SmartScout

Robyn de Lyons would read over the missive from his new friend with a nod muttering "You write well, Albert...though it's already too late for her now..." he'd say, clenching his fist slightly, a few tears flowing again as he'd think to the events of the last month.

The young Robyn de Lyons would sit, watching after his younger sister after his mother departed. After some time, he would perk up at the sound of his mother's approach, springing up and looking up to her with a smile saying "Mamej!" in his usual curious, eager tone, though he'd pause a moment as he'd notice her sad demeanor, saying, more quietly, though more curious than anything "Where's papa?" As she'd continue her mournful silence, his expression would drop, mouth twisting into a frown "Is something wrong?" At this he'd move quickly to embrace his mother and start to gather what had happened. As he'd watch her sign out her explanation of the day's events, of his father's untimely death and sacrifice, his frown would grow deeper, as bitter tears would start to flow from the young Lyon's eyes and down his cheeks as he'd tighten his embrace of his mother in their shared moment of grief. Though in the end, a bit of sad resolve would grow on the young boy's features, as his innocence was ripped away.

[!] The young De Lyons would frown as he'd the missive, standing with his parents for the true Petrans.

Rohir would read the missive in his house, letting out a deep sigh he'd place it down, brow furrowing slightly as he'd mutter "Looks like trouble in the Northlands...not good for anyone, especially in dark times such as these..." he'd take a sip of stout as he'd think a moment, scratching his chin "I suppose it can only be hoped that it is settled quickly and without bloodshed, and that justice prevails, not selfish lords who seek naught land and power." he'd say with a final shake of his head before going back to his other business.

I haven't read as much recently as I did in high school, but I can go through some recommendations and favorites. From back when I started the server, I was reading stuff like Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Kain Chronicles, Harry Potter, and various other fantasy and young adult novels, along with some sci-fi like Jurrassic Park, and a lot of classics for school (ancient Greek and Roman myths, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, etc). Now, more recently, I've been reading Dune, have gotten through the first 3, parts of the Dark Tower by Stephen King, Foundation, Crystal Warriors, First King of Shannarra, and various other Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. I plan to start reading Game of Thrones eventually, along with some other books I've gotten. Overall, it depends on what you like. But reading and drawing ideas from different books and movies and games is definitely a good way to get inspiration for writing lore for the server. I know this is a joke, and no. SmartScout was something that came from my old boy scout days, and I used it back in high school, and I'm not one to change usernames much. My more recent alt, InfiniteMalloc, however, got its name from a programming joke, since I am studying for computer science. It is a reference to crashing your PC by accidentally telling C to allocate an infinite amount of RAM for a program. So, this is a hard one. Favorite is probably Atlas. Had a lot of good RP for me (Dominion, joining the Silma, helping found Aegrothond, etc), and it is probably my favorite map that I played on objectively in terms terrain, layout, size, and the like (including maps I didn't play on and have just looked back to in museum, it and Anthos are probably my favorites, followed by Arcas then Athera.) In terms of nostalgia, probably Athera. I had just found out about the rich world of LOTC, I hadn't gotten jaded by being an old player, and I still look back fondly at training as a human crusader knight, fighting in a 7 vs 7 (or so) CRP battle of elven warriors against cultists and necromancers, killing liches with aurum arrows, and fighting against Haelunor alongside dwarves for freedom. The RP back then was great, and kept me coming back to the server for the next 8 years, though high school and college, so it is probably the most nostolgic, followed by Atlas. Vailor holds a bit of nostolgia, I remember listening to Metallica and Megadeth while guarding the gates of Laurehlin, and joining the dwarves for a while and fighting in my first warclaim. But overall, the map design of Vailor and Axios wasn't my favorite, so I didn't explore and connect with those maps quite as much.

Hello, don't post often, but I've been thinking of doing one of these since I've been around for a while. I joined during Athera, starting with a character in the Order of St. Amyas before moving over to the elves, where I have a character, Elros Silma, who I've played from around January 1st 2015 until today, playing in the Republic of Laurehlin, the Dominion, Aegrothond, Fenn, and various other places. I've also played a few other characters on and off over the years. Two Dwarves - Hurin Grandaxe and Fjorvair Emberhorn, and an Adunian - Rohir Vaueryn - being the main ones. I've been around the server, quit a few times, come back, seen a lot of stuff, and grew up with a character from being in around 8th grade to being a college senior. I've written some lore, led some stuff, played in various places, and overall, while the server can sometimes suck, have had a generally good time using it as a creative outlet. So, I was curious what people may have to ask, so I figured I'd make one of these.

I personally lean towards the system from maps like Atlas, Athera, and Anthos, since it feel most natural when you have a series of interconnected main roads with settlements sprinkled about, and smaller roads building naturally. I understand that some people don't like the lengths of travel to, say, Fenn or Sutica in Atlas, but I personally don't mind, and think the fact that there was a fair bit of interesting things to see on the roads and people travelling on them meant interesting RP interactions from time to time. Arcas's design was also fine. I personally think the ring shape with near equidistance was a bit too convenient to seem natural, but it was certainly alright, and is probably a bit more fair, if that's the concern. The big thing I personally hate is the disjointed, disconnected, fast travel reliant systems like we had on Axios, Vailor, and most of all Almaris. I personally love running around on roads, and having roads that stretch across continents to travel places makes sense. It doesn't make sense to have random gates in a weird area isolated from everything else to travel places. It doesn't make sense to have a bunch of roads that don't connect, and that the only roads that connect some of the different hubs were built later. Things should be made around roads that connect from the start. If you want to have carts to fast travel to places, that's fine, as long as there is still a way for those of us who want to walk. At least in Vailor and Axios having the carts along roads, or having boats to go between islands, made sense. Almaris is just very immersion breaking and odd, at least to me. So, here's my suggestion: - A road system that is interconnecting and natural with the shape of the continent, like seen on Atlas or Anthos (though something like Arcas or Athera where things are more concentrated in one area with outlying lands is fine too, though it is a bit less sensible and a bit of a waste of space, imo) - Carts or boats (depending on what makes sense) allow fast travel on a timer between two locations. For example, like the carts in Vailor and Axios that went from the port/CT point of entry on an island to the other settlements along the roads. All places on the same island/continent are fully accessible by roads, but carts/boats are there for convenience to get further along those roads, to areas where nations tend to be. For example, in Atlas, imagine if there was a cart going south to somewhere like the town at the crossroads (I forget the name), one going north to some sensible point (I can't remember one as clear as there), and maybe a third to the deep south (though even getting to the crossroads I am thinking of would probably have cut journeys to Fenn/Sutica/Last Hope from 20 or 30 minutes to 10 or 15). - Along with these free staff made carts/boats to hubs/crossroads further along the roads to save time, which are always free of charge, have the ability for nations to pay for carts/boats with a small fee attached to each trip (probably somewhere in the realm of .5 mina to 2 mina). This would add a third way of convenience, where people could pay for a bit of expediency and added safety when travelling between nations who agree to have carts between them (such as two allies with geographical distance), or they could save the money and add the potential for interesting RP by travelling by the roads (with or without the free carts' help). That way everyone should be happy, the ones who want expediency and safety, and the ones who want long journeys, road rp, and immersion. - All of this is in addition to soulstones, which should allow people to travel to the one or two places they frequent the most directly, which is often enough for most people, especially with the systems above for other trips. - Finally, on speed buffs on roads. I think they are nice. Have them on main roads, which will initially be spread throughout the map, and can be expanded by staff or by nations as needed as the map progresses. Player made roads (such as small ones to vassals or through the backcountries and mountains) don't need them, but there should be options for settlements and nations to get speed on roads down the line if they are willing to pay for it. Also, maybe unused main roads (ones to a dead/dying settlement that may have fallen into disrepair) could be somewhat ruin-ified by build team in a sensible way, and loose their speed buff. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I think changes like these would provide the server with the best balance of interesting travel experiences, natural immersion, land utilization, and expedient options. I've been around the server since Athera, and have played on every map since then. They've all had strengths and weaknesses. One of my biggest pet peeves is disjointed and unnatural travel methods. In order for a world to feel lived in, travel needs to make sense. I should be able to get on a road and get to all the settlements on whatever landmass I'm on. If there's islands, boats are alright and make sense to get out to those. Otherwise, however, everything should be able to be walked to for the sake of immersions, and the roads should be built to fit the land and the needs of the civilization built on the continent. Though also, in turn, civilization should build around roads. Having RP hubs grow in small towns or taverns or libraries along an busy road or at a crossroad makes sense. Just like rivers and coast lead to bustling port towns or mountains to great dwarven cities and small mountain hamlets or the like, roads should, over the course of the map, lead to the development of these taverns, libraries, stores, markets, hamlets, and towns along them, where people naturally congregate to RP as they pass through on their journeys. The best map at doing this that I played on was Athera. There were little roadside taverns and hangouts dotting the main road, and usually you could stop in and find a couple people there. Things like that were amazing for immersion, and should be allowed and encouraged to promote RP. The stagnation of nations, settlements, roads, etc on this map has been part of what has been making me loose interest in the server as a whole recently - things aren't as dynamic as they used to be, and, even if allowing things to be dynamic and more led by the players has its issues, it is far better than letting things stagnate by forcing things to work with cumbersome OOC systems rather than working with RP and how things develop to build out sensible things in service of what the players create. Sorry my post is so long, it is just a topic I feel strongly about, since I think the road situation is something that has helped lead to the overall stagnation and other negative changes on the server. Thanks for your time! TL:DR: Atlas/Anthos/Athera style, natural road system branching throughout the continent with speed buffs, with fast travel through staff provided free carts/boats to important and sensible hubs (ala Vailor and Axios), nation-negotiated paid carts/boats between nations who agree to have them (like what we've had this map). Nations can pick where spread around the map they want to be, and the roads will be built both to branch and cater to the landscape, and to cater to these nations. After the play is started, players have a way to build/get staff to put in side roads, which can be updated to main (speed buffed) roads for a fee. Unused/less used main roads can become run down and fall into disrepair, and thus loose their speed buff. New small settlements or standalone taverns, libraries, and stores will be allowed and encouraged around the roads to promote player-driven rp, which will in turn lead to more people travelling along the roads to see what is happening in these small hubs players make, which should hopefully lead to the more dynamic atmosphere we saw in maps like Athera or Atlas that had these small, roadside establishments and hamlets about.

When the grim news of the passing of John Marsyr would reach the Keeper's ear his expression would grow grim, his brow furrowing and a deep frown forming on his face "He was a good man, a strong man, a fast friend...may his Aengul, and the spirits of his ancestors welcome him into their halls. And when they do, he shall not be ashamed in their company..." He'd say, voice trailing off as he'd gaze into the hearth, shedding a few tears despite the hardness age had brought him "A shame he had to pass so soon, but that is the duty of the Templar, and the curse of Men. Rest well, llir, and find your peace." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the Halls of Minas Angren in the Northlands among the Emyn Edrain, Rohir would sit, going about his duties of research, when he'd hear the clamour of voices and noise in the Clinic below. He would leave his work and go down to the room, inquiring of the situation to Aurelion and Uthyr, who stood guard at the door to the divider in the clinic. Aurelion and Uthyr. Both sons of Harren whom the man had failed in John's absence and Edward's negligence. Past them he'd see Auden - one he had known since the founding of Cartref Mor, since the fateful night he met John Marsyr and Veseryn Delmar on the road - laying broken upon the bed. He would do his best to finish stabilizing the man while Uthyr searched for a doctor, but the whole time the grim news that had been brought to him along with that of Auden's wounding resounded in his head "John Marsyr was dead, swallowed by the dunes in the accursed city of Kivdrona". Thoughts flew through the man's head "What if I had never mentioned that fell place, or heard of it. Would my Lord yet live?". Eventually, he was called to council with Aurelion, the new Lord. They sat in the office, John's crown of blue and silver between them, resting on the table as a relic - undisturbed and hallowed - of the great man now fallen. They'd talk briefly of what to do, before Uthyr brought a Haensi doctor to help Auden, and they went upstairs. After a time, the three - Aurelion, Uthyr, and Rohir, departed downstairs once again, though this meeting was once again quickly interrupted, this time by the lady of the Paladins, who had also come to treat Auden at Uthyr's call. As the others would head upstairs to see to Auden, Rohir would bring the grim news to those gathered outside the office where they met - Oliver, Magda, Arnarra, Sylis - "Lord John Marsyr the Reclaimer, Adthoniel Estel, first of his name, Lord of Hogwash, of Cartref Mor, and of Minas Angren, Grandmaster of the Holy Adunic Order of the Aengul Michael - has passed on to join the Ancestors in the River of Souls." The grim words would tear at him to say, a new reality in them as they were publically said. The man would soon make his way with the others to the great table in the main hall of the keep. He'd converse of plans to find John's body and return it to his people, but all the while his mind would fly through old memories. Of John and him training in archery and swordplay, of the journeys to the North to fight the Svarlings, of their fight against strange beasts and demons and trolls that assailed Cartref Mor on the shores of the Elvenessi Hinterlands, or when they went searching burnt out ruins for a ghost in the Orenian hills. Most of all came the memory of when he first met John and Veseryn on the road on that fateful night, and when John told them around their old round table in the former Warden Keep of the history of the High Kingdom and of Illdyn, and showed its glory and it's fall in the dancing flames of a candle using the gifts of the Aengul Michael. So recent all these things seemed, despite them being spread over thirty years or more. The man would sit, ruminating over these in infrequently broken silence, taking swigs of whiskey from a flask at his belt, as his collected though grim demeanor begin to break and tears would begin to roll down his usually stoic countenance, not wishing to believe his Lord, his Teacher, his Friend, whom he had seen only the day before and had known since he was a young man, had passed away forevermore.

Adunian Orthodoxy Overview “We are a people twice damned by the choices of our forebears, abandoned by the Creator for their sin. Left aimless and adrift in a hateful world, we now turn to the only ones who understand our lot - our Ancestors - to guide us to salvation. And thus we have chosen to undergo our third damnation, to remain restless in the river of souls, to guide our kin from beyond the grave until our honor is restored.” - Llyfr yr Hynafiaid (Book of the Ancestors) Adunic Orthodoxy is a religion created in the early days of the Adunians’ time on the isle of Illdyn. In the aftermath of the Fall of the High Kingdom, the Adunian people began to see themselves as abandoned by the Creator that their Orthodox Cannonist faith saw them pay homage to. They were half-breeds, abominations in the eyes of their old church and its Creator. Thus many began to lose hope as they grew more hated by the rest of the world and more aware of their twice cursed nature and lack of guidance from a higher power. However, their lord Elendil held strong and led his people to a new home on Illdyn. Maria served as a mediator and counselor, quelling tensions on the ships and keeping people together. Elendil’s son Braen also helped the people stay strong, serving as a moral and spiritual leader among the people, showing wisdom beyond his age. Eventually, after a successful move and with the growing settlements on Illdyn secure, Elendil passed onto the next world. Braen saw his spirit linger, however, as that of a saint, or perhaps something different. He quickly spread news of this boon to his comrades, that his father had ascended to guide his people from beyond the grave, and people took the news well. For a damned people, twice cursed and abandoned by their Creator, this ember of hope grew into a flame, which quickly spread across Illdyn, drawing people to it wherever it went. However, Braen would not live to see the full impact of his words and his philosophy, for the prophet and lord died young, slashed by an Illdic Bear only a few short years after taking his father’s throne, cementing himself as the third member of the high Trinity of Ancestors - Elendil the Father and Leader, Maria the Mother and Counselor, and Braen the Son and Prophet. This tradition stayed strong for several centuries, but eventually, as the Adunians began to once again integrate with their human kin many were drawn back to Cannonism, either by their own wishes to be close to the humans they resided with or necessitated by the threat of persecution, ostracisation, or execution. However, those among the Adunians who call themselves the Harren’hil, or “Heirs of Harren”, seek to keep these ancient traditions of ancestral worship alive, and see them as an integral part of restoring the glory of the High Kingdom. Beliefs “With great forebears to guide us, we shall always be strong. For if we heed the wisdom and warnings of the past, it will guide us to a brighter future. This is why we make our final self sacrifice, for the good of our sons and daughters, so they may see better days than we.” - Llyfr yr Hynafiaid (Book of the Ancestors) Adunic Orthodoxy holds several core beliefs paramount. They do believe that the Cannonist Creator did create the worlds, and share many of their beliefs about the creation of the world, the rise and fall of Iblees, and the ancient days of history with the Cannonist religion. However, they believe that when Harren and Sarai married and procreated, whether it be out of love or for the good of their peoples and the cessation of conflict between them, they created an abomination in the Creator’s eyes, and he turned away from them and their heirs. While the High Kingdom followed the Creator, and at first found great success, he was not there to save them in their time of trouble, and the High Kingdom fell. Thus, the Adunian race needed to turn to a new guide - their Ancestors. The veneration of the Ancestors is perhaps the most key part of the Adunic tradition. It gives the people hope, for they can look back on their ancestors achievements and learn from them, and apply the lessons to the present. However, the veneration of ancestors goes far beyond this. Adunic Orthodoxy teaches a much more real and corporeal connection with the ancestors, for it is believed that many of the greatest Adunians, in a tradition starting with Elendil, refused to find peace in the afterlife. They refused the protection and peace offered to them by any Aengul, Daemon, god, or spirit, and instead remained in the Soulstream. Thus, they decided to avoid peace so they may more easily be called upon and help their children. It is for this reason that some select elements of magics involving spiritual communion are sometimes seen as almost holy by the Adunians, for they serve to bridge the gap between the self-exiled Adunic ancestors and the physical plane, allowing for more direct guidance to be granted. In contrast, magics that mar the soul irreparably and leave no choice to enter the soulstream are generally viewed in a more negative light. Thus the decision to overextend any magic - voidal, divine, or unholy - in a way that would destroy, mar, or trap the soul is taken only in times of great need for the whole of the Adunic race, for any who would make such a choice would be shirking their duty to guide their progeny for the sake of immediate and temporary power. Voidal magic of any sort (besides enchanted items) is generally frowned upon due to its corruption of the body and soul for the sake of pure power rather than any sort of spiritual connection, while the corruption or effects of Spiritualists, Seers, and Templarism are generally more excused, since they serve to either connect the race to their ancestors more directly, guide the race into the future with their true-sight, or to sacrifice themselves to protect their people in the most dire times of need. Notable Ancestors “Harren the Founder, strong and proud, who’s imprudence sealed our twice damned fall. Sarai the Fair, of Wildewynn, who sailed for western shores afar. Elendil, Father and Leader Strong, pillar in the monstrous sea of doubt. Maria, Mother and Counselor, who eased the pain and fear of all. Braen, Son and Prophet wise, who’s light restored us to our course. Lead us, please, to better times where prosperity reigns forevermore.” - Litani yr Hynafiaid (Litany of the Ancestors) While many Adunic Orthodoxists, due to the nature of their faith, choose to stay in the Soulstream as guides and are thus venerated at least by their close families, some have reached such renown for their actions that they are respected by most or all those who follow the Adunic Rite. These can be sorted into three categories: The Founders (Harren and Sarai), the Trinity (Elendil, Maria, and Braen), and the Doethion (Felcryn Delmar, etc). The Founders Harren and Sarai, being the progenitors of the race, are viewed in a complex way by those who followed. On one hand, they are viewed with respect and honor, for they laid the foundation for the High Kingdom, a golden era for the Adunians where they were able to advance their skill in arts, architecture, literature, shipbuilding, medicine, and the natural sciences to a level never again recaptured. They showed the value of the friendship between Elf and Man, and through their union and the unions of their peoples granted the Adunians of today their longer lives. However, they are also viewed with a degree of scorn, since they through their shortsightedness also brought upon their offspring the twice-cursed nature they know all too well to this day, and the scorn of the Creator and many other gods and spirits who despise such cursed unions. Hence, the positive aspects of these founders are respected. The advancements of the High Kingdom, friendship with the elves, and a love of woods and sea are all remembered fondly, but the resentment for the extra curse laid upon their offspring cannot be overshadowed or forgotten. The Trinity The second set of major ancestors chronologically, and the chief ones in the Adunic Orthodox Rite, are the Trinity of Elendil, Maria, and Braen. Elendil was born in the latter days of the High Kingdom to High King Arendil. When the High Kingdom fell and his father was deposed by the rebelling highlanders, Elendil inherited the leadership of the Adunic people, now banished from their great cities and lush forests, forced to sail across the sea from Aegis or face genocide for their transgressions. Elendil, however, kept his resolve, gathering his people and leading them across the sea to Ildyn, where the Adunian people had their second chance. But the journey was not easy, and many divisions came, to the point where several times the whole affair nearly failed. This unrest was quelled and mediated by Maria, wife of Elendil. She helped to settle disputes and be a calm, gentle hand and voice to her people, nurturing them and keeping them together until they found their new home and regained their hope and resolve. She and Elendil then also had a son, Braen, who became Elendil’s heir. Braen was for most of his life wise beyond his years, and had a deep interest in the spiritual and the philosophical. After several years, once the kingdom had begun to regrow on Ildyn, Elendil passed on into the next world. Braen was the only one to witness this, and when his father died he saw him rise up, as a saint, or perhaps something else. This vision by Braen became the basis of the Adunic Orthodoxy, thus making him the founder of the faith. He rose to the position of Lord or King upon his father’s death and spread the new faith in ancestral guides about the land. However, he didn’t live long enough to see the full effect of his teachings, for he was killed shortly thereafter, slashed and mauled by the claws of an Illdyc bear. And thus the Trinity had all passed into the world beyond. Elendil the father, admired for his leadership, justice, and his undying hope for his people, Maria the mother, admired for her calm, nurturing demeanor and her ability to keep her people together, and Braen the son, prophet and giver of wise counsel. The view of the Trinity is overall far more uniformly positive than the Founders. They already faced the same curse that all subsequent Adunians face, and they managed to give their people hope and a new chance at survival by founding a new kingdom, a faith that actually serves to protect and guide their descendants, and moved their people away from the pride and slave-based system that led to the fall of the High Kingdom and to a more humble, hearty, self-sufficient, and well-balanced way of life. The Doethion The final group of ancestors are the Doethion, or Wise Men. These are the equivalent to Saints among the Adunians, and are made up of all those Adunians who passed on into the next world and, as is customary for all those who are not bound by some other fate for the good of the people, remained in the Soulstream to aid their progeny. To join the Doethion in death to guide one’s ancestors is viewed as a final duty and oath to the Adunic people that all should make, and to sacrifice the ability to join the ancestors is often taboo, though it is accepted as a noble sacrifice in certain cases, such as that of the Templars. This is why the study of deific magics and magics that corrupt the soul are exceedingly rare among the Adunians, and while small bands of Adunic holy mages (especially Templars of the Aengul Malchediael, also known as Saint Michael to many Humans and Adunians, and is counted among by that name) are common, and often kept around, the choice to join one of those groups is an extremely difficult one for an Adunian to make, and is never taken lightly. While all Adunians who pass on and enter the Soulstream are members of the Doethion, some are worshiped more widely than others. Each clan or house will tend to have certain ancestors who they hold in high esteem, and then there are ones that are held in esteem by all Adunains. Small Prayers are oft written to them asking for intercession, along with the greater rites for weddings, funerals, and invoking the spirits of the dead. Prayers, Songs, and Rites Funerary Rites "In the tradition of Elendil, lord and father, may the soul of [name] forever join his (or her) forebears in the river of souls. May he (or she) join the ranks of the Doethion, to offer his (or her) descendants his (or her) wisdom and good counsel. Never to rest, until our honor is restored, and we all may find peace." The Rite of Invocation “O Doethion, O wise forebear of old, heed my call. Come now, [name], return from thy slumber and aid thy children, as is thine oath and duty! Come now, [name], grant us thy wisdom from ages past, to help our present plight! Come now, [name], speak to me, then return once more to thy watchful rest.” The Rite of Matrimony "Sons of Harren and Daughters of Sarai, we are gathered here today to celebrate the blessed union of [Couple’s names here]. Let all gathered here, with the Trinity and Doethion witness, seal, and bless this Union. [Name], [Name], do ye swear to Elendil, Father, Lord, and Guide, to lead thy family forth into the uncertain future. To be an example of discipline, honor, and humility to thy children, so long as ye both shall live? I do [Name], [Name], do ye swear to Maria, Mother and Mediator, to let thy home be one of kindness and understanding. To weather all the difficulties, disagreements, and woes that life brings cheerfully, fairly, and respectfully, so long as ye both shall live? I do And do ye, [Name] and [Name], swear in the name of Braen, Son and Prophet, to let thy house be one guided by faith and reason. To teach thy progeny of reason, and of our faith and our history, and to always grant them good counsel when they should ask, so long as ye both shall live? I do Say now any other vow or oath ye wish to swear to each other, and make known to the Doethion and to the People here gathered. [your own vows go here, if you want to have them] With these oaths of long tradition and of thine own love, ye art in good faith bound to one another in the eyes of the Harren'hil and of the Doethion. Exchange thy rings and thou mayst kiss the bride. Go now in peace and prosperity." Elendil’linn “Father Elendil, Lord and Guide, show us the way through the tumultuous sea of fate. Inspire us to lead our people ahead, through the darkest of times to the brightest of lands. Help us stay humble, to never feel dread, to know that soon our time is at hand.” Maria’linn “Mother Maria, show us your grace, show us the way through the problems we face. Be our good counsel in times that are hard. Help us stay civil, to lay our thoughts plain. Show us to reason, and keep us from hate.” Braen’linn “Braen, son and prophet, patron of the wise, show us the truths which most never find. Help us to recover the knowledge we’ve lost, and grant us the wisdom to use it or not. Show us the way on the rivers of death, so we may also guide forever our kin.” The Prayer to Felcryn Delmar “Oh mighty Felcryn, grace my tongue with the sharpness of silver and my ears with the keenness of the hawk. Guide my actions and my words so all may be under my thumb and follow my will, knowingly or not.” The Prayer to Malchediael “Aengul of Courage, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of Iblees. Help us to stand resolute against all odds, to selflessly defend our people from harm, and to deny the temptations of corrupting power.” The Burning of Aglaribaind "Woe to thee, Aglaribiand, Strong and tall in distant land. Vanished now across the sea, Ashes due to our folly. Aglaribiand stood tall upon the bay, It glistened white, and blue, and grey, Its walls were strong, its halls were fair, And great works we created there. Poems were read and Songs were sung, Hammers from the forges rung, On the wind our great ships sailed, But beneath all this our city ailed. For in our pride we took on slaves, Our Highland kin all to us gave. We abandoned honor in our greed, And for that folly we now grieve. The slaves rose up upon the town, Burnt great ships and buildings down. Threw Harren’s corpse into the Sea, Over which we soon would flee. To his Throne Elendil rose, As King Arendil hung for the crows, From Aegis we were banished forth, On pain of death we left the North. We sailed west to Illdyn fair, And Elendil ruled us there. Nevermore to fall to pride, To live with honor at our side. Woe to thee, Aglaribiand, Strong and tall in distant land. Vanished now across the sea, Ash due to our folly.”

Rohir would read the letter, a frown growing on his stern countenance as he'd look over the paper. On occasion a sad, reminiscent smile would cross his face at his old friend's characteristic humor, though these looks would disappear back into a troubled frown nigh as quickly as they'd appear. After a few moments of thought and a few more scans of the paper, Rohir would put it down, sighing deeply, shaking his head and saying woefully "We've lost a good man this day, a good friend. Something we cannot afford. We had far too few of those already..." he'd trail off, shaking his head once more as he'd let the letter fall to the table, pull his hood over his head and mask over his face before heading off into the wilds, for they always brought the Bowie peace.

Name: Elros Silma Race: Elf Age: Around 415 Gender: Male [[OOC]] Username: SmartScout Discord: SmartScout#0501 Timezone: EST

The Keeper would look over the missive carefully, set it aside on his desk, and ponders to himself "A little harsher than I would be, but still, it has a point. The Children of Malin have lost their way, and those who give up their culture and people for another rather than helping their own race recover and grow strong are part of the problem. Though I do think some may be redeemed, with the proper guidance, and condemning them wholesale without offering them redemption simply makes all our halls grow more empty..." he'd trail off in thought, before eventually going back to writing his scouting reports and tending his hearth.

While birds can be easily used for meta, I think they are either a necessary evil or that they need to have something in their place, as there needs to be a way to contact people irply under various circumstances. Maybe add a plugin with specific bird messages that take time to travel. This could be done through a simple time delay mechanic between messages or by having a physical "bird" (maybe a reskinned bee), perhaps even one that could be shot down (at least under specific circumstances) to make them more fair. This would at least make meta rallies more organic, plus you can have more control/ability to filter with messages from your own plugin rather than base minecraft messages. Though, really, while some sort of bird plugin would be great, discord meta-rallies and the like would still be an issue and still would be unable to be truly enforced by staff.

The Path of the Flame The Philosophical Musings of Elros Silma The 13th Year of the Second Age Foreward Some view the mali as twice cursed. Few in number and forced to endure the pain of the world in a way others do not. The life chosen for the Mali is a hard one, for our blessing brings with it an expectation, a duty, which the other races do not have laid out for them. For in our long life comes a challenge to improve and better ourselves, so we may better serve the world. For who are better to serve as preservers of history than those who live through it, as craftsmen than those who have many lifetimes of men to hone their craft, as a shield against the dark armies of the nether and the void than those who have decades or centuries to learn and train, or as a steward of nature than one who can see its patterns and cycles run over the centuries. If you are to learn one thing from this work, then let it be this - do not despair thinking of the pain or hardships a long life may bring, for despair only stays the hand and squanders your gift. Instead, look to your many years as a challenge, to use each moment as best you can, for with time and effort, nearly all things are possible to you. On the Blessing of the Mali The blessing of the Mali is nearly unique among the blessings, for it does not simply offset to a degree our curse, but does more. The Bortu were granted to be strong of mind and hearty, so they may survive and engineer great contraptions deep in the mountains seeking the wealth of the earth they were cursed to crave. The Uruk were granted a degree of honor to try and offset their mindless bloodlust and rage, and the Vallah were granted a special afterlife to make up for their short time in this world. In our gift of eternal life, we may certainly have more time to bear children, which offsets our sterility, but in our blessing we find ourselves appointed as stewards of the world. Compared to us, the other races live on this earth for but a short while, and can thus often be short-sighted. We must worry for the future not only for our children, but for ourselves. If we are to live in the world for a long time, then we must face the outcomes of the decisions made by ourselves and others centuries on into the future. In some, our gift of long life fosters idleness, for they believe that since we have a long time, we can take our time in life. In others, it fosters apprehension, for they fear the many years of pain and tragedy they will face more than they look forward to the good. This has led to some, most notably our brothers of the Bronze, to declare that we are twice cursed. But I suggest that instead of living in dread or idleness, we view our long lives enthusiastically. As a great challenge to overcome, a challenge to improve. We have all the time in the world to master our crafts, to learn of the world and its intricacies, to protect the world from those who seek it harm or those who cause it inadvertently. This is our duty, and in doing our duty, we do good. On Duty and Good A mali has several duties in life. A duty to self, to kin, to nation, and to the world. All of these must be kept in balance, for they are all important in one’s life, and one should not be left entirely forfeit for the sake of another. The highest good for a mali is to, in their own way, serve to better the world in which we live. For no two mali are the same, so thus the path to good is not static. The closest thing to an explanation of the path to good, in my view, is to do your best to find your talents and to excel at them to the greatest of your ability, and to then put them to use to save the world. A man of great strength may seek to become a fighter to protect his people from attacks, natural and supernatural, while one of compassion and wisdom may seek to become a healer. In any situation you are placed into, one must assess themselves and decide their best course of action to aid in it. That best course is almost never inaction, for idleness feeds stagnation, and the stagnant and passive are left to be easily subjugated or torn asunder by the active and dynamic. If you see a building alight, a strong man may assess they should go into the building to save its residents, for they have the ability to do so, and thus in doing so they prove their courage and work towards the good. But what of one who is weak? For them going into the building is recklessness, but doing nothing is negligence. In asking for help or gathering water or healing the injured afterwards, they work towards the good, for they help the situation in a way they are suited to without making things worse. This is the path of the righteous, and what we should all strive for. Some may say that employment and duty are one and the same, for they are both vocations we dedicate ourselves to. But I say they differ in a way. A man has a duty to his employer, a craftsman a duty to make the product requested to the best of his ability. And for performing that duty satisfactorily, the employed is paid by the employer, the commissioned paid by the commissioner. This is only right, for the hard work of a craftsman or the risk of a merchant bearing goods down harsh roads must be compensated, but what of those whose work aligns with higher duties and higher principles, such as the druid, the scholar, or the guard? Ones who follow those paths should follow them not on a duty to gold or silver, but to the world, the truth, and their people, respectively. Thus, the question comes if they should be paid at all. On one hand, it makes sense to compensate those who work hard or are at risk for their efforts, but on the other, pay can draw in those who are not dedicated to the principles they should uphold. A guard working for mina more than loyalty to his people may be bribed to betray them, a scholar working for compensation rather than out of a duty to knowledge and the truth may bend the truth or break it, and a druid who doesn’t see their duty to nature and the world first and foremost may seek to control nature and bend it to their will rather than defend the balance with its help. Thus, it should be assured that people in those sorts of vocations should always put duty and honor above coin, lest corruption seep into our midst. On Leaders and Nations The leaders of the elves should be the servants of the people, not their betters. The mali race does not take well to conquerors, for we have faced many over the past four centuries. We do not take well to tyrants either. The Mali live long, and thus grow independent, and thus they follow most often those who they deeply respect. The respect of the people can be gained through many ways, but it is often best gained through shows of wisdom, compassion, skill, and tact. Some will follow those who are overly forceful, or who build their regimes on violence, fear, and censorship. But often, sooner or later, a large resentful party will grow to overthrow such a regime. Better to gain the respect of a people through decisive action and driving and enabling action in the city. For a city with nothing to do - no guilds and no military - will surely fail. The leader may accomplish this in many ways. They could allow guilds the freedom to grow and act on their own, or they may constantly and actively promote activity sponsored by the government. Either method is valid, though the former requires far less maintenance than the latter. However, the point remains - some are doers and some are followers, and the goal of the leader should be to aid the doers as much as he can to keep his city flourishing and his streets full. Nothing kills the drive of a doer and turns them into a follower or rebel more than being slowed and scorned by bureaucracy. Doers thus scorned will often either become reluctant followers, no longer willing to put in the effort when the system works against them, or they become rivals to the leader, believing themselves as doers could organize the system in a better manner. This is natural manner in which stagnant and failing regimes fall and new, more active ones take their place. So thus another role of a good leader is to keep enough control on this cycle to assure that the right new leader rises to take their place when they are no longer able to fulfil their office. For if one steps down gracefully when worn out and unable to fulfil their office rather than holding onto power until the breaking point, they are able to have some choice in who should follow them. It is better to give up one’s own power to one more worthy for the sake of the betterment of the people and nation than it is to hold onto power when unable to maintain the nation and thus trust the future of the nation to chance. Chance that is often cruel, for when a leader is overthrown, it is more often by the violent, brash, and over-ambitious than by the tempered, wise, and kind. On Society and Tradition Tradition is the core of Mali society. The knowledge, wisdom, culture, and experiences of our forebears are forged from millennia of life and are not to be ignored, forgotten, or violated. But to focus only on those traditions, and to emulate the past when we can look back and see its failings or look to the present and see the same problems, choosing not to progress by appending and improving these old traditions and systems using our own wisdom and experiences is folly. To the long-lived, the cycles of history are clear. I remember the fall of Malinor and the Dominion, and I see the same seeds that led to the collapse of those societies being sown here today. Many try to say that Elvenesse is not like the Dominion simply because it has a smaller military, more isolationist politics, and has rid itself of the Court of Princes and the Elective System, however they ignore the many similarities that come in turn. A nation for all mali dominated by the will of one subrace, topped by a large, slow, and often inefficient bureaucracy. I would argue that the best times of my life were spent among smaller groups such as seeds and guilds, or in smaller nations, like Laurehlin before the Orenian Subjugation or the Principality of Aegrothond in Atlas. Small groups or nations that were united by their culture and ideals, and where every member of the small group was willing to work actively for the betterment of his people and the maintaining of their culture, traditions, and ideals. The mali are best served when at peace with each other and able to interact with each other as equals, but also when they are able to organize themselves into smaller groups where they are able to practice their culture freely with those of like mind rather than being pressured and assimilated into a single way of life. Siramenor exemplified this ideal in recent times, in that it had a close knit community of similar ideals that ran itself and focused purely on practicing its culture the best it could. If a system of groups of a similar model could arise in the form of guilds based on each culture within the larger nation, and if these groups are allowed the autonomy to prosper, I believe this could lead to a more ideal society for the Mali. While this may or may not be true, it is unknown unless tried, and trying new ideas is far better for the progress of the race than staying entirely in the past. For when one tries new things, they are able to learn from the problems they face to get closer and closer to the greatest system possible, while treading the same paths as we have for centuries can only lead to stagnation into predictable cycles of success and failure. Conclusions My philosophy can be simplified down to but four ideals. The Ideals are as follows: The Mali’s blessing of long-life and nigh-eternal youth serve not as a curse or call to stagnation, but as a challenge to improve one’s talents beyond the capacity of other races. The life of an elf is precious beyond measure, and should not be wasted if it can be avoided. The Mali should use their talents and gifts to serve the world in the way they are best suited. What way depends on the individual. Wasting your talents and gifts or using them for the ill of your people are the two paths of evil. The Mali should be led by one wise, kind, and decisive, chosen by the people for his merits. He should also be willing to pass power to one better able to do the job when incapable of keeping up. Do not dwell too much in the past, for while traditions and culture are of utmost importance, emulating failed societies and ideas will ultimately breed naught but failure in the future. Follow these, and the Mali will prosper. Fail to, and we may well once again fall under the rule of tyrants, foreigners, and fools, with empty halls, bare hearths, and complacent people.

The keeper would read the story, a slight smile forming on his face "Fairly wise allegory for these harsh times, especially from one so young."

The aged Keeper would read the missive, a growing frown forming on his face "Why must our people bicker and fight among ourselves like this? All it does is spill blood, waste potential, and distract from the greater threats to this world..." he'd say with a sigh, as he'd turn away to tend to his hearths and to his duties

The Maehr’evar Order The Guardians of Knowledge Overview The long lives of the Elves tend to draw them to scholarly pursuits, either to fill a want for adventure, so they may improve their own knowledge and wisdom, or so they can protect knowledge and the world for future generations. The Maehr’evar seeks to be a place for the Elves who seek to learn, research, write, teach, and explore. Their duties are as varied as they are important. Headquartered in the Great Athenaeum of Elvenesse, this group of scholars and adventurers are always seeking new recruits to improve both the nation of Elvenesse and the world at large. Structure The Maehr’evar are organized in a loose but effective structure, which tends to serve their purposes well. The ranks of the order are as follows: Grandmaster The Grandmaster of the Maehr’evar has the duty of keeping tabs on those below him in the order and allotting resources to different projects. It is he who organizes meetings of members, calls major expeditions, maintains the library and its collection, and who deals with both foreign scholarly guilds and the Council of Elvenesse. The position is currently held by Elros Silma. Masters of the Order Masters of the Order are those who are experienced at their craft and can serve as a bridge between the Grandmaster and the Ordermen. Generally, there is to be a Lorekeeper, who is to coordinate the librarians, writers, and teachers of the order, and the Scoutmaster, who focuses more on expeditions, adventurers, and cartographers. Ordermen The Ordermen of the Maehr’evar is the rank and file position of the guild. They are all considered equal scholars and adventurers of repute. They may lead their own projects, write their own books, and teach their own lessons as they will, and they may help each other on larger projects when needed. Journeymen The Journeymen are those who just joined the Order and seek to become Ordermen. They are to hold an apprenticeship under a current member of the Order, preferably one with similar interests, in order to learn our ways, tenets, and procedures. Once deemed ready to start their own projects by the one whom they are shadowing, they are inducted into the order as full Ordermen. Duties The members of the Maehr’evar can be anything they want within the wider category of scholars, and may determine their own projects. They may freely move between any field they have interest in. However, many projects will tend towards a few areas, broadly categorized as writing, research, teaching, and exploration. Writing An imperative part of preserving knowledge and enhancing culture is to create new works, both artistic and educational in nature. The Maehr’evar will encourage and sponsor works of create and non-fiction writing among the people of Elvenesse, in order to expand our collection and enhance our peoples culture and knowledge. Research In order to learn and to record knowledge, one must seek it out. This may be through visiting other libraries to read or purchase copies of new books, by looking at ruins found by explorers, or by looking into the powers and effects of the less dangerous artifacts within our possession. Teaching It is no use to horde knowledge if you do not pass it on to future generations. Hence, teachers and librarians who organize lessons and help people find the books and knowledge they seek are another important facet of the order. Exploration The final major task of the Maehr’evar is the exploration of the world to find ruins to explore, monsters to fight, and dark cults and covens to exterminate. We seek to map the world, note where places of interest are, and deal with them as necessary, independently or with the help of other, more combat focused groups. The Maehr’evar Code The Ordermen swear to uphold this code upon entry to the guild, the four rules of the Maehr’evar Order. Breaking these rules bring you under the mercy of the Grandmaster, and can warrant anything from a warning to expulsion from the order. I. Unwarranted Harm Or Death Should Be Avoided At All Costs. We’re here to codify the world, not turn it into a pile of ash and bones. II. The Sovereignty Of Nations Shall Be Respected At All Times. While it pains us to allow knowledge to go unrecorded, or worse, for dangerous knowledge to run amuck, it is not our place to supercede any nation. It is best to not become criminals in the eyes of the world. III. Knowledge Should Be Treated With Respect And Care. It is difficult to index burnt books, or to categorize a destroyed relic. Obviously not everything we attempt to collect will survive it’s travel to the guildhall, but try to not willingly break things. Nothing is worse than lost knowledge. IV. Power Merits Respect. Along with the mundane, we may often collect pieces of extraordinary danger. Proper respect should be given to such things, and they should never be trifled with. Understand that pieces that have been deemed ‘restricted’ are not toys we horde for ourselves, but are items we guard the world from. The Great Seals The Maehr’evar Order grades every piece of knowledge in their possession with a seal. The seals are red-wax, and the individual stamps are in the possession of the Grandmaster. Each Seal is stamped with a piece of parchment which gives a brief detail of the object, and any needed information. There are four seals in total: Mundane, Guarded, Prohibited, & B.C. The Mundane Seal is the most common, and identifies this piece as typical knowledge, giving it the lowest rating of danger/power. All pieces which are open for public viewing, such as the books in the public library, are stamped with Mundane Seals. Mundane seals are given the mark ‘M’. An item with a Guarded Seal means that this item is normally only to be handled by Ordermen. These items are considered a bit too dangerous to be shown to the public, but on request may be taken from the reliquary to be studied or used by outside forces. This seal is marked with a ‘III’ symbol. The Prohibited Seal signifies that this item is of immense power or otherwise value, and should never leave the reliquary under any circumstances. These are pieces which are kept away from the world due to high risk of abuse. Even Ordermen are disallowed from viewing these pieces, and need the express permission, as well as chaperoneship of, the Grandmaster. The mark of this charm seal is a bolded ‘X’. Finally, the B.C. Seal is the most important of all the graded seals, and is given independent of the others. This means a piece can have both the B.C. Seal as well as one of three previous seals.. Standing for ‘Black Contingency’, any item with this seal is to be destroyed if at risk of falling into outside hands. Obviously, only items which are deemed as near cataclysmic are ever given this charm seal. The B.C. Seal is the only time any piece of Knowledge is marked for destruction, and holds a rather powerful and somber place in the Order’s culture. It’s mark is a ‘Skull’ symbol. How to Join In order to join the Maehr’evar, a candidate should seek out the Grandmaster in person or start a correspondence via bird. The Grandmaster will then set up a short interview with potential candidates to gauge their interests and disposition so he can match them with an Orderman to study under. Once deemed ready, the Grandmaster will give the Journeyman the Oath, at which point they will become a full Ordermen of the Maehr’evar. As a note, those seeking to join must be citizens of Elvenesse, or at least able to enter the city. OOC Notes

I would define High Quality Roleplay as being well-thought out speech and emotes grounded in the experiences of a character, the lore of the world, and the present situation. You can draw influence from other sources of fantasy lore (eg. LotR, GoT, TES, The Witcher, D&D, Mythology, etc) or Ancient, Medieval, and Early Renaissance History, but nothing that is too anachronistic (eg. Modern science/medicine in a Medieval Fantasy Setting). Drawing from other eras of history or from sci-fi is okay, but it needs to be done tastefully so as to not break the server’s overall setting. Overall, Good RP is creating a believable atmosphere that fits in with the world and the group you are RPing with, and basing how your character acts and what he thinks and feels about the world around him. Conversely, Low Quality Roleplay would be roleplay that is anachronistic – draws too much from modern, early modern, or futuristic elements. This would include Meme RP (drawing from modern meme culture heavily in RP), Anachronistic RP (pulling too much from modern culture or science, or elements from a sci-fi source that don’t fit with a medieval setting). Another obvious type of bad RP is RP that breaks the rules (obviously), such as metagaming, powergaming, godmodding, random deathmatch, etc. Good RP always leaves a chance for others to respond and adapts to fit the responses of others, just like real life does. Bad RP would be forcing things to a narrative without allowing other characters to effect it, or knowing things you shouldn’t know with no RP reason. Another form of bad RP is allowing your character’s decisions or outlook on other characters be effected by your OOC opinions of their player. Meme RP can be fun, if isolated and done in private with a group of people who all understand they are just joking around. However, doing any other kind of low quality RP regardless of situation, or doing Meme RP in public, is extremely distracting to people who are trying to rp serious situations and immerse themselves in the lore, and tends to break the cohesion of the world. In some cases, it can work, like Dwarves having some early modern, steampunk style tech, since that sort of thing has been established in lore. In any cases where anachronism is used suddenly with lore backing, however, it is a problem and breaks the flow of rp for people, and makes each group on the server feel like they are in a different world than the others. It should always feel like Oren, Elvenesse, Urguan, Krugmar, Haelunor, Norland, etc are all in the same world as each other. All types of rulebreaking rp or instances of bringing OOC into RP and vice versa should be avoided at all costs, as it isn’t fun for anyone involved. RP is engaging when it is done with a high quality and draws you into the world. It should make you feel immersed in the setting, and that setting should be rich and deep enough to support such immersion. In engaging rp, you are interacting with other characters, reacting to what they do as your character would, and are receiving thoughtful reactions in turn. My favorite niche has generally been Tolkienesque Elven RP, though I also enjoy Dwarven rp. I haven’t tried rp with the Humans that much, and have never tried Orcish rp, so I don’t have much of an opinion on them. I enjoyed the wars between the Wood Elves of Leyulin and Embermoore and Haelunor in Athera, and all the political interactions that came with that. More recently, I enjoyed the RP in the Dominion of Malin in its prime in Atlas, and the rp immediately after its fall. I also enjoy open-ended events (player or ET led) focusing on exploration, deduction, research, and experimentation, or ones that focus on the history and lore of the world.

While I believe that scientific development on the server could be interesting, I think that there should certainly be some limits, and that adding hand-held firearms would cause a slew of issues. This may be my bias, since my primary character is a Tolkeinesque elf, but I still feel that they would cause an imbalance with archery unless implemented in a very specific manner. I believe that cannons are fine, and perhaps very limited, rare, and weak hand cannons for dwarves and perhaps humans would be okay as well, I think any sort of widely available musket or rifle would ruin the fantasy sort of feeling of the server.

Minecraft Name: SmartScout Discord: SmartScout#0501 Character Name: Elros Silma Race: Mali’Ame Time Zone: EST

I think option 3 could work quite well if a style of map design similar to Anthos, in that each race (elves, dwarves, humans orcs) or general alliance (Aegrothond, Fenn, Urguan, and Oren, Orcs, Renalia-Gladewynn, for example) is given a zone. That way, RP isn't broken up much because the players that usually play together aren't disturbed. As for wars and PVP, perhaps you could streamline a system of point defense warzones (like has been tried historically) that can be used at any or at least most times rather than warclaims. That way you don't have 200+ people in each zone. The warzones, exploration zones, and wilderness zones could be a buffer state between the main zones, so that then people could then travel in between rp hubs or groups of ro hubs on that server, and then most rp (and thus most players) would tend to be in the city zones. Perhaps you could do it in 3 or 4 zones, so no zone would tend to have more than 100 people at once. TLDR split the map into several zones by race or alliance, have a zone for all the roads/wilds/buffer zones, and decentralize wars and events so that everyone isn't doing the same world event or battle in the same place at the same time.

RP Name: Elros Silma MC Username: SmartScout Discord: SmartScout#0501 What Nation Are You Affliated With?: Aegrothond Why Do You Wish To Come?: I lived in Athera back in the days we resided there and would like to revisit the place where I made so many memories, and perhaps unravel some of its unsolved mysteries which have kept me curious ever since I lived there two and a half centuries ago. What Skills Can You Bring?: I lived in Athera, and hence would likely be able to remember the lay of the land and locations of the various nations fairly easily. I also remember a good deal of what occurred in Athera, at least among the mali and to a point the dwed as well. I would likely be able to serve as a credible guide and could hold my own as a fighter and scholar as well.

Atlas was my favorite map due to the historical landmarks, open-ended exploratory world events, and the fact that it was about the right size in that it wasn’t super spread out like Vailor and Axios but also wasn’t super small and close together like Athera, though I personally even preferred Athera’s style to the super large maps (note that I started playing during Athera, so there is also nostalgia to factor in there). Arcas really just feels a bit bear. It has some ruins, but most aren’t as complex, interesting, compelling, expansive, or important to events as they were in Atlas. I likely spent well over a hundred or two hundred hours just exploring the southern part of the world in Atlas, looking at all the old Vaeyl ruins and trying to map out all of the darkways entrances and the locations of the keystones. The only thing I didn’t like about the Vaeyl event line was that it should have been able to be run by multiple ET members so that it would be more easily interacted with by interested parties. Frankly, whether it be for this map or the next, I think it would be good to put in another open ended, investigatory event to keep people invested and immersed in the world, and then write up story guides for various events and areas so that any ST Actor can run it. But that’s just my two cents, so take it as you will.

The Silma A comprehensive and complete guide to the Silma House Written by Elros Silma, 5th Keeper of Malin’s Flame of the Siolian Line Summary The Silma are an Elder House of Elves who currently reside in Siramenor in Elvenesse. While they generally followers of a blend of Wood Elven and Almenodrim culture, they have their own traditions and rules beyond the Sea Tenants and welcome any child of Malin to their ranks, regardless of subrace and culture, so long as their ideals align. The Silma, as a house, focus on defending and aiding other elves however they may, whether through skill at arms or knowledge of the world and its ways. They hold themselves to high standards of honor, humility, and hold traditional elven values strong to this day. They are led by the Keeper of Malin’s Flame and see themselves as guardians of the Elven people and the traditions of Malin. Foundation and Ancient History The Silma are an ancient house of Elves whom were founded by Siol, the Second Son of Malin. Many of them were originally a tightly bound company of warriors called the Silmarion, whom were organized by Siol to protect the children of Malin as they escaped from the Demonic Hordes of Iblees. Many died working towards this task. They stood before the demons, their swords, bows, and spears held at the ready and their formations tight, though they were often outnumbered twenty or more to one by the Undead. Overtime, Siol began to see his companions not as simple brothers and sisters in arms, but as family. Hence held them to high standards of honor and humility throughout the war, the same standards to which he would hold himself or his own kin. He adopted many of them over the course of the war, with them taking on his surname of Silma. With the end of the War and the Fall of Iblees, Malin promptly disappeared into his exile, and Siol disappeared soon after. Why he left the people he cared so much for is unknown, but it is thought that he felt some sort of guilt for his father’s self exile and for the many elves that died despite his efforts. After the departure of Siol, the Silma were left in the hands of Siol’s two sons, Skale and Loriens. They held the unit together as best they could, staying in the city of old Malinor while watching over the elves who resided there and trying to mediate some form of order. The Ichorian departure came very soon after Malin’s death, and due to this early abandonment of Malinor and the Ichorian’s quest for power and to pursue traditions that the Silma saw as savage, few or no Silma joined them. A few decades later, when the Irrinites departed, some Silma did accompany them, led by Skale. They admired the Seeds and were largely Aspectist, and hence wished to leave the walls of the city and rejoin nature as the Irrinites did. They left on good terms with the rest of the house who, led by Loriens, stayed in Malinor as its population dwindled. Eventually, when the population of Malinor was sparse and few besides the Silma and remained, Edrahil Sylvaeri and his company returned from their adventures and the famous dragonslaying. At this point the Silma met him at the gates with some degree of hostility due to Sylvaen’s Kinslaying. However, after some form of atonement from Edrahil, the details of which have been lost to time (at least to my knowledge), and taken with the honor of Edrahil and the oath he and his brothers swore to avoid the sins of their father, the Silma and remaining elves joined him in his quest across the sea. The Siolian culture slowly blended with the Almenodrim’s as the years went on, the two houses residing together in Old Aegrothond off the coast of Atlas until it was abandoned and the Almenodrim rejoined the other Elven splinter groups in the reformed Malinor. The Silma then lived in Malinor through its existence, though they started to slowly grow apart as the years went on. This is due to the Silma being less necessary when Malin’s children were at their strongest with no great enemy to fight. Loriens, however, kept what traditions he could and passed them to his three daughters, Lûthil, Hâdhel, and Esgalneth in Anthos. Loriens believed all three, along with his wife, were lost in the flood. This was, however, not entirely the case, and led to a further fragmentation of the House. Then next section will follow the happenings among the branches of Loriens’ children before returning to the Siolian line which persists today. Large portions of the account of Arben’s line are taken verbatim from the histories of Haston Silma, which were given to me by Haust when he rejoined the main line of Silma a few years ago. The Quenching of the Hearths In the years leading toward the dawn of the modern age, three distinct lines of Silma came together in preparation for the oncoming storm of Ibleesian servants. During this time it is said that the matriarchs of these lines, daughters of the then missing Loriens, became twisted in their ideologies. The eldest sister between them, Lûthil, remained most closely tied to Siolian customs. The younger, Hâdhel, proved the opposite. Marrying a man of ‘aheral nobility proved to eviscerate the woman’s love for her kin, as soon concepts of purity and superiority prevailed over her mind. Hâdhel became a soul afflicted by vile whispers of treachery - yet still she could not bear to see her kin slain. In desperation to repair cultural hostilities growing between the two Lines, Lûthil summoned for her sister’s kin. This did not, however, ended in hostility, starting a great and long feud among these lines, leaving only Arben and his sister Tirnel and a handful of others alive at its At first, the meeting tense though peaceful, with Hâdhel being cold to her sister and not receptive to her ways, being set in the ways of the Thill. However, this was soon to change, as Cailion Saedus, Hâdhel’s husband, had secretly followed his wife with some of his kin, and used the meeting as an opportunity to eradicate some of the Thill’s greatest detractors. When the first Silma was killed by her husband’s hand, Hâdhel was shocked into realization, and begged forgiveness from her sister for what had happened, frantically hoping to make up for what she had done. However, it was short lived, as both sisters were struck down, Lûthil on Cailion’s sword and Hâdhel was killed in the chaotic fighting, though which side stuck her down and whether she was forgiven and redeemed is unknown. By the end of the meeting, all the true Silma in attendance were dead, though many had escaped to various Sanctuaries about the world. Cailion, who blamed the death of his wife on the Silma in his twisted mind, swore to kill all the Silma he could, until all their hearths were quenched, literally and metaphorically. This murderous sentiment sparked a war between the two bloodlines lasting several decades, where one by one each Sanctuary fell to the forces of the Thill and the Silma within were killed and their hearth quenched, though each time heavy casualties were inflicted on the Saedus pretenders as well. It came down to the very last Sanctuary, the last Hearth, with Ârben and Tirnel, the children of Lûthil defending it with the last of the Silma. The fighting was fierce and long, and after hours, with the walls breached and the Saedus in the keep and the sacred sanctuary itself, the last of the Silma were finally able to defeat the Thill, though with innumerable losses to their men, and with the final Hearth being quenched moments before the victory. It was here that Ârben swore on the unlit hearth to reform his house, to assure nothing like this wretched slaying which left hundreds of true and corrupted Silma dead would ever happen again. This led to the far harsher way that he led the house, as he believed the ways passed down to his mother by Loriens were too weak to allow the house to last going forward. Hence the Arbenian line was formed, far more insular, strict, harsh, and dogmatic than its predecessor, forged by conflict and quenched in blood. The Arbenian Line The Line of Ârben began briefly after the first blood-feud between opposing lines of Silma. In the diminishing and rapidly darkening days thereafter would the son of Lûthil, a woman hardened by the tragedies of the First Ibleesian war, emerge to lead his few remaining Kin. Much like his mother, Ârben had been forged by conflict, though evermore was he plagued by his earliest days of combat. Later within his life, he was given a Sister - an elfess brought into the Siolian ranks during the earlier days of the blood-feud. It was said that she provided the voice of mercy, a motherly figure to those who found serving alongside Ârben as too exhausting. While Ârben remained the sole Keeper of his line, much credit is given to Tirnel for keeping the few remaining survivors of the feud united. Above all, Ârben taught those who remained under his protection the art of discipline. To be a Silma was to become a greater guardian of Malin’s Children. An honor that befell a relative few, Ârben commanded a guard of Elites that rarely numbered higher than seventy-five men. The distraction of war brought by conflict between the Descendants was not the primary focus of the Line, after all. The Siolians of the early modern age most often placed familial Halls wherever able, creating a network of sorts between Elven settlements of varying size and importance. There was a time in which the Halls of Siol represented a safety of sorts to citizenry - an elder brother of sorts to watch over not only the nobility, but the peasantry as well. Despite whatever poise the Siolians of Ârben’s line seemed to achieve, humility oftentimes shrouded the true magnitude of heroic deeds performed by the ever standing guard. Vanguards against evils greater than the pursuits of lesser men - Ârben’s Line became the unsung champions of their time. Of course, the strength of one’s sword arm means little against certain creatures of the abyss. It was for this reason that Ârben anointed many outside of the bloodline Silma. Specialists of every variety were once as equally demanded as warrior of great reputation. It was for this reason that the followers of Ârben became split into two distinct branches; those who were guided by Tirnel, the sister of Ârben, and those who fought alongside Ârben himself. Tirnel acted as a guide for Siolians delving into scholarly, diplomatic, and creative pursuits. It was beneath her that the true upkeeping of the family took place, the Seer branch being ever important stewards of familial Halls and courtrooms. The Siolian Line Loriens persisted on after Anthos, thinking the whole of his line was dead, not knowing of Arben or of the Quenching. He would go look for his families over the descendants time in Athera and Vailor before coming to the Dominion of Malin in Axios and joining their guard force, trying to reconnect with his past and his old reason for being. In Atlas, Loriens met with Skale again and the two decided to reform the Silma, for a brief time as a banner house of the Sylvaeri and then as their own house as they were in the past. The two brothers blended the old Ame idea of a Seed with the traditions of Malinor and the original Silma in this new iteration of the house, which made it grow quite quickly. Loriens then succeeded Belestram Sylveari as the Third High Prince of the Dominion of Malin after it’s reformation, and he led the nation for a brief time, trying his best to further improve things for Malin’s Children, though internal and external turmoil hindered his efforts. The stress of the position slowly got to him, eventually leading him to step down and go back to simply being the Keeper of Malin’s Flame. Eventually he left even that position, appointing Skale as the new Keeper and going forth to wander and clear his head, occasionally coming back to check on the family he had formed. Skale then left after a relatively short and uneventful term as Keeper leaving Miklaeil as his successor. Miklaeil led the Silma well in his time, with his term stretching over the fall of the Dominion and the migration of the Silma to Aegrothond, to rejoin the Sylvaeri there as they had in ancient times. In his term, though the family grew and flourished in several family units that had been adopted in since the reformation of the House, the strong sense of duty and the purpose of the family were somewhat put by the wayside in favor of being a standard but inviting Almenodrim house. When Miklaeil stepped down and, after a tight election, I was chosen to succeed him. It was then my goal to rebuild the Silma with the sense of purpose we had lost over the years, aided by the last notes of Loriens and the history of the Arbenian line. The following are the codes and traditions of today’s Silma, which will hopefully allow us to thrive and continue in our purpose with a lesser risk of misunderstandings, family divisions, and ideological breaks tearing us apart, as happened in the quenching and in the decline that occurred in recent years due to the interbreeding of certain members with other descendant races and the way which many modern Silma lost sight of the ideals and morals that made the Silma what they were since the times of Siol. These codes are a compilation of the codes of Siol and Arben’s ancient codes with modifications to better suit modern times. Family Tree Note to reader that many on the family tree are adopted, and that all those noted as Siol’s Children, outside of Loriens and Skale, along with Renee Silma, are all adpoted and are simply noted as how Loriens would have referred to them. Whether they are Blood Siolians is questionable, though some (Aewion, Annil, and myself, for example) exhibit some signs such as the line’s characteristic red hair and paler skin than many mali’ame. This could represent some distant relation, perhaps through the Skaelian, Arbenian, or Hâdhelian lines, or through some Silma where either no wife/husband is noted or by some unmentioned, deceased line. Hierarchy The hierarchy is fairly simple, with the Keeper of Malin’s Flame as the leader of the house, the Elders as leaders of safehouses or simply being senior and respected members of the family, and the members being brethren in name and in purpose. All in the house can voice their disputes, but the Keeper and Elders will always have the final say, unless they directly break the Codes. When a Keeper steps down, he is the choose his successor from among the Elders. The Elders can overturn the appointment only if they can demonstrate that the candidate directly broke the codes, in which case a new successor will be chosen. If the Keeper dies before naming a successor, then the Elders and family will decide on the new Keeper in an election. The Current Keeper of Malin’s Flame is Haust Silma (YourFriendKota), and the current Elder is Elros Silma (SmartScout). The Codes of the Silma The Children of Malin are to be regarded as a precious resource in the realm, and are to be guarded accordingly. Traitors to the race (e.g, murderers, tyrants), are to be detained if found and brought before either the court of the nation whom they attacked or to the Keeper for judgement. If found guilty, these individuals are deemed to have abandoned Malin, and thusly no longer fall beneath the protection of the Silma. If one is found guilty of causing great harm to Malin’s Children (kinslayers and slavers especially), the Keeper and the Silma are to suggest death as a punishment, and carry such a punishment out if it is possible and reasonable to do so. Elves beneath the age of 50 are exempt from this process, as they juvenile. The Family and its goals must take precedence before one’s personal pursuits. Elven customs of all cultures are to be tolerated, lest such customs interfere with the greater safety of Malin’s Children. Any Mali’ to declare themselves ‘King’ by right or claim is to be treated as a traitor to the one King of Elves, Malin. To serve Elven royalty beyond the Silma is permitted, so long as no oath binding the individual from acting in accordance with the word of the Keeper or the Codes listed. Our ancestors are to be held in reverence. Fallen Silma are to be laid within a canoe and set to sea, then to be cremated. Interbreeding or engaging in intimate relationships with other Descendants is not to be tolerated in the Silma. Elven blood may mingle, but the race is to be kept free of halfbreeds, for it is a great curse and leads to much grief for the parents and children, in the end. Born halfbreeds are to be treated with pity. These individuals are victim enough already to the two curses that afflict them. Silma are expected to maintain dignity and poise in their public life. Being a representative of Siol’s will is no task to be taken lightly. Discipline or expulsion will follow any act deemed disgraceful to the family by the Keeper. The practice of magic is permitted, so long as it does not endanger the greater safety of Malin’s Children or the world at large. Any Keeper or Elder within the Silma who gives an order that directly violates these codes is to be disciplined as found necessary by the Keeper and/or Elders (depending on whom gave such an order) The Silma are to obey local laws and traditions when they are afield unless they directly violate one of these codes, in which they are to voice their opinion and act on it, though with discretion. Traditions of the Silma Trials for Entry The Silma require anyone who seeks to join the House to complete 4 trials in order to prove their dedication to the Children of Malin and the ideals of the Silma. The first 3 may be completed in any order, though the fourth one must be done last. Trial of Knowledge: The goal of the Silma is to aid and protect other Elves, so hence they are to learn of the different Children of Malin, and their customs. For this trial a Silma initiate should ask a member of each race and culture of Malin’s children to speak of their people and traditions, and the initiate should then report of what they learned to an Elder or the Keeper in either writing or speech to show they know the state of Elvenesse in their time. Trial of Craft: A Silma must use their talents to help Malin’s people, hence they should create something with their talents to glorify the legacy and home of the elves. It can be food, music, literature, poetry, woodwork, smithwork, scholarly work, or any other craft, so long as it is tied into the history and heritage of the Mali or to their present cultures, homes, or lifestyles. Trial of Family: An initiate must know of the Silma and their history and meaning, so for this trial they must speak with the Keeper or an Elder about the history of the Silma and about events in one’s life that display what it is to be a Silma. Trial of Honor: A Silma must help their kin with honor, and in this trial the Silma must demonstrate they are willing to do this. Here, an initiate must do some service for the Mali as a whole, whether it be freeing Mali slaves, defending a Mali nation, healing wounded, brokering peace, or otherwise working for the betterment of Malin’s Children. Once this trial is complete one has proven themself to be a worthy Silma and may receive the mark. Malin’s Flame Malin’s Flame is, in literal terms, the hearth kept by the Keeper or Elders of the Silma house. There can be multiple physical hearths that hold the flame, as any Silma manor or safehouse will hold the hearth, and even the hearths commonly found in the rooms or homes of the Silma could be considered to be lit with the Flame. However, it is much more than a simple ordinary fire found in a Silma-owned hearth, but a concept central to the Silma ideology. The Flame represents the will of Malin himself, and by extension represents tradition, knowledge, wisdom, justice, morality, and strength. A Silma may often bid someone farewell by saying “May Malin’s Flame Guide You.” or some variation of such, as a form of blessing upon a traveler, hoping that they find wisdom and safety in their journey. The concept of the Flame is central to the Silma ideology, so it should never be doused if at all possible. Even within Aegrothond and the Almenodrim culture at large, Malin’s Flame and the Silma’s adherence to it is well known, with Silma generally being respected as wise and as being the moral compass of Elvenesse. As is said in a stanza of traditional Almenodrim verse: “Kaeronins keep the sails strung high, until the break of day. The Crown of Storms will steer the ship, and Silma light the way.” The Burning of the Mark If a Silma departs the house for reasons of differing ideology, or if they are determined by the Keeper to have betrayed the goals and traditions of the Silma, or brings great dishonor to the House through their actions, then a Silma is to have their tattoo burned off their back with either conventional fire or with the fire of a pyromancer or fire elementalist. This is to forever be a mark of shame on them, and to show that what they are giving up or what they have betrayed is something that they will likely never attain again. It is meant to be a deterrent, a warning, and a sign to any seeking to join the Silma of the severity of such an infraction and the high standards the house holds themselves too. Those leaving due to marriage or a similar situation where the ideologies of the Silma will still be adhered to and only the name itself is dropped do not have the mark burnt off, but in any case of betrayed or disputed ideology where a member leaves or is kicked out, the mark must be burnt. Funerary Rites A deceased Silma is to be laid onto a pile of straw soaked in oil in a small wooden boat (rafts, canoes, or other small boats are all acceptable) and then pushed out to sea. Once they are a fair distance out, a flaming arrow lit from the Silma Hearth (directly or through a torch lit from the Hearth) is to be shot into the boat, igniting the straw so that Malin’s Flame may claim the body and lead them to the next world. Silma who were close to the deceased, or all the Silma in the case of the death of a present or former Keeper of Malin’s Flame or a great Elven hero, traditionally douse the hearth in their home, though the main communal hearths are to be kept lit at all times. Rites of Hospitality The Silma are protectors, guardians, and friends to all Mali, so hence the doors of their safehouses and manors to be kept open to any who seek refuge, food, shelter, or even simple conversation. If in times of peace, the doors of the main manor are to be kept unlocked. In times of war, or where there is an open threat to a Silma, they are to be kept locked, but are to be open if any of peaceful intent come to them. To violate the hospitality of the Silma, whether by committing a crime, causing disorder, or other such mischief is not acceptable, and will be punished to a level fitting of the crime, with being thrown out for a time being a common punishment for smaller infractions and arrest, execution, and/or the waiving of one’s rights to the protection of the Silma being punishments for serious crimes (murder, slaving, kidnapping, and other such actions). If a state similar to Malinor or the Dominion is ever reestablished, where all races of Elves live in close proximity, the Silma should seek to have a Sanctuary in each city or district, to allow them to help each group of mali effectively and offer hospitality and protection quickly and effectively. Also, it allows for Silma of each culture and race to live among their people and provide for them as best they can. The Silmarion While currently defunct, as the house is quite small at the moment and could not support it, there has historically been a concept of having other houses or induviduals who are affilated with the Silma due to shared goals without taking on the Silma name. The most recent example was the Demetriou family serving as banner seed under the Silma, though examples stretch back to original members of Siol’s comapny during the Iblessian Wars, and it is a concept tha tcoule be revitilized if there is interest in the future. Final Notes from the Author Some of the text is of my hand and some is more ancient, though parts of the older transcripts have been edited and names changed so it is easier to read and understand for the modern reader. For example, Loriens and Skale went by different names in ancient times, so their names were change so those of our Era would recognize that they were being spoken of. The history section in general is based of a mix of Silma Oral Tradition, old tomes I have found upon my travels, the histories of the Arbenian Line that my nephew Haust granted me, the Oral Traditions and histories of the Sylvaeri, and some archeological evidence I have found throughout my life. Note that some of this information may be flawed, as some of it is based on logical inferences. Simply note that I tried my hardest to portray events as accurately as I could to history, and our morals as true to the words and Last Will and Testament of Loriens and to the Codes of Arben as I could. Finally, I offer a short note to any who find this tome, identify it, and seek to join us. I can relate with your feelings, as I felt them as well when I first heard of the house and saw the actions of Loriens in the Dominion, and I would encourage you to come and seek me out, for you will be welcomed with open arms so long as you respect our principles. I am often found in Aegrothond though I like to wander, so perhaps you will find me elsewhere. Even if you do not seek true entry to the House, we always seek brothers and sisters in our goals, and would welcome you as friends and allies should you not take the name, echoing the Silmarion of old. May Malin’s Flame Guide Your Path, – E.S. OOC Notes

Reminds me of the App I had to fill out in Athera to join the server, and I didn't know it had been made easier, so it gets a +1 from me! Only comment would be that full rp scenarios are hard, as you don't have people to emote at you further, so it can be hard to remain dynamic, unless you only expect a 1 emote response.