Farryn

Makes me wonder what is more important to define activity – OOC nation activity checks of players being in one location or IC nation activity throughout roleplay via on server and on the forums. If you ask me, the latter is vastly important here and the fact this playerbase threw out so much evidence of activity, and are being polite about the situation. It definitely speaks volume. Being active as a nation isn’t just about being in one location all the time and having to have said nation checked up to see if people are roleplaying there. Instead, it should be checking to see if a nation has actually been a noticeable asset to the server through the roleplay they have produced and took part in (such as forum posts, guard training, warclaims, wars, etc, etc, etc). Quality over quantity people! So to simply put it. Give these players land! *inserts plus 1 here since plus button on keyboard is broken*

Elvira would read the bounty and her eye widens a bit. The name Raide of Ashford very familiar to her, an old cleric she knew during Vailor and Axios. She’d roll the parchment and places it to one side. The Ascended goes to stand up and departs from her private study – she needed to pay a visit to someone.

Changelog [03/01/2019] Tearstone Shards specifically need to be exposed, whenever they are floating, in armour, or weapons – all spells will not work if the Tearstone Shard is covered up completely. Tearstone Shards now need to physically touch a water source in order to absorb the liquid. Additionally, Tearstone Shards can only absorb in the amount of water equal to the amount on how much Astra a Tearstone can hold (depending on the tier). This prevents Ascended from draining lakes and rivers. Astra will now turn back into normal water three hours after being absorbed into the Tearstone Shard. Tearstone Shard recovery from Fracturing now takes one hour and thirty minutes IRL in order for the Tearstone Shard to recover. Aerielian children no longer have a section devoted to them – there’s now a simple description of them under Crystal Soul. Highlight now requires the Ascended’s line of sight on the people highlighted at all times. If said people hide behind a wall or enter a building, they lose such. When an Ascended dies, any items, armour/clothing, and weapons are to be left behind due to not bearing souls. However, items that are soulbounded will remain with the Ascended when they’ve returned. Voidal water is no longer a one shot fracturing, and now deal four points of damage. Crystalize no longer is immediate and will take three emotes/turns in the RP instance for someone to suffer the full effects. Moonlight Radiance no longer is permenant, as well as any other frost based wounds and effects. These wounds now last for eight emotes/turns in a single RP instance. Astral Mirror can now only repel magic based spells, and can be destroyed if an attack greater than the force of a large boulder hitting the mirror is done to it. Astral Armour can now only repel physical attacks and can be destroyed by attacks that are greater than the peak strength of an olog.

The Wolf slips off their helmet after the fight, within the secluded location they call home. A deep breath came from their lips as their single glowing eye fell shut, recalling the destruction felled upon the city. No joy came from knowing they were victorious, only guilt and unease flooded through the Wolf’s heart. “...May the Archaengul and Aspects forgive us...” ((Really happy with this event, and that my efforts on creating the Ruibrium bolts rply did not go to waste! Aesopian and Xarkly did a big good!))

Making edits to the lore. @ScreamingDingo Thank you for the feedback, there are areas that I do agree need changing and said areas will be the edits I am making. A majority of the points, such as Aeriel VS Voidal, will be worked on but I cannot promise it’ll be removed or redone completely – as some of these points were on the base lore Jallen made for us, and/or will require an extended amount of time to think of a different path to take that wouldn’t affect the rest of the lore. Ascended are not immortal – this is something that has annoyed me a few times. An Ascended cannot age, that is the only aspect of immortality in an Ascended. They can still be killed by multiple other ways outside of time – such as stabbing, burning, decapitation, so on, so on. An Ascended can definitely be pk’ed upon receiving wounds or in very special ET events. This is up to the Ascended player, just like how the elves have a 1000 year lifespan but many elves still PK when their players want them to. In fact, many Ascended in the past have been pk’ed via suicide or accepting death in an ET or player event, or just dying in general combat. So at this point in time, the Ascended are not immortal and people really need to stop that mentality. The Ascended can’t die from time, but they can and will die from multiple other ways to die, as long as the player deems its time for said Ascended to die, just like any other player. Does that sound like full on immortality? No – it’s just the same as the elves. Furthermore, we now lack regeneration and immunity to potions, meaning we can be killed and harmed – as long as the attacker plays their cards right and both sides are fine with the roleplay going on. I will confirm that the LT will not hold a say when it comes to deciding disconnection on something, it was agreed that the Ascended are to become self-moderated and that it will be the role of the higher ups in the community that the right course of action happens. Of course, the LT will only be required to intervene if a scenario involving lore-breaking or powergaming the magic is made known, and said member of the community who breaks the lore or powergames will receive the necessary punishment for such. Furthermore, OOC consent to disconnect someone isiffy. The system we set up was to allow someone the chance to make up for breaking a covenant and was made in order to prevent any OOC arguments. Consent for disconnection is already given by the player the moment their character becomes an Ascended – it’s a big clause in becoming one and OOC consent will only cause further issues than fixing them. While I do think OOC consent is nice, it will not fit well here. Instead, an Ascended with a Blackened Tearstone can be around, and will be expected to face Soul Shattering if it occurs strictly in RP or go through the Trial of the Damned to regain their full abilities and be put off the risk of Shattering. OOC is expected to remain out of RP, unless its either putting the Ascended through the Trial of the Damned, or arranging a time for said Ascended to be soul shattered if they want to do such. It will be the player’s choice to decide where they go but they already made the consent for disconnection by becoming a member of the community, where breaking rules will matter and you will be expected to face said consequences, even if you don’t consent to it. But if a player does care about their character, then they must accept that breaking the covenants will put that character at risk of soul shattering, but they have a chance to fix it. It can't be giving special treatments or letting it slide because someone oocly doesn't like it. You signed up to be an Ascended, you are expected to face the price if you failed to keep to the Covenants and did not go out of your way to fix it in roleplay. That’s some points I wanted to explain as they came out the most to me and needed some explaining.

Help me, Aesopian has me at knife point and is demanding I show support on this threat. SEND HELP The eventline has actually been really interesting once you get invested into it, and it’s a good combination of PVP, PVE, and RP. Normally I am more for my heavy RP events, but I genuinely enjoy the PVP and PVE aspect behind the eventline. Plus it creates more suspense and a sense of urgency as you watch cities being destroyed one by one, but you’re slowly getting closer to defeating September. My only concern: Aeso. For the love of all of us, please get confirmation from LT whenever you plan on bringing in any endgame items or events. Just for our sake and to also make sure the eventline goes smoothly without any complications.

I finally decided to take note of all the talks in here, and I’m not impressed with the ‘Remove the Ascended’ feedback. Very ashamed of the community in fact. However, I will do my best to answer all of the major topics that were brought up. Shelve the Ascended That’s a question that I had hoped many people arguing for the shelving this particular magic would explain in detail. I am well aware the Ascended lore has been argued against, but most people who argued against this lore did not give any clear explanation. What I’ve seen is simply: “They’ve been around too long” and “Their purpose is over and done with.” If we’re going to follow these two reasons as excuses for removing a magic, then the same can be asked towards the Paladins, the Druids, the Shades, Frost Witches – what is the purpose of the Frost Witches? The Shades? The Paladins? The Druids? The druids and paladins have been around since the server’s early days and are still going strong. Many of these magics have been around for a while, the druids especially, and have changed away from their own original purposes to change and develop with the growth of both the server and its lore. In time, many of these magics gain a community around them that wishes to keep the magic going and thus they rewrite and update the lore. What I am trying to say is: The whole point of this rewrite is to ensure the Ascended held a new purpose, one different from the previous purpose of eradicating dark beings. Our new purpose to ensure descendants live long enough for their natural deaths, and assist people in major event lines as the supports. Not the heroes or whiteknights (or so help me if I see an Ascended being a white knight) – the supports in the background. I don’t see either major arguments for removing the Ascended as valid, given many other magics on the server do not hold as much purpose, other than being there to give forth a new experience to players, as well as different takes in using magic – which is what the Ascended Lore is going for. Ascended and Demons. I’ve noticed a user arguing about this and stating it as a reason to remove the Ascended. As the only Ascended who has been actively working with the Naz playerbase in RP – I must disagree when it was voiced that all of the Ascended are working alongside the demons. I will explain why. Only myself and my character, Elvira, has been working with the Naz but I am willing to explain why. No other Ascended have been involved. Elvira has been working on ensuring the Naz users she knows do not use their magic on any descendants and that no new demons are created. One major Naz character has voiced his concerns for his family by his actions and has requested my character to aid him in turning over a new lead, away from being destructive and cruel (and this is true as the user OOCly confirmed he was aiming for a redemption/new leaf with his character). She is VERY aware that she is stepping on thin ice, I am very aware also but I am willing to accept any RP consenquences. The Ascended Sages (the guys leading each sect) were alerted by myself/Elvira and they told me to be extremely careful in what I do, but have shown support that I am trying out a new alternative than the ‘Kill them all’ route. When it came to the September Fight – Elvira was there with the Naz, making sure they did not consume any souls that were lost that day, and to make sure none of them stepped out of line. Why didn’t Elvira or an Ascended who was with me fight them? We had a giant tree demi-god trying to destroy the city – better to focus on one enemy than have two. This was more logical as it meant we were more focused on trying to weaken September, rather than my character and the Naz fighting the other while September tried to destroy the town. Personally, my RP with the Naz playerbase has been brilliant and has pushed my character to the edge at times with trying to play neutral. It’s better than having to kill them, and also gives my character access to a vast range of information. I am honestly happy with how the roleplay is going. What I am not happy about is my IC decisions being used OOCly to argue against the community I am in. Judging a group by the actions of one or few, no? Most of all: Roleplay is Roleplay, and my character’s actions should not be used to argue against the lore, when said actions do not even affect or hold any weight in determining the lore’s success or failure. If you do not agree with how my character acted – then handle it in ROLEPLAY. Do not try pulling it into OOC in any form, unless you want to talk more on the subject in a private conversation. (seriously, just let me know in PMs or discord that you want to talk and I’m happy to talk about this topic) Most of all, and I am repeating this – Do not consider my actions that of the Ascended. I am only one member of the community and my actions are my own, not my community’s. I do not appreciate any users trying to use my actions as an excuse to blame the Ascended, and it makes me ashamed members of the LotC community are willing to go down that route to invoke unnecessary blame on a group. The Ascended Hate I’ve seen all of the hate in here and I want to know why exactly this hate has come across. However, those who elaborated their hatred of the Ascended did not explain why they hated the community. So I am giving a chance for those people to explain their reasons to me. I am aware it is something to do with the community, and I hope to try and take that feedback into ensuring that the Ascended become better than before. Neither myself or the Ascended community cannot make any big chances unless people let us know about a particular matter. Such as if an Ascended has been acting wrongly OOCly, or have been powergaming, etc, etc. These matters need to be brought up so that we can do our best to fix them, and disguising them amongst countless of hateful words only makes me feel more ashamed of myself that I’m an Ascended and someone hates me for being an Ascended RPer. I cannot take someone seriously if they are just being downright rude about a particular subject, and it makes me more inclined to not listen to them. So please be more formal and polite about how you word your issues with the Ascended, and don’t hesitate to just let us know so we are aware of what we could do better so we can do better. I am aware of some of the faults within the Ascended and I am aiming on fixing them, but these matters cannot and will never be fixed within a single hour or day. These matters take time to work and improve on.

Guys. I would prefer if you don’t spam that video, because I want feedback to be noticeable and easy to read without scrolling down many posts with that video. It makes it easier for myself and other members of the Ascended to reply back to said feedback. I know you’re bantering, but please stop.

This lore is the edited and fleshed out version of the original rewrite that was posted by Jallentime. All areas that were briefly described have now been fleshed out and the magic has been expanded on. Major thanks to: Jallentime Original creator of this lore. Suxals Co-lore editor and writer for this lore. GildedDuke, Minst, Assassinofawsome, Thetri, basically all members of the Ascended Community All of them assisted through sharing their own ideas and thoughts for this edited version, as well as also assisting in writing out small aspects of the lore and providing feedback. The Lore Team Provided all necessary feedback and helping us out when we needed help, as well as being patient in giving us some time to finalise this edit. Sacrifice In the day to day, you see men and women of merit and prestige rise and assume a higher role upon the mantle of life, and the Ascended were no different. Our duty was absolute. Our methods sometimes measured, sometimes cruel, but always necessary. Another soul twisted by corrupting magics, another fallen deity to be sealed in slumber once more. But much like how a cat patrols the home of its master the feline is ill-prepared for what may be looming beyond its borders. We never saw it coming, and even had we all the years of our forefathers combined there was nothing we could have done to stop it. It came from the Void. A writhing, fleshy creature of endless eyes and fangs like a serpent’s littered its gaping maw. Chaos had been given form, and a voracious appetite that could not be satiated by all the aengulic realms it doubtlessly passed on its way to ours. It was the scholars of men that laid eyes upon it first and likened it to a cosmic comet. But then it grew larger and larger as the days and hours passed by until its size rivaled the holy moon. Time was not a luxury we had. From first sight to assured panic, less than a week had gone by. The Writhing Chaos would surely destroy this realm and all its denizens. All our histories, and our futures, doomed to the silence between its marbled teeth. And then we saw her. Like the sun rising from the horizon, the Archaengul arose from the lightened side of the moon in her full and unblemished glory; a shimmering silhouette of pallid moonlight that burned away the darkness of the deep sky. Her hands arose to greet the Writhing Chaos as it loomed near, her pale visage unwavering as a divine white light spurred to life betwixt our goddess’ fingers. Growing in size, and in strength, we each felt the cold sting of absence as our fires left us and were called to a greater purpose. The Living Flame was the last. In one final, blinding flash of moon fire, the Writhing Chaos that threatened our realm was stricken down by a convergence of our flames and our matron’s divinity. What little remained of the terrible beast smoldered as white flame singed its surface away. And thus, an era ended. Lamination Her tears rained like waterfalls from her vantage upon the moon and our goddess wept at the sacrifice her children had made. Like dewdrops in the early morn, her tears blanketed the Soulstream and flooded the pallid valleys and craters that dotted the moonscape. But even more fell beyond the lunar surface and rained upon the mortal realm, each droplet seeking out one who had sacrificed flame. Wherever they may be our goddess’ tears found them. Their descent from the heavens left them frozen in shards of crystallized ice as they impacted the ground near their feet, and we each picked them from their resting place. They were warm to the touch and yet their surfaces frosted like ice as we held them in our hands. They emitted light in the darkness yet it was soft and pale. As we beheld them closer we saw reflections of a gentle and cold world where waters flowed freely across a land blanketed by dust. The crystals could sense the absence in our souls, I think. For each bound with a former host of flame and took residence where once an ember had been. This fulfilled us. It destroyed us. It made us something new. Thus a new era began. Mission With newfound powers, the Ascended changed. We focused less on the darkness that kept on returning, for the Archaengul knew our efforts before held no merit. We sought to support and aid, to give the souls we protect a sworn chance to protect themselves. To ensure they lived on the longest they can, to feel joy, sadness, excitement and suffering, to grow and nurture, and witness their lives flourish. Yet death is a nature that we knew we should not disturb, for all must perish and move on to the Soulstream when their time comes forth, including our own. Yet, there were those of grand power that sought to harm the mortals, saw them as nothing more than fleeting specks of dirt and would have their way with them. The ones who abuse their power for ideals that hold no truth, the ones who sought the elimination or slavery of mortals, the ones who cherish chaos and destruction. No matter if they be of Aengudaemonic, of void, of darkness, or of something more – They shall realise that the mortals are not the specks they thought they were, but living beings that should not be underestimated. No more would we be the ones to strike first and remain away from the mortals, but now the ones who stand side by side with the mortals and protect the very mortal realm that is rightfully theirs. We seek to do what we can to assist, even if we must take on their burdens and fall so they can live on. Decem Testamenta de Aeriel (The Ten Covenants of Aeriel) The Ten Covenants of Aeriel are a set of ten covenants that outline the rules, promises, and the duties of an Ascended. The Covenants are split into two groups: ‘The Soul Covenants’ and ‘The Heart Covenants’. The two groups follow their own criteria, in terms of what makes a Covenant disconnection-worthy or not, and are very direct in how they are written out. The Soul Covenants The Soul Covenants are the direct promises and tenets of Aeriel that must be held and kept at all cost by every single Ascended. These Covenants keep order within the Ascended, preventing them from going against the will of their patron. Breaking one of these Covenants is to result in disconnection, the removal of an Ascended’s power and abilities, and thus are extremely vital to uphold and know. There are to be no exceptions 1: Do not seek to inflict the shedding of cold blood upon the souls and lives of the mortals you have sworn to protect. May neither emotions, personal views, or hatred be what guides you all to act in violence and coldness. Even if they had done ill to you or another in the past, do not seek to harm them out of hatred for the past. For we are not murderers who allow the past and our emotions to get ahead of us An Ascended is forbidden from inflicting physical harm on a mortal in a state of cold blood, whenever it be through hatred, emotions, or personal views. This also includes torturing a mortal, as well as sending another mortal to fulfil the dirty work for you. An Ascended can, however, spar with mortals in order to hone their skills but are expected to avoid killing said mortal and healing them after the spar is complete. This also forbids inflicting physical harm on a person for what happened in the past, whenever they be former Ascended or someone who has harmed you or another in the past. The only exception of this is self-defence or if the Ascended finds themselves in a scenario where they must harm another descendant to protect themselves, a fellow Ascended, or an innocent mortal. [See Heart Covenant 3.] 2: Do not align yourselves with the foes of mortals, the supernatural who seek to manipulate, enslave, or eliminate them from the mortal realm. Whenever they are that of my own brethren, that of the void, that of the natural, or that of the unknown, bare your blades and be willing to fight. If any of you seek to align yourself with these foes, you are seen as a traitor. Yet to seek to align with such threats in order to gain information on behalf of stopping the threat, know that you must let your brethren know of your plans, else they will seek to rid your connection An Ascended is forbidden from aligning with any threats that seek to harm, enslave, or manipulate the mortals for their own purposes. An Ascended is advised to avoid aligning with a threat falsely in order to gain information, as this may lead to other Ascended assuming this person is betraying the order. Thus the Ascended in question must alert all other Ascended and explain their plans. 3: Do not bear your blades towards those who bear the same powers, those who enact and perform my will upon this realm, regardless of if they may be part of a group different from you or bear views different than yours. Each and every one of you is vital in protecting this realm, and to show violence and hatred against each other shows we are shattered than whole. An Ascended is forbidden from harming and killing a fellow Ascended, regardless of their order, ideologies, and differences. This also includes methods such as sending other people after the Ascended or revealing information that would put the Ascended’s life in danger in any form. This also includes enacting a forceful disconnection on an Ascended who has broken no tenets. Therefore putting the disconnector at the price of disconnection Honour duels and spars are exempt from this rule, as long as death does not occur and the wounds on both sides are tended to, as losing more Ascended is unnecessary and a drawback. 4: Do not dare to assist in the wrongful corrupting of a mortal’s soul, as it defies the natural order of souls and condemns the mortal to further suffering in both this realm and the next. Do not stand idle in hesitation or fear, and do all you can to save the soul. Know this, however, for punishment shall be bestowed upon those who bear the clear intentions of permitting the soul being corrupted. An Ascended must not allow a mortal soul to be corrupted by any form of darkened and unnatural magic that damns the soul to eternal suffering. This applies to any form of magic that damns a soul to suffer within the Desert of the Damned, such as becoming undead, a shade, a frost witch, etc By allowing this to happen with a clear understanding that such is corrupting a soul, the Ascended will be seen as an Accessory (a person who assists in the commission of the corruption but is not the one to do such corruption by their own hands) and will be disconnected for permitting such. An Ascended will not be disconnected for failing to prevent a soul being corrupted if the Ascended truly did aim to stop the corruption but were killed or stopped. Failures should never result in punishment, only a lesson to be learnt to prevent the next corruption. 5: Do not forget the duty that you have sworn to take on upon bearing my tears, and the very Covenants of the Soul you have sworn to uphold. Live your life in harmony with these oaths and do not abandon your duty for the full warmth of a normal life or mortal duties, for the duty you bear must come above all else in the end. Such is the sacrifice you all accepted. An Ascended must uphold their duty as an Ascended, through following through with the Covenants of the Soul and not abandoning their duty fully for any other roles. An Ascended is permitted to take on a range of mortal duties (from owning a shop, running a tavern, etc) but they must always out the Covenants and their duties as an Ascended first when the situation calls for them to do such. The Heart Covenants The Heart Covenants are not disconnection worthy, and any who break these covenants should not be given disconnection at all cost. These covenants stand as guidelines for the Ascended, giving them a clear idea as to what they can and cannot do as a follower of Aeriel. At times, these covenants can result in punishment for breaking them, but not all of them do. However, those that can result in punishment will bear punishments based on what the leading figures for the Ascended decide they should be for their orders, as long as they do not break any of the Soul Covenants and are avoided on inflicting upon any Ascended from a different order. The Ascended are advised to follow these covenants but are further advised to act accordingly based on both their minds and hearts. 1: Be there to aid the souls from the pain brought forth from the cruelty of life, for your hands are made to assist and heal. Yet know this for some suffering is necessary and to interfere is to potentially cause more pain than easing to the one you seek to aid, or yourself. An Ascended is expected to help those who have suffered and are in pain, whenever it be by healing those wounded or assisting the mortals in eradicating the threats that seek to cause harm. An Ascended is expected to know that they cannot aid or interfere with some scenarios where nations may have harmed someone to inflict justice and punishment upon them. This is due to the chances of interfering causing the Ascended to become a criminal in the nation’s eye, or cause trouble for other members of the Ascended. Those who break this Covenant are not to be condemned to losing their powers or a major punishment, as their hearts may have laid in good intentions but have failed to recognise when they should and should not step into such. 2. Be there to stand with blades, shoulder to shoulder with allies, to fight against those who seek to create chaos and harm upon the mortal realm. Whatever their intentions may be, stand strong and do not allow them to inflict harm upon the very mortals who bear the right to live upon this realm. Yet know that in order to fight your enemies, you must know them through knowledge and wisdom, and be open to methods that go beyond that of death but that of sealing, reasoning, and preventing. An Ascended is expected to heed the call whenever a threat arises that the Ascended must attend to, and must not falter if the threat’s reason for their actions is heard. An Ascended is expected to not only rely on their blades, but also rely on the use of research, their own skills, and minds in order to handle such threats, and that there are more methods to handle a threat - such as sealing, reasoning, and preventing the threat from coming forth. The Ascended are to use any means necessary to stop these threats, as long as they do not interfere with the Soul Covenants. If an Ascended does not show up to handle a threat, they are not to be punished as there can be a range of scenarios and reasons that would have prevented them from achieving such. 3: To aid the mortals against each other is a grey area where you must tread carefully, for while I ask you not to turn your blades against those you have sworn to protect… you may do such if it is deemed necessary for the lives of those around you and yourself, but avoid the major wars and conflicts between both sides. An Ascended can come to the defence of mortals should the situation be one where the Ascended will be caught up and will need to fight to defend themselves. A life or death scenario is certainly an instance where an Ascended can fight against a mortal. An Ascended cannot interfere within the major mortal conflicts as an outside source, such as taking part in wars between nations if their nation is not being on the defensive. Those who break this covenant shall not be condemned to losing their powers, for they may have found themselves in a conflict that could not be avoided. Yet if the Ascended does take part in a major conflict with no clear reason to, they are to be punished by their superiors in a punishment that does not defy the Soul Covenants. 4. To be a part of a mortal nation politically or as a citizen, whenever it be with the intentions to aid and protect the mortals, or to simply have a place to call home, is permitted and accepted. Yet be warned for that power can corrupt and not all is what they can seem. Forbid yourself from acting with the mortals you’ve joined when they are on the offensive, but fight with them if you must if on the defence and it is your home you protect. An Ascended is allowed to become a part of a nation’s politics, as such positions can allow them to aid the mortals living within the nation by bettering their lifestyles and ensuring they live on further. An Ascended can assist in defending a nation they are aligned to, as long as the nation itself is on the defensive and that the Ascended commits no harm or killing in cold blood. They must not join the fight if the nation is on the offensive or be the individual who declares war first with the intentions on invading or raiding the other nation. This also applies if a group of Ascended is based or gathered within a nation’s city - should the city or area the Ascended are in is being threatened with war or raids, they are permitted to defend as long as they are not on the offensive. The Ascended must still adhere to the Covenants as a whole, and they will be responsible in ensuring they keep to such and decline or move away from scenarios that may result in them breaking such. 5: Do not abuse the powers bestowed upon you by I, whenever it be by bestowing connections, artefacts, and abilities for the sake of money, favours, or personal gain. To know that such gifts being bestowed come with consequences upon being stripped away, and none of such is toys or methods of obtaining something for your own gain. An Ascended is expected to not connect someone purely for money, favours, or for personal gains. The person being connected must be genuinely willing to devoting themselves to the duty of an Ascended, instead of becoming one purely to avoid death or for any gains completely unrelated to the Ascended’s duty. Giving out Ascended relics for money is seen as a disgrace, for it is selling powerful relics that could fall upon the wrong hands and be used to commit ill. Relics are to be given to mortals to secure their safety and should be available to all, or be used directly against the threat it was made to handle. Depending on the situation, some punishments can be severe than the other. However, none of them should end up with an Ascended being soul shattered. The Tearstone Shards Overview A Tearstone Shard is a divine fragment created by the Archaengul Aeriel to denote her chosen followers and bestow upon them powers and abilities which might be utilized to spread her influence and enact her will upon the Mortal Realm. The Shards were spurred into existence when the Archaengul was moved to emotion by a great and selfless sacrifice. In her mourning, the tears she cried rained upon her recently powerless followers. The tears that fell upon the Mortal Realm became crystallized in their descent, resulting in these divine fragments. Not all of the Moon Goddess’ tears fell upon the Mortal Realm, however. Most rained upon the lunar moonscape in great tides which flooded its’ many chasms and craters. These lakes, rivers, and valleys of Aeriel’s empowered tears became known as Astra. An agent of the Archaengul utilizes their Tearstone Shard as a conduit to the Soulstream, through which they can conjure and utilize the Astra stored there. The utilization of all abilities begins with a brief ritual where an agent of Aeriel draws forth their personal shard from their soul. Once this is finished the crystal will either hover in the air around the agent up to a distance of three feet, be held within their hand, or it may be affixed to an object of the agent’s choosing such as a staff. With the shard successfully summoned the various powers attributed to Astra can begin to be utilized. Astra is a finite resource in the mortal realm, and as such can be depleted; leaving an agent unable to perform. A preparatory ritual is therefore required to replenish the Astra available for use. Locating a water source in the mortal realm, be it a river, lake, ocean, pond, or cauldron and presenting an agent’s respective Tearstone Shard will result in that water being absorbed into the shard and displaced into the Soulstream. The Tearstone Shard must touch the water in order to absorb the liquid. An equivalent amount of Astra will then become available for use. An agent can only absorb in the exact amount of Astra their Tearstone Shard can hold, preventing the drainage of lakes and vast bodies of water. Any Astra expended will evaporate after an ability is ended, unless utilized in the construction of Astral Crystal. Once three hours had passed, the Astra is expelled from the Tearstone and returns to its natural state of water, to assist in aiding the cycle of life once more. Never can Astra be kept forever in a Tearstone Shard, only crystalised. into a solid form. An Astra Crystal can be made, though mass creation of a large crystal requires multiple Ascended. This allows for Astra to remain in a permanent form, though cannot be converted back into its original form. Astra Crystals are used primarily for Astral Sanctuary, yet also holds Alchemical usage should an Alchemist be fortunate to gain an Astra Crystal. Tearstone Shard Appearances Tearstones Shards, upon being bound to an Ascended’s, will change in both colour, appearance, and size depending on the characteristics of such soul. What this means is that no two Tearstone Shards are the same, resulting in a unique formation of appearances that represent the true side of an Ascended. Sometimes, a Tearstone Shard can even bear other aesthetical traits, depending on what the Ascended in question has been through, and can change if their owner goes through a shift in personality. In terms of colour - a Tearstone Shard can take on one or two colours, which represents the Ascended true in terms of personality. The colour is decided based on the personality and nature of the person, being the colour(s) that represents their strongest traits. There are no direct meanings in regards to a colour a Tearstone Shard takes, as each colour holds its own unique set of meanings and representations. Red, for example, is often a representation of an aggressive nature or a violent tendency, someone who is known for their rage and fury. Yet, such colour can also be that of a warm and passionate nature. Secondary colours tend to form swirls, cracks, and sometimes faint shapes of swirls and waves amongst the primary colour. The only exception is black and dark greys, as these colours tend to occur only when a Tearstone Shard is blackening. No Tearstone Shard can take on these colours, whenever it be primary or secondary. A Tearstone Shard’s size and shape can vary, with some being the size of a hand, to some being the size of a head. Some can be very bulky, some can be very long and elegant. Some can be rough, others smooth. Yet, the size and shape do not change how much or how little Astra a Tearstone Shard can take on. They are still restricted to the amount of Astra, depending on their tier. Lastly, the size cannot be smaller than the size of an apple or larger than a head. The size of the Tearstone Shard must be between these two sizes. Redlines Each divine ability that requires the use of Astra will deplete this resource by a differing amount, and should an agent not make wise use of their stored Astra they may run out and find themselves incapable of casting. While outside of the soul, the Tearstone Shard becomes vulnerable to attack and destruction. Mundane attacks with blunt weapons perform best. The Shard itself is highly resistant to magical attacks with one exception; Voidal Water. Physical contact with this substance will cause a drastic malfunction resulting in the Shard’s fracturing. The removal of the crystal from the agent’s five-foot radius will result in it malfunctioning and being fractured. The Tearstone Shard must be in the water source in order to absorb up water to convert into Astra. Absorbing water by range or manipulating the water towards the Tearstone Shard is not possible. It's important to note, that an Ascended's Astra does not refill until the shard is refilled at a water source. A Tearstone Shard MUST be exposed, whenever it be on a weapon or in armour. If the Tearstone Shard is not exposed, all spells listed cannot be performed. Astra cannot be manipulated by Shamans as it is not 'real' water, but water absorbed by the Shard that is converted into Astra at the Soulstream for a temporary amount o. The size of a Tearstone Shard does not, and will not, change the amount of Astra the shard can take in – the shard will take on the exact same amount of Astra that is defined by the Ascended’s Tier. An Ascended’s Tearstone Shard cannot be the colour black or dark grey – as these two colours are strongly connected to Blackening, and thus cannot be a primary or secondary colour for a Tearstone Shard. A Tearstone Shard cannot be smaller than an average apple (palm sized) or bigger than an average human head. This is to prevent small hitboxes and giant Tearstone Shards that could crush someone. Astra will, and must, expell out of the Tearstone Shard and return to normal water after an hour has passed since absorbing it. If the Tearstone Shard is away when this hour is up – the Astra will vanish from the Tearstone Shard. An Ascended can only take in the exact amount of natural water that their Tearstone Shard can hold - meaning no draining of lakes or rivers. The amount cis equal that what is estimated for the Tier the Ascended currently is. Fracturing Fracturing occurs when an agent of Aeriel has their personal Tearstone shard destroyed by any means, whenever it be by physical or magical means. When this occurs, an agent will be wholly incapable of utilizing Astra whilst their soul reconstructs a new shard within their crystal soul. This means that an agent of Aeriel cannot perform any spells, and are thus left magically handicapped. Any Astra that was ready to use prior to the fracturing will be lost, and a ritual of exchange will be required to store Astra once more in the reformed shard. Depending on the tier of the agent, the durability of a Tearstone Shard will be lower or higher and the damage used on a Tearstone can vary. A tier one Tearstone shard will be the weakest, and therefore should be carefully used on the battlefield, while a tier five Tearstone Shard can take on a series of blows before being fractured. Ascended Tiers Tier One - Requires two hits in order to destroy a Tearstone Shard. Tier Two - Requires four hits in order to destroy a Tearstone Shard Tier Three - Requires six hits in order to destroy a Tearstone Shard Tier Four - Requires eight hits in order to destroy a Tearstone Shard. Tier Five - Requires ten hits in order to destroy a Tearstone Shard. However, different attacks will often result in different forms of damage done on the Tearstone Shard, with there being the use of different forms of magic and weapons in terms of combat. How much damage a magic attack will do depends on the tier of the mage that the Ascended is facing, whereas physical attacks depend on the type of weapon being used on the Tearstone Shard. Physical Attacks Pointed Weapons (a majority of polearms that do not have blades, ranged weapons, etc) - Will cause one hit on a Tearstone Shard. Edged Weapons (blades, daggers, axes, etc) will cause one hit on a Tearstone Shard Blunt Weapons (maces, war hammers, staves, staffs, etc - includes using the blunt side of a weapon) will cause two hits on a Tearstone Shard. Magic Attacks Magic Tier 1 - Zero damage points Magic Tier 2 - Zero damage points Magic Tier 3 - One damage point Magic Tier 4 - Two damage points Magic Tier 5 - Three damage points The only exception to magic attacks is Voidal Water, which will be four points of damage . The reconstruction of a Tearstone Shard takes exactly one real life hour and 30 minutes to complete and does not need to be emoted out due to the construction occurring within the soul, but the Ascended cannot summon their Tearstone Shard until this reconstruction is complete. Fracturing Redlines An Ascended cannot, in any shape or form, emote having their Tearstone Shard after they have had the shard destroyed a few moments ago. They must wait exactly one IRL hour in order to have their tearstone back with them. An Ascended cannot perform any of the spells upon this lore when their Tearstone Shard is destroyed, they must have their Tearstone in order to do such. An Ascended must emote their Tearstone Shard shattering after the necessary number of hits have been done on their respective shards. Going over the limit for their tier will be seen as power gaming. When being struck by magic from a magic user, be sure to ask them for their tier! Being struck by Voidal Water Evocation will result in four damage points, regardless of both tiers. The Crystal Soul Harbouring a Tearstone Shard result in the bearer’s soul crystallizing in much the same way the Shard itself is crystallized. This crystallization turns the agent into a perfect instrument of the Archaengul and confers to them a variety of boons, as well as drawbacks, to assist in their divine mission. New agents may have their souls crystallized by current bearers of a Tearstone Shard. A Crystal Soul is defined by its permanence. Crystallization effectively locks the soul in its current state, whatever that state may be, and it may not be altered from this state except through rare and powerful means. Through this process one will, indeed, cease to age; but will also be forever left with any diseases, disabilities, or debilitation that plague them. Permanent and immaculate sterility with other Descendants also results as a byproduct of this process. They will not be contagious. An amount of Astra will constantly permeate from the Crystal Soul and seep into the agent’s body, altering their visage to reflect the Soulstream that the Astra originates from. Their skin may become as pale and pallid as the moon, and in darkness their eyes will become reflective to nearby sources of light; much like the eyes of a nocturnal creature. This gives forth to heightened vision in places of darkness and at night. As a consequence of maintaining permanence any wounds inflicted upon an agent will slowly return to their previous state, but two times slower than an equivalent wound upon one bearing an unaltered soul. Due to the same processes at work, however, infection is incapable of taking hold, along with any form of naturally-occurring diseases. These wounds will still bleed while they heal. While the Crystal Soul is not compatible with the souls of descendants and thus is unable to procreate, two Ascended may be able to do so due to the fact that their souls are almost identical. The resulting offspring of a relationship between Ascended would retain part of their deific physical characteristics (the most common being silver eyes, pale skin, and white hair). However, these children will not hold the crystal soul that their parents have, thus barring them from the Crystal Soul traits – they will only bear the physical characteristics. of their parents and will not hold the magic, unless bestowed on them later in life by a teacher. Death is not a luxury held by those in service to the Goddess of the ‘stream. Should their heart be stilled, the dormant Astra in their blood and body will rapidly undergo crystallization until their entire form is converted. In the moments that follow the crystalline corpse will shatter into a thousand minuscule fragments, and the soul will escape to reform elsewhere in a cloud of crystal dust. Their Memories of death will not endure. The items the agents bear on them will be left behind when they are killed, unless they are bounded to their soul. Redlines Ascended can only be connected by an Ascended with a TA and the process of connecting a new Ascended must be properly taught, reading or witness it is not enough. Ascended cease to age at the moment of their connection and their bodies will always regenerate to their previous state due to their soul blueprint being protected by the tears of the Archaengul and locked in time, however it will take place twice slower than what it would take for a normal descendant. Ascended can no longer have offsprings with descendants, only with other Ascended (refer to Aerelian Children) If an Ascended dies their entire bodies will crystallize and shatter into frozen dust and Astral steam, flying away to reform elsewhere. This frozen dust and stream cannot be collected and will vanish seconds after the body shatters, but this shattering will cause no harm to those in radius. Any items, armour/clothing, and weapons on the Ascended during this time are left behind - unless they are soulbounded. Ascended can learn other magics so long as they have free magic slots (Ascendism only takes 1 slot). They cannot hold a connection to another deity (e.g. Paladinism, Azdrazi, Druidism, etc) or bear a significant alteration of the soul (e.g. Frost Witch, Shade, Strigae, etc). Aerielian Children are the offspring of 2 Ascended Aerielian Children resemble their parents physically, sharing their pale skin, the colour of their eyes faintly glowing and that of their parents and, in some cases, even their white/platinum hair. Those that were direct descendants of either 1 or 2 Ascended before the rewrite will also be considered Aerielian Children. These children will not be automatically Ascended – not bearing the crystal souls or the magic. Tier Progression Tier 1: (Begins after creation, ends at 2-week mark) An agent’s Tearstone Shard is newly formed and can store 5 gallons of Astra at a time. Charges 5 Astra per Emote. A Tier 1 Tearstone Shard is fractured after two hits. Tier 2: (Begins at the 2-week mark, ends at 1 month) An agent’s Tearstone Shard can store 10 gallons of Astra at a time. Charges 5 Astra per Emote. A Tier 2 Tearstone Shard is fractured after four hits. Tier 3: (Begins at 1-month mark, ends at 3 months) An agent’s Tearstone Shard can store 15 gallons of Astra at a time. Charges 5 Astra per Emote. A Tier 3 Tearstone Shard is fractured after six hits. Tier 4: (Begins at 3-month mark, ends at 5 months) An agent’s Tearstone Shard can store 30 gallons of Astra at a time. Charges 10 Astra per Emote. A tTier 4 Tearstone Shard is fractured after eight hits. Tier 5: (Mastered the magic at 5 months) An agent’s Tearstone Shard can store 60 gallons of Astra at a time. Charges 15 Astra per Emote. A Tier 5 Tearstone Shard is fractured after ten hits. Practitioners of Voidal Magic will find their crystal souls less receptive to the divine influences of the Soulstream, as two very different and near incompatible sources coalesce within them. With every new voidal magic they learn, their maximum pool of Astra at the highest tier decreases by 10. A master of of Aeriel’s Tears who doubles as a master wizard, knowing four voidal magic types, will thus only have 20 Astra available. Cast Time Clarification Rather than focus directly on a specific spell, an Agent focuses on preparing a certain amount of Astra within their Tearstone, and then choosing a spell to cast afterwards. For example, for a T1 Agent to cast Astral Mirror without their shard out to start, the order would go like this: Summon Tearstone Shard > Shard prepares 5 Astra> Shard prepares 5 Astra > Shard prepares 5 Astra > Cast Astral Mirror. Consequently, the order for a T5 Agent to do the same would be this: Summon Tearstone Shard > Shard prepares 15 Astra > Cast Astral Mirror. (It is important to note, that emote examples for spells will vary based on the Tier of the Ascended. Emotes given are for lower tiers, and to clarify how the spell acts. A T5 for example can cast an Astral Mirror faster than the emote example for the spell.) Highlight Requires 0 Gallons of Astra per cast After having spent time summoning the Tearstone Shard and readying its supply of Astra for use an agent can finally begin to bring out the potential of this divine instrument. Regardless of what technique is used to direct the crystal, whether it be floating autonomously, or held in the hand, or within an object, the caster must first make a direct line of sight with their target and direct their shard at it through a process known as Highlighting. Highlighting a target encapsulates them in a faint, ethereal glow of pallid light and allows the shard to apply divine strength or weakness upon them regardless of whether a line of sight is maintained beyond the initial marking. Techniques to accomplish this are varied, with some agents speaking audible direction to their shard whilst others might simply point. The Shard recognizes the caster’s intent even if they just gaze upon their target, resulting in the shard and the agent’s eyes emitting a luminous glow for a brief moment. This process is near instant, however concentration is required and the performing agent will be unable to multitask until the highlight is applied. Up to three targets may be highlighted at any one time, and multiple can be highlighted at once should they all be in view. An agent does not need to highlight themselves to apply an effect upon themselves. Targets beyond twenty meters will be incapable of being highlighted, and should a highlighted target escape this same threshold and the line of sight from the agent, they will become free of the highlight. Divine strength is equivalent to that of a human at normal peak condition, Divine weakness is equivalent to that of voidal weakness (i.e. no longer able to wear platemail for the duration) These will last for four emotes. Highlights will remain until the shard is fractured, the target perishes, the agent perishes, the target escapes the radius, or the agent concentrates once more to remove it. After applying a beneficial spell, or a detrimental one, all highlights are reset and the process must be repeated. Furthermore, a target must be within unobstructed view to Highlight them, if a target is behind cover, they cannot be Highlighted. Redlines Highlighting requires direct line if sight with the target that one desires to highlight, as well as after the highlighting is done. Once the target leaves the lign of sight, such as going into buildings or behind walls, the highlight will fade. Up to to a maximum of 3 targets would be highlighted at any time by a single Tearstone, yet an Ascended doesn't need to highlight themselves. These are also normally mentioned as “Highlighting Slots.” The target must be within a radius of 20 blocks of the Tearstone for it to take effect. Once one or more individuals are highlighted the Ascended may be able to apply either divine strength (equivalent to their race’s peak condition) or divine weakness (very similar to voidal poisoning) upon them, which would last as long as they are highlighted. (Line of sight is not required) Both Divine Strength and Divine Weakness only last for 4 emotes after they are applied to a target. After a spell is applied to the highlighted targets the ethereal glow would disappear and they would need to be highlighted once more if the Ascended desires to apply another spell upon them. Emote Examples Summoning the Tearstone Shard: 1st emote: He took in a deep breath as he approached the conflict, his eyes giving a brief flash of light as a frost mist began to permeate in an area above his head. Then in another small flash a bright red crystal came into existence above his head. Pulsing with light and floating about him. Highlighting: 1st emote: He continued forward as he plucked the shard from the air and directed his finger towards one of the individuals as his eyes gave a flash of light once more. As he moved his finger to the other assailant the first would begin to glow in an outline of dull light. 2nd emote: As his finger landed on the second they too began to glow. They would both suddenly be filled with a weakness...like that akin to a magi going through voidal poisoning, their armor and weapons may very well be heavier than they are use to at the sudden change. (Highlight emotes may vary as many people can be highlighted in one go, and people may wish to focus on perhaps only one at a time. But only three people can be targeted at once.) Moonlight Illumination Requires 1 free Highlight slot. This ability is one of utility, and sometimes simply comfort. The Agent can Highlight an object (as opposed to a person) and instil it with a brilliant white light. This light brings with it a gradual comforting feeling, while also banishing the darkness through serving as a torch. In a 5 block radius, even magical darkness creeps away from the light of Aeriel. This light cannot be used to do harm to anyone, although if highlighted on a weapon – the weapon will still do damage but the light does not add any effects or damage. Redlines This does not burn, target, or attack dark creatures [or really anyone for that matter] it's basically a radial flashlight. You must use up a Highlighting slot, and choose a non-living object to light up. The spell lasts until you drop the Highlight on the object. (Though highlighting is dropped when an affect is applied, this is not the case for this spell.) Emote Examples (After summoning Tearstone Shard) 1st emote: He drew his blade as the company drew closer to the cave entrance, the tearstone that hovered around his head began to pulse with faint light as his free hand reached out to touch the weapon. 2nd emote: As his hand made contact with the metal his eyes glowed a bright white for a brief moment as the blade slowly was outlined in a luminous outline, that shed a brief amount of light to assist the group as they marched forward. 3rd emote: Finally, the dim light around the object flared out in white moonlight. Stretching to surround the Ascended in a 5-block radius that vanished the darkness from around them as they continued forward. Sounds of Silence The song of Archaengul is famously known between the Ascended for its capability to lull the pain, remove suffering and clear the mind of those that hear it. The song of Aeriel is not one that can be heard with the ears, it is something that its felt on soul, its rhythm invades the minds of those that hear it, invoking images from the good moments of their past and sounding different to each individual, usually being very related with their history and the songs they have heard during their childhood. Until now her song was something that only a few had the privilege to hear, reserved for those that have passed on to the afterlife and her agents that protect the mortal realm. But with the fall of the Tearstones that changed, now an Ascended might be capable reproduce her song to relieve those they are supposed to protect. After Highlighting a target, an Ascended is able to command their Tearstone to orbit around the highlighted individual and reproduce the Archaengul’s melody, which only them could perceive and would remove any pain that they could be suffering, inducing calm in their minds and producing a soft desire for sleep upon the target. Redlines Sounds of Silence may not be utilized during a combat scenario. The purpose of Sounds of Silence is removing pain/suffering for a limited time so the individual affected by it can be safely healed through other means or enjoys of a death in peace. (Promotes the usage of alchemy, herbology, mundane medicine etc) The Ascended must remain next to the person that is being targeted, if they move further than 5 feet away from them it would stop working. The amount of minimum emotes needed to utilize Sounds of Silence is 3, with it starting to take effect during the 3rd one. (Cast Tearstone > Highlight individual > Tearstone starts to orbit the individual ) Should the highlighted individual partake in active movement, for example, in a combative scenario, the trance shall be broken and they will no longer hear the melody, nor bear its effects. Emote Examples (After summoning Tearstone Shard) 1st emote: His tearstone would traverse towards the wounded individual, a dull hum radiating from the holy crystal with a spark of radiant light that quickly envelops their body. 2nd emote: His tearstone would suddenly chime, a soft and soothing melody of peaceful nature filling the ears of those within the vicinity, slowly vanishing their pain and relaxing their mind. (Note: Only people within 5 block radius that are highlighted would hear the melody.) Moonlight Radiance Requires 5 Gallons of Astra per participant An agent of Aeriel may use their Tearstone Shard to confer a blessing of divine moonlight upon the currently in use melee weapons of their allies, imbuing them with Moonlight Radiance. While active these weapons will exude an ethereal glow of pallid light which will illuminate the darkness and strike foes with a potent supernatural wound. These Radiant Wounds are classified by painful frostbite of the immediate area, giving a stinging and/or burning sensation and reduced sensation of touch. These wounds last for eightrounds in a single RP instance, These wounds may be rendered mundane and treatable if soaked in heated, natural water found in the Mortal Realm for ten minutes. Other agents are immune to this effect and will receive wounds as normal. Moonlight Radiance may affect up to four individuals at once. Three allies, and the caster. The quality of the effect is improved with each additional participant. Moonlight Radiance cannot be re-applied until a participant uses up all active charges on their weapon. Moonlight Radiance does function upon enchanted weapons. One Participant: One strike of their weapon inflicts a Radiant Wound. Two Participants: Two strikes of their weapon inflicts a Radiant Wound. Three Participants: Three strikes of their weapon inflicts a Radiant Wound. Four Participants: Four strikes of their weapon inflicts a Radiant Wound. Items or objects struck with a radiant weapon will become coated in frost but receive no other detrimental effects. Should a strike with a radiant weapon prove lethal, or if someone inflicted with a radiant wound perishes before treating their wound, their bodies will rapidly crystallize starting at the wound and shatter into crystalline dust. Redlines Items enchanted via other means (e.g. Dark Magic, Voidal Enchants, etc.) will not be affected by the Divine Radiance effect. No more than 4 participants/weapons (including the caster themselves) can receive the the Radiant effect at once. Likewise, an Ascended may choose to disconnect the effect at their will. The weapon must remain within the 20 block radius of the Ascended caster, otherwise the effect will disappear. Once a weapon has drawn through all its capable strikes, the Divine Radiance will fade away, returning the object to its mundane properties. Should a Radiant weapon come into contact with water evocation, its effect will be completely nullified. The effect of moonlight radiance will last for eight turns/emotes within a RP instance Emote Examples (After summoning Tearstone Shard. No highlighting needed.) 1st emote: He takes a deep breath as his Tearstone begins to glow with building energy as he positions himself to be near three allies. 2nd emote: The weapons wielded by the three, as well as his own blade, would begin to mist ever so slightly as they faced the opposition, a feeling of cold exuding from the blades [or whatever weapon]. 3rd emote: Finally, the four weapons would begin to flow with a moonlight like etherealness, blessed now with the light of Aeriel, and her Moonlight Radiance. Crystallize Requires: 10 Gallons of Astra per cast Agents of Aeriel can bend their Astra in ways besides enhancing weapons, or making a shield, however. One of the arts available to them is a curious ability known as “Crystallize” an ability that serves as both an offensive, or potential defensive, quality that they can inflict upon a target. After highlighting a target an agent can pull from their store of Astra to cause a misty, vaporous cloud of Astra to weave around the target of their ire. The vaporous cloud of Astra is invisible to the naked eye, but those within it will feel a supernatural sensation of cold overcome them. An agent may then take a moment to concentrate, and instantly freeze the vapor upon their target; assuming they do not anticipate and escape the immediate vicinity of the cloud. After the vapor has encapsulated the target, the highlighted figure will start to feel a layer of astral ice coat their form. Other agents are immune to this effect. It will take three turns/emotes within a RP instance for Crystalize to become a full effect on the people affected. Once coasted by astral ice the foe will find their movements slowed by an amount, causing melee strikes to be weaker and their walking/running speed to decrease. This does not freeze someone completely, only slowing them down by the margin indicated, but this does include all movements. Such as a sword swing, or bringing a shield up to block, and so on. This astral ice is quite insistent in its objective and is quite hard to chip away at. Voidal water will cause the ice to melt and disperse, but otherwise will remain until they escape the agent’s highlight radius, the agent is killed, or the agent spends a moment of concentration to end the effect. Up to three targets may be affected by Crystallize at any one time, and they may be highlighted and applied all at once, however as more become affected the symptoms become less intense. One Target: Opponent is made 50% slower. Two Targets: Opponents are 25% slower. Three Targets: Opponents are 10% slower. Unprotected flesh and similar uncovered and susceptible areas will also receive Radiant Frostbite, a painful but much less harmful variant of a Radiant Wound that can be treated in a similar manner. This frostbite lasts for four turns/emotes in a single RP instance. Redlines Should the afflicted escape the radius, or the caster be killed, the Crystalise effect with dissipates into nothing. The effect cannot be used outside of an Ascended’s 2o block radius. Once beyond this radius, the afflicted will find the effect fade away, and the caster unable to affect them. Water Evocation will melt away the ice, nullifying the effect completely. Only three targets can be affected by the Crystalise effect at a single time. The greater the number of afflicted, the weaker the effect. It takes three turns for a person to suffer the full effects of crystalization. Frostbite lasts for four turns/emotes in a single RP instance before vanishing. Emote Examples (After summoning Tearstone Shard, and Highlighting) 1st emote: He slowly backed away from the two glowing figures as they approached, the shard hovering near his head giving a soft glow. The two attackers would feel a small shiver run down their spines as a sensation of cold befell them. 2nd emote: Suddenly, with a flash of light from the Ascended’s eyes, a misty vapour erupted from around the figures. Small sounds of crackling could be heard echoing around. The two would probably find themselves surprised at a sheet of ice beginning to crawl along them. 3rd emote: The ice continued, and the two would find themselves moving slower, about 25% less than they would be familiar with. Their joins almost feeling like they were freezing up. A supernatural cold also began to seep into them, perhaps drawing a shiver or two. Astral Mirror Requires: 15 Gallons of Astra per cast By summoning forth and maintaining a hefty amount of Astra an agent of Aeriel may project a hovering, six-foot tall and wide mass of semi-solid crystal which radiates the divine moonlight of the Soulstream. This mirror-like shield of Astra and light will attempt to absorb and then expel any kinetic or magical energy directed at it, with a twist. Mundane attacks by thrown weapons such as arrows, knives, javelins, crossbow bolts, and even ballistae bolts will pass through the shield and hit those behind the shield. Attacks with magical properties, as well as spells themselves, will similarly be absorbed in full before being expelled back at their source. Spells reflected in this manner will take on an ethereal hue and radiate a supernatural cold, turning any wounds inflicted by it into a Radiant Wound. Lethal hits will crystallize and then shatter the target. The one exception to this is the use of Voidal water, which will instead cause the mirror to malfunction and implode, coating the immediate area in supernatural frost. The spell can break if the force striking it is the strength of or over that of a large boulder striking it. An Astral Mirror will dissipate after one reflection unless an agent of Aeriel expends additional Astra to maintain it. Redlines The Astral Mirror can only reflect one projectile before disintegrating. However, an Ascended can maintain the shield should they expend an extra 15 astra per sustained strike. Should the Astral Mirror come into contact with Water Evocation, it will malfunction and instantly implode, coating the area in supernatural frost. The Astral Mirror is immobile once summoned. An Ascended will be unable to move it by supernatural means, and its large radius will make it difficult to physically manipulate. Any close-quarters melee strike, so long as it bears reasonable strength, will cause the Astral Mirror to shatter, as well as charge any used weapon with Moonlight Radiance for 1 emote. All magic projectiles that the Astral Mirror counters will return via the same trajectory as their source, unless the force is greater than that of a boulder hitting the shield. Emote Examples (After summoning Tearstone Shard. No highlighting needed.) 1st emote: He watched as the mage began to charge their spell, his Tearstone shard gave a bright flash as did his eyes as he extended his hand in preparation for what was coming. 2nd emote: A misty like vapor began to trail from his hand as he prepared his defense for whatever was coming towards him, the glow from his shard shining brighter as did so, the sound of cracking a creaking ice could be heard echoing around. As if someone had just stepped on a thinly frozen pond. 3rd emote: As the mage released the blast of Magic, he squeezed his fist tight and a large circular shield sprung up in the air before him. The energy colliding into it, and seemingly absorbed into the icy material before shooting back with just as much power in the direction it came from. Then it exploded in icy frost, with enough force to send Arik stumbling back slightly. Astral Armor Requires 15 Gallons of Astra per cast. Astral Armor is a strong line of defense that an Agent can call upon to defend themselves and others in the heat of battle. It functions by covering oneself, or a chosen group of up to three individuals that all must be within contact of you as you weave Astra from your Tearstone shard. This astra will seep on to the highlighted individuals, and quickly freeze into Astral Ice. Astral Armor acts in similar ways to the Astral Mirror in that it deflects attacks off of itself. Though in this case, it only works on physical damage, depending on the weapon, the armor will take the blow and reflect it back and crack during the process. Astral armor can reflect up to three attacks before it shatters into shards of ice that can cut into the flesh of people within 5 feet of the agent at the time. When Astral armor reflects an attack, it does NOT do so in as intense fashion as the Astral Mirror. It simply cause a weapon to bounce back with a moderate amount of force. If a person were to experience it for the first time it may cause them to stumble, but the main function being to keep harm from the armored individual, however different weapons can cause more severe damage. For example, a sword will take up to three blows before the armor will shatter, while a blunt weapon, like a warhammer or a strong club, will only protect the Agent from a single blow before it shatters the armor. When encased an Astral Armor an Agent may elect to spend more Astra do continue their upkeep of the armor but they may only do so for their armor, they cannot replenish the Astra of highlighted allies, if they do so it costs 10 Astra to replenish it to full. Should a magical attack hit the armor, it will shatter after one blow, unless the Agent spends 15 Gallons of Astra to replenish it. Projectiles such as arrows, thrown weapons, etc. Deal 2 hits worth of bladed damage. If however the armor should collide with Voidal water, then it will be shattered, and cannot be replenished unless you start the casting over again. However, the armour cannot withstand physical strikes that rival the full physical strength of an olog, causing the Ascended to recieve half of the blow's strength to their body. Redlines Can either target three Highlighted figures, or two highlighted figures and the Agent themselves. You cannot have more than three Astral Armors up at once. Astral Armor will deflect physical attacks: 3 Bladed blows, or 1 Heavy Blunt Blow, Projectiles deal 2 bladed damage. It will only stand 1 magical attack. You may only replenish the armor on yourself, and it costs 15 Gallons of Astra. Replenishment takes place during the next emote after the armor is shattered, during that emote the armor remains a weakened state and hits can go through. The Ascended can move while the armor is fixed. Voidal Water destroys it, instantly shattering. (Cannot be replenished) The Astral Armor is a thin coat of Ice, it can go over worn armor. If Astral Armor leaves the Highlight area of effect, it shatters instantly. The armour cannot withstand physical strengths greater than an olog's stike. Emote Examples (After Highlighting) Creation: 1st emote: He rests his hands on the shoulders of two of his partners as the Tearstone Shard above him began to glow. A small feeling of cold, yet comfortingly so, surrounding the three. 2nd emote: After a few moments a small frosty mist would begin to surround each of the individuals, small sounds of crackling echoing around as a thin sheet of ice like material began to cover their Armor [clothing, flesh, etc.]. 3rd emote: Finally, the three stood there, encased in opaque icy armor. Frost mist dancing off of it as they began to move into the battle once again. Damage/Reflection: Example 1: The sword came crashing down on his shoulder, but despite the armor looking like thin ice it proved to be strong indeed. The attacker would find his weapon shunted back lightly, if not prepared for the sudden movement he may even stumble! The armor itself however would crack across the surface, like a mirror hit by a rock. Example 2: The attacker’s war hammer would smash into the Astral Armor. Reflecting back lightly and sending Arik stumbling to the side. Though it seems he himself was saved from any shattered bones, his armor instead splintered, sending tiny shards of icy fractal out in a 5 ft radius. Likely cutting in to any exposed flesh of those close to him. Replenishing: Example: The attacker's war hammer would smash into the Astral Armor, reflecting back lightly in the opposite direction as he stumbled to the side. Thankfully, the Armor seemed to protect the individual, but his armor was broken to pieces on the verge of shattered. Emote: He quickly moved away from this opponent, inhaling sharply as the tearstone shard near him pulsed with a deep glow and the cracks along the armor began to reseal, forming the armor anew. Astral Quickening Requires 20 Astra per cast By flooding an individual's body with Astra, the Agent can induce an increased form of adrenaline to run through the target – thus giving the individual the advantage within a battle. This offers incredible advantage for a short period of time, allowing the target to accomplish amazing feats of speed, for example: They can move 15 blocks an emote. Instead of the normal 10. They can draw and attack with a weapon in a single emote. Fire an arrow with one emote (or fire then load a crossbow) Or attack twice in an emote. The effects of this spell come at a price however. The Agent can only effect 2 individuals at a time with it, and the effects only last for 5 emotes/rounds. After those emotes are finished, the affected people will feel utterly drained and worn down for a period of 2 emotes. This is a period in which the individuals muscles are frozen from extreme exertion, and they are left helpless in that state. This spell cannot be cast on the same people again, as their bodies will give out and the individual will pass out. Redlines Can only affect TWO people in a single casting. Lasts only 5 emotes. The Stun emotes must be spent doing nothing. Those who are left stunned and drained defend themselves for 2 emotes due to being vastly drained. This spell can only be cast on you ONCE per encounter, if someone tried to apply it again, your body would give out and you would pass out. Those who are under this spell are expected to avoid powergaming, and avoid one shot killing people. The Ascended casting the spell is expected to keep an eye on those they use Quickening on. Emote Examples Casting the Spell (After summoning Tearstone Shard. No highlighting needed.) 1st emote: Arik set his hand upon Elvira and Mari’s shoulders as his eyes gave a brief flash of light. The tearstone Shard hovering about his head also releasing a small glow. A feeling of comforting cold would encompass the two women, and they would feel as if their bodies were shaking, vibrating lightly that resonated all the way across them. 2nd emote: As he took his hands off his friends they would feel a speed over come then, and for the next 5 emotes they would find themselves able to achieve amazing feats of speed, usually impossible to perform. That feeling of cold would spread throughout them, akin to an ice bath that filled with with the promise of a quick victory. Being Stunned: As the spell faded from Mari and Elvira’s systems their muscles would suddenly freeze up, as if their muscles had suddenly been flash frozen by intense cold. For the next 2 emotes, they would find themselves frozen in place. (This Emote may or may not be used, if the caster of the spell is around and paying attention [They should be.] then they should at least try to do this. It is THEIR spell to keep track of,) 1st emote: Mari was frozen in place, unable to do anything for the time being, standing like a statue on the field. Mari twitched her fingers slightly, feeling beginning to return to her body as the after effects of the spell faded. 2nd emote: Mari took in a slow breath, as she moved her tense muscles around, finally able to move one more, though she was now incredibly tired. Stasis Requires 10 Gallons of Astra per cast. A unique ability that an Agent has access to, reserved for the preservation of life. Should the Agent find a figure in need of saving they may place their hands over a figure and flood Astra into their system. Doing so allows a Tearstone Shard to act as a form of “life support” and lock the figure in a sort of limbo between living and dying, locking them in a safe state. This is usually done to save an otherwise unsavable person from death, by being put in a stasis they can live long enough to be tended to by a doctor, or cleric. A useful skill that requires constant touch with the Agent, so not particularly seen often on a battlefield. But useful should an Agent need to save the life of an individual. Redlines Requires continual physical contact with the person being put in Stasis. You must Highlight the figure before putting them under Stasis. Whilst putting someone under a Stasis you cannot use any other abilities that require Astra. Should you lose contact, you will need to recast the Stasis. This LOCKS a person in their current state, basically extending their longevity to allow others to save the life. You CANNOT Stasis someone unless they are injured, should the Tearstone Shard fail to find a soul to keep alive, the spell will simply fail to cast (And the Astra will be spent.) A person must be at least alive to be put under Stasis, even if they are on their last legs, the magic will simply fail on a dead body. Due to the body essentially being locked in place, things like potions cannot affect the individual until the Stasis is dropped. Emote Examples (After Highlighting) 1st emote: He slides next to a woman as her wounds bled heavily. His hands coming to rest on her stomach as he began to concentrate on drawing the Astra from his Tearstone Shard. 2nd emote: A calming flood of cold would flood through her, a small amount of frost escaping his breath as the feeling crept around her. The Shard that floated about him came to rest above his hands and began to glow softly. 3rd emote: Suddenly, the wounds that bled so would stop, her heart rate would slow incredibly, and a feeling of weightlessness would come over her as the Stasis took hold, “Someone get a Cleric, or a medic, or something!” he shouted as he kept his hands on his friend. Chemical Continuity Requires 10 Gallons of Astra per cast. By using Astra an Agent can extend longevity to an effect given by a potion, increasing the time and potency of the concoction. Whether it be to extend the time of a Regeneration potion to help it do more, or to increase the duration of a Stoneskin potion during a fight to assist allies, this spell has many uses. However, it can only be used on already active effects. An agent cannot extend the time of a potion in a bottle it must be already doing what it does to be extended. The Tearstone Shard allows these continued effect based on the distance from the shard the people under the potion effect are. Should a person leave a 10 block Radius from the Tearstone Shard the effect will end, and so will that of the potion effect. As the Tearstone Shard removed the potions effect because of the nature the magic effects it on a person. Redlines Can only affect Highlighted Targets who have active potion effects on them. Those under the spells effects must remain within 10 blocks of the Tearstone Shard, if they leave the area the spell, and the potion effect, will end. Regardless of how much time was left on the effect. This spell does not work on poisons or potions that can harm the body. (Alchemist fire, etc) Emote Examples: (After Highlighting) 1st emote: Arik nodded to the three warriors as he gripped his Tearstone Shard, of which began to glow softly. As the group drank their potions they would find the concoctions cold as they slid down their throats. 2nd emote: The three briefly flashed a color of light blue, and as the potion effects took place a creeping feeling of cold would crawl through their veins, thought it was oddly comforting. “Stick close to me!” he shouted as they turned to face their opposition. Astral Communion Requires 0 Gallons of Astra per cast. A strong ability that allows a single Agent to help turn the tide! By grasping their Tearstone Shard and dropping all spell effects, an agent can allow Highlighted Agents to draw from their pool of Astra. Though they cannot cast anymore effects whilst concentrate on this, they can continuously lend this power so that another agent can use spells more. Redlines Unlike most abilities, the Highlights for this spell do not drop. Instead they remain on the chosen Agents. The Agent casting Astral Communion may move, and even fight, but they cannot expend any Astra, or the spell will drop. If the Agents leave the Area of Effect of the Highlight then they can no longer draw from the extra pool of Astra. The spell immediately drops if they break contact with their Tearstone Shard. Be aware of how much of your own Astra is being used, and make sure Agents using it are also aware. It is recommended to state how much Astra you have left (as the emote example showed) just so everyone is aware. Example Emotes: (After Highlighting) Emote: Arik grasped his Tearstone Shard after highlighting his brethren, breathing steadily as he ducked behind a wall. The shard began to glow as the Highlighted Agents would begin to feel a calming coldness creep up their spine. Suddenly they would find they have access to Arik’s pool of Astra, (Currently 20/30) and can use it to cast their own spells. Astral Sanctuary The art of coalescing stored Astra and shaping it into physical, solid form is a tedious and often exhausting process that can take months or even years to accomplish for a single agent of Aeriel. Because of this, the practice of forming Astral Crystal is often undertaken by multiple agents at a time, sometimes an entire close-knit group, over a condensed area. The process itself involves the slow, constant discharge of Astra over a long period of time while the agent concentrates upon hardening it, as is seen in certain abilities. Much like a potter working clay, the process is arduous and prone to accidents which may destroy or shatter the crystal they’re crafting. The resulting Astral Crystals, which can be of a great many different shapes and sizes, are as durable and heavy as quartz; though are as translucent as frosted glass. Whenever night falls, or in places of heavy darkness, these crystals radiate the same pale light as the lunar surface; providing soft illumination. The most common application of this process is the construction of divine pilgrimage sites and temples to Aeriel which may take the form of great crystalline gardens and structures that never grow dark. These sanctuaries can come in few due to how long it can take for them to form, but multiple can be around. Very large amounts of Astral Crystal in an area has the exotic effect of altering the landscape and attracting certain types of wildlife. Moths, in particular, are attracted from miles around to these crystals and will take permanent residence here, resulting in great colonies of the insects. In very extreme examples an area heavily fortified with Astral Crystal will have an entirely indiscernible night time. Prolonged contact with liquid Astra would modify the semblance of animals and plants that live within the Astral Sanctuaries, giving them a white hue and cold resilience, also turning them less aggressive and easier to domesticate. These changes won't affect their soul blueprint and the descendants of such living beings will be completely normal. Whether it be an Astral Garden, or a crystalline temple to Aeriel, the massive presence of Aeriel’s power in an area may allow Astra to be physically stored in the Mortal Realm; an entirely unprecedented ability for anywhere else. Beautiful, ornate fountains and crystalline pools may hold the divine liquid and serve as a potent lure to all around; as the waters aggressively aid in the regeneration (Five times increased natural wound regeneration) of injury and disease for theArchaengul’s servants. After a prolonged time in contact with the physically stored Astra of the Astral Sanctuaries the Agents of the Archaengul would perceive how the deific waters start to nourish their bodies through their skin, temporarily disabling their need to eat and drink but keeping them as healthy as they could be, allowing them to bathe for indefinite periods of time. Redlines Create an Astral Crystals is a hard task and require of several session of roleplay for their creation, which becomes easier with the help of other Ascended. If an Ascended bathes in the Astral Waters of the Astral Sanctuary their wounds would regenerate 5 times faster than the average regenerative time of any descendant. The Astral Waters nourish those Ascended that bathe in them, allowing them to remain there for indefinite periods of time. If plants and fauna inhabit the Astral Sanctuary for a considerable amount of time they would acquire a white hue, cold resilience and animals would be easier to tame. Astral Dream If an Agent or descendant dives into the Astral waters and allows it to fill their lungs they would feel how their body enters into a comatose state, losing awareness and falling into a deep sleep. This would preserve their body in perfect state, not allowing it to age and in the case of the Ascended greatly increasing the regenerative factor of the Astra, being able to save them from deadly wounds and reattach parts of the body if they are present. The first time that someone undergoes this process would slightly change their physical appearance, turning their skin paler, removing wrinkles or imperfections of the skin and greatly improving the health of their hair. Once someone falls into an Astral Dream they will remain in such state for at least 7 irl days before being able to wake up, which in the case of the Ascended they can do it by themselves, but descendants need the aid of an Agent of Aeriel to do so. Redlines Everybody is able to undergo this ritual without the help of others, but those that are not Ascended would require to be awakened by one, in case that none awakens them in 1 irl month they would do it by themselves. Once a character falls into an Astral Dream they stop aging and may not be played for at least the next 7 days or the time that it remains in such state. Astral dream would heal any kind of wounds that the Ascended bears, even those that could be deadly. The souls of those that fall into an Astral Dream are heavily protected, not being able to be shattered or corrupted in any way. Reattachment of parts the body would be possible if the original part is physically present and they undergo the ritual before their soul blueprint adapts to the missing part (1 irl week). (This only works for Ascended) Soul Shattering Soul Shattering is a more aggressive ritual that is held by the agents of Aeriel to enforce her will, and punish those that violate her creed. This ritual involves the permanent shattering of an agent’s Tearstone Shard and Crystal Soul, reducing them back down to the soul and state of a mortal. However, this ritual is to be used wisely, as it can result in the loss of one’s own powers if used wrongly. Blackening When an Agent of Aeriel breaks one of the Soul Covenants, their Tearstone Shard begins to lose its colouring and slowly becomes black in colour - This process is referred to as Blackening, and serves as a method to determine who has broken a Covenant. However, Blackening occurs in a gradual manner and it is only when the Tearstone Shard is completely black that Soul Shattering will be able to take place on said agent. Elven Week one - The Tearstone Shard’s colours are much darker, and faint patches of black are forming on the shard. The agent is highly advised to seek out redemption, else they will risk their Tearstone shard becoming blackened. By Elven Week two - The Tearstone Shard has become completely black and radiates no form of aura or light. The agent’s Tearstone weakens, allowing them to only use 10 gallons of Astra. An Agent who has broken a covenant and is going through Blackening can be offered the chance of redemption, through the Trial of the Damned (see Trial of Damned section.) and can request to go through such. This will mean contacting any teachers and explaining the situation. By the time the second week comes around, the Tearstone Shard will become completely black, if they had not taken up the Trial of the Damned in order to redeem themselves. Once this blackening is complete, the Agent will be put to Soul Shattering for failing to keep to the Covenants and not seeking out redemption by trial. The Tearstone Shard will permanently remain in such state, until the Agent goes through the Trial of the Damned or goes through Soul Shattering. Performing Soul Shattering The first thing one should note about performing Soul Shattering is that it requires one or more of the following conditions in order to be truly performed. The agent must request and accept a Soul Shattering if it is clear they do not wish to be an agent of Aeriel anymore. This is the only instance where an Agent can be permanently disconnected without having a Blackened Tearstone Shard. The Agent must have clearly broken a Covenant and bear a complete Blackened Tearstone Shard. The ritual itself requires two agents to perform unless it is the teacher themselves who are soul-shattering their student. The process requires for the agent performing the shattering to fracture the Tearstone Shard of the agent they seek to remove the crystal soul from. Once this is done, the disconnector places their hand upon the agent’s chest and channel Astra into the agent, pushing the energy into the person’s very being and soul. The agent’s Crystal Soul will then permanently shatter, returning the soul to its normal state and removing all abilities and boons granted to them. Once this has happened, the victim will be forever unable to bear Aeriel’s connection again, and will suffer the following side effects from the disconnection - they will struggle to feel full warmth, only the chilling sensation of cold, even when they are within the hottest of rooms and by a fire. There will only be the punishment of coldness for those who dared to turn against Aeriel, as well as the everlasting presence of greatly missing something and longing for it. Additionally, those who received the shattering will feel as though something very dear to them was taken from them, which would be true, for Aeriel would take a very small fracture of the soul that would not affect the soul, but only create the effects. If the shattering occurred on an agent who willingly wanted to be disconnected from Aeriel and their Tearstone Shard was not blackened, then these effects will be temporary for one elven week, as Aeriel would not be too cruel on a soul who simply wanted to return to living as a mortal and had committed no treacherous acts. In time, Aeriel will return the fracture, thus recovering the mortal of the disconnection effects. Yet if the shattering occurred on an agent with a completely blackened Tearstone Shard, they will permanently bear these effects until they are connected to another deity, as only the connection of another can fill up the fracture that was taken. However, the two shattering effects that do not change on whenever or not the agent took the shattering with or without a blackened Tearstone are ageing and regeneration speed. The how many years they spent immune to time, those years will immediately return to them and they will age to the age they would be now if they were not an Agent. This means that any agents over their racial age limit will live on for twenty years before gently passing on and simply move onto the soul stream. A mercy from the Archaengul, for she is merciful as she is merciless. Additionally, those who receive shattering will still bear the heavily reduced regeneration speed, due to the soul fracture and the body heavily use and adapted to said change. Soul Shattering Redlines By becoming an agent of Aeriel, all members must be told of the effects of Soul Shattering both icly and oocly, and accept that by breaking the Covenants, they will risk severe effects upon their character. Attempting to avoid Soul Shattering by any OOC means can result in being reported - you must accept the consequences and take action to avoid Soul Shattering through proper RP. Performing Soul Shattering will require two Ascended, neither being the teacher of said student. However, Soul Shattering can be done alone by only the teacher of the agent being disconnected. Soul Shattering an agent with a non-blackened Tearstone Shard cannot be performed if the agent in question does not give consent both in RP and OOC. A forceful Soul Shattering can only come about when the agent as a pitch black Tearstone Shard. If Soul Shattering is performed on an agent with a non-blackened Tearstone Shard and they do not give consent both in RP and OOC for such to carry out, the Shattering process will nullify the moment the disconnector attempts to shatter the Crystal Soul. In turn, the disconnector’s Tearstone Shard will begin at Elven Week one of Blackening. The Tearstone Shard of the agent must be fractured first before destroying the Crystal Soul. Any agent who breaks a Covenant must RP out their Tearstone Shard blackening through the moment they break a Covenant and must emote the shard slowly blackening for the week. Failing to do so, or making attempts to hide such via not emoting the black colour, colour dampening, and lack of glow, etc, will be seen as powergaming and can result in a blacklist. The agent must let the other agents know icly and/or oocly that they have broken a covenant - that way, they can be offered to partake in the Trial of the Damned to remove the Blackening. Failing to do so will mean the character’s Tearstone shard becoming fully blackened by the end of the first week and risking going through Soul Shattering. The effects of post-Soul Shattering, must be emoted out by all who were disconnected via this spell. The effects are the following: Loss of warmth, resulting in feeling cold but not suffering from any issues that can be caused by low temperature due to this sensation. Minor of soul fracture, resulting in the strong sensation of missing something and constantly longing for it. The rapid ageing of the many years the agent has been an agent for once the process is complete. However, those over their race’s age limit are permitted 20 years (20 ooc weeks) to RP as their character and finish anything off as said characters. Permanent retainment of the heavy body regeneration, resulting in all wounds healing slower than that of the average mortal. The Trial of the Damned This is the process between the Covenant-breaking and the completion of the Blackening, allowing the Agent of Aeriel to seek out redemption through a trial both dangerous and extreme. It is said that if an agent truly seeks to prove to both Aeriel and their order that they are sorry for breaking the Covenants, they must go through the Trial of the Damned. The trial goes as followed: the soul of the agent who partakes in the Trial Ritual is taken temporarily to the Soulstream in order to fight and combat the forces within the Desert of the Damned. It is here that they prove themselves to Aeriel, fighting nearly endlessly against the damned souls trapped in the deserts, as well as guiding the souls of the recently passed through the desert and to the grand city beyond. However, it has been proven that agents without a Blackened Tearstone Shard can take on this trial, with such becoming a test of one’s skills and prowess amongst the agents. It allows them to hone their skills, to assist the Agents since passed, and to also ensure any souls within the Desert are kept at bay. In the single elven week that their Tearstone Shard has started blackening or has already fully blackened, the agent must seek out the teachers of the Agents and request taking the trial. They must explain why their Tearstone Shard has become blackened, why they broke such covenants, and why they feel as though they should be given the chance of redemption. Upon such being accepted, the agent is taken to a secluded Astral Sanctuary, with their weapons and armour, and is laid within the waters in order to enter an Astral Dream. Once the agent is in such state, the teacher places their own hand within the water with their Tearstone Shard out and prays to Aeriel, reciting the following lines. “Divine Watcher above, Caretaker of Souls, Bring the soul within thy waters to the desert, For them to redeem or test their worth. Permit them to fight the corrupted and the damned, And guide the souls as they traverse to Sacellum. Allow them to aid in such duties and carry the burdens, Through the Trial of the Damned may they stride forth.” Once this is done, the soul of the agent is sent to the Soulstream, while their body remains in a comatose that prevents the body from decaying. As for the agent, their soul is transferred directly to the Desert of the Damned, in a translucent glowing version of their physical body, with the armour and weapons they had on them. They will find themselves within a desert with a simple blue hue to light their way, with day and night being non-existant. Astra rivers and lakes scattered about, with the ruins of the ancient city of Haven located somewhere within. From then on, the agent is left to fight the damned souls within the Desert. From necromancers and undead, Frost Witches to Shades, to creatures and beings of demonic, chaotic, and maddening origins. There have even been mentions of some lesser threats and beings that Aeriel saw fit to condemn to the desert. On and on, the agent must fight against the threats, while also being there to protect any mortal souls passing through the desert. The agent can use their magic within the Soulstream and can communicate with the souls within and passing through the desert - but they cannot mention how they died to the agent at all. The grand city of Sacellum would be on the horizon, yet the agent would never be able to pass through the desert and beyond. What would feel like years of fighting and guiding, would only be a single elven week upon the mortal realm and can offer a blend of development, torment, and pain for the agent. If the agent’s soul is destroyed during this period, they will remanifest within the edges of the desert and will have to carry out their duty. If the soul is destroyed twice, the agent’s soul is returned to the Mortal Realm and they have failed the trial, meaning those with Blackened Tearstone Shards will have theirs blackened fully. The agent must remain within the Desert of the Damned and fight against the darkness until one elven week has passed. Their soul would then be retrieved and carried back to the Mortal Realm, disposed back into their body and they will wake up. Should any wounds be gained upon the soul manifestation of the agent within the Desert, the wounds appear on the agent’s physical body as glowing wounds that fade away an elven week after the agent’s return. Should the agent have completed enough fighting and protecting souls within the desert, those with a Blackening Tearstone shard will find the blackness gone from their shard - meaning that they are no longer risking soul shattering and have a clean slate. OOC Information This trial is to provide development for Ascended characters, through interacting with old characters in the desert and combating against foes. The development does not have to be solely focused on combat, but rather on interactions with NPCs and playable character that have PK’ed (and the player has given clear consent for the DM to use their character). This trial is to be fun for both sides, and also to allow Ascended with Blackened Tearstone Shards to redeem their characters. This trial can be performed by an Ascended Teacher, who has a confirmed MA and TA, and has been taught this trial. A single instance for the trial should have at least 2 interactions, mixing between fighting and guiding a soul, and must follow with the red lines. These interactions can occur on the server via PMs or emoting out the interaction within the Astral Sanctuary but are also permitted in Discord in case of server issues or limited time. The teacher is advised to contact an LT if it’s acceptable for them to RP out a particular creature or NPC, if they feel as though what they are going for may break lore or if they are uncertain. If the particpants of the trial feel as though the DM is being unjust or powergaming to make it impossible for them to pass the trial intentionally, then they must alert other Ascended Teachers so they can determine whenever or not the DM was being unfair. If this is the case - the DM will have their right to dm and perform the trial stripped away from them. Both the DM and the Agent must follow the Redlines laid out, with both parties agreeing to follow the general LotC rules. Armour and weapons can be brought along, though everyday items will not be brought also - unless checked and agreed on by the DM. A maximum of four Ascended can partake within the trial within one instance together, though Discord will be a better-suited platform due to time arrangements, etc. Redlines Only Ascended can go through this trial - those with Blackened Tearstone Shards will need to go through this trial in order for their Tearstone Shards to return to normal, or they will be risking getting Soul Shattered. Normal Ascended can also take part for development and fun instances. Both the DM and participants are expected to follow LotC rules - such as no power gaming, metagaming, etc. This instance must be rp’ed out within one week, but can be extended due to valid OOC reasons (such as university, work, timezones, etc). A maximum of four Ascended can go through one instance together. This ritual and interactions can only be DM’ed by an Agent with a confirmed Teacher Application who knows how to invoke this scenario rply. The agent cannot go past the Desert of the Damned, meaning they cannot go to Aeriel’s city and beyond. They are restricted only to the Desert of the Damned. If an Agent’s soul is destroyed during this period, they must remanifest at the edges of the Desert. If they die again - they will wake up back in the Mortal Realm. Thus they have two chances to take part in a single Trial of the Damned. The enemies the Agent faces will also remanifest somewhere else in the desert and cannot be encountered again in that instance. Interactions with Aeriel or any dead Ascended currently in the Soulstream are forbidden. Any playable characters used in these interactions must have consent from the owner of the said character. If interactions with normal souls occur, the teacher can decide on making them NPC, with their own backstories, etc. Interactions with any corrupted souls must be lore approved via having an accepted lore on the forums, but the DM should not feel limited in roleplaying dark beings only. If an agent’s soul is wounded during their time in the Soulstream, their body will take on the wounds in the form of glowing scars on their body. These scars last for an elven week before vanishing away and will cause moments of intense pain upon contact and movement. The mention of information regarding how an NPC / Playable character died (such as: “this character killed me”, etc) is strictly forbidden - any characters interacted with will be unable to explain how they died to the agent, as if an invisible force is preventing them from doing so. Magic can still be used within the Soulstream, as well as weapons and armour. Other items, unless asked by the agent and checked by the DM, cannot be brought along. The DM cannot RP out any Aengudaemons, or major antagonists from any event lines on LotC. However, an ET and LT is welcomed to help the DM out in RPing out an interaction, and give out advice. Players of characters being used are also welcome to help the DM out. Anyone who took part in the Trial of the Damned must wait two OOC weeks before they take part in another instance of the trial. A teacher will need another teacher to manage their Trial of the Damned. No self DMing allowed. It’ s finally done. Editing and formatting this was hell. My suffering has finally ended.

"...they will not end the siege, their pride is too heavy and they see themselves as the ones in the right. Thus in turn, their actions will determine the fate of all of us, including those who seek peace, and the children born upon Atlas soil,” Elvira would murmur to herself, sat within the private confines of her home. A soft yet grim expression on her face. She’d swirl the mug of mocha she had in her only hand, deep in thought. “ There is no choice for the majority of us who do not wish for this violence, only the actions of the Empire and their self-rightous thoughts shall determine our fate and condemn us... I should have kept on investigating the matter with the Vaeyl, try to push for a peaceful resolution on both sides, and does not condemn us to suffering and grief... I know how the Vaeyl feels, even if I am young in comparison to them. They and the Ascended do have a lot in common, and I know their pain. But there must be another way.” With her decision made, Elvira goes to stand up, her mocha undrank. The Ascended departing away as she goes to contact some old friends.

Elvira would soon hear of the song devoted to her, from a mortal agent who looked confused. Both of her brows raised as she analyses the lyrics. “I... er... is this Zatanaes’ way of trying to win my heart? If so, it’s failing... but the song is really good” she’d clearly sound as though she has no idea how to react to a song being written about her and published. Yet Elvira would begin to show a soft appreciative smile as she leans back and admires Zatanaes’ work. A small warm feeling flooding through her, as most of the lyrics would be quite uplifting for the Ascended. Yet if one looked carefully, a tear would roll down Elvira’s cheek. ”Zat... Aenguls damn it... you didn’t have to but you did... what would I do without you?” ((you mad woman, you actually posted it on the forums made Elvira cry! XD You didn’t have to write a bard song for Elvira, but it’s a lovely gesture and did make me smile))

You really can't seem to let go of the past, can you, @Jondead ? It's not good for you if you keep focusing on it and allowing it to keep getting to you. Trust me, mate, it’s about time you move away from this for your sake, not ours. Yours. However, I will address your queries the best I can. *cracks knuckles* Soulfire One – many members of the current Ascended community agreed that holy fire is becoming a cliche, too well used on the server (given that clerics uses holy fire, and I think (big think), the Paladins had a spell that did once use holy fire in one of their previous lores). Not to mention holy fire... well... it gives the strong impression that our powers are meant to burn those of unholy nature – which was the intent on the current (soulfire) lore, but not what we intended for the new rewrit as we have a new goal and purpose. We wanted something more unique, an aspect that wasn’t that explored on LotC and could provide brand new concepts and ideas that were never considered before, and that was the use of a crystal-esque magic. Two – Soulfire was OP, and can be abused if you know how. Because let’s face it – you get a bit of soulfire on you and you’re a dark being? Instant death once the fire completely consumes you. No water can stop it, and the only known way to stop it is by cutting off a limb, and they can be hard to regain if they’re burnt completely to nothing. Plus, now that it harms descendants too, soulfire just feels too OP and also restricting. It’s like fire evocation, you get fire on you and you burn, only that this fire does not go out when the Ascended has finished channelling it. Three – The Soulstream has been confirmed to be on the moon many, many times, therefore us using moonlight or something deeply tied to the moon actually makes perfect sense given the connection. What would be contradicting is if the Ascended become focused on sunlight (which is a paladin-cleric area, given Xan is seen as the Lord of Sunlight and the Clerics currently have Divine Wardenism that is tied to the sun) or us going into an area more suited to voidal. Additionally, most Aenguls have been tied to the sun, light, orde, justice, etc and that in itself is being a bit cliche. It’s setting the whole ‘Light is good, sun is good, etc, etc” chain of thought. Moonlight is often tied to night, which in turn is tied to darkness but when the roles are switched so moonlight is seen in a more helpful way, it’s a very unique and interesting concept. Additional point: Moonlight is seen as guiding and watchful figure during the night, which can represent a person being there to guide someone through the darkest times of their lives, or keeping the darkness at bay while a person walks on with their life. Four – The Ascended are no longer a holy order focused on ridding corrupted souls, given that there’s no point as dark beings can come back and we can barely remove any curses (frost witches, etc). This is a fact that has been explained in depth in both mine and Suxal’s post, in terms of why we’re not focusing on ‘light VS dark’, and given that you’ve mentioned me a couple of times and referred to my post. I was expecting you to already know full well why we’ve turned away from such, but it appears you did not. Lastly, the definition of ‘holy’ is not something correlating to removing undead or something corrupted 24/7. What holy really means is ‘dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred’, and the Ascended still fit with this definition in terms of being an order dedicated to Aeriel’s mission on keeping the descendants alive and combat any threats that seek their eradication or doom. Five – The closest would be considered the Kha, but their magic has been denied constantly but we did not want to completely take away that right from them. Our magic is not 100% focused on the moon, nor do we actually gain energy from the moon. Instead, we use Tearstone Shards that came directly from Aeriel and serves as the main usage of our magic. If you did take the time to read the lore, this is made very clear and is straightforward to interpret from the lore. This magic does not rely on the moon Six – With the editing, we may add on a spell that allows for an Ascended to aid a soul in terms of curses, but given that just about all curses on LotC cannot be lifted (due to lore holders basically telling us no, even though it would be reasonable for an Ascended alone to be able to remove a curse). It’s virtually impossible for us to actually remove or destroy any curses, else we will be going against other current existing lore. So even if we do add such to our lore, it will be a very useless spell in terms of actually returning souls to normal. However – there are more ways to save a soul, rather than just fighting it, and the Ascended here are going to be more support-based, rather than the fighting aspect. We can still fight against corrupted beings and prevent souls from being corrupted the moment the attempt is made, but we’re aiming at a more larger scale that allows us to save more souls than before. Firstly – The lore is good but it can be better. Such is what myself and Suxals are currently working on, expanding the base that Jallentime has provided for us. Yes, the first lore you’re seeing right now, it needs heavy love and tlc, which is where myself and Suxals are coming in. That’s something myself and the Ascended playerbase all agreed with. Two – The same could be said for the Paladins, if we are to take in your logic that if there’s no members around, the magic should be a separate magic or be denied. There are fewer paladins around than there are of ascended, but their lore has been accepted and I expect for their activity to rocket now, and for them to get their playerbase up and running The reason why there are fewer Ascended around is because we are focusing more on our real life, which must always come first and above everything LotC. A majority of the Ascended are in university (myself included), while others are at school or working. Furthermore, it depends on your timezone, Jon, and given you’re a European like me, you and I will more likely see Ascended that are in the European timezones or just entering the eastern American timezones - so the people you listed. By the time the server is at peak time, it’s usually time for us Europeans to get ourselves to bed and chances are, you’ll miss out on the active USA Ascended players that come on. Here, I can even list a few that are on much later and when you are offline: Assassinofawesome, Cordial, Aerielvanguard, Zachslayer (when his Ascended was alive), TheTri (when his character was alive), and Suxals. That's six additional Ascended, meaning that in total - ten to eleven Ascended, which is usually the standard amount of people from the same order online for a day. Do not think that the players you see most are the only active ones, because there are more of us that are active than the ones you listed down. Three – “I have been around as one of the only active Ascended for a time, it was sad to be the only one really around to do things” Please don’t think that you were the only actively working Ascended when you was one, it’s disappointing and insulting to the other active Ascended who were doing just as much work as you, the ones you listed and the ones I listed. It's uncalled for and is just showing you don't acknowledge that the other active users were doing work. That is something I downright disagree with, and actually feel hurt by. Four – It is to be expected that when the Ascended rewrite is done, the community will become more active, given that some of us have been focusing on other areas outside of LotC because we’re not enjoying rping our characters with the current lore. None of us are enjoying rping out "Light VS Dark" as much, given that it's becoming too tiring at this stage. We all want something new and a better concept to explore, thus many are waiting for the rewrite to be accepted. One – Your disconnection was accounted for based on RP conditions. Your connection held no ooc involvement and was not fuelled by ooc intent. Instead, your character went out of his way to disobey the order of the Master Sage and all three sages (which included me at the time), when we told your character to not get involved with Glineth and instead focus on assisting us with the situation in Haense. You disobeyed, which left a bad ic impression on all of our characters. You then went as far as to give information to Glineth, through giving an infused weapon that my character made strictly for you, and that in turn goes against the “Do not put the order in danger”, as you were giving out information regarding what it is our order can do. And you don’t sound disappointed, your wording expresses that you’re still mad, especially given you are bringing it up. But I’m going to basically say – it was me who found out rply you was giving infusions to dark beings, and it was Elvira who told Heial of the situation and agreed to have you disconnected because she firmly had enough of your character disobeying the order and essentially not assisting us on a large matter, then going as far as to give away an item she personally made to you to Glineth of all people. So if you want to oocly blame someone for what happened, feel free to blame it on me for doing exactly what Elvira would do in a situation, but I can state there was no full OOC intent or ooc hatred that led you to being dc’ed. There was a direct RP reason. Two – You did not bend a tenet, you broke it fully. You gave an infused weapon, and likely more information, to a dark being that we told you countless times to not focus on as we’ve got other dark beings that are the bigger focus. You went against ‘do not endanger the order’, and you flat out disobeyed orders when we needed you most, Jon. We allow bending of rules, only when you explained your case – which you did when you explained why you was going for Glineth, but it was turned down before you carried on and gave Glineth your weapon. Bending the tenets a bit only comes about when you may need to break a tenet in order to actually prevent the soul corruption of another being, or to protect a member of the Ascended, etc, but your scenario is not such scenario. Three – OOC disconnections will not occur, the disconnector will need solid evidence that suggests a tenet was broken ICly in order to disconnect an Ascended. The Covenants I have wrote out for the edit are reinforced and go more in depth, specifically explaining what the tenet means and what is considered breaking said tenet. There’s also a separate set of Covenants that must be kept but are not punishable by disconnection, but by any other means that do not break the major disconnection covenants. One: We don't have moon beams. Read the lore fully and check the current spell roster to know what it is we can and cannot do, not just on your own speculations, Jon. Please, for my sake. Read the lore fully and understand what it is the magic actually is. Crystal support magic. Not moon magic. Say it with me: Crystal support magic. Crystal support magic. Two: We are not changing our magic completely because we can. We are changing our magic completely because we need to. The current lore has many flaws and is too heavily tied to the other holy magics. Not to mention a majority of both Ascended and other members of the LotC community are beginning to dislike the current magic and want to see something fresh. We were also asked directly by the LT to change our magic, so even if we did want to keep the magic the same, we did need to change it and we all wanted a fresh start. That in itself is something to not be upset about. Given that the LT has asked that all holy magic should affect everyone now, we’ve decided to avoid singling out on a particular group in terms of how our magic affects them. It allows us to focus on more areas and doesn’t have us going back to “Light VS Dark” rp because we’re still focusing on soul corruption and soul alteration, which is a majority of the dark magics. Also. Soul Trees are not altered souls. They are soul allocation, which is basically placing a soul somewhere else, and soul trees are exempt as they were bestowed upon by the Aspects so that their own mission and goals can be done. Aeriel has no reason to be against the Aspects, when it is clear the druid and that soul is tethered to them and the fact it is assisting the Aspects in their own goals. It’s only when the soul is directly changed and corrupted is when she tends to step in and gets angry And to go further – shunning immortality will mean shunning ourselves. Ascended don’t age, they can’t die from old age. Sure, it’s semi-immortality but it is still immortality to an extent. You basically contradicted yourself there. The only ‘immortality’ that is shunned is the ones gained from dark magic, given many require corrupting and damaging your own soul to do so. One: It depends on the situation and really – if an Ascended is seen assisting a traitor of another holy order, an Ascended order, or anything else. Questions will be raised but no immediate action will be taken, unless the situation is severe and goes against the covenants. If its involved with mortal affairs, such as politics, it depends on the situation as the Ascended will be more open in being a part of politics to assist the souls within that nation. For all we know, an Ascended may turn traitor on a nation because they disagree with how they treat others or their views. However, the Ascended must keep to the covenants and therefore cannot inflict death or harm upon another in col blood, or as the attacker when talking about nations. Self defence and being on the defensive are when an Ascended can defend and aid a descendant. Two: What does define what is holy or not? Do you need to be a champion of your patron in order for your magic to be deemed as holy? Because let me outline what the definition of holy is: “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred”. Basically, if you are dedicated or consecrated to a god or a religious purpose, you can be deemed as holy. So that’s pretty much ALL of the Aengudaemonic magic and groups out there. Druids? Holy because they are devoted to the Aspects, the GODS of Nature. Clerics? Holy because they are devoted to Tahariae, the GOD of Purity. Though in LotC terms, only the Ascended, Paladins, and Clerics have been referred to as the ‘Holy Deity Magics’, primarily because of the fact the clerics need to practically worship Tahariae and pray to him to use their magic, the Paladins seek about bringing order and peace to the lands, and the Ascended seek to protect the souls of many. And let me bring up a past point – these three magics all had a strong connection to light, whenever it be the clerics using literal light, the paladins having creeds and oaths that are light/good-based, and the Ascended using holy fire that radiates light. So you could say the Ascended rewrite is not a holy magic in LotC standards as it no longer follows the use of holy fire or light representations, but it still stands and fits with the real life definition of holy as it is still a group following and aiming to fufil the goals of a higher being. That’s already the plan – The Ascended are free to choose on if they want to strike or leave an altered soul alone. Just about all Ascended do try and seek out alternative methods to help out altered souls, whenever it be by talking to them or leaving them be. However, being a group that is “Light VS Dark” and a majority of altered souls are dark beings, people expect you to kill the altered soul on sight and you pretty much just get peer pressured into it unless you want people to screenshot it and run to the LT or another Ascended member, asking for your disconnection. Plus, there’s no way to release a soul from its altered state. We cannot remove curses or reverse the altering because lore holders tend to just refuse it. So we’re stuck in this scenario of “You need to kill!” but we don’t want to. Killing never brings out development. Clerics serve a cruel Aengul and they hella can’t be neutral. Aeriel can be harsh but she is also a very kind Aengul, given that she was the only Aengul who blessed the four brothers right after Iblees cursed them, and took it on herself to guide the countless souls to their respective afterlives because no other Aengul wanted to. The Aengudaemons should not be exactly like each other in how they act, thus Aeriel is more benevolvent and less strict in comparison to Tahariae, who is strict and rather on a high horse.

The news struck Elvira hard as if someone has thrust a molten hot spear right into her chest and kept it boiled. The day she heard the news, and the days that followed - the Ascended would become noticeably silent and mournful. No joke or friendly gesture would form a smile on the woman's lips, and the glow of her usually bright eye would be dimmed to where it was nearly not there. Not even her usual mocha flask was in sight, with its owner merely gazing out to the horizon with a pained expression. First Heial and Victoria - though their vacation was temporary, the fear of it being more than tempory shook the Ascended and made her concerned. Her Clerical mentor and guide figure, Heshakomeu had done the same, a temporary leave that soon span years and he never returned. She feared the same for her lover and stepdaughter. Yet now to lose Solaria to death - Elvira grieved for the loss of one of her closest friends. She recalled the final time she spent with her, the two dancing and simply having fun during the ball Solaria had arranged. Elvira helped Solaria to dance, and the Ascended was glad to have helped her. Yet Elvira blamed herself - why wasn't she there? Why couldn't have she been there to protect and save her comrade? All Elvira could do was mourn, and reflect on the single question that terrified the usually fearless woman to the very core. How many more comrades and family members will she keep on losing in the upcoming days?