Archipelego

CASKETS LETS ******* GOOO

Cute, I would have missed the furries

wish u would have chosen anything besides 100 gecs

Cum or something

vampire pog

wow pund ur so cool teach me magic hah a ,,, will sit down and read this proper when its mag time, but it looks cute

Do we sex ?

Piss moment

Okay but it really is dude

farewell KING

i love it when u write lore, kissy kissy +1

Reserved for Changelog. - Gave Shadow Manifest various ranges dependent on tier - Changed ‘blocks’ to meters, because it sounds nicer - Continuity fix in Abyssal Gloom - Clarified on Caligen dark vision - Clarified on interaction with animii - Clarified interaction with offensive holy magic - Clarified range on Fading - Umbral Mirrors can be utilized in MArts Anyone who has comments or criticisms, please leave them down below. I will take them into consideration.

The Caligen “What is it that you seek, from this reality?” Origin The Abyss is a plane of suffering. A monument to the failings of man, the fights of gods themselves, and of unfiltered, unending deposits of stagnant life force energy. It is such a place that gods themselves fear to walk, the devastation and upheaval of reality itself turning Aegis, the once homeland of all Descendants, into a basin of suffering, stagnation, and neglect. The dead and the undead alike walk the ruins, separated and isolated from the rest of the mortal plane, if you could even consider the Abyss to be a part of the larger mortal plane. In such a place, with so much potent life energy left to stagnate and squander, constant change, shifts, and happenings are inevitable. Such shifts happen constantly, a rise and fall of half formed, squandered lifeforms with no structure or being. Tumorous, ruined, without the order of a soul. Indeed, even those who venture physically into the Abyss become warped, tumorous with the absolute excess of life force pervading their flesh, their very beings. The Abyss is a dark blight, a stain of corruption that affects all who enter its dark confines. An odd phenomena takes place however, when a Descendant soul, separated from its mortal coil, is plunged into the depths of the Abyss. It is unable to be physically harmed by the sheer amount of life force plaguing the Abyss, unable to be twisted or warped with tumors or growths like a physical body might. Yet at the same time, it is not unscathed. The soul is washed, through and through, with the stagnant darkness of the Abyss. In such a case, when the physical body itself is separated from the Abyss, the soul becomes split between two places. The soul exists simultaneously within both the Abyss, where it is perforated by a constant barrage of stagnant life force, and within the body of the Descendant, where changes are brought onto the form through the contact with the Abyss. Yet the soul is neither truly in either place. It exists in between, robbed from the Descendant’s soul and yet neither fully gone. One who undergoes such a phenomena is known as a Caligen, one who is Abyss-touched, yet with a remaining physical form. This brings havoc onto their form, changing the structure of what they are away from that of a Descendant greatly. They are no Wraith, no hunched harbinger of the dark. The Caligen at least on the surface, appears and functions much as a Descendant might. The same as they were in life, they inhabit a physical body that must eat, drink, and sleep. However, beneath the surface is a writhing mass of energy, manifesting as shadow. The true horror of being Abyss-touched only becomes apparent beneath this surface level, hidden from view, hidden from society and all prying eyes. “... I had stared into the Abyss long enough, and finally it stared back.” Physiology The Caligen is a creature that was once a Descendant, their very soul plunged into the deep dark of the Abyss. This corruption manifests through their physical form, separate from this isolated version of their soul. It comes in the way of shadow; the creation of it, manipulation of it, and usage of it. The versatility of this depends on the Caligen in question; their age and skill determines the exact scope of their capabilities. However, the intangible nature of shadow and darkness is intrinsic to all Caligen, and is a part of their very form. To all appearances and examinations, the body of the Caligen is that of a mortal Descendant. Of the same size, coloration, and manner of speaking as in their previous life. It’s not uncommon for a Caligen to grow pale, but this is generally through years of living in the shadows rather than anything that happens when one becomes a Caligen. Beyond appearances however, the nature of a Caligen is that of the Abyss-touched, and their metaphysical being represents it. A look at their soul will reveal a writhing dark mass of Abyssal energy, a shadow as dark as spilled ink. This is invisible and metaphysical, of course. For all intents and purposes, a Caligen appears as a normal Descendant of their original race, and only internally is their sickly corruption visible through the soul. Despite the regularly mundane appearance, Caligen have several small oddities & anomalies occur around them passively. For one, in darkened and shadowed areas, light seems to twist and bend strangely around a Caligen. In effect, the result is a lengthening of the preexisting shadows, a darkened corner growing even darker. Additionally small dark wisps, little bits of shadow made manifest, will appear and rise from a Caligen who is actively using an ability, or within an area of shadow and or Abyssal influence. An additional tell is the glossing over of the eyes with a black, smooth surface, like the surface of an Umbral Mirror. This does not impair the vision of the Caligen, but is an active tell intended to be utilized when casting. A Caligen must still eat, drink, and follow all other necessities of inhabiting a physical body. They suffer exhaustion like any other Descendant, and are capable of training their speed and strength to similar levels as any other Descendant. In this way, there is no inherent physical state; the body of a Caligen can be as diverse as that of any Descendant of their original race. The nature of their Abyssal-touched soul permeates and touches their physical form however, in many metaphysical ways that are not visible on a surface level. The very nature of shadow, of darkness, is tied to their physical form. This is tied to virtually every ability they have, the innate shadow and darkness tied to their soul through the corruption of the Abyss. It is because of this innate darkness and the metaphysical tie to the Abyss that a Caligen gains a sort of unnatural eyesight. They see no farther than their Descendant cousins, see no keener, but it’s as if the darkness itself is lesser to their gaze. Even the blackest, most Stygian shadow is lessened to that of a slight darkness. In this way, a Caligen can see and make their way through any sort of darkness, even that of the Abyss, much keener than a normal Descendant might. The nature of one who is Abyss-touched brings strange effects upon the soul of the Caligen, affecting the state of what made them ‘Descendant’ and changing it. The largest example of this is the Descendant curses, should they have one. The curse they had would undergo subtle changes, suffering and being stretched out much like the soul of the Caligen. A human Caligen’s curse of an early death is prolonged and stretched out, though not prevented by any means. They may live an additional fifty years, slowly aging over that time before eventually reaching a point where they must die like any other human. An orc Caligen’s curse of bloodlust turns from a brightly burning flame of rage to a long lasting, slow burn of constant frustration and relentless pursuit in their goals, even in the face of pain and suffering. A dwarf Caligen’s curse of greed remains much the same in concept, but what it entails can change subtly. A constant hunger for wealth and gems can turn into a desire for positions of power and privilege, money being more of an avenue to reaching such things. The elven curse of infertility does not change much, simply increases in intensity; all elven Caligen are absolutely barren and incapable of producing children. Caligen cannot utilize a variety of magics, given the strewn and haphazard nature of their soul. Voidal magics, deity magics, and anything else that has a requirement of a specific soul nature cannot be learned or utilized. However, things such as Pale Blood Magic, Kani, Afflicted, and a few other things can be used. Dark magics, such as Necromancy and Mysticism, can be learned and pursued. A Caligen cannot become a Wight or Archlich with either of these, and no dark magic ‘endgame’ can be pursued. A Caligen interacts strangely with the world around them. They are half stuck in the Abyss, their soul energy strewn across that dark plane. Yet, they simultaneously walk the material realm, this oddity virtually invisible to the naked eye. There are various qualities to the physiology of a Caligen, however, that makes it quite clear that not all is well with their metaphysical being. Their reflection, a large part of this, is elaborated on in it’s relevant section. However, there are other qualities. Some items and functions that normal Descendant’s can use with relative ease, a Caligen struggles to utilize, or cannot utilize altogether. The largest example of this is so-called ‘enchanted items,’ created through arts such as transfiguration, holy artificery, rune smithing, et cetera. A Caligen, unless specifically stated otherwise on a specific enchantment piece of lore and for a very good stated reason, cannot make use of these enchanted items. They simply do not respond to their touch, failing to function even should the Caligen attempt to activate it. The most that will happen is whatever enchantment is on it may flare up for a moment, or spark, fizzle out, cetera. It will never work properly for a Caligen, as the required part of their being to activate such things is missing from their fragile mortal coil. This phenomena extends itself to all other means of delicate devices and instruments, both the arcane and the mundane. Things such as compasses will spin wildly when held by a Caligen, and delicate instruments made with something such as animii will struggle, ‘glitch’ out, break, or otherwise experience issues with it’s more delicate parts. Something such as animii will function with minimum difficulty in a Caligen’s presence, however a Caligen cannot have or utilize animati limbs. Weather vanes, wind chimes, & other small objects may interact strangely with a Caligen as well, jostling or turning even without wind should they be near. The world itself seems to resonate very strangely with the nature of a Caligen, in a wide variety of ways. In events, delicate devices, enchantments, interfaces, et cetera may function differently than outlined above, however it shouldn’t function as normal for a Caligen. It’s up to the ET in question, should there be an event, to decide how attempting to utilize an artifact or piece of technology goes for a Caligen. Animals respond normally to a Caligen in their base state, not noticing the metaphysical oddity within their soul. Any time a Caligen casts or actively calls upon their shadows however, animals will grow increasingly nervous and hysteric around the Caligen, attempting to escape the situation and from what they quickly realize is no normal Descendant. The exception is Umbral Companions, the details of which are found in it’s relevant section. Magic users who call upon a deity would find the nature of Caligen’s an oddity, and perhaps a threat for any educated in the nature of the Abyss. To begin with, under no circumstances can a Caligen pursue a godly magic. Any magic that requires any sort of deity connection (i.e. druidism, paladinism, clericalism, ascended, shade) cannot be pursued or utilized by a Caligen. Additionally, no ability of holy healing, calming, or any holy influence can affect a Caligen. Any such spell attempting to be cast will seemingly dissipate, being dragged and disposed of into the Abyssal portal harbored within their soul. This does not effect hostile/offensive abilities; for balance reasons, hostile holy abilities will function against Caligen. Any ability which reaches into the soul, attempting to see or study it, will notice the blackened void where a regular Descendant soul would be. A Caligen takes wounds normally, much as a Descendant might. Blood, gore, et cetera will flow from cut flesh the same as any Descendant. Wounds from a holy source are different. A Paladin’s Holy Affinity blade will char the skin, yes, but also cause black wisps to rise from the wound. Cuts into the flesh with any sort of holy device will result in black liquid, comparable to blood, flowing out of the body like liquid shadow. This brings no noticeable difference or advantage, but there is a clear aesthetic change when wounds are taken from a holy source. It’s as if the shadow, the blackness inside of them is drawn out and burned away by such things. They are, however, no more hurt than a Descendant may be. “A reflection is a curious thing. It shows the truth of what it is beholding, yet at the same time is but a figment, a phantasm. A trace of what once was.” Reflections A Caligen, in many ways, exists between realities. This has many effects, as listed above, but none embody this strange phenomena more than the reflection cast by the Caligen. Or, in many cases, the lack thereof. Whether it’s within a mirror, a body of water, or any other reflective surface, a Caligen’s reflected visage is far from normal. Different Caligen respond differently to such surfaces, but it is always in an abnormal fashion. It ranges from subtle, to strange, to blaring obvious and unsettling. The exact details of one’s reflection are manipulated by a Caligen. There are always abnormalities, but said things can be manipulated. At one end of the extreme, a Caligen can cause their reflection to fade entirely, disappearing within the confines of the reflective surface. Vague body formations of darkness, mists, and other ghostly & otherworldly forms are possible with such manipulation. A Caligen can also appear as they do in the flesh, but there are strange and unsettling features. Blackened eyes, features smeared and distorted. Or, appearing corpselike, rotted with bone peaking through, or covered in visceral wounds. Whatever the case may be, or how they manipulate it, a Caligen will never appear ‘normal’ within a reflective surface, and there must always be obvious features or things about it that are very much so wrong and at contrast with their true ‘perceived’ physical features. “You can feel it, can’t you? A second beating heart within your soul, black and shadowed. The Abyss, feeding you, sustaining you.” Mentality None are unscarred by the nature of being Abyss-touched. The transition process itself is scarring enough, and the nature of being a Caligen brings certain perspectives and harsh beliefs that one may not have held otherwise. Of course, a Caligen is as capable of diversity as any Descendant, but certain perspectives and ideas are certainly more prevalent amongst the Abyss-touched. Additionally, specific mental conditions and illnesses are possible and prevalent given the Abyss-touched nature of their soul and the shadows that come with it. It is within the nature of the Abyss to be repulsed by the contact of gods. Aengudaemons and their influence on the world stand as a parallel in order to the chaos of the Abyss, and some of those ideas make their way into the heart and soul of a Caligen. This generally manifests as a following in, knowledge of, or at least casual interest in the beliefs and rituals of Xionism. This does range wildly, but it’s not uncommon for Caligen to embrace the ideas of Xionism and base many of their actions on said ideas. Other ideologies, a wide variety, are possible and likely. However, they tend to at least be brutalist or cruel in some fashion, to justify being what they are and whatever sins they may commit as a Caligen. Generally, a Caligen is polite, elegant. Nice even, on a surface level. It’s a microcosm of their physiology; normal, mundane on the outside, but a horrible twisted mess on the inside. Their brutality ranges from predatory to that of an armchair Darwinist, but a Caligen virtually always institutes some sort of power structure or hierarchy within their perspective of life, one they attempt to climb or utilize, generally for their own benefit. The mental state of a Caligen is diverse, but conditions and illnesses are not uncommon. Given the nature of what they are, most Caligen suffer from one or more mental issues stemming from their being. Depression, a god complex, OCD, Bipolar, Addiction, among a variety of other things. None of these are mandatory, but can be roleplayed well, and if you choose to roleplay these things you are expected to do so in a tasteful fashion. “I can’t ******* stand those who would squander a good opportunity.” Abilities The Abyss-touched nature of the soul of a Caligen brings forth all manner of corruption, manifesting itself in their physical form as a manipulation of shadow. This itself comes in many different specific abilities and ways, but all of which rely on the darkness of the Caligen soul and their skillful manipulation of it. “Just… focus on it. What you already do, by being one of us. Existing, bending the metaphysical around you. Focus on it, learn it, harness it. Your sixth sense.” Shadow Dancing The artistically named ‘Shadow Dancing’ is the cornerstone to all of the abilities of the Caligen, more aptly considered the act of shadow manipulation. The first and primary ability of the Caligen, the one all others are based off of and require. It is a simple art, but has near infinite depth and complexity for the Caligen who take the time to delve into learning the art in a very precise manner. The art relies upon some sort of shadow or darkness. The darker a place may be, the more effective and widespread Shadow Dancing can be. To a Caligen, it is the same as moving an arm, or batting an eyelid; it is a metaphysical muscle to be flexed, tied to the Abyss-touched nature of their soul. It relies upon existing shadow, either that found naturally or artificially created by a Caligen. Without said shadow, Shadow Dancing cannot be utilized. As such, as Shadow Dancing is the basis for virtually all abilities of a Caligen, no other abilities can be utilized if Shadow Dancing cannot. The shapes, forms, and figures made manifest through Shadow Dancing are immaterial, figments. By nature, shadow does not exist physically. As such, any shadow manipulated by a Caligen is also intangible, simply a dark visual. This manifest shadow can range from the classic ‘shadow’ being cast against a surface, to summoned black mists, to what visually looks like flowing, black oil. All are immaterial, however, existing only as a figment, a visual. Lighting such up would cause it to retreat to the remaining shadow, before dissipating altogether. It is worth noting that shadow can invade into that which is lit up, such as the edges of a campfire, or between the lit up streets of a town. Particularly bright light, however, as well as being within one meter of a light source, is impossible for shadow to be near. The closer such a shadow is to a light source, the weaker and less visible it is before dissipating entirely to the point of no longer being there. The creeping darkness will spread around that which is bright, but it cannot invade close enough to override the light itself. All manner of intricate visuals can be made however, with this art. Cast shadows of animals or faces, silent and immaterial, flowing dark, oily liquid across the ground, a rising black mist, and pretty much anything else under the sun. It is the freeform manipulation of shadow. As far as any combative usage, it is limited. Further abilities build on this base, and any combative ability through Shadow Dancing must be backed by another ability outlined below. “I don’t suppose you would understand what it’s like to carry what we do, a blighted heart and a will to carry on.” Shadow Manifest A Caligen can utilize their own body as a font of shadow, of darkness. By utilizing the receptacle within them, their soul anchored to the Abyss, their naturally cast shadow can become a powerful, unnaturally dark shadow for their manipulation. These shadows are shadows like any other, immaterial. However, while normal shadows may partially obscure, the Abyssal Shadows made manifest this way are significantly tougher. Pitch black, concealing all that a Caligen wishes to conceal. Free manipulation rules apply such as under Shadow Dancing, but these shadows are bound to the Caligen’s soul and cast shadow. A Caligen can only manipulate, extend, and utilize Shadow Manifest within a certain radius of them and their cast shadow. This range is determined by tier, outlined in the relevant section. This darkness cannot be simply expelled or dispersed with the encroaching of a torch. It is eternal, lasting, burning away only at prolonged exposure to sunlight, something the Abyss itself has been without for generations upon generations. The appearance of this Abyssal Shadow ranges, from the appearance of sickly black oil to silky black cloth, but the underlying feature is the absolute pitch black nature of it. No light permeates beyond it, and it can be used to completely mask a Caligen’s body, an object, et cetera, so long as it remains within the confines of it’s range. It can even be used to mask, and virtually snuff out, light sources such as a candle. A Caligen can see through the Abyssal Shadow, given their natural vision, but for any and all others who rely on sight the blackness is impenetrable. Stygian blackness, permeating and unaffected by normal light. This shadow has no directly ‘physically’ combative potential, but it can be utilized in combat, manipulated and utilized for whatever purpose may suit a Caligen. Should the shadow attempt to spread outside of the Caligen’s range of darkness, it will begin to instantly shrivel and dissipate, unable to exit the confines of the power of the Abyssal-touched soul that fuels it. “It is what we really are, where it counts beneath the flesh.” Fading On some metaphysical level, the shadows of the Abyss-touched soul are intrinsically tied to the flesh. This is made true with a few abilities, notably Fading. An invoking the anchor to the Abyss within their soul, the flesh of a Caligen can be melted away to shadow over the course of one emote. Their entire body, including their clothing, is dissolved into shadow. This process takes one emote preemptively for connection, with all the various tells Caligen have, before it can be activated. This can be done once per combat encounter, unable to be utilized for the rest of the encounter it is used in. After the first preemptive ‘connection’ emote, the Caligen spends one emote rapidly deteriorating into shadow, into black and immaterial mist. During this time, the Caligen is immaterial, unable to be hit. Blackened mist, shadow and insubstantial. This lasts for an extremely limited amount of time, exactly one emote after fully turning to shadowy mist. During this time, the Fading Caligen can stay still, or move. The exact range of which they can move is determined by their tier, outlined in the relevant tier section. When the emote is up, another emote is done where the Caligen manifests as flesh, seemingly unchanged from how they were before, clothes manifesting with them. “It isn’t so bad, to peel back the curtain every now and again.” Shadowed Form The Shadowed Form is, in many ways, the true form of the Caligen. Calling upon the anchor to the Abyss within their soul, they bring their internal shadow to the surface of their physical being. However, whereas Fading is the pulling back of the physical form and allowing the immaterial nature of the shadow to fully manifest, Shadowed Form is a conjoining of the physical and the metaphysical. The physical form, still orderly, brings forth and merges with the internal shadow of the Caligen’s soul. The process begins with one calling upon the Abyssal Shadow they host through Shadow Manifest, wrapping it up and around their physical flesh until they are covered in a dark film. Then, much as in Fading, break the bonds of physicality slightly, to the point of the body becoming one of darkness. These things together will create a Shadowed Form for the Caligen. It is reminiscent of their physical form, maintaining general features, height, eye placement, et cetera. However, all is pitch black, with the exception of key features such as eyes and mouth. Eyes become empty holes, alight with some otherworldly glow. The mouth becomes a sharp maw of elongated teeth, sharp but still just teeth. A bite from such teeth would hurt and rend flesh, but they are still teeth and as fragile and brittle as regular Descendant teeth. Additionally, each finger grows into an elongated claw of black shadow, made physically manifest. Such has similar sharpness to the teeth, but it is still functionally individual fingers that can be broken simply. This form still suffers exhaustion, and is by no means permanent or sustainable. It will quickly tire out a Caligen after roughly five emote rounds in combat. After being utilized once in an encounter, it cannot be utilized again by the same Caligen in that encounter. There are two tangible advantages to this form: Each ability, should it have a range, gains an additional meter in range. Additionally, this shadow form is resistant to blunt attacks, the shadowed form absorbing hits from clubs and similar weapons only minorly winding the Caligen. However, anything of sufficient strength, such as a hit from a ballista bolt or anything comparable, will still very violently harm a Caligen using Shadowed Form. Sharp weapons and similar attacks prove much more effective, carving into the shadowed darkness of the Caligen and causing dark shadow-esque blood to spill out. Wounds taken in this form are treated like regular wounds; beneath the appearance, and the shadowed cover, there is still a Descendant body underneath that can and will suffer wounds, exhaustion, and death. Should a Caligen die while utilizing Shadowed Form, they will fade back to their regular appearance, any trace of the shadow disappearing. “A rolling cloud of pure shadow, seemingly not conforming to the regular confines of reality.” Cloud of Shadow Utilizing one’s Shadow Dancing to create a rolling mist or fog can be done, but regular confines of light limitations must be followed. Additionally, some weight seems to hang to it; the mists will be thickest on the floor, a rolling sea from the ankle down. Higher than that, it’s a thin black mist, obscuring vision slightly but not making it impossible to see by any means. This is considered a sort of Shadow Dancing, and all comparable Shadow Dancing redlines should be followed. This mist is more of an atmospheric thing, a blackening and darkening akin to what the Abyss itself experiences, rather than a proper ‘black cloud’ that one cannot see through. “They are the only ones who understand what it is we experience.” Umbral Companions Manifested, living shadow, extended from a Caligen. Given shape in the form of an animal, yet different. They resemble the Shadowed Form of a Caligen, with eyes alight with some sickly color and bodies of inconsistent, shifting shadow. In essence, they serve as companions to a Caligen. Their form ranges through a wide variety of things, but all of which are that of naturally occurring animals. From wolves to crows, a Caligen can have one Umbral Companion, which can be manifested and unmanifested at need, when unmanifested returning to the Caligen’s soul. “What we do has its benefits, but truly reaching into the depths of the Abyss and drawing upon its power requires… a bit more.” Sacraments The Sacraments are a collection of rituals and processes, various assets available to a Caligen through calling upon and condensing the power of the Abyss. This is an exclusively out of combat tool, and relies upon the usage of Umbral Mirrors, defined below. “Mirrors, tained with the Abyss. They behave… strangely, light falling into them and never coming out.” Umbral Mirrors The simplest and primary Sacrament, it’s more of an ability. However, it is based in the creation of Umbral Mirrors, something required for the rest of the Sacraments at the disposal of a Caligen. The process is relatively simple; a Caligen summons forth the Abyssal Shadow from their cast shadow, manipulating it and moving it forward to wrap around a preexisting physical mirror. Soaking the mirror in shadow will result in the mirror taking on a darker, dingier appearance. The glass stops being reflective, growing dark and glossy. Light seems to fall into it, not reflecting. Indeed, nothing at all is reflected out of it, a smooth, black, glassy surface that somehow absorbs light rather than reflecting it. An Umbral Mirror is Abyss-touched, connected to that dark plane. As such, it serves as an important conduit, usable by a Caligen for various purposes and Sacraments. These mirrors can be made of various sizes, from smaller hand-sized mirrors to larger, body length mirrors. There is no upper size limit, but the radius restrictions of one’s Abyssal Shadow must be followed. As such, extremely large mirrors one wishes to create would require several Caligen. These items require ST signing in the case of smaller carryable items, or ST approval signs in larger mirrors. When utilized, a change comes over the mirror. It remains dark, but instead seems to exhibit the tells of a Caligen, wisps of shadow rising off of it’s surface. Liquid-esque shadow dripping from it, and various other things, may take place. The surface grows reflective again, but still dark, light still seemingly absorbed into it. One’s reflection can only be seen very close to such, and the surface becomes soft like liquid shadow. One cannot push through this ‘liquid’ surface, with the exception of specific Sacraments, but the surface has a strange amount of give. Umbral Mirror’s with specific purposes and traits can be created via the MArt system. Outside of Sacraments, the primary usage of Umbral Mirrors is communication. They can be used as an aesthetic replacement for the birding system, relying on one to be near, or carrying, mirrors. That is the primary purpose for creating small, hand-held mirrors too small for Sacraments; a Caligen can be contacted through them. When a Caligen attempts to contact another Caligen through the mirrors, one must hold and focus on the Caligen they wish to contact. When this happens, should the Caligen attempting to be contacted be carrying a mirror on their person or be near one, they will gain a little nagging in their head telling them to check a mirror. When they do, the mirror activates, growing reflective and with a surface like liquid. However, instead of showing one’s reflection directly, it shows the inverted image of the one who is attempting to contact the Caligen. The opposite shows on the opposite, connected mirror. “And what I saw… Was myself, yet changed.” Siring Siring is key to Caligen, and is the Sacrament enacted to create more of their kind. Requiring an Umbral Mirror at least the size of a person, and a Caligen who has a TA in Caligen. The Sire, the Caligen who wishes to create another, must first take on their full bodied Shadowed Form. One must activate the Umbral Mirror by filling it with a small amount of shadow, and place the soon-to-be Caligen target in front of the mirror, their back to it. Then, the chest should be bared, or made open enough to only be protected by thin clothing. The Sire must then plunge their shadowed claws of one hand through the chest of the target, which push through flesh and bone and pierce the heart. It is worth noting the claws are not sharp enough to achieve this in combat, only during the Siring ritual. Then, the target should be pushed back, or kicked, into the mirror behind them. An alternative is to have them laying on the mirror, or anything else. However, they must be capable of touching the mirror, into its liquid surface they will fall. The soon-to-be Caligen will fully disappear within the mirror, falling into a world of Abyssal darkness. What exactly takes place within the confines of the mirror is up to the Sire, for they will emote the environment and the exact details of this ‘Abyssal walk’. The target is in a mirror, a reflection, of the Abyss. As such, no physical harm will come to them, but they will walk the ruins of the old world. Shadowed, rotted cities, sunless & wartorn fields, impassable walls of pure darkness, among many other horrors of the Abyss. They may run into figments they may have to fight, representative of both the dead and undead alike. This is a vision, to be emoted by the Sire, visible to all through the mirror, which comes to light with the visions of the world the soon-to-be Caligen is seeing. Those around can, of course, watch and read the emotes should they be witnessing the Siring. At the climax of the Siring, whatever it’s conclusion may be, a mirror will manifest before the soon-to-be Caligen within their vision. This can be through a variety of ways: manifesting below them as a gaping circle of black, a body sized mirror in front of them, et cetera. The important thing is they must walk, or fall, what have you into this mirror. For many long moments they will be trapped in what feels like an eternal darkness: they cannot breathe, think, or see. Eventually, like one rising from a dive in the sea, they will appear beneath the surface of the mirror in the mortal realm, where they are being witnessed by their Sire and any onlookers. The Sire then, still in their Shadowed Form, must reach forth into the mirror and grab the new Caligen. Their form through the mirror is twisted through a variety of ways, similar to how a Caligen appears in normal mirrors, and is up to the new Caligen to decide. The Sire must then drag the Caligen, slowly, out of the mirror. When they are fully extracted from the mirror, the Sacrament will be complete and the mirror will rapidly deactivate. At this time, a CA should be created for the new Caligen. “The manor seemed to exist in a strange part of space. Forever in the dark, in a perpetual mist of shadow that seems to despise encroaching light. Such places are bad for the unwary, for such a place exists only to mask what should never see the light of day.” Abyssal Gloom A congregation, manor, or some equivalent for the Caligen would have one major, impassable flaw: during the day, the light of the sun pervades. Out on the grounds, through windows, limiting the influence of the Abyssal powers that a Caligen calls upon. As such, through the usage of a large Umbral Mirror, an area can become enshrouded in a persistent darkness. It’s not quite night time, it’s more that the sun itself is blotted out in the area. It is reminiscent of the Abyss itself, in the lighting. The area is coated in a constant, dark mist, and shadows around every corner. Here, even the brightest of light sources don’t act as well as they should, stunted and barely affecting the encroaching shadows & mist. The minimum size of this mirror is five meters in radius, and requires at least Caligen regardless of the range of their Abyssal Shadow. To activate this ritual, simply coating the mirror in shadow and willing it to bring forth the darkness of the Abyss is enough for the process to begin. This Umbral Mirror will become constantly active to act as an anchor for the Abyssal light filtering through the area. Breaking, or three Caligen willfully deactivating the mirror, will cause the effect to rapidly fade. Should an Umbral Mirror be utilized for this purpose, it should be ST approved and marked as such with signs. In functionality, the dark effect is achieved through consistent night time on the region the mirror is on. Doing this, of course, requires PRO consent. The mirror is still just a mirror, and can be broken by anyone. “It was an eternal reality, without sound, without light, without touch or thought. I existed, but it was as a shadow existed; intangible, inconsistent, yet eternal.” Sealing There is an incredibly thin space, in between dimensions. One traverses it to become a Caligen, that period of soundless and sightless darkness. This area does not exist independently. It is merely an infinitesimally small area of overlap between the mortal world and the Abyss, facilitated by an Umbral Mirror. It is in this space that an impromptu ‘prison,’ or stasis, can be reached by a Caligen. Generally by force, a Caligen can be pushed through a person-sized Umbral Mirror. This must be done by three Caligen, two constantly keeping the Umbral Mirror activated and one to push the targeted Caligen through the mirror. The one doing the pushing must be in their Shadowed Form, for their hand must go into the mirror to fully push one all the way through. Then, as soon as they disappear, sinking into the mirror, both Caligen holding the mirror active must remove their hands and cease activating it. By this process, a Caligen can become trapped within the infinitesimally small space of absolute black void inside of the Umbral Mirror. They cannot move, think, escape, or make any action. Functionally, they do not exist, trapped in this space. There is a minimum time one can be trapped in this space, that being one OOC month. After this time, the form of the Caligen moves into a sort of metaphysical space where it can be withdrawn by any three Caligen who wish to draw them out. This is similar to the Sealing process, but in some ways in reverse. Two Caligen must keep the mirror activated, and a third must focus on who they wish to draw out of the mirror. Their malformed, twisted, reflected visage will slowly appear in front of the mirror, similar to the Siring process. The Caligen must then, again in their Shadowed Form, reach through the mirror, grab hold of the Sealed Caligen, and pull them out of the mirror. They will be in an identical state as they were before the Sealing, though with a vague idea that they had been Sealed with no real idea of how long. However, a Caligen does not need to be taken out after one month; a Caligen can, in theory, exist in stasis in this space ad infinitum, capable of being drawn out at any time by any three Caligen who know the ritual, presuming it has been the minimum of one month. This process does not age the Caligen, but neither do they have much memory from the time they are in the mirror except for a rather strong impression of an unending, impassable darkness. “Come, young one. You have much to learn.” Tier Progression The skill, age, and experience of caligen vary, and as such is ranked into tiers. There are five tiers, each outlined below along with the learning time required to reach that point. Each ‘tier’ has a proper in character name, defined below, but for OOC ease and consistency they can be referred to by their tier numbers, i.e. tier 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5. Tier 1 - Novice The Novice is one who has been freshly Sired, still acquainting themselves with the powers of the shadow and the Abyss within their soul. They tend to be new, confused, and still acquainting themselves with their new way of being. They will reach the next tier at the end of one month. Abilities Shadow Dancing - Range: 2 meters Tier 2 - Pupil The Pupil is one who has been a Caligen for one full month, beginning to understand their being and experiment with the Abyssal Shadow within their being. Far from at the full end of their potential, they’ve begun to utilize more intricacy and detail in what they are capable of. They will reach the next tier at the end of two months. Abilities Shadow Dancing: Range - 5 meters Shadow Manifest: Range – 1 meter Cloud of Shadow Tier 3 - Medial The Medial is one who has begun to experiment and learn the more intricate details of their Abyss-touched soul, gaining a significantly improved range for their Shadow Dancing and beginning to learn the basics of Sacraments. They will reach the next tier at the end of three months. Abilities Shadow Dancing: Range - 10 meters Shadow Manifest: Range – 2 meter Cloud of Shadow Umbral Companion Sacraments Umbral Mirrors Tier 4 - Savvy The Savvy is one who is now experienced in the arts of the Abyss tied to their soul, capable of using almost the full range of abilities and Sacraments available to the Caligen. A deep, almost complete understanding is reached of their internal shadow and how to manipulate it. Their very flesh, tied to their shadow, can now be manipulated and shifted with the more esoteric abilities of the Caligen. They will reach the next, and final, tier at the end of four months. Abilities Shadow Dancing: Range - 15 meters Shadow Manifest: Range – 3 meters Fading: Range – 5 meters Cloud of Shadow Umbral Companion Shadowed Form Sacraments Umbral Mirrors Abyssal Gloom Tier 5 - Pedagogue The Pedagogue is one at the full extent of their ability as a Caligen, their manipulation of shadow and Abyssal forces now at its peak. They gain a deep, intrinsic understanding of Abyssal energy and how they manipulate it in the form of shadow. This is key in the Siring and Sealing of other Caligen, an ability only learnable to one who has reached this peak. Abilities Shadow Dancing: Range - 20 meters Shadow Manifest: Range – 4 meters Fading: Range – 10 meters Cloud of Shadow Umbral Companion Shadowed Form Sacraments Umbral Mirrors Abyssal Gloom Siring Sealing “You would not understand the cold and silent touch of the Abyss.” Redlines “You can live how you’d like, by all means. You may find yourself back here, however, in this place, embracing what it is you are.” Purpose The Caligen was an idea I brainstormed over a week or so, for a few different purposes. Although Shade fulfills some of the ‘shadow’ aesthetic on LotC, in my opinion it doesn’t cover all that it could. This is something different from shade, a bit of a return to the traditional dark on LotC. Heavily inspired by the Lasombra clan from V:TM, the Caligen are manipulators of the dark and shadow. Their Abyssal origin is a callback to Wraiths, yet they are more mortal and less powerful than their Wraith cousins. Many of their abilities are simply aesthetic, and its intended as a conduit for spawning roleplay on LotC. “Rise, shadow made manifest. Embrace the seed planted within your soul and extend what it is you have been given.” Credits Archipelego - Written by me Unapologetically influenced by the Lasombra clan from V:TM Leonie - Grammatical assistance Nivndil - Grammatical assistance

making this post for my good pal @Lyonharted™ to see what fonts i wanna see added anyone who takes a look at this and has any recommendations, ill add them onto the list not all fonts can get added, because of licensing and ****, but its worth a shot if you got one you want Spectral Quattrocento EB Garamond Roboto Fanwood Text Corsiva Abril Fatface Josefin Slab

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Paladins - Champions of Xan Forenote: This rewrite of Xannic Paladins is not intended as an insult to any group. It is not intended to establish superiority over any group. It is a product of my own frustrations over the current state of Paladin lore, and how the lore was shafted through the loregames process. I do not blame those that worked hard on the currently implemented lore. The basis of the rewrite I have here is Delmodan’s rewrite from before the loregames. Thank you to her for letting me use it. There were issues within it, but it’s solid lore that only disappeared because of the loregames. If any Paladin player has issues with the contents of this, contact me and maybe we can work something out. There will be no TA or MA wipe, but this will be an opportunity for people to drop the magic should they want to at this point. History “We are the sword that enacts Xan's wrath and the shield that protects all those we hold dear, even when betrayed. That is the truth of our path.” The history of the Order and how the origins first start is a tale unlike others, which was eventually forgotten with time. Of truths foretold and blasphemous acts created within the divines themselves. Though to state that all Aengul/Daemons are perfect is a flawed concept in and of itself. For their very views and influence upon the realm of mortalkind is a prime example of such imperfections, as they tend to their own devices or ways of power. Yet here at the beginning of this story falls upon an Aengul that descended down for a time. A time of which, the fabled Isle of Sheerok fell into darkness in the aftermath of the Betrayer’s war. It was a place of desolation where the once beautiful scape of a vast forest and fields of crops that held such a divine light from the Sun itself, turned into a barren waste of death and disease. It was here where the Aengul decided to descend, for this place, for those that knew him, praised and served him. It was then the chance encounter of the siblings Zyanna and Hilan occurred. Whether it was faith that decided or a mere chance, the Aengul took notice in the siblings that day. Splitting two of the four wings from his back, he infused each into Zyanna and Hilan, becoming the first Paladins in existence. But Xan’s purpose was not fulfilled, far from it. His next act caused a brief strife with his war-brother Tahariae, the Aengul of Purity, who forbade him from influencing the mortal realm further. A warning that Xan did not follow and with his arms opened wide, broke the desolate clouds that hung over the cursed Isle of Sheerok. Rays of sunlight and warmth poured through and the land was cleansed of the blight that had befallen it. It was then that the Isle became the home of the Paladins of old and for several generations to come. Yet with such a tale of hope, tragedy was soon to follow. During that brief time of the Lord of Sunlight being in the mortal realm, he met with Zyanna privately and eventually she birthed a child that was then hidden away. It was after this that he ascended back to the divines, and Zyanna sought a way to find him again. Five or so years passed since that day and with her travels she came upon a mountain side where she erected a tower so that she could eventually communicate with the Aengul. It was there that Gudour, The Night Terror, found her. Upon the next morning, her followers found the Paladin encased in a crystal-like ebony shield. A sword straight through her heart under the bewitched spell of the Drakaar. Zyanna could never find peace and rest again, and such was that the heavens cried out in rage and anger. The wrath of the Sunlight Lord was unlike that which the realm would see, as Hilan took up arms and the Paladins became the first Dragonslayers. Species upon species of Dragur’s broods were hunted down and destroyed. The hunting of such mighty beasts lasted for eons to come and as well, became a starting point for what was seen as ‘Order’. It was here that Sol Invicta, the first born of Zyanna Athna and the Aengul of Order and Guardianship, rose up and became an instrument for her father’s wrath. His words gave her life and with her raw power of Order, she set forth to wipe out the dragonkin to near extinction. Her mother’s legacy of the Isle of Sheerok she protected and called home. There her followers protected the sacred area and with the Guardian’s Grimoire, fabled Tome of the Power of Xan, Sol Invicta transported the island to hide it away from all those that seek its destruction. Yet despite the achievements of Sol Invicta and the removal of such dangerous foes from the world, all was not well with her view of ‘Order’. The Aengul Xan would see his mistake, when Sol Invicta began her own crusade against all which besmirched her vision of perfect Order upon the realm. She became a Tyrant that raged war and destruction to warp the world into her vision for it. Thus as the sapphire mists had developed her very soul with the use of the Grimoire, the Demi-God was struck down. Her body was torn azure by the raw power of Xan and she was cast down, falling into the deepest parts of the Abyss. There she was thought dead, but unbeknownst to even the Aengul himself, she survived. It was then the Aengul saw the errors of his daughter. The concept of pure Order had cast away what devotion and love he had for mortalkind. Thus Guardianship truly took form and both views became one. From that point on, many events occurred throughout the history of the Paladins. Abilities and ways of using the magic were created, while older ones were lost to the pages of history. The battle of Setherian among such achievements and even the war and conquering of Asura’s realm with the fall of the Daemon was done and had come to pass, as well as the attempt on Aeriel’s realm for the position of Archaengul. Yet that in the end was met with a failing and eventual retreat of Xan and his forces. History became a place of stories and rumors surfacing, and so the passing of time would eventually come to the recent centuries and decades, of what the Paladin Order had become. It was clear with the lack of servants, that instead of disdain or dismay, the realm was, as a whole, changing. Thus the Aengul of Order and Guardianship saw fit to shift the magic of his servants once more. Their roots were long forgotten and it was time to give the knowledge and wisdom back. To invoke purpose in what they once were and find the meaning for them in this changing world. [For more in depth history, view Additional Info Section] Creeds “We exist as funnels. Not just o’ power, but o’ His vision. As we are His sword, He is our shield. Wield it, n’ give devotion through yer service.” Creeds are divine laws that the holy men and women of Xan follow, set before them by their deity since the creation and establishment of Paladinism. They have followed for as long as history recalls, with no intention of stopping. Creeds are guidelines to which they listen, bare necessities in how one should act, making it absolutely essential to follow them to the letter when it comes to it. If an oathbreaker’s deed reaches the ears of their brothers and sisters, it is their duty to search upon them, the follow up of which will usually be immediate disconnection. Since some Creed information has changed in this rewrite, I will specify: there is no retroactive Creed breaking, and anything done in the past before it was against a Creed does not count, as it happened before this was enforced. Creeds of Xan I. You are the child of the Maker, the Creator, the Divine, for it is HE who made all the First, the Aenguls and Daemons, and the Second, the Descendants. The Four Races, the Second Children, the Descendants, given life divine by the Creator’s breath, have Xan’s shield and his sword. For that reason, a Paladin may not put himself above descendants, for they are equal. It is also not the concerns of mortal wars which draws the Lion’s gaze. For always there is war amongst the Descendants for struggle is eternal, a curse of the Betrayer which cannot be given relief, a result of the first sins. So it is that the wars of mortals are not touched upon by the Lion’s Pride, for they are meant to be absolved by the descendants by whom they are waged. [Do not engage in descendant/descendant wars. All descendants are equal in the eyes of Xan and engaging in such a war is enacting harm upon descendants over politics. This is exempt if the Paladin’s area is directly affected by a warring/raiding party.] II. As Xan demands service from his champions, he expects them not to equate him with the same reverence as God, chiefly expecting it over worship. In the same vein, he allows them to serve other organizations and militias, as long as they continue following their order’s credo and do nothing that would count as breaking it. [Paladins may join any organization they want as long as it doesn’t break other Creeds. It also doesn’t matter if the Paladin worships another as long as the Paladin isn’t breaking other Creeds in doing so.] III. As all Paladins of Xan are equal before him, so they’ll treat each other equally and as brethren. No sword or mace or axe or any other weapon of warfare shall be raised in malice against the fellow followers of the Xannic belief. [Do not attack, betray, and/or kill fellow Paladins. This as well sending others to kill your fellow Paladins too. If an honorable duel is declared, then it is exempted from this Creed.] IV. While it’s said that the Order protects all Descendants from foulness, using the magic given to them by their patron, it should not be confused with offering said magic to just everyone. There’s a difference between selling divine artifacts for personal gain and teaching those willing of Paladinism. Offering divine artifacts in such a manner, whether it is trading in coin, power or favours, is strictly frowned upon and shall not be tolerated by either the Order or its patron. [Do not sell out your deity. This obviously means giving connections, deific artifacts, and/or abilities for money, favors, or personal gain. Donations or praise rewards given are fine, but not the sole reason for doing your duty.] V. The light is the fire in our hearts, the light is the wrath of Xan, the light is the Creator’s glory manifest, and with it we burn away the shadow, cleanse the darkness and all the taint within. The power of Xan is not used lightly, nor ever against the Descendants save for those corrupted and turned against their brothers. We wield the Light only in defense of them, only in service of Xan, or against those once-children of the Creator whose hearts have been made blackened ash, and turned to darkness. Never shall the light of Xan be used against a descendant, except in the most extreme of cases of those poor souls misled by the evil present in all hearts. And yet so all attempts shall be made to cause no permanent harm, all instances of such reported to the rest of the Order. [Do not use your holy abilities on innocents except in self-defence or its clear intent said person is a threat to others. On that same note, do not kill any innocents regardless of abilities used or not. Torturing innocents counts in this as well.] VI. A Paladin serves as an extension, the blade, of Xan’s will. As Aengul of Order & Guardianship, the forces of the dark that spread chaos and prey on the Descendant races must not be assisted nor permitted in their nefarious acts. The antithesis to Xan and his Champions, any Paladin who assists dark groups, participates in their misdoings, or observes without interfering as they harm innocents has forsaken their sacred vow to Xan and their duty. There is a fine line that can be walked, as far as tricking or infiltrating a questionable group. However, any participation or willful allowing in dark acts will result in this Creed being broken. [Do not assist dark groups in working their dark arts, committing slaughter, hurting innocents, or anything else that may jeopardize the Creeds. Willfully standing to the side and watching as they do this counts as well, as bad as if the Paladin had committed these acts themselves. Infiltrating or tricking dark groups is acceptable, as long as no Creeds are broken in the process and no dark or nefarious deeds are done or permitted in the name of ‘subterfuge.’ Above all, guardianship and order must reign supreme.] Redemption “Redemption? Please...it's just another word for saying you fucked up and now you give a damn about the consequences that happened because of it. If you actually care enough to amend what you did, learn from the mistakes, and fix what was lost. Otherwise, you are wasting everyone's time.” The zealous servants of Xan take the matter of their Creeds of the utmost seriousness, since the betrayal and neglect of them is tantamount to betraying Xan himself. However, Xan is aware of the mortal and flawed state of his servants, and even those who love and serve him may stray from the path in the worst of situations. As such, a path of Redemption was written into the streams and workings of Xannic magic, by Xan himself to offer salvation at a price for any of his Paladins who may have strayed. Realizing the Sin The road of Redemption for a Paladin is not one walked with ease, and is different depending on the Creed broken, which promise to Xan was undone through their sin. It all begins there, with the breaking of the Creed. Should a Creed be broken, a Paladin shall begin to suffer from a never ceasing existential dread, often viewed as the rage of displeasure of Xan’s connection within their soul, knowing of their sin. This can culminate into a variety of symptoms, from night terrors to developing mental illnesses and paranoia. However, these symptoms are only as obvious as the Paladin makes them out to be; they can be hidden and suppressed, though still felt. As in, they cannot be used to metagame or assume that a Paladin has broken a Creed, not unless the Paladin has made them very outwardly evident. The road of Redemption begins with confiding in a fellow Paladin of their sin, one who was not a participant in their Creed breaking, nor one who has broken Creeds themselves and not followed the path of Redemption. This is traditionally an elder Paladin or teacher, but can be done through a peer as well. The one informed of the sin, should they be consenting, will become the Warden of the Paladin. In this situation, the term ‘Warden’ refers to the watcher of the Paladin who wishes to redeem themselves. To Xan, this is an important step of camaraderie and healing, and it is through this ceremonious process that the pathway of Redemption is opened to a Paladin. The Path of Redemption Following the confiding in and the gaining of the Warden, the process can begin. The Paladin must correct their sin in order to regain Xan’s trust. Throughout this whole process, the dread within them remains, and they are vulnerable to the usage of the ability of disconnection. Only once the process is complete is the Paladin once again safe from the threat of having their sapphire ember snuffed out by a fellow Paladin, or even their own Warden should they fail to redeem themselves. Depending on which Creed was broken, the following punishment and reparations must be made in order to follow the path of Redemption. Reparations Upon absolving of a sin, and returning to their Warden and telling them, the pair must descend to a Chancery. Here, a deific rune must be carved into the body of the Paladin who wishes to be redeemed. This serves as a reminder, and as penance, for their sin and their hubris. The details of this and how it's done can be found in the relevant section on deific runes. A broken Creed can only be absolved once. Should a Paladin break the same Creed for the second time, they have proved themselves to be beyond Xan’s ability to help and are unable to follow the path of Redemption again. With each Creed broken and absolved, a new deific rune must be constructed on the Paladin’s body, never to leave their mortal coil so long as they live. Connection/Disconnection Noncombative “Xan has allowed me this gift, so I may in turn give it to others. Thus we guide the lost and in turn, spread the light while banishing the dark.” Connection and disconnections to Xan are the holiest of holy writs that were ever a part of Paladinism. It is a marking and showing of the recruit of all their hard work and duty seen for them to be granted such a gift. As well a punishment to those Paladins that have broken the creeds and thus cast from Lord of Sunlight’s sight. For these reasons, they are never to be abused for personal gain or cast upon a whim. In doing so, you’re taking our Lord and his presence for granted, and there’s no place for stragglers in his court. Connection When a teacher deems a new chosen initiate of Xan worthy of taking upon the necessary steps, they will undergo a series of trials to test their will, courage, wit, pride, and resolve. If the initiate proves themselves and passes all the trials, they shall be taken under the teacher’s wing and be connected. As the student is brought to the nearest Chancery, the teacher then invokes a vision of sorts while the sapphire mists surround them. The core of their soul ignites with an eternal ember, brought upon by the one connecting them. This is the time the newly connected Paladin discovers Xan’s love for them taking hold of their very being, keeping them warm even when the last flickering light is engulfed within the darkness. The Paladin now reforged in their ideals of living to serve his duty. Disconnection However in disconnection, if a Paladin deserves their falling and it is known to their fellow brethren then the ultimate punishment may be given to remove the eternal embers within them. If it wasn’t, Xan will be sure to witness such and cancel the attempt. When a Paladin knowing the ritual of disconnection opts for this grave, extreme step, it should be for a very good reason. When the reason is deemed valid and a creed is truly broken, the Paladin must find and be directly near the one getting disconnected. Should the Paladin not have followed the path of Redemption and absolved the broken Creed, or if they have broken that Creed for the second time, then the process of disconnection can take place.The mists would then start to be summoned, flowing down the arm of the Paladin as it coats it within a semi-transparent veil. With this, the Paladin then thrusts their arm into the victim’s body and grasps a hold of their soul that has the eternal ember within. A simple tug is all that is needed to then sever the connection completely. It is of note while the process of teaching or even performing this ability upon someone, that moment of grasping upon the soul feels as if your very life is being held. The air feels thin and difficult to breathe. But for those that had not broken any of the creeds set forth would grow unaffected by it. It should be noted that disconnection is to be the last step of actions taken by the order, and so, there are a myriad of other ways to punish an orderman, unless their conduct truly was horrendous. Effects of Disconnection Once the sapphire spark is lost in a Paladin, they would be permanently scarred on their soul, as one would be in any other deity magic. Their mind is left damaged, cracked, losing something it took for granted, leaving them permanently changed. Such effects include loss of courage, pride, finding any comfort in a loved one, and/or in a constant deep despair. Other Magics Upon taking up the duty and devotion of following connection to Xan, other magics are seen as an abomination in his eyes and thus are something not possible to be obtained while having said connection. If one has a connection to another deity before having a Xannic connection, they must disconnect from the other deity. For darker magics, the connection or curse within must be lifted first. For Voidal Magics, the knowledge is still known however once they gain the connection, the Paladin in question is unable to perform the magics. Even with the magics of golemancy and runesmithing, a Paladin is unable to learn. The reasoning for such is that acts of golemancy for example can use the soul of a descendant for its art which is seen as horrid to the Aengul and the art of runesmithing is using another deity’s power for its own devices not suitable for the Aengul of Order and Guardianship. Chanceries “We give our service, duty, and respect and in turn, our Lord gives us guidance and strength.” In the days of old to even present day now, it was never Xan’s focus for his servants to worship or praise him. The Aengul instead only demanded duty for his followers to uphold yet as well, needed something to be able to communicate with them. For a place to perform such a connection or in times speak with the Lord of Sunlight, it was this notion that the idea and creation of Chanceries was born. To each their own, a Paladin’s own design of such a place reflected upon their own ideals of their duty to Xan. History is a true testament to this as there has been multiple different groups of Paladins and how they fought their enemies. As its most sacred location for the Paladins, a Chancery is a place where pools, braziers, caves, shrines, etc have been created and blessed with pure Xannic energies to be able to connect those seeking the magic. These places are normally kept hidden or well guarded, able to be moved when need be or if something befalls the area. For a Chancery to be made, it depends upon the size of the area in question. Should the area be rather small, around at most seven blocks length and width, one Paladin should be enough to do it alone. For anything bigger than that, several Paladins would need to be able to aid in blessing the area. To invoke such a blessing upon the area, the Paladin(s) in question call forth a prayer as well as sacrifice. A droplet of blood along with the mists summoned to infuse within the area in question begins the process of creation, having shown duty, sacrifice, loyalty, and pride. When the Chancery is finally created, an OOC sign must be placed to state what the area is and a LT confirming the location. In times of needing to relocate such a sacred place, the Paladin(s) must stand within the chancery itself and call out to their Aengul. A request stated from them to be able to dismantle the area is a sign of respect in the eyes of Xan. For those Paladins that do not do such, it is seen as a massive defilement of such a sacred area. Nature of the Mists “Into the darkness we humbly carry this torch. With its light, we banish corruption and fear, With its warmth we comfort the worn and weary And with this gift, we protect ourselves and others.” With the mists of Xan shifting once more, the spells as well follow suit. Their focus with more their crafting, hunting, and/or crusades are heightened and tailored with the changes of the realm. The Xannic mists now affecting all to some degree is a testament of the work of Sol Victa and her view of the Order of the world. However, the Lord of Sunlight holds value still towards mortals and thus re-defining it to fit the needs of Order and Guardianship. Aura of the Mists The quintessential component of the Xannic magic, for it is the thing Paladins produce upon casting and the substance they weave into their spells along with their own mana. The mist can be one of three colours significant in Xannic culture: Gold, Emerald or Silver. The three siblings are an example to this, showing the different parts of what the mists had been forged into. Herun’s Guardianship of Gold, Sarah’s Healing of Emerald, and Hilan’s Order of Silver. It is with the three symbolizing such that the mists today are still as they were long ago. There is another yet more dangerous form of the mists. The Sapphire Mist or any true form of blue is only able to be shown when the Lord of Sunlight is directly present. When a Paladin is connected to the magic, the eternal ember within has a certain effect upon the soul. The Paladin is filled with constant warmth which comforts them, giving them the feeling of a continuous fatherly embrace. Effects of cold are also weakened on a connected Paladin, yet not to a very significant effect. Similarly, when positively affecting another person, such as, with healing, they too feel the Aura. Effects of Mists It is inevitable with this magic and the raw power that flows through the Paladin’s form that the Paladin’s body suffers to some extent from overuse of the abilities they emit and perform. Even with the changes of the mists itself, the Aengul of Order and Guardianship cannot undo the effects of his might and power that is felt within the magic itself. Thus in turn, a variety of effects can start to occur should the Paladin overexert themselves. The only spells that seem to otherwise not affect to such a degree is Utility Magic and Holy Affinity. With all others the effects begin to show. Starting at around the second cast of an ability summoned, whether it be the same one or another made, fatigue starts to definitely take its toll. Soreness in the muscles felt as if strained from a hard day’s work. A cast of the third or fourth of any ability, whether same or different, an eruption of pain is cast across the Paladin’s form. Their body straining under the light and power that flows through their bodies and thus trying to cast such spells are proven to become harder to perform and maintain. With the fifth cast made, the limit of the Paladin has now been reached. Muscle can tear or blood can be coughed up as well as agonizing pain erupts across their form. It is at this point that the Paladin can suffer falling unconscious, complete fatigue from over exhaustion, and/or suffering physically from pain and soreness for a time. Deific Runes It is with these burdens of raw might and power that an ancient ability has come forth in place to try and negate such destructive powers upon the body. The history, however, of Deific Runes is seen more as a curse placed upon a wicked soul, damned for eternity by the Lord of Sunlight himself for such crimes committed under his service. It is a bit of irony, yes, that the mists and magic known to remove curses upon the realm also has its own in some form or fashion. Yet to those that bear it, it's a reminder of what their duty is and the wrath of what they brought upon their Lord at the time. Throughout the years this has been seen and as well changed overtime. The fable Champions of Xan or ‘Keepers’ as they were more commonly known had such markings on their bodies. When they cast themselves down for a mundane reason or defiance of not wanting the mantle anymore, the deific runes would appear and a specific curse was placed upon them. But with every curse made, salvation is as well seen for this was shifted to be that of a blessing and a curse created upon the individual Paladin. The markings depict a story told and history invoked, creating a focal point that allows their power to flow through in a more pure form yet in exchange for an equal curse in return. Example of such is instead of extreme fatigue gradually growing overtime when casting spells, an old wound starts to open up and begins to bleed. The more the Paladin over exerts themselves, the more painful the wound becomes yet doesn’t result in killing them. After the recovery time is complete, the wound reseals on its own and thus the Paladin is mended. Some of these are quite harsh to have, yet it is something the most devoted do for their deity and duty to their Lord. The Deific Runes are in short, a different way for a Paladin to show their weakness/fatigue when casting their abilities. Instead of what is listed in the Effects of Mists, this gives a way to specifically design a drawback for your individual character that matches what is normally shown when casting to many abilities. This is in no way, shape, or form meant to be any easier or better than the Effects of Mists area and follows around the guidelines of reaching five abilities that the Paladin cannot do anymore. It is merely an aesthetic. To place such Deific Runes requires at least two Paladins. The one receiving the runes must at least be tier 3 to be able to withstand such a ritual. With the one chosen, the duo embarks down into the chancery area where the ritual is required to be performed. With a special, enchanted carving tool, the teacher carves out the runes on the body of the student that is specialized for each one. It is then that the student steps into the pool while the mists from the teacher are invoked. The whole area casts off into a veil of holy energy, infusing directly into the student’s freshly carved runes upon their body. The deity of course watching over this and regarding the trade off for such a request. Should the student prove themselves, the deific runes start to emit the holy aura of their mists color that signals the ritual is complete. Utility: The Mist Weaving Arts “Let the eternal ember within ourselves take hold and flow through our forms so that we know his fatherly embrace is forever guiding our hand.” The utility part of the Xannic mists enables the Paladin to learn and start with the basics of the magic itself. Its function is the very foundation itself with it building overtime and growing upon different aspects a Paladin can take to be able to perform their duties. All the spells seen are not able to be used in combat, but instead are different ways of invoking the mists to use for various forms and ways. Mist Manipulation is the base ability for the Xannic mists as overtime the Paladin can expand and have it grow with what they can and can’t do. As seen within the Tier System further down, the other abilities are able to be learned and used when the Paladin reaches the appropriate tier. Mist Manipulation Noncombative From the beginning of when the first Paladin was born, the art of mist weaving had been ingrained within the magic and creational summoning of Xan’s holy light. It is a sign, a beacon of hope, a testament to what is a Paladin and how they use such magic as an extension to their duty and resolve. In those times, masters of the magic were able to use it to create weapons of warfare, healing that matched even Tahariae’s servants, and even crafted creations that rivalled the gods of this realm. Regrettably however, most has been lost to the passing of time. Whether it be from the dying out of those that knew such things or the will of our Lord of Sunlight, the art of Mist Manipulation has had its fair share of changes and shifting. With the most recent fine tuning from the Aengul of Order and Guardianship, some of what was known in the past can be seen again. For beginning Paladins, tiny objects such as marbles of the mists for example can be created and aid in practicing. A mundane view seen yes, but as well a good foundation to start with in understanding the mist weaving art. As the Paladin progresses through their training, they are not only able to unlock more advanced spells, but as well master their mist manipulation. Designed clothing, various objects, emitting an aura, and/or even stories weaved before our eyes are but examples of what Paladins could do with the mists. It is of note however that none of these outside of the more specific abilities are harmful in any way, shape, or form. To use in such a way would immediately cause the mists to disperse immediately. Emote Requirements (1 for connecting, 1+ for anything else) Example: Raising his arms to the sky, emerald mist begins to form around Ben and the nearby group of overlookers, seemingly brought towards him by curiosity. Around the small clearing rained a storm, yet the watchers were not getting wet, the mist dispersing as it hit their clothing, leaving a comfortable feeling in its wake. Thunder stroke. It was a very unsettling night inside the cloud. Aura of the Mists: Lion’s Roar Noncombative/Combative Their auras already being able to cause warmth and comfort, Paladins have also been observed to be able to cast a more direct version of their passive ambience. The men and women able to properly activate this spell would expand their circle of passive influence unto others, moving the borders of their once close-to-personal aspects to up to 10 meters (10 blocks), whether with a defiant roar or a calming cry. The ability works on most folk, yet it seemingly doesn’t affect revealed beings of darkness. The individuals affected by the aura would find themselves as comforted and calmed by it as would they when embraced by the normal Aura of the Mists, their panic and fears dispersing. The newly expanded aura would go as soon as it arrives, yet leaving behind a lingering effect, 5 emote rotations. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 1 to cast) Example: It was there that the group stood before the enemy in sight. Several showed fear and hesitation, as if there was lingering doubt in succeeding in such a venture. Even with the rise of shields, it was clear to the Paladin of the moral rather low. Thus, Ben stepped forward some with a silvery hue suddenly flashing within his gaze. The hand around the sword he carried would then start to tense up before raising high in the sky. A cry, or perhaps a roar, echoed across the area as a wave of holy aura erupted from the Paladin’s form. His words spoke confidence and courage into his allies while the holy aura emitting brought calm and comfort. A showing of hope in the battle to come, that seemingly lingered within each their own upon the Paladin’s side. The Ambuscade Rune Noncombative to make, combative when activated The Xannic huntsmen of yore would often use this device to capture their stoic prey; usually in the forms of blackened beasts and blemished creatures. The means to forge this useful tool was once lost with the death of Henryk, the last Huntsmen of Sol Invicta's dutiful reign; lost to the Abyss. Alas, knowledge once lost, can be scribed once more, for those knowledgeable in the Mists of Xan had performed sacred divinations to recover the lost knowledge, and once more- they were enlightened. With this ability, a Paladin can summon a temporary trap to be placed and hidden on the ground. The trap in question is a deific rune of sorts infused into the ground with the outline of it visible when active. This may be concealed and hidden with the use of mundane means. When an enemy steps onto it, it binds them in place for four emote rounds. The victim in question is able to attempt to strike at the trap to break it, requiring two effective strikes of a strong weapon in order to break and disperse it. Given this ability, the Paladin is able to have at most two out at any given point. Emote Requirements (1 summon, 2 cast) Example: It was rather quiet in the forest where the beast was rumored to be. Anna furrowing her brows at the lack of songs from the birds or usual sounds one would hear within the area and thus knowing her target was near. With a quiet exhale of breath, she would start to focus. Gold mists weaving effortlessly with her hand just hovering near the ground. Her mists begin to gather and coalesce as they move downward towards the forest floor, pooling before beginning to actively move and take on a shape. Soon, there are the beginnings of a golden rune-like mark upon the forest floor, made of golden light. The rune hums softly with Xannic light, then fades with an outline depicting of it now placed. With a covering of leaves and bait placed, Anna would then move to hide and await for her prey to draw near. Combat: The Paladin's Arsenal “What are we, but stewards that stand against the might of undead, beasts unimaginable, and abominations that not even the wildest of imaginations can foresee?” The combat abilities within the Paladin’s arsenal are what allow the Paladin to perform great feats, yet it isn’t something that they fully rely on in the end. Each one is merely an extension of what they could do or achieve without it, and is there to use when a moment requires such certain abilities to be cast. It is with wisdom for a Paladin to effectively invoke their abilities right, otherwise the wrong move can be met with an unfortunate end. Below is the list of combat abilities a Paladin could summon to aid them. Holy Affinity Combative Melee One of the easiest spells a connected Paladin would learn, as well as one of the least mana-intensive spells in a Paladin’s arsenal,the Holy Affinity is what is commonly seen when a Paladin goes into battle. The Paladin who has called upon the mists of Xan holds the weapon they wish to effect, spreading the light upon it from their palms. When the imbued weapon strikes, it creates a searing effect where it makes its mark. The weapon, as it is lit, colours itself in the same colour of the mists its wielder has taken upon, holding the spell until the wielder grows too tired to continue channeling his mana or he loses contact with the item. There are plenty of effects a weapon can produce once taken hold of, yet all of them are merely aesthetic in nature. A few to mention would be a constant ‘electrical’ surge running through the blade, to a more stable humming, glowing appearance, and so on. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 1 to cast) Example: Emerald mists start to appear and flow about Ben’s armored digits, having the Paladin now focusing on the spell at hand. Its direction being the sword he wields as he commands the mists to flow down the length of the blade itself. As the mists continue to move and coat the edge of the sword, sparks of emerald like electricity course off the tip and length of the blade to signal the light now fusing into the weapon itself. Its form now imbued with Xannic light, allowing Ben to now focus on the fight before him. Range Whereas Holy Affinity: Melee deals with close quarter combat, Holy Affinity: Range is from the exact opposite side of the spectrum as being the effects of mist weaving upon a ranged weapon. Paladins using this spell weave their mists into creating ammunition from thin air, such as starlight arrows or bolts, disabling the need for a Paladin to carry any themselves. As a Paladin prepares to fire their weapon, their mists would form proper ammunition while they aim, then fire it. Once the arrow hits its mark, it remains within the target unless the Paladin disperses it with the max of four arrows able to be active. The searing effect on the projectiles is akin to a burn where it strikes. For larger siege weaponry, the strain and focus to maintain such a spell requires two or more Paladins to properly summon the needed mists and create a projectile befitting the size of the siege engine. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 2 to cast) Example: Ben’s fingers would curl tightly upon the handle of the bow, staring directly towards his quarry as he slowly moves to position it before him. His breath calm and focused with the other hand now taking the bow string within his fingers to start to pull back. As the bow string started to pull back, particles of golden mists would start to form, condensing quickly into a straight line as the tip and shaft of the arrow started to appear. The image as if starlight while the Paladin continued to draw the bow string back and aim. With a faded breath, Ben timed his release well. The string would be released and send the arrow flying across the area to close the distance until it struck its target. The beast in question howled in pain with the arrow having gone through its flesh before dispersing completely, leaving the wound bleeding. Guardian’s Bulwark Combative Having fought against villainous curses of unsightly magics, as well as mighty beasts to take down and remove such a threat upon the realm, Paladins have been given access to proper protection against the abnormal through the ability known as Guardian’s Shield. Paladins using the spell can create a pseudo-transparent shield or frontal wall of sorts to fend off both magical and physical attacks alike. Shield When a Paladin invokes the Guardian’s Bulwark ability to create a shield, any form of shield is able to be conjured. The strength of this shield is superior in its protection from any form of magical attack, rather than a physical resistance. This includes dragon’s fire breath, a beast’s poison spit, alchemical effects, elemental attacks and so on. Physical attacks is however where the weakness of this shield lies. While it can withstand several good hits, around four solid hits on the shield itself it would then be too much to be able to be maintained and shatter upon the fourth solid blow. When that occurs, the physical force that shatters it would get hit with a knock back that moves said enemy back five blocks. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 2 to cast) Example: Adrian stands before his opponent with a calm, focused breath. His gauntlet outstretches to his side while silver mists start to be conjured around his armored digits. This direction is random at first with twists and swirls around his hand. As he maintains his focus, the silvery particles would extend forth, stretching outwards as the holy light would start to take on the outline of a heater type shield tailored to the Paladin’s form. Its appearance is still weak and not fully set as it weaves and condenses down to a more solid mass. With a steady exhale of breath, the silver mists would finally finish its work, now producing a firm, semi-transparent heater type shield that is able to be wielded by Adrian. Frontal Wall While the shield part of the Guardian’s Bulwark is less straining, the frontal wall aspect of it takes far more time and focus to maintain. When a Paladin summons the Frontal Wall, a semi-transparent holy wall is cast in front of the Paladin to ward off attacks. It’s range is three blocks wide, four blocks tall, yet one block distance from the Paladin itself. This form of attack is immune to magical attacks, much like the Shield, however it cannot take more than four heavy solid hits before it shatters completely with the knockback ability activated. On top of this, the Paladin endures pain within their bodies from each blow struck. A sacrifice counter, given this ability is meant to protect others from the assault of enemies. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 3 to cast) Example: Laurina would stand firm before the mighty beast. Her comrades at her side as the creature would start to depict a charge up, a sign to the veteran Paladin to begin focusing. Emerald mists would emerge from her gauntlet while keeping a steady breath. The creature’s head winds back, parting its maw as it continues to charge up. Laurina didn’t get deterred nor falter with the emerald particles now flow outward in front of her body. Its cast extended wider and higher with each passing moment as if a semi-transparent veil was starting to form before the crusaders. Several arrows were shot at the mighty beast, yet it continued on with fire now being seen from its maw. The Paladin continued with their spell, having now the emerald mists stretching further to the sides and upwards some in the shape of a large semi-transparent wall of sorts in front of the paladin and her allies. With the flames now cast by the beast, it shot towards the group before it. Laurina’s stance is strong as the shield finally condenses into a solid wall of holy light, having the flames strike up against it to no avail with the Paladin clenching her teeth. The attack from the creature warded off from the shield conjured. Sun’s Spear Combative Traditionally grounded in their workings, the chosen of Xan have had a long history of dealing with aerial foes. Sun’s Spear allows Paladins to create a brilliant, yet volatile spear of light, more resembling a lightning bolt, yet of their chosen colour. When thrown, the projectile is packed with raw power, able to stun and ground lesser aerial foes of up to maximum size the likes of a dragon. The stun can last two to three rounds depending on the creature in question and the ET/LT hosting the event. Bigger foes would require more activations of the spell. Elder dragons, such as drakaar and dragaar, and other foes with size relating to them, would require around four successful strikes of it. Regarding ET events, communication is key with the ET/LT in regards to invoking this spell and using it against said creature in events. On grounded foes, this spell has no effect and gets negated into the earth. Emote Requirements (1 to connect, 2 to cast) Example: Ben moves his arm to his side in a stance akin to beginning to throw a spear. Particles of silver mist appear about his armored digits while his sight is on the mighty aerial foe in the sky. A deep, calming breath exhales from his lips while he furrows his brows. The particles of silvery hue now flowing upward and down in the outline of a shaft with an silver electrical charge coursing off every now and then. The light itself became condensed down with raw power as the Paladin now would focus and begin to aim. With the aerial foe now in range, the Paladin would then let loose the spear. Its course is that of a bolt of lightning, shooting forth through the sky as it aims to strike right up against the chest of the mighty beast. The impact, almost immediately, stuns & locks up the foe, with its form starting to fall towards the ground below. Mist Weave Armor Combative The ability of Mist Weave Armor has a long, lasting history within the Paladins. The spell has changed and been reworked by the Aengul of Order and Guardianship to be perfected and usable for all paths his servants can take. For when invoking this ability, the Paladin is coated within the Xannic mists to place temporary armor upon them so they are protected against foes. This spell however cannot be used if armor is already on the body nor can it enhance/add features on what is already worn. An example of something not to do is say coating a gauntlet with Xannic light to be more durable. As well, the type of armor can depend upon what the Paladin wishes. The strength, weight, and durability factoring in with the max comparison of steel. For those Paladins that are archers, they can most definitely cast a lighter attire armor for protection. This armor works the exact same as all normal armor and must be RP’d of what type it actually is when emoting. When the armor is damaged, aesthetic cracks would form along where it was hit before that section disperses completely. Emote Requirements (1 summon, 2+ cast) Examples: John stands within the courtyard of the keep with a silent sigh towards his duel partner. The silver mists now start to appear and weave to his command around his fingers in a masterful display of Xannic light. With a slight movement upwards with his hand, the mists start to flow along his arms and towards his torso. Its shape forms an outline of a typical iron plated armor set as it moves across his chest and down towards his lower abdomen then legs. As the silvery mists continue to flow, it now begins to condense down and form into a solid, armor set. The weight adjusted to what he can handle as if wearing an actual armor set. With a roll of his shoulders, John would then begin to pull out his weapon and start the duel. The Art of Mist Healing Nombative, but can be used in a combat encounter if not distracted/attacking “Through the salvation of others, we save ourselves. Deliver the salve and bring comfort to those in pain.” As much as the Lord of Sunlight is an Aengul of Order, he also extends his hand to those in dire need and mends their wounds so they can continue on. A testament to what he holds towards the Descendants of this realm, the Healing Mists Art allows the Paladin to enact the will of Xan through the form of Xannic mists to seep into the wounded and mend injuries. However, this is not the Aengul of Order and Guardianship’s strong suit. While the mist itself is able to seal off wounds, it cannot heal any deeper past that. A quick sealing upon the battlefield so the wounded can be helped later on. What is left, however, upon the flesh is scars, even with burns of the second degree. Though the mending of wounds are not deep, the soothing of pain however is. The mist itself can act as a numbing agent of sorts, capable of removing the feeling of pain while others tend to the wounded in question. Emote Requirements (Requires 3-4 emotes) Example: Amelia takes a steady breath as she begins to focus. Emerald particles start to appear around her gauntlet while it seems to hover just above the small cut upon the woman’s arm. With a silent prayer to herself, the Paladin began to allow the emerald mists to swirl and extend towards the woman’s flesh, creating a tether upon the broken skin so it could start to seep down and begin the mending. Slowly, but surely, the emerald particles would start to sluggishly close up the wound itself. During this point, a soothing sensation of a fatherly warmth washes over the woman in question as it casts out the pain that came from the cut itself. With the wound now closing completely, Amelia would give out a deep breath from the ordeal. The emerald particles now retract back before the tether severs completely. It took some effort and exhaustion no doubt, however with a flick of her wrist, the emerald mists finally dispersed. Purging Noncombative “It is our grace, will, and resolve that stand between the descendants and the ever consuming darkness. Let not for them to fall as we will not remain idly by to allow such foulness to engulf their bodies.” While the art of healing itself is not as strong as those of Tahariae’s Light, Paladins excel in the art of purging blemishes upon a Descendant’s mind, body, and soul. The direct flow of mists into the victim in question causes extreme agony as the foul magic in question is seared away, before being replaced with a soothing sensation of a fatherly warmth. Curses or hexes of any sort take heed to this ability as this is where the Paladin’s light shines true. Though some cannot be fully removed, it still leaves a devastating impact to those carrying such blemishes. Diseases, poisons, and other ailments on the body or within an object that isn’t labelled a curse or hex steps beyond the reach of the Paladin able to purge. Though with certainty, Xan’s will is merciful in regards towards Descendents. Thus to any degree, the purge ability cannot be used on any to ‘test’ to see if they are indeed cursed. To randomly act upon any Descendant without truly knowing or seeing the true curse goes against the duty of a Paladin. On that same note, the target in question must be unable to move to any major degree, for the concentration upon such an ability is staggering. It, therefore, cannot be used during combat. Emote Requirements (Requires 4-6 emotes) Example Ethen stood before the cursed individual in question, having now restrained the firmly so they could not struggle free. The infliction itself was seen clearly by the eyes of the man being pure pitch black, revealing that of the shade curse. This however wasn’t a powerful shade, one not yet connected to a shade gem by the look of it. Thus the Paladin would begin their focus. Silver mists would erupt around the gauntlet of the Paladin now, having now fixated on the man in question who couldn’t move from the bonds and cursing whatever the shade within wanted to say. As the particles would take full effect, the Paladin would then move their hand over to place on the person’s flesh. The tethering of the mists would now begin, seeping down past the skin of the man and now flowing forcefully throughout their body. The parasite held upon the soul screams out in utter agony that was reflected by the voice of the man bellowing in fear, anger, and pain, having now feeling the searing wrath of the Lord of Sunlight coursing through their very being. The person jerked and pulled against the restraints yet the bindings were too strong to simply escape from the Paladin’s purging upon them. The light continued its work while the Paladin’s breathing started to heavy with beads of sweat dripping down his face. Suddenly the last of the abomination dark magic within the man itself had finally been seared away. With that, the man’s agonizing pain would start to vanish. As if a fatherly warmth had washed over their body and cast away all the pain they were receiving. Ethen would then start to pull his gauntlet away, having the silver particles retracted and severed from the flesh before dispersing completely. Various Curses In the case of some curses however, the darkness upon one’s soul is so deep that it cannot be purged no matter how much of the Lord of Sunlight’s mists sears into the body. These curses which cannot be removed are instead weakened greatly in a variety of ways, depending on what it is. Here are the effects of each curse and how the purge ability affects it. Additional curses and how purging effects them may be added in the future, with communication with the loreholders of said future magics and with approval of the Story Managers. The Art of Sacred Artificery Noncombative, creates possibly combative items "His might is our weapon, His mercy is our shield; Let the light seep into our crafting, So our enemies may know his wrath." The Aengul of Order and Guardianship enacts his will in many forms. Most notably out of all his brethren is the forging of relics and weapons to invoke his wrath and smite down upon his enemies. His legendary forge high up within the Lord of Sunlight’s realm is the birthplace of the fable Golden Lance, Sun’s Radiance, and other artifacts. This sacred gift was brought down and knowledge granted to his most loyal of servants. Thus the hidden art of Holy Alteration made way for his mortal servants to craft onto the realm artifacts that would aid in their fight against the likes of dragonkin and dark abominations of the Betrayer. Throughout the history of the Paladins, it has been passed down from person to person. Each one refining and finding their own creations come into existence, until that day when the Lord’s Will cast off all of the relics and stored them away in his vault. Though most have not been seen since, the art of Holy Alteration remained and shifted once again. Xan’s will is ever changing and so too his light is gifted to his servants. Through the new use of the Xannic mists, the name as well has shifted to what is now known as ‘Sacred Artificery’. The Art of Sacred Artificery allows the Paladin to create enchantments upon objects, whether it be a small necklace to a large weapon, that is infused with Xannic light which is then able to be invoked for its intended effect. The mist itself is very versatile and able to be formed to what the Paladin wishes for it to be. For smaller objects however, these tend to only know certain effects without the pure condense light breaking it asunder. For larger objects, the mists are able to take hold more effectively and the creation of various effects extends further. The Forge of Sunlight For the creation process to begin, the Paladin must have a forge blessed with the Lord of Sunlight’s will. This is sanctified by the Paladin carving holy runes along the anvil, forge, and crafting area. With this, the Paladin starts to summon forth their mists and begin to directly infuse each rune with it. As the runes begin to alite and shimmer, the final act is creating a seal within the center of the area that acts as a focal point where the holy energy is stored. However, the Sunlight Forge is not capable of its max potential. Without the addition of the fabled Lightstone within the Forge, the Forge would be incapable of producing major enchantments. The addition of Lightstone would allow for the full potential of Xannic energy to fill the Forge. Unlike in the past, once created, a Sunlight Forge does not need recharging. However, it can still be destroyed or removed simply with mortal hands interfering with the Lightstone or desecrating the holy runes. Creation The creation process of any enchantment begins with the materials used and the object to receive it. Be it leather, iron, steel, or even dragonbone, materials used for crafting follow the same guidelines of said materials. Dragonbone in particular is one of the things known to be worked on by Paladins, given the Xannic mists’ effect on dragonkin of any sort. This enables them to carve out pieces using tools infused with Xannic mists. Regardless of material however, the Xannic mists are infused directly by the aid of the forge so that the enchantment will be activated. Gems are key to this. Each minor enchantment requires a different gem, outlined below. The usage of Lightstone is necessary for two minor, and all major, enchantments. Gems Minor Enchantments For smaller objects such as necklaces, pendants, rings, crowns, or other various decorated accessories, the item in question usually is able to store the smaller enchantments given their size. While minor enchants can be placed on larger objects, it cannot be said in reverse. Below is a list of the minor enchants a Paladin can create. This of course, can be added onto should an addition be passed by ST. Major Enchantments Major enchantments are for larger objects able to store and maintain its infused power. Things like armor, weapons, crafted limbs, shields, and so forth are prime examples of what can be infused with major enchantments. For these, they tend to be able to hold up to two enchantments(for two, one minor, one major) at a time without much problem. If a Paladin seeks to place more enchantments or increase the power of a specific enchantment, a MArt would need to be created listing what it does, the gems used, how it was created, and so on. The list of major enchantments really falls upon the list of spells in a Paladin’s arsenal. Most spells are able to be used on a large object with the list shown below. For most of these enchants, only a Paladin is able to wield its ability as it requires the Paladin’s mists to invoke the magical property. For some however, anyone may use them, except for those of dragonic origin or exposed dark beings. A major enchantment is activated through one simply ‘willing’ it to activate. It can be deactivated similarly, however doing so will cause it to lose any remaining energy and require recharging. Activating a major enchantment requires the same emote times as their spell parallels. The object will glow and activate with the mist color of the one who forged it. Should the item be let go of, it will deactivate. The exception to this is the Ambuscade Rune, which is intended to be separated and laid as a trap. Each major enchantment has limited usability, deactivating after a time of being activated. Those times and other specifications are below, and are to be followed for any major enchantment item. To ‘recharge’ a major enchantment after draining, it simply needs to be sat in the sun so it’s Lightstone can regenerate its energy. This is for a thirty minute period, outside of combat. Lists of Spells Limbs of Light Creation noncmbative, usage can be combative “He is the warmth, the light, the fatherly embrace that holds and protects us in the everlasting darkness. His voice gives us strength. His roar gives us courage. He who will not abandon us and in our moment of absolute need, he will be there with his guiding light.” From a vision of the Lord of Sunlight himself, the original creation of the Limb of Light was granted to those Paladins that had fallen useless in their line of duty for the loss of a limb is truly devastating to such holy warriors. With the first ever design was cast, the Paladin would focus while calling forth the mists. Their memory of the limb in question and how it functioned remained as the mists would weave and flow down from the stub. As the pure holy light would condensed, it created an image mold of the limb in question. After the process was complete, the limb was created and able to be moved with effort and concentration from the Paladin. It is with this design however that when the shift of Xannic mists occurred, so too did the art of this ability. It became harder for ones to even cast this, let alone keep it maintained. A process that even further was difficult to do when the Aengul of Order and Guardianship re-designed the mists once more. Though not all is lost for Xan himself would not forsake his servants in their time of need. As with anything, the guiding hand of our Lord lends forth once again and thus with Sacred Artificery it is able to be achieved. For the creation of an artificial holy limb, the limb itself must be hand crafted to fit the section lost. The materials of it can be a number of things from simple wood to bluesteel, as long as it’s within the realm of possibility of items gathered. Though for this to truly work, the original limb in question must be exactly like the one previously. The reason for this falls with the first design as the memory and functions of said limb are kept within the mind of the Paladin, and thus helps them adjust with the newer, functioning limb. Once the limb in question is created, several deific runes are placed at each joint and along the object. The focal point of this being powered is a Lightstone placed somewhere upon it. When that is complete, the Paladin using it invokes their own mists to fuel the limb in order to move it. This limb however is never quite as smooth or dextrous as a normal Descendant limb, too foreign for such, but strength and speed can be gained depending on experience and the materials used. The materials used are of the utmost importance, and effect the versatility and abilities of the limb. A very heavy but strong metal would mean the limb is slow and sluggish, but capable of taking more damage and has higher resistance. Using something lighter but more fragile would obviously grant more speed but allow it to break quicker. It’s all relative, and the materials used must be considered and described. Tier Advancement “It is not the mists that truly define us; Instead, it is merely an extension of ourselves. We wield such with mastery and resolve, So our enemies may know our true might and prowess.” As a Paladin begins their journey, the internal ember within their soul is at first small, but steadily grows over time. With each swell of inner flame, more abilities are unlocked and able to be learned by the Paladin. The tiers below depict the progress and list of spells the Paladin is able to learn each tier. It is of note that the Paladin cannot learn more advanced spells until they are the appropriate tier. Credit Additional Information

Mysticismismsiamsismsisismsms

no official one. privately, when i submitted my draft, i got met with a stonewall of ‘no.’

fellas i tried for guns, campaigned for em and wrote a proposal. got shot down hard 😞

The Techlock Announcement This post is a server wide announcement, announcing the finishing and approving of the Techlock Project, which is now available on the forums to be read and accessed by the server and all players. The contents of which can be found at the link at the bottom, linking you to the hub page of the six categories within the Techlock. Additional information can be found on that hub page, and the specifics of each portion of the Techlock can be found on their own relevant pages. The project has strove, throughout its duration, to be interactive with the community. However, it’s still possible there will be questions, confusion, and disagreeing opinions with this announcement. If anyone has any of the above, feel free to PM me directly, or PM another Lore Sect ST, who can answer for me or direct the question/concern to me. If major issues are brought up that are valid complaints, we will consider them and possibly make a change to rectify it. This doesn’t mean we will, it is at the team’s discretion, but we are open to feedback and criticism. Special thanks to TheRainbowRoyal & Auric_Saint, who assisted greatly in their capacity as writers, as well as all the helpful and active faces in the discord. Additionally, as far as support from the team, I would like to thank Sorcerio for assistance in drafting the documents, and Dardonas for coming up with our categories to begin with. Here is the link to the hub page. Happy roleplaying. - Archi The Techlock Project – Hub Page

The Techlock This is the hub page, or master thread, of LotC’s ‘Techlock.’ For those who are unaware, the Techlock is defined as the technological limitations in place on LotC. Given LotC is a fantasy medium, this isn’t directly comparable to a real life time or date in the medieval period; some things are allowed, other things are not. As such, the following links below should assist in figuring out what is and what isn’t allowed. The Techlock has been enforced for years, but has never been written until now. This is a tool for players to see on paper what they can and cannot do. This is through six categories, which can be found below. Armaments deal with weapons and their usage, primarily ranged ones. Medical deals with medical roleplay, standards for medical technology, poisons, and more. Tech-Power deals with higher concepts like steam and alternatives, and where they stand on LotC. Metallurgy deals with metals, blacksmithing, and the strength of metal weapons. Tech-Magic deals with the infamous ‘magi-tech’ of LotC, and what is & what isn’t possible. Transport is a bit of a more miscellaneous category, dealing with things such as hot air balloons and other things. CATEGORIES: Armaments: The Techlock - Armaments Medical: The Techlock - Medical Tech-Power: The Techlock - Tech-Power Metallurgy: Techlock Project - Metallurgy Tech-Magic Complexity: The Techlock - Tech-Magic Complexity Transport: The Techlock - Transport

The Techlock - Transport Transportation, i.e. boats, hot air balloons, and carriages, serve no ‘purpose’ on LotC, at least at the moment and how fast travel is gone. Yet, they serve an important purpose in the aesthetics of a location, and as such will be addressed in the Techlock as well as the extent of capabilities with them. On Land Transportation: Land transportation, i.e. carts and such used to be quite important before fast travel was removed. Despite serving no mechanical purpose, they serve an important part of the aesthetic of some locations, and we will be defining the extent of them and their capabilities. Carts & Carriages: Transportation on land is limited to things such as carts, carriages, and other animal drawn vehicles. Magical equivalents are possible, for example a MArt for ‘arcanist horses’ to pull a carriage. The need for this isn’t really there, as fast travel isn’t a thing anymore, but the option is there for possible aesthetics. Trains: Large steam trains and other things are not allowed, though the comprehension of tracks and carts and minecarts is there and things such as roller coasters and minecart lines can be constructed for mechanical reasons. This could change should ‘train’ lore be accepted in the future. On Sea Transportation Sea transportation and boats are just as important as things such are carriages, and are an important part of the aesthetic of ‘trade ports’ and other locales. As such, we are defining the extent of them. Sailboats: LotC has many fantasy elements, and so unnaturally large ships, unrealistic builds, et cetera, are mostly expected and accepted. However, unless there’s some other excuse for how a ship is ‘powered’, sails are generally required. Steamboats: Steamboats have been a thing for a long while, and are allowed to continue existing. This is limited to boats in this situation, however; you couldn’t have a steam based land vehicle, for instance. On Magic & Extraneous Transportation Sea & land transportation covers the majority of ‘transportation’. However, there are a few concepts such as teleportation and possible air travel that haven’t been covered, and that’s what this subcategory is for. Air transportation: The only ‘air travel’ permitted is hot air balloons, and hot air balloons cannot serve any mechanical purpose beyond aesthetic. Ie, floating around a village during a festival, and the likes. They cannot be used mechanically in a warclaim or skirmish or anything of the equivalent. Credits: Sorcerio Archipelego

The Techlock - Tech-Magic Complexity Magic & technology crossovers, generally titled ‘magitech’, have existed on LotC for a long while. It has a long history of sometimes questionable usage and ripping straight from IRL equivalents, something we will be circumventing through the Techlock Project. In an attempt to clarify it further, we’ve broken it down into two categories, which will be explained below. Those categories include ‘modern’ adaptations via magitech and the limitations on them, and enchantments that mimic ‘hi-tech’ things. On ‘Magic-Modern Adaptations’ Before we get into the details of this, I should explain what this ‘means’, exactly. The term ‘Magic-Modern Adaptations’ refers specifically to the concept of ‘mimicking’ IRL technologies. This ranges from simple concepts such as a runic blender, all the way to more advanced things like computerized AI. Magic-Modern Adaptations: In a broad sense, these things are no longer allowed. Magic is not an excuse to circumvent the rulings found throughout the rest of the techlock. IRL technologies achieved via ‘magic’ as an excuse are, for the most part, uncreative and poorly done. Possible Applications of ‘Magic-Modern’: The above can be somewhat restrictive. This is because of the fact what is ‘modern’ is entirely debatable and that can lead to vague rulings. As such, this clause is put into place: ‘Modern’ ideas can be achieved, so long as they’re done in a creative, unique, and ‘Lotcified’ way. An example of this is the runic blender. That could be achieved if it wasn’t done in the normal, IRL blender configuration, but instead done in some different way. Built differently, blades elsewhere than in the center, et cetera. Creativity is beneficial. Make things your own, don’t just copy IRL. These devices should have at least a somewhat distinct and unique aesthetic and appearance from their ‘IRL equivalents’. This does not allow the creation of things such as smartphones by thinking out of the box, however. Certain things, which are inherently anti-setting on LotC, are persistently disallowed. On ‘Hi-Tech’ Enchantments Occasional lore loopholes exist that allow for unexpected eventualities, leading to this issue. Advanced, science fiction-like ‘AIs’ that aren’t fantasy constructs, HUD interfaces on technology, et cetera. This is meant to address, and limit, said things to prevent the theme of LotC from being lost and spiralling out of control. ‘Hi-Tech’ Technology & Enchantments: The facets of this clause are much similar to those of ‘Magic-Modern’, much because they’re the same thing explained in two different ways. Simply put, anything of this variety, i.e. 'hi-tech’ enchantments are no longer going to be permitted should they break the medieval fantasy theme. Functionality of these things can still, for the most part, be reached. However, the ‘hi-tech aesthetic’ is not something that we’re going to be allowing. Credits: Sorcerio Archipelego