FlareGunCalamity

Material Name and Description (Raw form) Brynnestine \’BRIN-nə-,stēn\ (BRIN-uh-steen) First discovered by a human field geologist, Francis Kingfisher, studying the impacts of volcanoes on the land of Almaris. The geologist was collecting samples of cooled magma when they happened across a strange new mineral, still radiating heat despite the surrounding rock being solid and cool. Samples were collected and studied for their unique properties, before the mineral was officially named. Brynnestine, ‘The burning rock,’ is an artifact of the primordial energy responsible for the creation of the world, and an avatar of the geothermal powers it holds within its surface. Brynnestine passively generates heat much in the same way that the darkest depths within the earth radiate forth their own ancient and powerful energy. Brynnestine generates mana from the void, slightly weakening the veil around it as a result. It radiates off the active mana it generates, thereby creating heat as a result. It does this endlessly until it is destroyed via degradation. The mana creates a faint blue aura that can barely be seen in the dark. This mineral gives off constant warmth, which can become more powerful when the mineral is purer. Since most Brynnestine is relatively impure and tends to form in small granular crystals, it gives off an average warmth comparable to body heat of around 90-96 degrees Fahrenheit (32-35 degrees celsius). Large, pure samples of the mineral, with no inclusions or chemical impurities, can reach temperatures hot enough to boil water (212 degrees fahrenheit or 100 degrees celsius). This property cannot be mitigated by attempting to freeze it or cool it in water- it will continue to give off heat until it eventually warms up or melts whatever is attempting to cool it. Brynnestine cannot be made hot enough to melt iron or steel, but can be hot enough to burn skin, cauterize wounds, or cause heat stroke if exposure is overwhelming and prolonged. Touching a pure sample of Brynnestine would be comparable to touching a hot stove. Brynnestine, while typically odorless, gives off a strong, acrid chemical smell when scratched or chipped, which becomes even more notable when the mineral is powdered or when it is being worked on or polished. The smell is most similar to burning hair and is sulphurous, and can also be described as similar to rotten eggs. Brynnestine degrades over time when in the presence of water and is susceptible to chemical weathering and erosion as a result, although it is not immediately soluble in water when in crystalline form. Powdered Brynnestine can be dissolved in water to create an aqueous solution that is variably pale to extremely bright green, depending on the chromium content. Mixing more than a tablespoon of powder into water would cause a noticeable reaction, including boiling and spitting of the liquid and a dramatic change in color. It also degrades slowly over time when in direct contact with oxygen, the iron (II) in it slowly converting to rust. This happens much faster when the mineral is powdered, the powder degrading into a reddish-black substance over time, usually over the course of a month (24 irl hours) if not protected from oxygen. Due to this, the powdered mineral is best kept hermetically sealed in glass ampoules or under grease. The solid mineral does not experience this problem as strongly due to its hard stable surface, and degradation of the solid mineral can happen on timescales of upwards of 500+ years. A very scratched up surface on a poor quality piece of Brynnestine could develop a blackish-red film over the top of it, which could be washed or scrubbed off fairly easily. Brynnestine is, in its most pure form, a mid-to-light green crystal with a unique optical property called adularescence. This iridescent effect makes it appear that the stone is glowing with flashes of blue light when struck by a light source. Although the mineral doesn’t actually give off a glow or act as a light source, it’s evocative of the fiery nature of Brynnestine’s powers. Saturated, deeply colored, or dark samples of Brynnestine are chemically contaminated with metal impurities. Extremely pure samples of Brynnestine will appear pale green and have a clear, bright adularesent effect. Physically impure samples of Brynnestine, those that have inclusions or flaws in the crystalline structure, may have a hazier adularesent effect and be even more brittle than the pure crystals. Applications (Raw Form) Because thanhium absorbs mana, mana naturally flows from Brynnestine to thanhium, not unlike charges moving from positive to negative poles in electrochemistry. This creates a conduction effect where thanhium draws mana from Brynnestine towards it, mutually draining both the Brynnestine’s capacity to generate mana and the thanhium’s capacity to absorb it. As it does this, the thanhium heats up and the Brynnestine cools, and both materials eventually become entirely neutralized. When Brynnestine is rendered inert, it loses its surface hardness and becomes soft and clay-like to the touch, also turning dull grey in the process. It no longer gives off heat or mana, and it’s functionally as useless as sand.The speed of this reaction is determined by how the two minerals are exposed to each other. In pure mineral form, this process would happen slowly and inefficiently. If powdered or made into an aqueous solution, this process could potentially be made more efficient and much faster as a result. This reaction could theoretically be used as a key part of some sort of mana battery, but that would require the creation of an applicable MArt. Because Kani users manipulate the mana of their surroundings, the Brynnestine mineral has the potential to be used as a battery for kani practices. However, the mana generated by Brynnestine also creates equal amounts of heat, so overuse of Brynnestine as a source for mana can cause overheating, and over a longer period of time could also cause heat stroke as the kani user is cooked by the heat from the stone. This doesn’t ‘supercharge’ or ‘superpower’ kani, instead allowing the kani user to practice with a readily available source of active mana that may be easier to source and manipulate, and one that is renewable, instead of draining their surroundings. However, usage does come with the risk of overheating. Red Lines (Raw Form) Brynnestine can range from pale green, to mid tones of emerald green, to black depending on the purity. It cannot be any other color. A physically and chemically impure sample of Brynnestine will probably only reach body heat. A sample of Brynnestine that is physically flawless but contains chemical contamination, or the reverse situation, may reach temperatures in between the lower threshold and the upper threshold. Adularescence is not a synonym for luminescence. The mineral does not glow. A pure sample of Brynnestine can ONLY be hot enough to boil water, with a maximum temperature of 212 degrees F, 100 degrees C. Brynnestine cannot be made hot enough to melt iron or steel, but can be hot enough to burn skin, cauterize wounds, or cause heat stroke if exposure is overwhelming and prolonged. Touching a pure sample of Brynnestine would be comparable to touching a hot stove. Brynnestine is a source of mana, but cannot be used as a way to ‘supercharge’ or ‘superpower’ any types of magic- only as a fuel source for it. Brynnestine cannot be used to make magical explosives. The reaction with Thanhium also cannot be used to make magical explosives. The creation of a ‘mana battery’ or any other Brynnestine creation would require an applicable MArt. Harvesting Method To harvest Brynnestine, it must be sought out, identified, and then carefully mined. To find the Mineral: Minerals are almost always found as xenoliths of ultramafic rock within basaltic igneous rock. This type of igneous rock can be found in shield volcanoes, usually on oceanic island chains, and will very rarely be found on continental mainlands except for in the very heart of craton regions of the continent. This mineral can also be found at the deepest abyssal depths of the ocean along rifts, in hydrothermal vents and underwater volcanoes, but harvesting from the bottom of the ocean is impractical. Large, perfectly formed crystals are rare in nature. Methods of Identification: Luster: Vitreous to subvitreous, displaying adularescence. Streak: green Color: ranges from pale to deep green. It sometimes has a high chromium content which can cause it to be a bright green, or a higher iron(II) content which can make it range towards black. Crystal habit: granular or druzy-like, often found in xenoliths of ultramafic rock within igneous basalt. In extremely rare cases, it can also form in larger, more defined columnar prisms. Forms in geometric, rectangular crystals. Category: inosilicate Cleavage: Prismatic, fair to poor, 90 degrees on 2 intersecting planes. Hardness: 8.5, about as hard as sapphire, capable of scratching glass, steel, and masonry tools Toughness: weak, can be broken along cleavage planes easily with fingers, prone to chipping when hit with blunt force Optical Properties: Adularescence. Causes flashes of hazy blue “fire” or a blue ”glow” to appear within the mineral, very similar to the properties of opal, moonstone, or labradorite. The blue glow is comparable in color to a hot-burning flame. In rare cases, the adularescent effect can range from teal to yellow, but this is more common in impure samples of Brynnestine. Pure crystals will almost always have a blue fire. The adularescence effect does not actually give off light or glow, and isn’t a light source. This effect only appears when it has a light source to refract. When mined carefully, harvesting of Brynnestine doesn’t generate a significant amount of powder, but if the mineral is crushed or ground up by accident while harvested, it poses a potential toxicity hazard to the harvester. Luckily, the powder will warn the harvester of its presence with its noxious, overpowering odor. Due to the heavy metals present in its chemical structure, most notably iron (II) and chromium, prolonged incidents of ingestion or inhalation of the powder can cause side effects of heavy metal poisoning. It is especially toxic to the bloodstream as a result. Brynnestine powder can also be absorbed, more slowly, through the skin, resulting in mild surface burns and evental blood poisoning if exposure persists. It is also a potential eye irritant, capable of scratching or burning the eyes. These effects can be avoided easily by wearing gloves, a face covering, and goggles. A lifetime of unsafe exposure to particulate matter from Brynnestine can result in weakness and health complications related to heavy metal poisoning. The constant giving off of heat means that ingestion can also induce fevers. Long term exposure to the heat can result in heatstroke, or direct contact with the skin can cause serious burns. Although it is tempting to try the same powder consumption technique used for the access of thanhium’s powers, given the mineral’s similarity to thanhium, the chemical structure of Brynnestine contains heavy metals that could potentially damage a mage’s hemoglobin and build up in their liver and nervous system. If taken in extreme excess (EX: ingesting more than a tablespoon of powder daily for at least a week), this would result in normal side effects related to heavy metal poisoning. Negative effects of poison via ingestion can be avoided by purging the mineral from the person’s stomach immediately after consumption, usually via vomiting. Ingestion is universally toxic to all living creatures who could reasonably be susceptible to heavy metal poisoning. Repeated inhalation over long periods of time could result in symptoms similar to asthma. The powder has a distinct acrid smell and strong metallic taste. The degraded form of the mineral is mostly inert, and has many of the same properties as rust, but can also contain traces of heavy metals that are toxic to the system. Harvesting Red Lines Pure crystals larger than an inch in length and width would require ST approval and appropriate gathering roleplay to obtain. Druzy, or tiny crusts of crystals within xenoliths, are more common and would likely not require ST approval- but would also have weaker geat-giving and mana-giving properties. Brynnestine is brittle and shatters easily, so care must be taken to harvest around the mineral. The material gives off an overpowering foul odor when chipped or scratched, which must also be roleplayed. The toxicity section is for people who repeatedly work on harvesting and refining the material and only those who have repeated exposure to the material. It is not an instakill poison. It cannot be used to powergame poison other players.Normal poison rules apply to Brynnestine inhalation and ingestion. It causes the same effects as any other form of heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metal poisoning accumulates after long periods of exposure and repeated ingestion and inhalation, and is not immediately toxic. One or two unsafe exposures to the powdered form of the mineral is not likely to cause long term serious damage. Repeatedly interacting with the solid form of the mineral will not cause long term serious damage. It is not radioactive. Even though the mineral may contain chromium or iron, it is in trace atomic amounts, and is not an ore for either metal. The foul odor given off by Brynnestine is not a poisonous gas or a vapor/miasma and cannot kill or harm anyone. There is no magical bonus or potential positive effect to intentionally ingesting Brynnestine. Material Name and Description (Powdered) When ground against a surface harder than itself, Brynnestine leaves behind an emerald green powder. This can be used in the identification of the mineral as it’s ‘streak,’ the characteristic colored powder left behind a mineral when scratched against a streak plate. But Brynnestine can also be purposefully powdered in order to have better access to its heat generating and mana generating properties. When powdered, Brynnestine more readily gives up its mana and heat, radiating both with more intensity as it rapidly deteriorates. Applications (Powdered) Powdered Brynnestine of high quality has stronger reactive properties than the crystalline mineral form, more readily giving off heat, and reacting faster with oxygen, water, and thanhium. Powdered Brynnestine can be dissolved in water to create an aqueous solution that is variably pale to extremely bright green, depending on the chromium content. Mixing more than a tablespoon of powder into water would cause a noticeable reaction, including boiling and spitting of the liquid and a dramatic change in color. It also degrades slowly over time when in direct contact with oxygen, the iron (II) in it slowly converting to rust. This happens much faster when the mineral is powdered, the powder degrading into a reddish-black substance over time, usually over the course of a month (24 irl hours) if not protected from oxygen. Due to this, the powdered mineral is best kept hermetically sealed in glass ampoules or under grease. The powdered form of Brynnestine has potential applications in alchemy as a fire symbol. Red Lines (Powdered) Powdered Brynnestine still cannot get hotter than 212 degrees F, 100 degrees C. However, powdered impure Brynnestine will give off more intense heat than solid impure Brynnestine. Powered Brynnestine degrades to an inert substance over 24 irl hours unless hermetically sealed. The inert form has no mana generating abilities or heat generating abilities. Unlike thanhium, adding the powdered mineral to molten iron would simply degrade the quality of the iron, and would not produce steel with any special properties. Refining Technique Brynnestine, to be powdered, must be ground against a surface with a higher hardness than 8.5. Most stone mortar and pestles are not this hard and will not evenly powder the mineral as a result. It can be crushed by hand or with a regular pestle, but this will not result in an even powder. It is recommended to wear gloves and a face mask when refining Brynnestine to avoid repeated exposure to the potentially toxic dust. Refining Red Lines Long term, prolonged incidents of ingestion or inhalation of the powder while refining can cause side effects of heavy metal poisoning, as detailed in the harvesting section. The powder will always give off a strong, noxious odor, comparable to burning hair or rotten eggs. The redlines of toxicity previously stated still apply. The powder cannot be used to powergame poison other players. Material Name and Description (Gemstone Quality) In rare cases, large samples of crystalline Brynnestine can make for attractive and possibly valuable jewels. In these cases, the crystals may be refined by polishing and faceting the surface. The attractive shades of green the crystal forms in, combined with its signature iridescent play of blue light, make it a desirable stone for jewelry- when samples of it are sufficiently cool so as not to burn the wearer. However, the heat given off by the stones may damage jewelry metals if care is not taken in the creation process. Poorly cut or scratched gemstones may over time develop a reddish-gray film on the surface, with a texture similar to wax or grease. This can be washed off, though it will probably eventually form again. Applications (Gemstone Quality) Jewelry and decorative pieces would be mostly flavor items, but could have some practical uses in roleplay as "batteries" for Kani users, or just for their ability to give off heat. Red Lines (Gemstone Quality) Large crystals of Brynnestine are rare in nature and would require ST approval if larger than an inch in length, plus adequate gathering roleplay. Previous redlines apply. Refining Technique Crystals can be worked like other precious minerals by cutting and polishing them. Those refining the crystal should be careful to wear masks and gloves to protect them from potentially toxic dust, and from the strong acrid smell the dust generates. Working with substantial pure samples of the mineral also requires heat protection, such as padded gloves or oven mitts, and proper cooling and ventilation of the surrounding area is recommended in general. Polishing with fine grit can create smooth, appealing cabochons, or the mineral can also be worked into faceted surfaces. The optical properties of Brynnestine make it appealing as short term wear jewelry, and chemically impure samples of Brynnestine can even be more desirable in these contexts for their gentler heat and more vibrant colors. Creating sculpted objects from the mineral is possible but extremely difficult due to the mineral’s brittle nature, and pieces of the sculpted object could easily snap off or chip upon impact with other surfaces. For this reason, a blade made of Brynnestine is entirely untenable for combat and would only have a function as a decorative art piece. Refining Red Lines Red lines from previous refining sections apply. A blade made of sculpted Brynnestine would shatter upon attempted use, and would only function as a decorative object. Material Name and Description (Trace) Trace amounts of the mineral can sometimes be dispersed through black basalt stone, making the stone slightly warm to the touch. This stone would give off almost negligible amounts of mana compared to crystals of the mineral, but still enough to feel a mild warmth from the stone. In this state, the basalt would look and behave like regular basalt, with the same properties as typical for the stone, with the only difference that the stone would radiate an extremely mild amount of heat, around 80 degrees F or 26.6 degrees C. Applications (Trace) Basalt with trace amounts of Brynnestine could be used architecturally, possibly as heated flooring or roofing that never accumulates snow. Warm stones could be used therapeutically or practically, since the heat they give off isn’t enough to burn the skin. Perhaps they could be carried while travelling through cold climates to help mitigate frostbite. Red Lines (Trace) In trace amounts, the heat given off by Brynnestine couldn’t be enough to burn skin. The mana given off by trace amounts of Brynnestine is negligible, Ie effectively nothing. While it is still generating some mana and weakening the veil slightly, it’s not enough to genuinely affect the world around it. Trace amounts of Brynnestine in stone are just a flavor addition to builds and items. Previous redlines apply. Refining Technique Basalt with Brynnestine traces can be refined in the same way regular basalt stone could be, via typical stonemasonry. You could use this to make sculptures, architectural additions, or small warmed stone items. Working with this stone will still give off some of the same foul odor as pure crystals, although to a significantly reduced degree. Refining Red Lines Red lines from previous refining sections apply. Purpose (OOC) -Adds more interest to pre-existing mineral lore, like thanhium. -Adds intrigue to blocks that will be added in the 1.16 update, like basalt/blackstone. -Expands the world lore by implying some geologic processes, and creates an incentive for players to engage with world creation lore and mana lore. -Provides new opportunities for Kani users. -Creates an incentive for players to engage with the map to look for mineral deposits. Citations:

+1

poggart +1

For the convenience of Other Maids of the grande Palace Augustine, I have penned a common and useful recipe which I make quite often for the nobility and guests. It is not an elaboret pastry, which is the businesse of the chefs to make instead, but something much easier which even new maids of the Palace can make if they know a tea party is planned for the day. Queen’s Loaf .-----~'`*`'~-----. Being a maid in the grande Augustine Palace for twenty years now, I have attended to a great many tea partys. The following recipe is for a loaf which is welle suited to serving beside a fair varietie of teas and with a fair varietie of toppings, though I believe it is best served with jelly or jam. You will need eggs, good quality milk and cream, plus butter you have melted and cooled, sugar, and one vanilla bean. You will also need flour and salt. You will also need strong arms. .-----~'`*`'~-----. Separate six eggs, and beat the whites with three tsp sugar and a bit of Cream of Tartar or lemon juice, until it hang off the whisk with soft peaks. In a separate bowl, mix two of those yolks with three tsp butter, a half cup milk, an eighth cup cream, and the scraping of a vanilla bean. Carefully incorporate a third of the beaten egg white into the yolk liquid by folding until the mixture is smooth, and then add the rest of the beaten egg white and mix until it is just barely incorporated. If you don’t know how to fold egg whites, it is done by scooping your spatula to the bottom of the bowl and then cutting through the middle in a line. Then, you fold one side onto the other. If you cannot understand how to do that, have someone else do it for you who can. Onto a sheet of parchmente, sift together one-and-a-half cups of flour and a good pinche of salt. Fold up the corners of the parchmente to pour this into the egg mixture. Fold again this carefully together until it is only barely mixed together. If there are a few streaks of unmixed powder left, that is okay. Ideally, if you have done this right, the batter will not have deflated at all and will still be light and fluffy with air from the beaten eggs. Grease a bread loaf pan with butter and add in your batter. Sprinkle the top with a pinche sugar if you like, and bake in an ofen until it has risen and cracked along the top. To tell if it is fullie baked, you may be inclined to peirce the thickeste point with a skewer and teste to see that it does not come out wet. Removed from the ofen, allow it to cool up-side-down in its pan until it is neutral to the touche, for several hours at least. Slice with a breadknife into reasonable slices and toast in a pan on both sides with butter until it has just lightlie goldened and serve with a suitable jelly or jam for pairing with the tea that has been requested by the nobility. I have also penned a recipe for a jelly whiche can be made ahead of time. A Wildflower Jelly made with Apples .-----~'`*`'~-----. I am fond of wildflower jellys, as I grew up scavenging for wilde plants and herbs. If you do not like the taste of wildflowers, the basic recipe of this jelly can be applied to fruits to make jam. You will need seven unripe tart apples, water, lemon juice, and sugar. You will also need a good quantity of Queen Anne’s Lace, relieved of the stems and leaves and cleaned in water. It is okay if the seeds of the flowers remain. .-----~'`*`'~-----. Wash but do not peel seven apples. Slice them into pieces, including the core but not the seeds. Put the pieces into a large pot with four cups water and two tbsp lemon juice and boil for most of an hour. Strain the mixture into a bowl with cheesecloth. Allow this to sit overnight so it strains all the way. Be sure to prepare this jelly well ahead of time, because it trulie does take all night to strain well and cannot be rushed! The next day, boil the mixture again until it is reduced by half. Then take it off the heat to allow it to cool. Then, add two cups of the bulb flowers of wild Queen Anne’s lace flowers. If you do not have Queen Anne’s lace, other carrot’s flowers will do. But take care not to mistake the flowers for poison hemlock, which look similar but lack hairs upon the stem and have loose bulbs with no blood-prick flower in the center. Also do not mistake the flowers for ragweed, which similarly have no hairs upon the stem, and have a looser bundle of flowers. If you do not know how to collect properly your herbs and distinguish them from other plants, do not make this jelly! Or make this jelly with a different flower that you know better how to identify. Do be warned that different flowers will alter the taste of the jelly. Allow the flowers to steep like tea in this pot, covered by the lid for an hour. Measure three cups of the liquid, strained, into a pot, and add the same cups of sugar plus one-half cup and two tbsp sugar. Boil and stir this until it is a jelly, which can be tested by pouring a small spoonful onto a flat surface to cool. When it cools, if it is a jelly, it will wrinkle when you push it with your finger. Remove from the heat at this pointe and skim any residue off of the jelly’s surface. When it is cooled, you can jar it like you would jar any other jelly, and it will last for a long while in a pantrie, or even longer in a cold store. This jelly is good for richer teas as it is tart and light in flavour, which makes a good contrast. But it is also good with light and herbal teas too, if this is the only jelly in the pantrie. Written by the hand of Rosary Fairfax, Head Maid of the Palace Augustine On the 18th of Sigismund’s End, Year 31 of the Second Age

This is great! i love to see more and more of the community banding together to try and make this a server that's safer and more welcoming to lgbtq+ players! but LOTC should really only be allowed to start bragging about how inclusive a community it strives to be when there's a serverwide response to the rampant transphobia in its community- one that includes actionable consequences for transphobia and homophobia. this shouldn't be a community where people feel comfortable being casually transphobic and transmisogynistic to me and my friends out of character. LOTC: -Doesn't allow new players to apply with transgender characters, only cis characters. -Has no specific rules in the general rules section that address transphobia or homophobia, creating loopholes for 'well intentioned' casual transphobia and homophobia to slip past the radar. -Has no specific rules in the roleplay rules section that address violent/potentially triggering acts of transphobia or homophobia, despite banning other sexually violent acts. -Has obstacle rules that prevent forms of gender transition in character based on past abuses. The LOTC community should not be complacent with the state of LGBTQ+ acceptance on the server. When my friends off-server express interest in joining, I feel as though I have to talk them out of joining to protect them from the environment here. I wish that weren't the case. The environment on this server can and should be more welcoming to all LGBTQ+ players and characters.

((IGN)): FlareGunCalamity ((DISCORD)): FlareGunCalamity#0063 NAME: Rosary Fairfax AGE: 30 OFFICE/S APPLYING FOR: Household (ARTS, CEREMONIES, HOUSEHOLD, RENZFELD STAFF) POSITION PREFERENCE 1: Head Maid POSITION PREFERENCE 2: Maid

At first, Rosary believed herself to take the news well. Ingrid and she hadn't been especially close at the time of her passing, she rationalized. She had moved on to bigger things. And Rosary was proud of her for that. And that was how Rosary got herself through the day, as silent as she ever was. And well after the sun had set over the Augustine, Rosary carried the last of the dirty bed-linens back up the narrow staircase to her quarters, as silent as she ever was. And as she thumbed through her keyring, the rest of the maids already fast asleep in their own rooms, she was as silent as she ever was for their courtesy. Paying no mind to the scrubbed out name beneath her own on the sign beside her door, she entered her bed chambers, ready to sleep off another long day. Something clicked into place in the tired old machine of her mind that night, seeing Ingrid's old nightstand in the corner of her room. It looked so lonely without a bed beside it. There was a thin film of dust covering the top. She never cleaned it- why would she? It wasn't hers. And the person it belonged to was gone. From this room. From her life. From this life. Forever. And Rosary cried.

You really should have warned us about this a month ago. You’re legitimately waiting until the day before the forums are being wiped to warn us about it? I’ve never been more disappointed in staff. Also, how are new players supposed to learn anything about the lore if old posts are indiscriminately wiped?

There honestly hasn’t been any genuine “medieval” fantasy on this server since maybe 2015.

Exactly. We don’t line up our timeline with the real world’s. Because we’re actually more advanced than Europe was in 1764. Many of the systems humans use daily in slice of life and political roleplay didn’t start developing into the same efficiency that we have them until the 1800’s, like bureaucratic taxation offices and city planning committees and public sewers and capitalist markets. Cities and towns were mostly governed by their local guilds or nobles in the Middle Ages, and while the power of those two groups was by 1764 starting to wane, they were by no means already entirely replaced. At this time in the real world, the vast majority of Europe was mercantilist, kings heavily wrapped up in consolidating their power from feudal lords so that they could tax and raise armies on their own. Meanwhile, Enlightenment philosophy had only just begun to put pressure on the monarchy to give land owning citizens a voice in their own government. There was no question of who to elect to run the taxation system or to govern their capital, because those bureaucracies didn’t exist yet, and even where they did, there was no voting on them. The political roleplay that happens in oren is far more radically modern than a musket would be. There is no clinging to an aesthetic of medieval role play at this point. We should just commit to what we’re actually roleplaying.

Lord of the Craft is not a medieval roleplay server. The Middle ages, which most historians agree ended at the beginning of the Renaissance in the late 1400’s, was characterized by primarily decentralized kingdoms, heavily dependant on feudal lords to run townships, raise militaries through their knighthoods, and collect taxes and staple food supplies from the serfs tied to their lands. Absolute monarchy, a system of government revolving around the absolute authority of the governing power of the king, arose in Europe around the 1600’s, after developments and inventions in Europe made it possible for kings to do what they once relied upon feudal lords for. Most notably, the musket, invented in 1615, allowed for kings to raise standing armies of untrained civilians without relying on noble houses and their knighthoods. These armies could enforce laws among peasantries, collect taxes from towns that went directly to the central government, and back up the king’s attempts to consolidate power into one solid monarchy. Absolute monarchy could not exist without the musket. LoTC is a post absolute monarchy roleplay server. It is a post musket roleplay server. The major nations of LoTC have electorate parliamentary governments with consistently standing layman guard forces, and regulated bureaucratic offices for efficiently collecting taxes from citizens: unheard of in Europe until well after the age of the musket. Parliamentary government was by and large a response to resentment among citizens towards their absolute monarchs, and bureaucracies for taxation developed as absolute monarchs could no longer rely on feudal lords for taxes after stripping them of their power. LotC has also long since passed mercantilism, a system which absolute monarchs were able to enforce along trade routes using their cannon-equipped privateers, and into a capitalist economy. The fact that LoTC has nations at all, instead of kingdoms based on dynastic succession of rulers, speaks numbers to the advancements LoTC has made past the middle ages. The concept of nationalism practically didn’t even exist until after the second French Revolution in the 1840’s, when citizens with guns revolted against the suppression of their idea of the french nation. All of these developments didn’t- and COULDN’T- happen until after europe had muskets! What I’m saying is, it’s actually more anachronistic and less sensical for LoTC not to have muskets. The fact that we keep clinging to the aesthetic of the middle ages while actively roleplaying modern systems is completely bonkers to me. Take five steps into Helena and tell me to my face that this is a medieval town and not a well-planned late 1700’s-1800’s city state with a strong central government. For god’s sake, the people don’t even wear medieval clothing. Women wear empire-waisted dresses emblematic of the neoclassical movement in early 1800’s fashion. Men wear suit coats- not even French habits, which were popular in the 1600-1700s, but suit coats, which look like they came out of industrial textile factories, not the small stone guild houses of the Middle Ages. And yet, we keep attacking every invention that might remind us that LoTC is past the Middle Ages- guns, soap, steam engines- so we can tell ourselves that this is still medieval roleplay. Honestly, it’s fine that LoTC isn’t medieval anymore. The Middle Ages were boring. Women couldn’t paint. Most towns didn’t have sewers. There was no upward mobility for anybody. The average man was legally enslaved to his lord’s farmland as a serf and couldn’t even keep all the crops he grew. Let’s embrace that we’re past the Middle Ages. Lets have some ******* guns.

It may not be an instakill weapon now, but people are definitely gonna use it as one. I hate to put the burden of exploitation on you, but theres literally no way someone’s gonna look at a quill tip poison knife and not think this is something that lets them nick an enemy and force them to go falling down foaming at the mouth like that one lady in waiting from Elizabeth. there’s a reason poisons are (banned? frowned upon? generally restricted?) it just makes for bad, powergamey roleplay, ESPECIALLY if it’s automatic stealth poison from a special knife.

+1 cough magic cough magic

I mean, coral cities is a cool aesthetic, and I think if you could pull it off, a coral-themed build would be pretty excellent. Just speaking from a mechanical standpoint, though, I think it’s pretty unlikely we’ll get an entire new playable race with water breathing as their core mechanic just straight up. as elves. Policing the potential abuse of that alone would be hell

What’s the name of the Minecraft account you're applying for?: knghtSiegmeyer What's your MAIN Minecraft Account name?: FlareGunCalamity Have you logged in as a wandering soul on the account you're applying for? (you have to): This account is already whitelisted, the previous owner is giving it to me. Do you agree to follow the server rules on your new account?: Yes. Do you understand you cannot have both of these accounts interacting with one another? This will result in a ban if you are caught!: Yes. Do you understand that if one account is banned, so will be the other(s)?: Yes. How long have you been on LotC?: 4 years How many accounts do you currently have white-listed (including main)?: One

Dude this is like all I ever roleplay sign me the hell up

I can't upload the image directly, so here's the Tumblr post!