BebbZ

~The Shui Family~

“The ocean is the gateway to reclaiming the vast wealth and riches our people once held.” - Shui Dayang

(The symbol of the Shui clan, often flown aboard their ships).

History:

The Shui family does not have the longstanding history of the other families. It was founded in Atlas by Shui Dayang, a merchant and sailor who spent most of his life on the sea, away from his Hou-Zi brethren. Though his family started as a crew of one, he met a woman on one of his infrequent trips home and subsequently had at least three children, Shui Haiyang, Shui Luo and Shui Hai, both of whom were born at sea and grew up only knowing the sea-faring lifestyle.

Upon the relocation of the descendants and the Hou-Zi to Arcas, Shui Dayang decided to take the long route, wanting to explore as much of the newfound seas as he could before returning to his own people. This ended up spelling disaster as the ship ran into trouble as they met up with a ship of rogues and bandits who promptly slaughtered both Dayang and his wife. Perhaps as a small act of mercy, or perhaps as a joke, the pirates then allowed the children to take the escape raft while they made off with the ship and it’s cargo.

Having lost their father at a young age, they paddled their way to shore with Haiyang reluctantly taking the position of Duizhang, or head of the family, a lot sooner than he’d ever wanted it.

Eventually they made it back to their people, and Haiyang made the decision that no longer would the Shui be a family that constantly lived on the open sea. They would live within the safety of the state of Shen, and from there build upon the legacy of their father by exploring more of the sea and trading with people far and near. While their home would be on land, they would always feel more comfortable on the open seas.

Culture + Traditions:

The culture of the Shui is that of seafarers, though all Shui have different reasons for their love of the sea. Some do it for profit, others for adventure. Some want to trade and some want to fish. However the thing that binds all Shui together is their love of the open sea and many feel more comfortable on a boat than on dry land. The Shui have no history of physical prowess but are experts at their crafts, being among the best sailors, fishermen and merchants of the Hou-Zi.

Boat Ownership: It is the dream of any Shui to own their own boat, though the spirit of community is strong in the family and the priority is always to ensure that at least one boat is owned by the family. Boats owned by the family are always referred to as ships, though more commonly by their name, and the ships are respected as any member of the family would be. Likewise whoever owns a ship is considered it’s captain and commands the respect of all Shui on board regardless of their position within the family itself. The exception to this is the communal boat, which can be commanded by anyone, usually being reserved for the most senior family member or for a rite of passage.

One of the most important causes for celebration within the Shui is obtaining a new ship, and of course this too comes with it’s own traditions. Should the ship have been purchased or otherwise acquired, then it is simply taken out for an inaugural voyage, usually by a significant amount of the family. However any member of the Shui obtain a ship of any size that has not been named or sailed before then this is a cause for great celebration and usually involves a grand voyage with many family members.. A great deal of thought is put into the name of a ship, and it is thought that the name has some significance of the fate of the ship. A ship that does well and is retired or goes down valiantly may see it’s name used again for a newer ship. Naming a ship after a vessel that sank easily or caused the unnecessary death of a Hou-Zi without later being redeemed would be a poor omen for that ship and would be frowned upon as a choice for a new ship.

Funeral Rites: The Shui honour their dead with a burial at sea, though the funeral tradition differs depending on whether the deceased died at sea or on land. Those Shui who die at sea are given a funeral aboard the ship on which they died, at the end of which they are cast overboard, or else a funeral is held as close to where they died if they fell overboard while alive and were not recovered. Those who die on land are placed on a boat befitting their status and returned to the ocean, with the boat and it’s passenger occasionally being burned along with offerings that honoured the deceased and the ancestrals so that the deceased can continue to sail until they are ready to pass into the Heavenly Realm.

Birth Rite: The Shui honour newborns in a ritual that goes back to the birth of Haiyang’s brother Luo. When Luo was an infant – as yet unnamed, Dayang held him out over the ocean, in the direction of their home. Unfortunately the Junk rocked at that moment and Dayang’s grip loosened, leaving Luo to drop into the water below. Luo was rescued but when Hai was born their mother, as a joke, poured seawater onto the newborns fur, remarking that it would save them the swim. Since then it has become a tradition to take a newborn Shui out to sea and pour seawater over their fur to introduce them to the sea, an act which is performed before naming the newborn.

Professions:

Any maritime or mercantile profession is an encouraged and respected within the family. This can range from sailing, to fishing, to trade and anything in between, such as the preparation of seafood both for the family and for trade. (It is no surprise that the diet of the Shui is mostly seafood based).

Membership:

Though the family was once just a tightly knit family crew, since taking on the role of the head of the family Haiyang opened it to anyone that follows the seafaring traditions of the family, this is mainly directed at fellow Hou-Zi though those of other races that prove themselves aboard a Shui vessel can be considered too. Whether joining or coming of age as a family member, there is a rite of passage that new members must go before being considered true members, though those of the Shui blood may use the name from birth.

The rite of passage is a simple trial, a prospective Shui must prove their knowledge of sailing by commanding a boat with at least one Shui out on a voyage. The length of the voyage and the purpose are up to the initiate, but they will be judged based on what they choose to do as well as how they handle themselves. The ship not being returned in one piece is considered an instant fail unless there are some extenuating circumstances.

Current Members:

Family Head (Duizhang): Shui Haiyang (BebbZ)

Members: Shui Hai (SaltyOlog)

                     Shui Luo (micbox) Pending

To join as a non-blood member please contact anyone with the surname Shui IRP. To join as a family member please contact either BebbZ#2328, micbox or SaltyOlog.

Contact BebbZ#2328 for further information.

MC Name: BebbZ

Character's Name: Haiyang

Character's Age: 20

Character's Original Race (N/A if not applicable):

         N/A

Transformed form:

         Hou-zi (Laobai)

Creator's MC Name:

         N/A

Creator's RP Name:

         N/A

Briefly explain the lore behind this construct or creature:

History:

The Hou-Zi are a race of sapient monkeys that were once no different from the common primates that roamed the jungles. Metzli, a daemon, had scoured the continent looking for a species that she could uplift into the perfect servant and eventually settled on the primate race that would become the Hou-Zi having found no other suitable candidates and the monkeys at least showed signs of leadership, organisation and pack hunting. She started with the leader of a tribe of monkeys who became the first Hou-Zi, Hou-Shen, who became something akin to a God-King to the Hou-Zi and is still revered today. Hou-Shen founded a great empire and the Hou-Zi went from a race of common beasts to rulers of an empire capable of manufacturing great cities and weaponry.

However all good things must end and as a result of Hou-Shen’s desire to create an empire that spanned the known world he plunged the Hou-Zi into war with the Elven people lead by their own legendary figurehead, Malin. At first the war seemed to be going favourably for the Hou-Zi who won a series of victories, however this was not to be and after a terrible defeat Hou-Shen was slain and this three sons Hou-Da, Hou-Xiao and Hou-Wang ordered an immediate retreat. The Elves were as merciless in their retribution as the Hou-Zi had been as conquerors and took back their lost land without remorse, killing any Hou-Zi they found and forcing the Hou-Zi back into their jungle home. Keen to end the threat once and for all Malin ordered the destruction of their temple but another force was at work. “Poison”, an old and nameless god that oversaw the destruction of species had witnessed the events and set to destroy the Hou-Zi, a red mist seeped into their capital and the buildings, spires and statues began to crumble. Truly defeated, the Hou-Zi scattered into the jungle. When Malin arrived to finish the job he found only a destroyed ruin and ordered his men home, the Hou-Zi threat ended once and for all.

However Metzli had other plans and seeing the interference of the Poison god acted once more by creating a new body for Hou-Shen and bringing him back into the world. With the return of Hou-Shen and the fracturing of the Elven empire, no longer led by Malin, the timing could not have been better. However the Elves, fractured as they were, had advanced beyond the Hou-Zi and all three Elven subraces held out against the Hou-Zi onslaught, eventually uniting to face the threat. The Elves were now vastly superior and in a final battle the Hou-Zi were defeated, with all three of Hou-Shen’s sons falling in battle.

After the wars, the Hou-Zi kept to themselves but their greed caused internal strife as the great houses now fought over simple commodities, most notably Jade. For 500 years the Hou-Zi stagnated until Hou-Shen in his fatigue at the situation wandered into the jungle never to return. His people remain optimistic that he will one day return to lead them all, and/or that he rules a new Jade Kingdom in heaven and this forms the basis of one of their two religions:

Religion:

Shenjiao:

Ancestor Worship focused primarily on Hou-Shen as their ultimate Ancestor-God and his three sons, Hou Da, a massive gorilla and embodiment of Earth, the symbol of stability and patience, Hou Xiao, a blue Hou-zi who embodies Water, the symbol of dexterity, healing and gentleness & Hou Wang, the embodiment of Air, the symbol of freedom. After these patron Gods, individual ancestors are also praised. The ancestors are praised most commonly by the burning of various offerings such as Frankincense and Cinnamon.

Huajiao:

Huajiao is more of a way of life than a religion, teaching philosophies of how a Hou-zi should live their life. It was founded by Hualian and teaches the four truths, the basis of the way of life, and the eightfold way, eight tenets to live by that teach how to reach enlightenment.

Haiyang is a non-devout follower of Shenjiao. He follows the principles and partakes in the rituals and ceremonies, particularly venerating Hou-Wang due to his association with freedom and his desire to be seen as being of a higher class, disassociating with the more common Huajiao that the Laobai normally follow.

Subrace(s):

Haiyang is a Laobai-Zhu, one of the common people, who tend to be merchants, fishermen and farmers. Laobai are the shortest lived of the Hou-Zi subraces averaging at up to 100 years.

The Laobai have various shades of brown fur and are of an average height and weight, in contrast to the Fei-Zhu who have beautiful, multicoloured fur and the Hei-Zhu who are massive hulks of fur and muscle.

Do you have a magic(s) you are dropping due to this app? If so, link it:

         N/A

Do you agree to keep the MT updated on the status of your magic app by using the Magic List Errors topic?:

         N/A

Are you aware that if this creature's lore is undergoing an activity trial and that trial fails, you will no longer be able to play this creature and will be forced to either revert the character back to its normal form (if it was a transformative type) or stop playing the character entirely (if it is an entirely new creature)?:

         Yes

Do you consent to accepting what may happen to this character?:

         Yes

Have you applied for this creature on this character before, and had it denied? If so, link the app:

         No

I preferred the old system by far. The good thing about the buddylist for me was seeing when people were logging in, as someone not in the US timezone that’s a huge help to squeeze in as much RP with people in different timezones to myself. Especially when some of these people are infrequent players. Now not only does someone need to accept a friend request but they have to be online for you to even send the request, which in some cases may be difficult as some of these are players that rarely if ever play anymore. (And while if they do log-in at the same time as me I could certainly add them, I would have no way of knowing they are logged in).

Like Jandy I had never heard of the issue of buddylist being abused, but it doesn’t come as a surprise knowing the mindset of some people that play this game. However I’m a firm believer in enforcing rules against those who break them, rather than changing the system for everyone. If abusing buddylist to track and kill people is against the rules (and if it isn’t, it should be) then punishments should be given to those who abuse it, rather than changing the way the system itself works. Or, if change is necessary – a compromise in which you can add someone at any time, but in return anyone can block you from being notified of their activity.

If the new system remains then it isn’t the end of the world, but it is an inconvenience to those players that wouldn’t even conceive of misusing it, and a slap in the face that the system has to be changed rather than the presumably small amount of offenders being penalised.

Edit: To add to this – if someone is going to go out of their way to abuse the buddylist system then they are probably the same type of people that will /seen on someone until they they are online, or check tab depending on where their name falls alphabetically.

Malohk’Yar awoke to the familiar scent of blood. He didn’t remember how he got here, the opposite end of the trench from the position they’d been holding. All he remembered was the order to get down and get in and that’s what he’d done. He quickly checked himself over, but it didn’t feel like anything had been broken or shattered, he was just bloodied and bruised. He readied his Krugmar-issue sword once more, just in case, but the only ones he could see standing were those of both Krugmar and Renatian colours, he gripped the sword, just in case, and made his way back to their defensive position, keeping an eye out for the Rex or any of his other Orcish brothers.

As he walked through the wreckage he saw an all too familiar sight. His friend and clanswoman, Mograh’Yar’s treasured mace, lying mere inches from the mangled hand of a not-looking-too-good Fe-Uruk. Grinning, he sauntered over, picking up her mace and placing it in her hand. “Lat dropped diz. Lat’z nub gunna bi abul tu akzidentuhlly mawl mi wivowt et,” he chuckled, taking a seat in the dirt next to her. “Nub gunna lie ziztah, latz peepen liyk zkah.” After a moment of her not responding to his jibe, he gives her a quick nudge; she doesn’t usually stay passed out for nearly as long as he does.

“Ziztah? Iz nub tikh tu bi zleepen, wi wohn! Agh mi peeped lat klomp wehl, toniyt wi zelebrayt!” he cheers, nudging her again. Only then did he really take in just quite how bad she was looking, her missing teeth, broken nose and the broken and missing fingers. His victory grin faded as he quickly began to panic. “Mograh? Kum, mih’ll tayk lat bak tu Krugmar, mi momo wihl fikz lat uhp hozh,” he reached out his hands to lift her to carry her back, but brushes over her wrist with one hand, feeling no pulse, no warmth, no life.

His disbelief turned to sorrow and he felt his eyes begin to well, but he had been taught from a young age that Yars do not cry, and so instead he took her mace and slammed it repeatedly into the nearest enemy skull he could find in an act of unadulterated rage. Once the former enemy had been made unrecognisable to his or her own loved owns he turned his attention back to his clanmate. “Whi ziztah? Lat kan nub leev mi. Whu iz gunna zayv mi lyf aht da nekzt huhnt? Dub tikhz lat have zayved mi nowh...zurely deyr iz zum whey mi kan ztill zayv lat...” but his words fell on deaf, dead ears and he himself knew it was too late, she was already gone.

Resolved to at the very least return her body to be given an honoured Yar funeral he empties his quiver of it’s remaining arrows and carried her mace in it instead. Then he lifted the heavy Fe-Uruk over his shoulders and began his long trek back to Krugmar, with nothing in his mind but reaching home and perhaps paying Mograh a visit in the Stargush’Stroh, to berate her for leaving them in person, and to say farewell to his childhood friend.

MC Name: BebbZ

Character's Name: Malohk'Yar

Character's Age: 27

Character's Race:

         Orc

What magic(s) will you be learning?

         Shamanism:Lutauman

Teacher's MC Name:

         Falum'Lur

Teacher's RP Name:

         Stargush

Do you have a magic(s) you are dropping due to this app? If so, link it:

         No

Do you agree to keep the MT updated on the status of your magic app by using the Magic List Errors topic?:

         Yes

Are you aware that if this magic is undergoing an activity trial and fails said trial, that you will lose the magic?:

         Yes

Have you applied for this magic on this character before, and had it denied? If so, link the app:

         No

The Yazgurtan Malohk’Yar sighs as he oversees the last groups of labourers finishing construction of the wall, some way away from the Rex’s speech. He could not make out what the Rex had to say, although the crowd’s cheers carry across the Savannah like war drums to his ears. He grins a toothy, tusky grin, proud to serve Krugmar in what would one day go down as a golden age of Orc triumph over adversity, before quickly resuming his work. 

It wasn’t the stone fortifications of San’Kala. It lacked the intense, dry desert heat of San’Khatun. But San’Strok was to be their home, and under Burbur’Lur’s Rexdom they would make it a goi worthy of Krug’s descendants.

Application:

Name: Malohk’Yar

Race: Uruk

Age: 20

Discord#: BebbZ#2328

  “Bruddahz agh ziztahz, huntin’ bi amung owr peepul’z prowdezt tradizhunz, zu diz zeazon wi honur Votar! Zharpen latz zpeerz agh mend latz netz. Prepayr trapz agh redi latz howlurz. Et ez nub zmall gaym latz am tu hunt. Zeek owt da bub’hozhezt agh mozt danjuruz prey lat kan. Da azh whu huntz da hozhezt beezt wull bi rewarded wif da honur uf bearin’ da Zkull Ztav uf Votar! Bi redi fur da komin’ kaktuz week uf Gazog Ztaun!”

Malohk listened keenly to his grandfather. He was now at an age where it was time to prove himself. For Gazog Ztaun, the Wild Season, he decided to embark on a challenging hunt of his own. His first solo hunt.

He wandered the desert and surrounding areas in the days leading up to his hunt, looking for somewhere full of prey, settling on a watering hole just past the desert, in the grassy steppes. Preparing a couple of heavy spears and a handful of throwing spears and learning from his mother, Nurena’Yar how to treat them to not break as easily he headed off to see what beasts he could slay for Votar. Though he’d been hoping to wrestle a bear, his options were far more limited and he settled on a majestic Ibex that would make for a glorious trophy. (Full screenshot of hunt below:)

Following his first triumph he also participated in a family hunt against a ferocious Bull Elephant, which left injury after injury on the hunting party, but ultimately the united Yars were victorious with Malohk landing a crucial strike and finally piercing the elephant’s tough hide with his sharpened wooden spear, though breaking his spear in the process. This was however not the killing blow, though still a blaze of glory for the 16 year old.

“Glozug Votar” muttered the young Yar as he held the broken spear in his hand. Much had he learned through these two great hunts, but he also had much still to learn. More importantly than that though, he desperately needed a more sturdy and more lethal hunting weapon or two.

Uztrak’Braduk sat alone in his room, taking a long and slow drag on some cactus green as he considered what had occurred in this ‘clan war’ to date. In the end the only scene on his mind was watching as Duk’Braduk’s life slid away from him, in the clan hall right there in front of his eyes.

“Mi did nub gruk lat wehl, Duk. Agh mi uhnlee gruked lat az ahn enuhmy in wagh. Buht lat waz honurable in death. It wud have been an honur tu klomp alongzide lat. Enjuy Stargush’Stroh, Brudda.”

Serevik Isilioleth wiped his brow as he heard news of the Cantina. He frowns and continues his work at the forge, only muttering; "I didn't want to go anyway."

MC Name: BebbZ

Character's Name: Serevik Isilioleth

Character's Age: 24

Character's Race: Dark Elf

What magic(s) will you be learning?: Spirit Smithing

Teacher's MC Name: Smawton

Teacher's RP Name: Gijaak’Raguk

Do you have a magic(s) you are dropping due to this app? If so, link it: No

Do you agree to keep the MT updated on the status of your magic app by using the Magic List Errors topic?: Yes

Are you aware that if this magic is undergoing an activity trial and fails said trial, that you will lose the magic?: Yes

Have you applied for this magic on this character before, and had it denied? If so, link the app: No

Forged in Flames

The dream. The same dream again.

He was in the Isilioleth Clan Hall – alone as always. No... He wasn’t alone. There was a shadow by the fireplace, Mali’ker, just like him. He could barely make it out, but it appeared to be the silhouette of Gillionel Isilioleth, his elder and wise still beyond his years. He blinked, painfully aware of the smoke clouds beginning to fill his eyes. When his eyes opened he was alone, no longer in the safety of his home, but surrounded by darkness and gazing into a steadily spreading fire that seemed not to illuminate the darkness at all. Suddenly it was as if the flames were calling to him, beckoning him into their grasp. Serevik took a step back, remembering the horrible fate that had befallen his kinsman – Varikas Isilioleth. Was this a sign he was to meet the same fate? A sign from the Spirits? If so he could not simply ignore it, so closed his eyes and went to step forward into the flames – a sensation of falling – and he woke up, sweating and breathing heavily, safe and sound in his bedroll.

Immediately after waking up he searched for his lari’onn, his older sister, Arveia. She was busying herself in their small kitchen, tidying it up and finishing turning it from what just a few weeks ago could only have been considered a cupboard into a marvelous kitchen space.

“About time you woke up. Now maybe you can lend me a hand in the kitchen?” Serevik blinked and gazed around, wondering how the room had transformed so much but still pondering the meaning of his dream.

“I feel as if I hadn’t slept...strange dreams.” Serevik explained his dream, that he’d had the same before, but without Gillionel in them, and that he was never able to enter the flames. “Perhaps you should meditate on your dreams, before sleeping. Perhaps the Spirits are trying to tell you something. Maybe Zaniil or Gillionel could help. They know more about these things,” she told him, wiser in years than him. They discussed the use of drugs as a way of expanding the mind, and he made the decision to try it... Once he’d spoken to someone with many more years of experience than either of them.

That night, the dream repeated itself, but this time there were two of his kinsmen at the fire before him, Gillionel and Zaniil both. They both looked at him and then returned their gaze to the fire. Again, he blinked and the world descended into darkness, just him and the flames. Once more as he approached the flames he woke up in a hot flush, no closer to the answers he sought. He tried gazing into a real fire, meditating in front of one, and even eyed up the hookah stands dotted around, wondering if his sister’s advice would yield results.

He wandered around town, searched through the library and even considered asking one of the clever looking High Elves or Wood Elves that gathered by the fountain – perhaps they had experience with interpreting dreams. He had heard they had a reputation for sleeping around – surely they’d encountered something like this. However he knew it was unwise to ask strangers for help with one’s troubles. No, he would need to seek out the clan elders. They would know what to do.

As luck would have it, on his way home and just outside their Clan Hall he finally saw the familiar face that was Zaniil Isilioleth. He was dealing with one of the neighbouring families so Serevik remained quiet and observed until Zaniil was free to chat. He explained the dreams he’d had, and his sister’s advice and Zaniil seemed to consider it for a moment, before agreeing with Arveia - ‘herbs’ to awaken the senses just before sleep was a tried and tested practised, passed down by their ancestors. He also left Serevik with what almost sounded like a prophecy. Take an item that has meaning to you and wear it at your neck as you sleep.

Serevik went back into the Clan Hall. His sister was nowhere to be seen, he was alone. Or was he? Perhaps the Spirits were with him here, now, watching him. Judging, perhaps. He took some of his sister’s cactus green and began to cautiously use the hookah to ‘free his mind’. He coughed and spluttered, and probably ingested more than anyone would have advised for his first time, but no-one was here to advise him. He made his way to another hookah that seemed to have a substance in it and tried that, just to be sure as he was not yet feeling any different. The second hookah contained Iblees’ touch, and even a small inhalation of that seemed to take more of an effect on him than the green.

He took his purple sash, a gift from his father, and untied it from his belt and wore it loosely around his neck and as the room began to spin and twist in front of him, he made his way to his room - if he was even taking the right way to his room - to think of his dream, to think of the Spirits, and to try to put meaning into what he was experiencing. He did not remember the feeling of his head hitting the pillow, however it must have, as once again he felt himself no longer in his room, his dreams beginning once again.

Once more he was in the Isilioleth Clan Hall – the silhouettes of who he believed to be Gillionel and Zaniil this time looked away from him, looking at a third figure. One he did not recognise, but who had the deep crimson eyes of the family. The new figure looked at Serevik, looked him up and down and smiled.

“It is time,” he said calmly, his lips barely moving, his voice familiar, yet not one he recognised. The stranger placed his hand firmly on Serevik’s shoulder, looked him square in the eye, then removed from Serevik the purple sash that he had hung around his neck. Serevik opened his mouth to protest but found himself unable to speak, unable to stop the figure from throwing the sash into the flames which begin to emanate a purple glow and uttered “Come with me, if you understand.” Before his eyes this time, everything disappeared but the purple flames, stronger and more fierce than they had ever been in his dreams, beckoning him with even more intensity yet repulsing him with even more heat.

Gulping, he took a step forward and then another until he was engulfed in the blaze. The fire burned away the darkness around him, burned his untamed ebony hair from it’s roots atop his head, but it did not burn Serevik himself. Instead he stood there, bathing in the dancing, writhing flames as the black void around him turned purple like the night’s sky. As he gazed up, he saw the towering figure of the same Mali’ker that had thrown his sash into the flames, holding a large hammer above his head, and then crashing the hammer down into the flames, driving it’s force through the fire and into Serevik. The almighty blow caused Serevik to jolt awake and smell the crisp, fresh sea air outside.

...Outside. What was he doing outside? He looked around, he was still in Velunor...but while he was sure he’d been in his room when he’d drifted off, he was far now from the Clan Hall. Behind him he heard the crackling of fire and a burning sensation along his scalp, he reached up instinctively to his head and ran a hand over it, expecting to feel his bun – nothing but a smooth surface. He turned and gazed up to see that he had woken up in front of, no... Practically inside of, the shrine to the Spirit Gentharuz. Is that who he’d seen in his dream? ..No, of course not. Gentharuz was much bigger, vaster than that which he’d encountered, nor was he an Elf. But still, there was a feeling inside Serevik he’d never felt before. Direction. Purpose. He ran home, his purple sash still safely around his neck, to tell his sister, Arveia, that he finally knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a master of the forge.

Application:

IGN: BebbZ

Discord: BebbZ#2328