Kalehart

I can say with confidence that even just up until now this event has been one of the best experiences I’ve had on the server. Possibly the best experience, and I’ve been around since Aegis. Truly outstanding work, I appreciate the colossal task that this was and continues to be. You’ve achieved something unprecedented on the server, and that’s a triumph to be proud of.

Updated to cover some logical gaps I found and reformat the post.

I wrote this a year before Death Stranding was released, just check the post date. I appreciate the support! There is actually, by coincidence, a piece of lore currently pending that would legitimize the concept of the Shore to an extent. Not my lore, not written with this idea in mind, but conveniently related. https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/186737-reformatted-feat-vivification-the-curse-of-true-sight/ Thanks!

Time to write lore for a new divine magic.

Updated after a long while. Small stuff, clarifications, expansions, etc.

Seems like a useful update to a magic that had been rather niche beforehand. I’ve had it for ages but honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had much reason to use it. This would alleviate that limited use case quite a bit, I think. +1

So this lore seems to be using spells and ideas that had, long before this was posted, been included in an ongoing rewrite of Mysticism that I and a few others have been working on. Something called True Sight and Seances were both established quite some time ago, so I’m not entirely happy about this post using those ideas. I don’t claim to have sole rights to the concepts of course, given they originated in Zarsies’ attempt at merging necromancy and mysticism, but this is overall very inconvenient for the Mystics hopes of a rewrite / lore that isn’t spread over six posts like the current one, let alone for us having coherency within that lore. I think I’m obligated to note that I do not intend to adjust my rewrite to accommodate this lore post since I was never contacted about it and have already done work on these same ideas. Should the aforementioned rewrite go through, the concepts of True Sight and Seances will be end up being overwritten, as about half of our rewrite focuses towards that same exorcist / medium style roleplay, including those specific terms and effects, and is honestly (in my humble opinion) a lot more expansive in doing so, offering more abilities and utilities towards it. I can’t -1 since its fine lore, but I do want to say that I don’t believe this is a very good way to implement these ideas. Had I been contacted beforehand, I would have happily tried to integrate everything into the rewrite; the goal, to allow the wider playerbase access to this kind of medium-esque roleplay, is very much something I had wanted as well.

Makes sense to me, and I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be acceptable even if the reasoning had been flimsy, there’s no reason this clan couldn’t have independently acquired these traits by chance or by intentionally favoring it as a physical trait in their partners and thus breeding it in over time. +1 Just try not to let people go crazy vibrant with it, that could be a tad distracting rather than adding distinction. The issue will be one for skin-makers of these characters to have it blend in with the rest of their features convincingly. If they don’t do that well, you might get some people being whiny, but ultimately it’s not a lore problem anyway if that happens.

Interesting ideas, seem fine mostly. I would be very cautious with ‘Gust’ though, the idea that it can be used to throw rocks or daggers seems both unreasonable for something involving air currents, and too close to telekinesis. The value and intrigue I have always found in air evocation is that it is not a combative magic, it is largely defensive and utilitarian. Giving it pseudo-telekinesis for throwing weapons really damages that niche it fills, and will discourage more creative, non-lethal methods of attack from practitioners. At the very least, I would limit the manipulation of things that heavy or dense to t4 or higher, you’d need to be conjuring freakin’ hurricane winds in extremely controlled patterns in order to manipulate that stuff effectively.

Very interesting idea, and beautifully presented. That said, I’m a little tentative about all these levels of transformation; I feel as though the idea of ditching your mortal body for something else is something that has become overly common on the server, and I feel as though voidal magic in particular is one which shouldn’t draw characters away from their mortality with its ‘ultimate form’, since it is the most widely available type of magic on the server. Archons were sort of cool while they lasted, but at this point I think I’d rather see well thought-out and thematically interesting lore like this put towards something other than glowy magic dudes. We’ve got, and more importantly have had, plenty of those. Neither plus one nor minus one, I like the writing and I’m not smart enough to point out any balancing flaws, but as a concept I feel as though it could be made more interesting counter-intuitively by not leaning so hard on the idea of alternate states that the server seems obsessed with. Mages bound to the void and empowered as its protectors and servants would be a strong concept alone, without making them into arcane ghosties. And uh, obviously I’m familiar with non-mortal states and such on the server, my own main character is a Wight. I don’t mean to say that having non-mortal creatures on the server is bad, only that I think at this point just about every kind of magic is trying to make you something other than the race you started as, and that really isn’t a trap I want to see the most accessible magic on the server fall in to.

It's only meant to be a metaphorical place at the moment, though if the ideology catches on I wouldn't be adverse to discussing with the LT how it may actually fit in. Anyway for now, no, it's just a symbol and an idea. I should actually say that that extends to the entirety of it, all of the concepts are IC ones that could be flawed from a lore perspective.

Here I’ve written a compact OOC guide that should enable anyone to use the ideology that I wrote originally for my character and his students. Those interested in adopting this for their character are very welcome, it could easily be said that they learned of this through a travelling disciple or pamphlet. This post represents IC opinions, viewpoints, and speculation, not lore. I've roughly formatted the post below, but for the best experience I would suggest using the document here. Tenets Minimize the contamination of Ebrietaes. Prevent corrupt souls from finding rest in death. Make allies over enemies. They shall aid you in your path. Judge by merit, not mark. No creed or covenant should deny a soul its chance to seek the Shore. Bring stillness to the Shore. Resolve conflict in your surroundings, sow no chaos. Spread the word. Make the potential of the forsaken plane known. What is the Shore? The Shore exists as a transitory space separating the mortal world, represented as land and sky, from Ebrietaes and the Soulstream, represented as the ocean depths. Displaying balance and chaos in tandem, the Shore is a space of great and constant change, where warring worlds might collide and collude. Though the waves may churn and the skies may thunder, followers of the Shore know the great opportunities to be had when all finally stills, if even for a moment. The Shore can be interpreted as both a literal and metaphorical entity. Some believe that there is in fact a place in the structure realms situated between the worlds of the dead and the living, whilst others prefer to envision the Shore as an ideal or symbol, signifying the middle-ground and unity between opposing forces of all sorts. It is unclear which interpretation is more accurate, but both lead to the same conclusion for any Shorewalker: The Shore is sacred and valuable, it must be preserved and strengthened. What is Ebrietaes / the Soulstream? The realm of the dead, a plane once separated entirely from the mortal realm and those of the gods, is in this current age one brought much closer to the material world. Ruled by the Arch-Aengul Aeriel, all souls pass through The Soulstream in death- be it to use Aeriel’s gateways in order find rest in the realm of whatever Aengul they worshipped, to linger within her golden city, or to be cast out into the corrupt wasteland known as Ebrietaes surrounding it. That is, in essence, the nature of Ebrietaes. Whilst the Soulstream refers to the realm as a whole, Ebrietaes is that which was cast out and forsaken. It is an endless ocean of the corrupt and discarded souls deemed unworthy to seek other places of rest. An ever-growing sea of malice and corruption of the worst sorts, consuming the Soulstream and disturbed only by the presence of Aeriel’s Golden City. Shorewalkers believe that this is not the ideal vision of the Soulstream; that this opposition between corruption and purity is unneeded, and if not held to such extremes, the realm of the dead would be rendered simply an ever-living reflection of the mortal world. A place where spirits may linger after their first trials in the material world, made wiser and left to continue their growth indefinitely. A second chance, for everyone and everything. This, however, is impossible when all that is pure is taken elsewhere, and all that is tarnished is left to fester. The good and ill must mix, as in all things, to reach the necessary balance. What do adherents of the Shore believe? Those who follow the Shore position themselves as envoys for the dead and living alike, mediators between warring forces that value nothing more than their grand vision of interplanar balance. It is the strong belief of most adherents of the Shore that Aeriel’s manipulation and connection of Ebrietaes to the other Aengulic realms was the ultimate mistake in creation, causing imbalance most deliberately within her claimed realm, the Soulstream, but also echoing throughout every other plane in existence. By syphoning away the souls of those who die with honor, or in circumstances of peace and compassion, to other spaces than Ebrietaes itself, she has left the realm she claimed in a state of chaos- forsaken it as a wasteland for the evil and suffering who she did not see fit to save. Distilling all the corruption of mortals into a single, treacherous plane. Viewing themselves as children of both realms, ones with minds set on the living world and the next, such an issue in either place is worthy of these adherents’ full attention. This is the primary injustice that all Shorewalkers seek to amend, as it is their belief that only through understanding can this great wrong be righted, and Ebrietaes ultimately transformed into its rightful state. Aeriel cannot be forced to relinquish her hold on Ebrietaes, so herein lies an aspect of faith in the hearts of Shorewalkers. Aenguls are not prone to changing their views, as they are indeed representative of precisely what they believe by their very nature, but these adherents hope that if the minds and hearts of mortals shift, if their pleas are true and loud, there is the chance that she will listen. That, perhaps, the endurance of a soul and its quality can be recognized. As such, the ‘core belief’ of Shorewalkers is that through communication, not further death or suffering, an ideal result can be wrought. A great deal of pride is taken in, and indeed respect given to, adherents who are capable of bringing opposing sides together. If not between light and dark, any other means of mediation between factions or states is considered valuable practice. Moreover, to bring others into the waters of the Shore to spread its word is an equally sacred duty, as the change one man can create is minor, but if he empowers others to work at his side, and they gather more in turn, this influence is exponential. Ultimately, the thing these adherents seek to prevent most urgently and above all else, is a deepening of the imbalance within Ebrietaes. Souls lost to particular dark magics, or other Aengulic realms, are of far less consequence than those that gather and further corrupt the realm of the dead. Uniquely, this means that adherents of the Shore are strongly in opposition to the execution of evil-doers, as their death would no doubt leave the tinge of their malice on the oceans of Ebrietaes and the Soulstream. If a spirit is such that it is already out of reach, that it shan’t touch those waters when it passes, it is not of their concern. Deaths of the innocent and good do not tarnish Ebrietaes, nor those of men and women claimed by other realms and entities, or those whose spirits will simply be torn asunder in death. Only the vile and corrupt, but mortal or near to it, can truly deepen the wound. Do they have any enemies? It is a core principle of the discipline to judge all on individual merit, be they holy, unholy, or in-between, in the same manner that they believe souls should also be judged in death. This said, Aeriel’s followers and the Ascended are positioned uniquely as representatives of an Aengul who some adherents of the Shore may carry a deep distaste for- however, so too are they viewed as the best hope to reach their patron’s ear, and are thus ideally not combatted, but provided an understanding of the Shore. Differences may arise, but it is the calling of a Shorewalker to quell these conflicts; even within themselves. In short, enemies are established on an individual basis, and any manner of reasoning that bundles individuals into a group is strongly discouraged. Though some Aengulic forces may target the Shore, adherents are implored to know that there exists variation even within the divine itself, let alone their faithful. Not all will judge so harshly, even if it is their duty. Once an adherent has made the individual judgement that someone is a lost cause for communication or a threat to their duty, however, there is scarcely a reason for them to reconsider. They face no internal retribution for seeking to right the perceived wrong, in accordance with the tenets. What do they fight for? The ultimate discretion against the Shore is to cause widespread death or corruption of mortals, for each soul condemned deepens the oceans of suffering in Ebrietaes, and makes their ultimate goal harder to achieve. To this end, followers of the Shore are encouraged to work against such misdoings; first diplomatically, but with force if the ultimate cost would be more severe than that of the willing conflict. This is not to say that Shore adherents are moral paragons. Rather, their focus is narrowly upon not worsening this perceived issue- this means that using souls in other means that prevent them from passing on to Ebrietaes, such as through undeath or golemancy, even some dark sacrificial rituals, is acceptable, as they do not contribute to the imbalance of death in the Soulstream. An important aspect of the adherents’ cause is to stop corrupt souls from finding their way to Ebrietaes, as mentioned previously. This could lead adherents to protect criminals in order to see them imprisoned, or perhaps loudly advocate fairer punishments for the condemned as a less confrontational route; both in order to avoid the execution of such parties. Some, if possessed of the means, may even take it upon themselves to make use of those dark souls in ways that keep them out of Ebrietaes, but may condemn them nonetheless. What limitations are imposed upon them? One is unlikely to take an interest in the path of the Shore if they are not suited to it, however, it goes without saying that the cruel, malicious, or the extremist in any direction are at large unfit for the role. Most prominent of the rules bidden to the Shorewalkers is the first tenet, to prevent the further contamination of Ebrietaes and the Soulstream. To this end, any action that results in a corrupt soul passing on to the realm of the dead is severely regarded; though in instances where it is vital, lest further individuals become corrupted, it can be allowed. It is acknowledged that, at times, it is simply unavoidable. Secondly but of equal impact, is that adherents are told to spread no undue chaos in the world. This includes anything from simply causing needless conflict, to obvious crimes against the uncorrupt innocents of the world. As with all things, the result of such a misstep can vary based on severity, and simply wouldn’t exist for any civilians unconnected with the path’s progenitor, unless they had peers to scorn them. A notable loophole is the fact that as long as their behaviour does not cause unrest, if they are discreet and take care that the consequences of their actions are controlled, a Shorewalker may reasonably justify that their dark deeds remain in-line with these teachings. For those Shorewalkers who wield magics of the dark, they are bid restraint. If their malicious power of choice renders the soul unfit for the Soulstream and Ebrietaes entirely, they are expected only to exercise caution in how they conduct themselves, that they do not stir the waters or corrupt those who could still reach Ebrietaes. If their magic does not render a soul unfit for Aeriel’s realm, and instead marks it as just corrupt enough to be guaranteed entry to Ebrietaes, this demand for restraint is tenfold. They must not spread their art unless they are absolutely certain that the individual chosen will do more to aid the cause than their eventual death will do to worsen it. This means a Shorewalker who wields such magic is bid to ensure that any student they take, and any student of their students, must diligently follow the Shore themselves. Is there a hierarchy? No, followers of the Shore are viewed as equal, with individual merit or reputation usually garnered on their success at the aforementioned goals. Those who have forged peace between armies, or prevented events that would have resulted in chaos and strife otherwise, might be regarded as alumni or guides of the path, but have no title or authority inherently, beyond what is given freely by their peers. It is also worthy of note to say that the belief is not required to be centralized, and can be followed individually. This said, those misrepresenting the path may find themselves confronted by their peers. Though the path’s originator tends to oversee the accurate representation of its beliefs with those directly related to it, the entity is not prone to harsh action, pride or judgement- and claims no official authority, only the means to correct missteps if they occur within its sight. Who might follow the Shore? Adherents of the Shore are prone to a number of varying disciplines and lifestyles. Jailors and wardens, morticians and priests, artists, diplomats and bridge builders both literal and metaphorical. There are those of the deep dark that follow the Shore as well, aspiring for balance where their nature may deny it, and even followers of the Aspects might find an identity in this form of balance. It is possible for the corrupt and immoral to pledge themselves to the Shore as well, whilst they would not be regarded well by their progenitor or other followers, they may still flaunt the message selfishly in hopes of saving their souls from the fate that presumably awaits. What do they have in common? Any who choose to follow the Shore have their eyes set on places beyond the world around them. They are concerned with the activities of other realms, and are invested in solving these issues rather than standing idly by. Adherents are encouraged to be idealists, to envision the ultimate goal of balancing Ebrietaes and connect with it; they must hope for the realm they seek to create, and so too mourn that it is yet to be. Beyond these things, adherents are highly individualistic, coming from all walks of life and possessing dispositions from morally upright and friendly, to dreary and questionable; after all, the corrupt don’t much wish to be condemned to Ebrietaes either. Balancing the Soulstream benefits everyone. Are they Xionist? No. The Shore holds no relation to Xion, and would indeed strongly oppose some paths within it. The path of Oaks is an exception as it does share some common ground with the Shore, enough so that a person might feasibly dedicate themselves to both without any particular conflicts of interest. Otherwise, Xion is incompatible with the Shore.

It's occurred to me that this seems to conflict with the Kha goddess Metzli being the Moon deity. Are they meant to share the domain? Apologies if this has already been asked, didn't see it addressed when I looked. Edit: Sounds like the LT made it a thing, fair enough!

Very interesting, a huge departure from the previous lore in a way that I think was necessary to differentiate it. I can definitely see some expansions to this lore being added in the future, but for what's here I still give a +1.

While I appreciate your enthusiasm to contribute, I don't think this lore is anywhere near sufficient to pass. I suggested when you approached me in-game (if that was you, I could be mistaken) that you speak with the original lore maker, and since you didn't there's really no way you could have had a deep enough understanding to form a good rework. This would be excusable if you were aiming to propose new lore, not based on something, but to try and create a new version of old lore without doing your research is... Well, it's not a good look, and it's certainly not likely to succeed. Obviously you're interested in the concept of playing a werewolf sort of character, but to propose lore you need to be equally enthusiastic about looking in to how the lore worked (and didn't) in the past. A -1 from me. I'd suggest focusing your efforts on just enjoying the server for now, getting to know it and the lore, perhaps familiarizing yourself with the druids IRP if you haven't already, that would be a good first step to working on this lore.

Ye.

Obviously biased having contributed, but in my personal opinion this rewrite addresses more of the issues facing Necromancy on the server than the alternative. It brings the magic down to a pretty well-balanced state with the requirement of a tier slot for each type in my opinion, and simplifies the current over-saturation of melee-based undead (gravens, darkstalkers, paleknights, ghouls). It also makes Wights far less overpowered and more thematically interesting, and gives Liches a lot more tools to distinguish themselves aesthetically from their peers, something I've always felt was needed. In my opinion Mysticism and Necromancy are individually valuable and not all that samey in terms of function, however they share so much in common thematically that I think bringing them both under the same umbrella makes a lot of sense. Due to the way sub-types are organized,we can both keep the individuality I enjoy between the two groups, and expand on the cross-over between them.

I do believe you've missed the point, good sir. The point isn't to destroy Laklul's clan or people, it's the ambition of combating a god. There seems to be a lot of anger here for no real reason; all this is is a proposal to make an attempt on the Spirit's life, not even a guarantee of success. If an orc can explain to me why they have a problem with an antagonistic narrative like this, I'd like to hear it. I understand that Laklul is important to clan Lak and Orcish culture overall, but it's ultimately just a narrative device coming under attack. You could take that and use it to create cool RP conflict when information is actually out there (which it isn't), or I suppose you can get upset about it out of game and defend a character nobody plays whos purpose, theoretically, in the orcish narrative is to give structure and something to protect and value. Sooo, capitalize on that. Protect the thing, fight the bad guys, but lets not take that IC outrage and confuse it with something that has any weight OOC.

I'm ready for frog leg bbq

Request form: IGN: Kalehart Full/Clothing/Head/Edit: Clothing Alex/Steve form (if you choose the alex form you're a soyboy and i cant make female skins anyway): Steve Ref: Description/Reference: Pretty much exactly as the image shows, perhaps not counting the open chest portion. Your discord/skype so I can contact you if I need you to elaborate about your request: Kalehart#7563 I assume there's a bit of a wait so I'll vote daily and have payment for you by the time you get around to me. Feel free to message me to verify when you do, could also make a trade of some sort IC.

A nerf that fleshes out some lore? Give it to me.

do it

heck yep +1