The King Of The Moon

Gukdab coughs, shuffling behind the 'Freygoth' portion of his Dark Shaman lore. Seriously though, go read that! Could work very nicely in combination with this piece, which I like. +1

Accepted, details of your Muyakelg will be discussed in Skype.

Accepted, details of your Muyakelg will be discussed in Skype.

'The Toad' marched through the Krugmar citadel in the dead of night, countenance veiled beneath a layer of thick steel. His gaze shifted from Shaman to Shaman huddled at the firesides surrounding the immense fortress; he felt the presences of his enemies gazing back at him. "These are the puppet masters of the Uruk" he thought to himself, marauding on. "They are countless... I am not yet strong enough to face them... Though they have weapons that can be held in my grasp." Beneath his helm the Goblin smirked. Eventually, he came to a stop before the shrine to Laklul, his greaves sank into the earth - sodden by the swamp-spirit's influence - as he grumbled quietly to himself: "and you, a foe even I and the other Uluamirzgai can not capture. It's time I built up a fighting force." The Dark Shaman in steel trudged back over the dunes to the hovel from whence he came, crossing into the Spirit Realm to start forging his army. ((Recruiting: Muyakelgs to serve the Dark Shaman cause, apply below if interested. Please read through this lore thoroughly beforehand and use the format provided)) MC name: Skype name: Type of Muyakelg you'd like to play: Do you understand Muyakelg lore?: Do you understand that the Muyakelg of your choice may be bound to the will of the Uluamirzgai?: Do you understand that the Muyakelg of your choice may depend on the Uluamirzgai to be refuelled?: Do you consent to PK your character if your creator is to dismantle you in Roleplay?: Why do you want to play a Muyakelg?: (If Ancestral Muyakelg also fill in the following for their character in their lifetime) RP name: Race: Martial speciality (if any): Cause of death:

Lichess is what most people use on here I think, which is fine. I just sat there thinking it was silly that so many people RP it and use terms related to it ("He's but a pawn" "we fought to a stalemate" etc) and it was something seen as just a 'human' thing, despite the majority of people doing said RP being Elves.

"Throughout the ages, since before even the Four Brothers themselves, history has been determined by the outcome of various battles: Battles of Magic, for Voidal supremacy or Deific servitude have shaken the very foundations of existance; Battles of Might, with Brawn and Steel have determined the rise and fall of nations since the earliest renditions of society... But the most ancient conflict of all? The Battle of Wits." -Valmir Synalli (in an attempt to coerce his defeated Chess opponent into another game), Haelun'or C. 1570. The game 'Chess' is of muddy origins with timeless sets found in scholarly buildings, religious temples and political seats amongst all of the intelligent races. Alongside such, naturally, many cultures have come up with their own explanation for where it came from: Many Tribesman and Shamans of Krugmar for instance share in the belief that Krug himself invented the game with the assistance of Vuka (the spirit of Warfare) shortly after Iblees lay his curse upon he and his descendants, so that those that came after him could learn the value of strategic combat and keeping a level head on the fields of battle, in a failed attempt to counter their savage bloodlust. Amongst the Brathmordakin of Urguan's descendants there are rumours that Yemekar sculpted the first Chessboard to do battle against Khorvod in an orderly manner, without disrupting the essential balance of his creation. Others suggest it to serve as a measurement of a Golem's mental ability (a Golem able to beat its master at chess is either a marvel of runic technology or a sign of a troublingly unintelligent Golemancer). In seats of high nobility in the many tenuous kingdoms of Man, the game is said to have originated as a flexible Battle-Map to plan for the conflicts that brought down the first Holy Empire of Oren. More narcissistic humans on the other hand have explained it to be "a way for houses too poor for bannermen to wage war on eachother". And amongst the Elves explanations differ, some Druid of the Mother Circle suggesting it to have simply been discovered amidst the ruins of the destructive mage-factions that fell in the Great War which began the first Druidic order. Other suggest Malin to be its inventor, for it to be used as a means of honing the mind lest it dull from the strain of eternal life. Another explanation offered by the scholars of Haelun'or is that one of Larihei's followers introduced the game as a means of testing the cognitive ability of young mali'aheral so that they might be deemed prepared for the shock of a Voidal connection. Whoever its maker and whatever the initial purpose claimed for the game, amongst all peoples familiar Chess still follows a similar set of rules and pieces. It is played upon an 8x8 check pattern square board and there are two sides, begging each with 16 of the same pieces of two separate colour variants: 8 x Pawns, generally the smallest pieces which occupy the full line furthest from the player they belong to at the start of the game. On the first use of each pawn it may move two spaces forwards, then one space forward at a time. Pawns can take pieces one space diagonally forward left or right of them, though cannot take pieces directly forwards of them. 2 x Rooks, generally shaped akin to watchtowers or small castles, which occupy the furthest rear-left and rear-right spaces to the player they belong to at the start of the game. Rooks can move up to 8 spaces forwards, backwards, left or right (though not diagonally) at a time and take opposing pieces within reach of those restrictions. If a Rook is to advance to the far side of the board from where it began, it can be exchanged for any new piece of the player's choice besides a King (substitute pieces sometimes being necessary for duplicates). 2 x Knights, generally shaped akin to a mount or a humanoid riding one which occupy the second furthest rear-left and rear-right spaces to the player they belong to at the start of the game. Knights can move 3 spaces forwards, backwards, left or right then 1 space either left or right of the original 3 at the end (though no more or less than this) and possess the unique ability to pass over other pieces in their paths. 2 x Bishops, generally shaped akin to a religious leader or the headwear of a religious leader atop a vertical pole which occupy the third furthest rear-left and rear-right spaces to the player they belong to at the start of the game. Bishops can move up to 8 spaces diagonally forwards or backwards left or right at a time and take opposing pieces within the reach of those restrictions. 1 x Queen, generally shaped akin to a political matriarch or the headwear of a political matriarch atop a vertical pole, which occupies the rear central space of the player's side's colour (a player using white pieces, for instance, would place their queen on a white space, assuming the sides to be black or white). A Queen can move up to 8 spaces diagonally or straight, forwards, backwards, left or right at a time and take opposing pieces within the reach of those restrictions. 1 x King, generally shaped akin to a political patriarch or the headwear of a political patriarch atop a vertical pole, which occupies the rear central space of the player's opposite side's colour (a player using white pieces, for instance, would place their King on a black space, assuming the sides to be black or white). A King can move 1 space diagonally or straight, forwards, backwards, left or right at a time and take opposing pieces within the reach of those restrictions. If a player's own King is ever 1 enemy move away from being taken (pieces being taken by enemies landing on the same square the piece previously resided on in their turn), the enemy must declare 'Check'. Once 'Check' is declared, the player's move in response must be dedicated to taking their King out of 'Check' by either moving it, taking the enemy piece posing the threat or blocking its path if possible. If a player cannot get them self out of 'Check', the pair will declare 'Checkmate' and the enemy (who got their opponent's King cornered) wins. In a scenario where this becomes impossible to be achieved by either party (due to a lack of pieces) the players will declare 'Stalemate' and the game will end in a draw. (This is not a meme, please let my chess RP make a shred of sense in the LoTC universe)

Uluamirzgai (Those Who Imprison): The Third Generation of Dark Shamanism As darkness began to swallow the land; as the Lord March failed to complete its challenge its holy rivals, as the Abyss vanished and the cold west was reclaimed, three Ish’Urkal formed a new rallying cry in the scorching deserts of the east. The Dark Shamans three: Gukdab the Spurned, Kulgarok the Truthseeker and Kurag the Bastard descended upon the Spirit realm. Their collective cause, own minds benevolent, was in truth one fueled by a lust for power in preparation for the conflicts to come. They ventured to the teacher of their art, Ixli, Spirit of Forbidden Knowledge in search of a new tool to be placed in their hand to redeem the failed legacy of the unhallowed Lord March, for whilst their gaze was upon deities Druidic, Clerical, Paladin and Ascended, the Ish’Urkal would seek out the Spirits and the Shamans who served them: deceivers and puppet masters to Uruk-kind since the dawn of Krugmar. Ixli, having already bestowed all of its power upon them saw their request as arrogant and foolhearty. In turn, the three were stripped - as were all other Ish’Urkal - of their powers. The spirits had been wrenched free from them, and all of their corrupted kin. Ixli cast them free from their domain, and left them within the twisting nexus of the Spirit Realm. The Lands of the Spirit held no mercy for the three shamans. Their minds were wracked with pain and anguish, anger and pain surging forth. Every aspect within the spirit realm sought to attack the accursed shamans, to rend their souls asunder and tear apart every fibre of their being. They shrieked out, calling to any spirit in hopes for salvation. In their desperation, one Immortal Spirit had looked over them. The Spirit Realm bent and crackled at his approach, A being of burnt and blackened flesh, horns crowning his dark visage, and his eyes aflame with control. Leyd. In witnessing the power the former Ish’Urkal had over the other spirits, Leyd saw it as fate. They had begged for his mercy, and so he wished to grant it. In teaching them, and in subjugating the realm as his own. He granted them new strength, power to surmount the spirits and their trickery and in turn created a paradigm shift in the ongoing war of the spirits. In Leyd's vision, he would have his dominion. The Tome of Ixli As Ixli’s former brood of Ish’Urkal have turned away from him, so too has he from his potential students. The tome withdrew its knowledge from all Ish’Urkal, returning them to fully mortal corporeality and stripping them of their previously consumed spirits (for the greater Spirit’s own use) before banishing them to the spirit realm. All former Dark Shamans are considered powerless and must seek tutelage from Leyd’s chosen trio henceforth, though their own adapted skills may persist should they re-assume dominion over spirits similar to the ones they once held. ((Former Ish’Urkal and all abilities related that are not mentioned in this post are gone. They may begin re-learning to use the same spirits from T3, provided they can acquire both a willing teacher and an Isthmus Anchor containing spirits of their former subtypes)) Isthmus Anchors, Cages Of The Spirits TL;DR: A teaching Dark Shaman now forms a totem for their own personal use, which acts as a metaphorical bridge between the Ancestral and Physical planes, as well as a prison for the Dark Shaman's 4 chosen spirits (1 spirit is tied directly with one of the 'Three Rites' abilities mentioned below, the other 3 are to be from the 'List of Useable Spirits' below). This totem can have a maximum of 6 Dark Shamans sharing its power at once, at the totem maker's discretion for potential students). Powers can be drawn from the totems for a radius of 50 x 50 blocks; access to a totem is necessary for all forms of Dark Shamanism. If a captured spirit is one to with which a regular shaman has a pact, they will lose all abilities affiliated and have to establish a new pact with another or wait until the spirit is again freed to reclaim them. Destroying the physical manifestation will temporarily disable an Anchor until a Dark Shaman reforms it, destroying the spiritual manifestation will strip a Dark Shaman of their magic for one IRL week and require them to create a new anchor. Naakh, The Tool Of A Dark Shaman TL;DR: harnessing the power of the spirits contained within the Isthmus Anchor at any range beyond 50 x 50 blocks will require the use of a Naakh: a relic of any shape and size (though no smaller than a ring) imbued with wretched shamanistic powers. At a distance where using a Naakh is necessary, a dark shaman must activate their relic in an emote as a singular action (similarly to a voidal or deific connection) before begging to draw their power. Upon activation, the Naakh will change to a colour of unnaturally pitch black or a highly deep purple; it must maintain contact with the Dark Shaman's body. The distinct qualities of the Naakh may draw unwanted attention, for whilst the relic is personal to a Dark Shaman's use, it can be taken from them and thus render the Dark Shaman powerless until they reclaim or replace it (in replacing it, the Dark Shaman will have to venture back to their Isthmus Anchor, meaning they would be powerless for the full duration of any RP in which they lack it and must reclaim it). Depending on he type of spirit being drawn upon at the time, nearby Elementalists, Farseers or Lutamancers will be alerted of a pained spirit nearby when a Naakh is in use. Certain spells channelled through the Naakh (detailed below) will also make the Dark Shaman them self susceptible to Aescended Flame for a decent period of time. The Grak, Imprisoning the Spirits TL;DR: Dark Shamans may risk PKs in conducting a ritual through which they trick a spirit into approaching a false totem, then force it half way into a mortal body to kill it - or have their characters permanently killed if it kills them. If successful, however, a Dark Shaman may then either imprison that spirit to cast with or harvest a peculiar blue liquid from the fallen spirit's corpse: Dub'Guk, the 'blood of two'. This spirit blood can be used to imbue specific properties from a small range onto an object or brew cocktails and potions of a restricted list. This is detailed further in the 'List of Useable Spirits'. If a sacrificed spirit is one to with which a regular shaman has a pact, they will lose all abilities affiliated with it and have to establish a new pact with another to reclaim them. List of Usable Spirits: Whilst the Ish’Urkal of old were able to consume and wield the powers of almost any Lesser Spirit, enabled due to their method of bondage to their own soul, the next generation of Dark Shamans is far more restricted. Their Isthmus Anchors are but mortally forged under Leyd’s guidance and as a result cannot comprehend the more complex spirits. Tier Progression The Three Rites Of Dark Shamanism The most versatile feat of dark shamanism brought to this new generation of spirit-slavers is the choice of the Three Rites. In order to conclude the forging of one’s Isthmus Anchor, a shaman must select their first spirit as one tied to The Three Rites, be it a spirit of Transport, Death or Slavery. Each spirit and the powers tied to it was selected by the first of these new dark shamans, each with their own malformation of Orcish principles. The Stazg-Doraz: Transport, The Imprisonment of a Lesser of Ghorza Gukdab, to begin with, was an honourable Goblin - perhaps too much so. Amongst his peers (namely Kurag) he was seen as too merciful, perhaps even cowardly in his choices. The gifts of the Ish’urkal of old to him were his cross to bear, a necessity in freeing his kindred from the puppetry of the Shamans and the Spirits past them. To take the life of any but his direct foe was a slur on what it meant to be an Orc, in the elder Goblin’s eyes. As such, of Leyd he asked for a means of retreat, to gracefully end his battle with his own departure, rather than further bloodshed. Leyd gifted him a Lesser of Ghorza and the Rite of Transport, therefore, so that he and his followers to come would be able to venture to and from battle as their strict code of honour deemed fit. Unudh-Stargûsh:Warfare, The Imprisonment of a Lesser of Vuka Kurag, on the other hand, was an Uruk harshly smitten by Iblees’ curse of bloodlust. The glory of victory blinded him (in Gukdab’s eyes especially) to the potential for peace. He saw the power he once held as the strongest of the previous Ish’urkal as his right, all others falling beneath his might. Mercy, in Kurag’s opinion, was un-Orcish. Therefore, of Leyd he demanded power, greater than that of his brothers and capable of defeating those who stood in his way. As a result, Leyd (with much admiration) fed his Anchor a Lesser of Vulka and the Rite of Warfare, so that he and his followers to come would be able to command Ancestral warriors against their foes. Ish’grak’gaium: Slavery, The Imprisonment of a Lesser of Levaz Kulgarok was unlike his peers. Whilst Gukdab’s faith in honour and Kurag’s lust for battle each domineered their unsound minds, Kulgarok chose a middle-path, a more calculated route. He had in the past become an ish’urkal with similar motives to his brothers; as a witness to Orgon’s powers and that of even greater beings like the Aenguls and daemons, he saw that mere ideology nor strength alone could accomplish his goals. He did so, put simply, to seek mortal truth. It was this calculation that led him to request from Leyd something that could help him end his battles justly, like Gukdab, though also rightly, like Kurag. And so Leyd granted him a Lesser of Levas and the Rite of Slavery, so that he and his followers to come would be able to divert unnecessary conflicts away from them - with vision towards a true goal - whilst also expressing dominion in the fields of battle and being fearsome to their enemies. All three of these rituals put great strain on the Isthmus Anchor when conducted and as such, no dark shaman may choose more than one of The Three Rites; as such their choice of one of the three spirits mentioned is not one to take lightly. Red Lines For Dark Shamanism as a Whole Credit: TheKingOfTheMoon Divine Justice Lhindir_ KBR Zamaru42 Additional Sources Used/ Referenced

[Application] RP Name: Izchmrz MC Name: TheKingOfTheMoon Known Arcane Arts: Transfiguration Position Desired: Student When is the best time to contact you for an interview: Interview!? I paid for half the damn guild!

Nifty.

As the most recent Lore Holder for Anti Magic, I've only a few things to really add. the actual aesthetic of this rendition (such as the spells) is cool. It's something I deeply admire over the 'hands off' style of my re-write, in which the caster was expected to make the magic their own with the limitations of mist density, distance from the caster and connection to the caster alone. this isn't too well written or explained (though mine wasn't brilliant either) I'm in favour of Anti Magic being fully overhauled into some sort of Witcheresque magic, which is effectively how I and my students RP'd it - though the fundamentals of the magic (the complexity of the PK requirements, the physical degradation etc) don't allow for that currently. it's probably for the best this magic dies to make room for something similar to what I mentioned above, one example being the 'warding' magic Medvekoma attempted a while ago, which was ultimately ruled out due to the existance of Anti Magic I genuinely appreciate that you've tried to fix things, Rella, where myself and the rest of the remaining Anti Mage community have failed, but it seems you've been put on the spot to try and make an ultimately boring magic (thanks to me) work well under an MT that wants it gone or nerfed; that's just not going to work out and judging by most of the other comments on this post, I doubt this will be accepted. Best of luck, though when the inevitable comes, Anti Magic may you rest in peace.

Where Laklul at? Really tho, I love the Emerald Dream +1

Y... You... Were meant to say...

But what, Archangel_Avacyn, must we give in return?

Can we get more detail on the idea of destroying a ward? Additionally, to what extent an Anti Mage would have to work in draining an enchantment/ward? Otherwise good stuff, +1

I, as a former Blood Mage and current Dark Shaman, support this.

((Sold, auction over))

A ransom note is left at the kidnap site before more are distributed about the Axios. "TwiGGi fOr a hOZh BLarG. PeEpin' fOr ZhinIeZ fOr hIM. NaME: TyRiL ((ninjaclimb1)) RAcE: TwIGgI'AlBai HiGh ElF GeNDa: MaLE AgE: At LeAZt beLOw 10: KuB. GiB 2,000 ZhinIeZ fOr HiZ reTUrN, OThurWiZE auCZHuNz ZTart aT 1,500! KoNTakt GolNauk fOr dETaiLz!" Payment information for an anonymous bank account follows the letter.