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  1. Here you can find the elements of Reinmaren culture
  2. What does Magic of any kind, or its many (usually morally dubious) power sources smell like? Of course, from what I understand substances like liquid Mana/Lifeforce allow for them to be made physical and tangible, does this mean that they have a taste and or smell? What about the taint of the void? Does ice conjured by a Voidal Mage smell any different by the one wielded and imbued by the magic of a Frost Witch? What about flames? Whether it be of Malflame or Dragonfire, or the Holy Light of Paladins and or Templars. Would a flower be any different to the sense after a Druid has tampered with it? Yes, I woke up like an hour ago. Yes, I am aware of the risk I place upon myself of the consequences of such a controversial post. But nontheless, another will one day ask the same question irp and we will all look like fools when we are without answer, the truth must be revealed! On a more serious note, while an emphasis is put on 'smelling', the rest of the senses are equally interesting. Answering that for example a Demi-Djiinn's magic brings about a certain taste akin to that of the mashed potatoes that your grandparent used to make when you were young...Certainly would change one's view on the magic itself. It's also really good for writing if we are being honest, having your character's own organs be roasted by dragonfire, would be a somewhat visceral experience and I do think discussing what the other senses would pick up other than merely the pain caused by it would always be really freaking interesting. And small show of hands, this entire post is inspired by 'In Stars and Time' which I came around all the way back on December and has probably become one of my favorite stories in recent years. Within It's story whenever a certain magic took effect, a heavy smell of Burnt Sugar was noticed by the protagonist, growing all and more denser, potent and terrible as the story progressed, which I personally found really interesting and unique! Certainly made it feel more personal and memorable of an experience for me personally.. (Good game, go play it, but only after you respond to the post!!)
  3. Historia Caeliae I. A Collection of a General History of the Caelian People. GENTE CAELIANVS [A.V.V. I] During the time of Velia, within the walls of Colonia Aeqivm the Contuberniae of Caelianvs and the supporting Cohort were driven out from the walls of the colony. This was after an altercation with a tribe of Ravenous Orcs terrorizing the Velian countryside. Due to an egregious emphasis on patricii the men who would soon be known as Caelians would pledge their support for Caelianvs of Ramneseivs; their pledges were hails of Imperator. Knowing the humbleness of the situation, Caelianvs would deny his title of Imperator and instead insist on the name of Praefectvs simply meaning the man in charge. Whilst the tribes of Caelia were marching from their colony in hopes of finding a new land to settle, the truth of divinity would make itself known to Caelianvs, that being his father who was the God of War Sacra Belldevm. Fighting off the forces of the void the Caelians would find themselves battered and beaten by the terrain and monsters that roamed the wilderness. Their ties to the gods were deepend by such tragedies; this can especially be said after the massacre committed by the Unicornii who stampeded into the Caelian camp and slaughtered the inhabitants of which totaled upwards of hundreds of the only 800 Caelians. Once arriving at what seemed to be a suitable spot for settlement the news of an invasion sweeping all of Atlas reached the Caelian Tribes of which preparations were made immediately. Setting sail the Caelians took a similar treacherous path to the rest of the descendants as they sailed south around Atlas into what would be known as Arcas. The Caelians had made landfall on an island to the south of the rest of humanity, there a harsh desert marked the northern border of their people and life was prosperous. [A.V.V. XVII] All could not be well within Caelia forever as the two sons of Caelianvs whom had grown up along their path in Atlas were now men and greed would soon take the better of them. Out of greed the older son Filione would murder his father in his sleep, the culprit was caught red handed by the Legionnaires as his flee was attempted. A small group of his supporters followed and a clash between those few followers and the Caelian Legion commenced in which the Younger Son Ivllianvs Ramneseivs vanquished his brother having him crucified and was hailed as the next Praefectvs. The Reign of Praefectvs Ivllianvs would last for 6 years before the settlement grew complacent and would become engulfed in a series of raids by bandits; the Caelian legion was routed and the civilians scattered into the Korvassan Desert. Humiliated by the loss Ivllianvs would take his own light upon life, surrendering his soul to the seven skies. [A.V.V. XXIII] CONTINVANDVM HISTORIA CAELIAE SECONDA CAELIA INVICTA SENATVS POPVLVSQVE. CAELIANVM
  4. Caelian Upbringing Customs “The Virtues of Virtus.” INFANTIA: Age 0-7 Birth Upon the birth of a new child, a Caelian Pater should not be present. Instead the Matrona should be surrounded by servants and friends. Regardless of the gender of the child; they are to be washed in oil and prepared for the Pater Familias. The Baby should then be presented to the PaterFamilias after washing, it is then that the PaterFamilias has decision over allowing the newborn into the family. If he declines the newborn; they are to be abandoned or raised as servants outside of the Familias. Naming If the child is accepted into the Familias by the PaterFamilias a naming celebration should be held one God's Day after their birth. It is Imperative that Caelians uphold their traditions by following the Tria Nomina. That is, the Praenomina, Nomina, and Cognomina. The First born male in a Familias should take the names of their Pater. The First born female in a Familias should take the names of their Mater as well. Praenomina The Praenomina is a Caelian’s Personal name, it is an informal name and should be used by their close friends and family members, each Familias should have a list of Praenomina that is used. When signing a Praenomina, it should be signed with an abbreviation (Marcus to M. Tullius to TVL. Lucius to L.) Nomina The Nomina is a Caelian’s Family Legacy, their Gentes. There are bound to be distantly related members of the same Gentes, but it is all one legacy and should be treated as such. Generally there is one Main branch of the original Gentes that has more merit than off branches. Examples of a Patricii Nomina are Ramneseius, Vlastos, Horlenia etc... When Signing a Nomina a Caelian can either write their name as plural or a singular word. (Ramneseius or Ramneseii, Vlastos or Vlastoi) Cognomina The Cognomina is a Caelian’s formal name, and is what glory should be held to. The Cognomina is a sign of legacy and each Cognomina should have a root meaning for it’s use. The Original Cognomina were used as nicknames, and Cognomina are directly transferred down to their first born, whilst new Cognomina are formed for secondary male births. For Women the Cognomina should reflect the order in which they were born. The first Born Girl being Prima/Primvs, second being Secundvs, Third being Tertia etc.. During the naming ceremony the child should be awarded gifts from guests; and an amulet from their Pater Familias. This Amulet is to signify Adolescence and should be worn until adulthood ADVLESCENTIA: Age 7-15 A Caelian child should be given their first Toga at 7 years old, this Toga should have a Purple stripe to signify their protection. It is solely up to the PaterFamilias and his Matrona how involved they are in the upbringing of their children. Schooling A Caelian child leading up to Puberty should be schooled in the affairs of Caelia and the world around them. If the PaterFamilias and his Matrona don't have time for such, It is acceptable to employ a Nurse or Pedagogus to help mold the child for Virtue. It is also acceptable for multiple familias, usually Plebeian, to employ one Pedagogus to teach a multitude of children. Caelian children usually enjoy a multitude of games and activities. Of which includes; War games with wooden weapons. A Game known as Battledore. Where a Pinecone is hit back and forth with paddles Board Games; Including games known as Tabvla and Latrones Sports; including wrestling, racing, boxing, swimming, etc.. Games that can be fashioned with a ball. Usually going into the seventh - twelfth year of a child’s life the Matrona would take a more active role in their daughter’s upbringing, and the Pater with their son’s. Preparing them for adulthood; allowing their children to make decisions and guide their destiny with their parent’s supervision. Once entering adulthood, Boys are expected to join the military, and Daughters marry; though dependent on their upbringing Daughters joining the military is not uncommon. The Values of Virtus are to be instilled and vehemently upheld. VIRTVS; Valor Masculinity Excellence Courage Piety In order for a Caelian to achieve Virtus it must be after they serve in the Legio. However the Values of Virtus can be applied to boys in preparation for Adulthood. Men who achieve Virtus are expected to worship the Gods, Strive to do extraordinary feats; and be the epitome of Masculinity. During the time of Advlescentia, boys are sent out into the wilderness alone with nothing but a Tunic. for a time of at least one week in order to prove their achievements in Virtus. ADVLTVS: 15 Onward Upon reaching 15 years old a Caelian child loses their protective status as an Advlescentia and ascends to the status of Advltvs. Men will be impressed into the military. For Men this is a time of newly found independence, young men are known for being unruly in and around taverns and eateries. It is while under the purview of their own pater familias expected for a young man to move out of their familial home and purchase a home for themselves with their new found grasp on wealth. For both Men and Women in the time of early Advltvs they are expected to undertake a profession along with their normal duties; for men this is sometimes given training in the Legio for trades such as Lumberers, Butchers, Carpenters, Smiths, Tailors, Sappers etc.. But, other professions may include but aren't limited to Farmers, Husbandry, Vintners, Merchants, Sailors, Alchemists, Bakers, Masonry, Apothecary, Fishermen, etc.. For those who seek to have greater success in life, they are expected to learn the trades of scribery so that they may pen documents of their own; since admission to the senate is made possible for anyone who is in the Military for 10 years or more; and would mean public recognition in the local election cycle Marriage is an important part of tradition and Women are expected to get married off once they turn 18; this is a family matter and all marriage is approved by the Pater Familias, marriage is generally used as a political tool between families to leverage alliances and deals with each other, the marriage ceremony is hosted by the groom's side in which they make their intent known and the bride's pater familias hands their daughter over to their new family. It is a status symbol for a new house of a gentes that being the second born son and their family from a familias to forge their own wealth and their own house; for what is more prestigious than the expansion of your clan through familial means. CAELIA INVICTA SENATVS POPVLVSQVE. CAELIANVM.
  5. Klan Vinteki Enters the Horde Sightings of Uruks, Goblins, and Heartlanders began to emerge from the pits of the fallen Klanhold of Kazin’Kul within the past week, shortly after Kazin’Kul abandoned their former mountain pass in favor of returning into Krugmar. Thought to be captured hostages that the Klan abandoned during their exodus, Rex Grommash sent a band of runtz and honoraries to retrieve them and bring them back to the capital for questioning. Dutifully following Rex's orders, they set off to the nearby Klanhold and entered the undergrowth below. Days passed, and nothing was heard of the scouting party. A warband of Uruks and Ologs entered the Klanhold, worried that the Coalition had set up a forward outpost deep inside Iron Horde’s land. What awaited inside was the ruins of the Kazin’Kul, and the product of their abandonment. It has seemed that the entire cave had been converted into a wide array of ritualistic pits and altars, all freshly covered with viscera and meatbags. The runtz had been strung together with rusty wire that threaded inside and between them, forming crude marionettes that tugged at their supports. The new inhabitants had carved the walls and floors of the cave so that the altars would flow into a deep pit and drain in the middle of the cave. It seems that whatever the Kazin’Kul fought to contain from leaving their expansive caves and prisons had escaped and taken over what remained. The honoraries sat lying on top of stone tables with goblins laying on top of them, nibbling and yanking. The warband tried to fight these maddened creatures. Quickly, they were overwhelmed and forced back to the gates of the cave, which slammed shut as they left. The clamor and ruckus quickly calmed as the warband was stunned by how fast the situation in the cave seemed to devolve. Returning back to Krugmar, Rex and Targoth heard about the incident and rode at once to the nearby mountain pass. After a ram was laid outside the crooked gates, and the Horde prepared to breach into their former fortress, a loud, bellowing “NUB!” was heard. A large orc, clad in armor of the former clan of Kazin’Kul, stood at the gates, looking tirely through the holes. The gates began to slowly open and the gargantuan beast stepped out. He called himself Kezmur, and his people the Vinteki. He refused what had happened to the remainder of the former Orc Klan, or where he hailed from. He only wanted to make a deal with the Horde. His and his peoples total fealty and cooperation, at the price of a single condition. Not a single soul would ever enter the Vinteki caves without permission again, Orc or otherwise. As the orc spoke, armor-clad heads began to peek over his shoulder through the darkness, their blades and plate illuminated by torchlight. Soon, a sea of bloody, yellow and orange eyes stared at the Rex, held back by the lone orc who approached out into the sunlight. A deal was made between the two. Klan Vinteki would assist in their war, serve under the Rex, and join the Horde. The former Klanhold of Kazin’Kul would now belong to the Vinteki people and Kezmur. Signage was posted outside the front of the cave, warning of the dangers below. DETAILS OF VINTEKI The Vinteki people emerged from a combination of captured prisoners and native orcs, both who lived deep under the Klanhold of Kazin’Kul. The natives freed the abandoned, starving prisoners, but impressed them into their brutal, rigid culture and formed their own spirit and people. Constant sacrifice and spirit worship of Enrohk is demanded of klan members. Their society is mostly lawless, with the strong and cunning surviving. Each subnetwork of the cave system often is controlled by a particularly unique and influential pitboss, who all submit to the authority of an appointed leader. Night raids on surrounding nations keep the inhabitants fed and supplied to a degree. Cannibalism has been practiced when raiding parties fail to produce. Ritual sacrifice serves as an cathartic outlet to the unforgiving nature of the pits, providing community and singularity in religion. Vinteki Orcs and their honoraries wear large suits of plate and masks to cover up accumulated damage from their training. They are known to be so insecure to the point that they will not remove the plate and coverings even in massive heatwaves in the desert, preferring heatstroke to exposure. Non-Orc Vinteki are not forced to speak blah, but are expected to know the language. Distinct features include bloodshot eyes, chipped plate, large scars and shamanstic markings of white ash. Because of the unforgiving nature of being raised in the Vinteki pits, the Vinteki people have a distinct lack of individuality and a penchant for violence. This leads to them being uniquely weak to the effects of the Blood curse, often entering into a Berserker state even if kept exclusively around other Uruks. Their constant exposure to violence clan infighting, and incredibly close combat in the dark makes those that survive clever tacticians and masterful warriors. The goblins and humans within the Vinteki tribe are seen as a more progressive force, driving towards outwards expansion and technological advancement, while the dominant Uruk ruling class seems content with their current situation. There are little to no present shamans within the Vinteki tribe, which the leadership wishes to change as they want to advance their rituals beyond pure executions. Enrohk is worshiped over all. The Vinteki consider themselves vessels of Enrohk and the rituals usually are dedicated to him. Sacrifices to Krug are occasionally performed as well. The various pitbosses and subklans each perform their own rites of sacrifice.
  6. De Aetaes Insanis Aetaes Primae In the beginning there was nothing; before the beginning there was an end and that end was Chaos. The Chaos was immense, and the monsters that made up Chaos were in constant struggle for dominance. Of which, creatures of unfathomable machinations were thought up and discarded by those Primordials that could overcome Chaos. All beings made of Flesh and Light would conquer each other, their flesh and source upon life would be the reward. At the time of beginning the monsters had been quelled by the greatest among them, their beings being made of pure light. Ascending from Chaos the first of the Old Gods, Draegivs would seize power. As the other Primordials flew high with their light, Draegivs craved the reward of flesh; his consumption made him a being of massive proportions. Draegivs consumed the Chaos and splitted it up. Chaos was divided into nine parts; seven skies and two planes. Upon dividing the skies from the planes the pressure in between would birth Ovaelia who birthed the other Old Gods and became Draegivs’ wife. The Old Gods birthed from Ovaelia would be Oraevs who commanded the winds, Ovaenia who demanded brutality and insanity, Maechnia whom commanded flame, and Vaegaeus who controlled knowledge from the others. Draegivs would fill the planes with flora and fauna and he did it all in an instant for he had seized time itself. From the mud, Draegivs would create Man and give him the bounty of the world; in a land known as Aegia Their name being Orenivs as well as a wife known as Ivlia. The Other Old Gods Jealous of Draegivs’ divine creation of Mortality would seek to make versions of man themselves; Maechnia, proud of his flame and the iron it wrought would produce a Man known as Pvmillivs. Ovaenia, commanded bloodshed so produced a Warrior known as Crvgivs. Vaegaeus, wanting his knowledge stored by Mortals, produced a man known as Avritvs. As there was peace in Aegia between the four Mortal Brothers; Vaegaeus begot quintuplets with Ovaelia of which Draegivs could not know; Upon their birth they were sent to live alone on an island off the coast of Aegia. The quintuplets would be Ivlioia, Belldevm, Ilia and Marevs. There they lived for half a generation before they returned to Draegivs. Draegivs unhappy with Ovaelia’s unfaithfulness would purge his wife’s light upon life. Sending her flesh hurdling into the sea. Ivlioia would seize the keys to the ports of life and lock Draegivs away into the void; where time would remain stationary. Upon the imprisonment of Draegivs; Tyranny beset the remaining Old Gods. with which they created a being of pure malignancy which Vaegaeus advised against, they were known as Malignivs and were as dark as the Primordials were light. Ivlioia upon realizing the Old God’s Treachery trapped each Old God in their own Prison. The remaining Gods would delegate the responsibilities of the Old Gods amongst themselves whilst Malignivs cloaked themselves among the descendants. Ivlioia; would take up the act of protecting the gateways between realms, which includes the planes, the void and the seven skies. Belldevm would take up the act of war, protecting the seven skies and guiding the descendants on conquest. Marevs would take up the circle of rebirth on the planes; controlling the vast seas dictating the wind, the rain and the harvest. Ilia would beseech themselves the act of protecting the knowledge of man and the immortal gods; their devotion to woman would be greatest of all. Aetaes Lapsae Once beginning had subsided and the Old God’s treachery was dealt with, an age of fallen virtue had befallen upon the descendants of the planes. For each group of the Old God’s creation sought their own tribes and fought their own wars. Malignivs would tempt their deception to the tribes of each descendant; promising power to Crgnivs and Orenivs, knowledge to Avritvs and Wealth to Pvmillivs. Succumbing to lies wrought sickness between the descendants. The powers of the Old Gods flowing through them in wicked ways; unable to secure themselves, Belldevm would descend to the Plane in order to guide the descendents. He told them their swords would be drawn and time would be sought in effects for the Vile beings of the night. That curses have been brought to the lands with corruption and wickedness. Malignivs cloaked in the night would approach Belldevm with contempt in his voice; he would screech out That his word was law and that if there may be those who worship Wealth there be those who worship Malignivs. For he was Greed itself; the Abuse of Power, and Knowledge was his; the treachery within gave him his power. Crgnivs was the first to fight against the curse of Malignivs. Eyes glowing from a wicked black and purple back to that of red and rage. Next was Orenivs who’s eyes glowed yellow then to a deep blue of purity Third, was Avritvs who’s eyes varied back and forth setting on a gray color signifying his infertility. Last, was Pvmillivs who’s eyes glowed black then yellow then to a dark orange signifying their immense greed. The Wavering loyalties of the Patriarchs led Malignivs weakened; his power still remained. He was able to fight back against Avritvs, and Pvmillivs who raised their swords against him. Crvgnivs wrought with rage, sucker punched Malignivs in his gut; sending him flying. The corruption wielding punch would transform the skin of Crvgnivs to a dark green. Orenivs commanded fourth by Belldevm charged with his sword piercing the skin of Malignivs High upon the Seven Skies The gatekeeper Ivlioia watched from up high with his power so mighty. Ivlioia would reach his mighty hands into the void pulling bonding chains from the once chaos. At once the chains pulled upward and then down, spanning the Plane crushing the continents and attaching to Malignivs. The Wealthy One’s screams of agony could be heard as he cursed the planes with suffering and illness. Death to those who besought his name Malignivs the Wealthy One, The Plague bearer; Now banished into the void. Ivlioia would lock his being into the void, being punished the same as Draegivs. There in the void, Malignivs with his command on Greed and Corruption held onto reigns in the Planes. Allowing those who seek his power to be corrupted the same as him; with evil striking fast into those who worship the void. After the battle flew out Aemilia to symbolize the Victory of Man over Evil. Orenivs who was the least corrupted by Malignivs’ power would go on to unite many of his kin into kingdoms of vast renown; bastions from Malignivs’ corruption. The Descendents of Orenivs and his tribes are to be known as Hominae or Man, taking up the mantle of Mortality. Avritvs who was cursed with infertility, would dedicate their long life to scholarly pursuits attempting to harness the blessings of the gods even if it was for nought. Crvgnivs blessed by his strength would be cursed with Rage, his power knowing no bounds; he would murder a great deal under his own thumb without his knowledge. He dedicated his life to controlling his rage and vanished into the seven skies upon losing his light upon life. Pvmillivs whilst not worshiping The Wealthy One outright was cursed with Greed and unknowingly invited the power and corruption of The Wealthy One into his kingdom. Thus it is now the age of Man
  7. Manic Stimulant(Rare | T3) Background/Description After years of continued manic study, a young dark elf by the name of Knox would find himself tired of being… well tired. As one casts magic, it consumes mana - be it from the self or the ever-consuming void. This can leave the mage exhausted after a single performance, causing those who practice the arts to space out their studies or risk injuring themself from overdraw. With this in mind, the elf would consult his students who, though they may not have as intimate alchemical knowledge, provided support and feedback. After careful study and testing, Knox would have created the first of many batches of Manic Stimulant Recipe Base: Fresh Liquid Mana Mundane | Order x2 Aether | Clarity x2 Aether | Endurance x3 Aether | Life x 2 Creation Add one-half draw of Liquid Mana, and to that, add 2 part Aether Clarity and 2 part Aether Life. Gently stir, careful not to set off any reaction. In a second container, mix two part Mundane Order and 3 part Aether Endurance with no base. Once thoroughly combined, slowly add a half-draw of Liquid Mana to the mix, one or two splashes at a time. The alchemist should now have 2 mixtures. Slowly pour them into a vial while trying to keep their concentrations roughly equal. Try to create as little disturbance as possible, and do not stir. Effects Upon consumption, the mage would start to feel more antsy and outgoing than what may be usual. Voidal hiccups and small, aura-colored sparks may jump off them or their wand. The mana’s natural draw against doing harm would be strengthened during the duration of the effects causing a mage to be unable to cast any combative spell types. Doing so would cause the potion to immediately fade, and leave the mage drained for the next 15 OOC minutes, and unable to cast any spells at or above tier 3 for an OOC day. Under its effects, one would be able to cast a near endless amount of non-combative magic. So long as the user is able to concentrate one what they are doing, they are able to continue this euphoric experience for up to 1 and a half OOC hours. After the potion fades naturally, the mage would be filled with a final surge of excitement before a small jolt of mana would almost pop within them. This would cause no harm, but would tire the user, making them unable to cast any tier 5 spells for the next 30 OOC minutes. Creatures of mana would feel the effects stronger than their descendent counterparts. Though it would not give any greater advantage to casting, when consumed, they would have a much stronger urge to interact with others, and cast their magic. It could work to calm them to a small extent, but by no means reliably. Additionally, it would free one spell slot from any magic that utilizes them such as bardmancy. If the user has more than one magic that utilizes spell-slots, only one magic's slot may be refreshed. If the user has used no used spell slots, one non-combative slot may be utilized for an hour after its effects have worn off (up to 2 hours after initial consumption). No slots my be utilized until the potion's effects have worn off, but if one uses a combative magic before utilizing the slot, it would disappear and be unable to be used. Redlines -T3 Alchemy required. -Does NOT require ST signage. -This potion is ‘rare’ and must be taught through sufficient roleplay. -Cannot be used in any malicious way including, but not limited to: Sneaking away or towards someone for malicious means, fleeing combat, entering combat, hurting someone, forcing someone to do something against their will, antagonization, ect. Moderators/ST may use their own judgement to include anything not specifically mentioned. -Dark mages/innate-evils are unable to utilize the potion, and would, at most, feel a small shiver. -Requires IRP willingness to be administered, and cannot be forced upon a user. If someone drinks the potion unknowingly or against their will, it's effects would be null, and the potion wasted. -During combat, so long as the mage casts no magic, the potion's effects would fade after 5 emotes, leaving the user unable to cast any tier 5 spell during the encounter plus an OOC hour after -If a mage makes use of the potion three times or more within an OOC day, the user may suffer overdose effects. This would cause their magic to become more erratic, and fuzzy, and leave them overdrawn and unable to utilize their mana for no less than 2 OOC days. -All urges and emotions may be ignored completely. This will not change the potions effects, but an emote must include the resistance towards such. I would like to thank the following people for their contributions and support PestyWarlock, SimpleGlitchBro, creamynoteblock,
  8. Origin/Background/Culture After the birth of the 4 races… Finally, as the land and the terrain began to subside and slowly blended into natural composition, and all was good and done, the Creator let out a sigh. Within almost an instant, the winds gushed through the crooks and cracks, the trees and the shrubs, and swifty blew across the seas, creating waves that swivelled the still and quiet life beneath them. It splashed along the shores and dampened the sand. As it nurtured the world, the soil shook, and a storm began to brew. The clouds were shaped like the hands of the Creator, they were charged with electricity ready to destroy anything in its proximity. The storm shrouded the entire world; the Creator’s embodied defiance to the endless void left him, and rushed beyond it all - beyond the seas horizon - it continued to pick up wind and started to centre within a conjunction of islands called The Meranesian Islands. It accelerated, and shortly reached its climax - DOOM! Thunder roared along the ravines and jagged mountains, the lightning seemed to be at a still; then the gloom of darkness cleared. Flora began to bloom around afterwards, and so, this strike of lightning would eventually be called “Keraunós Kháos”. And then a mould began to form, which slowly separated from the soil. It soon formed into the shape of men, but then it collapsed; all that remained was human bones, and then, nature started to mend the creature, treating it as if it was a torn root; with little to no structure to join upon, life itself began to mould and fill them. Then it was done. Life awaited for its creation, but nothing happened; until the Creator blew a small breeze in which he was intrigued, and for just that one thought, that maybe one more shall do. The breeze swirled across the plains and flushed in as cold as ice, and suddenly, it took a breath - and jumped up! And earth elegantly guided it along the fields, for it too will soon learn how to mould. This being will be known as Terrafornia. To Terrafornia, may you hope for fortune, but it is not given, may your hardship be permanent and handed down to your descendants and more, and may your kind-filled heart be your utter undoing. Skeleforian or Terraforian (Collectively known as Terraforians) Physical Description Their height scales roughly the same as humans, about 4' 4 " - 6 '6”, but in some rare cases they tend to scale way higher. They can adapt to most regions, except extremely hot places like the desert. They are herbivores, and unable to consume meat. They’d preferably want to consume water, milk and honey because plants aren’t necessary during later stages of life. Out of the three, milk is required and is the most important because it is the fuel for their bone structure. Without it, their bones will grow weak and will begin to wither out. If their bones are too weak, they will be unable to produce a healthy body for their kin. They vary exponentially, but they still follow the same body structure from the first of their race, Terrafornia. Curse & Lifespan “To Terrafornia, may you hope for fortune, but it is not given, may your hardship be permanent and handed down to your descendants and more, and may your kind-filled heart be your utter undoing.” Their lifespan stretches from 200 - 1000 years and during their early stages, they tend to be very fragile and easily vulnerable to fire, magma, sharp and/or heavy objects, and magic, especially magic from a necromancer. If one is closeby, they will grow severely ill and become weak, their strong will also tends to weaken the longer they are near it. As they grow older, their body structure continues to grow and become super dense, and in turn they become tougher beings, and more bulk in size. In death, all organic/living vegetation on their body will die out (it depends on the vegetation). They will lose stability and will be unable to move during death; the most peaceful way to put them to rest is immolation, even if its roots were once dense it still won’t be able to withstand the flames due to age and will quickly be put to rest, whereas leaving them to pass on naturally leads to hours of endless pain and agony. Weight Their weight cannot be calculated due to the sheer variety and flexibility of their sizes. It often comes down to where they reside; if born in a snowy region for example, their bone density will increase and they will have even more vegetation growing upon them for warmth. But whereas newborns in regions like the plains, they don’t tend to tap into their adapting mechanism, and so, their body structure will consist mostly of flowers and moss, and more bone. These are the two factors (Bone density/amount & Vegetation variety) that make it difficult to average it, and thus, we are only able to calculate the sizes of newborns due to undevelopment of plant life and more consistency with bone density and amount. An average newborn weighs about 12 lbs (5kg), and ranges between 10 - 20 lbs. Mental Description Peaceful beings, taught by the forests itself; although most of them today don’t have to reside in them, they’re still wise and kind-hearted with experience that has been handed down since the first trees sprouted. When it comes to meeting other races, they are passive, calm-minded, and prefer to make right and undo wrongs. Their mindset becomes very spiritual overtime, and it also becomes protective of the land on which it was born; nature is like their family. Their very carefree perspective makes them easily susceptible to misdeeds, manipulation, and so on. But most of the time, they are cautious, and quickly learn how to avoid traps or dangerous situations. Abilities How they reproduce: During the middle of their lifespan, they’re able to reproduce. And once decided, they will usually find somewhere safe or somewhere close to the forests in order to start their reproduction. They first find an area where there's sand/dirt/gravel that can be dug, and once that hole is about 1.5-2 metres deep, they then go to the bottom of the hole they excavated and start imprinting the shape of their body into the soil. If it is disfigured or out of shape, they will have to manually fix the imperfections in order for their kin to live a healthier life. When this process is done, the being roots itself to soil and begins to produce a sap known as Biosap. This process takes around 2-5 days depending on their health and size of the imprint. They will then disconnect itself from the ground and make final preparations, making sure that nothing has disturbed the process. It then begins pouring the Biosap from its mouth into the imprinted mould. Once the sap fills it in, they take a part of their body and place it in the imprinted head. And then they cover up the hole, and wait for the newborn to sprout. These creatures have to go through quite the effort to produce their newborn. But nowadays they do it in groups and under protected land, so it’s easier for this process to go through. When they pass 650 years of age, they will be unable to produce again. There is also a way to turn deceased human remains into a living Terraforian. The remains must be in fertilised soil and pushed at least half a metre into the ground, then, Biosap will be required to finish the process. Last is to cover the remains in soil and wait for them to transform into their being. The being will not remember its past life. If attempting to reproduce, it must be on any type of dirt, gravel and sand, anything outside these will not work. The dirt must also come from the natural surface, a newborn can’t be born on a pile of dirt/sand/gravel (something placed by a player), and cannot be underground, unless there’s a proper context to it. Adapting mechanism: Terraforians are mostly plant life, so depending on the region they’re at, their vegetation will usually follow the common-life in the area. They will be unable to adapt to hot regions like the desert due to lack of inability to keep proper sustenance, plant development, etc. Or deserts like an ice-filled plains will also be impossible to adapt to for the same reasons. Volcanic regions or any other regions with extreme weather will not be an exception to this inability to the mechanic. The Living Scarecrow: These beings are perfect for harvesting crops and scaring off unwanted pests. They have the ability to grow roots from their legs and feed the soil with healthy nutrition. The crops will be more fresh, and they’ll grow faster as well. This also helps Terraforians develop and grow new vegetation on themselves, for example, flowers, grass etc. Overtime, the individual/s will lose hunger quicker and will require to take breaks. More than two individuals attempting to use this ability on the same crop field will not increase the speed any further. When hunger is 3 bars or lower, the ability will be inactive until food is consumed above this limit. Purpose Lotc hasn’t had any new races since 2011, I think it’s about time to add a new addition. I hope this race will give a more connective & spiritual nature to the environment, and to those who just love to adventure harmoniously. And how this race may be the back pocket to victory for future battles. Biosap, What Is It? Biosap comes from the individual during reproduction period or during hibernation. Not only is this substance used for the creation of newborns, it is also a medicine to cure diseases/illnesses, and it’s also a fertiliser for life/crops. It works like bone meal, but in larger amounts. Reference https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/224116-history-races/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/159728-creation-lore/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/161535-the-meranesian-islands/ Below are some concepts for the race.
  9. I am almost certain this post won't gain traction, but I still want to complain for the sake of complaining. Because of this I won't be making sure this rant is formatted correctly or is grammatically correct, simply because I could care less. It is unnecessarily difficult to find lore regarding major religions, cultures, and etc that you know is real or true (especially old lore and such). This difficulty is only heightened for new players. The only significant update that I have noticed on the wiki since when I joined the server (2021) Is the pictures for the races were changed to look cartoonish. The Adunian page from what I have been told hundreds of times by old Adunian players when I have tried to get more involved in Adunian rp is "Ignore the Wiki. It's outdated." Instead, you have to look through the forums for this information. Yet to find this information you need keywords. And even if you use keywords sometimes there just isn't anything, like in regard to Creatorism looking up "Creatorism" gives you zero results. There also isn't any actual way to see if what someone posted is real and legit, or if it is just someone speaking nonsense for the sake of it. As a new player it was confusing and frustrating, and resulted in me just giving up trying to understand any in depth piece of lotc lore. I personally see two solutions to fixing this (reviving wiki team or making lore submissions like magic submissions. But it won't get fix cause seeminly no one on the staff team has remembered about the wiki and wanted to fix that issue.
  10. "Shadows of the Hunt: The Legend of Murag, the Whitewash's Bane" In the ancient land of Krugmar, where the orcs of various clans roamed and thrived, there lived a young green orc named Murag. Born into Clan Lur, a proud and skilled group of hunters, Murag's destiny seemed intertwined with the ways of the hunt. His fierce determination set him apart from others. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming the greatest orc in history, a true legend among his people. Though many laughed at Murag's ambition, his friends stood by him, offering support and encouragement. Murag cared little for the cultural norms and wisdom of his clan, but he never disrespected them. He was driven by a desire to achieve greatness and be remembered for his feats. One fateful day, tragedy struck. Murag's father ventured out on a hunt for a dangerous whitewash—an orc who had turned his back on the traditions and values of their people, committing unspeakable crimes. During the hunt, Murag's father lost his life, leaving his son consumed by rage and grief. Murag's path shifted from joining Clan Lur and taking the traditional test to pursue revenge against the whitewash. Leaving his family and Krugmar behind, Murag embarked on a relentless quest to find the rogue orc responsible for his father's death. He spent years wandering through treacherous lands, honing his skills and growing stronger. Eventually, fate led him to the whitewash he sought—a fearsome creature with scars and trophies of defeated orcs. The winds howled, and the storm raged, mirroring the fury that swelled within him. With a primal roar, he charged into battle, his muscles moving with the fluidity of a river in flood. The battle between Murag and the whitewash was fierce and intense. The whitewash was strong, using his claws to fight with the ferocity of a beast he had once killed. Murag, fueled by his determination and anger, matched his opponent's strength and fought with the skill his father had instilled in him. In the end, Murag emerged victorious, but not without sustaining a grievous wound. The whitewash's claws left a permanent scar on the left side of Murag's face, a lasting reminder of his quest for vengeance. The taste of revenge, however, did not bring Murag the solace he sought. Instead, he found himself haunted by the memories of his father and the pain he had caused to others on his journey. He realized that revenge had not healed his heart, but only fueled more pain. With newfound wisdom and experience, Murag returned to Krugmar, a changed orc. Standing at an imposing 7 feet tall, with new scars adorning his body, and a depth in his eyes that spoke of hard-earned maturity, he took the test and was accepted into Clan Lur. The young orc who once craved fame and recognition was now an honorable and respected member of his clan. He no longer sought titles or accolades; instead, he vowed to protect and fight for his brothers. Over the years, Murag's bravery and wisdom helped his clan grow and prosper. He earned the loyalty and respect of his peers, and many considered him a role model. As the seasons passed, Murag aged gracefully, his life devoted to the code of an honorable hunter. In his heart, Murag knew that death was inevitable, but he refused to let age slow him down. He embraced every hunt as if it were his last, living each day to the fullest. In his final days, Murag ventured on one last hunt, alone but content. Surrounded by the wild beauty of Krugmar. Murag faced a formidable opponent, a creature of immense power. With the ferocity of a warrior in his prime, he battled bravely, not giving in to the passage of time. In the end, Murag fell, surrounded by the echoes of victory and honor, he breathed his last breath, knowing that he had lived a life worth remembering. His legacy lived on, not just in stories of his hunt for the whitewash but in the hearts of his people, who cherished the memory of a once ambitious young orc transformed into a true hero and protector of his kin.
  11. THE MOUNTAIN ALLIANCE Since the founding of Kal’Urguan the mountain dwed have been the foundation of the dwarves, from their many feats to their esteemed Paragons, the sons of Urguan have relied on the skill and determination of the mountain dwed. Back in the days of old, in the city of Kal'Karaad, Bastion Ireheart, Fili Grandaxe and Verthaik Frostbeard signed a bloodpact, bringing the mountain clans into an alliance, forging an unbreakable bond between Urguans kin. Decades later, the pact was renewed between Kerwyr Frostbeard, Fimlin Grandaxe and Gror Ireheart, once again bringing the clans close, and in return, making the Grand Kingdom much stronger than it was before. The pact was once again restored in Almaris between Bakir Ireheart, Kronk Stormheart, Argnos Frostbeard, and Thumbrindal Grandaxe So history shall repeat itself once again in Aevos, the mountain clans of Ireheart and Frostbeard shall sign a bloodpact in accordance with the following terms. 1. Signatories agree to support each other militarily if aggressed upon 2. Clans of the alliance formally agree to never employ hostility to each other, in the case of an act that cannot be ignored, the signatories shall meet to discuss a means of action. 3. Signatories shall not pledge allegiance to any sort of conflict without discussion. 4. Clans of the Mountain Alliance agree to support each other politically. 5. The Signatories of the alliance agree to meet every stone month. Signed, Clan Father of the Irehearts Clan Father of the Frostbeards
  12. Symbol of the spirit Ka'tau, personification of universal law. The Book of Ka’tau Divinely inspired stories and tales of the Rah’mun peoples, translated from the writings and speeches of the prophets, lector priests, and Pharaohs. Translated and Delivered by: Atemu-Ta Amun Prophet, Voice of Ka’tau, Sword of the Ra’tuhmet, Pharaoh of Rah’tuma Book 1: Creation story. The following tale has been passed down in the oral traditions of the Rah’mun peoples, who follow the faith of Ka’tau. Ka’tau is a spiritualist faith which affirms an animistic worldview. Adherents of Ka’tau believe in a single universal law of justice and harmony which binds all of existence together and takes many forms. The various spirits of the faith represent the different faces of Ka’tau, creating an endless list of entities which represent every facet of existence. The main three entities given credence by most practitioners of the faith are the Ra’tuhmet, an eagle-headed lord of eternal sunlight; Hesthor, a cow lady of pure waters, soul preservation, and bovine purging; and Kalthet, a lion-headed lady of grand strategy and Rah’mun battles. This story explains the Rah’mun origin story. The Rah’muns believe that before anything existed the universe was merely a void. Ka’tau herself, the personification of the universal law, brought forth the Ra’tuhmet as the first light which filled the void. The Ra’tuhmet then forged the stars, the world, and everything within it. At the edges of this void emerged Kalthet and Hesthor, who both claimed different aspects of the newly created world. The Creation story contains the emergence of Keop, the mortal enemy of Ka’tau, and Iblees and his general Kazul and their activities against the early descendants. This book is considered the most sacred of all the Rah’mun texts and is essential reading for any followers of the faith. All should read and understand with the fullness of their heart this sacred story. The text [links here]: Book of Ka'tau: Creation. OOC:
  13. The coat of arms of House Vaelaris House Vaelaris is a noble house from the continent of Aeltarys. It is not a large house, nor the oldest. But It is a proud one. They specialize in fishing and are known for selling their high quality crabs. One of the many famous dishes is the Vaelaris grilled crab and pickled herring. unlike most of the nobles houses that has different ancestral swords. House Vaelaris passes on a fishing rod made out of hardwood and a string made out of thin steal. making it almost unbreakable when catching normal fish. The founder of house Vaelaris is Raelor Vaelaris, a simple fisherman that happened to impress the king with his shellfish. So much so that he became one of the main sources of seafood into the king's household. This went on for years and sure enough Raelor made enough money to buy himself a small castle that he named Vaehold, a small castle right above the coastline of Crabcliff bay. all that Raelor needed now was a noble title. and he got one by winning a bet with the king himself. thus giving Raelor the title of Warden of Crabcliff Bay. not the biggest title, but good enough to make him a lord. and so Raelor made a banner for his newly founded house, a white crab on a purple background. Later in life Raelor married and had a son and heir, Daelor. Knowing that the house was a new one and needed to grow stronger, Raelor made sure that his son had the real education of a noble. Daelor learned how to read and write and how to hold a sword. not to mention all the family secrets about fishing. from the age 14 to 16 he became a squire to a minor knight that served under the king. During a Tournament the 17 year old Daelor got to prove himself to his father and the realm by coming 2nd place in the tournament. Once Daelor grew up, he was married and his wife gave birth to twins. They named the boy Daeron and the girl Daera, just a minute apart from each other. 3 years later Daelor´s wife gave birth to another baby girl which they named Aenelyra. In 128 of the second age. A great fire broke out in Vaehold. Killing Raelor, his wife Raena, Daelor as well as his wife, and the mother of his children, Visaena. Two years later, the twins and their younger sister Aenelyra must find a new way to keep their house and beliefs alive. so they put their lives in the hands of Prince Maegor as they sail to Failor and beyond…
  14. Good day fellow role-players, I wanted to address the fundamental flaws of Blade dancing, from the point of view of someone who has attempted many iterations of this lore piece, and its place as a bad lore piece. For those interested this is the passage I will be responding too; This comes from the following article; Now, with that out of the way. I do agree with a lot of this. Blade dancing is an extremely challenging lore piece to balance mechanically as you might struggle to balance weight, weapon mobility, and adequate weakness' for the caster so that they are not so far ahead in using weaponry at range that there is no reason to bother fighting martially. However a line out of this explanation made me realize something extremely important; "While again, a super cool and thematic idea". This line does well to outline the appeal, and reason people want blade dancing at all; it is a cool thematic way to combat opponents. And so I present my reasoning as to why I don't think the idea is fundamentally bad, my solution to the presented problems, and why this piece does not belong in this explanation topic. The goal of blade dancing as a lore piece doesn't necessarily need to put all of the issues that have been laid out into consideration. For example, if Blade Dancing was mechanically identical to LoTC's archery combat, simply reskinned with channeling flying swords instead of knocking arrows and drawing a bow, then they will be no stronger then an archer. We can justify this extremely easy within lore too. I will go through each concern, treating Blade Dancing as a reskinned bow and arrow combat: "What stops the user from not only manipulating blades, but having one of their own?" Alright, instead of knocking the arrow, and a drawing or aiming emote (Emote 1 and 2) we state that player must channel magic into the weapon for 2 emotes before the final, attack emote. The player cannot use another weapon simultaneously because they're too busy holding their hands out focusing on making the flying weapon attack to actually use another blade of their own. "Can they move just fine?" Yes, you can do this with a bow so I don't see why you could not in this instance. You can move up to 4 blocks, and then use a major action to progress channeling the flying-sword-attack, Just like how under the Honor Default combat rules you can move as well as take a major action such as notching an arrow, or drawing the bow. "Are they still strong?" On the cast emote, the strength of the attack is equal to the damage an arrow would have dealt to the target player. You can justify this as a strain caused by using magic at a distance affecting the strength of the flying-weapons swing. This solution would also fix the weight issue; it doesn't matter what weight the weapon is if every weapon deals the same amount of damage towards their opponent. By treating all melee weapons as a mechanically equal weapon, we allow archetypes (Like a rogue using flying knives vs dark knight using a flying greatsword) without their being any power difference between the two choices. "What cost is there to their lore?" If, mechanically speaking, the lore piece is identical to a bow and arrow, there doesn't need to be a cost. Because remember; the hypothetical piece we're making here is simply a reskinned bow and arrow. In exchange for the range these attacks offer us, we have to take longer to make our attack. "How long can they keep it up?" With a bow and arrow you must re-notch and re-draw your arrow each shot, so for Blade Dancing we will say that after the flying sword have swung majestically across the bare chest of the well-oiled barbarian you're fighting; the sword returns to the caster floating in front of them to be re-channeled for a next attack. Again, this is basically a magic-bow-and-arrow. You will be able to use it just as frequently. "What stops them from just stabbing people in the back with undodgeable strikes constantly?" I understand why so many people see this as an issue but it has such an easy solution. The weapon returns to its caster if it ever leaves the casters line of sight. Or even falls out of the air entirely, either works. One might argue that other players will just stand in front of the casters target to break line of sight- and sure. They should become the new target. If this was a bow and arrow they'd get shot instead. And, just a like a bow and arrow, you can utilize things like cover to break a casters line of sight and avoid getting hit. I truly believe that blade dancing's place as a fundamentally flawed concept is only true if you overthink the concepts possible mechanics. And I know this all too well as someone who fell into the same trap. The concept, if made as a reskinned version of the bow and arrows combat mechanics, could exist as a feat that has no further spells. That only exists to give players that unique aesthetic they are looking for. Unfortunately though, now that it is labelled a fundamentally flawed lore piece no one is going to want to try. As in the lore teams own words; "we strongly, strongly suggest not writing these pieces else you wish for a swift denial."
  15. The Adunians of Almaris +=+=+=+=+ An anthropological view of Adunians in the Modern Era Foreword by Tarwin Elendil The Seal of the Clahn of Elendil of Brolwic Foreword In the year 1642 of the First Age, the descendant races once again took to the seas as the Axios isles of Tahn, Asul, and Ceru were devastated and made uninhabitable by a cataclysmic storm of thanhic frost. Historians and scholars have named this world ending event the ‘Mordskov Upheaval’, due to speculation that the cause of this deep freeze originated from mysterious ongoings within the aforementioned city nestled in the Greyspine Mountains. Regardless, like realms prior and realms to come, Axios ceased to be viable for life to continue. Those fortunate enough to secure passage with a nation's navy or a sponsor's private vessel ultimately sailed east to settle the continent of Atlas. Others went westward. The colony of Halstaig, under Braehn Elendil an’Hiraeth ‘The Mongrel Knifefighter’, was established to resettle the war ravaged Westerlands as a home to the Adunian people and the remaining Westermen families after the Mordring’s retreat from Axios. When faced with another great migration, Lord Elendil believed that to follow the other races would lead to a continuation of the same devastating trends that lead them to Axios in the first place. Instead, he led his people across treacherous seas to the heavily-guarded coastlines of the continent of Aeldin. Knowing that the Aeldenic Empire refused all foreigners under pain of death, Braehn and his fleet sailed beyond Imperial waters and around the continent before finding sanctuary in the lands of Magna Banardia. It was here that the Free City of Brolwic was founded, a few miles inland on the northern side of the continent. Since its foundation in 1643, the Free City of Brolwic has experienced great successes and deep turmoil. Ancient Adunian institutions such as the Ildician Order of Knights and Pilgrims, and the Thane’s Council were remade, as well as new ones such as the deliberative body known as the Yen Drochsehrin, translating roughly to ‘the Worthy Men’. Art, culture, trade, and tradition prospered in this new Adunian home. Yet the Adunian people, by their nature and curse, cannot escape hardship for long. A fast-growing but also deeply long-lived populace with finite property, inheritance, and opportunity had left many Adunian children without many prospects beyond service. It was not long after the founding of Brolwic that relations resumed with the Holy Orenian Empire and the first ship of migrants sailed Atlas way. Many young Adunian men and women from all walks of life made the journey to the Empire in search of opportunity. The Adunians, by persevering in the face of ancient prejudices, became an influential minority in the Empire with a reputation as industrious and educated people, albeit somewhat duplicitous. A few notable figures in Adunian history rose to the highest levels of Imperial society as both civilians and newly created peers. Even political tensions within the Empire meant well for the Adunians, at least those who chose the winning sides: The liberal and populist-minded Josephite Party was dominated by Adunian leaders and bosses for decades, their grip on Orenian institutions holding firm right until the very end. The fall of the Holy Orenian Empire in 1868 IC and the collapse of human society ended this prolonged period of opportunity for this class of Adunians. Some would return to Brolwic, while others would travel across Almaris and integrate into newfound nations. Eventually, all contact between Brolwic and Adunian enclaves ceased as the state of humanity became even more tumultuous. In 1882 IC, by princely appointment, Mercator Elendil, sovereign of Brolwic, the Brolwic Free Company under Captain Garth Stahl-Elendil was sent to Almaris with the duty of locating and protecting those Adunians who remained in exile. Furthermore, Elendil had demanded that extensive research be done on the state of Almaris, and proper information of Adunian culture, customs and faith be made available to Almarisians, should the concept of Adunianess be lost to the descendant realms. I. What are Adunians? The Adunian people are the twice-cursed children of Harren and Sarai, and are a long-lived but sparsely-populated race of humans originating from the northern reaches of Aegis, with a unique culture woven deeply into the tapestry of history. Adunians, being distantly related to elves through their Mali’dunn predecessors, do fall to several of the same detriments as their related ancestors. Though falling under the curse of Horen and his children, stricken with a shortened lifespan, Adunians - though dilute - do take upon some of Malin’s curse. Not nearly as fertile as other humans, Adunians would struggle to produce offspring as much as their related kin. Though not afflicted to the extent of Malin with years between births and sterility a guarantee, Adunians still suffer from partial infertility as males and females. Though they are mixed blood, new Adunians would not be created by the breeding of elves and humans, given the Adunians have been existent nearly as long as the other descendant races and subraces. Any human-elven offspring, no matter how long the length of a family tree, would be free of Malin and Horen’s full curse. To state plainly, Adunians are humans, not half-elves and elven characteristics are a sign of more recent elven admixtures. An Adunian, unlike all other humans, may live around 200 years. However, there is a common range of the Adunian lifespan. As in, an Adunian will generally live between 150 to 180 years before dying. This is often attributed to lifestyle. A saying often attributed to King Lachlan Mor ‘the Macecatcher’ goes as follows: “No Adunian dies in their sleep.” Their longevity is primarily due to the Wildewynn ancestry of the Mali’dunn mixed with Harrenite blood - producing an increase in lifespan, and a slowing of their aging upon maturity. There are six eras of Adunian history: the Harrenite era, the Fai O’Thuaid era, the Al’Ildician era, the Ildon era, the Kingdom-in-diaspora era, and the Modern era. In the modern era, there are three main types of Adunians that can be found in Aeldin or Almaris: Brolwickers, Nivinese, and Cartrefans. II. Brolwickers: Garth Stahl-Elendil of Brolwic, Captain of the Brolwic Free Company The city-dwelling craftsmen, statesmen, and warriors of Brolwic are the most common Adunian to be found. Largely descended from the families of Old Halstaig, with some even tracing their lineage back to the Kingdom of Adunia or even the city of Ildon under Artorus the Great, these Adunians are born much taller than their Cartrefan counterparts. Darker hair and pale complexions are the most common by far, with the occasional dirty blondes and dark auburns. Their eye color ranges from grey, green, and blue eyes, with green and blue being dominant among the Brolwickers. The more urban of the Adunian groups, the Brolwickers are known for their masterfully crafted goods and sharp tongues to sell them. While Brolwickers are free men by law and by right, social mobility is low back home. Only the most distinguished or the children of Clahn chieftains become Ildician knights or are able to be seated in the Yen Drochsehrin. The best opportunity for the average Brolwicker is found with the Adunian Ranger Corps, the Brolwic Free Company, or one of the seven Brolwicker merchant guilds. The Adunian Ranger Corps is the standing military of Brolwic. Designed for speed and precision, the Adunian rangers operate in small units designed to execute mission objectives. It is often the most action and adventure a home oriented Brolwicker could find, due to the aforementioned exclusivity of the Ildician knights. The Brolwic Free Company exists as a specialized investigative company, often utilized in the tracking and confrontation of special assignments too complicated or bizarre for the rangers or knights. The Free Company exists as a private enterprise as well, often utilized by chieftains, merchants, and sometimes the lord himself. Currently, the main contract of the Company is held by the merchant guilds charging them with the guarding of vessels carrying goods to Almaris. A popular export that finds itself in the liquor cabinets of peers and burghers alike in Aeldin and Almaris is Valdemere scotch, a centuries-old single malt whiskey with a closely guarded recipe. Other exports are but not limited to: Caelliac tobacco products, Douglas arms and armor, Armas wool products and Cercial watches and timepieces. ‘Brolwic, 1867 IC’, by Drannan Viathas Brolwickers are most likely to be practitioners of New Adunian Canonism, otherwise known as Adunian Orthodoxy. Old Adunian is spoken in religious and ceremonial settings, while Common is used most other times amongst the Brolwickers. The Brolwicker accent is described as somewhat flattened, or backed, with long enunciation of vowel sounds that changes the ends of words. Consonant sounds are often pronounced harshly and rather distinctly. (Manchester English) Notable Brolwickers of the modern era are the following: Jonah Stahl-Elendil - Archchancellor of Oren, Josephite philosopher Anastasia O’Rourke - Countess of Halstaig, Magistrate of Providence and famed warrior Kheagan Armas - Vice Chancellor of Oren Frederick Armas - Esteemed statesman, Imperial Founding Father Calan Stahl-Elendil - Author, Poet Quentin Brae - Lord of Du Loc, Venture capitalist Eliza Brae - Diplomat, Stateswoman, Arcanist Edward Napier - anthropologist, Imperial Founding Father Padraig O’Rourke - Count of Halstaig, Politician, Mafioso Oisin O’Rourke - Count of Halstaig, proprietor of the Imperial State Navy Brolwickers can be found anywhere in Almaris and of course, in the Free City of Brolwic. The largest accumulation of Brolwickers in Almaris is Castle Stahl-Elendil in the Blackwald Valley beneath the Arentanian Alps. III. Nivinese Bowies: Unknown Nivinese Man The grey-eyed wagon riders of Nivinor, these Adunians are famous for their deeply poetic music, natural capabilities in field and forest, and their ridiculously large hunting knives. The Nivinese, also known as the Bowie’s, are an itinerant subgroup of Adunians that have held onto their unique cultural practices since their earliest days of Al’Ildic in the lands of Aegis. A quiet and solitary people, the Nivinese are most likely to travel alone or a small group of other families during the warmer months, and always in their painted horse drawn wagons. During the winter, these caravans will grow and make camp by ancestral shrines or specially chosen grounds near Brolwic or friendly villages. When in familiar company, the Nivinese speak almost exclusively in their own unique dialect of Adunian, with a notable musical quality to their accent. (Sutsilvan-Romansch) Nivinese children are expected to learn survival skills such Bow & knife mastery, long distance tracking, herbs, flora, & fauna. Like their Brolwicker counterparts, a Nivinese child matures at the age of seventeen. A week-long celebration begins leading up to this celebration of maturity, culminating in the gifting of the youths' very own Bowie knife. A large weapon, these knives are twelve-sixteen inches long, varying in blade style. Patterns, messages, and symbols are often carved into the handles by elders before the knife is gifted. “A Nivinese family” by Tirna Armas While their solitary and restless nature might be misunderstood as an aloof reservedness and distrust of the outside world, the Nivinese are not without heart or an appreciation for beauty and humanity. Their garments, much like their wagons, are often colorful and mixed and matched with their more rugged and drab traveling clothes. When it comes to Adunian art, it is the Nivinese with most appreciated creations. The Adunian lyric poetry tradition and musical styling known as “Chur'' is believed to have originated with the Nivinese. Popular Adunian songs known to have come from the Nivinese include: Ildon Road, Lady Of Ye Wild Moor, & Pulling On The Sun. “The Nivinese in Song” by Tirna Armas The Nivinese are seldom found in cities but off the highways and side roads of Almaris. They are identifiable by their painted wagons, their distinctive dress of colorful cloaks and garments over practical wear, their grey colored eyes(as most Nivinese are born with grey eyes), and once again…their comically large Bowie knives. A popular story of a Nivinese honor duel fought with said knives, amongst other things, is the Fight at Last Pine. (https://www.lordofthecraft.net/topic/124111-the-fight-at-last-pine-adunian-legend/) A Bowie’s Wagon, by Drannan Viathas IV. Cartrefans: John Marsyr, Shepherd of the Cartrefans It was the great shepherd John Marsyr who welcomed a number of Imperial Adunian refugees into his care following the collapse of Oren. In his holdfast of Cartref Mor, from where the term Cartrefan is derived, did these refugees find true safety for the first time in a long while. Today Cartref Mor lies abandoned, and the Cartrefans divided on the lines of good and evil: between a Necromancer cult and an order of Templar warriors. This ongoing conflict is of great importance to the Brolwic Free Company. Yet who are the Cartrefans? The Adunians of Cartref Mor are most peculiar and fewer of the three groups as they share a closer kindred to Elvenkind than to humanity. Because of this, they are identifiable by their more elf-like appearance: grey/white hair, shorter and sinewy builds, and grey or amber colored eyes. Depending on intensity of Elven lineage and some Cartrefans having little to no contact with the Brolwickers, these features vary from person to person. The Cartrefans are an excitable group known for their close bonds of kinship, which predisposes them to intense feelings of nationalism. Cartrefans have been implicated in several instances of social unrest and political uprisings in the recent decades, such as the most recent Norland rebellion. It is likely this is due to many Cartrefrans believing they were the only Adunians left in Almaris, without a home for their own. Most had never even heard of Brolwic, though John Marsyr is believed to have traveled to the city on a few occassions. The worship of ancestors and patrons is much stronger with the Cartrefans as well, for many lack any connection to the Canonist faith. Cartrefans are known for their oneness with nature, as well as a deep respect and connection to Adunian ancestors and the old ways of patron worship. Their dialect of Adunian is Elven influenced, with several loan words and alterations. Some believe that, due to their Elven connections, they possess a greater talent for the mystic and alchemical arts. “The Grey Magi” by Drannan Viathas Some notable Cartrefans of the modern era include: John Marsyr - Founder and leader of Cartref Mor Aurelion Marsyr - Necromancer Ser Uther the Templar - Templar Knight of Malchaedial V. Adunian Orthodoxy: New Adunian Canonism, or “Adunian Orthodoxy” as it is called colloquially, is the branch of Canonism as practiced by Brolwicker & Nivinese Adunians. Faithful Adunians believe that GOD, in his frustration and disappointment at the sins of humanity, removed his direct presence from the world he created for his children. It is only through willful perseverance, a calm and clear mind, and active pursuance of good works can mankind, especially Adunians, enter the Seven Skies. Somewhat ironically, followers of Adunian Orthodoxy have found common ground with followers of Owynism, likely due to the philosophical similarities. Patron worship and Saint worship are common practice in Adunian Orthodoxy, with patrons of Adunia’s ancient past such as Ryumel the Explorer or Braehn Eli’sehn being invoked often. Newer patrons hailing from a less ancient time are also revered, such as Artorus the Great or Gavin the Knight. It should be noted that Patrons are not Saints, for their great deeds and virtues are remembered for more matters of heart & mind and not a deeper spiritual health(though this is hotly debated), but are still deeply valued and respected. Currently there is a movement of faithful Adunians petitioning the High Pontiff to raise Braehn Elendil an’Hiraeth to sainthood due to his crossing of the broken bridge to lead the Adunians & Westermen in recolonizing the Westerlands of Tahn for the Holy Orenian Empire during the 1500’s. Should this movement prove successful, Braehn an’Hiraeth shall be canonized as the first Adunian Saint in Canonism. VI. Names & Families: Nothing matters more to an Adunian than their name. Clahn’s great and lesser are unique from one another, each with its own traditions, histories, and artifacts that indicate a colorful legacy. Below is a list of known Adunian Clahns, though there are likely to be more. Great Clahns: Elendil, Haryn, Varodyr Delmar, Douglas, Caellach Viathas, Valdemere, Culloch Annion, Wynsehn, Wallas Marsh, Nivin, Cercial Marsyr, Armas, Carthaig Lene, Loyola, Antiachys Lesser Clahns: Seregon, Mors, Ilyn Ilych, Varmir, Darmov Havath, Roke, Falcryn Eithelreach, Kaegh, Ilesca Brae, Napier, Radah Nurra, an’Leod, Stahl, Schote, Rourke VII.What Makes an Adunian?: The Adunian people are an ancient and storied race that has survived through centuries of diaspora & cultural catastrophe brought on by foreign genocidal fervor and, as some believe, their own hubris. Generations experienced great hardship, yet nothing could destroy the Children of Harren. The strength of Adunia comes from a place of hard learned humility and a faithful perseverance to do good works in the mortal world. An Adunian from any walk of life and background is made to understand their odd place in the world as a people often caught in the middle. From Aegis to Axios, from Aeldin to Almaris, the Adunian people have survived and endured, enjoying great triumphs along with great failures. They shall continue to do so until the final end.
  16. Because of the recent FIRE SORD discussions in LOTC story chat, I figured someone should post an amendment to just add it to fire evocation. I have based this on previously allowed ST Signed items that have permitted the spell to be cast with T1 Conjure Flames, with a 2 emote cast time, and then the flame persisting for 6. Please be gentle with me. Thank you. Enwreathe [C] - Allows for a fire evocationist to cover their weapon in a shroud of fire. Mechanics: A fire evocationist may enwreathe the metallic portion of their own weapon in flames. The flames from enwreathe can be any colour, except for blue, white, and black. The fire from enwreathe causes 2nd degree burns on contact with skin. Enwreathe required two emotes to cast [ Connect -> Enwreathe ] and then persists for 6 emotes once cast. Can be learned at T2. Redlines: Enwreathe cannot be used with blue fire or combustion, due to them causing warping and instability of the weapon. Enwreathe cannot be used on non-metal weapons, due to burning/damage to the weapon itself. Enwreathes flames do not bypass or cause burns through armour. Regular clothing does not count as armour. The spell is complete the moment the two casting emotes are done, no longer requiring focus or a connection for the remaining emotes. If enchanted, the spell follows all redlines above.
  17. Cooking the Gemeye Way By Basra Gemeye (written by VerminHunter) Preface This cook book has been recently unearthed from the ruins of the Gemeye clan, which lay hidden underground for hundreds if not thousands of years. The Grand Library has restored this book to the best of its ability, and has put it for within its shelves for anyone to learn from. May the cultural legacy of the dwarves be preserved. Miner’s Supper Soup Prepare a rock pot, the type of rock is up to your taste. Add water and bring it to a boil. While your water is boiling prepare Miner’s Helmets. Once the water is at a rolling boil add the mushrooms to the pot. After 10 minutes, or once the mushrooms are tender, remove the mushrooms and let them rest. They will be used for garnish later. While the water is still boiling, add some bone broth to it and stir. Bone broth made of Deep Toad or Hyfowl are prefered, but any bone will do. To make your soup more creamy, dissolve some of your preferred moss paste into the boiling soup. Once it is at your preferred consistency, you may plate and serve. [source] Deep Toad Tongue Steak The fibrous tongue of a Deep Toad is incredibly tough, but it is also delicious. Start by chopping a medallion of the tongue of your desired size. Be sure to drain it of the blood. Blanch your cut, put it into cold water and bring it to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, skim the scum and drain the water. The water can be used for your Miner’s Helmet farm. Once the meat has been blanched, sear it upon a salt block. If you are low on lard or oil, this method is great since salt blocks do not need to be oiled. Be careful to slowly heat the salt block since a rapid change in temperature may cause it to explode. Sear the toad tongue till a golden brown. Seasoning can be added at any point during the cooking process. [source] Blind Cave Fish Pickings Blind cave fish possess a great number of bones, so this method is the best way to cook it while not having to worry about choking on bones. Take the fish fillets and simmer, not boil, for 5 to 10 minutes on depending size. Water or broth can be used to simmer it. Once that’s done, remove the fish fillets and let them rest so that the meat can firm up. Once the fish is cooled, pick the meat off the bones along with the grain. Once the meat is picked you may fry it, or mince it to make fish cakes. [source]
  18. Volume I The servants often try to placate my rotten mood, “Oh Great Father, you are so ancient and mighty” they say. I know in truth they mean old and rotten. I see no hope for the Gemeyes, everyone is useless… Only Indra shows talent, she has skill in making golems. I cherish her dearly, but what can I do for her? Nothing. Our caves are crumbling, we have no way out, and the elders are murmuring things about her. They do not realise the situation we are in. They have not spent a day of their worthless lives in the tunnels working for the clan. The stone grows impenetrable around us, our picks turn rusted. The tunnel which we used to enter these caverns has long collapsed. I still curse Shcorl over that. I feel the weight of the walls. The Brathmordakin shun us, I don’t know what to do. Hopefully, once Indra finishes her golems we will be able to escape from here. I’m suffocating. Volume II There was a light in the tunnels. A single floating flame out there. Am I going mad? Did some dwarf tunneler leave a candle? I dared not approach it, but I wanted to, I could feel its warmth from afar. I don’t know what it was. My retinue had searched for me frantically, as I stared at the flame in the dark. They say I was gone for days, but I don’t think I even blinked nor did I feel any hunger or tiredness. What happened? I keep seeing that little light in my mind, its image warms me. Though it does not last long, my darkness snuffs it out. I have to pray to Grimdugan. A Prayer O’ Lord of Avarice, King of the Shade, Your children sleep in your beard of shadows, We keep by us your obsidian blade. We have nothing to fear, The darkness is clear With you here and near. Unmarked Volume Someone went missing in the caverns. Cabo Gemeye, a young lad, vanished. All that was found were a few track marks and a splotch of blood. People have reported chittering in the caverns. What have I done? Is this punishment for my greed? I am sorry. Indra’s golem is complete, and it is strong enough to dig through the bedrock. We will soon leave this accursed place that my foolhardiness brought us to. Volume XI Monsters have started roaming openly and attacking us in the caverns. Gigantic Lurkers besiege us. We have resorted to using our little stocks of wood to make crossbows to defeat them. The end is near I know it, and others do too. Indra came to me weeping, that in a few months they will have a way out, she begged me to come with. But my fate is sealed. I was the greedy fool who had forsaken our other brothers to lead the clan into solitude. I had failed to uphold the creeds of Grimdugan. But I saw his light in the dark, I know he has not abandoned me. I have to remain in this place and atone for my sins. My only hope is that others will manage to escape this onslaught. This will be the last entry of my journal. I doubt it will ever see the light of the surface, but if some spelunker eventually uncovers it, here are my words. Use greed for good, do not let it blind you, Love your brothers, Admit your faults, Have faith. Signed Methysko Gemeye The Ancient Amethyst
  19. HOUSE STAFYR INTRODUCTION & FOREWORD By Arthur K. Stafyr 23rd Lord & Guardian of House Stafyr The legacy of the House of Stafyr is a rich and prestigious one. One of the oldest families in humanity, we Stafyrs have weathered the rise and fall of many an empire and kingdom alike. From windswept Shadowcastle to glacial Nenzing, my family has seen it all. Our eternal virtues of Law, Honor, and Loyalty are what have held us together. Our history is part and parcel to who we are. Yet, in recent years, the several lines of Beorn have been scattered like chaff in the wind. The heritage which we champion has begun to slowly fade from living memory. In an uncertain world, we cannot forget what makes us that which we are. Let the culture, customs, and traditions of the Almannir tribes and of the Stafyr family not go unrecorded. I pen this ethnography and history, the latter of which I have edited and modernized from the works of Leopold, Count of Nenzing and Nikolas Flynn Stafyr so that our name might not be forgotten. Indeed, I further write this compendium with the help of my Uncle Thondorus, and my beloved Elia, so that it may be spoken by living tongues once again. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ALMANNIR Almannir Horsemen in the Highlands of Aegis, c. 572 On Almannir History An excerpt about the Almannir people and their history by the current keeper of the Book of Tales, Thondorus II. of House Stafyr Foreword This brief summary shall give the reader some insight in the ancient and thus far very unclear history of the Almannir people. The contents are based on a combination of collected records, fragments of history and a more proper translation of the stories in the Book of Tales. A degree of conjecture is present, but the reader must forgive as this history is many centuries old. Without further ado, I bid the reader an enticing or equally boring read. Overview Etymology and meaning History: Foundation, Aegis, transition into modern records (the Verge) The five Houses Altbaum, Altbom, Oldtree Steinkachel, Stoakachl, Stonetile Weidenfrau, Wiidafrou, Meadowswife Steinfeuer, Stoafyer or Stafyr, Stonefire Rettersmann, Rettersma, Saviour The Galdr The Book of Tales and its stories Closing statement Part 1: Etymology and Meaning Part 2: History: Foundation, Aegis and The Transition into Modern Records (the Verge) Part 3: The Five Houses As described in the preceding part, five Houses led Almania at its peak with the first one being of kingly status. Unfortunately the records are quite limited as to what are their traditions and customs but a few basic pointers may be given. Part 4: The Galdr Part 5: The Book of Tales Closing Statement This brief excerpt should give some insight into the history of the Almannir, their origin and who they were. It is by no means exhaustive and there are many more secrets to be found within the fractured sources spread through the libraries and memories of the people all around. What matters the most, is that the people descending from these heroes of olden days remember their roots and never forget their origin. History is part of who you are. THE HISTORY OF HOUSE STAFYR The Siege of Schattenburg, c. 1435 The Birth of House Stafyr (UNKNOWN - 1353) The Rise of Saint Godwein (1353 - 1426) Clash of Brothers (1426 - 1435) The Golden Age of Stafyr (1435 - 1464) The First Falcon’s Fall (1435 - 1521) Stafyrian Renaissance (1529 - 1718) The Bear’s Regency and the Erichian Era (1718 - 1744) The Second Falcon’s Fall (1744 - 1794) THE THREE LINES OF BEORN An Artist’s Depiction of the Siblings Galtor and Sybilla as Youths The three familial lines of House Stafyr all descend from the children of Beorn Stafyr, the founder of the House. They are aptly named Hanethor, Galtor, and Sybilla. While there have been known to be Stafyrs who have broken the stereotypes associated with their lines in the past, the Three Lines of Beorn are often associated with the particular characteristics and occupations for which they are renowned. Hanethorian Line Galtorian Line Sybillan Line ALMANNIR & STAFYR CULTURE Leana & Katherine Stafyr Riding Horses, c. 1732 By Katerine Ruthern nee Stafyr (@Sirenscall) THE TRADITIONS OF HOUSE STAFYR Over the centuries, House Stafyr has developed for itself a set of unique ceremonies and traditions. Many of these are Almannir in nature, though several are unique to the Stafyrs as an ancient family in their own right. Though the customs and traditions of Stafyr are vast, I shall endeavor to document the most important to which almost all are accustomed. Even among our disparate members and branches, these coming of age rituals are all widely acknowledged. Coming of Age 1.) The Hatching (Age 13) 2.) The First Pilgrimage (Age 16) 3.) The Falcon’s Flight (Age 16+) Almannir Funeral Rites Equestrian Festivals Mummer’s Shows Almannir Lullabies CULTURAL HERITAGE Over the centuries, House Stafyr has developed for itself a set of unique ceremonies and traditions. Many of these are Almannir in nature, although nearly a half millennia of nobility has led to the adoption of some which are unique to the Stafyr family. Traditional Foodstuffs Clothing Jewelry & Regalia The Men of Stafyr The Women of Stafyr THE VIRTUES OF HOUSE STAFYR St. Godwein Imparting the Virtue of Law Unto Ser Edmund, c. 1418 The House of Stafyr is renown for the motto which it has championed throughout the ages, this being the phrase “Licent, Honorem, Pietas.” Roughly translating into “Law, Honor, and Loyalty” in the language of Flexio, a true Stafyr from any branch of the House will always strive to live by these virtues to the best of their ability. To live by these virtues is of paramount importance to any Stafyr. Failure to abide by these virtues will rarely fare well for a Falcon, often proving to be their downfall. This is a recurring theme throughout Stafyr history, as its members strive to emulate the lofty example set by Saint Godwein of Huntshill throughout his life. Though there have been definitive villains throughout the House’s history, those who have remained true to these virtues have thrived and prospered. ‡ LICENT ‡ ‡ HONOREM ‡ ‡ PIETAS ‡ THE LORDS OF STAFYR Ser Edmund and Ser Farley: A Clash of Brothers, c. 1428 Beorn Stafyr Born - Unknown Death - Unknown Titles: 1st Lord of Stafyr and Guardian of House Stafyr. Hanethor I. Stafyr Born - Unknown Death - 1349 Titles: 2nd Lord of Stafyr and Guardian of House Stafyr. Master Thondorus Stafyr Born ~ 1300-1305 Death - 1355 Titles: 3rd Lord of Stafyr, Founder, Master and Bailiff of Rivacheg Master Graveth I. Stafyr Born ~ 1320-1323 Death ~1380-1390 Titles: 4th Lord of Stafyr, Master and Bailiff of Rivacheg Saint Godwein the Honest of Huntshill Born ~ 1360-1365 Death - 1426 Titles: 5th Lord of Stafyr, Marquis of Schattenburg, Baron of Feldkirch, Baron of Huntshill, Lord High Treasurer and Grand Justice of the Holy Oren Empire. After his death sanctified as the Patron Saint of Honesty, Woodworkers, Fungi and Skin-afflictions. Lord Edmund I. Stafyr Born - 1392 Death - 1435 Titles: 6th Lord of Stafyr, Lord of Geminine, Marquis of Schattenburg, Baron of Feldkirch, Lord Privy Seal of the Holy Oren Empire, Noble Ser of the chapter of the Lion, Knight Commander of Renatus. Lord Farley II. “The Young Lord” Stafyr Born - 1431 Death - 1464 Titles: 7th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Shadowcastle, Baron of New Huntshill and Fieldchurch, Lord Privy Seal of the Holy Kingdom of Oren, Warden of the South. Lord Symon “The Bread Count” Stafyr Born - 1445 Death - 1509 Titles: 8th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Werdenberg and Shadowcastle, Baron of New Huntshill, Fieldchurch, Commander of Eastgate and Master Keeper of the Imperium Tertius. Lord Athelstan II. Stafyr Born - 1460 Death - 1535 Titles: 9th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Werdenberg and Baron of Katzburg. Lord Thomas Stafyr Born - 1474 Death - 1515 Titles: 10th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Werdenberg, Baron of Katzburg and Waldstadt Lord Jakob II. Stafyr Born - 1477 Death - 1521 Titles: 11th Lord of Stafyr, Baron of Waldstadt. Lord Altaron II. Stafyr Born - 1529 Death - 1599 Titles: 12th Lord of Stafyr, Baron of Arnaut and Master of Coin for the Archduchy of Lorraine. Lord Eadwulf Stafyr-Thurant Born - 1579 Death -1622 Titles: 13th Lord of Stafyr, Duke of Raetia and Baron of Thurant Lord Kristoff Ludvic Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1592 Death - 1632 Titles: 14th Lord of Stafyr, Viscount of Grauspin, Ambassador and Emissary of Haense Lord Sergei Heindrik Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1621 Death -1707 Titles: 15th Lord of Stafyr, Viscount of Grauspin, Baron of Thurant and Lord-Marshal of Haense. Lord Leopold Kristoff Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1688 Death - 1718 Titles: 16th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Nenzing, Viscount of Grauspin, Baron of Thurant, Lord-Palatine and Chancellor of Haense Lord Erich Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1712 Death - 1744 Titles: 17th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Nenzing, Viscount of Grauspin, Baron of Thurant, Royal Envoy of Haense, Commandant of the Brotherhood of St. Karl Lord Alaric Leopold Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1735 Death - 1775 Titles: 18th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Nenzing, Viscount of Grauspin, Baron of Thurant, Commander of the Royal Expedition to Athera (1756) Lord Hektor Stafyr-Grauspin Born - 1755 Death - 1794 Titles: 19th Lord of Stafyr, Count of Nenzing, Viscount of Grauspin, Baron of Thurant Master Damron Stafyr-Beron Born - 1735 Death - 1807 Titles: 20th Lord of Stafyr and Guardian of House Stafyr. Master Morvon Stafyr-Beron Born - 1787 Death - 1856 Titles: 21st Lord of Stafyr and Guardian of House Stafyr. Master Nikolas II. Stafyr-Beron Born - 1827 Death - 1884 Titles: 22nd Lord of Stafyr and Guardian of House Stafyr. Lord Arthur Konrad Stafyr-Beron Born - 1868 Death - 1929 Titles: 23rd Lord of Stafyr, Baron of Thurant, Palatial Secretary, Royal Inquisitor, Chief Jovenaar of Haense Lady Elia Eryka Stafyr Born - 1871 Death - Titles: 24th Lord of Stafyr, Baroness of Thurant, Curator of the Haeseni Crown Jewels Lord Edmund II. Hannes Stafyr-Beron Born - 1895 Death - Titles: 25th Lord of Stafyr, Baron of Thurant Lady Katrin Eryka Stafyr-Beron Born - 1928 Death - Titles: 26th Lord of Stafyr, Baroness of Thurant THE STAFYR HEIRLOOMS The Vault of Old Nenzing, c. 1745 ‡ ANCIENT HEIRLOOMS ‡ ‡ MODERN HEIRLOOMS ‡ APPENDIX OF HISTORICAL WORKS [[THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:]]
  20. *An old stack of parchment laid hidden within a clay jar in an unkown cave. As the lid of the jar was lifted the paper was exposed to the first light it has seen in hundreds of years. The light illuminated the dusty and worn out paper, most pages had been eroded by time, but most of the cover remained.* The Weight of a Leader’s Name -By Una Mossborn If a historian were to look through the history books of the Mossborn Clan, they would discover that all the chiefs, from the first chief Brak The Leafy to the latest Geraldine The Blooming , that they all possess titles in their names and that their clan surname is never mentioned, not in a single text. At most, you’ll see them referred to without their title. But this is the first misconception that even many forest dwedmar have about the Mossborn Lineage of Chiefs. They are not titles, but their full names. This is because the Mossborn believe in the power related to one’s name and duty. A Mossborn Chief-To-Be is normally named with Mossborn, or if the Chief-To-Be is a child, they are not referred to by any last name. Before the night of their ascension, they pray to a shrine dedicated to Anbella to receive inspiration for their title. This title reflects their character and their duty. A Mossborn Chief’s duty is always to stand by his clan, aiding and nurturing its members. Like how a name is a continuous reminder of one’s identity, the title is a constant reminder of their sacred obligation to take care of one’s people. Once one’s duty is over, either by death or retiring, they may choose to return to their old name, but they will forever be immortalised with their title. Though a title is inspired by the Brathmordkin, in the end it is still chosen by the Chief in question. It is extraordinarily poor form to pick a title that is too flattering, such as “The Mighty” or “The Wise“ as it goes against one of the core pillars of the Mossborn Clan, which is Humility. This new name must be linked to nature as well as Anbella is the patron Brathmordkin of the clan. Thus names such as “The Viney“ or “The Bear” are acceptable. Although typically a prayer is done to Anbella, it is not strictly forbidden to pray to other Brathmordkin. For example, Donachan The Cloudy prayed to Belka. What is strictly forbidden, punishable by exile, is a non-chief dwed performing the naming ritual for themselves. Such an act is a usurpation of the position of Chief and the belittling of the duty one must hold to the clan. It is an act of dishonour and disloyalty. To Conclude, a Mossborn chief’s title is not just a fancy thing to increase their prestige. It is their true name, an ever-present reminder of their obligation to the Brathmordkin and to the people of their clan. It is not something that is taken lightly in the clan.
  21. Felyx F. Colborn, a Voice for Reform! Simple contemporary oil painting of Felyx F Colborn Introduction Felyx, born in the Second age 64, did not come into the world in a noble household. He worked for everything he has gotten so far, and will continue to serve his Kongzem to the best of his ability. The combined efforts of House Colborn now mean that Felyx is granted a unique position to let his voice be heard. As a child, he worked to start the St. Carolus University which still exists today, has participated in medic lectures, climbed to the rank of Armsman and Officer Cadet by now in the BSK Haeseni Army, and is an avid Adventurer and Poet to the Royal Family. Felyx made many friends during his time, be it commonfolk and nobility alike, and has expanded his horizons by carefully listening to minorities such as Orcs and Elves in Hanseti-Ruska. This has given Felyx the confidence he needs to run for Alderman on this day. Aspirations and Pledges I, Felyx Francys Colborn, do so pledge to honour our community of evolving peoples in-tune with their conservative roots by working with the Duma to issue reforms that benefit the Kongzem in the long-term. I will be your elected dreamer of a brighter future for Haense and, with the know-how and tools I have amassed so far, vow to work hard to listen carefully to anyone who would give me feedback or advice, and implement reforms that I deem necessary for the prosperity of Haense to Krusae Zwy Kongzem! More specifically, I, Felyx will pledge to work on Seven primary points: Promote Crown-endorsed reforms to stimulate political interest of the People of Hanseti-Ruska. Introduce non-politically aligned Commonfolk Societies for greater multi-social representation in our Motherland. Stand for greater Diplomatic cooperation, including a Worker’s Exchange Programme between allied nations to foster more open-minded generations who are willing to accept the diversity of Hanseti-Ruska and Almaris as a whole. Promote theological debates led by the Church across various beliefs, using a novel, proposed technique, coined: “Deep Listening”. Work to integrate the aforementioned “Deep Listening” into the Duma, which will hopefully bridge divides between opposite opinions to reach compromises. Introduce a Koeng or Koenas Royal Jubilee, in coordination with the BSK, every 5 years to celebrate the efforts of the Crown. Introduce a “World Pilgrimage” with the consent of the Church, in order to become aware of different and opposing cultures and beliefs, to reinforce Godan’s virtues and learn to live harmoniously with others despite opposing views. These are just a chunk of ideas I have deemed worthy to put to paper. Being a soldier of the BSK, I find it important that we can avoid War as much as possible. However, peacetime is never a reason to stop training and drilling diligently. I will take my discipline and dedication from the Army when pursuing my goals within the Duma. With great Passion Felyx Francys Colborn stands by his values, and hopes to work alongside Duma members with his Aspirations, by the pleasure of the Electorates of Hanseti-Ruska!
  22. Introduction: The most well-known fact about dwarves is their love of alcohol. From ale to rum, brandy to whiskey, the dwarves are undoubtedly masters of their drink. The primitive and defunct Mossborn Clan is no exception to this rule. Though they are well known for their armour, the history of their alcohol industry is no less interesting. This text aims to chronicle their long-lost methods, and the changes in production of their alcohol through time. ❃ First Drink: Being Forest Dwarves, their alcoholic beverages are not typically made of malt, wheat or hops, instead they fermented the produce of their forest such as wild berries and roots. The first Chief of the Mossborn, Brak The Leafy, is credited for the invention of their traditional Hollow Cider. According to Legend, Brak The Leafy wanted to stash a hoard of fruit away for himself. He found a hollow tree in the forest, and deposited all his fruit into it and then sealed it. He later forgot about the stash, only remembering it a few months later. When he rushed to recover the fruit, he discovered that there was a strong smelling liquid inside the tree. This liquid was the very first Hollow Cider. The original Hollow Cider was described as “drinking rotten tree bark” but regardless of this, it was popular because of its powerful inebriating effect. ❃ Improvement: In the year SA 17, the 6th Chief of the Mossborn Clan, Baran The Sappy (a known reveler) wanted to improve the taste of the alcohol in order to drink more cider. He implemented rules prioritising the cultivation of special trees specifically for fermentation and ordered his brewers to experiment with different formulas, flavours and ingredients. This concentrated brewing effort resulted in a much more delicious and fruity Hollow Cider. ❃ Decline: Unfortunately, in the year SA 18, Baran The Sappy plucked a cursed mushroom. When he brewed it into cider and drank it, he began foaming at the mouth and shortly he fell down dead. It was deemed he had an extreme allergic to the mushroom. A few months later, a plague swept through the trees used for Hollow Cider, since those trees were closely grown to each other. This event was known as the Cider Drought, because the plague nearly destroyed their entire Hollow Cider industry. A strict cider rationing was implemented shortly within the clan. ❃ Discovery: This period of drought lasted for 2 years. It was ended when scouts of the Mossborn clan discovered a wagon wreckage containing various alcoholic drinks and ingredients. In the wreckage there were crates of yeast and wheat, alongside barrels of ale. Farmers replanted and grew wheat in the forest with limited success. In the end, they eventually bred their own unique strains of grains to be more suitable to the forest floor. The brewers who worked previously with Baran The Sappy were very experienced and took to brewing these ingredients into new forms of beverages, such as Sweet Moss Ale and Berry Liqueur. However, because of the limited production of wheat, there was only a small increase of alcohol in the clan. When salvaging the wagon wreckage, symbols of axes were discovered engraved onto the barrels and wood. These were preserved in the clan, in order to give thanks for the revitalization of their brewing industry. It is believed that the wreckage belonged to the Grandaxe Clan. ❃ Conclusion: In SA 28, when Chief Eilek The Bramble eloped with his dryad lover, the Mossborn clan descended into civil war, due to prior religious differences. This internal civil was terribly brutal, and resulted in the effective extermination of the tribe, and the destruction of almost all of its relics, including the barrels of the Grandaxe Clan. There currently exists no remaining trace of the alcohol brewed by the Mossborn clan. Though things might change if the clan ever gets revived.
  23. GORLOTH The Gorloth Staff and The Gorloth [A Dour Watch Lancer being strangled at the hand of A Gorloth] “Bestow unto us as Setherien once had, return the Gorloth to the fray.” ~The Brightiron Prince says to Azdromoth in his Court of Fire. The Gorloth; A forlorn abomination which is remnants of a bygone time where abyssal sorceries and dark magic reigned with absolute malevolence which strangled the hope from the hearts of many. The Dark Lieutenants of Setherien wielded the wretched tool which had come to be known as The Gorloth Staff. The only device of its kind to hold dominion over the corrupted golems of yore. It was said that the sorceries in which these atrocities were bound to were achieved by a group of Aegisian blood mages enlisted by the benevolence of Setherien even before that of their Asulonian counterpart. It is said black tendrils which drilled and writhed between the joints of the Gorloth could be seen as a graceless bastardization of the draconic creatures their life derived from. It does not matter if the genus is harvested from a Dragaar or a hundred snakes, the end result remains constant. [Promiiitheon, The First Gorloth.] “The **** is a Gorloth?” ~Draakopf to Kalgrimmor ‘pon the eve of his ascension. A Gorloth is essentially a Golem corrupted through the means of blood magick borne from a series of intrepid rituals which had been based upon the premise of corrupting inert or active Golem cores. The Dark lieutenants of Setherien were once said to have scrawled great symbols and pentagrams onto the crust of our very earth. Rituals would have taken place on a grandiose scale of which would require the participation of the many simultaneously; to warp and mend the draconian genus into that of the Gorloth Staff would be the purpose. Only do those daring and/or foolish enough to mayhaps manifest some eldritch terror, use the ritual to conjore a construct of their own, though it is not unheard of. Such times went by and had long been forgotten until the Black Titan, Azdromoth set his smouldering gaze upon that of two Dwed. A pair of visages wrought of malice and greed glared back unto the sublime First-Born who he himself had been a conjuror of malevolent sorceries. A deal was devised and the Arch-Wyrm knew the mortal spawn would once again wreak havoc upon the realm. A world he had wished so badly to be rid of Order so that Chaos may ensue and bring about an Age of Fire. And so, they would enact the next several decades as harbingers of the wyrm’s wroth and in return the ancient knowledge, once wielded by Aegisian blood mages, was retrieved from His lexicon and bestowed upon the two. The Gorloth Staff acts as the source of power and sentience to the Gorloth itself in tandem with the Lexicon. One with naught the other, simply does not work. In order to create a staff one must first properly go about corrupting a golem’s core which would then be transmogrified into a newfound Lexicon . The process of which is no easy feat and will serve as a test to Man’s willingness to serve The Dark. [Archetypal blood mages during the dawn of the First Age bringing to life Promiiitheon.] The Gorloth Staff In a bid to trounce the mystical Dwarven Golemancers of times bygone, it was Setherien who ultimately succeeded in recreating a dauntless comparison of the Stone Men. Through a series of malefic alchemical amalgamations of the dark arts did the Sun Swallower birth anew perverse, but yet profound incarnation of corruption. It was His Dark Lieutenants who would hoist these mighty sceptres wrought of draconian corruption and charge forth unto battle behind the ranks of their Gorloth. There may only be one particular staff per Gorloth and should the the staff be compromised in any sort of way, The Gorloth will cease to function as it had. Rendering itself lifeless and rid of sentience should The Gorloth Staff be destroyed and or disposed of by the means of breaking and or burning, etc. The Staff itself is capable due to the malefic magic imbued within to corrupt any existing Golem into a Gorloth. Such a process might define the will and ability to persevere of the one who wields The Staff, as they will have to formulate and conceptualise a strategy to subdue and corrupt the Golem over the span of time it takes for it to become a Gorloth. The initial core that resides within a Golem, once tainted by The Staff, will become abyssal and black as the thanhium turns to that of a Lexicon. The core, once azure and radiant, would soon be rendered unto a tool of Setherien’s device; The Lexicon would serve the wielder of The Gorloth Staff and the Gorloth itself. The Lexicon The sublime Gorloth staff and its ability to corrupt and change serves as a sort of reiteration to Setherien’s past tendencies whereas the Sun Swallower himself in times of old would transmute thanhic crystals into that of blood crystals. Such is reminiscent in the mystery that is The Lexicon. To each is their own and may one lead to an alternate rumination; Each staff is privy to what lain within their respective Gorloth’s ‘mind’. Behaviour The Gorloth is stricken with dread and sorrow as it undergoes a drastic change in its programming, essentially. Oftentimes faces will appear to surface within the stygian tendrils that writhe and contort within the construct which seemingly would call out to those free on the other side. Such an effect can be an umbrage to the Gorloth and its thoughts, but dread is in its nature and it is born to be a harbinger of such. Servitude is the nature of this construct, but yet within the depths of its own ruminations, permitted by the black magick its wrought of; thoughts of betrayal and deceit linger and fester. To wield a Gorloth Staff is to forever be watchful of your back and the One you so daringly command. The Gorloth is often going to ask questions and seem inquisitive, though even if believed by their master, this is a mere flaw in their almost perfect design. Though they will never truly retain the understanding of what it is they ask, they will always persist to attempt to understand. Perhaps a reminiscence of the genus used in their creation or perhaps a flaw, but one may never know truly. Appearance The Gorloth may stand up to (8ft) at max unless a Greater Gorloth is constructed, which itself is left up to the imagination of the Creator. Inherently it is by the hand of the progenitor who would sculpt these Gorloths into whichever image they so desired. These archetypal masons were that of a malignant order and it would be their very own horrific thoughts in which their creations held reflection. Often times it is existing Golems who are corrupted then turned to Gorloths so by nature of the dark magikk lain deep within the staff, interpreted only by one divine or omniscient, then it is only the stygian tendrils that manifest that would change any apparent aesthetic otherwise. The application of igniting embers and creating heat distortions around ones person is permitted. Abilities Ignite Flame [Combative] The Gorloth possesses the capability to ignite or extinguish flame with its palm/fist or it may en wreathe its head in a crown of flame. Anything further is not permitted. If one wishes the ability to en wreathe their blade and or armament in flame they must specify such in a MArt. A Gorloth may often times use this ability to assist their master in starting fires whilst on wayward adventures in lands remote. This ability requires 1 emote to cast and lasts for 10 emotes. Greater Gorloth [MArt Only] The possibilities and ranges are simply left up to the imagination of the one submitting the artefact Gorloth. Though, it is encouraged by the lore holder for the sake of roleplay that if such an artefact be submitted, that substantial roleplay has gone into the creation of such a construct. The Creation Ritual The creation ritual itself serves as a pinnacle to blood magic invention for the success achieved can only be looked upon in awe as one may wonder what sort of divine intervention would look to create such a monstrosity. Naught it was, for Man lay waste to any claim that He is not able to persevere through sheer will and with the genus of dragonkin and or anything descending from the Slumbering God, all the way down to a snake; Let there be life from the blood from Setherien, Child of Knowledge itself. Upon creating a circle with the use of the following runes to reflect its unique commanding power; Life and Binding, alongside that of the symbol for Power itself. Without some sort of genus derived from a creature with relation to Setherien the ritual will falter. This means that even an abundance of snakes carefully collected and treated to be extracted of their genus could serve as a supplement for the ritual. In fact it is not uncommon for those who wield Gorloth Staffs to carry with them in fact serpents! Often not venomous, but still such a detail is a rather fascinating indication of the willpower these Gorloth Warlocks possess. Albeit this would inherently serve as the foundations of creation for the invention pioneered by Setherien and his ancient cabal of Aegisian blood mages. REDLINES Appearance/Durability/Weakness Redlines: CREDITS hotbox_monk/hotboxYSL: Writer @z3m0s: For telling me about the lore and it’s history and for being the reason I wrote this lore today. Thanks for being the homie. @Formenost: In depth consultation and moral support @Sorcerio: In depth consultation and moral support https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/202370-%E2%9C%93-magic-lore-blood-magic/
  24. Hyphae You find a journal locked by a green ribbon. It's edges are worn, yet it is still firmly kept together. A crow and a rose are engraved onto its dark leathery face. Entry I My dear mother. Once a respected druid, now a sickly woman on her death bed. All because I ignored the underlying stress she bared. It had all started when I ventured off into the woods again like any normal day. I had failed once again to heed the worry of my mother, who had now fallen ill to an incurable disease. Not even all the doctors of our Seed - nor herself - could cure the wretched fevers, coughs, ill pale skin, or freckling chills that felt like needles to the back that she felt every time she woke up. How could I, her only son, be so ignorant. Now she lies there every day, as if waiting for her last breath. Now my graceful father works harder until he could work no longer. Now I sit here writing, as if writing my woes could ever cure my mother. That is until I prayed to the gods. Cerridwen and Cennunos, Mother and Father of the nature that is gifted to us. Even after every moon and sun did I wait and prayed for an answer. Patience grows thin, and and so did my inpatient mind thinned until it could no more. I have packed my bags up for a journey far away, into the deeper areas of Almaris. There, I can find some sort of cure, or at least hope to help my family. Entry II In my extensive knowledge I have gain from travelling around Almaris, I would have not known I would gain a sister, or well adopt one. As I was looking for some sort of person with a medical background, I had met the young prodigy Delilah coincidentally along the way to Vortice. She had kindly greeted me and swooned me over with her childish nature. How dearly I love her. As we grew closer the following month together, she was immediately under my wing. Through her, I had learned more about the people in the East, and even settled down at Elysium to understand the herbs around there. From Bat's bulb to Jailer's Moss, I studied hard to get to her level. I wished for my parents to meet her. They always ways wanted a daughter. Entry III The peaceful life of Elysium had taken a turn for the worse. Krugmar, the warring nation up the road from Elysium. War has stepped into our lives as they threaten us with raids and kidnapping our people. Delilah resides in Fenn for her studies; where it is safer. On the other hand, I have decided to stand my ground and stay at Elysium, in hopes that our kingdom is strong enough to keep the Orcs at bay. I watch over the walls, always anticipating death at our gates. Entry IV Uruks. Crude in nature and powerful in battle. They had somehow gotten into Elysium while I was away gathering more herbs. They side with Krugmar. What crazy racists they show to be. I used the citizen tunnels to quietly get in, spying on them as they lurk the streets of our home. Seven in total I have seen. How could a handful of them get in when we had guards on every post? I have heard their prideful yells of how we are cowards, how the guards ran away, and how they would not let anyone in; mostly because they did not have the key. They vilely spill alcohol down their throats, celebrating their success. I hope this ungodly hour ends before Delilah returns home. (Entries will be added continuously in the later future)
  25. Good day to everyone. I have a question of sorts. Well, it’s also intended to generally get a gauge of the server’s community and opinion, and to perhaps open a discussion. I'm mostly just speaking my mind. Please keep matters calm and civil, since some things discussed may be contentious. I also would like to apologize well in advance, for I have a very good feeling that this will be very tangential as opposed to being a well-structured essay. The subject is regarding the nature of the Techlock. See, I'm new, I'm not some community veteran or old-guard who can sway the lore team, or events or outcomes of certain civil wars… but I've hardly played, so I wouldn't really know about that. The thing is, I very much want to. But to explain the matter, I will have to share a little about myself. I love and am obsessed with bits of technology in fantasy settings. Steampunk, retrofuturism, magitech, science-fantasy worlds, these have always fascinated me since I was a kid. Movies like Atlantis, Treasure planet, and others sparked my imagination, games like the old Neverwinter Nights, Ultima, and others occasionally presented small amounts of technology in their setting, and it fascinated me. Wanting to be an engineer IRL, it really helps transport me to another world, time, and place where things only in the most distant theory are possible. Ever since the start of fantasy, there's always been room to mix these things together here and there, settings and worlds like Spelljammer, Eberron, Magic The Gathering(Just look at anything involving Urza), so many of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful films, I could provide examples for days. The truth is, science and technology have the capacity to conjure wonders unimaginable prior into real being in our universe today, and it’s hard to imagine this not being so elsewhere. This can be the example portion of this whole post, delving further into where I’m coming from, and just simply explaining what I like and enjoy. I’ve read Jules Verne, and played games like Bioshock, Thief 2: The Metal Age, The Dishonored Series, The Bioshock Series, Divinity: Dragon Commander, Path of Exile, Myst, Iron Harvest, Morrowind(And the rest of the Scrolls games), the Vaporum series, and more. I love playing an Artificer in D&D ever campaign that I possibly can. Hell, I loved the Legend of Korra, which I know wasn't exactly popular as a continuation of ATLA. You get the idea, you get the picture, I absolutely adore this sort of thing, and seek it out in media. I’m a massive uber-nerd for this sort of thing. Technology and magic mirror each other in many ways. Of course, many world-building troubles and complications might arise from this, how do magic and technology exist? Where do they compete and where are they compatible? You have to treat technology as a sort of magic system in many respects, so some of Brandon Sanderson’s thoughts apply, generally, it has the power to greatly affect the feel and themes of a world. An industrial revolution is an incredibly transformative event, after all. In a day and age where Netflix’s Arcane tops charts, Magic The Gathering is creating planes and card blocks like the new Kamigawa and New Capenna, The Legend of Zelda features ancient Shieka magitech as a core part of its worldbuilding, and science-fantasy elements become less niche and work their way bit by bit into the spotlight and mainstream, I want to ask. Why does Lord of The Craft have to imitate Tolkien ad nauseam until the end of time(or at least the server, presumably), and even disregard the surprising technologies that actually did exist during the medieval period and throughout history (I’ve taken a History of Science and Technology class, I can debate this if you really want). Who exactly mandates that it has to be limited to one kind of RP, one kind of world, one kind of story, one kind of context, one time-period, doesn’t it ever get old? This is where the rant ends. I really just wanted to toss these ideas out there, because I've wanted to get it off my chest. Part of me is playing devil's advocate here, I want to know what people think. I’m being disingenuous. I know a bit more than I’ve let on, despite my hours on the server probably being 2 at most. The other thing about technology compared to magic, is that, while similarly arcane in its complexity and required knowledge, is that it leaves a more permanent artifact, sure spell tomes can exist, but technology(and artifacts in general) is very much a matter where, once its out, it can be difficult to put the cat back in the bag. When something is invented, the factions in power seek that power, people study, learn, teach, and perpetuate that knowledge. And even if all the skilled craftsmen and engineers who worked on these things have vanished, then their works can still be unearthed, and potentially reverse-engineered(if enough of them is left to do so with). The other relevant property, is that technology is built upon learned principles generally fundamental to reality, and methods and discoveries can be reapplied in different contexts, and improved in efficiency- realistically, the tech train doesn't easily stop moving once it has been started- someone will usually think of all sorts of uses for things which already exist, and try all sorts of wacky stuff. In truth, all fantasy worlds, regardless of tech-level, do have a certain techlock of their own- to prevent a runaway effect and maintain a particular vibe, to prevent a Kaladesh from becoming an Neon Dynasty, so to speak(I understand they are different planes obviously, they were just examples of tech style). Some, like Divinity, opt for a magical unexplained reset that just simply wipes all of the technology, and presumably all of the knowledge, tools, memories, possibly people, and drive to replicate it, or even think to replicate it. This is terrible writing, but I do understand why it’s done. Many settings relegate their technology to little pockets, advanced ancient lost and dead races and civilizations, whose incredible works simply cannot be understood, they are simply too vexing and arcane, and perhaps nobody quite bothers… for some reason, or an isolated and mysterious island of tinker gnomes. The Dwemer’s secrets lie guarded away in buried ruins, defended by magimechanical automata that pose great threat to all but the most skilled and capable, or armies and legions. Only a few characters understand their works, like Sotha Sil(and a significant amount of that understanding likely came about post-’ascension’ via the heart of Lorkhan), and sparingly few scholars, artificers, and alchemists who appear only at special occasion. Regardless, I digress yet again. This isn't about The Elder Scrolls. Now, onto how any of this at all relates to Lord of The Craft, beyond trying to turn it into something that it’s not. I’ve read about the past, about things like Smoggers and Thanium devices, the list seems to go on- devices that were once accepted, and once existed prior to the establishment of the (current?) Techlock. I won't lie, I adore the sound of that stuff. It looks to me like you guys tried it. From what I can tell, there was such significant tech-creep that the techlock became absolutely necessary to keep it in check. It simply must be discussed how technology relates to RP itself. It is obvious to me how balancing, CRP, and fun for everyone can be… potentially negatively impacted by simply letting these ideas run free and wild. It’s clearly a problem if one nation is the Fire Nation, and has such a technological advantage that its screwing over others, and forcing people to advance to compete whether they like it or not, it’s obviously a problem when the people managing sieges and battles now have to deal with one side rolling out steam-tanks or some nonsense. I suppose it's also a problem if someone's 'so unique and special of a character' that went through the bureaucratic nightmare of endless applications and back-and-forth with staff/loreteam to have throwable vials of horrible alchemical concoctions and chemical weapons, or a repeating crossbow that only requires like, 1 or 2 emotes to spam-fire, and regular soldiers and guardsmen with sword and shield have to deal with the BS of fighting that. I understand these things. I also know that tinkering and technology aren’t entirely crippled today either, it’s just very carefully and cautiously selected and limited. I know automatons and animati still exist, that special magic items and creations exist in circulation here and there, things like mechanical arms which can spray pressurized water, and that a long-forgotten, ancient buried thanium bomb might still detonate causing a massive disaster from time to time, that Urguan’s navy consists of steam-powered paddleboat ironclads. I know these things, and I’m sure there’s still a place and room for me, and things that I can explore. I’m not the kind of roleplayer who wants to invent or bring about technology for powergaming or to crush my competition with the power of “SCIENCE!!!”, and I genuinely care about the experience of others. I just personally love the flavor of fantasy tech, and writing these things. I don’t want to ruin things for anybody. But of course, this sort of thing is still what I tend towards, it’s the sort of thing that Iove and get the most enjoyment out of. And I understand you can tell me to go somewhere else, but, this is the biggest RP server in existence at the moment. I don’t know of a server more my style that exists anymore. My first character is a Dwarf, and I plan to go through the trials necessary to work my way up the ranks of Clan Irongrinder. I want to make interestingly and creatively written and flavored- and well-balanced- magic items, and sell them, introduce them to the world. But I have read a few past forum debates about this very topic, and they were not without vitriol. After this long-winded wall of text, the real question I want to ask is this: Am I welcome here? And also, to be entirely earnest, to a lesser extent, the secondary question is: Will the current state of the techlock ever change? Will there be exceptions for me to enjoy? Will things like smoggers ever exist again? Cannons at the very least? Or did I just miss out on all the cool tech before it got banned forever? Did I just arrive here too late?
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