Xarkly

Correct, alongside any other 1 slot magic.

yes the 3+ pages of debate are an illusion

I have been specifically told by Naz players (Leyd being the most recent example) when fighting them that Malflame does seep through gaps. I know it's not in the current Naz redlines; I'm unfamiliar with Pallodium's guide and will read it later. Ring of Carolus is not eternal, the Mechanics state it only lasts for 3 emotes, which is weaker than the proposal you're making her (as it collapses after 3 emotes no matter what). I'm not sure I follow and I might be misunderstanding; is the suggestion that we cap this to the strength of a shortbow? The goal is not to create an aesthetic alternative to mundane weapons. If this is your suggestion, a shortbow would be stronger than this Tier 5 spell in every scenario because you're not incurring the drawbacks of Sacred Aurum and Despair by using it. While you're not wrong, I'm not sure these examples are actually practical - it wouldn't ever affect someone charging a spell because it's an immediate counterattack to a melee attack. It's also not my understanding that burning mandates skipping your next melee attack, but we can add a Redline to this effect anyway. 1st degree burns in the context of Lotc CRP are quite insignificant so I'm not entirely convinced that change is needed, but I'll discuss with Julius. The spell is mostly based on one target, though. It causes a 'sharp pain' in the ears of those within 8 blocks, but that's the only AoE effects and the Mechanics specifically say that this does no real damage and does not interrupt actions. Could you elaborate a bit more on if that side-effect presents any major issues? Harald's Ram is definitely one of the most formidable spells. The idea of the staggered knockback was just to account for the very-real factor of different characters being different sizes. Do you feel like this is something that should be overlooked for simplicity's sake? How do you mean 'right there' for? The balancing factor of this spell is the fact that the bubble travels so that an enemy can intercept it. While I appreciate the hesitation, I think 5 uninterupted emotes is an extremely generous window to intercept the spell, especially given that it only affects familiars in a 5 block radius. This means that you have 5 turns to do anything to interupt the casting, which I think mitigates its on-paper power. If you let someone charge a spell for 5 emotes and let them come within 5 blocks of you, that seems like an error on the part of the summoner, surely. I'll familiarise myself with Vigorous Blow and reflect. What is your thought process? The healing from Avenel's Glassbalm is objectively quite powerful. Per what I mentioned earlier, I will take a look at Pallodium's lore guide to see if it provides any additional insight. My understanding from Naz players is that Malflame does seep through armour cracks etc. I'll reflect on this with Julius - as someone who plays a creature that utilises a lot of possession, I don't think this is broken but rather a tool that interacts with those kinds of spells. To my (limited) knowledge, no other magic does this and it fits with the identity of magic-priests very well. In general thanks for the feedback.

Tier Progression and the time it takes is listed under 'Connection & Progression'. As for your example of a civil war etc., the idea was that the souls of the Seven Skies wouldn't 'take sides' nor withhold their blessings. This is just to keep things simple; the Seven Skies are not necessarily adherent to the Church. While most deceased humans would be Canonist, they are not all. The actual Seven Sky lore is mostly concerned with vaguer, general concepts of 'virtue' and 'good', which I think could justify overlooking any infighting within the magic or becoming too contingent on the Church.

It might just be a case that we're not super well-versed in the usual norms of lore submission. My general understanding was that Mechanics was an OOC explanation of how XYZ worked, while Redlines were specific caveats as to what that thing can/cannot do. I.e., Mechanic explains that your bow takes 2 emotes to fire an arrow, and Redlines stipulate that you can't use your bow as a zipline. Length-wise, it would be good to consolidate them if that's the norm. This is something I'll add, thanks. Good point; when I'm making big changes tomorrow I'll splice these for ease of reading. So, Arclight is specifically used in spells where it provides more utility than just bonking someone with your Catalyst. For instance, Felder's Blade conjures Arclight at range, while Arclight Forge allows you to temporarily change what kind of weapon your Catalyst is based on what's optimal in a given combat scenario. Your Sacred Aurum Catalyst will usually be stronger than Arclight because it has the effects of aurum - Arclight is used for versatility. Sure, another good point. While it's mostly an aesthetic mirroring (asides from the caveat it must touch skin), I don't think it's any harm to make official reference to it with a link. I'll figure out where best to add this. Everything that makes it easier to read would help, so I'll do this tomorrow, thanks for the suggestion. Thanks for the feedback in general, it's particularly useful to get critique on the actual contents of the submission, which is what we're primarily keen on refining so we can move towards a final product. If only forums had working tables of contents ... Sure, I do get what you mean and fully accept that. But is this a novel issue? What stops the same from happening with Templars? While there aren't a lot of Templars, we also have a mechanic that prevents 3+ Adherents from participating in the same fight. So, in the same vein, what stops a bunch of Templars from stacking with 20-30 footsoldiers? What stopped Paladins from doing the same, in theory? I'm not saying it's not an issue, but moreso wondering whether this is more of an inherent hazard with all magics.

Canonism in recent times has widely interacted with Dark Magic groups and attempted to act as rivals to them, to what I would argue is a far more impactful extent than holy magic groups of the past. I don't think there needs to be a 'counter' for something to be widespread, in the same way that no other magic with a racial focus (and not racial exclusivity) needed to be, i.e. shamanism, golemacy, druidism. TA slots are an inherent in-built feature to bloat or 'stacking' in any magic, and Canon Adherence is no exception to that. Going back to the why, Canonism's only real advantage in its current encounters with Dark Magic is numbers - this is not a good thing, as it complicates CRP fights vastly. The reason why numbers are depended upon as an advantage, however, is because Canonist humans don't really have any tools to form a meaningful and dynamic rivalry with Dark Magic, where there's an actual back-and-forth. They can't interact with curses, blights, spells, etc. You can point to Templarism to an extent here, but - as Sam put it well on the last thread - this is kind of a shoehorned application of a magic that doesn't actually have anything to do with the underlying roleplay and themes of Canonism (it other words, its use is incidental).

This is something I meant to add into the redlines but forgot - yes, it's meant to be rounded down. Thanks a lot for spotting that, I'll make that adjustment.

No - this is something spoken about on the last draft, but raw numbers are not the components to create a compelling rivalry in roleplay. The tools to actually compete against one another (i.e. holy vs dark spells) are much more relevant. The idea here is not to stack humans against darkspawn (since there's a specific redline in this document against that), but rather provide tools and spells that make that interaction a more meaningful one that lasts beyond a random raid here and there. Yes - this magic draws power from the Seven Skies (the human afterlife). While many humans believe God/the Creator is in the Seven Skies, this is, in reality, not the case in lore.

I think I might be missing the point - by not making it 5 slots, wouldn't you just be opening this hypothetical up to 'more power'? Since you can pick up another magic? Not so much rep, but publicity. It attracts more views (and therefore more feedback) if its a visible topic on the forums than if we just re-pinged in various Discords.

Would be great if you could leave your elaborated input. The changelog features 39 current entries from last time. As the WIP tag implies, there's more work to be done and that requires communal feedback.

⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ “I don’t know if anyone’s listening.” Before the altar, the Soldier knelt on the polished tiles with his hands clasped in prayer. He braced himself for the darkness, and closed his eyes; it was in that darkness that the memories lurked, and where they haunted him unbidden. “God, or … my ancestors … anyone.” “But if you can hear me,” whispered the Mother from the corner of her firelit’s hut as she clutched an oaken cross, and the northern wind rattled the shutters. “Then please …” “ … Help me,” muttered the Knight, slouched before a fresh-cut marble headstone. The gilt lettering of the name he could not bear to read on the stone shone in the moonlight. The memories swarmed the Soldier - clawing his way free from the mound of corpses, the butchered remains of his kinsmen draped in flags, and the look on his daughter’s face when she proudly proclaimed she had enlisted in the King’s army. “It all keeps happening …” “ … and I can’t stop it.” The Mother’s voice trembled as she forced herself to look to her bed across the cottage, and the cot beside it. They were both empty, robbed of the smiling faces they once sheltered. “I can’t forget …” “ … and I can’t forgive.” The Knight glared through budding tears at the grave, and then the scabbarded sword at his side. For all his training, for all his prowess, he had been powerless when it mattered - powerless when she had needed him. “So what …” “ … is the point?” The Soldier quelled the surge of grief with a shaky breath. The one memory he feared most, his daughter’s trampled corpse atop a mass pyre, burned in his mind. Battle to battle, war to war; it was always the same. “So, if you are really there …” “ … if you are really listening,” The Mother gripped the cross until her knuckles bled; it was not fear that roiled in her now, but rage - rage towards the demon, with scales as red as hell and horns as twisted as sin, they had spirited away her newborn daughter, and guttered her husband when he tried to save her. “ … if you truly do care,” Dejected, the Knight unbuckled his scabbard, and let the sword clatter to the ground. He could never have fought the illness that too his sister-in-arms; that was a foe steel could never fell. “Then, I ask you of you … please ..” “Grant me your aid.” Within the Soldier, something bloomed. Within the Mother, something burned. Within the Knight, something blossomed. Their prayers had called out. And something had answered. ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ Canon Adherence is a Holy Magic. This niche, broadly defined as roleplay and themes associated with the ‘greater food’ and competing with their Dark Magic counterparts, benefits from a new approach in Canon Adherence, which is designed to interface with larger human playerbases who are traditionally estranged from the magical side of the server. With that in mind, the goal of this submission is to foster a roleplay climate where this Holy Magic has a tangible presence within communities. In the most fundamental terms, Canon Adherence aims to (1) serve as a ‘mainstream’ Holy Magic, whose impact is widely felt, (2) foster a dynamic rivalry with Dark Magic groups, and (3) provide substantial lore & magic outreach into some of the Server’s traditionally non-magic communities. What is Canon Adherence? What kind of magic is it, and how many Slots does it require? What is the power-source of Canon Adherence? Is this a Human-only magic? Is this a ‘Canonist’ magic? Then why are there so many Canonist references in this lore? What’s with all the branching Paths and spells? ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ NUMEN ITAS The Holy Light is the essence of the Seven Skies, imbued with an Adherent. It is only by virtue of the Holy Light that an Adherent is capable of channelling Sanctus, and casting Prayers. A popular mantra within Canon Adherence is that the Seven Skies is one side of the ocean, whose shores are abundant with Sanctus, while the Holy Light serves as a bridge that carries that Sanctus across the ocean to the other side - the Mortal Plane. Instilled within an Adherent during their connection ritual, the Holy Light smoulders as an ethereal golden glow inside them. EORUM VOLUNTAS AETERNA Sanctus is the deific mana of the Seven Skies. All Prayers of Canon Adherence are fuelled by this celestial power. With the bounty of energy in the afterlife, patron souls are capable of bestowing its power onto those who yet live in the hope that they will champion a cause that they themselves would have laboured to achieve in life. Sanctus manifests both when an Adherent charges a Prayer, and casts it, typically as a warm, glassy-gold light that grows more vivid as an Adherent becomes more powerful. General Sanctus Mechanics Thresholds Prayers of varying complexity require different potencies of Sanctus to invoke - the more powerful a Prayer, the more Sanctus it requires to be cast. An Adherent cannot channel Prayers indefinitely, and the amount of Sanctus they can use is determined by the strength of their Holy Light, which grows as an Adherent masters their craft. Threshold Mechanics Sanctus Restoration Sanctus can be a cumbersome energy to replenish once it has been sapped. While an Adherent’s Holy Light will gradually rekindle Sanctus over time, this is a slow process. It can, however, be expedited through two means - meditating at a sacred altar of Lesser Consecration or Greater Consecration, or performing sacraments. Regeneration Mechanics Despair To be graced by Sanctus is a euphoric sensation, one that endows an Adherent with courage and tranquillity. So sublime is it, though, that to be bereft of Sanctus is a harrowing affair that leaves an Adherent overcome with a crippling spiritual weakness known simply as ‘Despair’. As an Adherent gradually exhausts their Sanctus, Despair manifests as a progressive loss of willpower and optimism. Eventually, they are sapped even of the will to fight. Despair Mechanics SCITOTE ME ADVENTUM Canon Adherence is an art of order. Therefore, it is little surprise that there are conditions that must be observed when an Adherent invokes a Prayer, and certain realities they must contend with. Of chief note in this regard is that Canon Adherence is not a subtle magic; no matter whether an Adherent is invoking a Prayer or casting one, the manifestation of Sanctus will betray their endeavours with its radiant golden glow, even if the Adherent is attempting to mask their intention. Furthermore, calling upon the Seven Skies for aid is an act of spiritual discipline; even the greatest practitioners of Canon Adherence must commit a great deal of focus in order to successfully invoke a Prayer, and this consequently impedes their ability to perform other actions while channelling Sanctus. Casting Mechanics NULLAM UT URNA PURUS Without Sacred Aurum, an Adherent is estranged from the Skies. While their Holy Light is the vessel through which Sanctus is received from the Seven Skies, Sacred Aurum is the tool by which Sanctus is shaped into Prayers. Utterly devoid of any impurity, Sacred Aurum is the sole material capable of invoking Prayers; in other words, an Adherent requires a catalyst of Sacred Aurum in order to ply their craft. These Catalysts are typically forged in the form of weapons, such as a blade. Aside from its ability to channel Sanctus, Sacred Aurum is also unique in that it loses the malleability of mundane aurum, and can be sharpened to an edge as hard as steel. General Mechanics Properties As the name suggests, Sacred Aurum is normal gold that has undergone an enchantment using Sanctus. This enchantment tolerates no material impurity, and so a catalyst must be forged entirely of heavy gold. Due to the natural density of gold, Sacred Aurum is enormously heavy, and hinders the mobility of the Adherents that carry them. So heavy are they, that an Adherent cannot hope to brandish their Catalyst when on horseback. To boot, Sacred Aurum reflects light so magnificently that an Adherent can never hope to conceal it. Appearance & Mobility Mechanics MAOIRES, NOSTRI GRATIA ME When an Adherent hones their craft, they embark upon a Path. The Human collective is endlessly diverse, defined by countless cultures, beliefs, and bloodlines, and it is through that diversity that souls in the Seven Skies are different. Within this nuance, souls align to different classifications, broadly characterised as the Souls of Gravitas, those who lived as kings and warriors; the Souls of Humilitas, those who lived as priests and healers; and the Souls of Sibylline, those who lived as heroes and sages. In binding themselves to a Path, an Adherent champions their kindred souls. This is, however, a process that can never be reversed unless an Adherent severs their Holy Light, and restores it as a novice once more. Path Mechanics Paths Aesthetic Based on the kind of souls that serve as patron, an Adherent can invoke different Prayers in service of a common, general cause shared with those souls in the Seven Skies - this will even impact how their Sanctus appears when Prayers are invoked. For Adherents of the Path of Gravitas, their Sanctus manifests as glowing white-gold cinders; for Adherents of the Path of Humilitas, their Sanctus manifests as white-gold mist and dew, and; for Adherents of the Path of Sibylline, their Sanctus manifests as golden snowflakes. PATRIA VOLUNTAS; ESTO MAE FERRUM. Arclight is the resolve of the Seven Skies, given form. Through certain Prayers, Adherents can manifest Sanctus into a sharp, corporeal edge revered as Arclight - a glistening, glassy-gold hardlight that matches the combat prowess of steel. Whether as a slicing weapon or steadfast bulwark, this is one of the primary means by which an Adherent does battle. Naturally, however, it is not without limitation - for this heavenly blade cannot retain this form for more than a few moments before shattering into immaterial Sanctus once more. Arclight Mechanics IGNIS PURITATIS; SPEI FLAEMEA The ruinous fire that is bane to altered souls. Aurflame is a potent manifestation of Sanctus as a white-gold fire. Often considered the opposite of Malflame, Aurflame operates in a similar capacity - chiefly, it affects only Descendants who carry within them a soul that has been altered or corrupted. It is also a vicious tool against Descendants who, when struck with Aurflame, are actively channelling a Dark Magic. Aurflame Application Aurflame Effect & Damage Much like Malflame, Aurflame must touch skin to impart its pain, and even the thinnest satin can act as a barrier. Yet, as a flame, Aurflame can easily seep through the gaps in armour and seams in clothing. If it strikes one with an unaltered soul, it conveys only a blissful, gentle warmth; if, on the other hand, a susceptible target is hit, Aurflame inflicts a devastating pain, as if exposed to boiling oil. Where Aurflame strikes, skin becomes ‘glassed’ with painful golden scabs, which can be bloodily excised. Aurflame Damage Mechanics OMNIA PRETIO HABENT There is a balance to all things. So too is this true to Canon Adherence. While, were several Adherents of the Paths of Gravitas, Humilitas, and Sibylline to join their forces as one, they may be an insurmountable force against any foe, if it is a fateful design that only with great difficulty can this come to pass. When beyond the grace of an area of Lesser or Greater Consecration, no more than three Adherents can do battle together, lest their Holy Light struggle to cohesively call to the Skies. Celestial Interference Mechanics Rest Evermore Amyas’ Reprieve Julia’s Vow ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ Tier I | Non-Combat 10 Sanctus “Requiem luminae, requiem aeterna.” Mechanics Redlines Tier I | Non-Combat 4 Sanctus “Erit ingloriae, vacaer tenebris.” Mechanics Redlines Tier I | Non-Combat 7 Sanctus “Sic enim Horen et Julia, ita nobis quoae.” Mechanics Redlines Godwin's Exorcism Waldo’s Twicelight Jape of King Caius ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ Tier II | Non-Combat 5 Sanctus “Summa laus oblaetum est silensia.” Mechanics Redlines Tier II | Combat 7 Sanctus “Aliquand fuit, erit iterum.” Mechanics Redlines Tier II | Non-Combat & Combat 7 Sanctus “Cur pullum spectiae.” Mechanics Redlines Core Rituals Consecration Song of the Vanquished Path Gravitas Fires of Edel | Arclight Forge Path of Humilitas Avenel's Glassbalm | Glorious Lineage Path Sibylline Foremost Foe | Bough of Arianne ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ RITUAL PRAYER Tier III | Non-Combat 12 Sanctus (Lesser Consecration) | 25 Sanctus (Greater Consecration) “Luminae; locum hunc defiae ab immunditia.” Mechanics Redlines RITUAL PRAYER Tier III | Non-Combat 20 Sanctus “Finita est proelium tuum.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier III | Combat 7 Sanctus “Exitium, caro!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier III | Combat 5 Sanctus “Lumen ipsum, ferrum meum!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier III | Non-Combat & Combat 9 Sanctus “Hace benedictaea custodi, sicut te custodit.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier III | Non-Combat 20 Sanctus “Portare majorum facem.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE Tier III | Combat 9 Sanctus “Tesae cem caelo; faciem meam!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE Tier III | Combat 9 Sanctus “Nulla saggitis, nulla bultus.” Mechanics Redlines Core Rituals Sanctify Aurum Oath of Amaya Path of Gravitas Felder's Blade | Ruin of Petrus Path of Humilitas Mortal Exile | Echoes of Gamesh Path of Sibylline Harald's Ram | Lothar's Warcry ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ RITUAL PRAYER Tier IV | Non-Combat 15 Sanctus “Bastio puritatis.” Mechanics Redlines RITUAL PRAYER Tier IV | Non-Combat 18 Sanctus “Redi ad Luminae.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier IV | Combat 7 Sanctus “Secari, gratia Altalux!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier IV | Combat 12 Sanctus “Maiores ceciderunt, cibus me ruinae!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier IV | Combat 12 Sanctus “Quod non sit; infectum fieri.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier IV | Combat 9 Sanctus “Primae munditiae, dae auxilium.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE Tier IV | Combat 7 Sanctus “Clypeus meus, malleus mae factus est.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE Tier III | Combat 7 Sanctus “Omnes sub caelo; contremiscaet!” Mechanics Redlines Core Abilities Light Within Apostle’s Vigil Path of Gravitas Crusader's Zeal | Darksbane Path of Humilitas Everard's Purge | Paradisian Arrow Path of Sibylline Ring of Carolus | Threads of the Tapestry ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ PASSIVE ABILITY Tier V | Passive Mechanics Redlines RITUAL PRAYER Tier V | Non-Combat 20 Sanctus “Sic expectamus reditum tuum.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier V | Combat 9 Sanctus “Sanguis maiorum; accende!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF GRAVITAS Tier V | Combat 15 Sanctus “Ignis excelsus!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier V | Non-Combat 15 Sanctus “Nulla labes erit.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF HUMILITAS Tier 5 | Combat 15 Sanctus “Genua, quia pluit.” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE Tier V | Combat 15 Sanctus “Est nusquam currere!” Mechanics Redlines PATH OF SIBYLLINE | RITUAL PRAYER Tier V | Non-Combat 10 Sanctus “Testimonium, quod olum fueus.” Mechanics Redlines Holy Magic is an important niche on the Lord of the Craft. Both for the purposes of substantiating religious-based fantasy groups and providing a meaningful and dynamic rivalry with Dark Magic counterparts, it’s a vital balance to be struck to drive narratives between groups aligned with these concepts. There can, of course, be multiple Holy Magic groups on the Server at once, which is very often the case - be that Ascendancy, be that Clerics, be that Paladins, or be that Templars. While they all serve the same niche, each strives to do it in a different manners and with different focuses. The same principle holds true for Canon Adherence, which specifically seeks to establish itself as a full five-slot magic with a significant degree of nuance and variation by encompassing different core aspects of fantasy clericalism roleplay. In a further distinction, Canon Adherence is written deliberately to interface actively with some of the server’s larger communities, especially those to whom magic is still foreign. While Canon Adherence is far from exclusive to humans, the lore focus on the Seven Skies not only ties itself to humanity in a culturally significant way, but it also grounds itself in existing religious player groups, which in turn guarantee the magic’s long term activity and presence. At the end of the day, Canon Adherence is the latest strive into re-establishing mainstream Holy Magic with dedicated, active, and objective-driven playerbases. ⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀☨⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅ Thank you for reading our second WIP draft of Canon Adherence. Most of you will be aware that we posted our first draft back at the end of August, which you can read here. While there was a flood of popular support for the idea, we definitely had our work cut out for us in terms of things we needed to clarify, refine, nerf, and cut. We knew going into our first draft that it there was lots that needed changing, and lots we needed feedback on - this is the reason that we posted it as WIP, and, for the same reason, this submission is also flagged as WIP. While we've cut 24 spells from the previous draft, a branching path, cut new spells, added others, and heavily rebalanced certain aspects, we don't believe this magic is still in the place it needs to be in order to be submitted for final review by the LT. To do that, we need your help again to help look over our work and point out any issues, inconsistencies, or lapses in sense that we might have missed when we were writing it. Thanks as always for the support, and in particular thanks to those who left insightful comments on the initial draft that helped refine our direction. Authors @Xarkly | @JuliusAakerlund

The world is just a setting, though. Yeah it has lore and does it have an episodic story of its own, but we're not really here to follow the story of the 'world', we're here to tell the stories of the characters that inhabit it. To me, it doesn't make a lot of sense to say that there's no risk in that context. Our characters experience risk all the time, whether that's from largescale warfare, scheming darkspawn, or common bandits. There's no end of conflict to go with a character's story and provide struggle and hardship. I think looking at the server's stories from the point of view of the setting and not the characters within the setting is probably the wrong approach.

Well handled.

Villorik ran a finger down the length of his glaive. "That was a mistake. Ghosts of the past have no business here."

ISSUED BY ON THIS 5TH DAY OF WZUVAR & BYVCA OF 547 E.S. I will return when he is dead.

Ryke lounged in a hammock in the outskirts of Caurost. When news of the feud reached him - eavesdropped from passers-by - he lifted the rim of his straw hat, and the Corcitura protracted his fangs. He never tried Halfling blood before. And he was nothing if not adventurous.

I think the ability to stack so many variations of voidal magic at once is really what undermines any narrative identity for your character and just turns it into a tool. It's gone past the line when you have void mages OOCly confident they can single handedly escape dozens of pursuers, which about sums up the improper mindset towards power stacking that seems to have proliferated through the culture. I think, with a view to building a magic routed in characters narrative identity and not combat prowess, there should be less room to slot stack. I think the issue would be a lot better if a character was committed to being a "fire mage" and not a teleporting fire mage with alchemy and fart magic. While I understand some magics are minor, I don't know how these magics are ever meant to hold narrative weight when they're just one of many tools in a saturated arsenal.

i'd bet 80% of war chat commanders over the last 4 major wars have been the same people for all sides

Drummed his fingers on his glaive as he pondered the revelations. No matter how many times he broke it down, though, he always came to the same conclusion. " ," he muttered to himself, and finally rose from his seat to do just that.

It made precious little sense to Villorik why one would harp about the lacklustre imperial ambitions of Aaun, while allying with the same mercenaries who had once invaded Urguan under the very banner of Oren itself. Alas, it eluded him, as did a great many things these days. He could not stop that from gnawing at him. "I begin to think I am no longer Descendant at all," he muttered as he reclined against a stump in a solitary forest, wreathed in unseasonal wildflowers. "Every thought seems foreign, every ambition twisted ..." he raised a palm, unadorned but for a plain ring of petrified wood, and watched the evening light filter through his aged fingers. "Is this a side effect of the transformation?" He asked as a gentle, waxing ember of pure white finger blossomed to life, mingling with the sunlight in his fingers. He lowered his hand at last, eyes fixed in concern at his companion across the clearing. "Well?" he asked her.

Haeseni, Dwarven, it mattered not. If they rebuked the Church's writ, they were Villorik's enemies, one and all.

"A greater mercy than these northerners deserve, for having sent Daelishman to try rob Church inquisitors while hunting Shadowspawn," Villorik grit his teeth. A part of him - one that was not small - longed to settle the grievance on the battlefield, but he tempered the notion over a bout of meditation.

Villorik of the White Comet grit his teeth. The warpriest held little love for politicians and dumacrats, cardboard courts and their ploys. That this fate had befell the Aaunish King and his cohorts was, as far as Villorik was concerned, the Light's will made flesh. His glaive would not have swung in their service. But for my Lord Holiness ... If they raise blades against him now ... A trickle of white fire, gleaned from an unseen source, blossomed in Villorik's palm.

crp roll modifiers? :3