Toffee

Illynora Sylvaeri thought back to the time, years ago, when she had advised Vytrek to find himself a Princess. A partner, a confidante, an equal in all ways. She held the missive to her chest, smiling up at the boundless skies above the citadel in Elvendom. At last... Her smile did not cease as she packed her things and began the long, gruelling journey north.

Anyone who starts messaging you mid-roleplay trying to convince you to do or not do something in character clearly has no regard for RP and is just in it to win. What “winning” this game looks like, I don’t know. Keep playing the characters you wanna play and doing the roleplay you wanna do. This game is supposed to be fun, and imo fun comes when things are unpredictable and you haven’t contrived something OOC or planned every action beforehand in Discord messages. It just happens naturally, it’s dynamic, and you roll with the punches. Hope you can continue doing what you want to do, just ignore the OOC and like UnBaed said, if OOC keeps seeping into RP, find other people to RP with. <3

Saoirse Baruch stole the invitation from her twin's room, penned her own name in beside Margrait's in shaky crayon, and invited herself.

Penned by Illynora Aureon Sylvaeri in the 60th Year of the Second Age During the migration to Almaris from Arcas, many records from the Institute of Healing were sadly lost. Thankfully, I had brought my personal journals with me when I departed from the continent in 1709, and am able to recreate the records for posterity in the modern age. The following is the curriculum for the Institute of Healing and mission statement for Serinwë's Hand, followed by a full roster of teachers and students as of 1709. Institute of Healing Est. 1700 Learning to heal could save your life and the lives of countless others— making it the most important skill to become acquainted with. Aegrothond's Institute of Healing seeks to teach all dedicated minds this art, from the most basic of preliminary care to complex treatments and procedure. There are three main branches for acolytes to choose from (as follows). Preliminary Care Recommended for field medics, soldiers, and acolytes who are required to learn mundane healing for other orders (paladins, druids, et cetera). Lesson One: Your Kit Tools Herbs Lesson Two: Flesh Wounds Cuts and gashes Burns Lesson Three: Broken Bones Lesson Four: Frostbite Lesson Five: Unconsciousness First response Chest compressions Path of the Healer Recommended for those seeking to become clinicians or wandering healers. Admittance to Serinwë's Hand requires completion of this course (or a passing of the examination). Lesson One: Familiarity Tools Herbs Reading material Lesson Two: Bedside Manner Tenets of healing Etiquette Lesson Three: Surgery Lesson Four: Wounds Wounds Infection Lesson Five: Broken Bones Closed fracture Open fracture Dislocation Lesson Six: Burns First and second degree Third degree Lesson Seven: Intense Cold Hypothermia Frostbite Lesson Eight: Malaise Poison Illness Disease Lesson Nine: Pregnancy and Birth Pregnancy Birth Postpartum care Preventing premature birth/miscarriage Lesson Ten: Sedentary Afflictions Concussion Punctured lung Internal bleeding Lesson Eleven: Asphyxiation Hanging Smoke inhalation Drowning Herbalism May be taken in conjunction with Preliminary Care or the Path of the Healer, but is not compulsory. Recommended for those seeking to become an apothecary, druidic dedicants learning herblore, or avid gardeners. Lesson One: Familiarity Tools Herbs Reading material Lesson Two: Harvesting and Cultivation Tools Searching for wild herbs Harvesting Cultivation Preservation Lesson Three: Extracting Oils Lesson Four: Poultices and Fomentations Lesson Five: Salves/Ointments Lesson Six: Tinctures and Tonics Lesson Seven: Teas Lesson Eight: Narcotic Substances No payment is required, and all lessons are optional. In order to receive a letter of recommendation, however, all lessons within the acolyte’s chosen branch must be completed and a final examination passed. The letter may be used for future employment, acceptance into Serinwë's Hand, or as proof of learning for trials within other orders. Note: While the Institute of Healing is situated in Aegrothond, where only those of elven blood are able to reside, it accepts acolytes of all races. They are expected to respect the laws of the Principality, and remain in the clinic and adjacent facilities unless given express permission by a council member, or their teacher. The Institute reserves the right to decline acolytes for any reason. Serinwë's Hand "Warriors take up bow and blade against the dangers of this world. Myself, I am armed with elixir and silver scalpel, warding off sickness and injury.” - The Tale of Serinwë, Part II in the Lay of Aegrothond Caring for the injured and ill requires a devoted mind and compassionate heart. Serinwë's Hand, named for Sylvaen's wife and the matriarch of the Almenodrim, is a company of healers based in Aegrothond. Their mission is to provide healing for those that need it most— often venturing beyond the bounds of the isle to foreign lands. Many remain on home soil, tending to the wounded in Aegrothond’s subterranean clinic. Entrance to Serinwë’s Hand may be permitted to those not living in Aegrothond, provided they consent to sharing academic findings with the rest of the Company. They may be called to assist in the aftermath of battles, and can in turn call for aid to their respective nations. All members of Serinwe’s Hand are bound by the three tenets of healing: Compassion, Respect, and Honesty. Addendum, 60th Year of the Second Age Healers on High Illynora Aureon Sylvaeri - founded the Institute of Healing. Eraami Aureon Reeyse - served as Healer of High following Illynora's departure from the continent in 1709. Medli Oranor (neé Amaeden) - the Institute of Healing merged with the Apothecary of the Springmother to form the Circle of Healing. Teachers (of the Institute of Healing as of 1709) Airebys Sylric (previously a student) Delmira Aureon Sylvaeri Eraami Aureon Reeyse Eris Storne Illynora Aureon Sylvaeri Nenar Terin (previously a student) Saelian (previously a student) Students (all enrolled students, present and graduated, as of 1709) Ahria Airebys Sylric Aleksandra Roseline Tenir Arevthor Tathvir Balor Othan Bellas Banfy Bjor Cottonwood Caine Tudor Celest Ulric Celestia O'Hara Damien Silma David Bar Edrahil Sylvaeri Eretria Delevoye Fred Puddlefoot Gusten Faeliel John Kowacz Kailu Tathvir Kaluphee Kazrin Starbreaker Larx Lilida Athal Lorarielle Whisperwind Lyemar Ma'ynlin Medli Amaeden Micah O’Connell Mira Layne Nenar Nolan O'Hara Oryn Incantus Pelilasdir Frostfyre Rakai Rinae Silma Robb Landes Rothilion Tathvir Saelian Serinwe Sylvaeri Skylar Taliame'onn, Rainbow Drui, ay Elasimulum'Haelun Sul'Myan 'Horen-Ithelanen' Aureon Talia Avern Talia Le'Quella Talia Luago Uhier Meracahe'siol Valerica Tathvir William

She had grown up in Dobrov, that dour town which felt as though it was at the edges of the known world. And yet... Josephine had been, and remained, a naive girl unversed in the true darkness of this plane. The revelation of such evil that had lingered so close by for years, decades... it sent an icy trickle spider-walking down her spine. She huddled close to the hearth within the Kremlin of Woldzmir's main hall, ignorant to what forces had caused the very stones and foundations to shift. Ignorant to what forces remained steeped in the very fabric of the castle, even now. "Oh, sister. I pray you will know what to do."

Josephine Aleksandra... Carrion-Tuvyic? Tuvyic? Aldersberg-Novellen? Luceafăru? None of them felt right on her tongue. She was happy for her sister, her ability to forge a new name and a new path. As she had her whole life, Josephine was content to follow the well-worn trails of countless others who had gone before her, never straying too far from the straight and narrow. For now, she was simply Josephine.

Josephine Aleksandra prayed for the Presbyter's soul at the shrine to St Judith, the spires of Woldzmir standing tall around her. When she rose, it was on shaky legs. She used the walls to steady herself as she wound her way up to the Dowager's Tower. "Have you heard the news?" Her voice was hoarse from disuse. "A woman of the Church, slain. If there are those willing to commit such an atrocity... I fear for you, Mother." @MunaZaldrizoti

yo this is pretty gross. keep it to RP, and if you're going to make memes, at least make it about the character, CHARLOTTE, who is doing things, rather than try and come for the player.

Josephine Aleksandra left their most recent meeting much heartened, keeping the Holy Sir in her prayers.

Josephine Aleksandra read the thesis within the halls of Woldzmir by the dying light of a fire. She glanced to the stars beyond the window and froze--the landscape was unfamiliar, the silhouettes visible from her tower alien when compared to the tall pine trees of the Grenz. She folded the parchment and took it with her on her travels, mulling the predicament over in her mind as her carriage bumped along stony, sandy roads. One GOD, one Emperor, one Empress, one Empire. What to do when those singularities were at odds with one another? She would wait with great interest for how the Holy Sirs proceeded.

"Praise be," murmured Josephine Tuvyic, gazing up at the night sky. All was calm, peaceful, and the light gilding her upturned face was that of soft starlight, not a pillar of flame. Far away from Dobrov, having disappeared without a trace like the rest of House Tuvyic, she touched her fingers to the cross at her neck and spoke a silent prayer only GOD could hear. Let it be over. Let us now, finally, be safe.

Wow, this is very professionally written, clear, and comprehensive—excellent job. There is no doubt that the Staff Team should implement something similar to this to have a clear roadmap of steps to take in these situations, which I'm sure they're working on as we speak. My only question is if you think a "Safety Team" or player safety point of contact should be within the Administration or if it should be a separate entity? I freely admit that I don't know all of the background information, but it seems as though there have been some issues in the past where staff members, the people who players are supposed to approach with these issues and trust that they'll be resolved, have actually been the perpetrators who are then protected by their status/position. I don't say this to cast any aspersions on the current Admin Team or staff in general, but as a genuine question for if these policies can or should be implemented by staff or if they should be separate. Furthermore, I think anyone dealing with player safety (furthermore, child safety) should be required to be police checked. (P.S. I know I'm one of like 3 New Zealanders on the internet but here is a NZ resource for digital child exploitation and here is the Australian eSafety Commission website. Protect yourself people—there are resources out there to help you. You are not alone).

Warm furs 100 mind Toffee#0458

Skin: white-ish Bid: 150 mina Discord: Toffee#0458

Josephine Aleksandra read the missive as she strolled along the riverbanks just outside of Providence. It had been intended as a short walk, a breath of fresh air, but as her eyes skimmed the dire prophecy, her footsteps hastened northwards to Woldzmir. She kept her eyes on the river all the while, now nervous as to what could lurk in the depths. The missive found its way to the desk of her sister, for whatever help it could provide in her studies of the voidal tear and all its consequences. @UnBaed

Josephine Aleksandra lit a candle at the shrine of Saint Judith of Czena, the spires of Woldzmir casting long shadows across her face. The soft candlelight illuminated her as she offered up a silent prayer of gratitude for the health of Henrietta and her child. For all the hardships she had endured these past few years, Josephine had thought complications during childbirth would surely arise. God, in all his mercy, had spared Henrietta from yet another heartache. Josephine prayed the rest of her future would be bright.

Long after the battle had subsided, Illynora picked through the carnage. She was no stranger to death, and recognised it as just another part of the endless cycle of life. Nevertheless, her expression was sombre as she and Avius loaded dozens of Ivae'fenn onto carts and trekked their bodies up the slope to the keep.

+1 Really nice post! I think it's super important to give new players agency and feeling like they're creating their own story rather than pigeon-holing them into something right off the bat, so I really appreciate the examples in here of setting little tasks/missions for them to complete like finding a particular character. Another thing I think is quite cool is being able to learn about culture and history through RP for example in libraries and museums! Definitely want to see more museums and paintings of historical figures with an indication of where someone can go to learn more. Even things like statues and monuments about recent history is a good way to indicate important events that new players might want to learn more about rather than them having to wade through the forums/wiki.

I am nameless and amorphous, but the mortals call me Hamatsa. The sea is my domain. I ride the ocean currents, listening for the calls of the faithful. They leave me offerings at their shrines; seashells in sharp spirals tinged with pink and blue, driftwood bleached bone pale and worn smooth by the tide, carvings in what is supposed to be my likeness, but I have no face. This pleases me. There is a mortal who catches my attention. Elf. The word rises from the depths—I do not know what it means, only that it is the correct way to describe her, this female mortal with long, tapered ears and skin like the underbelly of a brown trout, only darker. She sings to the lapping waves and lays my offerings before a huge painting on the side of the cliff face. No, not a painting. Shards of glass, wood, clay, and gemstones have been set into the stone, arranged in a careful pattern of blues, greens, and yellows. I have never seen anything like it before. Vines creep in to reclaim it, but the elf gently coaxes them away so that my likeness can catch the sunlight glittering off of the surface of the still and placid bay. When she prays to me, I listen. She prays every day. For strength, guidance, a steady hand while healing. It is not onerous for me to grant these boons, so I do, and she continues bringing me gifts. I do not know how long this goes on. Years, days, centuries—it is all the same when the passage of time is nothing but a single raindrop in the wide expanse of the ocean. However long it lasts, it is enough for me to consider it a constant, a familiar rock in the tideline that the waves crash against and around, wearing smooth. She stops praying, and it is like the rock disappears, leaving a disconcerting gap the water must force itself to fill. I return to her prayer site—the seaglass mosaic, I have heard the mortals who roam the seaside citadel call it. It is empty, but I wait. Moonlight and sunlight and moonlight again seeps through the surface of the water before she appears with two other elves. One has hair as red as coral and eyes like the glint of sunlight off of silver scales. The other wears a necklace of blue flowers, with white blooms threaded through the pink tufts of his hair. They are both smaller than her, my elf, but hold either one of her elbows as though keeping her upright. She has never been anything but graceful, leaping between the slippery stones to reach my mosaic, or paddling through the warm shallows. Now she is shaky, unsteady on her feet. I am worried. Is this why she ceased her prayers? She falls to her knees before my likeness, pressing her hand against my dorsal fin. I am shapeless, without skin or sinew or muscle, but I feel her fingers on my back. “I failed you, Sulien. I should have saved you, but I couldn’t.” The voice that is usually so sweet with song is cracked and broken, hoarse, a seagull’s cry. “Please, forgive me.” I am no stranger to grief. Mortals cast their prayers to the sea, begging for mercy from their pain, and I listen to their sorrows and soothe them, if I can. Healers, especially, raise their hands in supplication. The high, keening pain shivering across the surface of the waves to twine around me is familiar, and I know that this is her first death. The first time her hands could not erase the hurt, and whoever she was healing succumbed to their injuries of the flesh. There is nothing I can do for her that the two young elves cannot. They rest their heads on her shoulder, her lap, holding her tight as darkness falls and the stars begin sparkling, bathing everything in silver. I leave them to their mourning and their prayer, watching from afar. ..... She stands at the prow of a ship when next I see her, the citadel by the sea disappearing into the horizon. Beside her is a sandy-haired elf. They both wear headpieces—crowns, my memory tells me—like spikes of coral around their brows. The ship cuts through the waves but I keep pace easily. I will never tire, but at some point, the wind will give out. For now, they make good progress, and soon the land is nothing but a thin sliver behind them. They lift the crowns from their heads. Together, side by side, they sail for something in the distance without turning back. Their new home is a shallow cave by the sea on a distant island, altered to provide the amenities of mortal comfort—carvings at the mouth of the cave, a door constructed of driftwood, the foliage outside clipped and tended to. Fishing nets drape themselves through the shallows, weighed down by heavy stones. My elf has begun work on a new mural, scraping away at the cliff face, helped by her fair-haired companion, who breaks off heavy chunks of stone with his fist. This is unusual for a mortal. They do not usually possess such raw strength. On closer look, his hand is not of flesh and blood, but stone, threaded through with bright veins of red. His segmented fingers vibrate as he strikes his fist against the cliff again and again. I do not like this. It is unnatural. Huge slices of stone plunge into the sea, upsetting the water and the sand beneath, puffing up in great clouds, scaring away shoals of fish. I am happy to see him leave, even if it fills my elf with sorrow. He approaches her on the beach, once again wearing his crown. He holds hers out but she gently pushes his hands away, shaking her head, and he places it on a nearby rock, instead. Water rolls down her cheeks as he leans in to press his lips to her forehead. Tears, I know they are called; saltwater rolling from the corners of eyes. They continue to fall long after the elf with hair like sand has pushed their ship out into the sea, boarded it alone, and sailed off into the gathering dusk. She watches until he is nothing but a speck, her hand lifted in farewell. I never noticed the markings on her hands until this moment—intricate flowers the same colour of a warm sea at midday. Many elves who pray to me bear these same marks. It is soothing, watching the flowers shift across the delicate, fine bones as her hands move, grinding leaves and flowers in a small stone bowl, cleaning her daily catch, running her fingers through her hair to comb it. Her life is a simple one, but she seems to relish in the smallest pleasures; sunlight on her upturned face, treasures washed up on the shore to add to her mosaic. I visit every time she dives for seashells in my honour and leaves them in a pile for the tide—for me—to reclaim. She suns herself on the beach, the mosaic whole and glittering behind her, and I wonder, How long has it been? Time means nothing to me, but the trees have grown taller, more gnarled, and the carvings around the edge of the door are worn smooth by wind and rain. Long enough for her to tire of the solitude. When I next return, she has built a raft and sung her prayers to the sea, asking for swift winds and gentle waters. My brother, who lives in the free, wheeling spirits of the albatrosses on their long flights across endless oceans, guides her raft through the waters. Home is what she yearns for, but the seaside citadel she once knew has long since been abandoned, a cold and empty husk of what it once was. Home, home, her spirit sings. Home is wherever the elves she prayed, sang, loved, and cried with reside. We lead her there. I follow the vibrations of abundant faith, letting the threads of song and prayer show me a path to land. There will be new offerings in my honour, beneath the dolphin statue on the shore, and at the stone altar of a shrine replete with a shimmering seaglass mosaic. I leave my elf safe in the arms of the ocean, eager to see the new gifts the mortals have brought for me. ..... She kept her crown. I thought she may have allowed the sea to claim it, but it sits across her brow, casting long shadows along the wharf and into the nearby ocean. I taste her sorrow; deeper than her first death, more bitter than watching her love disappear from their tranquil island. Her sadness is ancient. I know this, for like calls to like. Another elf stands beside her, garbed in verdant cloth, her hair spilling around her shoulders, stirred by a breeze rolling in from the harbour. “This was to go to my daughter, when she came of age.” My elf lifts the crown from her head and presses it into the other’s hands. “I can think of no one else I would rather have it.” More tears. These mortals shed enough tears to fill another ocean. The centuries might have hardened me to their sight, made me brittle and sawlike inside, but their tears still strike me. Compassion. Mercy. That is what the mortals call it. I like those words. I embrace them. She prays, and I listen.

Preface This guide contains information on various legal systems and how these might interact with roleplay. That said, do whatever is fun and don’t take things too seriously if it’s going to lead to hours of boring legalese and people sitting AFK in the back of a courtroom. Types of legal systems There are literally dozens, but these are the basics. Common law is judge-made law. This means that judicial decisions are based on the precedent set by past cases as well as the interpretation of statutes passed by the legislature. Real world examples include England, Australia, and New Zealand. To my knowledge, there are no LOTC equivalents. Civil law is law set out in detailed codices. In this system, it is the role of judges to interpret the legal codes and apply it to the facts in front of them rather than create law with their decisions. Beginning in the Roman Empire, you can also find civil legal systems in France and Germany. A roleplay example is the Crown of Elvenesse and the Silver State of Haelun’or. Religious law means that the law is based on rules from the religion and/or religious text. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen have systems of Sharia law—it is arguable that druid nations are similarly governed by laws derived from Aspectism. Customary law refers to rules that are acknowledged and respected even though they are not codified, often because they have been practiced for so long that they have gained the status of law. This can be seen in international customary law (such as the expectation that a red carpet is rolled out for visiting heads of state) and in the law of various indigenous peoples. It is possible the rules around war and conflict on LOTC can be considered customary law. International law is derived from treaties and conventions. Although not binding in and of itself, once a country signs and ratifies an international treaty, it is considered incorporated into their domestic law. This can be seen in the various conventions and declarations of the United Nations. In game, treaties between states can be considered international law. Blended/pluralistic systems are when a state applies one or more of the above legal systems. For example, the legal system in the United States is a mixture of common law and civil law. The Holy Orenian Empire can be considered a blended system of religious and civil law, with the practice of canon law as well as imperial codices. It is arguable that wood elves are ruled by a mix of civil law—depending on which nation they reside in—as well as the customary law of the wood elven people. How to conduct a trial Jury trials came about in common law systems and involve (usually) twelve jurors selected at random from the public. Because emulating a common law system in roleplay would be far too difficult, this guide will discuss bench trials where a judge or panel of judges decides the verdict. It will also only focus on criminal proceedings rather than civil proceedings (in this particular context, “civil” means disagreements between parties e.g. a breach of contract). Note that in civil legal systems, trials are inquisitorial rather than adversarial, which means that the court focuses on fact-finding rather than being persuaded by the arguments of lawyers. In very brief terms, the way a trial is carried out in most civil legal systems is as follows: Investigation: information is gathered by the police in regard to the alleged crime. Interrogation: questioning of the accused by the police. Pre-trial: the aforementioned evidence is reviewed by the court and a decision is made if there is enough evidence to prosecute. Note that, sometimes, a suspect can be detained during this period if they’re considered a flight-risk. If there is enough evidence to prosecute, the accused will be charged with a specific crime (from the criminal codex). Trial: the judge(s) will present the charges to the accused. The judge(s) will question the accused to establish the necessary facts. Witnesses will then be brought to the stand and similarly questioned by the judge(s). Judgment: the judge(s) will deliberate based on the evidence, statements from the accused, statements from witnesses, and any expert testimonies if applicable. They will decide if the accused is guilty of the crime they have been charged with. Sentencing: normally, civil legal systems have very clear sentencing procedures for different crimes. This is unlike in common law systems where judges have more discretion. Appeal: if either party is unhappy with the decision of the court, they can appeal the case within a certain time frame specified in the codex. The appeal will be considered based on legal grounds and the specific facts of the case and either granted or dismissed. Trials in common law systems are, in my opinion, too complicated to emulate IRP. But religious trials and judgments passed by customary cultural practices (e.g. shunning from a druid grove) can be really interesting! Oftentimes, those systems are less structured and therefore differ wildly IRL and in roleplay, so I won’t attempt to document them here. How could this work in roleplay? Most nations have detailed codices of law e.g. 203.01C of the Orenian Revised Code - Where an individual intentionally deprives another of moveable property without the consent of its owner, and this property totals greater than five hundred minas in value, this shall be theft in the first degree, a felony. This makes it reasonably easy to carry out criminal proceedings. Example: Sally is accused of stealing a very expensive horse. The guards of the particular nation she allegedly committed this crime investigate, including questioning bystanders and potentially searching Sally’s property for evidence of the missing horse. Finding a horse matching the description of the stolen horse, the guards bring Sally to a cell for questioning. After this interrogation—where Sally denies any wrongdoing before keeping her silence—the guards go to the court. The judges/Exarchs/legal people review this evidence and decide that it is compelling enough to warrant prosecution. In the meantime, Sally is held in the cells (for the rule-abiding amount of time, accompanied by a guard for RP) because the guards have had trouble with her before and know she might run off. Sally is charged with theft. A date is agreed upon where all parties will be able to attend, and the trial commences. The charges are read out, citing a specific section in the detailed codex. Sally is questioned by the judge and able to keep silent, or give her side of the story. The person whose horse was stolen is questioned. Bystanders who saw the horse being stolen are questioned. At the end of this, the judge will go away and deliberate. The time has come for Sally’s verdict. This could be on the same day, or at another agreed-upon time in the future. The judge finds Sally guilty, and sentences her under a specific provision in the codex. Sally then pays the fine/serves the sentence/goes off to be executed, deciding that she doesn’t wish to appeal. All of this could be done in a few hours or spaced out in blocks over several days, depending on how in depth the court wishes to be and based on player availability. Or, the court could choose not to prosecute at all. Conclusion Hopefully this has been helpful! At the end of the day, RP is RP. If it would be more fun to blend common law and civil law to have dramatic cross-examinations and objections, do that instead! And if you have any questions, or I’ve gotten some information wrong, please feel free to reach out: Toffee#0458.

Hi, I'm Toffee! I played on LoTC about 2.5 years ago on my wood elf, Illynora Aureon Sylvaeri. I've had a lot of fun exploring the new map and browsing the forums over the past couple days. Please feel free to get in touch: my Discord is Toffee#0458. I'd love to hear from you, especially if we hung out once upon a time!

It has been a few days since the Christchurch terror attack— the first of its kind in New Zealand’s modern history. This tragedy in my city affected me in a way that I could never have expected, and cannot hope to explain. However, it did prompt me to consider what is truly important in life, and what is worth investing emotional energy in. As much as I enjoy roleplay as a hobby, it did not make the cut over continuing with my degree and spending time with my friends and whānau. In a world with such immense hatred and cruelty, it is communities and hobbies like this that have the potential to be sparks of light in the darkness. At its heart, LotC (and other MCRP communities like it) are supposed to be about collaborative literature. Creating a character, watching them grow, and creating stories with one another. It is supposed to be fun. I have some advice for LotC which I hope will help people to gain some true enjoyment from this medium, when in recent times they may have lost sight of what it’s truly supposed to be about. One: Take a step back Disentangle yourself from the feelings and experiences of your character. Our characters go through strife and hardship every day, whether that is through losing their belongings, arguing with a friend, making an enemy, or even dying. Just because your character experiences those things, does not mean it has to personally affect you. Take a breath, consider what is actually important, and try to realise that in a game, and in roleplay, everything is salvageable. It may take a little time, but items can be recovered, new characters can be made, and relationships can mend. Two: Identify what you want What are you seeking to get out of your time on LotC? What are your goals? Take a moment to think about what you truly desire from this medium, so that everything you do can be to work towards it. Some people often lose track of why they joined LotC in the first place, which lessens their enjoyment over time even if they don’t recognise it at first. If your goal and incentive for playing on this server is to gain notoriety, or create strife between individuals and groups, then you may need to rethink your motives and find something that will be beneficial not only to yourself, but to the people around you. Believe me, being friendly and trying to help others is far more rewarding in the long run than trying to beat your enemies or tear other people down. Three: Meme responsibly “It’s just a meme, don’t take it so personally” is no longer a valid excuse. Posting a derogatory meme opens you up for criticism, and you should either be prepared for that criticism and disapproval, or keep that sort of thing to yourself. In a medium that is about roleplay and having fun, there shouldn’t be any need for those kinds of jokes in the first place, however I recognise that it is considered humour to some people. No matter who you are, consider if what you’re posting is relevant, necessary, and kind. If it isn’t, but you decide to post it anyway, you forfeit the right to complain when other people call you out for having poor taste. Four: Roleplay! Yes, that is what LotC was designed for! First of all, you should find your niche. What do you enjoy playing? What do you find interesting? For me, it was healing. For you, it could be any number of things, and with the huge diversity that LotC has to offer in terms of play styles and roleplay niches, you can almost certainly find what you are looking for. If not, create it yourself! Your character doesn’t have to last forever, and every interaction doesn’t have to hugely impact on their development and story. However, you should endeavour to give them some kind of goal, or calling, that means you are moving forward with momentum. If you want to get better at roleplay, I have three tips. 1) Roleplay with good roleplayers. Learn from them, take them as role models, adopt a similar emote style to them and then gradually evolve into your own. 2) Read! This a fantasy medium, as are most other MCRP settings, therefore reading fantasy authors can really help you to capture the essence of a character. Books can expand your vocabulary (keep a list of interesting words you come across, to use later). My recommendations are: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Inkheart by Cornelia Funke A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling The Wildkin’s Curse by Kate Forsyth Master of the Grove by Victor Kelleher 3) Write, whenever you are able. Make journal entries from the perspective of your character, write short, creative writing pieces about them. Even writing fanfiction about your favourite book series can help, because it will get you in the practice of writing in a way that enables the reader to visualise a scene. Being a good roleplayer isn’t about winning, or even about having the longest, most detailed emotes. It’s about crafting a character that others enjoy roleplaying with, who interacts with the environment in a way that is fluid. Let others impact you, and allow your character to impact others. Five: Humanise the opposition On LotC, communities and individuals go head to head all the time. When it is kept entirely to roleplay, these conflicts and tousles can be enjoyable— a little competition never hurts. But what I have found increasingly obvious is that roleplay conflicts almost never remain in RP. If you find yourself getting into toxic opposition with someone, firstly, take a step back. And if you want to resolve something, take it to voice. This can be moderated by staff if need be, but actually talking to someone and hearing their voice as opposed to seeing words on a screen helps you to understand that it is a real person who you are speaking to with real experiences, problems, and history. This is a game, and we are here to have fun. Get into a channel and talk it out, and if it’s still irresolvable after that, stay away from one another or take it to staff. I now have a few messages that I would like to share. To Aegrothond— We've created something beautiful, building an entire community from the ground up. Continue being kind to one another, and don't lose sight of the reason why Aegrothond was created: so that people could have a warm, welcoming environment to roleplay in without harassment or baggage. Don't let go of that, no matter how large the community grows. To the Institute of Healing— Thank you for your patience and perseverance. The amount of people who wanted to come and learn how to do healing roleplay astounded me, and I am so pleased with the progress of each and every one of you. With around 30 acolytes and 3 teachers, I hope that most of your characters will choose to continue learning, and some of them will go on to become teachers themselves. The curriculum has been written down and will remain with the current teachers, but I also hope to be posting some of the material I’ve been sitting on over the next couple of weeks. To Fenn, Agnarum, Vira’ker and Brandybrook— It’s been so much fun roleplaying with you guys, you all have great communities which I hope will continue to grow. I continue to be impressed by how different each group is, but how everything works together so perfectly. To the Staff and Administration— Thank you for volunteering your time to keep this server up and running. I know that, for many people, this is a place they call home, where they have made real friendships. This community should be one that has zero tolerance for hatred, bigotry, or bullying, and I hope that through staff reforms and continuing care, you can begin to return LotC to a place where roleplay is considered paramount. Kia Kaha, Kia Maia, Kia Manawanui.

Absolute legend

I wrote this when 7.0 was first announced and sent it to some world developers to see what they thought. I don’t expect this to be reviewed by the lore team, but rather intended this post as a bit of food for thought for the playerbase. Enjoy! Introduction Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other tectonic-caused natural disasters don’t just occur. They are influenced by (often delicate) geographical processes, just as the subvergence of one tectonic plate beneath another over thousands of years. When the stress of that built up pressure finally breaks, the energy released is felt on land as an ‘earthquake’. I believe having solid geographic lore will add flavour to the world by not only explaining the presence of mountain ranges and volcanic activity, but also provide the Event Team with a basis when running events based around natural disaster. 1: Tectonic Plates For this proposal, I drew a rough plan for tectonic plate placement based on the map released in the 7.0 announcement. As can be seen above, the major mountain ranges occur on a plate boundary. This classifies them as “fold mountains”, formed by tectonic plates pushing against each other and folding the land above them. An area of volcanic activity in the southwestern corner of the map occurs on the boundary between the Desert and Western plate, where the crust is weakest. This allows magma to be pushed upwards in convection currents and break the surface, forming an active volcano. Plate boundaries that occur in the ocean, such as the boundary between the Eastern and Continental plate, would likely have oceanic trenches (subvergence zones). This could provide some interesting roleplay and event possibilities, especially considering 1.13 is the ocean update. New sea creatures and monsters could be discovered in these trenches, as well as the possibility of offshore earthquake sources, which in turn form tsunamis. 2: Mountains (Orogeny) Areas marked in white are “fold mountains”, as explained in (1). Those marked in yellow seem as though they would be “block mountains”, while the little island on the Archipelagic Plate shows characteristics of a “plateau mountain”. Block mountains occur when a weak section of the earth’s crust fractures and material is thrust upwards, characterising mountain ranges with a steep front side and sloped back side. These occur in the middle of tectonic plates as opposed to on plate boundaries. Plateau mountains are formed in the same way, but gain their distinct, flat-topped shape through erosion over time. While it may not be important event-wise to explain how the mountain ranges of 7.0 were formed, I believe it adds flavour and would enable in-character geologists to have a basis for research and pursuits of knowledge. 3: Diamonds! (Metamorphism) In order to form, diamonds require immense pressure and heat. They are then stored in areas called “diamond stability zones”, within the earth’s mantle. Deep source volcanic eruptions tear out pieces of the mantle and deliver them to the surface (creating something known as “kimberlite pipes”), with diamonds included in the rock. This is how diamonds can be found close to the surface and extracted in open cast diamond mines. These diamond stability zones can only be found in the mantle beneath the stable centres of tectonic plates, meaning that areas found on plate boundaries do not tend to be diamond rich. This would enable those on the lore and event team to place diamond-rich areas in realistic areas of the map, perhaps for player excavation. The same could be said for thanhium; putting deposits for player discovery in the centre of tectonic plates, so that one event of an earthquake will not interfere with another event of thanhium excavation, as the ore is unlikely to be found at a plate boundary where earthquakes occur. 4: Volcanoes and Geothermal Activity There is only one visible volcanic area on the map, that being the volcano on the aforementioned Western/Desert plate boundary. Were there to be any underwater volcanoes, the whole system could interact similar to the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is where most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Having clear, defined plate boundaries would assist the Lore and Event team in making sure they are all on the same page when it comes to under and over water volcanic eruptions. Geothermal activity that would be able to be acted upon by the Event Team include mainly hot springs and geysers. They typically occur on plate boundaries-- yet another reason why having defined boundaries would give the team a basis on how to characterise different environments on the map. Conclusion This is a very brief proposal to gauge interest in having some defined geography for 7.0. I believe a large reason why ET haven’t run many natural disaster type events during Atlas (or had large monsters/creatures cause natural disasters) may simply be because there is little defined world lore that would be able to back up their claim of a tsunami, earthquake, or volcanic eruption. This would give those members a springboard to work off of without getting in the way of other events!