tie them into existing lore. Perhaps they can *actually* have been ancient, powerful mortals that the Aspects or some Spirit made immortal, thus leading future generations to believe they were Immortal (The Talos/Elvhenan route).

• Or, make it so that your deities are just your culture’s interpretation of existing deities. For example, Cerridwen = Lagara. Oknar could be the Gorundyr’s interpretation of Anbella the dwarf god. Your idols all have animal avatars, which tie them in very conveniently with the already existing Mani lore:

Tl;dr:

Your lore is written well, but treads too deep into niches covered by existing lore. So to prevent lore bloat/lore redundancy, I highly suggest you merge your lore with already existing nature deity lore.

hello yes I would like to replace one niche fantasy group that will peak at 10-15 active players with another niche fantasy group that will peak at 10-15 active players