Cpt_Noobman

Barundin nods in agreement at the posting of the missive

"Thankfulleh, justice 'as prevailed. Teh trial as it was 'eld did nae follow any legal procedures n' flagrantly violated deh articles of Urguan. Now at leas' deh integrity of our law remains intact." states Barundin

"I do not follow the Ruhn, but refuse to stand idle while our nations institutions are bent for sinister purposes." Barundin responds

Condemnation of the Recent Trial, a Call for Review, and a Path Forward The recent trial against the Rhun Oathed religious sect, was in frank terms, a biased charade and mockery of justice. The only way to restore the honor and legitimacy of the courts of Urguan, the clergy, the Grand King, and the Grand Kingdom itself, is to declare an immediate mistrial and pardon all individuals involved. There are many points to get through, so I will begin forthwith; Earlier in the stone week, a number of Ruhn Oathed faithful were accused of a slew of crimes, of which, many were dropped at or before the time of the trial. The sheer amount of absolutely baseless charges that had to be dropped before the trial even began is already evidence that the trial was conducted in bad faith, with the express purpose of throwing refuse at the defense until something stuck. The only accusations which made it to court were the charges of Treason and Sedition, which will be the focus of my later inquiries. However, the first undeniable miscarriage of justice is the fact that the entire organization of the Rhun Oathed were charged for collective crimes. Only individuals may be charged with crimes as per; Article VII: The Codex of Civil Law: “The Codex of Civil Law is the collective of all rules by which every citizen of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan and any residing within its borders are subject to. The Codex of Civil Law is limited towards interactions between people and the criminality thereof and is not to be used to describe interactions between governmental systems of trade.” This important aspect of the law was flagrantly ignored when both trial and punishment were applied to the Rhun Oathed collectively, and is already grounds for a mistrial. How can an individual be held responsible for something they may not have done themselves? Additionally, the prosecution opened the trial by stating, and I quote “First oi'd like teh clarify et was teh Legion that brought forth charges, teh clergy only approved an investigaion.” (Garedyn) The Legion is not mentioned anywhere within the Articles of Urguan to have the authority to levy charges against any citizen or visitor within the kingdom. In fact, the Legion is expressly denied this power by the phrase, previously quoted, “The Codex of Civil Law is limited towards interactions between people…and is not to be used to describe interactions between governmental systems of trade.” (A.VII) Even if the legion did have this power, the Grand King has ultimate authority over the legion and thus would need to approve or deny levying of any charges, and could drop them at any point. “The Grand King has ultimate authority over the management of the Legion of Urguan.” (A. II S. 1.2) Yet the Grand King was not sufficiently consulted ahead of time of any charges his deputies brought forth. Again, this fact is made redundant because the legion has no legal standing to levy charges against individuals. Ignoring these immediate glaring issues, the charges themselves are built on flimsy ground. In the order of severity, I will start with treason, the most egregious crime mentioned. TREASON: “Attempting the subversion of state authority or assassination of a representative of the king” First-degree crime The charge of treason stems from the dissolution of the clergy by Norli Starbreaker, which is said to violate; Article VI: The Clergy of Urguan. “Since the times of the first meeting of the hallowed hosts of Khaz’A’Dentrumm and the Paragon Urguan Silverbeard, Father of all Dwarfdom and First of Prophets, there has always been a priestly order to guide the faith of the dwarves and direct the blessings of the Brathmordakin upon the folk. To this end, the Grand Kingdom assures certain rights towards the clergy caste. In the event of any substantial change to the hierarchy and structure of the order, so long as it can be said of a clergy it is a successor to the old then it inherits its rights as per the Articles of Urguan.” Although through this article the clergy is guaranteed many rights and much authority, it is ironically not required nor guaranteed to exist. This is, perhaps, a grossly negligent oversight by the writers of the articles, yet the point stands. Norli Starbreaker cannot be charged with the crime of dissolving the clergy, when in fact it is not a crime to do so at all! The article simply states that if the clergy does exist, it inherits all the rights and privileges afforded to it by the article. Which, brings us to the next point, The clergy was, in fact, dissolved. This is a fact which both prosecution and defense can agree on. So, there being no formal clergy, and several denominations and cults springing up in its absence, which of these organizations can claim to be the true successors of the clergy? The articles give no process for deciding which organization is the true successor to the clergy. Is it the current iteration of da Kirkja Dverga? Perhaps the Rhun Oathed are in fact the legitimate successors, as their leader is the one who in fact dissolved the old clergy? Or, maybe the Seers of Heffrumm, or the cultists of Kjellos are the true inheritors of the rights and privileges of the articles? Ironically enough, many of the current leaders of the organization currently called “Da Kirkja Dverga” are in fact leaders of, or are otherwise involved with some, or all of these additional cults and denominations, further blurring the lines between what can be considered the successor of the old Kirkja Dverga. In fact, I argue that none of them are the true successors to the Kirkja Dverga of old. Since there is no process in the articles for recognizing an official clergy, and the old clergy was dissolved, the only logical conclusion is that there is currently no official clergy! No current religious organization within Urguan is in possession of the rights of the clergy, thus any charges brought against Norli or the other Rhun Oathed by the current organization called “Da Kirkja Dverga '' or their representatives have no standing in court, and must be dismissed. The charges of treason now being utterly thwarted, leaves only the charge of sedition. Logically a much less severe crime, but still a serious one nonetheless. SEDITION: “The crime of spreading literature or speech intended to provoke revolution or treason” First-degree crime The charge of sedition stems from the writings of several dwarves, including some Rhun Oathed, who left the Grand Kingdom to form the settlement of Khron’Hundmar. Specifically, members of the party were said to reject the authority of the Grand King and Grand Kingdom. In their decision to leave, a notice was made , expressly stating “In the pursuit of a noble dwarven society, the Rhun Oathed reject the Grand Kingdom and its Obsidian Throne, and set out to build a new future”. Rejecting the authority of the Grand King and Kingdom might indeed be a serious and damning crime, if the defense had actually done so. The defense did not reject the authority of the King or the government over the Kingdom, but instead rejected their involvement with that tyrannical king and government of the time. The defense were not living within Urguan at the time, nor engaging in any attempt to usurp the power of the King and Kingdom. They were content to let the Grand King rule the Grand Kingdom, and to forge their own path parallel to it. Revolution, by its very nature, is the process of toppling an old form of government and replacing it with a new one. Leaving the kingdom’s bounds cannot be considered a revolution, as the action's intent was not to replace the existing government of Urguan, but simply to live apart from it. This statement cannot be construed as an attempt to provoke treason or revolution , because the Dwarves who left the kingdom made no calls for violence, subversion, or replacement of the Kingdom’s government. Relevant to the case of sedition is the following right; The Rights of Citizens 4. The Right to Happiness: It was Belka who filled the hearts of the dwedmar with a fiery passion for love, and the importance of commune among the dwed people. As such, it is the right of all dwed to pursue happiness and love with their fellow dwed. Specifically relevant is right 4.2: A citizen is to be able to pursue their passion and dreams without heavy and unreasonable restriction from the government. It was the passion of the Dwarves of Khron’Hundmar to leave the capital in pursuit of a better future, which the articles allow them to do by their right to happiness. Any attempt to restrict them from doing so would be a violation of these rights guaranteed to them by the Articles of Urguan. Trying to punish these Dwedmar for their actions of leaving the bounds of the Kingdom, is a violation of their rights and is illegal, as outlined in Section 1.2 of the Codex of Laws of Urguan “No Citizen of Urguan, that is of Dwarven descent, shall be denied their basic rights, as outlined in Article VI of the Articles of Urguan” CONCLUSION: As I have made clear by my inquiry into the basics of Urguan law, the trial of the Rhun Oathed was a gross perversion of justice that should never have been brought before the courts at all. The Legion of Urguan, which the prosecution claims to be bringing forth the charges, has no legal authority to do so, and even if they did, would require the consulting and approval of the Grand King, who by virtue of heading the prosecution, would be able to drop the charges at any point, and being involved, could not sit on the trial. Also, the organization called “Da Kirkja Dverga”, being headed by Garedyn, of Treebeard descent, is in fact, not the official clergy of the Grand Kingdom. The old clergy being dissolved, and no new one selected via any legally outlined process, there is currently no official clergy. Thus, any organization claiming to be the clergy has no legal standing to claim the rights guaranteed to the true clergy as referenced in the Articles of Urguan. The crimes of Sedition have no merit, as the Dwarves of Khron’Hundmar did not engage in subversion or revolution, nor did they attempt to goad others into committing treason through speech or literature. The right to leave the kingdom is intrinsically guaranteed to them by the right of Happiness, specifically right 4.4 as listed in the rights of citizens of Urguan. Although some of the actions taken by the Rhun Oathed may be considered uncouth or condemnable, none of them were illegal. What this trial has done, in fact, is highlight the massive issues surrounding the current institutions upheld by Urguan. Urguan as a kingdom is being held down by bureaucratic bloat and corruption. Individuals constantly try to weaponize these institutions to persecute their political and ideological rivals. This mode of action must cease immediately, I call upon Grand King Agnar directly, to take action to move the kingdom to a brighter future. The articles must be reformed as soon as possible, and every institution forming the government of Urguan must be expunged, and a simpler, purer form of government put in place. As Grand King, you have the authority, at least, to rectify this one injustice. Article II: Section 1.6 “The Grand King shall be able to grant pardons and override verdicts of the High Courts…” Grand King Agnar, annul this trial, and lead the dwarves of Urguan in a great reformation of the broken and polluted governmental system within which we now find ourselves mired. The Dwarves can be united again, and step one is clemency and justice. Sincerely Yours, Barundin of Clan Goldhand

"Reverse this decision, or I will cease all architectural development for future cities." states Barundin Goldhand

A rake, a drunkard, and an absent-minded musician with dreams of adventure and glory, Berwyn the Bard takes note of everything around him only so far as it could make a good song. Perhaps if you steal a peek in his notebook or catch him at work in a tavern, you can experience one of Berwyn’s popular tunes, or see his next masterpiece come to life… ((Here's a collection of songs written and performed by Berwyn the Bard. This post will be periodically updated with new material. All songs are my original compositions but feel free to use them in game or on the forums as much as you like)) Berwyn’s Ballads #1: The Demon of Dobrov https://youtu.be/_rkCoRvYxik Berwyn’s Ballads #2: Sylvia https://youtu.be/b-51C8usJPY Berwyn’s Ballads #3: Tavern Glow https://youtu.be/LDeVUqDeG-A ((some issues with the upload, will fix at a later date))

"meet with the Under King"

The following pamphlet is circulated in Urguan, the last major writing of Fili Grandaxe to be published before his death. Reflections of a Longbeard I am an old Dwarf. I have seen the rise and fall of dozens of kings, kingdoms, and empires. I have been privy to our species’ greatest triumphs, and our greatest failures. Yet, now I feel the energy slipping away from my aging body daily, the red dyes can no longer hide the whites and grays of my dry and fraying hair. Soon, I will die. I had always envisioned my death to be a glorious one; giving my life in battle to achieve some great victory, or escorting a band of heroes through the nether to slay a daemon, maybe even Iblees himself. Perhaps even, receiving a knife in the back for my political stances and becoming a martyr for my cause. I now realize, that is not my fate. I will lay in my bed, attended by loved ones until my last breath finally slips away. No glory, no songs, just blissful surrender. Now, with this realization in mind, I reflect on my life. Though it is only for the Brathmordakin to judge, I would like to ponder whether or not it was worth living, whether or not I deserve the embrace of the gods. There were many goals in my life that I did not achieve. I never became Grand King, I was never the Grand Marshal. My alchemical skills were never more than amateurish, and I never achieved any grand political victories. The closest I came to personal success was reviving the Kirkja Dverga, after it was decimated in the wake of the Frostbeard rebellion, but even my hand in that was short-lived. It seems, I was always destined to live in the shadows of other Dwarves, a facilitator, a work horse or confidante, rather than the thing itself. I never inherited any of their glories, and always bore their controversy, still, bear our controversy... However, I believe it was a good life. Though the glory and recognition were never to be mine, I take solace in knowing that I was instrumental in their achievement. I am proud that through all of the trials and hardship my life has borne, my loyalties never wavered. My loyalty has always been, and remains, to Urguan. In the words of Paragon Valen, “Stand as one and we are capable of achieving any length of greatness. Stand alone however and we will die alone”. The wisdom I wish to impart on the new generation is this; We as Dwarves, do not always get along. There has always been strife and tension within our ranks, as headstrong and charismatic personalities clashed like rivalrous siblings, but in the old days, we never questioned where our loyalties belonged. I fear that the mistakes we made in the waning days of my generation’s power may have lain a curse upon you, but remember; before the rebellion, kin slaying was unthinkable. It was simply something that did not happen. We bickered, and voted, and schemed, and wrote laws and broke them, but the integrity of the kingdom and the value of Dwarven life was never questioned. Political setbacks were never permanent, and the losers were never ostracized and always made a resurgence. All dwarves were still loved as brothers, even when we disagreed, and when one was threatened, we always came to their aid. As it was once, it can be again. In my remaining days, if any I have left, I wish to be of service. If you would ask advice, listen to stories, or request any service, please seek me out. My one desire, more than any title or glory, is to die content in the knowledge that you, the new generation, are secure and prepared for the trials you will inevitably face. I hope, and pray to the gods, that when I’m gone the Dwarves will remain united as brothers so that Urguan’s Kingdom may remain stalwart and forever Grand. Narvak oz Urguan, To any who read this, Thank you, and goodbye. ~Fili Grandaxe ((Fili was my first character on LoTC when I joined back in 2013, and I’ve become very attached. However, even by generous calculations, Fili is an extremely old dwarf. He’s been on the shelf for quite a while now, so I believe it is finally time to retire him officially. If anyone wants to do some last minute rp, just dm me in discord and I would be happy to get online to play Fili in his final days. I plan to make the pk official in the next week or so. barring any extreme irp circumstance.))

A Brief History of the Obsidian Throne By Fili Grandaxe for Entrance into the Halls of Remembrance, 2E 93 The Obsidian Throne gets it’s name through it’s resemblance to volcanic glass. However, the throne is in fact formed from a fallen star. In the early days of Anthos, a great meteor breached the horizon and crashed into Dwarven lands. Grand King Thorin Grandaxe of the newly restructured Grand Kingdom of Urguan, later to be known as Paragon Thorin Grandaxe “The Liberator”, made haste to secure the impact site and excavate the meteorite. Thorin recognized the meteorite as a good omen, a sign from the gods of their endorsement of his reign, and had it brought back to the capital of Kal’Azgoth. From the stone and metals of the fallen star, the Obsidian Throne was hewn and inlaid with precious gold. The Obsidian Throne served as Thorin’s seat, the throne of the first Grand King. From atop the Obsidian Throne, Thorin later went on to triumph in the Great War against Oren. His title “The Liberator” was earned after he freed the Elves of Malinor from subjugation under Oren and the White Rose. After Thorin’s death following battles with Odnarch, the old capital of Kal’Azgoth was put under siege. In the midst of Odnarch’s attacks, the throne was retrieved from the doomed city and placed in the new capital of Kal’Ithrun. Since the age of Thorin, the Obsidian Throne has been carried to every Dwarven capital and has been the seat of every single worthy heir to Urguan, and every Grand King. During the Frostbeard rebellion of Axios, the throne was briefly hidden so that it would not fall into the hands of the rebels. Following the reunification of the Dwarves under Fimlin Grandaxe, who rallied the Dwarves of Holm, Az’Adar and the Confederation of Hammers under one banner, the Obsidian Throne was returned. The Obsidian Throne, crafted approximately five hundred years ago at the time of writing, still serves as the seat of the Grand King. It remains an icon of Dwarven resilience, and the power of Urguan’s mightiest kings. It is the most enduring relic of any descendant crafted since Aegis. In cultural importance to the Dwarves, it is second perhaps only to the crown of Urguan itself. As generations of Dwarves come and go, the constant symbol of Dwarven unity remains the Obsidian Throne of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan.

(If accepted, I would like this post to act as a hub-page for subsequent Rune Additions, be they Rune MArts or ammendment pieces.) Foreword The purpose of this rewrite is to address the shortcomings of previous versions of runesmithing as well as to transform how players interact with the magic. In the past runesmithing has been a magic that has been exclusive and guarded by cliques both in OOC and in RP. Whether it was the Starbreaker Clan headed by Tethras, the Oathcasts, or the Irongrinders, the magic has been jealously hoarded and the respective owners of the lore have tried to push the boundaries of its capabilities to better serve themselves without thinking about how the magic could enhance the rp of others or fit into the narrative of the server as a whole. With this rewrite I am attempting to salvage the best aspects of previous incarnations of the magic while simultaneously doing away with OOC driven shortcomings and enhancing the possibilities of roleplay that the magic can provide. In this rewrite I intend to create a living magic that will be added and expanded upon by the community as a whole by expanding access to the magic, allowing for every single runesmith to have a hand in its development, and to provide opportunities for both cooperation and conflict in rp. Runesmithing is an art and a science and new discoveries and developments should be made every day. Runesmithing will no longer be defined by who has runesmithing, but by the process of acquiring new runes and who has the best runesmiths. What This Rewrite Covers This rewrite lists all of the mechanics of runesmithing, how to craft them in rp, the broad capabilities of runesmithing through it’s different art forms, and lists a few basic runes to get the community started again. All approved runesmiths have access to and can create divine runes without needing additional teaching as their existence is so widely known. This rewrite does not list an exhaustive account of every single rune and their redlines, that was the mistake that caused the bloat and inefficiency of previous rewrites. Beyond the divine runes, and those listed all other runes will be discovered by individual runesmiths which will fit into an existing type of rune, so each new rune will be independently approved or denied through the MArt process. OOC Process for Creating a Rune and Sharing/Stealing Runes New runes must go through the usual MArt process as if the runesmith were creating any other magical artifact. This process must contain redlines, tiers, and abilities of the rune as well as list who in rp discovered it and so would know how to craft copies. Once the MArt is accepted, it can be added as a reply to this post or edited into this document as a known rune with links to the MArt. This rune will then be treated as a known rune to those who have access to it in rp and they can craft copies without making additional MArts. Those with the knowledge of how to craft a MArt accepted rune can teach it to others at will. Players can steal access to runes if they get ahold of an unactivated version in rp and reverse decipher it. This will require a special MArt to prove to the lore team that they have acquired access to it. New types of runes can also be created but the type of rune must be established via MArt before any runes can be created for it. When proposing a rune keep in mind that higher tier/more powerful runes require a rune altar to create and thus require the cooperation of 2 or more people. Any special application of runesmithing beyond listed redlines and abilities require a MArt to be created. Format for Rune MArt NAME OF RUNE Rune Tier, Rune Type, Combative/Non-Combative? Description: What does the rune do Mechanics: How does the rune work Red Lines: What can’t it do. RP: How did your character discover this rune? General Notes and Redlines Runesmithing will be a 1-slot magic. However, as mentioned in the section labeled “The Initiation Ritual'' runesmiths cannot simultaneously practice voidal or deific magic or any kind of magic that requires use of the runesmith’s soul, so runesmithing will be exclusive and incompatible with most other types of magic. This severity is by design, runesmithing should be more than a powerful checkbox for a character to have in their pocket, it is meant to be a way of life that requires diligent study and dedication to get the most out of it. Any creature with a healthy soul and the intellectual capability to carve a rune can become a runesmith, but many won’t want to. I have attempted to compile as many redlines as possible, however, it is impossible for me to foresee every possible way in which a player might try to misinterpret, find a loophole, or otherwise abuse the rules. Runesmithing is like any other magic, if people powergame it, it will seem overpowered. Repeated loopholing or abuse of the magic should be met with probation or revocation of their MA. That being said, each rune type and each individual rune will have some separate mechanics and redlines, however there are some that all runes will share which are listed here; Runes can be carved on any surface that is capable of being carved on, but if the rune is damaged in any way the rune will deactivate and will need to be recarved. The chosen surface needs to be large enough for the rune to be adequately carved on, the smallest surface must be at least 5x5 inches. A rune can be carved as large or small as the runesmith likes, but the size will have no bearing on its power. Any rune that causes an effect in a radius counts the distance from the center of the rune, not the edge. Runes require a reasonable amount of time to carve, at least 10 minutes of rp time for small runes. Unless otherwise noted, any rune that is affected by touch will work if touched by any piece of exposed skin on any part of the body. A rune will not react to a touch of someone wearing gloves. Runes can be carved ahead of use, but an individual runesmith can only transport a few runestones at a time. The number they can carry will vary depending on the tier of rune, the number of runes they can carry cannot exceed tier 5. For example, a runesmith can carry one tier 5 rune, or 5 tier 1 runes, or a tier 4 and a tier 1, etc. Carrying more runestones than is possible will result in the runes cracking under the stress of being exposed to each other and they will need to be re-carved. How to Counter a Runesmith Runesmiths require the use of their soul to activate runes or to carve them. Any type of interference with their soul will prevent a runesmith from activating runes or carving new ones. Once a rune is activated it cannot be deactivated by these means and must be either damaged or deactivated normally. Many runes require touch or the use of a rune hammer to activate, preventing a runesmith from doing these will prevent him from activating a rune. Destroying a runesmiths tools will prevent them from using them until they acquire new ones. Who Will Get Runesmithing? I suggest that every player who previously had an accepted MA for runesmithing have the opportunity to be grandfathered into the new rewrite, providing they submit a new application explaining how they came by the magic. In addition to grandfathering in previous runesmiths, I would also request an event to teach two to three additional players to kickstart the magic once more. I would like to request that to begin with these players be limited to Dwarves, but if the lore team would like other races to be included in the original recipients then so be it. I would like to leave the decision of how to run the event and who to teach in the hands of the lore team, but if requested I have suggestions or could run the event myself. I also suggest that during the event, the new students be taught the additional starting runes beyond the divine runes. Any others after the event will need to learn of them in rp. Mechanics Overview Runesmithing is the art of carving runes that represent the very language of creation. Several deities in the past have used the language that serves as the basis for runesmithing to create powerful weapons, create their own landscapes and realms, or even to produce hollow forms of artificial life. However, the most powerful intricacies of runesmithing are known to none, except perhaps the creator himself if he indeed exists. To practice runesmithing is to carve into existence any manner of items or magics and to alter them to your whim. Some of the most powerful Aenguls and Daemons could even speak the language of runesmithing, and string together powerful verses and songs to bend reality around them, though the sounds of which are incomprehensible to mortal ears. Despite the immense power and potential that runesmithing presents, very few mortals know of it’s existence, even fewer can practice rudimentary forms of the expression of runesmithing, and none know the true possibilities of the craft. How are Runes Powered? Runes derive their power from any number of sources. When a runesmith binds their soul to their tools, they establish a connection to the fabric that makes up the world. When they carve a rune, their soul is used to channel energy from the void, Aenguls and Daemons, nature, and a plethora of other sources that are all then channeled into whatever object or area the runesmith places their rune. This process requires initial input from the runesmiths soul, but beyond that the rune will channel power from wherever it can. Creating a rune is an arduous and unstable process, and if too much power is channeled through a runesmith, their tools, or their rune altars at any given time they are prone to shattering destructively, consuming whatever piece of their soul happens to be residing in the item currently. In cases where runesmiths are allowed to exceed their normal limits (events, or with permission from staff) a simple pass/fail roll can be conducted to test whether or not the tools are destroyed. Discovering New Runes New runes can be discovered either through trial and error experiments or discovery of ancient texts or ruins. The process for creating and discovering new runes is extremely dangerous, and the dangers of such should be reflected in lore submissions for additional runes from runesmiths attempting to create new runes. Any rune not already listed as being well known must be submitted as separate lore proposals, and will be known initially only to those who created them in rp. The Initiation Ritual The Binding Ritual is the first step in becoming a runesmith. Only a person who is currently a runesmith can perform the binding ritual on another, so runesmithing is impossible to self teach. Runesmithing can be taught through other methods in the case of a staff run event. The process of the ritual is as follows; The supplicant must acquire a set of tools that include a hammer and a chisel and place them upon a functioning rune altar. The master must carve into the handle of these tools a rune of binding using his own tools. The supplicant must then spill their own blood upon the tools so that it fills the engraving. The master then strikes the tools with his rune hammer. After this process is complete, a fraction of the supplicant’s soul will leave their body and be bound eternally to their tools.This process prevents the supplicant from ever practicing voidal or deific magic, or any other magic involving the use of their soul as power or mana. If their tools are ever broken, then the soul is destroyed with them and the supplicant’s soul will be forever scarred. New tools can be created for them, but only by another runesmith. A runsmith can only have one set of tools at a time and extra binding runes cannot be pre-carved. Alternatively, a runesmith can be unbound in an unbinding ritual. The process for unbinding is similar to the binding ritual and operates as follows; The supplicant must place their tools upon a functioning rune altar They or another current runesmith must then strike the tools with their rune hammer. After this process, the supplicant's original blood will spill out from the engraving in their tools, and their soul will be freed from the tools and will return to their body, allowing them to practice other magics once more, but permanently severing them from runesmithing as all future binding runes will reject their blood. Both the binding, and unbinding ritual can only be performed on willing participants, any attempt to perform them on an unwilling individual will produce no results. Those who have their souls bound or unbound from their tools will be overcome with exhaustion and nausea for several hours following the ritual. Rune Altars The rune altar is one of the most important pieces of equipment available to runesmiths. They are necessary for performing the binding and unbinding ritual, producing more powerful runes and allowing rune casting, creating flesh runes, and much more. Rune altars serve almost as the third tool of a runesmith. They are created by binding another fraction of a runesmith or several runesmith’s souls to an altar. A runesmith can only be bound to one altar at a time. The process for creating one is as follows; A runesmith carves into their altar the same rune of binding as they did for their tools. The runesmith spills their own blood into the engraving The runesmith strikes the rune with their rune hammer and binds another fraction of their soul to it This process can be repeated up to 4 additional times using multiple runesmiths with a maximum of 5 souls on a single altar, each increasing the tier of the rune altar, with a minimum of 2 runesmiths required to create a functioning rune altar. If the rune altar is destroyed then the soul fractions of the bound runesmith’s will be destroyed and their souls will be left forever scarred, though it is still possible to bind to another altar. A runesmith can unbind themselves from a rune altar by striking the rune again with their own rune hammer, and the soul will return to their body. If they follow this process, they are able to bind themselves to a different rune altar instead and can repeat this process an unlimited amount of times. Binding and unbinding oneself from a rune altar is an arduous process, and those who do so will be stricken with exhaustion and nausea for several hours following the experience. Each soul bound to an altar increases the tier of the altar by 1, with a minimum of 2. The tier of the rune altar dictates how many and how powerful all of the bound runesmiths can collectively craft upon it. For example, a tier 2 rune altar can produce a single tier 2 rune per 24 IRL hours. A tier 5 rune altar can produce a single tier 5 rune per 24 hours, or five tier 1 runes, two tier 2 runes and one tier 1 rune, etc. If a runesmith attempts to produce more runes than an altar can handle per IRL day then the altar will shatter and explode violently as it is overwhelmed by the power passing through it. A runesmith can only interact with a rune altar that they themselves are bound to, trying to interact with someone else's rune altar will yield no results. More than five souls can be bound to one altar, but the benefits do not increase beyond tier five. Ancient Dwarves always used an anvil as their rune altars, and adorned them with heavy amounts of religious symbols, but a rune altar can be created on any material, and may be made portable or stationary as the runesmith desires. However, it is unwise to create a rune altar out of flimsy material as any damage to the binding runes will cause the respective souls to be unbound. Creating a Rune The process for creating a rune is as follows; A runesmith carves a rune into an item or object using their rune chisel and hammer producing an unactivated rune. The runesmith strikes the rune with their rune hammer to activate it. After creating a rune, a great amount of power is channeled through the runesmith, their tools, and their altars. As they reach their daily limit they feel exhausted and nauseous for several hours following. Many runes can be produced anywhere at the tier 1 level, though a rune altar is required to produce more or more powerful runes, and some types of runes can only be created on a rune altar. Without a rune altar a runesmith can produce a single tier 1 rune every 24 hours in any location. If they attempt to produce more runes than that they risk their tools shattering due to the amount of power that flows through it. The specifics for each type of rune crafting shall be listed more in depth in their respective sections. Types of Runes Divine Runes The divine runes represent a diverse array of runes from several of the existing schools of runesmithing. They were first created and named by the Order of Ogradhad as a way of teaching new runesmiths how to carve runes. They are religiously symbolic, and many are practical in their application, though they follow no specific form of the craft as they were meant as teaching tools for introductory purposes. REDLINES: Varied by rune List of Divine Runes: RUNE OF YEMEKAR (Rune of Binding) Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: The Rune of Binding, used in the binding ritual and creation of rune altars. Mechanics: Requires sufficient emotes to carve a rune, describing the passing of enough time to feasibly carve a symbol. Red Lines: Has no use beyond the binding rituals. RUNE OF ANBELLA Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Rune of the nature goddess, enhances the health of nearby plants. Mechanics: Accelerates plant growth by 30% within two yards (2 blocks) of the rune. Red Lines: Needs to be re-carved every harvest season or it will lose its potency. RUNE OF DUNGRIMM Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Enhances the courage of those who touch it. Mechanics: So long as a character is touching the rune it makes them slightly braver. The effect is similar to loss of inhibition after two shots of strong whiskey without making the character drunk. Red Lines: Cannot enhance physical abilities or force characters to do something they don’t want to. RUNE OF OGRADHAD Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Rune of the god of scholars and wisdom, enhances clarity and focus, often used by scholars to aid in reading. Mechanics: So long as a character is touching the rune it allows them to focus more clearly on what they are doing at the expense of wider perception. Similar effects to taking adderall but not as extreme. Red Lines: Enhances focus but does not improve skills beyond that. RUNE OF BELKA Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Rune of the goddess of love, causes the user to feel comfort and pleasure. Mechanics: So long as a character is touching the rune they feel slightly more comfortable, a similar effect to smoking pipe weed or cactus green but much less intense. Red Lines: Will not stop a character from feeling severe pain, and will not forcibly make a character lose focus or mental capacity. RUNE OF ARMAKAK Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Rune of the god of merchants, shines white brightly when near gold, more intensely the purer the specimen. Mechanics: Will begin glowing when within six inches of gold and will increase from a dim light to bright like a candle when near purer examples of gold. Can be used to test golden coins for counterfeit. Red Lines: Cannot provide brightness greater than a candle or detect gold through walls. RUNE OF GRIMDUGAN Tier 1 Divine Rune, Non-Combative Description: Rune of the god of avarice, allows the user to see slightly better in the dark. Mechanics: So long as a character is touching the rune increases the user's night vision slightly, by about 20% of their usual ability. Red Lines: Cannot be used to see in total darkness, does not make a user more sensitive to light. Elemental Runes Elemental runes are runes that react with existing matter that is natural in it’s components. They were used often in construction and in creating secret doorways or bridges. They cannot create new matter but can manipulate much of the existing matter in natural environments such as water, dirt, stone, air, or some more specific elements. REDLINES: Any use of elemental runes to move material must be able to be represented in MC. Elemental runes cannot do anything in rp that cannot be represented by redstone or craftbook and falls into existing rules for those mechanics. Staff can create command blocks to portray more advanced uses of elemental runes, but are under no obligation to do so. Elemental Runes that require the use of a rune altar (tier 2 or higher) must be carved on a rune altar and the rune can then be embedded into a structure. Tier 1 elemental runes can be carved directly into the desired structure, or carved elsewhere and later embedded. List of Elemental Runes: RUNE OF STONE MANIPULATION Tier 2 Elemental Rune, Non-Combative Description: This rune of manipulation can move large amounts of stone within a defined area. They were often used for gates, bridges, and retractable staircases. Mechanics: This rune is represented as redstone contraptions or craftbook machines that move stone, the use of a rune is for rp flair. The rune itself has two functions, to move stone in one direction and to pull it back to it’s original position, each is accomplished with a touch. Red Lines: Cannot be used outside any function that is currently allowed via craftbook or redstone. Must be carved into sturdy and grounded stone, it is not possible to craft a mobile rune of stone manipulation. Runes of Imbuement Runes of imbuement were those that Farren Starbreaker found himself most interested in. Carving runes of imbuement on items can imbue them with certain properties, such as sturdiness, reduce or increase their weight, or even apply certain effects such as electricity, flame, or other useful properties. REDLINES: Runes of imbuement last for two years in rp (2 Weeks IRL) after which they need to be re-carved. Unless enchanting is added to LoTC, they will have no MC representation unless for aesthetics only List of Imbuement Runes: RUNE OF FIRE IMBUEMENT Tier 2 Rune of Imbuement, Combative/Non-Combative Description: When applied to a melee weapon causes a searing effect on the edge or face of the weapon. It is capable of burning cloth or skin, and will ignite flammable materials if exposed for long enough. Can also be used as a fire starter in a hearth or on a surgeon's knife, not limited as a weapon but follows the same rules. Mechanics: The rune is activated by the strike of a rune hammer and requires two minutes to reach it’s full heat. During this time it will act as a super heated iron, burning red hot and will interact with the environment accordingly. It requires the strike of a rune hammer to deactivate as well, making it cumbersome to transport of left activated. Red Lines: Cannot instantly ignite cloths, or enemies. Can only be applied to surfaces that will not burn, if applied to wood or other flammable material the item would quickly catch fire. Rune Casting Rune casting is a form of runesmithing that allows one to create or manipulate the world from a distance. Rune casting can only be done from a rune altar. The ancient Dwarves used to mount their rune anvils onto chariots, or have an honor guard carry them around while runesmiths smote their hammer upon runestones to cause effects from range. Rune casting includes the use of runes of slowness, speed, vigour, nausea, decay, and other examples. REDLINES: A rune altar can only cast up to 5 tiers of runes per 24 OOC hours. That is, one tier 5 rune, five tier 1 runes, etc. Players cannot move a rune altar for the purposes of rune casting unless they could move it irp (One person cannot move a large anvil). Rune casting has a maximum range of 20 yards (20 blocks) from the center of the altar. Only one rune can be cast from one rune altar at a time, casting a new rune while one is still active will dispel the old rune. Rune casting has no MC representation outside of already available means. List of Casting Runes: RUNE OF STAMINA Tier 2 Casting Rune, Combative/Non-Combative Description: A castable rune useful to help tired creatures quickly catch their breath or maintain strenuous physical activity. Mechanics: Aids in the breathing and stamina of all beings that require it within 5 yards (5 blocks) radius of the center of where it is cast. Beings that are within the radius will breathe about twice as easy and will tire half as quickly. The effect lasts for 5 minutes (rp time) before the rune is consumed. Red Lines: Cannot change position once cast to follow people around. Does not discriminate on who receives benefits so long as they are within the radius of the effect of the cast. Flesh Runes Flesh runes are runes that are carved upon a living beings flesh while they lay upon a rune altar. Originally discovered and deployed for medical purposes, flesh runes were heavily abused by the Ironborn during the Blood Age and they invented new runes to torture, mutilate, or mutate their victims, or enhance their soldiers with inordinate strength or numbness to pain, often with debilitating side effects. REDLINES: The process of receiving a flesh rune is extremely painful and life altering for a character and can be considered torture. A flesh rune cannot be placed upon a character without OOC permission from the player. All flesh runes must have negative side effects in addition to any benefit they provide. A single character can only have ONE flesh rune on them at a time, attempting to inscribe any more will result in death. Flesh runes can only be removed by removing the skin upon which it is carved, all the way down to the bone/organs, or via amputation. Flesh runes must be inscribed with with the subject resting upon a rune altar. List of Flesh Runes: RUNE OF VELKAN’S WROTH Tier 2 Flesh Rune, Combative/Non-Combative Description: The rune of strength will imbue a user with immense strength for a short while, expanding their muscles and increasing the reactivity of their tendons. However, once the effects of use wear off the user will be crippled and in pain for a while, their muscles having become strained and possibly tearing. Mechanics: A user activates the rune by touching it with their hand. Once activated they will be crippled by pain for 30 seconds before the positive effects begin and will be unable to move. After the 30 seconds they will be twice as strong physically as they are normally and their muscles and veins will bulge. These effects last for 10 minutes (rp time), Red Lines: After positive effects wear off the user will be exhausted and collapse as if they just finished a marathon. They will be weak and unable to defend themselves for 24 hours (rp time) following the positive effects wearing off. If they strained themselves especially, it may require even more time to recover. Cannot be activated by another person’s touch. Golemantic Runes Although the runes used in rune smithing bear heavy resemblance to those used in golemancy, whether or not they are truly connected remains unclear, as golemancers are not required to undergo any rituals to engage in their craft, and ancient practitioners of golemancy treated it most often as a separate craft, distinct from runesmithing. Event Runes Event runes refers to runes that are unobtainable by players but can be used by the story team or other appropriate staff to provide fun events. They have no limits or redlines beyond the scope of the event. History of Runesmithing Ancient History Among the mortal races, the Dwarves were the first to discover runesmithing and produced many of the most prominent practitioners of the craft. Runesmithing came into Dwarven hands out of both necessity and as a religious and scholarly pursuit. Up until recent history Dwarves had very little access to traditional magic and instead sought a way to harness the powers of nature, the void, and the divine through the means that were available to them, science and reason. Runesmithing suited them well in this regard, as to bind oneself to runesmithing is to sever any other access to magic, voidal or deific, so a race that could not practice these magics had nothing to lose by severing a connection that did not exist. The idea of runesmithing first emerged as a philosophical pursuit. Ancient Dwarven philosophers believed in a cosmos created by Yemekar, within which he was able to shape and create all of creation, a cosmos that they referred to as the Anvil. At first, Dwarven scholars theorized that Yemekar could spontaneously create matter and shape it as he liked within his Anvil before introducing it to the universe as inanimate objects or endowing it with life and a soul. The theory was popular and the clergy of Urguan debated it’s validity for many years, but after all it simply remained a theory. It was not until many decades later, after several of the original theorizers had died, that evidence surfaced to both support and refine the theory. In their explorations across Aegis and in deep caverns and forgotten mines, ancient stones and monolithic structures were discovered, bearing inactive runic symbols. All of these stones and symbols followed a specific pattern, one that guided the Dwarves to an underground chamber within a fortress of sorts carved deep into the bedrock of the planet, far deeper than any known tools could have delved. Within the chamber were walls adorned with carvings and paintings, depicting an ancient deity bestowing powers upon his followers through some sort of a ritual, a ritual which was depicted as using an altar erected in the center of the room as the catalyst. It was the Ironborn clan, who in their thirst for power, even before the blood age, were the first to repeat the occult ritual depicted on the walls upon the altar. They brought forth fine Dwarven tools and spilt their own blood upon the altar, which brought forth the deity. The deity came before them as a blinding, golden light, and completed the ritual, sealing a fraction of the first supplicant’s soul within his tools, and granting him the power of runesmithing. Upon attempts to repeat the ritual, the deity did not reappear, and in it’s place was only Pharrax, the first runesmith. Classical History Pharrax found that he could replace the deity in the process of the ritual and repeat it many times with many students, each of which were handpicked by himself, Urguan, and the early clergy. They were able to copy the symbols found upon the ancient monoliths darting the land and imbue them with power when striking them with their hammer. Once the military and other implications of importance were realized surrounding this new power, a new guild was formed in Urguan’s kingdom, the Order of Ogradhad. The cosmological theory of Yemekar’s Anvil was refined, and redefined. It was not the manipulation of matter that produced the Universe as they had thought, but instead a language that dictated creation. Indeed, the idea of the Anvil still persisted, and all still believed Yemekar to be a smith, though they now believed him to be a wordsmith as well as one of traditional merit, that spoke and sang and wrote and carved the world into existence, in a process that they too as the chosen creation of their god could repeat to honor and carry on his legacy. It was this cosmological philosophy that drove the runesmiths forward to ever greater heights. This order of runesmiths dedicated themselves to the study and discovery of new runes, either by unearthing ancient runic symbols, or by experimenting with their own runic symbols. The process was dangerous and secretive, and the results were entirely unpredictable if a runesmith simply began scribbling away mindlessly and trying to imbue those symbols with power. So progress was slow, and most runes and runic practices were simply variations of existing runes and methods of runesmithing, or based on discoveries in other ancient sites or encounters with Aenguls and Daemons who knew better than the Dwarves how the power of runesmithing might be applied. However, by the time of the Blood Age, an incredible amount of progress had been made within the Order of Ogradhad. The limits of teaching and producing runes were discovered, thousands of runes were created or unearthed, the purpose of rune altars, and the tools, and safer carving methods were all made available to the runesmiths of yore. A Runelord and King was even able to do battle with and trap Odnarch using the powers of runesmithing. However, such progress was not to last, as the Blood Age dawned. Under the Ironborn rule, the Order of Ogradhad was disbanded. All runesmiths were forced to serve the crown directly, and any who disobeyed were put to the sword or fled. Bastardized and dark versions of the craft emerged, flesh runes, alterations to golemancy, manipulation of souls. All tomes and writings that held knowledge of runesmithing were gathered up and hoarded by the ruling elite, and very few managed to evade their hands. Then, at the height of the civil war, shortly before the Ironborn were defeated, many runesmiths led a revolt against their overlords, slaying hundreds but ultimately being overwhelmed. Any non-Ironborn runesmith was killed in retaliation, and very few escaped. As defeat at the hands of the remnant became inevitable, the Ironborn slew any remaining runesmiths they could and burned or destroyed all knowledge of the craft that was available to them to keep them out of the hands of the Remnant, as one final act of spite and desperation. After the Blood Age, runesmithing was forever crippled. Any remaining runesmiths did not have the knowledge or drive to carry on with their work, and over time the craft faded into both obsoleteness and obscurity, and very few Dwarves carried on the tradition. Recent History The oldest runesmith that existed within living memory was Farren Starbreaker. Farren came into knowledge of runesmithing through study of Scriberfolk ruins around Anthos, and by studying ancient accounts runesmithing found in unearthed tomes. It is unknown how Farren went through the binding ritual as he never spoke of the event with anyone. Farren was extremely reluctant to teach others of his discoveries, out of both personal pride and the fear of what could happen if the power of runesmithing was passed to the wrong hands. Farren disappeared without teaching any significant amount of students. However, Farren’s discoveries reinvigorated Dwarven interest in runesmithing and many followed in his steps, studying ruins and tomes for any information about the craft, but it would not be until many years later that runesmithing would re-emerge as a true force in the world. In Athera, runesmithing was rediscovered in earnest. An ancient Dwarven keep, floating in the sky was discovered, the elden home of a long dead runesmith. Within the keep was a golem, far more advanced than any that could be produced by contemporary hands, and bearing the knowledge of runesmithing. It was capable of performing the binding ritual which it was instructed to reveal to those who were worthy. The Dwarves that the golem taught were Lori Ireheart, Hogarth Irongut, and Dizzy Irongrinder. These Dwarves were the first contemporary runesmiths, and they had many students of their own. Runesmithing flourished for a time, and eventually came into the hands of Zahrer Irongrinder, who also had several students of his own. This now leaves us at the current day, with the future stories of runesmithing as of yet unwritten.

One admin has been removed

From the Office of the Safety Admin, In response to the (leaks/reports/logs/photos) brought to light to the community by (player name here), this (morning/evening) the Safety Team has found it necessary to issue this response. We have severed all ties with (perpetrator), and reaffirm our commitment to the safety and enjoyment of the player base. Thank you all and be safe, -Safety Admin Noobman *IMPORTANT* Do not post until after logs are revealed

Looks nice

Safety Admin’s Report #1 The issue is currently being investigated.

Good post kowa

There are already steam boats and a few other uses for steam engines that are accepted

“All of your wares are far above market price” states a dwarf

+1, Very nice

A breeze rolls through Malinor

TRAINS ARE COPYRIGHTED DWARVEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY! Good write though, seems interesting.

The server has been stuck in a never changing tech lock that is making the server extremely stale and any sense of progress is non existant. I only scanned the lore post but I believe we need to introduce some forms of gunpowder weapons to the server or else the server will never be able to expand it’s horizons. Gunpowder weapons would literally function no differently than already existing rp weapons so I don’t see it as an issue in regards to it’s power. Gunpowder has already blended seemlessly into other fantasy settings such as the Warhammer universe and greatly enhanced the genre. There is no reason to keep denying change just because a reactionary staff base clings to a false notion that any form of advancement would immedietly lead to space marines and warp travel.

~Dabington~ The men-at-arms transporting the money across the province notice the refugees. Although some of the less-savory characters among them, mostly ex-mercenaries or convert Norsemen suggest pillaging the caravan, the noble leader of the retinue and the upstanding folk amongst the soldiers forbid it. A small portion of the force is detached to guide the refugees towards Dabington while the rest continue to guard the construction. When the refugees arrive at Dabington's gates, Lord Dabington holds a conversation with the clergyman leading the caravan. Establishing a stronger religious base in Dabington could prove beneficial, so the Lord offers to construct a monastery for the clergy to live in and train additional priests. The clergyman agrees that it is a good idea, and sends word to the local Bishop to ask for permission who in turn sends word to the Pope. Assuming the construction will receive papal sponsorship, Lord Dabington looks forward to the boon of a content populous and potential papal recognition for fronting the bill. Summary of Actions Finished Construction on: Elmwood Mines, Umbridge Trade Post, Littleton Farms x2, Littleton Trade Post. Took In Refugees Construction on Temple (If the Pope approves) -350 Gold. Remaining Gold= 25. Projected Population Increase: (Including 1% Boost) Dabington + 7,000 (event). = 207,200 Littleton + 720 (Farmland x2) = 45,765 Umbridge + 0 = 45,045 Total Projected Population = 298,010 Projected Income: Population: (298) = 298 Littleton: 2x Farmland (20) + Trading Post (20) = 40 Umbridge: Trading Post (20) = 20 Elmwood: Mines (20) = 20 Total Projected Income = 378 Total Projected Treasury Next Turn = 378 (Income) + 25 (Remaining) = 403