Rhonir

RP should be accepted by request. Some of us don't have good processors or gpu's... I myself play at 15 FPS at most... That puts me at a severe disadvantage. If someone requests for a rp fight and puts in a reason, it should be took.

What exactly is a soul? Is it what keeps you alive? What makes you run? What makes you think? That is a common argument. How can evolution explain the soul? Consciousness? Of course, the explanation is never listened to. The fossil record that we have, which is huge by the way, shows a steady increase in cranial capacity, sprouting from the closest we have to the common ancestor with chimpanzees, Sahelanthropus tchadensis to what would have looked like a bipedal chimpanzee, Australopithecus afarensis, and moving down the line to Homo habilis, Homo Erectus, and eventually, Homo sapiens. Sadly, I will not post a full list of the fossil record, for it would be far to long to put on a forum post. Sahelanthropus tchadensis: Austrolopithicus afarensis: Homo habilis: Homo erectus: Finally, Homo sapiens: You cannot simply disregard this seamless transition. If you want to believe that somewhere along the line, a 'soul' was 'injected' into what would be considered Homo sapiens, be my guest. But there is no evidence for some breath of life, or against it. There is just information suggesting otherwise. If souls refers to thought processes, that that is also a misconception. What happens in our head is basically a computer. Albeit, the most powerful computer in the world. It is many neurons that send electrical signals to produce thoughts, feelings, and emotions. We also think that we are not the only ones to have consciousness. Chimpanzees share 98% of our DNA. Perhaps they also have complex thought processes as well. We cannot keep thinking of ourselves as unique creatures. We are just one of the millions of organisms on this planet, and it's time we start acting like it. If we stop feeling that we are special animals, above the others, then that will be the downfall, because ultimately, we share this planet.

I think that some skills should be intertwined, and be raised simultaneously. Like, if a person is a master Fletcher, wouldn't it just make sense that they are at least a half-way decent archer? But not the other way around. See what I mean? I think that would add a bit of realism. Like if you are a Fletcher, you get a boost in archery.

((Feel free to PM me with any questions Jillian is my character.))

[OOC] MC Name: ThePrroman Timezone: EST Skype/Teamspeak (other means of communication): ^ [RP] Name: Jillian Race: Human Occupation: Brothel Lady Do you own a house: No Clan/Guild/Group (Optional): Honeycomb Hideout How do you know Rosso? (Optional): I met him while he was working What do you wish to achive in Vaerhaven? (Optional): To survive.

[OOC] MC Name: ThePrroman Timezone: Eastern Standard Skype/Teamspeak (other means of communication): Skype: prash6999 TS: ThePrroman [RP] Name: Rhonir Draug Race: Wood Elf Occupation: Biologist Do you own a house: No. Clan/Guild/Group (Optional): None How do you know Rosso? (Optional): We are close friends. What do you wish to achive in Vaerhaven? (Optional): To expand on my Biological Theories

When you give up on finding something and credit it to a supernatural force, that's basically giving up. Please watch this video. Watch the entire thing. It will show you what I mean, because I cannot explain it in this text. If you don't believe Neil deGrasse Tyson, then look up his credentials.

Yeah, but in your post about Throwing axes, you should tell about how they can be used in close quarters effectively.... I play too much Assassin's Creed III. XD

Maybe you should add something like tomahawks. I've seen plenty of people role play them. They have a lighter ax head than the one-handed battle ax you described, and therefore have an extremely quick attack speed. I think that would be a cool addition to this amazing guide. I'll show a few pictures here so you can get an idea. They are also throw-able, which I'd like to add. Here is one showcasing the dual wielding and the speed of the Tomahawk. Edit: Removed long boring video

Unique, stay on topic. This is evolution vs. creationism. Not marriage equality. Listen to what Song Druid said.

The tools were found next to neanderthalis skeletons. So, in theory, the neandarthals could have been killed by humans who left the tools there right next to them, but since the findings were so common it was decided the tools were made by neandarthals. Keep in mind, though, that tools does not signify sentience; crows use tools to get their food, chimpanzees use tools to grind up food, orangutangs have been observed fishing using makeshift stick-spears. (Sorry for messing up the quote. This was said by Незнакомец) The tools used by Chimpanzees, crows, and Orangutans are rather simple tools. Chimps use rocks to grind, and occaisionally sticks to hunt. Same for Orangutans. Crows also only use simple tools. The Neanderthal spear heads are much more complex than those of the Chimp or Orangutan. They have consistent shape, and have been carved through a long process of developing tools. And who's to say that Chimpanzees aren't Sentient. They have large brains, have social structures, protect each other and share 98.6% of our genome. But even if that isn't enough to prove the Neanderthal's Sentience, perhaps the paintings in Spain can. Please refer to the original pot for my explanation of the Paintings, and look below to see how the paintings were dated. Radiocarbon Calibration is the most likely method used to date these artifacts. I can't explain it better than about.com, so I'll quote from them. "All living things exchange the gas Carbon 14 (C14) with the atmosphere around them—animals and plants exchange Carbon 14 with the atmosphere, fish and corals exchange carbon with dissolved C14 in the water. Throughout the life of the animal or plant, the amount of C14 is perfectly balanced with that of its surroundings. When an organism dies, that equilibrium is broken. The C14 in a dead organism slowly decays at a known rate: its "half life". The half life of an isotope like C14 is the time it takes for half of it to decay away: in C14, every 5,730 years, half of it is gone. So, if you measure the amount of C14 in a dead organism, you can figure out how long ago it stopped exchanging carbon with its atmosphere. Given relatively pristine circumstances, a radiocarbon lab can measure the amount of radiocarbon accurately in a dead organism for up to 50,000 years ago; after that there's not enough C14 left to measure." If an organism is older than 50,000 years old, than they use Argon-40 or other materials.

How can you fill in the blanks? What if it said, You must eat the fish from the sea! Does that mean you can't eat cows, or squid?

In their time period, religion was a perfectly valid excuse to kill others. It was regarded as law of the land. And Evolution is no valid excuse to kill others. Just because a few people take a misconception and preach that as evil does not make it a valid reason to kill others. And how do we know these tools were not used by humans? I'll explain. It is not speculation at all. It is proven fact. Aside from the fact that these tools were found at Neanderthal campsites that were dated to predate any human settlement in the region, and they did not match wounds in dead Neanderthals (to show that they were not used by humans), Homo sapiens sapiens had a completely different style of tools than Neanderthals. The images I showed in my previous post were in specific, Neanderthal Spear heads. I will show another image below, (being a replica of the spear) This spear was long, heavy, and was distinctly large pointed. This made this spear cumbersome and impossible to throw. This made the Neanderthal Spears mostly used as stabbing weapons. Do not try to refute the fact that Neanderthals used tools. There is no evidence that shows they did not use stone axes, flint knives, and spears. I digress. Humans on the other hand, had the upper hand, or spear I should say. With coming climate changes and whatnot, species were forced to adapt or face destruction. Early hominids did not receive special treatment. Homo Sapiens developed spears which were very similar to the one pictured below. Notice the ratio of the size of the spear head to the length and width of the spear. This weapon was throw-able, and for the first time, gave the Humans range. Range that the Neanderthals did not have. This competition, coupled with the fact of the caloric consumption of their burly bodies, probably led to the Neanderthal's demise. If you still think that Neanderthals did not use tools, I would be glad to show you more pictures and evidence. But there has to be a point where the amount of evidence proves it to be a fact. Thank you, ThePrroman

I commend this. I was only pointing out the flaws in Hammer's argument. I understand that anyone can be a good person, regardless of their religion or philosophy. I was pointing out that Hammer said that people who, before the discovery of evolution, that were Christians were the 'morally right, perfect people'. He also claimed that Evolution 'allowed' people to do bad things. I was showing that Evolution had no difference in what people were doing, good or bad, and that he was being an extreme hypocrite. Christians are not inherently bad. It is only that people who seek justifications for their actions interpret Bible verses, (or Qu'ran, Torah, or any religious text for that matter) in a way that benefits them, and use that as justification. Thanks for taking the time to respond, ThePrroman.

So you are saying that humanity basically requires a giant blackmail of an ultimatum of eternal destruction in order to do the 'right' thing. That is a bleak view on humanity and that is insulting to me, and every non-christian on the planet. Your claim that before evolution Christianity was the 'norm'. It is sickening. Let's use Darwin's publication of On the Origin of the Species in 1859 as a benchmark for the beginning of Evolutionary thinking. Now let's begin. Around 1830, a religious movement called 'Manifest Destiny' came around in the United States. People felt that they were called by god to expand the country to the Pacific ocean. This would require the displacement of Millions of Native Americans west of the Mississippi. And they did it. Justification? The land belonged to them. Even though many of the Native American Nations had been given the land they lived on by the United States, and the land legally belonged to the Native Americans, the white people basically ignored that and took the land. They said that god gave them the land and 'Savage, God Hating Injuns' had no claim to the land they lived on. Not one Evolutionist among them. Where was the morals you said they had? Even before that, long before the birth of Darwin himself, came the Spaniards to America. This was in the 1500's and early 1600's. (Forgive me if my dates aren't exact.) The Spaniards came and commonly said the goal was God, as in spreading Catholicism, Gold, or finding riches, and Glory, by claiming the land for Spain. They encountered a native people known as the Tainos, a peaceable people who lived on the Caribbean Islands. When Christopher Columbus encountered these people, they presented him with gifts and friendliness. In his journal he wrote, ""They are artless and generous with what they have, to such a degree as no one would believe but him who had seen it. Of anything they have, if it be asked for, they never say no, but do rather invite the person to accept it, and show as much lovingness as though they would give their hearts." Later in the letter Columbus went on to say:"their Highnesses may see that I shall give them as much gold as they need .... and slaves as many as they shall order to be shipped." And so he did. Within half a century, the Tainos were declared an extinct people, as they were brutally murdered, enslaved, and tortured for gold. His motive was that these people were not Christian, and therefor did not have rights. Evolution played absolutely no factor in his actions. Now let's go back to mainland North America. It's 1760 (ish), and Pennsylvanian farmers are taking native lands from peaceful tribes that had agreements with the crown. They claimed that the heathen savages did not deserve to live on 'Christian Soil,' or breath 'Christian Air,' and raided and pushed back the Natives. Even those who were taken into custody to protect them were broken out, then mobbed to death. The mobbers definitely believed in an afterlife, and the blackmail that you pose is so powerful it can stop all crime. Now let's go ahead to 1840 in North America. Here, Christianity is often portrayed as the religion that said that slavery was immoral and evil. But it also was the same religion that slave captors and slave owners used to justify their actions to themselves and others. They picked their own choice Bible verses to preach. They said that since the Africans were savage, devil worshiping, 'cannibals,' (Even though Cannibalism was never majorly documented in Africa) it was a favor to enslave them, Christianize them, and 'civilize them'. The point I am making is Humanity has always used something to justify their actions. You say that after evolution, people could get away with anything, and that is a lie, because before evolution, people could get away with anything as well. People always use something to justify what they do, and to point out that something that has been misinterpreted and misused a few times does not make the actuality of it false, nor does it make the misuse of every other thing false, as religion, as I have shown in this post, has definitely caused bad actions. There has been no change of actions to others since the discovery of evolution. Dictators still commit genocides, people still kill. You cannot pin these actions on one particular thing. Especially if the thing you defend has caused ten times as much death as the thing you argue against. Thank you ThePrroman

Well, it's called finding skeletons in unnatural positions with unnatural surroundings. For example, in one of the most famous, Shanidar IV, we found large amounts of pollen from flowering plants surrounding the corpse of the Neanderthal. These flowers, which included Yarrow, Cornflower, Bachelor's Button, St. Barnaby's Thistle, Ragwort, Grape Hyacinth, Joint Pine or Woody Horsetail and Hollyhock (T. D. Stewart, Shanidar Skeletons IV and VI) are also known for their medicinal properties. Among other Neanderthal Grave sites lay grave goods like bison bone and ochre pigment. If this does not count as enough evidence for an ancient burial, I have no idea what does. (Above) ^ A representation of the burial of Shanidar IV, based on the skeleton's position and pollen deposits on and around the skeleton. As for tools and observing the world. Neanderthals definitely used a variety of tools. They used spears, axes, and knives to hunt. Although their tool box was not has large as ancient Homo Sapiens at the time, they still had a large one of specialized weapons to use for hunting and other necessities. (Below) A few Neanderthal shaped points for spears They also used a variety of traps and definitely used fire. As for understanding the world around them, these Neanderthals were among the world's first artists. They painted what they saw in caves and other available canvasses. (Below) A Neanderthal Cave Painting found in Spain, possibly the oldest found yet. The dating of this cave art predates Homo Sapiens settlement in the region. So as you can see, you don't require a time machine to see into the past. Think of it like the scene of a crime. Using evidence available, you can formulate what happened accurately. This is more than enough evidence to testify for the Neanderthal's intelligence. Thankyou, ThePrroman

When you say that the Evolution of Intelligent lifeforms has only happened once, I am compelled to dispute that. For example, many other 'Intelligent' life forms have had evidence for evolving as well. For example, Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals, shared a common ancestor with Homo sapiens, or modern humans. They had a cranial capacity that is comparable to the size of a human's. Neanderthals buried their dead, and observed the world around them, using tools and fire. Only one of these many different 'intelligent lifeforms' survived to modern day. But this is supported by Natural Selection, as the struggle for life would eventually have only one of these survive. As for the Neanderthal's demise, it may have not even been their 'inferior' minds, which I have asserted was not a defining or degrading factor, but their bulky bodies. These heavy set hominids required about 5,000 calories per day, compared to the Human's average consumption of about 2,000 calories. As for Agnosticism, not committing oneself to a side of a conflict until the evidence is in is always a respectable choice. However, on the topic of Evolution, the evidence is in. I will not devote this post to provide evidence, but it is there, and it is easily accessible. Have a good one, ThePrroman

-Ignore Re-post :3-

What I am saying with a few tiny holes is that in contrast to the huge amount of evidence we do have. I'll show you some. Skulls of 1. Gorilla 2. Australopithecine 3. Homo erectus 4. Neanderthal (La-Chapelle-au-Seine) 5. Steinheim Skull 6. Modern human ​This definitely shows a steady increase in cranial capacity, as this is the most likely course of human evolution, with the gorilla except, and Neanderthal sharing a common ancestor, instead of being a direct ancestor. There is even more evidence that supports evolution. In Richard Dawkin's Book, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, he discusses the most famous hole, The Precambrian Explosion. Creationists see the Precambrian Explosion and suddenly say, 'Oh! This is definitely evidence for creation! Evolution could never accomplish this!" Perhaps that maybe, just maybe, conditions were not suitable for fossilization, and that is why we see a sudden burst? Just saying. Need more evidence to put the hole into proportion? Take whales. Even modern day whales have vestigial legs that have no purpose. Now put this in relation with whale ancestors, and see the slowly decreasing size of the Whale limb. A beautiful tree that shows powerful explanations. Vestigial organs are quite possibly the most powerful evidences for evolution. For example, Humans still have genes for growing tails, chickens still have genes for growing teeth, and the whales presented above still have remnants of limbs. Here's to a toothed chicken. Given the mutation, the gene locking the gene for growing teeth is eroded. And boom! Toothed Chicken. As Richard Dawkins said, "I shall emphasize .... that we don't need fossils in order to demonstrate that evolution is a fact. The evidence for evolution would be entirely secure, even if one single corpse had ever fossilized" (Dawkins 165). I hope that this cleared the misconception that Evolution has so many holes and there for it is not possible. On the contrary, these holes get filled up, one after the other, and creationists just keep pointing more out. Thank ya, G'bai! Edit 1: ---Sorry about the highlited text on the top... I am a noob and don't know how to fix it. Sorry if it bothers you. :)--- Edit 2: Spelling Errors Edit 3: Posting Edit 1,2, and 3. :D

Is the world so far behind that this issue still has to be debated? Let's put it straight, The only "evidence" creationism is pointing out the extremely small and decreasing gap in the fossil record. Seriously. Look at what we DO have, not the few tiny little holes....

Thanks for all the support guys!

Thanks so much for the support guys! If you can get friends to add their profiles as well, it would really help! Let's go as far as we can! Hopefully, adding the lore will get so many more wood elves!

Wow! I didn't expect a response that quickly! :D I am doing these interviews because I want the lore to be an average of the players, if you get what I'm saying. We could collaborate together on this. We could merge our results together and get a shimmering diamond! Thanks for supporting me, and I hope to collaborate with you in the future, ThePrroman. PM me if you have anything else to say.

Wood Elven Lore Or At Least my Attempt As anyone who has a wood elven character would know, the Mali'ame are among the least documented among the races in the world of Anthos. This is my attempt to remedy that issue. I will approach this in steps. I will gather information on every wood elven character I can. This will be done through interviews that will be done on this topic. Keep in mind that this will be OOC, so be free to tell everything about your character. I will then take the most recurring themes from the interviews, see if they match the existing lore, which is not much. I will then refine and edit the lore to make it make sense, and give it an air of professionalization. I will then submit this lore to the Admins, and then we'll find out if its any good! What You Can Do If you have a wood elven character, then please fill out the interview sheet about your character below. If you don't have a wood elven character, but want to help the community, then please reply to get this topic support. The Interview Please answer the following questions in a reply to the topic. Thanks! What is your Wood Elven Character's name? : What is your IGN? : What is your Character's Personality? : What is your Character's typical garb? : What is your Character's religious/spiritual views? : How was your Character's upbringing? What is your character's physical prowess/physical skills/fighting ability? : Does your character have any craftsmanship skills? If so, name and describe them. Ex: Fletchery, Carpentry, etc. Do you feel that your character is a typical wood elf? Explain your answer and reasoning.: What is your character's main proffesion? Any side jobs/hobbies?: Anything else you might want to add or suggest? : A Bad Interview The example I am presenting to you below is an example of a bad interview that will not be added into the masses. What is your Wood Elven Character's name? : Rhonir Draug What is your IGN? : ThePrroman What is your Character's Personality? : Nice What is your Character's typical garb? : Green Stuff What is your Character's religious/spiritual views? : He doesn't care How was your Character's upbringing?: He grew up in the woods What is your character's physical prowess/physical skills/fighting ability? : He is good with a bow Does your character have any craftsmanship skills? If so, name and describe them. Ex: Fletchery, Carpentry, etc. : He can make a good bow. Do you feel that your character is a typical wood elf? Explain your answer and reasoning.:Yup. He is pretty normal. What is your character's main proffesion? Any side jobs/hobbies?: He likes to hunt. Anything else you might want to add or suggest? : Nah. As you could see, that was pretty bad, and would not help in creating the lore that wood elves need. A Good Interview Now I will show you what I will be accepting. It doesn't have to be as thorough, and it can be more thorough, however, this is what I more or less need out of you. What is your Wood Elven Character's name? : Rhonir Draug What is your IGN? : ThePrroman What is your Character's Personality? : Rhonir is very kind to others. He has on multiple occasions gone out of his way to help people. However, he does have limits. If his trust in someone is broken, then it takes a lot of healing to have it rebuild. Rhonir believes in protection of the innocent, as well as nonviolence when ever it is possible. What is your Character's typical garb? : Under the coat he has been using recently, Rhonir wears a green tunic, with dark green undershirt. He also wears dark green trousers. He uses brown, leather boots, and wears his leather belt. He usually has his quiver strapped to his back. What is your Character's religious/spiritual views? : Rhonir does not know if there are or not divine beings. He, however, has utmost respect for the natural world, and would do things out of his way to protect it. How was your Character's upbringing?: Rhonir grew up in a small, predominantly Mali'ame settlement in the woods of Malinor. He lived in tree homes and learned to shoot a bow from an incredibly young age, and has mastered the art. What is your character's physical prowess/physical skills/fighting ability? : Rhonir is competent at close quarter combat, but prefers to use his bow. He made it himself out of the finest yew, pecan, and hickory trees he could find. He can shoot an arrow every two seconds, and can fire with deadly precision. He has trained for over a century. Does your character have any craftsmanship skills? If so, name and describe them. Ex: Fletchery, Carpentry, etc. Rhonir is a highly skilled fletcher. He has made himself his own masterfully carved bow that rivals the power of some of the finest in the land. He is very meticulous when crafting his bows, as they are very precise in their designs. Do you feel that your character is a typical wood elf? Explain your answer and reasoning.: I'd say that Rhonir, due to his upbringing, skillset, and garb, is a fairly typical wood elf. If the most generic wood elf was 0, and the most atypical wood elf ever was a 10, I'd give Rhonir a 3.5. What is your character's main proffesion? Any side jobs/hobbies?: Rhonir is an archer by trade, and fights for the sentinels as an archer. He is also a biologist and loves studying animals and plants, as well as spending time outdoors. Anything else you might want to add or suggest? : Good job with your efforts. Good luck! So that's a good example. As I said, it doesn't have to be that good, or it can be better. If you don't have the time, I understand, but try to get around to it. The more I get, the better the lore will be. I hope that this attempt will go well. Yours truly, ThePrroman.

MC Name: ThePrroman Full RP Name: Rhonir Draug Race: Elf Occupation: Fletcher and Biologist Skype/Teamspeak (other means of communication): Skype: prash6999 Clan/Guild (Optional): None How do you know Ferron? (Optional): We have met each other several times through my arrival at Vearhaven. What do you wish to achive in Vaerhaven? (Optional): I wish to establish a Biology class and profession, as well as create a fletchery.