Search the Community

http://conceptartworld.com/artists/rasmus-berggreen/ -=~=- A warning made from threads of ice -=~=- In a land far away from yours, over frozen seas and snowy peaks and alpine forests vast, once was a kingdom whose King was the last in an ancient line of Kings who wore the same crown before him. They were an old bunch; a bloodline founded by conquerors who took the Taiga by the right of steel, and for generations they had not let go despite the enemies that surrounded them. To the south were the wildfolk, men and women of furs and forests who refused to fight for the ill-won crown, and who for millenia had kneeled to no man and never would, for a scourge was creeping from the north of the Taiga like frost upon the grass, and it knew not Man. When freezing souls looked Northward all they saw was a vast, glassy desert of arsenic white, but wise men knew that beyond the hills and glaciers laid gnashing teeth and tongues that lusted not for sins of the flesh but for its sweetness. -=~=- Bloody and raw in all its parts -=~=- It was thoughts of this Scourge that consumed the King’s idle hours, tossing and turning late into the night. He trained his soldiers from dawn to dusk in constant preparation of a foe they knew would arrive one day: but not when, where, or how. He took frequents walks in the Taiga, his wife with child left behind in the frozen walls of his castle to wait out her days until the baby came. It did, however, come eventually, as both life and death do, and the baby was born upon a morning graced by a particularly wintry chill. Prayers went to the gods and fae of the lands that the child would be born a prince, a strong boy who would grow and combat the coming Ice. But prayers oft go unheard, and when it came time for the King to attend to his wife’s side, his Daughter entered the world just as she would leave it: bloody and screaming. The Princess grew and blossomed quite like the winter-roses of the Taiga, until she held herself in pace and posture with the grace and solemn beauty of one of the pine forest’s dryads. She was, however, warm and kind: ironic considering the cold and frigid land she was born in. Trusting and carefree, yet not a single bachelor of the frozen wastes dared to make a claim for her heart for fear of the King’s wrath come upon them like an avalanche. One did not care much for the Father’s might, though: a rake by nature, who took hearts and innocence as easily as children pluck thistles from the snowy fields. The Rake and the Princess grew close with one another, whispered words and held hands tying a knot of silken twine between the two until the fateful night came that he took her childhood in his stride, and then he was gone when morning came. -=~=- Now listen close, it won’t come twice -=~=- The Princess, abandoned and bereft, took to the Taiga and fled into the heart of the forests. Leaves and columbine parted way, clearing a path for her and urging the weeping girl deeper into the wood. The trees grew tall and the shadows loomed, and becking voices drifted upon the frigid wind. The girl’s journey ended at a frozen pond where frosted leaves drifted slowly from the trees, time nearly stopped in the winter glade. Stood within its center, not a single crack marking her steps across the pond’s surface, was a woman who quite reminded the Princess of a wolf: wrapped in furs, teeth bared, a predatory fire in her eyes that almost seemed to gleam off of her icy, mirror-like skin. “Stop the tears, child of mine,” came her voice that sounded like both a howl and a mother’s call, “for you are home at last and shattered hearts will not do.” Made whole again, the castle’s guards found the lost Princess wandering through a blizzard that roared and blistered, all but blinding any standing within it. They ushered her inside, not a single thought spent wondering how she had found her way home through the snow, or how she was still alive with skin so blue and frostbitten. Nevertheless, they hurriedly dressed her in furs and brought her to her Father’s hall. The doors shut behind the girl and all fell quiet through the castle. Silence came over the frozen palace like a sickness, broken only in a few minutes’ time by what the castle guard conjectured was furniture being moved: heavy masses, screeching and sliding along the hall floors behind the door. One opened it, and all looked inside. -=~=- The wolves will eat all broken hearts -=~=- Where they expected to see a reunited family, they only saw a carpet of blood and a princess kneeling over the forms of her king and queen, mother and father. They watched in stunned silence, the horror having taken breath from their lungs, making the sounds of the grisly feast all the louder in their minds. She hadn’t eaten all of them, though, as her mother still remained mostly whole, and what was once her daughter now dragged her body across the gore-slicked floor, adjusting the cadavers’ limbs and position with a meticulous obsession befitting a mathematician at the crux of their life’s work. Her murmurings, audible between swallows of flesh were nonsense, growls and whispers in an incomprehensible tongue. One guard spewed his supper upon the stone and the noise caused the stained Princess to look their way, teeth bared and dripping with her own meal’s excess. Whispers came upon the wind that howled through the palace gates, and a scream echoed across the barren Taiga. The Kingdom’s eternal question had an answer, and the Scourge would come from within, with the construction of the first Altar. The Witch's Altar The creation of a ‘Seed’ of Cursed Ice is a relatively simple process for a Witch Mother. After a few hours of weaving her magic into the ice, and compressing it into itself, a small bit the size of a sunflower seed will be all that is required to plant and begin to cultivate and ‘grow’ a structure known as ‘The Witch’s Altar.’ The ‘construction’ of a Witch’s Altar begins when either one Witch Mother and five Witches, or two Witch mothers and three witches convene to plant a small chunk of Cursed Ice, generally dubbed the ‘Seed.’ Altars are usually placed in a room in the lowest part of a Coven’s Den, as they have no requirements for growth other than a cold environment. In order to ‘Plant’ the seed, the Witches must enact a ritual involving restraining a man to the ground where they wish the Altar to grow from, and insert the seed into his stomach. From there, if uninterrupted, the seed will slowly drain the man’s life-force and begin to germinate, creating more cursed ice around itself, encasing the bones of the man. A Witch’s Altar has a strict progression rate, and will, over time, develop into five unique ‘Tiers’ Seed Stage: At this point, the seed has been implanted into the body of the man, and will slowly drain him until his death from its actions, his wound, or hypothermia. Once the man has died, the seed will begin to grow and expand out from his corpse, creating stalk-like protrusions of cursed ice. It will take 3 days for it to reach tier 1. Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 In order to speed up the process of Growth, the Witches may repeatedly perform the ‘Sabbath of Germination’ on the Altar, at any stage except for tier 5. This Sabbath functions similarly to the original planting of the seed, and involves the placement of 2 unconsumed male corpses, and one freshly sacrificed male upon the altar. (If a bite or two was taken out to kill the man, that is acceptable, but these cannot be leftovers from dinner.) The Altar will then integrate and absorb the corpses, speeding up its process of growth, reducing the current timer by 4 days. This Sabbath may only be performed once at tier 1,2 and 3, and up to twice at tier 4. Performing the Sabbath at tier 5 will accomplish little, except perhaps speeding up the process of repair and regrowth if it was damaged or large chunks of cursed ice were removed. -There are strict limits on the usage and time-frame of the growth of an Altar, and a sign must be kept and updated punctually to determine its growth and cycle. -There will generally only be one Altar per coven, as having more than one Altar in a small space will cause them to compete for growth and movement. - While resistant to Holy Fire at tiers 4 & 5, it is not completely immune. The same goes for if someone managed to summon extreme temperatures of regular fire. It would not immediately destroy it, but begin to melt it somewhat. The functional durability of the Altar is proportional to the time and effort put into keeping it alive and growing. It should be almost impossible to destroy at tier 5 without great effort due to it having been tended to for more than a month, depending on the Sabbaths performed. -If any cursed ice is removed at the lower stages, it WILL affect the growth cycle, or even kill it outright. Removal of cursed ice should be documented. -The Creatures summoned by the Altar at tier 5 may vary in shape and size depending on time allotted to summon them, however they will be entirely controlled by the Altar and without any free will of their own. Being made of regular ice, they are susceptible to fire and normal weaponry. The creatures act only as a time-buying function for when there are not enough Witches present to adequately defend the Altar. Once enough Witches are present, (equal, more, or 1 less than the number of raiders present) the creatures will dissipate. -The paranoia and mania induced by the presence of the t5 Altar is a rolling system as such: Non-Witch player rolls 1d100, 1-20: While unnerved by the presence of the Altar, their will is strong: Nothing happens. 21-31: The Altar’s corrupting presence worms its way into the mind of the observer, manifesting a hallucination of one of their greatest fears. 32-60: The Altar instills a progressively more ravenous desire for human male flesh, similar to that which a Witch feels. This will last until they consume a large quantity, or exit the vicinity of the Altar. Roll 1d20, 1-5: The character’s feelings on the Altar remains unchanged. 6-15: The character feels a deep and compelling fear of the Altar, making it difficult for them to harm it. 16-20: The character would feel a reverent and compelling desire to protect the Altar, continuing for as long as they remain in its presence or if the Altar’s influence is dispelled through the usage of Holy or Mind-Affecting magics. 61-71: The presence of a loved one is immediately apparent, urging the character to cease any attempted harm against the Altar, if such actions occur. 71-90: The Altar’s presence is foreboding and imposing, a heavy sense of dread and fear weighing on the mind of the character. 91-99: The Altar’s presence is too much to bear, compelling the character to attempt to flee in fear. 100: The Altar’s presence overcomes the weak will of the character, compelling them to throw themselves onto it as a sacrifice. This does not count as a PK if successful. Alterations to the rolling system, such as re-rolls or adjustments to current rolls are allowed, depending on the circumstances and characters involved. Should a player wish to opt out of the rolling system, another suitable RP reaction may be enacted, so long as, in context, their character does not respond at all to such an imposing presence. Example of creature summoned by altar ((Skyrim Screenshot)) An Altar functioning as the pillar of a room. ((Final Fantasy Concept Art)) Between the screams and shifting of ice and snow, I could barely hear anything the Captain was saying. My fingers curled tightly over the hilt of my longsword, covered with ethereal, crackling flames. We prepared for this. We managed to get the jump on them. The fledglings fell quickly beneath our swipes. Our formation was not broken. I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, however, between the layers of furs and armor. I couldn’t shake the sensation of icy fingertips upon my face, frozen lips upon my ears. The whispering, Gods, the whispering would not stop. The door to the hallway opened up, and I knew why my breath was hitched in my throat. There the Mother stood, elbow-deep in the corpse of a young man. She didn’t even seem to notice us. No, no, she didn’t care. Surrounding her was a colossal structure, I wanted to say it was made of ice, but it was clear upon first glance that was not the case. Darkened spikes and jagged edges covered its surface, and as we took a step closer to it my bones were instantly chilled. I could feel her arms around my waist. I loosed my grip on my blade, standing slack-jawed in the presence of it. Obvious bones and consumed bits of cloth and flesh were entombed in the mass, creating patterns of woven ice and free marrow. My blade fell from my hands. Formation was broken as the unworthy before me ran to embrace the Altar. The leader of the invaders shouted something, before he and his loyalists were cut down and devoured, as the very ice around the Altar came alive and assaulted them. I was safe, I knew, I was safe because I was chosen. I could hear the whispers in my ear telling me such. I was safe. Properties of Cursed Ice Cursed Ice is a type of permanent ice woven with the magic of a Fjarriauga curse. It can be created in small amounts by a Witch Mother, however this process is inefficient and draining. The most effective way to get cursed ice is to remove it from an Altar, as it grows naturally from it. Cursed Ice is generally non-malleable, except during a Sabbath or in the direct presence of the Altar, which allows Witches to remove pieces of it from the Altar. Even then, it is very slow to shift and move, wishing to retain its rigid shape. Cursed ice emits a naturally chilling aura, in larger quantities even beginning to freeze and frost the direct area around it. Cursed Ice is resistant to natural heat, and can generally only be melted by Holy Fire, but will, in turn, squelch it if the quantity of Cursed Ice is large enough. Holy or Deity based light will act upon it like the sun acts upon regular ice, generally weakening its magical properties and beginning to melt it over time. Smaller quantities of Cursed Ice are easily melted or crushed, however. -Cannot be manipulated by a Witch unless in the presence of an Altar or during a Sabbath. -Cannot be made except in small quantities by a Mother, or taken from an Altar. -Smaller quantities are destroyed easily with natural fire or force. -Larger quantities are resistant to natural fire and force but susceptible to holy deity-based fire and magics. -Exudes an aura of cold, unless otherwise altered by a Sabbath. -The Relative strength, durability, resistance, and density of the ice is dependent on the condensed quantity of it. With large quantities such as the Altar (tier 4/5) being extremely difficult to burn or break, medium-quantities such as small weapons and chunks infused into weapons and armor being moderately resistant to normal fire and force (but still weak to holy magics), and small amounts being broken or melted easily. -Cursed Ice will only 'protect' itself from flame and force, offering no passive resistances to the Witch utilizing it unless inlaid in armor through the Sabbath of Forging. Sabbaths A Sabbath is a ritualistic event enacted by any number of Witches in the presence of an Altar. They are only possible through an established Altar, and the ability to perform certain ones depends on the tier of the Altar. They generally require focus and time, and depending on the tier may be draining. Sabbaths are varied and new ones may be discovered or created, so long as they remain within the confines of what the magic can do. There are three types of Sabbaths: Fledgling’s Sabbath: (Altar tier 3, 4 and 5) These Sabbaths are relatively simple occurrences, often involving minor tasks and simple enchantments. They are not very strenuous or complex, and can be repeated without issue. Witch’s Sabbaths: (Tier 4 and 5) These Sabbaths function as the standard for the Witches of a coven, and while they are more time consuming to enact, are still commonplace within an active Coven. Mother’s Sabbaths:(Tier 5 Only) These Sabbaths are generally rarely used due to their considerable time, resource, and energy requirement. They are otherwise incredibly powerful in their abilities and functions. Sabbaths of this tier may not even be attempted unless the Witches or Witch Mother attempting to partake in the Sabbath offer the Altar a mixture of flesh and bones. These Sabbaths are not required to be enacted by a Witch Mother, but a Mother must at least be present to oversee them. Rebirth and Reconstruction Alone in the Forest by Viktor Titov “I could not feel myself. Everything was a terrible, violent blur. I had no flesh or bones but it felt as though they were being torn asunder. There was a deafening pound in my consciousness, a forceful desire to consume, to be reborn, to live again.” “We though’ it was some big animal that was tearin’ up tha woods, leavin’ lotsa half-eaten corpses an’ all. Wasn’ hard to follow the trail but the, er, thing dissapeared into tha’ woods as soon as we saw it. Hard ta’ describe, really. Big spikes an’ chunks o’ bloody ice. Real unsettlin’.” Due to their inherently corrupted and twisted nature, a Witch will find themselves upon death turned away by the Monks of the cloud temple. Their nature is not one of undeath, however, and thus they will find no revival in the Sunless Sanctum. The curse is inherently self-sustaining, and while it has no consciousness of its own, it does possess an inherent, almost virus-like desire to sustain itself and replicate. Because of this, a method was devised that allows a Witch to be reborn after death. The process is, as such: Upon death, the Witch’s soul exits the body as expected, however, rather than being taken to some prospective afterlife, the curse, using the nearest Altar, which acts as an anchor, drags the Witch back to it. Upon reaching the altar, the Witch re-manifests in an incorporeal state, collecting bits of ice and snow to attach to its wispy silhouette. In this state, a witch is generally known as a ‘Banshee.’ From this point, the Banshee is past a state of ferality, and exists only with a singular purpose in mind: to reconstruct itself. To achieve this goal, the Banshee begins to scour the area surrounding the Altar, searching for living flesh to consume and re-purpose, using it as fuel for the curse as it reconstructs them. This flesh, generally, comes from any and all animals and creatures that inhabit the area surrounding the Altar. Smaller animals, such as squirrels, rabbits, and the like, require that the Banshee consume more of them. Larger animals, such as deer, wolves, and bears, usually only require one or two for the Banshee to reform. They are, however, more difficult for the Banshee to kill and consume. Because the Banshee is largely incorporeal, it is impossible for any of these beasts to kill it, however, larger animals take more time to slow down and kill. Once the Banshee has consumed enough flesh, they will re-form into the Witch. Once the Witch has been re-born, they would be in a state of delusion and confusion, awakening in the middle of nowhere, and surrounded by the viscera of any assortment of animals. Their mental state will generally be influenced by the animals they used to reconstruct themselves, leading to such tendencies as increased viciousness and temperament for a Witch who consumed a wolf, a noticeable skittish nature for a Witch who consumed a deer, and so on and so forth. Eventually these tendencies will disappear, and the Witch will return to normal. This method of rebirth is, however, inherently flawed. If the Witch dies more than once, they will find that the time they spend as a Banshee, and the time they spend influenced by the animals increases with each death. It is a painful and traumatic experience, and almost no Witch sees fit to speak of it, having little recollection of the events regardless. -All standard death rules still apply. If PK is desired, the explanation for such is that the Witch’s desire for death is greater than the curse’s pull, the witch will pass on. -This is not something that must necessarily be RP’d out, as it would probably just be the Witch emoting to themselves about killing animals or the sort, but can be if they really, really want to. (It is mostly just flavor) -The animalistic tendencies are practically NEVER positive. No increased senses, awareness, reflexes. They are negative traits associated with feral, animal qualities. -After dying, a Witch respawns at an altar. They still face the downsides of the animal tendencies, but the time in banshee form won't be RP'd because (as the lore states), it isn't something that can necessarily be RP'd. -They are not undead, however while in the Banshee form they are incorporeal and thus able to be harmed by Gold Weapons, naturally. It would be however, very rare to run into a Banshee, as they naturally avoid humans or other sentient beings/creatures. If they are somehow found and ‘slain’ they will simply return to the altar and attempt to repeat the process after 2 hours. Clarification on Frost Witch Tier System Due to the nature of the magic being a partially inherent art associated with the curse, the “tier system” functions differently than other types of magic. Functionally, there are 3 tiers. ((Corresponding to tiers 1 2 and 3 for simplicity’s sake)) Tier 1: Fledgling: A Witch that has recently transformed. They lack the ability to properly utilize the magic, and must be instructed by a Witch Mother, or mentored by another experienced Witch. The magic is simple enough in function that any Witch can effectively “teach it,” but only a Mother may spread the curse. A fledgling is inexperienced and weak, only able to don one disguise that is exactly the same in appearance as their previous form. They struggle to summon ice and snow, but have a somewhat easier time controlling pre-existing materials. This tier generally lasts 2~ weeks after they fully transform, 3~ weeks from the point of cursing. Tier 2: Witch: After becoming more accustomed to the magic, a Witch’s flat abilities plateau. The speed at which they can shape and summon ice remains stagnant, regardless of age or practice, although one who neglects to use it might find their comfort with it slipping. A Witch will remain in tier 2 for the rest of their life, only advancing when they take upon themselves the mantle of Witch Mother. A Witch has access to a number of varied disguises, and can summon ice and snow with ease. While a younger Witch and an older Witch might be equal in flat power, the elder will most likely have a familiarity with the magic and potentially clever tricks, giving them the edge. Tier 3: Witch Mother: The apex. When a coven is in need of a mother, or when a Witch feels as though they deserve to start their own, they may either strike out on their own or challenge the current mother for superiority. A Witch Mother has a natural aura of power and grace, immediately noticeable to other Witches. Her abilities are greatly enhanced, as well, allowing her to better defend and provide sustenance for her brood. They are, however, compelled to spread the Witch’s curse, feeling a natural pull towards women susceptible to the curse’s presence. They are the only beings capable of spreading the curse, and a Witch Mother will remain as such until she dies, or becomes an Ivojur. It is difficult for a Witch Mother to resist the pull of the curse, preventing the curse from dying out entirely if certain mothers would have a change of heart. Acknowledgements Perrin: He wrote the first lore fluff. Blessed. AngelsCrosshairs: For helping me develop ideas and being patient with me The Frost Witches: For being patient with me. Sorry this took so long. Charlie the Guy: He won't read this, but he keeps me sane.

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/jerry%20seinfeld.jpg After perusing a topic regarding Orcs that claims they are combat super-machines that cannot be beaten in a height contest and have a racial population that knows how to swing a big club around since exiting the womb [ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/topic/116484-so-you-think-you-can-1v1-an-orc/ ], I wanted to discuss Orcs and their unruly proportions further and make my own claim that alot of the characteristics of their race are ridiculous and defy the server's basic laws of physics that are vaguely regarded in role play. Their height has grown too large to be considered realistic or fair anymore. One cannot be over 8 feet tall and properly retain ones' balance consistently enough to where you may match others in combat or other related hostile circumstances. Andre the Giant was famed for his height in his wrestling career, and while this almost inhumane height gave Andre an edge against his opponents, it brought about many physical complications in his life. One prominent example of these complications in question was the fact that blood had difficulty circulating through his person on behalf of his large bodymass. On top of circulatory disfunctions, his gigantism weight put pressure on his skeletal structure. Another example of excessively unhealthy height would be Robert Wadlow who, at over 8 feet tall, was forced to wear leg braces so he may mobilize and died at 22 because of the physical wear that his condition brought about. Now, I'm sure the excuse to match these heights and even pass them would be that this is a fantasy setting where things may be vastly different than the real world - and that is a valid point - but being this tall is going overboard. If someone has reached 8 feet of height, they have literally become a giant. Orcs are not giants, they are savage green people with tusks that stand over the normal height of the other races, but not so severely. At most, the tallest Orc (and I express "tallest" as a rare trait) should be 7 feet tall. This includes Ologs, who in their own right may lean more toward 7 feet because of their written traits. Looking at it from a lore standpoint may further express my view. When the four brothers were brought into existence, Krug was the tallest of them when he still retained his more plain, human-esque features. However, when he was corrupted by the fire of Iblees, he did not grow 2 feet taller. This absurd "balanced gigantism" was not a trait or drawback that Krug's descendants were given through blood. It is a common misconception that began since Aegis and has survived up to here. Cutting a fraction from Orcish height would make them both realistic and able to be understood more as a race. Greenskins are Orcs, not giants.