Thomas

This fully depends on the severity and situational circumstance. If a player does it they may receive a 2 week ban, though if they intentionally lie about it it may be longer. It may also depend on size, whether the player has been punished for similar things in the past and so on.

Mob Farming Hello all. So, for a long while now, we have not had any major issues concerning mob farming, automatic farms, or any other means of grinding resources until recently. The GM Team has come across two grinding farms, one of which was for cacti, the other for mob grinding, as seen here: Cactus Green Drug Bust Undead Torture Chamber Considering how long it has been since anyone was punished for using grinding farms, the GM Management have sat down and decided that the best way to drive home this rule is to bring forward this reminder: It has been in the rules for a long time, but as we discussed, it has been a long time since someone was punished for using them. The reason why it is such a big deal is because of the new establishment of the Admin Shops and the wellbeing of the LotC economy. Going forth now, if people are found to be creating or using grinding farms that are vastly blown out of proportion, they will be dismantled and resources confiscated. The latter of which means that any crops, gear, weapons, minas, etc. will be wiped from all of your personas. Yes, all minas will be wiped if you are found to be creating or using farms. That being said, if you are currently using a grinding farm, you are encouraged to come forward to a GM and report it as we will simply dismantle it and no repercussions will take place. Read the rules and be aware! Have a good day. -GM Team

Players are still completely able to have their voice heard, this is literally just allowing people to get involved in projects without having PEX. There are some, as you can clearly see by the applicants, who want to get involved with the projects we're working on but do not want to have the responsibility of keeping up the workload of a Moderator, this opens up an avenue for people to do so.

The Contributor System Quite simple, really. As a Contributor, you are a member of the Game Team without being a fully fledged Game Moderator. Contributors are members of the Game Team chats, be they main or specific interest groups (such as economy or war), and are tasked to contribute to any and all discussions. Think of it like a GM without the PEX. Why was this done? Well, there are some members of the community who want their voice to be heard, and wish for change; however, not all of these people wish to be Game Moderators. Being a Game Moderator is a job that requires a lot of focus, and it is often found that your concentration is detracted by the sheer base workload each GM must handle. This system was created to allow players who simply wish to voice their feedback and concern to join up and partake in the ongoing internal discussion. Who was this made for? As I said above, this system was created and now implemented for those who wish to join the Team and have their efforts made to providing change. These people are specifically tailored to working on projects and engaging with discussion and feedback, without the responsibility of answering modreqs. What are the responsibilities of a Contributor? As a member of the Game Team, be you Contributor all the way through to Manager, you are still held to a high standard and must present yourself as a member of staff. You will be informed of the guidelines that each staff member must follow and will be expected to live up to these standards. Leaking is not tolerated, neither is obnoxious and abrasive behaviour to the extent of causing harm to others. It will be the job of the Contributors to actively work on projects and open a conversation between the Staff and the Community in a way which benefits and pleases all parties. Who can become a Contributor? If you're not Staff Blacklisted, you can apply. How do I become a Contributor? It's rather simple. You fill out the below application and post it in the Game Team forum. From there, the Managers will come along and interview you, and make the decision from there. It is much quicker and easier to become a Contributor, and instead of a monthly recruitment, the acquisition of Contributors may occur at any time. Application Title Format: [Contributor] Playername Minecraft name/s: (List the username of your main, and any alternate accounts) Age: (Your age in whole years. Must be at least 14.) Timezone: (State your Timezone. Ex: GMT-6) Skype/Discord: (Both are required. You will need Discord to be in the chats and for interviews.) What is your availability: (Tell us how many hours you can spend on the server daily, and between what times.) How would you improve how the Game Team handles things? (Explain or state how you would personally expand upon the handling of situations.) If you could add one thing to the Game Team, what would it be? (This could be anything from a rule to a policy, try and dig deep.) Why do you wish to contribute to these discussions? (Silly question, though expand on why you are interested.) What would you ideally wish to work on if you were a member of the Contributor System? (A brief statement on what you would like to discuss and take part in. Ex. War, Villainy) What topics of discussion would you like to raise? (List a few topic headings and descriptions as to what you would like to discuss) List some of your worst traits: (Shoot for two or three of each.) What specific parts of the server and or Staff are you most interested in? (What is it that compels you? Is it the Lore of the server, the development and plugins?) Link a good song: (Don’t cheap out on me.) Read the following for more information: -Thomas <#

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.

Addition - General Rules You may not be logged in to the server on two accounts at the same time unless both accounts are Whitelisted.

This Lore has been denied. Topic moved to Denied Lore forum.

Following discussions I'd like to self deny this lore in order to add/remove and make changes to the various sections of the addition.

Anyone who has Cognatism.

It used to be, and I'd still like it to be. However it was never really used in the past so the MT deemed to place it as a Feat.

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.

Update - Forum Rules Simply added the correct link to the Forum Roleplay Guidelines:

Also: If you are worried that your Skype has indeed been implicated, use the command /showplaces while on Skype and it shall show you what connections you have on Skype. If you do not recognise one of them, it is advised to change your password.

Greetings In the past few hours it has come to the attention of the Staff collective that various security breaches have popped up across the course of the evening. It would seem that a group of individuals are taking the time to breach into the Skype Accounts of players. In the past thirty minutes you have may have seen an announcement circulating in skype chats from myself personally as a missive to change your passwords or ensure that your accounts are secure. It was felt prudent to post a Forum Status as well in order to ensure full coverage. Here is the quote send to skype chats TL;DR Change your Passwords if you have any suspicion that you may be at risk. Here are following security updates so you can be kept up to date: Don't click on any suspicious links and do not give your password out to anyone. Just in future as well, if you see any link on skype with your skype username in it, like baidu.<username> or however it is called, don't touch it.

Addition - General Rules Impersonation of Staff, past and present, or another Player through the use of Roleplay or In-Game Names is strictly prohibited. If you are found doing so, you will face repercussions of up to one month ban time in order to change your username to something else.

Amendment - Raid Rules Raid-baiting is not permitted. (This is using a small force to make people chase you into a larger, pre-planned force to kill them in PvP.) New Rule: Any attempt to camp the edge of a territory in order to draw people out, or block people from entry for the sole purpose to kill players for more than one hour a day is against the rules. Camping roads leading from a Fast Travel to a Nation Capital with the sole intent to kill players is allowed for 30 minutes every 6 hours.

You know what they say about hope? It breeds eternal misery. I read that somewhere, sometime.. It feels like I’ve been here for years, dipping and diving away from the monsters of the night. This Desert has become all I’ve known, even the whitened serration of the mountains before have faded from my mind. It’s… funny, really. I thought a realm of my own control; my own make, would be the dream I’d wish to stay in forever. I’ve never been farther from the truth. The cruel sun beat down, it’s malevolent eye unblinking as the sky muttered not a wisp of a cloud to soften the harsh rays. The odd life which littered my presence surrounded me, taking shelter in the shadows of the rocks. Three days had passed, though my bearing of time had broken into a pattern of disarray. I knew not where I was, knew not of the time which soaked my journey. The Deserts of Axios were much fairer than this, the rolling hills and strands of wind causing nought but the stir of wispy sand against my body. It was merciless. Salty sweat rolled down my nose, stinging against my greyed eyes as my clothing clung to my skin. The wind was my enemy in these lands, the very heat from the glistening sand beneath my feet plagued my form. Coarse, rough, and irritating, the sand was found more or less everywhere within the layers of my clothing, though my persistence continued. Why did I travel this empty road? What was I searching for? There was only one comment I’d held about these lands, these dunes I travelled… By the blessings of whatever god above, when night fell upon me I felt nothing more than the breadth of beauty and the realm around me. Truly, I was without understanding. I must have underestimated the night tonight, for the horror against my flesh was without warning. It’s not like me to miss a detail, you can ask anyone. A keen eye, they’d say, but tonight was not the case. Where was Alviras? It was not like him to fall silent for this long. Regardless of his absence, I pressed on. I marched against the night and, though heat wicked away faster than my form could replace it. Could I turn back? Was that even possible? Am I left screaming beneath the pale moon above? No thanks. It was then that I decided to rest, or at least rest all that I could. Cropping out from a nearby mound of sand appeared to be a large and darkened protrusion of stone, jutting from the ground below. A worthy shelter, or so I thought. It was fortunate I’d found a place to rest my weary head, as what followed was not a welcome sight. Storms brewed on the cold horizon, promising nothing but winds to level even the mightiest of trees to the soil; not like there were any present, though the strength would render even the strongest of men to his knees. The midnight darkness threatened to break me into helplessness beneath whatever pitiful shelter this seemed to be. I cast my eyes upon the charcoal sky, the black and velvet quality of the air above thickened as the sand wisped past along the gale. Without an upwards glance, I decided it was time to settle my body against the ground, using the cloth around my weary form and the steed which had carried me during my weakened days pressed against my chest. It was just me and her, my blessed saviour in an otherwise lonely world. I… Failed. Sleep was not a friend of mine, and the lack thereof haunts my nights; fatigue rules my days. When I need to be lucid and clear, my brain begs for unconsciousness, for sleep at any price. Prior to this prison, I’d always found sleep a fickle thing. Easy, and taken for granted. But come the hours of darkness in the wasteland of sand, my mind lights up with the horrors of my past, and tragedies of my future. I want to let them go, to disregard all I knew and relax, but even the sheep I sought to count are telling me what will go wrong in days to come. Oddly, a strange light caught my eye out in the wastes before me. What was this? Another trap? I’d had my fair share, but their frequency had seemed cruel. Yet.. And my friends would have beaten me for the way I was, but there was no changing it. I was always curious, and in fact such a trait was the cause of misery in the years I’d faced, yet once again it overwhelmed me. Soon enough I was on my feet, the sand beneath my soles with each and every step into the blistering storm before me. Each footprint in the sand was met with the whipping of sand against my cheek, streaming through the locks upon my head. As I neared the gleam from corner of my eye, it soon came to identify as a strange looking cube; well, strange to any other. Yet I knew this cube, I knew the implications this had brought. With one extended digit, the tip of my finger pressed gently against the odd carving upon its centre. “Crumena… It’s Steven.” I couldn’t breathe. Welling inside of me… a lump at the back of my throat. As I retreated to my shelter, the softest of streaks of what I could only tell to be a mixture of my own blood and tears, my position beside the steed I’d come to know was resumed with the cube pressed to my chest. As though blessed from the heavens above, I cradled the box like it was my own child, refusing to allow the item to slip from my fingers. Over and over I pressed the delicately carved central piece, replaying the message until I’d pass from the land of consciousness. With stained cheeks and my form physically shaking from the cold air, the first words in days slipped through my cracked lips, before finally laying to rest. “Please..” Additional reference for the outside I’d been waiting for the storm to pass for what felt like days, so long that I barely believed my eyes when the sharp whipping sand appeared to quell to a dead stillness of night.. I drifted into consciousness, and then back out. The world was blurry, chaotic, and random as images seemed to float aimlessly around in the pool of my mind. As though they were being blown about by a vicious storm, the feeling of the Steeds tongue against my cheek momentarily brought me back to the world I’d known. The world was dark, as I’d always come to know, and what felt like years had passed. After a second, I was lost once more. I could feel something tugging at me, buried deep in the depths of my stomach. I couldn’t help but look down over myself, stunned by innate horror as I noticed the stained red fabric which covered the middle of my clothing. Had I been attacked during my slumber? I surveyed my flesh, though no injury appeared to have been sustained. My eyes could only widen, a sense of dread and uncertainty reverberating through my entire body. “No..” I spoke through bated breaths, though my stance rose to my feet. I couldn’t keep focus as my stance wobbled from left to right, forth to back. The whole world simply felt shifted, distorted and unreal. Confusion blossomed within the depths of what I could only assume to be my heart as I soon came to realise I needed to conquer my challenges and wake up. But for now, the first task was ahead of me. “Crumena… It’s Steven.” I travelled for what felt like years, day in, day out, I pushed forward and delivered swift execution to each and every shadow which passed my way. I didn’t sleep, I didn’t relent. My semblance of hope rested within the careful cube I clutched to my side through each second of each day, replaying the recording time and time again to remind me of my fight. I had a cause, I had a directive and there was nothing that would stop me. While alone, while broken and bruised, there was a reason to fight, a reason to persevere. Perhaps I’d been blind before, perhaps I’d been lost.. I was foolish. No more. It was then that I broke into the field of shadows, breaching the sight before me. While they’d attempted to pick me off in small packs, this was new. As I stood atop the nearest dune, my eyes simply cast against the sea of darkness before me as billows of smoke shot into the sky. I left my horse behind and stepped forward, moving towards the field of battle. As I neared, an odd sound came from behind me. “Crumena!” “Is that you?” I froze. Perhaps it was another trick, perhaps it was just a mirage in this heated sea of sand and rock, though as my gaze veered to survey which laid against my back, I was met with no sight but the sand along the breeze. Just as I stated to feel alone, I’d play the cube back once more. “Crumena… It’s Steven.” To battle I drew, to war I waged. Every mind is as much a battlefield as the sand beneath my feet, though as my blade was drawn and my form propelled into the army before me, little more was to be said. It was a massacre, and soon it was over. Though the ground glistened like rain had fallen, the liquid which shone wasn’t clear, but red. The beasts of darkness who had died were for the most part dead, or were soon to be. The Master of this world, the Master and the Artificer waged a war which slaughtered more than any sane mind would count. How many had fallen? Was I able to remain strong and stand for another fight? Each shadow which had fallen to the edge of my blade was bloodied and bleeding, as though their hearts had beaten just like mine still does. It was quiet now, the clattering of swords had come to silence as the field of bloodied sand ahead was now nought by a graveyard for the unburied. “Crumena… It’s Steven.” I had to reassure myself, to tell myself that what I was doing was not in vain. It wasn’t easy, and neither was what came next. “It’s funny, really.” The voice returned. “You think you do what is right, that you are just in your action and your cause.. But you’re not. You’re no better than the darkness you seek to enlighten.” Even if I could stomach a response, my form was paralysed. Stepping around me to face me directly stood an image of the Horror I’d once called Father. With the cube I sheltered taken from my possession and into his own hands, the eyes he and I shared surveyed the metallic object with an entitled scoff. The button was pressed, though it’s pressure was not akin to it’s previous handler. His movements were rough, rigid, unkind. “Crumena… It’s St--.” The Cube was smashed, and the image of my Father drifted away with the wind. Sometimes.. The world feels like it’s falling down, crushing me under it’s fingers. I felt like the sky was on fire, my fears brought to life. My heartbeat increased, my breathing fast and shallow as my palm pressed to clutch against my chest. It felt as though it would burst with every tremor which climbed up my insides. Thoughts accelerated through my mind as my body dropped to my knees, a free hand sprawled out against the crimson liquid and chunks of shattered metal. Tension grew in my face and my limbs as my finger and thumb clasped around the purple crystal which had supplanted itself inside of the broken node, the metallic scrapes against the sand having scratched skin from muscle along my arm. It felt as though a hand was clasped over my mouth; an equally hypodermic adrenaline pierced my hearts and my lungs, unloading like a harpoon. My head was a carousel, spinning wildly out of control as the crystal in my grasp was pressed against my forehead over and over again, muddled whispers breaking from my blood stained face as tears began to swell against my closed eyes. My one true last of salvation, my redemption and compassion in an otherwise bleak and unending world. It was all I had, more than I could ever have asked for… and yet it was ripped from me. Torn from my being by the one character I had come to despise like no other. It was.. Funny, in a way. My creator had become my undoer. My pupils dilated as the reddened nature was released to the world, eyes bearing wild as my body began to shake vehemently. You can feel it, building like an unstoppable sphere of fire inside of your stomach. I couldn’t concentrate on anything, nothing at all.. Not except him. As the being I’d forgotten as Father reformed before me, my cries pitched against the night sky as my heart beat faster, harder until my fists curled into tight balls. The crystal against my palm dug deep into my flesh, a crimson liquid beginning to carefully line down the cracks of my skin to pool against my wrist, soon dropping to the sand below. I stood to my feet and began to pace irrationally, white knuckles from my clenched fists accompanied the gritting of my teeth. I struggled to remain silent as tears fell down my cheeks. Burning rage hissed through my body like a deathly poison, screaming and demanding sweet release in the form of unadulterated violence. Akin to a volcano erupting; fury swept off me like ferocious waves, wrath consuming and engulfing my moralities and destroying boundaries of loyalty I had developed over the years. I’d never shown or felt this much rage before, though my passivity was pushed aside against my will. That’s what you can expect from your own mind, though, you’ll find. Show your anger and it’ll force you into compliance, though that was the only emotion I seemed to bring. I did everything right - everything- and still I torture my mind, broken in this mess of a realm I’d constructed. I took no pleasure in taking him down. None. It was just a necessity. He loved to hurt me, and I couldn’t bear to hold it no longer. Mercy was the trait I governed above all others, though that is only good until it is proven to hurt the innocent. I hadn’t even swung a punch, and yet he quivered. How weak he was. I don’t recall who threw the first punch, but suddenly my first was slamming into his face while he sunk into my stomach. Blood pooled in his mouth as I gagged back. We stumbled apart for a brief second to gauge the damage caused, though my relent, my compassion and my mercy had all but undone. I narrowed my force in determination as I dodged his fist which came against my neck; for a brief instant, his eyes widened before my head was driven straight into his own. Stars burst into my vision, but I shook it off, blindly driving in for another assault. He threw his weight behind the first that edged into my jaw, the pooled blood within my mouth spewing against the air. Pain erupted from the point of impact, though my two hands grasped his head in my hands as I brought my kneecap up to his nose. There was a crack, and I released the being in my hands. A dark, deepend crimson leaked from the pair of his nostrils as he lazily attempted to collect himself. Soon enough he drove forward, ploughing his first into my stomach. My gut smashed in on itself, blood vessels bursting, though I repaid his assault by colliding the split knuckles lining my right fist into his bloodied jaw. There was blood lining my hands and a bruise above my eye, though victory was mine. “Fear itself is a pair of shackles, a knife in the gut which slowly twists and slams against your head. Yet it evaporates like water under an early sun when confidence is driven through it.” I started to speak as I towered over the fallen enemy, the crystal protruding from my palm as my gaze began to avert. “Fear is an illusion, a ghost inside of a child’s nightmares. It’s part of being who you are, the precursor to bravery.” They say there is nothing to fear but fear itself, yet in this world that isn’t exactly true. I pressed on into an ancient ruin behind the tattered and broken form of what was once the Father I’d known for so long, breaching the cavern entrance. I was alone once more, my drive and cause had been smashed before my very eyes and yet.. My steps continued. My body propelled me forward with each and every footprint against the sand beneath my feet despite my mind having all hope lost. It was then that I came into the large room, adorned with various dials and levers lining the walls. It seemed rather well kept, really, with bookshelves stacked against the walls and a large hourglass in the centre of the room. “Crumena?” A voice called from behind. Unlike every other voice, however, this hit too close to home. Of all the people they had to trick and torture me with, did they have to choose him? My brother? The one who had been with me from the day I’d breached the circle I’d come to know? “Odd looking room, huh?” With that I turned, eyes bitter and cold as I cast my sights upon him. “This another trick?” I asked carefully “Trick?” He seemed to question. “This isn’t fair. Not you, that’s too far. I can’t do this.” And so, I sat. The wave of acceptance had washed over me as the first light of dawn cropped the ruins in the distance, cast through the large oaken door to the open cavern outside. As the sun rose to the morning sky, I couldn't feel an overwhelming sense of minute consciousness. Today would continue, time would tick forward as usual and the people would scurry around in their day to day routine as they always had. The world would not stand still, the birds would not cease their never ending song. Everything would continue as it always had, but today would be a day without me. Today would be the day that I was taken from this world, though not a dimming of light or quelling of voices would succumb to my weary form. It was now, now of all times that I realised that the burden of life was not to drive for an ending which would never come, but instead of be a breathless whisper upon the wind. My footprints within the sand would fade, my words against the sky would silence the next second that passed, and my body would soon crumble and spread upon the world just as it had been made. This was the course of time, and no one individual would ever truly be remembered, or perhaps never forgotten. While our marks on the world are few and removed, an instance of time captured the breadth of ours lives in a single moment. And so my eyes closed, the sounds of whipping winds stripping past my ears and the chilling sensation of subjective end began to course through me. The lives of many and the tales of time would continue now, but into nothingness I shall fade. We are many people throughout our lives, each with their own memories, personalities and thoughts, though bound by the same instant. A second past in this eternal wasteland, though connected through the memory of each moment we lived. I will not forget one second of this, not one minute of when I was me. Surprisingly, I was joined upon the floor by the entity guised as my kin. “Listen uh. I’m not leaving. Not out there, it’s too.. The screaming is too much. Not in here, though.” I suspended disbelief for a few moments, “How did you get here?” “Eldrad brought us to the Core.” “And so you wish to stay?” “I can’t let you do the rest of this alone.” I couldn’t respond, I daren’t even try. I’d been broken and betrayed so many times, inside and out of this realm of consciousness, though something about him felt different. “Dirk..” “It’s beautiful in a way, the sun in the sky.” “Reminds me of home.” “And home is where we’ll end up.” “Thank you.” The sand within the hourglass continued to funnel through, soon reaching the base as it’s time had ran out. With blood trailing behind me, staining my clothing and the ground beneath our feet, my Brother and I walked through the glimmering sphere which had presented itself once time had reached it’s still. And so completed was the third trial. ((Apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I am very tired right now))

Moved to the Archive. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.

Expansion - General Rules Before: Inter-species physical romantic and sexual relations in regards to animal-like creatures, (Kha etc), falls under rules concerning beastiality and is, therefore, prohibited. After: Inter-species physical romantic and sexual relations in regards to animal-like creatures, (Kha, Hou-zi, or any other Animal based creature)m falls under rules concerning beastiality, and is there for prohibited. Alongside of this, any physically romantic or sexual relations with undead/dead creatures (Wights, Wraiths Liches etc) falls under rules concerning necrophilia. Husking is not an exception.

Moved to the Archive. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.

Moved to the Archive. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.

Moved to the Archive. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.

Moved to the Archive. If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.