Thomas

To stay, this is something Cognats will be able to do.

You knew this was coming.

Contents The Horror Void’s Commune Horror’s Insight The Prismal Loop ”The Voices spoke, and I spoke back.” - Crumena Synalli The self proficient art of Cognatism, the utilisation of two minds amongst one, is an ever changing and ever growing field. Through the use of one’s own creativity and connection and relationship with one’s own Horror, Users of this art have slowly reached new heights in understanding in just how this connection may be used. Disembodied creations burdened to prowl the depths of the Void, the Horrors within have long since posed mystery and confusion to all those who tap into the unbridled power of the Voidal Arts. These Horrors, creatures of astute reside within the great sea beyond the veil. A Horror is the general term for the chaotic creature that was born to the Void itself, each far different from the last. The Horrors within have a far greater connection and understanding of the Void itself, harbouring knowledge and distinct sources of control which are unmatched by even the most accomplished Voidal Sorcerers. While split into three categories; Horror, Terror and Abomination, the wielders of Cognatism are bound to their specific Horror class. These beings are sentient, intelligent and are often passive with the occasional violent outburst. And so how does a Cognat conquer their Horror? The answer is simple. They don’t. The mind and sheer power of the Voidal Horror is far greater than any being can potentially control or harness. No individual can conquer their Horror, they cannot control the power within their mind. Instead, an accord is struck. As time progresses, a greater bond is created between Horror and Cognat. Over time, the Cogant may grant the Horror more and more control over the mind they both now inhabit, and certain changes may begin to occur. If this path is taken, the Horror may begin to start employing changes in the actions the Cognat makes. The Cognat may find themselves being forced to stay awake, or forced to head a certain direction. TL;DR: The control of the Horror is only limited to the allowance of the Cognat, though reverting control is a difficult process. For as long as the Horror has assumed control, the Cognat will experience headaches with the occasional migraine. The Horror may force the Cognat to stay conscious if something has piqued it's interest. It is, after-all, hungering for knowledge. If the Cognat resists, the Horror will force the Cognat to experience migraines until the Cognat complies, or passes out from exhaustion. If the Horror is feeling bored, or you have not supplied it with anything new in some time, the Horror will deliberately try to mess with you. This does not make the Cognat stronger in any way, simply adding more flavour to roleplay. In the take over state, the Cognat is weaker and more slow, as it is being operated from beyond the veil. The Horror does not care about anyone, merely the prospect of further knowledge. The Horror’s control is only limited by the Cognat, though once further control is granted it is a difficult journey to reacquire oneself. Much alike the Realm the Descendants inhabit, the Void itself is a plane of existence where the Creatures of Darkness roam free. With their untapped potential and irrepressible power, the Horrors possess a unique ability to telepathically communicate with other Horrors beyond the veil. Thanks to their connection with the Cognats, an interesting path of communication opens out. Should one meditate and commune with their Horror, they find their voices heard by the being within the Void. Through request, the words they speak may be taken and delivered to a different Horror within the Void, soon to be delivered to the Cognat they find themselves connected to. Through a ritual between two Cognats, a line can be opened which enables this. TL;DR: If the Cognat communicates with their Horror, they can send messages to other Cognats via a long distance communication. The trail steps along like: Cognat>Horror>Horror>Cognat. This takes time. The commune requires meditation. To retrieve the message left by another Cognat, one must meditate or be in close distance. The Cognat must know the other Cognat they are communicating with, and must partake in a small ritual which opens a link for the two to communicate. This communication is not instant. Think of it like a Voicemail. The Horror will deliver the message through the third party, and will take 3 emotes to travel between Cognats if they are within the same 10 meter radius. Emote 1: With a deep and drawn breath, the Synalli’s digits coiled against his palm as his eyes lidded to a close. With a twitch of his brows, he seemed to zone out of focus. Emote 2: The Cognat remained silent, the sounds of deepened breaths drawing out from his loose and unmoving form. With each inhale, he’d hold the breath for a few seconds. Emote 3: As the exhale would follow, his eyes would open. With dilated pupils, his gaze darted across the room as his loose form began to rise to a stand. Message 1: [!] The Foreign presence within one’s mind would deliver a message, it’s voice grizzled and dark as it spoke: “The entity you know as the Artificer wishes you to meet his presence at the Library in three stone days.” If the two Cognats are farther than 10 meters apart, the message will take 30 IRL minutes to travel. After 30 minutes, the Horror will alert the Cognat that a missive has been received and that one must meditate to acquire further details. The cannot ‘group conference call’. Buttdialing is possible through really bad rolls. Due to the vast and insurmountable knowledge and insight the Horror beyond the Veil possesses, the Cognat may request this knowledge to perform certain tasks or create certain tools through them. This may only be achieved if the Cognat knows what they are to ask for, however, and the Voidal User must utilise various other arts to achieve their task depending on the direction they wish to proceed upon. From time to time, information is difficult for the Horror to adequately store or analyse in the moment of contact, and may simply be required to run these tasks in the background. While the Horror’s gifts may be plentiful, there comes a time where the Horror may be used to fracture what you once held. There is reason and cause for the Horror to wish for this, and a split mind is easier to control without resistance. To fracture one's mind into various pseudo-minds requires the creation of a Prismal Core and Matrix. The Prismal Core functions as a power source; an anchor to the real world. Through the creation of the Core, the mind is Fractured in two, with one half imbued into the Core as an isthmus from this reality to the mind. The Matrix itself acts as a doorway into the mind of the Cognat. Following the Creation of the Matrix and the Core, should the Cognat fall into an indefinitely unconscious state, these can be used to communicate with the fallen Cognat. TL;DR: The Prismal Core is an exceptionally pristine and large obelisk which has been imbued with half of the Cognat’s consciousness. The Matrix is like a doorway into the Mind of the Cognat. Using a link the Horror establishes, individuals are able to enable their presence in the mind of an unconscious Cognat. The splitting of the consciousness is a strenuous and painful task. Perpetual migraines and mania is induced until the minds are reunited. To reunite the minds, one must disassemble both the Matrix and the Core, funneling the mana and imbuement of the fractured mind back into the body and consciousness of the Cognat. This is extremely dangerous, and can result in permanent insanity, schizophrenia and even, in most cases, death. When connecting to the unconscious mind of a Cognat, one must be present and touching the Prismal Matrix. This will create a link between the individual and the Cognat. The individual will fall unconscious, and an image of themselves will be created inside of the chaotic landscape of the Cognat. This will enable them to communicate with them. To leave, one must fall asleep, or fall to demise. If not bound to the Matrix, the Core can simply be used as a powerful Obelisk. The Matrix can be created without the Core, and simply powered by an Obelisk. This will act as a storage unit for memories, memories which can be accessed in a more vivid and interactive way. The circumstances of creation for the Prismal components are only available through being taught. The effects of splitting the mind must be roleplayed out. If not, you may find yourself Blacklisted from Cognatism. There is no real benefit to splitting your mind. It is just something you are able to do. You gain nothing other than the ability to create the Core and the Matrix, and suffer the drawbacks. Entering the Prismal Matrix counts as an Event, and must be watched over by the ET, and the Lore Holders of Cognatism. The creation of the Prismal Core or Matrix must be overseen by the Lore Holders. The Matrix and the Core are very delicate. Any sketchy movement and the storage and memories within may be lost. If the Core is overcharged, it will explode. The Matrix can only be used every 2 IRL weeks, as it requires a lot of mana to power the core or obelisk. From time to time, a Revelation goes south. To mess with a Voidal Horror is like playing with fire, and forcing one's mind into overdrive has consequences. It is possible, that through no fault of the Cognat, the Horror may issue a test upon the strength of the connection and the strength of the consciousness it shares a mental home with. Should one fail a Revelation, the Horror will stick your mind into a Loop. The focus will spin round and round, disabling the Cognat from reaching consciousness once more. The Loop was force them into a Comatose state, wherein the Horror will admiss a series of tests for the Cognat to achieve. Forcing the Cognat deep into the mindscape they create, they must battle the demons of the past and self to defeat and conquer each stage. Once all trials are complete, the Loop was break and the Cognat will be freed. Should such falter, however, and should the Cognat fall into a deeper sleep with their final breath, so too will their body in the mortal realm. TL;DR: This occurs if the Horror does not believe that your connection is strong enough. It is a test. The Loop can occur more than once. The Prismal Matrix and Core are used to enter the Loop following the same terms and lore. The tests are not easy, not in the slightest. They are hard, and can and will result in damage. The Loop forces the Cognat into a coma, where they must complete trials of the mind in order to get through. This adds some flare to the roleplay, though grants no additional abilities. Whilst in the Loop, the body must still be sustained. Food and water is still required. If wounded inside of the Loop, the Cognat will suffer internal bleeding in that direct area. Any death inside of the Loop will result in a PK. These trials are difficult and will push the Cognat to their limits. If the Cognat survives, they may still believe they are inside of the Loop even after they have awoken. A further clarification for the Self Teaching process: The system and method to actually teach oneself Cognatism has entirely changed. In circulation are various Horror Stones, these are moderated and slipped into the community through the Lore Holder's to try and keep the magic being taught an In-Character venture as opposed to an OOC evaluation and conversation of "yeah"'s and "nah"'s.

Updated Main Post Additions: Drawbacks So, after hearing of the benefits and understanding of how the Kal'Varak works, what are the disadvantages of using the Kal'Varak? There is one major drawback to entering the Varak, and such is the state of your mental psyche. The Varak, or the Mind City, utilises your own ability in this 'mindscape' and due to such, your Mind can begin to take detriment if used too often, or for too long. Below is a list of possible drawbacks: Disassociation with people and the 'real world'. Short to Long Term Mania. Soul splitting Soul lost to the Kal'Varak Illness, Nausea Starvation, Dehydration Loss of Time Comprehension Death Short to Long Term Coma A note regarding body switching: This cannot be used to somehow negate the effects of the 'Race Curse'. Should a Human switch bodies with an Elf, the age Curse will still apply, and so on. This means that a ninety year old Human who switches bodies with a twenty year old Human will still likely die of old age at a young age. Age and the curse is effective and bound to the soul, not the body. All the while a body is swapped, the mind of the swapped person will begin to deteriorate. Loss of focus, haziness, possible loss of memories if it goes on for too long. The person has to be willing OOCly due to the major drawbacks. ICly consent doesn't matter. Updated with drawbacks. The soul will effectively 'accept' the new body for the time it has been swapped, is the basic work around we've determined. It will heal that body as the soul has accepted the new body. The mind however can and will deteriorate. I fixed it.

I'm going to write up the side effects for body swapping and the additional parts that was supposed to be added before this actually went up on the forums.

urgh

It will go through processing via the Lore Team, be discussed in the Lore Mag and a verdict will be issued following that.

A Voidal Horror will always want to learn things. It's stuck in a realm where there is only so much that someone of that realm can learn, and will take opportunities to learn about the overworld. By holding a link with you, it will learn everything you have learned, and continue to learn. It will take in what you hear, what you think, what you read. Why would something that thinks it knows everything not want to learn what it previously did not know?

Horrors are fed with information. The Horror takes in the information that you give it, being the things you see, read, hear and learn, and due to this makes an agreement with you in order to provide assistance in certain times to help with your learning, indirectly feeding it with knowledge. The Horror takes interest in the particular Cognat and uses that connection in order to learn. As I said above, imagine an audio link wherein the microphone of the horror is disabled. It can talk to you, only when it wants you to do something, and the rest of the time it simply uses you as a proxy to learn knowledge.

No. Cognatism has always had this feature. This simply makes it more fleshed out and make more sense, as analysing patterns in things makes things easy to predict things ahead of time. You are not seeing the future, you are making a prediction that can be wrong.

Clarification made: One must be a Transfigurationist before they can enchant anything. You must know and be able to enchant to do so with Cognatism.

No you cannot enchant a living creature. You can craft a big stone cat head and enchant that?

Encouraged, but not necessary. That's correct, yes. Due to the constant flow of information between the mental link, and the Horror's power itself, it's difficult to penetrate. And, of course, should a Mental Mage slip up in the process of connecting (get a bad roll for example), they will connect to the mind of the Horror instead, who will overwhelm them with useless information which will simply shunt them out of the connection and leave them a little dazed.

As a short addition: The Voidal Horror is not always communicating with you. This isn't like a Shade Parasite who constantly whispers in your ear. Instead, imagine it like an audio connection. The Horror has it's speakers on, but it's muted his Mic. The Horror will always be able to hear you, and you may speak with it, though it will not be constantly chatting in your ear. The Horror may occasionally speak up and request something of you, though most of the time it will remain silent and simply listen and note down the information you are taking in.

Cognatism and Enchants are somewhat down to what you can think of. There is a lot of creative freedom here, and while the Lore Writers (myself and Phil) request that you contact us if you have something you're not sure about in mind, you are able to make more powerful enchants through the use of the Horror. One calls upon the Horror to imbue the object, and if you are already capable of doing so outside of the use of Cognatism, the enchant will simply be a little stronger. Anything you are previously able to enchant without the use of Cognatism is still entirely possible, this is simply another way to do so and will likely be a more potent Enchant. Shucks.

Yes, just like Feeling. You can either learn from a Teacher, or contact the Lore Writers and have it approved for you to Self Teach.

Cognatism Lore Contents Introduction Explanation Abilities New Changes Learning/Progression Time for Abilities Pros and Cons Introduction “These thoughts are not my own. The Void has shifted, and through a connection I have yet to describe, the voices have entered my mind. Voices unakin, random and chaotic in nature, sprung from the black.” - Crumena Izalith “Odd. In meditation, I’ve heard the voice of an old friend. He uttered to me as I thought and spoke, ‘Wanderer’ It said. Could Errant return? Our voices mingled and our thoughts cluttered, like old times indeed.” - Avenel of Wyleid Cognatism-- the art of self proficiency has taken a turn, the spectator mind vanishing from sight as the void quaked and tumbled. All previous Cognats would hear the voice of an otherworldly another in their cranium, confused and curious by the arrival of a new voice-- the two will perhaps form a relationship, or discard another. Explanation The Spectator mind is replaced with the Horror. Cognatism has all of its original abilities with a few additions. The Horror will, at first, want to test you, spamming information into your mind in a mania inducing trial, to quell the Horror’s wrath before the trials would be to do its task. Because of this change, anyone who has illusion or mental magic is able to learn Abilities Due to the connection between the Cognat and the Horror, certain abilities may be harnessed through a developed relationship with the Voidal Horror. Symbiotic Minds Scrambling Due to the simple fact of having two minds working in tandem with one another, there is a constant output of voices and factors which make the mind of a Cognat a difficult place to walk. Signals and thoughts are being sent back and forth at a constant rate through the connection to the Voidal Horror, which, should a Mental Mage attempt to penetrate the mind, will offer nothing but scrambled thoughts. ((A Master or Adept Mental Mage will be able to enter the mind with some difficulty, yet any unconscious Cognat can be entered through with ease by a novice.)) Redirection While a Cognat’s mind is not impossible to penetrate, thanks to the connection with the Horror they are able to hold a second layer of defense. Should a Mental Mage hiccup the process of invasion, their attempts will succeed in getting into the mind… Of the Horror. It is possible, should the Mental Mage incorrectly connect with the user, to accidentally slip into the mind of the Horror. This acts as a counter-attack to the Mental Mage, and can often lead to the Horror toying and attacking back at the Mental Mage. Storing Information Notes Due to the nature of the curiosity of Voidal Horrors, the connection between the Horror’s mind and the mind of the Cognat is a near permanent feature, with the Horror listening and noting every piece of information that it is fed. The Horror maintains these “notes” and can offer them back to the user upon request. Memory Conversion Through a similar method, the Horror will assist the user in converting the short-term memories the Cognat has into long-term ones, and using the connection between the two minds to enhance the storage capacity of the user. Visual Aid Visual aid itself is very broad, but the best way to explain it would be the horror helping the Cognat see things they normally wouldn’t with the hope of assisting them. It is very free-form, but here are some examples: 3D Models Through the use of the Horror, the user of Cognatism can call upon and utilise a visual aid through their own sight. Visible only to the user, a full, and complete three-dimensional model of an object can be constructed to aid the Cognat in his or her tasks. Calculations Due to the innate abilities the Horror possesses, the constant connection to the being will allow the mind to operate at a higher level, and calculate various operations in a much short time. This is done by creating a visualisation of the operations. This, however, will only aid someone who is able to work out calculation normally, as the connection does not increase your intelligence. Another use of this is the ability to project a visual aid such as a ruler to measure an object. Data Projection To aid the user, a complete projection of data is shown to the user through a visual rendition of a table. Much alike all visual aids, this process is only visible to the Cognat, and will simply offer a list of various properties and data that the Cognat, or Horror, already has available in regards to the objects. This can include numbers and other information regarding the object, such as weight, height and contents should the Cognat already know them. Hyper-thought By the Horror and Cognat’s will, they will be able to actively think at the same time, and raise the curtain from one realm to another-- allowing the minds to be closer to one another. This state is known as Hyper-thought, when both minds are in complete synergy: This allows for incredibly powerful illusions on the self, as well as increase the processing of information and the potential of figuring out of said information. This ability is not usable in combat; however, in the research and problem solving spectrum, this is a boon. With this, the ability to have a revelation is possible. Mental Aid/Inducing Mental Aid Due to the nature of the Horrors note taking, the constant connection between the user and the other mind allows for easy sharing of information between the user and it’s Horror. Being able to bring forth previously stored data on the fly, the Horror uses it’s connection to aid the memory of the user, and allow for the user to utilise previously forgotten information to adequately handle and or approach a situation. Inducing While connected, the user has the ability to call upon the assistance of the Horror, and request the creation of scents, sounds, feelings or any other sensory experience. Though largely used for intellectuals purposes, this serves as "self-illusion." This could be used to calm one down, or place someone in a focal trance/berserker’s rage. Revelations Following the stages of Hyper-Thought, an inducement of ‘Revelations’ are possible through prolonged and intense synergy with the Horror’s mind. A Revelation is a sudden realisation of imaginative proportions. The Revelation the Cognat can receive can be anything, from coming to the understanding that they left the Bread to go stale, or a solution to an engineering problem. The Revelations can even be so powerful as to analyse patterns and make predictions for Future World Events, or aid in the users understanding of the Void. There can, however, be horrible side effects or failures resulting from this attempted connection. Due to the nature of the process, one must bring the mind of the user and the Horror closer together in a state of hyper-flux, and should one make even the slightest mistake, the two minds may coincide with one another, which can cause the user to suffer prolonged fatigue, muscle and mental pain, and even short-to-long term mania. ((Revelations must be pre-approved by the LT, and may even require Administrative approval. One may also use this in conjunction with the ET to aid in their plotline)) Enchanting Ability to imbue the Cognats abilities onto the object. [Note, artificial minds are no longer accepted]. To enchant, one must obviously have the knowledge of Enchanting. To do so, one must be a Transfigurationist, and must understand just how to Enchant an object before they attempt to do so. Expanding Ritual A magic ritual that employs arcane coupling/circles. The Cognat pulls upon mana from the participant(s) of the ritual, and feeds the horror, asking for it to reach into the minds of the others, allowing the Cognat to portray what they wish to the minds of others. This is mainly used for a teacher wishing to teach their student, beckoning their horror to make a pathway for another horror to enter the apprentice’s mind, however… a mass revelation is not unheard of. New changes Uses a Voidal Horror to process and induce. Interested in knowledge, willing to listen for information as well as bring its thoughts upon you. (Voidal Feat, now able to work with illusions and mental magic to a certain extent. You will be required to go into a trance like state before communicating with the Horror.) Also Cognitism now spelled Cognatism because that makes more sense. Cognat - Cognitism = no. Due to the nature of sped up processing of information, a Magic will take half a month less than usual to Master. While a Magic would normally take six months to Master for someone without, a Cognat will be able to Master an art in five and a half months. Learning/Progression To learn this magic, one must first acquire a 'Horror Stone' which is frequently in circulation. If you'd like to know more or the location of these stones, feel free to contact the Lore Holders. The mage must first connect to the void with the Horror Stone through meditation. From there, the mage will have to connect, mayhaps in a way that is unlike usual connection, and accidentally find the Horror’s conscious. This phenomenon causes the minds to connect with one another, and then the initial process begins. The first few days are difficult, the minds throw information back and forth, perverting thoughts best unperverted. The beginning can be considered mania inducing to weaker minds. After those few days, the Horror and mind will calm, the horror ceasing its chatter lest called upon. Due to the nature of a Voidal Horror, the beginning weeks of the connection will be difficult for the Cognat. While the Horror will allow and aid the user in their tasks, the Horror may use this time to analyse and ‘test’ the Cognat by vaguely meeting the request given, and offering ‘side-effects’ to the user such as unexpected actions which afflict the senses, or simply taking the request too literal. As time goes on, the relation with the Horror builds up, allowing them age to do the abilities without harm of oneself (Ideally, two months to be able to do all abilities without much harm on the psyche). The innate knowledge the Horror grants without giving the side-effects are: Symbiotic Minds, Storing Info A few days after the minds calming down (or mind trial): Mental Aid and Visual Aid. Week after: Inducing. Three weeks after: Hyper-Thought A month after: Revelations, and expanding ritual. An alternative way of learning are comprised of two options: Learning from a teacher who will ask their horror (after four months of being a Cognat) to ask another horror it is aware of to settle inside the mind of the student, OR to make the initial mind trial two days less, the Horror may ask for something to be gained, and within a day-- they will link with the mind of the Mage, calmly and soundly. NOTE: Although this magic is a Voidal Feat, it may not be self taught without the acquisition of a Horror Stone. Please contact the Lore-Writers before writing your app so they can give you the green-light. Time for abilities: This talks about abilities and how long it takes. Some of them are practically instant, while others will require more time, given one is asking the Horror to assist in certain articles which would require more effort on their end. Storing Info: Instant/Inherent, requires no connection. Memory Conversion: Requires a little bit of time for the Horror to transfer the information to one’s long-term, requires one emote. Symbiotic Minds: Inherent Visual Aid: Requires the Horror to take the time to project the information to your person, takes two emotes. Inducing: Having the Horror induce mental feeling and thought into you takes time: 3-4 emotes, with a ten emote duration (though this increases by one, as one gets higher in the field, meaning the max will be fifteen). Hyper-thought: The synergy of minds requires meditation, and cannot be used in combat-- the thing with this is be reasonable, generally this should take six or so emotes. Revelation: Requires one to go into Hyper thought first, 10 emotes total (including the Hyper thought. Bare in mind, a member of the LM, ET, and MAT will have to approve said revelation). Expanding Ritual: Same as a circle, plus an additional few emotes to share the information. Enchanting: Be reasonable. As long as you do it in the time frame of the standard enchanting process, you’re fine. Pros and Cons Pros: Cognatism is now more accessible A new Dynamic to Cognatism Cons: Very little combat value Potential of mania, induced by the Horror should one not build the relationship. Potential of having to do something for the Horror so that the initial mind-trial will cease earlier. Mania induced if the Cognat fails the revelation. Redlines One must always communicate with the appropriate team, be they ET, MAT or LT, when wishing to use Revelations. Cognatism does not make you smarter. It simply permits you to utilise more aspects to allow you more fluid self and mental RP. Having Cognatism does not make your connection to the Void suddenly stronger, and you do not have a constant connection. Instead, one has a constant mental connection to a Voidal Horror. The mental connection to the Voidal Horror can be disrupted, through warding or sudden disconnect in successful the event of a Mental Mages attack being successful. The Cognat’s mind is not impenetrable, there will always be leaks into their scattered mind, especially when they are unconscious. By no means is the horror your friend. Think of this like a mutual relationship between a knowledge leech and a human being (though the leech could be fond of you). By giving it knowledge, the leech spits out some knowledge to you. However, there is always the growing chance of mania from the horror. In fact, the first few trials are very much mania inducing. The Horror cannot have any physical manifestation on the world, it only remains with the person. Written by: Tahmas, knghtArtorias Original Lore by: Ptah, rewrites by ski_king3 ((To clarify. Cognatism and Mental Magic have not merged, this is simply the rewrite for the previous magic to make it more interesting, and hopefully provide the magic with a little more umph on it's own.) On the topic of the Horror: The Voidal Horror is not always communicating with you. This isn't like a Shade Parasite who constantly whispers in your ear. Instead, imagine it like an audio connection. The Horror has it's speakers on, but it's muted his Mic. The Horror will always be able to hear you, and you may speak with it, though it will not be constantly chatting in your ear. The Horror may occasionally speak up and request something of you, though most of the time it will remain silent and simply listen and note down the information you are taking in.

Powergaming in Combat Introduction Right, this is likely a bad time to write and post this given the heated atmosphere surrounding the topic in the latest days, but I and others feel that perhaps now is the opportune time to clear up some things and aim to prevent some arising concerns from coming to mass fruition. Blame Bagley, he told me to do this now. I had planned to give it a week before making another post, but hey ho time to continue on. Seriously, blame him. He smells really bad. Anyhow, on to the topic. In this thread I will not be covering what powergaming is, as I have done that in this thread, I will, however, be covering Powergaming directly in combat, how to avoid powergaming and the best course of action to take if you are confronted with a Powergamer. It was never specified how long this will be, but to avoid super paragraphs I’ll try and be concise and to the point. How to avoid Powergaming I am going to go off the assumption that all reading this are directly aware what Powergaming is. If you do not, however, please refer to the thread linked above in the introduction. As for powergaming in combat, a simple explanation would be “being too powerful or using mechanics too overpowered to forcibly emerge victorious in a roleplay fight, even if it made no sense to do so.” So how do I avoid powergaming? It isn’t easy to spot a power gamer from a simple Minecraft skin, and it often requires you to engage in roleplay to understand the full extent of their powergaming nature. There isn’t anything you can directly do to avoid finding powergamers, however there are some things you can do to avoid being a powergamer. Here is a bullet list, for ease of reading, which can help you discern whether or not you are powergaming: Avoiding of *dodges* every incoming attack. Using emotes which assume the outcome of an attack. When attacking someone, you attempt to attack someone, you cannot assume your attack is successful. Ex. *kills him / *grabs and throws him. / *breaks his nose. | You cannot assume what result your attack will give. Using overly complicated emotes to get out of an inescapable scenario. Ex. Two men have you chained to a wall, you use your slippery skin to get out, overpower the guards and run away. Being unrealistic. One old man will not be able to beat two fully armoured men. Not giving your opponent time to react. If you string together a list of attacks, and an escape before someone can even respond, you’re doing it wrong. Like above, you cannot assume to be able to predict the defense your opponent may have. Doing stupid things like backflipping out of situations. Stalling a situation and waiting for your buddies to pop up and help you, whilst mainly a metagaming issue, is worth a mention here. Character have flaws, no one is perfect and no matter what you do, in real life and roleplay, someone will always be better than you. No one wants to lose, but losing is more beneficial (most of the time) than winning. Losing helps your character develop, gives them more purpose. If you’re better than everyone at everything, what is the point? Character Development is a subject I’ll be touching on soon in another thread, but I think it needs to be partially said here. Having an OP character isn’t fun for you, it isn’t fun for me and it isn’t fun for anyone else either. So follow this bullet list to ensure your character has room to develop, and prevents people getting irritated at any powergaming ways. Give your character an equal amount of weaknesses as you have strengths. Give your character a goal, something to accomplish. Make this goal difficult to reach, but do not make it impossible. Work for this goal, have it impact your character in various ways when you do not immediately achieve it. Shoot for a physical weakness, such as blindness in one eye to lower the depth of your field of view, or a rigid shoulder which locks up during combat. Do not forget your weaknesses in combat. If your character is blind in one eye, play to that. You won’t be an expert in sword combat if you’re unable to discern where your opponent is. Do not be afraid to lose. Now I know, I know this goes against human nature but go against this base instinct. Try to win, for sure, but always stick within the realm of reality and what makes sense for your character. Make sensible moves, be realistic. You cannot just ‘get out’ of a grip, you need to be sure. Be emotive, explain your movies. Do not over complicate everything. Remember you’re roleplaying with someone else, they need to be able to understand what you’re saying. How to deal with Powergaming Those who powergame are often regarded as ‘new players’. People new to the server, people knew to Roleplay in general generally are the most at fault for this. Powergaming is bad, and I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say that dealing with a Powergamer is no easy task. There is, however, a way that most people have taken to dealing with powergamers, and that is to powergame back. This isn’t okay, this isn’t proper and it simply perpetuates the problem. A powergamer will simply start to believe that powergaming is the norm, and there is nothing wrong with that. Handling a powergamer takes time, and it isn’t always something you want to do. So, if someone is powergaming and you don’t want to handle them or spend the time to teach them what to do, do one of the following: Refer them to this thread. Refer them to google what powergaming is, and ask them to amend this. Refer them to an Application Team member, they are responsible to watch over and assist new players. Report them to a GM. GMs will take the necessary steps after this. If, however, you do have the time and you want to teach whem what to do, do as I have instructed above. For clarification, here is a few steps: Inform the player via PM that what they are doing is known as powergaming, and is against the rules on this server. Refer them to this power, or explain to them what powergaming is. Explain to them how they were in fact powergaming, and what they should have done instead. Explain why it is against the rules, and ask them to either try again or to be more mindful of this in the future. Profit. If, and this will happen, the player refuses to listen or simply continues in his ways, screenshot the conversation and post a BR on the forums. Staff will handle it from there. Under no circumstances should you get angry and yell at them, or simply powergame in return. This is not helpful. Closing Be mindful of others and adhere to the server rules. Remember what was said and try to guide people into being better at what they do. I do acknowledge that it can become a pain to handle, and I do understand how some people simply cannot be bothered to deal with repetitive behaviour. Some people simply do not wish to listen or learn, and we all get that. Instead of getting mad, however, simply submit a modreq saying ‘X was powergaming in <location>, and refuses to listen.” and simply go on your way. Yes, modreqs sometimes go unanswered, and yes it won’t be responded to instantly. But what does that matter? You’ve given the location, for which the GMs can look into and handle outside of your involvement. You can continue on with your day. Even if it isn’t dealt with or looked at, at least you don’t need to handle it. Powergaming isn’t fun for anyone, and with the Defender Default trial, there may be an increase in powergaming. Following what was said above may be able to aid and prevent the growth of the aforementioned. Thank you for reading. -Thomas

Bonus Conduct - Out-of-Character Manipulation Introduction Welcome back again, okay okay. Forgive the shortage of these, with the War Claim and a host of other things I figured a brief break would be nice. Anyhow, this one is going to be a little short given the singular topic. There isn’t a great deal of stuff to cover, but I’ll do my best to be as concise and explain as much as I possibly can. Once again, I shall bold all the important parts so anyone reading who doesn’t want to read every last word can skim over the necessary parts. What is Manipulation? So, here we go again. Oh man. To manipulate, in this definition, is to “control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly or unscrupulously”. Manipulation is considered a negative thing to do, for good reason. To control someone or a scenario is generally seen as possessive, though it entirely depends. Manipulation can be used for good, and when it comes to roleplay, being manipulative is almost a necessity in politics. However, this can only be said for things that occur in character. Manipulating someone in character for their land, their money or their resources is entirely possible and oftentimes encouraged to provide and entertaining experience. Out-of-Character Manipulation Now let’s get to the point of the post. In-Character manipulation? That’s allowed. Manipulation Out-of-Character? That is not allowed. Manipulating a real life person for anything, not just for your own aspirations in character, is disallowed, against the rules and downright wrong. Anything in roleplay should and must stay specifically in character, and anything out of character should and must stay specifically out of character. If someone does something against you out of character, you are expected to take the necessary measures to ensure that person is punished for what they have done. By this, I mean reporting them to the appropriate member of authority. (AKA Server Staff, or in severe cases the police). It should not, however, leak into your character decisions. How about some examples: The Scenario Player A and Player B are having are not exactly the closest of friends. Player A and B are in a skype chat, and Player A isn’t particularly being the nicest of individuals. Player B calls A out on it, explaining their behaviour will not be tolerated and essentially sasses Player A out. Player A is upset with this, and because of that A starts to speak poorly about Player B in all kinds of chats. The scenario escalates so much so that Player A and Player B begin to rival one another Out-of-Character. Because of this, Player A decides that he wants to spite and attack Player B because of the scenarios occurring OOC. Player A then targets each of Player B’s characters, either wanting them killed or exiled, sent away to a location which will essentially make the character unplayable for Player B. The Problem This one is as simply as the others. Player A, despite the arguments and disputes with Player B, should not resort to leaking Out-of-Character into the In-Character world. This is not allowed, and essentially makes the entire situation and atmosphere unpleasant for everyone. Especially if Player A is of an influential position, and can cause sufficient damage to Player B. not only can this make Player B feel disinterested in playing their characters, it may also make them reluctant to create a character of the same type or even another character in general, out of fear of being targeted. This isn’t fair, for anyone involved. The Solution The solution here is simple. Do not leak anything Out-of-Character into In-Character. It is not allowed, and it isn’t fair for any parties involved. Simply put, the solution is to not let the two worlds cross. It causes problems, and not only can it lead to meta and powergaming, it causes disinterest and loss in motivation for anyone in the damage radius. If you are having problems with someone Out-of-Character, leave it out of character. If it reaches a point of problem, then report it to the appropriate people and allow them to handle it. Under no circumstances should people be afraid of role playing or creating new character out of fear of being targeted. Summary In brief? Don’t do it. It’s easy to want to punish someone or hurt someone because of Out-of-Character stuff, and no one will blame you for wanting to do that; however, it cannot actually happen. It’s not tolerated, in any means. As I have mentioned several times so far, it’s demotivating and inappropriate to target someone just for out of character means or measures. Never do this, never. You wouldn’t like it if it is done to you, so why should you do it to others? Limiting the Roleplay experience for someone simply because they’ve ticked you off Out-of-Character not only makes no sense In-Character, but it causes mass detriment to the server and roleplaying scene as a whole. But yep, all done. Cool stuff. Once again, questions, corrections. It’ll help us all. -Tahmas (Thomas) (Don’t be a nerd. Don’t be uninformed. Ask the questions. Do it.)

Roleplay Conduct - Powergaming v Camaraderie Introduction Oh boy, okay okay. Third installment. Do you know how long these take to write? Long, and I’m in the middle of watching Macbeth, the 2015 version with Michael Fassbender. It is sweeeet. ANYHOW. Time to move on and actually get to the purpose of this post. Like the first, and second post, this will cover two different topics. It will explain the specifics of each, citing examples and doing a whole lot of talking. Once agaaain, I shall bold all the important parts and summarise in the final paragraph or two. I’ll do my best to cover the topics in as much detail while trying to retain as much of your attention as possible. As I have mentioned in previous topics, once again, many people tend to perceive Roleplay Conduct and Etiquette in a decisively opinionated and varied view from what is generally expected. Because of this, I am continuing to make these to hopefully inform the masses. As an aside, I’m going to break these into two different posts tonight cause there is a lot to cover. So, what is Powergaming? Here we go again. Time to break down the meaning of Powergaming to it’s core. So what does Powergaming literally mean? Well, “Powergaming is a style of interacting with games or game-like systems, particularly video games, boardgames, and role-playing games, with the aim of maximising progress towards a specific goal, to the exclusion of other considerations such as storytelling, atmosphere and camaraderie.” To me, that’s a pretty clear and solid explanation of what Powergaming is. In case you don't understand, I'll try and expand. What this means, is that Powergaming is an action where you take every possible action to reach a certain goal. This could be winning a fight, for instance. While this seems pretty standard and okay, it’s more-so often referred to as “being too powerful and strong so it’s unfair on others”. Powergaming is often used synonymously with God-Roleplay. So what can this include? Well, for one, buffing up your character so they’re increasingly intelligent or strong, so much so that any combatant they come across can hardly lay a finger on them. Having a skilled character is fun, and of course it makes sense for some characters to be more skilled and some things than others; however, when used to extreme levels, it can cause some characters to become not only dis-interested in roleplaying with you, but unmotivated in general to roleplay given the serious overpowered nature of some characters. As one can assume, this has a very negative effect on the server, and on everyone involved. Powergaming in Combat? To start, let’s get this clear. Combat does not actually work as it does in the movies. It doesn’t, as much as it sucks to hear it. For sword fighting, take a look at these two videos, here and here, and unarmed combat here. While in movies, combat is drawn out over the span of a couple of minutes, with each opponent getting closer and closer to victory. This really isn’t how it worked. Combat is quick, and is over in a matter of seconds. Even in hand to hand combat, the fight begins and seconds later it’s over. Let’s get some examples up in here: The scenario: Player A and Player B are squaring off to fight. Player A is somewhat capable with a blade, having served in a local militaristic order and having a form of martial upbringing. Player B is more or less the same, perhaps being a member of the same belligerent order. Player A engages Player B, and a fight commences. A decides to strike with a very offensive tactic, pushing Player B back with each blow. Although it would appear Player B is being bested, B pushes back A and deflects every incoming attack, choosing to take no hits for his character during the battle and eventually he uses a systematic and complicated maneuver to best Player A and win the duel. The problem: While Player A may have gone on the offensive and exhausted efforts, Player B effortlessly deflected every incoming attack. This isn’t exactly realistic. Why? Well, as stated above, combat doesn’t work that way. I’m not going to give a long lecture about how combat actually works, but what I will say is that deflecting every incoming attack and winning a duel that easily against someone the same skill level of you is incredibly unlikely. Plus, it isn’t entirely fun now is it? No one wants a character to be too overpowered, you limit your fun and everyone around you. That, and it limits character development. The solution: I like these example formats, they’re cuuute. Once again, apologies for getting sidetracked. So we’ve identified a problem here, so what’s the solution? Firstly, the best thing to do for everyone is to look at your character. Are they flawed? If so, good. IF not, why? Where is the fun in having no flaws? Secondly, take into consideration the fun you’re having, and the fun the other people are having. Imagine yourself in their shoes, would you enjoy this? No one likes to win all the time, and you need to lose to get better. Lastly, maybe do some research? I know reading and watching videos about combat isn't’ the most entertaining of things, but it’s all that can be done I suppose. Powergaming in Politics? Ahah. Okay, I can’t believe I’m writing this but yes. Powergaming in Politics is possible. Having a character that can outsmart the entire political system of an organisation alone isn’t proper, nor is it very fun. If you want to dismantle an organisation or an entire political system, go for it. If that’s what your character would do, of course. Although, look for help. Don’t do it alone. It makes no logical sense that a single person, without help, managed to cripple an entire organisation. What is Camaraderie? I seriously this isn’t actually a question anyone is actually asking, but I’ll take it’s rhetoric and answer it anyway. So, Camaraderie, by definition, is “mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.” Do we all spend a lot of time together? I’d say so. If you’re here reading this post, no doubt you’re actually commonly versed with the realms of minecraft and because of that, likely occupy your time with it quite often. Due to this, it’s no doubt you spend a fair amount of time with each and everyone on of us in one way or another. Simply put, we play this together and we enjoy it together, whether we all interact with one another or not. We’re all here to have fun, and it’s oftentimes, as mentioned in a previous post, that we all come here to have fun. Why is Camaraderie important to the Server, and each of us? For whatever reason we come to play, we’re all here for one underlying reason. Fun. And because of that, it’s sort of the duty of each of us to ensure that others are having fun. Would you like it if someone did something to compromise your fun on here? I’d wager that as a no, and I’m fairly certain that would be the answer of all of us. Because of this, we should take pre-emptive measures to ensure we don’t hurt other people's gameplay in the same way we’d hate it done to us. Extensive powergaming can do this, and it isn’t nice. If we’re not having fun, people leave the server. If people leave the server, the server loses player retention. If the server loses retention, it loses new traffic. If it loses traffic, it cannot draw in new players. Thus no more donations, thus no more people coming to enjoy themselves. It’s a vicious slope which would end in the Server being unable to sustain itself, and eventually needing to close down. So if you ever think that being mean to someone for no reason won’t ever come back to bite your backside, then you’re wrong. But hey, at the end of the day the choice is yours. People are banned and punished for the reason of protecting the players and keeping the server moving. Camaraderie just prevents that, and offers a more fun and enticing environment for not only new players, but yourself too. Summary Hi, what’s up, hello. Yes I wanted to keep this post ‘short’, there wasn’t much to cover and I’m going to assume that most people will understand what I’ve said. I have a lot to write up tonight so I tried to be as brief but informative as possible. If you have any questions, please please ask them, I can help and provide extra insight on things I’ve missed.. and no doubt I’ve missed things. Love you bye. -Tahmas (Thomas) (really, really. Ask questions, it’ll help you and I both, trust me, I’m a lawyerman. )

Roleplay Conduct - MetaGaming v Convenience Introduction Greetings again,. I figured I’d pump these out consecutively to ensure no interest is lost when reading through them. Hopefully this one will retain the same kind of loose and lighthearted as the first post, so I’ll get right ahead to it. For this post, I’ll be covering the specifications regarding MetaGaming and it’s difference to Roleplay Convenience. I’ll go over the definitions and provide some examples. This post will be fairly extensive, so I’ll try to add a TL;DR at the bottom of each section I type up and I’ll bold some things as I go along to ensure that nothing is missed, and those with short attention spans receive the information necessary to understand the purpose of this post. As mentioned in the previous topic, many different people tend to hold differing opinions on Roleplay Conduct and Etiquette, and those differing opinions are what I hope to solve/unite. So what exactly is MetaGaming? Much alike my breakdown of conduct, I will now explain the fundamentals of MetaGaming. As per its definition, Roleplay is “a strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself.” So what exactly does this mean? This means that your character is bound by a certain set of rules in regards to information and actions that that character currently knows. This can include information found Out-of-Character, certain skills which your character could not feasibly be aware of, or simply having information In-Character about something your character couldn’t possibly know. After communication with Server Staff and a host of players, it has been determined that whilst MetaGaming is technically a break in character, there can be some allowed exceptions to this rule. This will come under the convenience section. Instead, we defined MetaGaming as taking something which you couldn’t possibly know in an In-Character scenario which provides a negative impact on the scene. Examples of this are: The scenario: Player A tends to his family farm, having known no other life than the wheat he picks from the fields. A is about 15 years old, and works for his father. His Father wasn’t too interesting, he worked the farm like his father before him, and his father before him. They never really left the farm unless they needed to travel to the local village for supplies, never visiting any major city or interacting with anyone higher than that of a simple farmhand. Player B wanders along and asks Player A what the know a war which occurred 50 years ago. Because Player A, as a real life person, was present during this war that was played out, his character suddenly replies to Player B with intricate details in regards to the storyline of the war. The problem: Do you see a problem here? I hope so, because I do too. Player A’s 15 year old character has somehow accumulated knowledge on a war half a century past due to some strange symbiotic connection they have with the person playing the character. In reality, Player A’s character would shake his head and move on, as it is entirely likely that he wouldn’t even know who was fighting who in a war so distant in which his family played no part. The correction: Player A would feasibly know next to nothing of this conflict. “But what do I say, wouldn’t that limit conversational roleplay?” I hear you ask. Well, the answer is a mixture of both. Yes, it may limit the conversation to some extent. Okay, you know nothing of the war so you are unable to inform the person you’re speaking to about the things you may know Out-of-Character; however, as an opposition to this, you can continue and return the question to the person asking. Chances are, if they are asking about it, they know a thing or two about the scenario, and to continue the conversation and propel roleplay forward, you switch the focus of instigation to yourself. Have them tell you all about it. “And what if they don’t know either?” Then revel in that fact. You both know nothing of the war, so find something new to talk about. Or talk about how your character feels about being stuck on a farm, and being unable to learn all this information. How about another example? The scenario: Player A is raiding City 1 with a group of his friends, A.1, A.2 and A.3. They reach the settlement and find a large city, with many houses and many public buildings. They are looking forward to finding people to beat down and ravage for minas or valuables which they can later sell. Player B is in his house with his wife, B.1 and his son, B.2. This house is tucked away and near no public buildings. Player A’s sees the name tags of the three and walks straight up to that house. The A’s kick down the door and loot the house, beating the family and stealing their precious items. They then leave. The problem: City 1, as stated, was rather large with many houses and public buildings. Player A, even after seeing Player B and his family’s name tags, should not have walked straight towards that house. Player A’s character cannot see through walls, and name tags are not to be taken In-Character. “But Raiders could check every house and eventually find them!” I hear you cry; and you’re right. But not in the way you think. Player B, as stated, walked straight up to the house and kicked down the door, even though his character couldn’t have realistically known anyone inside. The correction: The correction to this is simple. Don’t think that because you can see their name tag, that you can take that In-Character. What should have occurred, was Player B and his group moving through the city to the public buildings and searching them for people. Upon realising no one was nearby, they would start on the houses. They’d start on those closest to the public buildings and work their way through the city, kicking down doors until they found someone. If at this point, after searching other houses and more likely buildings, they stumble across Player A and family, that’s completely fine and correct conduct. There is nothing wrong with this, as they searched each house for people and eventually found them. However, in contrast, it is very likely that Player A and family would hear the commotion outside and could use this as a chance to escape. In contradiction to that, the A group could only vacate when the raiders are close enough to the house that the sound of bursting doors would be heard, and not the moment they see names. Alright great, you just explained MetaGaming. So what about Convenience? This is where is gets somewhat tricky. It can often be said that Roleplay Convenience can be taken as partial Metagaming. It isn’t entirely different, and it isn’t too difficult to understand, however it must be noted there is a difference. While using information you have acquired Out-of-Character for negative purposes, such as spotting where someone is hiding, is called MetaGaming, using information you have acquired Out-of-Character for positive purposes and to better the entire roleplaying scenario is seen as Convenience and is often permitted to an extent. The tricky part of this is being able to determine whether using a piece of information you have garnered Out-of-Character will affect everyone in a neutral or positive way, and unfortunately no amount of writing will be able to teach you how to do that; however, what I can add, is that a general rule of thumb to adhere to is “If this was done towards me, how would I feel?” or “Does this interrupt the Roleplay experience in any way?” or lastly, “Is there any feasible way this could actually make sense In-Character?”. Once you have determined the answer to these three questions, you’re ready to start. Examples of how ‘MetaGaming’ can be used to enhance Roleplay are as follows: The scenario: Player A is roleplaying in City 1. Player A is lonely and is looking for people to roleplay with, so A contacts his Out-of-Character friend, Player B, in Private Message, or on any platform outside of roleplay, and asks them to come to City 1 to roleplay. Player B is in City 2, and technically has no reason at all to go to City 1 other than the Out-of-Character reasoning to entertain Player A. Player B ends up wandering over to City 1 to entertain Player A. The explanation: “Isn’t this technically MetaGaming?” You’re probably asking, and you’d be correct. Yes, it’s true, Player B had no reason whatsoever to go over to City 1 and entertain Player A other than Out-of-Character motives. But what was produced from this? Roleplay. The two likely had some fun and engaging conversational roleplay, which possibly escalated into some really interesting Character Development. The bottom line here is that Roleplay was provided. Good roleplay, roleplay that didn’t resort in anything necessarily negative coming from this. Player B didn’t gain an advantage from going to City 1, he didn’t manage to assert him/herself over Player A, he/her simply managed to provide enjoyment to both parties by doing so. How would the situation need to go for it to be MetaGaming?: Say for instance, Player A and his group, A.1, A.2 and A.3 are all beating down Player B in the middle of nowhere. Player B then messages Player C Out-of-Character and asks for help. Or maybe Player B hops onto Skype or Teamspeak and asks for assistance from his friends, D, E, F and G. They suddenly and miraculously appear out of nowhere and beat Player A and his group. While similar to the scenario above, this action is interpreted as MetaGaming as it is seen as a negative impact on one or all parties involved. In-Character reasoning: Alright, alright. I get the difference. MetaGaming provides a negative response, Convenience provides a positive one. So what could I use In-Character to explain this ‘convenience’? Simply put, it’s pretty much down to you. Carrier Pigeons are a thing, as are messengers. These can be used as an explanation, or you can simply make something up. As long as it makes sense, of course. You cannot say “I telepathically figured out you were here, friendo.”. So what’s your overarching point here? I aim for everyone to understand the difference between MetaGaming and Convenience Roleplay. The difference between conveniently appearing in a certain area which you wouldn’t normally be to provide a positive response, and ‘conveniently’ appearing to jump to someone's aid and provide a negative reaction for one or all parties involved like some kind of troubled minecraft social justice warrior. Not everyone understands this difference, and I’m hoping that this post will have cleared up a few contentions (there’s that word again. Eeee.) and helps those who are currently out of the loop understand what is expected of them. Roleplay is supposed to be fun for us all, and instigating and providing roleplay as an antagonist or protagonist in certain scenarios is fun, as long as you don’t overdo it. Be wary and cautious of all involved and take that into account before deciding whether to do anything listed above. Oh! Thomas, you forgot something. What about MetaGamed skills, can they be used in Convenience too? Hrrmm, urrr. No. They can’t, unfortunately. As much as it may provide a positive outcome for you to suddenly know first-aid or get over your squeamishness in a situation simply because your friend is dying out on the ground, it provides a negative outcome to the person who inflicted that on someone, and you simply cannot come up with an In-Character reason for it. New skills aren’t acquired, they are cultivated. A young sales merchant will likely not possess the required knowledge to stop the bleeding of a crossbow bolt to the shoulder blade, let alone holding the information needed to know to cut of the arrowhead and pull the shaft out first. Logic dictates all. Can your character logically or possibly know/do this? If the answer is yes, it’s probably convenience. If no, then it’s MetaGaming. Summary? Why do I make these things so ruddy long. Anyway, that should be all of it. As a closing summary: Information or Skills acquired Out-of-Character cannot transcend into In-Character unless they have any form of logical explanation for doing so. There is a difference between Convenience and MetaGaming, one is positive, one is negative. While it’s ‘technically’ MetaGaming, it’s permitted and often encouraged. Roleplay is what keeps the server moving and without it, the server would grind and jarr until it started moving again. Providing and instigating roleplay is great, and it keeps everyone interested and engaged. To do this, sometimes some things need to be used to enhance the experience, as long as it’s used in a positive way and all parties involved agree to it. That’s the most important part. Though this has gone on too long and I am super hungry for dinner, so woop woop. I hope you had fun reading, expect the next one tomorrow or on Friday 12th, I’m not too sure how busy I’ll be tomorrow. Love you bye. -Tahmas (Thomas) (once again feel free to ask questions on the thread about the up and coming discussions, or about the topic at hand. Or anything really. Go wild, go nuts..)

Roleplay Conduct: Introduction Introduction Lord of the Craft is based on Roleplay. It breathes Roleplay: it bleeds Roleplay. Roleplay pushes this server forward and is the core component to every single thing on the server. It’s prided itself in this, as it should, and the pride it’s taken has proven to be a large benefit to the Player-base. The Whitelist feature of the server helps weed out those just wishing to troll, and those who currently do not fit the criteria for the Roleplaying standard of the server. Due to this, massive contentions arise across the Roleplaying scene. These mostly culminate in a series of forms that not everyone seems to adhere to. Some tend to hold a different ideal on how Roleplay should work, which is all well and good, but there are a few guidelines which everyone must follow to ensure everyone enjoys themselves. After a few less than savoury scenarios which prompted me to do some research and communication with the Server Staff in regards to the view of the now discussed, I decided to make a small mini series of topics on the RP conduct nature and delve into the specifics in regards to RP customs and regulations which are generally put in place to ensure all are enjoying the Server’s Roleplay universe. This mini series will cover and hopefully clear up any contention between some common misunderstandings. I will cite references and sources, and have ensured that everything I have said has been approved by those who manage the Server to ensure complete transparency with what I say. So let’s get right into it. What is Roleplay Conduct? This is going to get mundane, and I’m going to apologise for that now. To understand and delve into problems around, you need to break it down to its fundamental core and build up from there. So, conduct by definition is “the manner in which a person behaves, especially in a particular place or situation”. So what is Roleplay Conduct? If it wasn’t fairly obvious, and I hope I don’t beat a dead horse or prompt anyone to feel belittled by this clarification, Roleplay Conduct is how one presents themselves and how they behave when Roleplaying. This can occur anywhere, on any server and even in real life. (Not particularly Mommy and Daddy, Doctor's dress up type roleplaying you did as kids) Why is positive Roleplay Conduct important? Positivity is vital in many scenarios, most importantly when handling other people. Many people are cynical and like being negative, and that’s completely fine. If that fits you as a person, wonderful. You do you, but much like offering a lactose-intolerant person cheese, you really shouldn’t shove it in their face. The Internet is vast and filled with all kinds of people, some are here to make the Internet a lighter place, some are here to make it darker. Then there are those who use the Internet, and in many many cases, Roleplay, as an escape from Real Life. This isn’t always as depressing as you’d think it may be, but people use Roleplay as a way to express themselves in a way they never thought possible in their day to day runnings of the real world. Someone may wish to be an adventurer in real life, so as a substitute they create a character who lives to explore and delve into new endeavours as a way to satiate the thirst in their real life. If someone is having a particularly troubling time outside of the Internet, they usually resort to coming online in search of escape or just a treatment to what they are feeling. Because of this, it’s a general rule of thumb to act like a good ol’ bloke with everyone you come across. Who knows what they’re going through in the real world. Because of this, positivity is a very important thing. “You’ve sidetracked”, I assume you’re thinking, and you’re right. I do that; I rant. Back on topic, however: as we just established, positivity is important. “But what positivity in Roleplay?” “What if I want my character to be rude and negative?”. Good questions, and no one is asking for your character to be a good guy. If you want your character to be abrasive, mendacious and cynical and then by all means go for it. Give it your all, be negative! What I’m referring to here; however, is the focus of being positive in regards to the guidelines of Roleplay, and how to act when Out-of-Character. This, of course, is in regards to the infamous ‘Metagaming’, and ‘Powergaming’. Both of these topics I will cover in following posts. Having a positive Roleplay Conduct is important because it helps everyone feel welcome, prevents people from feeling targeted. The last thing anyone wants is to feel targeted In-Character because of something that occurred Out-of-Character, or for their concerns to not be heard. So what are you getting at here? I’m really bad at staying on point, so I’ll try and re-rail myself. Roleplay is fun for us all, it’s something we come to do and if you don’t enjoy roleplay; I’m not sure why you’re on Lord of the Craft. Following a decent set of guidelines is vital to ensuring everyone receives the maximum enjoyment any one individual can, and allows everyone to understand what is expected from them as people. There are many who do not take this into account, and just do as they please. We get it, it’s the internet, and you want to mess around. But there are people here who are trying to enjoy themselves, and for their leisure to be interrupted because someone wishes to break or provide negative conduct, is not something which should be taken lightly. In the followings topics posted by myself over the coming week, I will try and highlight certain areas of negative conduct and expand on them, detailing specifically what they are and how an individual can take a step in the right direction. I’ll cite examples of negative and positive scenarios, and provide as much additional content as I can. Summary? Be a good human being? I’m not pandering to everyone here, and of course there will be some people who will just be bullheaded and ignore me, which I suppose is all fine. I’ll be making a bunch of posts in the coming days in regards to the appropriate RP Conduct all should follow, to certify that everyone is on the same wavelength on how they should act. Hopefully this will prevent Conduct violations, and resolve any future misunderstandings or longstanding contentions between different Roleplaying communities. Yay for bridges? I don’t know. They’re good I suppose. That’s pretty much all for this post. It’s about 1am, and I’ve spent the entire night on Teamspeak and Skype chatting with a host of fun and interesting people. I wanted to whip this up and post it as quick as possible to notify any who care of what is to come, to stay tuned within the coming days. I probably should have bulked out (or thinned down) the content in this post, but I wanted to make it as lighthearted as possible so I don’t seem like some sheriff shouting laws to the locals about how some of them should behave. But I am tired, so I’m going to go to bed. Love you bye. -Tahmas (Thomas) (also feel free to ask questions on the thread about the up and coming discussions, or about anything in general. I’d love to clear up any contentions. I love that word, can you tell?) (double also, if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it <3)

The Order of the Aureate Isthmus Protectors of the Isthmus Our direction is our power, our strength and our freedom. For the Realm is split in two, between blood Red, and Blue. Though closely aligned, they remain separate, and distant in all but drive. With the Isthmus, with the Aureate Sword and Shield, it is the duty of us all to bridge the connection between the now distant, by purging and wiping free its cause. “When we stand in the beating heart of our Empire; one must not fret to revel among the blood.” Motive History Created by the eldest brothers of the de Aryn house, the Order of the Aureate Isthmus was created in an effort to bridge the gap and fulfill the duties the other Orders within the Realm were neglecting. Attaching onto the Brotherhood of Croziers and forming under the Savoy Banner, the Order of Aureate Isthmus draws inspiration from the decades past Band of Esheveurd and Order of St. Amyas. The name Aureate Isthmus was chosen by the first Grand Patriarch, Thomas de Aryn, based on the definition of the Isthmus word. Isthmus, by definition, is a small section of land which connects two larger land masses. Due to this, the term was coined and it’s definition slightly altered. Taking on the meaning of a bridge between the split in the Realm, the Protectorate of the Isthmus are responsible for the protection of those of Blue Blood, while the Inquisition is charged with the duty to the Blood of Red, and furthering the cause of the Realm. Taking the elite and specialised progression of the Esheveurd and directive and cause of the Order of St. Amyas, the Order of the Aureate Isthmus is a structured and competent amalgamation of the organisations before it. Controlled and directed by the House de Aryn, the Order was created to fill the void and protect the Noblemen and women of Savoy, whilst furthering Humanity's goals and desires for a better world for it’s people. The Order of Aureate Isthmus co-operates and acts as a subdivision of the Brotherhood of Golden Croziers, taking on the responsibilities and duties the Brotherhood is unable to accomplish. Selected and directed as a heavily specialised unit in Savoy, the Isthmus are handpicked and trained under intense conditions, undergoing and expected to conquer extreme mental and physical hurdles. The members of the Order are expected to be among the most capable and competent in the lands, and must be devout to the Canonist Faith. The Order was decided to split into two various sections; the Protectorate and the Inquisition. Mission Protectorate The Protectors of the Isthmus are those who follow the primary branch of the Order, positioned and charged with serving those of Blue Blood in the Savoy region. The Mission of the Protectorate is to push forward and against all opposition to secure and guarantee the safety of those they are sworn to protect. They are stationed in the vicinity and are often charged with creating positive relations with the person they are sworn to protect. Each following the path of the Protectorate are assigned to a particular person and must be ready to dive into the depths of darkness to do their duty to their assigned. Inquisition The Inquisitors of the Isthmus are those who follow and represent the alternative branch of the Order, positioned and charged with following the direction of the Inquisition and following the creeds set by the Canonist religion. Supporting Blood of Red, the Inquisition serves to put forth the human race and set it on a course of betterment, to correct the deformities of the other races and ensure all of existence know the truth of the Human cause. It is also the mission and duty of the Inquisitors to convert the masses to the Canonist Faith. Each following the path of the Inquisition are to follow the Grand Inquisitor in all matters, regardless of any personal dispute or moral compass. The only individual whose word overrules the Grand Inquisitor to the Inquisitors is the Grand Patriarch. Ranks [Higher Echelon] Grand Patriarch The Grand Patriarch, often an elder member of the House de Aryn, is the absolute Archon of the Aureate Isthmus, who demands complete and total loyalty and respect from his soldiers. The Patriarch routinely serves a lifelong tenure in the position, and are responsible for the direction of the Order, overseeing all aspects the Order involves itself in, including the day to day running of each Orderman. The Grand Patriarch has total control over every position and facet the Isthmus goes to fill, and the position is the highest one in the Order. The authority and will of the Patriarch are absolute. The position is currently held by Thomas de Aryn, the first Grand Patriarch of the Protectors of the Aureate Isthmus. Grand Inquisitor The Grand Inquisitor, typically a man chosen from the list of the Inquisitors within the Order upon the death or retirement of its predecessor. The Grand Inquisitor is considered the highest position within the Order that is at least partially obtainable. The rank is given to those totally and utterly loyal to the Isthmus cause, it’s direction and it’s stature. The Grand Inquisitor is often one of the most skilled combatants within the entire Order, and is capable of demanding complete and total respect from its members. While the Grand Inquisitor typically holds no power over the Sentinels, it is commonplace for all ranks to listen to him regardless. Answering only to the Grand Patriarch, the Grand Inquisitor leads the religious directive of the Order. The position is currently filled by Gaspard de Aryn, the first Grand Inquisitors of the Protectors of the Aureate Isthmus. [Lower Echelon] Sentinel The position of Sentinel is stationed equal to that of the Inquisitor, though its duties are almost the opposite. Given to the most dutiful and well-trained within the Isthmus, the Sentinels are charged to directly watch over and protect the Noblemen and women of Savoy. They are also charged with watching over all lower ranks, and are responsible with the acquisition and training of all new Unoathed and Initiated. Answering only to the Grand Patriarch and Grand Inquisitor, the Sentinels honour and ability are considered the most elite within the Order, and must undergo a separate Standing examination to be cleared for duty. Inquisitor A promotion given only to the most loyal and able Man-At-Arms within the Isthmus. The Inquisitors are officers and commanders throughout the Order, deemed worthy and able to fulfill the role of leadership. Choosing the xenophobic portion of the Order the Inquisitors serve directly under to the Grand Inquisitor and Grand Patriarch, primarily servicing the more religious purpose as opposed to the other. They assist in leading the progress against the Isthmus’ enemies, and are only obligated to watch over the Noblemen and women of Savoy when in direct company. Being considered the most elite within the Order, the Inquisitors must undergo a separate Standing examination to be cleared for duty. [Assigned] Sentry The rank of Sentry is given to those who have proved their metal and their worth to the Order, proving their total and utter devotion to its desires and purpose. The Sentry have been assigned a direction within the Order and assigned to follow the Protectorate, to follow and give their loyalty to its cause. The Sentry are dressed in the finest and most well smithed plate the Order has to offer. Listed above the Initiates, those listed as Sentry rank are fully trained in intense physical combat. Trained on horseback and on the ground, the Sentry Rank is given to those who have proven themselves to the Isthmus cause. Stationed as guards and watchmen of the higher nobility, the Sentries are known and held to the highest of standards. Man-At-Arms The rank of Man-At-Arms is assigned and given to those who have proved their devotion to the Inquisition within the Order. They are positioned within the Inquisition and chosen to show their worth to the rest of the Realm, proving their ability and devotion to the Order and it’s mission. They are assigned to follow under the Grand Inquisitor and put their very essence into following the direction they are given. Clad in the finest smithed armour the Order can provide, and much alike the Sentries, are listed above the Initiates. Having specialised and intense training in mental and physical combat, both on the ground and on horseback, the Man-At-Arms is a well distinguished rank within the Order. [Enlisted] Initiate Those with the Initiate rank are considered the lowest among the listed Order. After their initiation, they undergo intense specialised training in both the physical and mental state. Unlike those who are Unoathed, the Initiated have already undergone basic training. They have been evaluated for their worth and ability in regards to their servitude and honour. The Initiated are recognised as true warriors of the Isthmus, worthy and ready to serve under the Grand Patriarch and under the banner of the Order. The Initiate are often stationed as the Guards to the Noblemen and women of Savoy, being posted in key positions to ensure the safety of the blue-blooded, though must be ready to follow the Inquisitors when ordered. The Initiated are yet to choose a path to follow within the Order. Unoathed The Unoathed are the bottom rung of the Order, considered the weakest and most inept among the ranks. These members are not listed as bannermen under the Order, and as such are not given the liberty that those Initiate and above are given. The Unoathed are vigorously trained in basic combat and religiously taught and examined in their devotion to the Canonist Faith, and to the Orders ways and methods. These are fresh blood within the Order, and their every move is monitored to ensure their direction is recognised and proper. Loyalty and Obedience is paramount. [Honorary Positions] Crozier While technically not one with the Order of Isthmus, those enlisted within the Brotherhood of Golden Croziers, are considered Brothers in the same right. Sharing the same goal and desire, the Croziers are seen as honorary members of the Isthmus. While the position names and duties are different, they are considered equal with the Crozier Brotherhood. Footmen within the Croziers, are considered equal to Initiates within the Isthmus. Men-at-Arms are equal to Sentry/Man-At-Arms and Decurions are equal to the Inquisitor and Sentinel ranks. Ensign Entrusted with supporting and carrying the Banner of the Isthmus into the heat of battle, those granted the high honour of the Ensign position are held with high regard and respect throughout the entire Order. The Banner of the war provides morale to all troops who follow under it, given its continued height throughout the duration of the battle implies continued strength. Clerical Chaplain The Order of the Aureate Isthmus closely operate with the Clerical healers and chaplains of the Realm, and as such are given an honorary position with the Order. The Clerics are considered well versed in various instances of knowledge, and are charged with the duty of tending to and healing the wounded within the Order. Dual holding the position of Cleric and Chaplain, those holding this position are also responsible for holding Mass and assisting in the Initiation of the Unoathed. Applying for the Isthmus Recruitment To join the Order of Isthmus, one must do one of the following things. Send a letter through carrier pigeon to Grand Patriarch, and apply to partake in the Isthmus. Assignment: It is possible for a member of the Croziers to be assigned to the Isthmus if the Grandmaster deems it so. Referral: Become friends and prove your abilities to any member within the Brotherhood or Order. Ask them to refer you to a Sentinel. They will then assess you before putting you through to the Senior Echelon. Be chosen: The Isthmus are a very select group, and just because you apply doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted. It is possible, if you prove your abilities to a Lower or Senior Echelon, you’ll be recruited. Please note, the ability to use Skype is essential to holding position in the Isthmus. Initiation Assessment Mental Working with the Order, in either the Protectorate or the Inquisition, requires each and every member to be mentally assessed and understood for their emotional, religious and mental state. This assessment is not a test per-se, more so a continued observation during their Unoathed term. The members of Lower and Senior Echelon observe the new recruits and watch over them during their training. Their devotion to the Canonist Faith and the Order is observed and watched over, and should their devotion be lacking, they are denied from the Order proper. Physical Being the most specialised of troops comes at a price, and that price includes total and utter dedication to the art of combat. They are assessed and taught how to manipulate their opponent's mind, and how to use a range of weapons. If the Unoathed is lacking in any form of training, they undergo intense training under those of the Lower Echelon. Their skill is assessed and their position within the Order is determined. They are assessed and trained in the following areas: Hand-to-Hand combat, One-Handed combat, Ranged combat and combat on Horseback. The Standing The Test The true test of loyalty. During The Standing, the Unoathed is tested on their physical and mental devotion to the Order. They are tested on their faith to the Canonist Cause and are asked to stand before a Cathedral for one saints day, with one loaf of bread and two bottles of water. They may not move from this position, and must continuously chant Canonist Prayers, and must pray for any who walk by. They must stay awake for as long as possible, and may only be allowed 3 hours of sleep every two days. This is a very difficult test, and you do not need to make it through the entire month. The test is to go as long as you possibly can, and your devotion to passing the test is the true qualifier. The Oath After taking the Oath and undergoing the initiation of the Brotherhood, the Unoathed must undergo the Oathing Ceremony. This is not one to be taken lightly, and in fact the topic of discussion is forbidden from being spoken of outside of the Ceremony itself. The process includes the Unoathed being led from the barracks in the middle of the evening into a small chapel-esque room, with Canonist Symbolism and the mark of the Isthmus scattered around the candlelit room. Standing at the altar one would find the Grand Patriarch, the Grand Inquisitor and one of the High Chaplains within the order. The Unoathed would be spoken to, and asked to swear an oath and covenant before God. A long metal rod would be taken from the nearby furnace, the tip adorned with the sigil of the Isthmus, and as the Oath was being spoken, the heated metal would be pressed against the Unoathed’s upper left pectoral muscle. The Sigil of the Isthmus would be burned and branded into their skin as the Oath was taken as a mark of loyalty to the Order, symbolising your service to the Canonist Faith and the direction and cause the Order will take you. This act is an act of giving your body and your essence to the Faith and the Order, showing true that you would give your life and serve for the cause of Humanity and place your flesh on the line in service to the Orders direction. The Oath is as follows: ‘ I ________, do solemnly pledge, with unburdened and unbound words, in the presence of God, and brethren, my unwavering loyalty to the cause of Isthmus. To the tenants and creed of our most righteous purge. I pledge my flesh to Humanity, but to those who bar its path: I pledge my sword as punishment. I shall not fall prey to the perfidy, of those bearing barbed ears. Nor shall I succumb to the greed of those who hide under stone. Those who wear the warped schismed bodies of past human glory shall be relieved of their burdens in this world, by my hand. In the name of our almighty Lord, I pledge this true, and just. Pour Dieu, la piété et l'ordre. Amen’