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Pile O' Articles; out of the old Development
Topic Started: Mar 12 2013, 10:27 PM (972 Views)
Mokley
Mantra, is basically a way of contacting the gods and asking for favours, the Snake Temple in Spire City has a cool healing spell which works much like a snake shedding its skin incidentally. We haven't really worked out just how it works oocly yet.. something we probably should do. The problem being that mantra spells could easily be yanked from under you if you do something a god doesn't like, imagine how annoying it'd be to make it to level 12 or something in mantra and then suddenly someone goes yoink! and your spells and skill disappear. We've been discussing it a bit in chat and I'll throw that up here and let the discussions continue! [quote:3r2dirb3]TheMadProfessor: >> [01:47] TheMadProfessor: << [01:47] TheMadProfessor: Mantra is one of the things we haven't really done a lot of work on [01:47] Nic: darn you! [01:48] TheMadProfessor: It's kind of separate from the rest of Low Magic by virtue of being used primarily by priests and we haven't really figured out how it works IC [01:48] bran||acrossuniverse: lmao [01:48] Nic: Fiiine [01:50] Trad: You make lotsa moaning sounds and stuff happens. [01:50] Trad: Kinda like sex, but not really. [01:50] bran||acrossuniverse: ... [01:50] Aix|Away: :-p [01:51] Aix|Away: I expect it involves putting yourself into a trance so that your mind and energy and request are easier to make out from the god you're praying to's plane [01:51] • TheMadProfessor nods [01:53] TheMadProfessor: Given it's so dependant on being on the right side of whichever god you're praying to and the like, I considered an option where it's mainly a lore, where you primarily learn spells IC or are given them by moderators. [01:54] Nic: ahh okay [01:55] Trad: So say x prime words in x order x amount of times along with some god name or something and such affect will happen kind of thing? [01:56] Trad: Or if the spell is to be constant, like a barrier/wall, you must keep the mantra up etc? [01:56] TheMadProfessor: Not necessarily prime words even. It might involve sacrificing things to said god as well. [01:56] Trad: Hmmm. [01:56] Nic: and takes a while doesn't it? [01:56] Trad: Perhaps this should go into the random notes threads. [01:56] TheMadProfessor: Yep [01:57] TheMadProfessor: It's low magic, just not part of the low magic skill, so it doesn't happen instantly. [01:57] TheMadProfessor: You'd pray overnight or something for healing for instance. [01:58] • TheMadProfessor hates insta-healing spells with a passion [01:58] Nic: and days of a plauge to let your poeople go [01:58] • TheMadProfessor nods [01:58] Nic: for a* [01:58] Trad: lol [01:58] Nic: I agree Grim [01:59] Nic: Pentacle in the game would represent Spirit, earth, winds, fire , water eh? [02:00] • TheMadProfessor nods [02:00] Trad: Okay I edited my lvl 2 thing to be mantra. [02:00] TheMadProfessor: Though probably Life instead of spirit [02:00] Nic: okay [02:00] Trad: I wanna develop it so doing it IC would be best. [02:00] Nic: Which order? starting from the top going to the right? [02:00] • TheMadProfessor blinks at Trad [02:01] Aix|Away: I thought you were a Dragonkin Trad? [02:01] Trad: No. [02:01] Trad: Hooman. [02:01] Nic: He changed [02:01] Aix|Away: Oh ok [02:01] Trad: Grim, just pretend it was that way all along. [02:01] Nic: He changes more than he changes his undies [02:01] Trad: Nobody will know. [02:01] TheMadProfessor: Did you not get the part where I said we hadn't decided on if it was useful as a skill yet? :p [02:01] Trad: Quiet you. [02:01] Trad: It's development. [02:01] TheMadProfessor: Yeah, but see, here's the thing [02:02] • Trad didn't see that part though [02:03] TheMadProfessor: Magic works if you don't believe it, a sword works fine even if you don't necessarily like to hurt people. But if you do something a god doesn't like or try to do something they don't like with a mantra spell, poof, there goes all your mantra stuffs into uselessness :p [02:04] TheMadProfessor: Which makes it kind of unfair, when compared to other skills. [02:05] Trad: Perhaps disassociate mantra with the gods then? [02:06] Aix|Away: Um, but that's the whole point yo? [02:06] Trad: Maybe priests think it actually has something to do with the gods but more with what words, sacrifices are used? [02:06] Aix|Away: Grim, I have an idea [02:06] TheMadProfessor: .... but the entire point of mantra is that it is tied to the gods. [02:06] Aix|Away: How about [02:06] Aix|Away er nå kjent som Aix. [02:06] Aix: Mantra is to the gods [02:06] Aix: As is prayer [02:07] Aix: But since the gods are so removed... they can only see the world as through through a veil [02:07] Aix: Mantra is the art of opening that veil and allowing the god to see what you request [02:07] Aix: Asking and allowing the god to hear what goes on during the spell [02:08] Aix: But as soon as the spell itself is over, the veil closes back over, and it is an indistinct view of shapes and forms that they see. [02:08] • TheMadProfessor ponders [02:10] TheMadProfessor: Part of the problem with that is that the gods have a lot of influence on Adylheim (even though they don't manifest a lot), so sacrifices and prayer to them are supposed to be directly beneficial. Which wouldn't work if there was a veil in the way. [02:10] Aix: Mmm. [02:11] TheMadProfessor: Here are my main problems with it being a skill, it can be yoinked relatively easily as I see it. Having it as a skill would require a lot of spells ultimately, which would mean a lot of the various cults could end up the same. [02:13] TheMadProfessor: I mean, I have 3-4 fairly cool snake-themed mantra spells for the snake temple in Spire City, but if I had to fill it out for another 10 - 15 spells, it'd lose a lot of its cool value. [02:14] TheMadProfessor: Maybe have it as a special lore of some kind that lets you start with maybe 2 spells for starters and then you're given more by moderators and such as you go along? [02:14] Aix: Hmmm TheMadProfessor: Well, not cool value necessarily, but you can only get so many divine spells for a specific deity before you start getting a lot of the same, if you see what I mean [02:16] TheMadProfessor: And every cleric having Turn Undead and Heal Other or something is kinda dull [02:16] Aix: Mhm.[/quote:3r2dirb3] So, if you think you have a cool way to do it, or an interesting twist on the whole thing, feel free to join in on the discussion.
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Mokley
I've had a couple of thoughts on elves, along the lines of 1.) They don't have surnames unless they adopt self-made ones. Their parents will only give them a first name. and 2.) Familial ties are loose at best. The young elves may be taken care of by their tribe as a whole, but their actual parents don't take particular interest.
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Andragoria == Chinese, Confucius-ish social organization. Nerin == Japanese feudal state-ish. Moonspiders are rumored to not be able to walk in shadows. Traditional in places where they live that overhangs and such are built to keep them out. Summoners, traditionally, are required to spend a night with an incubus/succubus. To teach them that summoned thingies are Very Bad Things if you let them loose. Oh. And pokemon partitioning!
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People with a talent in High Magic (regardless of the specific talent) are broadly referred to as "witchborn".
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Random notes on the Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Hey dudes,

This isn't really a writeup yet - it probably will become one eventually, but until I get everything set out in a formal way, I figured I'd delineate a specific place to put all of my Ursidaen ramblings, since as I'm sure you know I love adopting races and cultures and languages and just spending all my effort on them. So if a mod who sees this could move my post on Ursidaen hospitality customs from the main random notes thread, that'd be great.

[b:al307vrx]New point[/b:al307vrx]

Most peasants and townsfolk of the northern provinces, those for whom contact with the Ursidaen is a distinct possibility, think of them much like werewolves - savage beings who exist to terrorize them. According to the local folklore, there are many kinds of shapeshifters that live out in the Shifting Lands (aka the Shifting Wastes), and which enter Adylheim to steal infants and devour adults; or in other tales, to marry or rape normal people so that they will bear deformed or cursed offspring (no pun intended). The Ursidaen are merely the largest in size, as far as the peasantry is concerned; and any carnivorous animal may be accused of being a Shifter and killed.

The "sure" test of whether or not a person is a Shifter in disguise is if they can leave a house between midnight and dawn as a human being. According to folklore, various fates will befall a Shifter in human form if they do this; it may spontaneously revert to animal form, begin to sprout hair, be overcome with pain, or fall to dust. Since this is not actually an affliction of the Ursidaen, true Ursidaen living in hiding usually go undetected, while innocent people fall victim to Shifter paranoia.

Re: Random notes on the Ursidaen</td><td class="print">It is customary among the Ursidaen that a visitor to one's home or the place where one is residing immediately be offered food and drink regardless of age, rank, species, purpose, or past history; the host and visitor must then consume their morsel together. If the food is not offered, not accepted, or not shared except in dire circumstance (family dying of starvation, etc), this oversight is an affront to the entire village and is considered a viable reason for the beginning of a duel, blood feud, or other physical conflict. Non-Ursidaen are usually given a pass if it's their first time encountering the race.

If the visitor becomes ill as a result of the food and the resident does not, the resident may legally be shaved and banished from the village.

Hopefully Aix doesn't mind me adding a few points to this post. I myself have been having some ideas on the Ursidaen culture. A entire race of people who exist as animals and humanoids would have interesting social habits indeed.

For example:
[u:2nbznuy1]The Thumbs up[/u:2nbznuy1]
When confronted by a bear, it's nice to know whether it's your friend wanting to hang out, or a real bear wanting a snack. Luckily Ursidean bears have opposable thumbs. So to give others fair warning a bear would pause and give the thumbs up. If they did not, then it was either time to hunt or run. Originally the traditon started to warn others (Ursidaens and non Ursidaens alike) that they were dealing with a Ursidaen. But eventually became to be know as a peaceful gesture, to be taken as, "I'm not going to attack you." This has been adapted as a regular signal between friends, at gatherings between towns, and as a meeting between strangers. But although used frequently, it use is still taken seriously. Any act of hostility after giving the thumbs up labels the offender as a coward and untrustwory. This charge is usually followed by banishment or death.

PLEASE tell me there's going to be some good Sidaen swear words. Animal-human swearwords would be awesome! Something about &quot;eating where you poop.&quot; And interspeciel intercourse.
I'm thinking of creating a Ursidaen fighting technique. Something that helps incorperate both shapes, and how fight both shapes. i.e. Bear vs bear, human, vs human, and human vs bear. Should be good.

My own thoughts on Ursidaen:

[b:1uozybau]Ursidaen religion[/b:1uozybau]

The Ursidaen worship a set of spirits. Larger villages (by Ursidaen standards) are typically assigned a specific spirit which is responsible for all matters regarding the village and it's territory, which means that most often a specific spirit is sacrificed to and worshipped within it's relative village boundaries. When an Ursidaen passes into the territory of another village, her fate is in the hands of the spirit assigned to this village. This is also means that you rarely see an Ursidaen traveller not carrying some item capable of storing sacrifical items into. It is tradition to make a sacrifice as soon as possible after entering a new spirit's territory.

Hmm, I think it needs a little rephrasing. Assigned a specific spirit makes it sound like they choose one, whereas I imagine it's more a case of taking the spirit of the place they live and worship that. Apart from that though, I don't see any large problems with it.

I also love the thumbs up thing, btw.

So what kind of spirits?
Would it be the cliche &quot;everything in nature has a spirit.&quot; It would be silly for them to worship other animals, being they live with the spirit of a bear inside them.
What about elements? Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. (But not heart... Stupid heart.)

That way a village that worships the Earth spirit are farmers, or tenders of nature.
-Water, fisherman obviously, and sailors, and maybe people who try to bringl rain.
-Fire, the warriors.*
-Wind... Traders maybe? Or explorers. I'd go with the neutral people that accept most outsiders since they do the most traveling.
Then villages sort of have a resident spirit. Fertile ground and forest = Earth. Mountain, rocky and close to rival borders = Fire. Lakes ,ponds, oceans, and river = water. And Plains and places close to trade routes = wind.
*Since they all have the bear inside, I'm not dedicating a spirit to the hunter. I figure the bear makes them all hunters, and they can worship the bear that way if they so choose.

That also opens up the opportunity for tattoos, showing one's protector spirit. Or their destiny.

Now sacrifice. Living Sacrifice sounds like another cliche. Ursidaens seem like decent folk who got the raw end of a deal, and don't want to seem more savage than they are already made out to be.
Perhaps after a good hunt a piece of the kill is burnt for the fire spirit to consume as thanks for the kill. Or bury a few ears of corn for the earth spirit after a good harvest. (And in return... Look the earth gives us more corn next year!) Perhaps return a few of the nicer fish you caught for the water spirit. and offer up some of your coins on a hill in the plains for the Wind spirit after a good travel.
The nice thing about these practices is that, yes they are a sacrifice, but they also help in conservation in the place they live. Primitive to an outsider... maybe, but it works on a deeper level than just sacrifice and deity worship.
Also, the practice is thanking the spirits for a deed [i:gtxahltw]received.[/i:gtxahltw] Not sacrificing for a outcome before it happens.

Ehhh, I'm not very keen on the elemental thing. I tend to think of them as the spirits of a specific place (there were actually a lot of gods like that in Ancient Rome/Greece most cities had a patron god of some kind). I think it was the Lapps who had this idea that most places had a spirit, and if you found a strange looking stone or tree or something, odds are that's where they made their home, so that would be venerated. That's kind of what I was thinking for Ursidaen, not so much an elemental of some kind as the personification of a place.

Sacrifice wouldn't really be considered that primitive, most of the human populace do it in some form or another. It's entirely expected of you to sacrifice or pray to a deity to get their favour. I do like the sacrificial things you mentioned though, it sounds cool. Perhaps instead of the elemental thing, it could be more tied to the specific activity involved? If you're hunting, you leave a little meat behind for the spirit, in return for which, he'll give you more prey, if you're fishing, drop some fish back into the water, and so on and so forth.

Well, how many spirits are the Ursidaen worshipping? The way I was thinking, there were hundreds of spirits, and they didn't neccesarily have an area of expertise (like elements or places, I thought that'd be cliché). I was thinking that: according to the Ursidaen the spirits are kindda like another (ethereal) people, who simply get/claim land in the &quot;living&quot; world.

mm. I'd been developing the language (specifically the intricate honorific system) under the impression that their shamanistic religion was animistic, everything-has-a-spirit and stuff. I think it's important to note, however, that religion doesn't have to revolve around worship. It can just revolve around respect for, belief in and ritual manipulation of the supernatural. The western idea of worship doesn't really apply when it comes to non-theistic religions.

As for the swears - I suppose there could be one or two colorful expressions which could be used as curses, but the way I'm setting it up right now, insult is given more by misuse of honorifics than anything else. Swearing is grammatical rather than lexical: [i:3l6xsv5g]anything you say[/i:3l6xsv5g] can be horribly offensive to the point of being banned by the FCC, if you leave off or use inappropriate honorifics and politeness constructions.

I like that location thing, Professor.
How's this sound guys?

A village could be built around a strange rock, or lets say a village was founded on this spot after a tree was struck by lighting in front of a group of travelling Ursidaen (back in the days when they were cast out of their cities and abandoned after being cursed). So they worship the Spirit of the area, because it showed them where to settle, and protects their territory and keeps the food plentiful. So they give offerings to the spirit of the area through giving back some of what they were bestowed. I like that. That could work real well.
Would villages be named after the spirit of the area? Would it be kind of a clannish thing? You could carry the markings (not neccesarily tattoos) of your village so that everyone else could recognize you.

And I think they would still believe everything has a spirit, as in soul. I could see that, and respecting everything with a soul, but looking to the Spirit for guidence.

I like that theory. About the markings thing, though: I had the impression the Ursidaen weren't quite as connected to family and home. I imagined that it wasn't really a very big deal if an Ursidaen decided to move to another village if their chosen profession was easier to practice there, for example.

Not to wreck your awesome spiritual talk, but how would they fight? first off how would a bear fight. how would a man fight. How would a bear with thumbs fight. How would a bear with the mind of a man fight. How would a bear with the mind of a man and thumbs fight. doesn't that mean, in theory, that a bear could wield a special weapon, one that was built towards it?

Keep in mind that it's been a while (thousands of years) since humans and Ursidaen separated, so it's not necessarily something they remember outside of legends and stuff.

As for how Ursidaen fight... I imagine that most human weapons would be more of a hindrance than a help in bear form. I mean, let's face it, there're few maces that can offer the same punch as a grizzly punch, you know? And while they have a thumb of sorts they're capable of carrying things, fine manipulation and wrist action, not so much, I imagine. Perhaps some kind of modified gauntlet to add extra spikey/hard bits to the punch?

See, in that mind, I always figured it would be a martial art, as in hand to hand. The human side is small, and could use dodging and quick, light attacks against their opponent. And the bear side could use the thumbs to get a grip and do some serious grappling damage.
Edited by Mokley, Mar 13 2013, 02:08 AM.
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Way of Arthium is based on jujitsu and, to some degree, aikido.
Strength of the Gods is pankration (aka Greek-wrestling).
Playful Fight is based off a weird combination of capoeira, savat, and escrima.
Thousand Blows is based off kung fu, karate, and a few other 'traditional' martial arts. ^^;

Beauty of the Crimson Dawn and Winter's Wrath are purposely not terribly fleshed out. BotCD is as close to ninjutsu as you'll find (except for possibly some imitators and imposters) and its practitioners are generally inclined to spread a lot of misinformation. Winter's Wrath is tangentially based off Krav Maga in philosophy. And omfgpwnage in practice. ^^;
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Dae'vol society:
15-20 castes in total. 3-4 warrior castes, 1 priestly/scholar caste, 1 magic caste, 4-5 castes for lesser jobs and the like, including a couple based on innate high magic, traders, leadership caste.

Tek - Ascended ones, those whose minds live on in the Mind Crystal.
Kas - Leadership caste
Khol - Priest/scholar caste
Kedi - Research magi

Edi - low magi, primarily tasked with various jobs throughout

Jah - The Black Dae'vol, assassins.

Fea - Life shapers
Tren - Plant shapers, usually live outside Dae'vol cities
Kans - Air shapers
Ren - Pleasure workers

Vedi - Fire shaper
Une - Artificers, skilled labourers
Noh - Infantry
Kan - Cavalry
Rek - Archers
Pras - Manual labourers
Dae - Merchants/ambassadors
Tur - Earth shapers
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Ages:
Elves can live to be up to 200 years of age.
Humans usually live up to 40-50 years of age, but have been known to live well into their 70s.
Dae'vol lifespans are up to the 300-400
Dragonkin can live to be a 300 years of age.
Ogres have short lifespans, living no older than the age of 30.
Ursidaen can live as up to twice as long as humans, usually they do not live past 30 however.
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Total population of the fiefdoms: 8-11 million inhabitants. The majority of which reside in the south.

Humans only counted, no ogres, elves, ursidaen, dragonkin or similar included.
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The fiefdoms approximately form a rectangle measuring w1360 x h1260 km

1710000 km2 area approximately

[spoiler:4qcg8i90]Personal notes for later calculations:
ca 4km per pixel
w346 x h311
30 km a day overland
150 km a day sailing
75 km a day rowing[/spoiler:4qcg8i90]


All these are straight lines from place to place:
Alden to Aram approximately 1000 km

Aram to Spire City 568 km

Spire City to Alden 920 km

Aram to Aspiration 1020 km

Aram to Nander 370 km

Grey Lake to Fort Resolve 200 km

Day to Zinder 390 km

Aram to Grey Lake 770 km

Aram to Salen 510 km

Aram to Kerait 710 km
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