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Sorcerio

Creative Wizard
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Everything posted by Sorcerio

  1. Dunno how much longer I can do this...

    1. Zarsies

      Zarsies

      he says as the meeting starts

    2. Sorcerio

      Sorcerio

      Just for u I stay

    3. Arafel
  2. Whats going gamers?

    1. Traveller

      Traveller

      going
      /ˈɡəʊɪŋ/
       
      noun
       
      1. 1.
        an act of leaving a place; a departure.
        "don't lose track of your child's comings and goings"
    2. Nozgoth

      Nozgoth

      plasmodial slime moulds

    3. Panashea

      Panashea

      healing and going crazy

  3. Inb4 necromancy recruitment post 

    1. JARVISPOSTING

      JARVISPOSTING

      8iWUCdM.gif?noredirect

       

      Jarvis, we're running low on necromancers. Make a forum post. Only accept people who write seven paragraphs and quote multiple philosophical authors. Laugh at the others in private discord chats.

  4. The CCP is at it again! 

  5. Wow, this is great! Glad someone put this into words.
  6. My god I'm becoming obsolete...

    1. gavyn

      gavyn

      who are you again?

    2. Sorcerio
    3. Panashea

      Panashea

      TIME TO MAKE AN ORC

  7. Geithwald: burnt ice-cream Azigaté: probably Caribbean rum-raisin or something like that Dresden: moose-tracks
  8. You guys are epic (mostly) 

    1. Spindle

      Spindle

      By you guys, you mean me right?

    2. Sorcerio
    3. Unwillingly

      Unwillingly

      By mostly, you mean me right?

  9. And in the fiery heat of the rebuttal, a response was penned by the instigator: Do not impugn my honor by proposing I am of the Xionist flock, for they have long-since faded into obscurity, mentioned only in whispers by madened cabals who cling to shreds of forgotten knowledge. But such identities remain beyond this exchange, for I have doted upon the thoughts encapsulated within your letter, and have found them to only confirm my gravest of fears: You assert that the gods are to man as we are to insects, and that we are to forfeit our will with only trust that man’s best interest will be maintained. But this is fallacy, for men and the gods were made alike; only in light of the cataclysm of Aegis have we grown to see them as beings of greater power than we, for they have woven that delusion deep within our hearts and minds. In truth, it was man the gods most feared and coveted in the beginning, the Enemy greatest of all, hence his instigation of chaos among the Brothers of Old. He, too, was of the Light, even though his dominion came to darkness and corruption in the end. But that primordial desire to rule and have a domain of his own, it lingers in the hearts of all who are born of The One, and this is evident by the many suffusions of boons within our realm, each one a desperate scramble to claim dominion over mortal men. We may not fathom the ways of the gods, but do not fall prey to the belief that they know us better than we understand ourselves. Your Lion claims he is for man, and perhaps that is his deepest intention, yet he knows not our ways nor can comprehend our potential, for he is not of us. How can he say he cares for our freedom, when he has stripped freedom from other men who have dared to stand against his mission and pursue their own path? He seeks to control that which he does not understand, and thus his vision of freedom dramatically contests our own. So tell me, Espouser of Gold, what shall your Lion do when all is said and done, and the last resistance of men has been banished beyond oblivion? Do you truly believe he will cast away his hard-earned dominion? No – he will seek to preserve it, to make it everlasting, as any despotic power. On that day, the farcical shroud of mercy will be cast aside, and free will shall be left as a smoldering remnant in the wake of a seething light. Man will have forfeited his freedom, and we will be left as slaves. Even now, you are played as a pawn upon a board, bound to the whims of an oath which, though perhaps you share in sentiment, are not written by your own hand, but by another, distant one. I do not wish for man’s fate to be woven by a hand who shares no part in it. Your words are condemning, but they shall not stand against the might of Man. When my deed is done, then I shall rest, and shall not return. Divine and demonic, light and dark, none among them shall linger any further in our world, and there shall only be Man to stand against the Void. But until then, you have only to see me rise to the height of my mission and creed; and it shall be greater than any yet mustered among the descendants, nor those who dwell in our lands. Thus is my promise unto you, O’ Scion of the Light. Know it well. — Vicar of the Flame in the Shadow
  10. And in the fiery heat of the rebuttal, a response was penned by the instigator: So then there is wit among the forked-tongues, but your claims are vexing still. Know that I am beyond the puerile sort of Xion, and their ways have left them shattered and in the choking dust of antiquity. They had their call, and it proved hollow. But do not think I hate you for thy nature alone, nor because of my ties to that feeble religion; but that you share in the same vow as those of silver and gold who you claim to hate in turn. You are not of men, and yet you serve him; is that not what is proclaimed by those who quiver to the whims of aengulic decree? Like a withering bough in the face of the breeze, they would shift their very will to align with those who granted them power, solely for power’s sake. For only ever have I encountered those who you say are now ash and dust; I have not seen their lord, but only that they pay him homage for their power, and that his likeness are spurned by the realms of men. Tell me then, Word of Fire, what is it he promises to you? To me he is but an extravagant flame which lingers beyond this world. Where is he then? Or is he only of those who hide behind shrouds of deception, speaking empty words to his adherents? For while I have not long-tread this land of living men, and yet I have found it festering with the touch of the divine like a pool of poisoned water, a taint which must be cleansed by the fire of men – for only he is fit to rule this domain. But you, who claim you are not beasts, are consumed by the notion that we are all but slaves; speaker of dragon-ilk, which is the better to be? Is a man better as a slave to his passions? Or is it better for a beast to pretend to be a man, as you so boldly claim is the nature of your brood? For if you are not of man in spirit, nor in body, from whence did you come; from where does your line hail? If my claims were sweeping and broad, your oath to your Father is yet broader still – for even now his likeness flits between joy and sorrow, envy and giving, wrath and mercy in your words. Perhaps your Father is beyond my own understanding, and by that I am humbled. But even so, the deeds of his progeny remain ever-clear in my mind, and unto that is my image of him and his ilk painted. So then prove to me that you are not what I most of all loath; prove that you are not mere hollow words, but deeds. The flames roar with anticipation, and yet they are not fueled by draconic brood, but by man. Therefore, hark, men of fire, for I wait and see whether you too shall fan the flames, or be consumed in their wake. — He Who Holds the Key to Flame and Darkness
  11. Four letters addressed to certain guilds would find their way to the prominent and grandiose halls of their respective targets. Each bears a unique signature, but all share a single seal: A hand bathed in red flame, wearing four black rings, and a fifth of which was of gold. The following letter is addressed to the Queendom of Serheim, signed in deep red. To those Of the Ancient Ways, I write to you as both my protectorate and by my oath as Tongue, offering you counsel and warning: There is virtue in the mission you profess; you stand against the power of outer foes, and rebuke men who claim themselves to be in the service of gods. However, while your deeds hold merit, you base yourself in things less so, for your works are rooted in tribalism and denominations, paying no heed to the folly of those Lords who instituted your vows: The Lord of Flame sought to have Man rule this world and the Gods their own — but they did not foresee that the Gods would always return to meddle in the affairs of men. The Lord of Darkness sought to end the Gods and their plight — yet they saw mortality as a weakness rather than the epitome, and toyed recklessly with the wanton powers of the Void. The Lord of Oaks saw Man to be what he truly was — but they did not have the courage nor strength to fulfill their charge against the Gods, and thus fell into complacency. And the Nameless Lord, despite his honor, wisdom, and pursuit of knowledge, sought to sustain perennial battle with the Gods, believing it to be a balance — even though it was the Gods alone who had first initiated the ancient war. Each Lord swore to uphold their oath, and each of them failed. We were led astray by them, each man confident in the truth of his own path, but denying the truth retained by the others. Surely, you who are infatuated with the death of gods, can see that a man has yet to kill a god. But the capacity of men to lay waste to other men, their brethren, always remains, and I know well there are those who cherish nothing more than to see thy dominion crumble to dust. Therefore, I offer you the chance to revel in the knowledge of all things combined, rather than have your faith placed in merely a single part of a whole. I bid you, cast off the shackles of that bygone age and embrace what I declaim: faith in yet one who has not abandoned man for the sake of his own vainglory and empowerment. And then there has been, kindled, the notion among your flock that it is only they who are fit to profess creeds against the gods. This is among the greatest of follies, for it is written that such a vow may be taken by all mortal men regardless of their affinity with deeper sorceries. Some among you have held fast to the words I have spoken, and for that they are blessed. But still there are stubborn ones among you ranks who spoil the solemnity of your work, treating it as though it were a child’s errand; and and while I retain patience at the moment, do not think I shall hesitate when the time comes for me to root out those vile weeds with tongues of fire and black brimstone. But should we be united in this, Brothers and Sisters, we might stand more firmly against the coming of the Light, and bear witness to the Flame that is to emerge. — Seventh Champion of the East-Meets-West The following letter is addressed to the Paladins of Xan, signed in deep red. To those Blinded by The Light, You who stand against the darkness of alien forces and claim righteousness to their deeds, hear this: Many of you hold fast to the belief that your works are done with a righteous mind, that the hordes of foreign demons and despots should have no foothold in the world of men. Yet you do so under the delusion of words woven by an intricate mouth of gilded lies, for while you assert the influence of fell gods should be removed, you seek to replace it with a seething light of the same covetous nature. This has led many good men, who in darkness covet the light, to be waylaid by seemingly noble allure, for they do not know the true ambitions of those they serve. I have seen, firsthand, the way in which these things of ‘virtue’ look upon man. We are mere playthings to them, puppets whose strings they seek to pull for a moment, only to select a favorite few as their chosen toys. I have watched men and women, saintly and virtuous all of them, denied entry to salvation because they did not adhere to the creeds laid out by your ‘gods’. And yet those who enter paradise do so simply as slaves bound in eternal service to the warmongering whims of the one they foolishly serves while they were still living. Does it not raise the question that death may be a means to gain the spirits of men as tokens for the gods to barter and wage? Why else would we be afflicted with the throes of martyrdom and death, only to be ushered off to the very seats of the same ones who permitted its touch to remain upon our souls? And yet you make yourselves vessels for its power, whilst claiming to act on behalf of man — it is sickening. Your deeds leave the work half-finished and worse-off, for in place of those banished powers you assert the might of yet another threat to mortal autonomy and prosperity. Darkness may have initiated the battle in the days of old, but the Light perpetuats it; for the darkness, man can look at, but it is the blinding light which drives his vision away, concealing what it truly is. If you truly wish to expunge the foreign powers which hold sway over mortal men, then you must be willing to uphold that same vow even in your works and your deeds. Renounce your hollow servitude, however gilded it may be, and claim your seat among men so that together we might end the scourge upon us. Yet be prepared, zealots of Golden Sun; for soon I am to sweep across the land like the shadow of night, and when my work has come to fruition, there shall be no sunrise left to call upon. — Vicar of the Flame in the Shadow The following letter is addressed to the Order of Nevaehlen, signed in deep red. To those who bore the Emerald Star, To those who bind themselves to the whims of nature's call, listen well: I gazed upon the vast swathes of once-malformed land to the East, vexed as to how such catastrophe was brought upon our land. I soon learned that those were once pristine shores, having been made alien and perverted only by the contemptible touch of the Void. This was the work of puerile magicians who toyed with the threads of oblivion for no other purpose than to indulge in their own twisted vainglory. The negligence of these voidal ‘scholars’ shames mankind; and yet what should have served as a warning to Almaris was paid no consideration, for now I see the same motley sort still going about and practicing their craft in public places, facing no reprimand for their heinous misdeeds against nature and against man. Thus I commend your works and the sacrifices you have made: you who banished the scourge of that timeless nothing back to its rightful place beyond the Veil. Its revolting agency cannot be left to linger within the world, and in acting against it you have done a great service to mankind. But you too are not free from blame, for you prosecute war against one alien power at the behest of another. Though you placed your faith in distant gods, to me your vow was once commendable. You once did great service to man in the tending of nature and her enigmatic ways, dispelling the perilous touch of the Void. But now I have come to view your lot in another light, having spoken with those of whom your grace has spurned. You have grown insolent and idle, refusing to let nature take its course lest you too be made out to be monsters by those who fail to understand. Some among you still merit my trust, yet they are few and far between; and the rest of you spend your days frolicking in fields, heedless to the other aspects of the world which you have neglected for fear of the reprimand of others. Not only this, but you tolerate the Warriors of Sunbreak and the blades of The Fell Axe, harboring the influence of their gods within your halls, and in doing so, allow the unnatural to further seep into our world. I have spoken with the Tree Who Lies at The Heart of the World, and unto you he says this: If you are unwilling to commit to the task which has been set before you, know that I am prepared to take it upon myself. So shall I separate the wheat from the chaff, and root out the weeds who call themselves caretakers of nature, but shrink away from the full responsibility of their call. To implore powers not native to this realm, whilst claiming to cast them out, is the mark of a hypocrite, one deserving to be shunned and ridiculed. I therefore implore you to cast off the mantle of service you owe to them and partake of true communion with the natural world, lest you be declared anathema and forfeit your claim to salvation which you would otherwise be owed. — He Who Has Spoken to The Oak at the Heart of the World The final letter is addressed to the Progeny of Azdromoth, signed in deep red. To the Men Who Dwell in the Tower of Flame Those of you who lie in the bosom of Azdromoth, take heart to these words: You are the most curious of all who I address. Your lineage is vast, and each among you seeks a different way to bring glory to your Father of Flame. But many of you are not only hypocrites, but fools who willingly submit to the destruction of your mortal bodies, and make them into that which they are not. You call it ascension, but then hide that form away from the world, lingering among man whilst you are not one like a wolf among sheep. You prey upon superstition and revel in chaos, turning fearful and worrying men into your thralls for no purpose other than pure ‘worship’ of your fraudulent god. Have you no dignity, no appreciation for thy own well-being, so as to forfeit not merely your soul, but also your body, to a creature which harbors no allegiance to anyone but himself? While some among you share in certain understandings of mine, such as to rise from embers and ash against the light of gold – which already, in this world, has begun to diminish in its gleam – others of you hold no reverence nor respect for their creeds, and for that crime I retain no respect. My heart holds in higher esteem a foolish enemy who is steadfast in their delusion, as opposed a beast who pretends to be a man yet whose allegiance wavers before forces would grant him power, such as those who dwelt in an academy under your Father's name. Know that there is little repentance for those of you who have already besmirched their mortality; but even less so for those who have besmirched their character. For those among you who may still call yourselves descendants, yet bear the mark of the Beast, heed my warning and renounce your sacrilege before it is too late. When the time is ripe and the armies of the Fifth rise to fulfill their eternal charge, it is you, insurgents of The Serpent, who shall be the first to fall. — He Who Holds the Key to Flame and Darkness
  12. Poems are a bit harder since I don't read those as often, though you could argue that The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost are lengthier "poems". I enjoy Shakespeare's use of poetry when denoting the words of supernatural speakers in his plays, such as the Weird Sisters in Macbeth. "Lenore" and "The Valley of Unrest" by Edgar Allen Poe are also good ones.
  13. Favourite book or author? I literally can't pick just one, and there are many authors who I absolutely adore. When I was younger I loved Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (and still do), though I've also grown a love for Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe in more recent years. The first book you read, or the first one you remember reading? My parents read me a ton of simple bedtime stories when I was little, but the first real book I can remember reading myself was the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. By far one of my most favorite and memorable childhood series. I also vividly remember reading Andrew Lang's Blue Book of Fairy Tales. Books you want to read but haven’t got around to? Literally anything by H.P. Lovecraft; I've been told my creative writing sounds a lot like his style, though I have never once sat down and actually read his work. List some others you have read and talk about them: Maybe I'm a bit overboard, but I love books, so I will do my best give a little blurb of info on them without trying to spoil anything. ((Also these aren't in order of favorite to least, this is just the order in which they came to mind)): Inferno (Dante's Divine Comedy) - You mentioned the divine comedy. I've read Purgatorio and Paradiso as well, however I think Inferno is by far the most interesting, despite being a place of alien depravity. Might just be because I'm edgy, but there is some good wisdom and prose there as well. Also farting trumpet demons. Silmarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien) - Yes, I am your stereotypical fantasy e-boy who adores Tolkien's works. However, I love the Silmarillion in particular for the stories and legends it holds, and the events which take place over the course of Arda's history, and the history of her peoples. Also, its quite hard to read, but I listened to it on audiobook recently and that helped me dramatically. Paradise Lost (John Milton) - Great anti-hero portrayal, if you can get past the flowery language and prose. Lucifer's romanticization as a character with relatable human emotions leaves sympathetic to the fallen angel, and leads on to view his casting out from heaven as an injustice on the part of a spiteful God. The Betrothed (Alessandro Manzoni) - I read this this previous year of High School. I've never really been one much for romantic tales, and as many novels it started off very slow. The ending also felt a bit lackluster, though the wisdom captured in the dialogue and prose of the novel is too profound to go unmentioned. Redwall (Brian Jacques) - I read this a long, long time ago when I was in grade school; I can only remember it being one of my more close-held novels when I was younger, but I fail to recall a lot of the details of the tale. An abby filled with mice is just fun TBH. Passing Through Darkness (Malcom McKenzie) - Another good fantasy-esque series: the story set in a post-apocalyptic world where demons and sorcerers have begun to return from "Hell", and religious fervor among the remnant people is renewed. Very grim, but filled with symbolism and meaning. I won't spoil the way the series ends, but it does leave one with many deep questions to reflect on. The Road (Cormac McCarthy) - Not particularly outstanding, though the sacrifices made by the characters is definitely something that leaves one touched, but sad. I definitely enjoy the descriptive language of McCarthy, which paints an adequate and detailed picture while remaining succinct. The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis) - Of all the books from the Chronicles of Narnia the Last Battle is by far my favorite. For a children's book, it contains some pretty dark themes, including demonic worship and the end of the world. However, it ends with all the characters and friends we've met throughout the series coming together and getting their 'happy-ever-after' with Aslan.
  14. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. But yeah, these are some very good points and they should be taken into account come the decision on map size. Good work!
  15. Do you like the concept of a smaller map? Why or why not? I personally am fond of a smaller map size for the sake of greater centrality and easier access to other cities/regions. It also makes the land feel more alive as you see people more often in shorter periods of time. That said, it doesn't need to be too small, but definitely down a few thousand blocks from what we have now. What consequences do you think a large map has had on Almaris, good or bad? On one hand, the larger map allows for a lot more space for settlements, builds, events, etc; there's more breathing space between nations and other groups and settlements have an easier time finding their own land. On the other hand, Almaris just seems incredibly static and empty. As grandiose and stunning as the terrain might be, there's no point to having all that space when there is nothing to fill it, save for perhaps dead settlements or abandoned vassal builds. Nations hold claim to incredible amounts of land much of which is unused. With so much land available, nations are inclined to give land to just about anyone without regard to their actual impact on activity, since activity need only be subsisted by the nation's capital, rather than the vassal themselves. Likewise, traveling between nations takes an incredible amount of time too, and with fast travel being the alternative, it just seems like there is little point to having all that space to begin with if it's only going to be skipped over. New players also struggle to find places to roleplay right-off-the-bat when they join, unless they're fortunate enough for someone to come along and guide them. But after seeing empty build after empty build, most new players likely just assume the server is dead and log off. How do you think a smaller map scale will affect roleplay hubs? I think a smaller map scale would encourage more active road-side vassals without needing to recourse to activity plugins to manage it, thus putting activity in the hands of the players to decide rather than just staff. Given that nations can only claim a more limited amount of land on a smaller map, they might be more incentivized to give their land to active groups, as said vassal would need to provide consistent activity lest they be taken down and replaced with someone who could do better. I can see a lot more road-side settlements actually being active as a result, and roadside RP would become more common, depending on how the roads are designed at least. What biomes, high or low fantasy, sound interesting? When it comes to map biomes, I think low fantasy biomes are ideal for the most part. If everything is too high fantasy it can detract from the experience of players who might be trying to settle for something more realistic. However, if you start with a low fantasy base, you can still allow wanting player-groups to manipulate land to be more high-fantasy if they so desire (i.e. Magical Rifts), while the less fantastically-inclined can simply elect a region that is untouched and more mundane. That said, I do think the occasional high fantasy biome could be neat if done tastefully; the edge of the abyss, as a past example -- or maybe even a simple mushroom forest could be cool. What it really comes down to though is whether or not the biome is usable for substantial roleplay, be that as event sites or even settlements if they wanted to dwell there. Are there any world-lore pieces that could be utilized better? Pretty much all of them. In all seriousness though that kind of comes down to the ST being in collaboration with the world-lore when it its written. In the past, the map lore was just handled by individuals who were 'part of the ST', but really had no substantial knowledge on the actual lore of the server and thus created a narrative which, though neat in concept, didn't really fit into canon. Since ST management and administration has a more active hand in the project this time, I'm not as concerned. Also as a side-question: is map dev team recruitment still ongoing? Should we expect to hear back any time soon if we applied?
  16. omg ur actually living on the forums ????

  17. Stop talking about people

    1. Glade

      Glade

      Don't You Lecture Me With Your 30 Dollar Haircut

  18. What in the…?

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