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  1. - Top - End - #61
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    PirateCaptain

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
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    However, there are a few things wrong with the design, IMO. One, for an individual connected with Obsid, whose entire existence is based upon obfuscation of his dragonness, Sindr's name is remarkably unsubtle. (I mean, "Drake Cinder"? What party wouldn't take a glance at that and realize instantly what he was?)
    Yeah, but that requires metagaming knowledge, which people in-setting don't have .

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    Two, I'm not certain whether to allow half-dragons in the first place (mostly a question of physics and logistics, although if the deed could have been done, magic would take care of the rest), although the character can easily be switched to a normal human who knows and has few qualms about working for a dragon in a human intelligence's clothing.
    He might work better as just a human (albeit a highly trusted one by Obsid), you're right. Although magic has been shown to be pretty darn powerful in Almantha, so it'd be no stretch of the imagination for humano-draconic pairings.

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    What's more, a major part of the Obsidia arc (if I haven't mentioned this before, I'm sorry) is Obsid's trying to hatch several dragon eggs in secret, and becoming paranoid and hyper-protective whenever anyone gets too close.
    Yeah. Never heard that one. I think maybe I could be more helpful if you posted a little thing on each of the Minds and their personalities/plans. The History post was helpful, but perhaps too subtle. Write up each of the Minds like a God in a regular D&D setting, if that helps organize their modus operendii.

    It feels like a lot of the setting is still mostly in your own mind, so some of our input doesn't come off as helpful when we don't have the complete picture.

    Love it, especially with the difference between the human track and the kirian track. Perfect for a high-octane sporting event which the PCs can use to get in contact with Saala. However, Saalarann has been basically free-floating over Therinos since its construction, and thus there would need to be some teleport spell to get the racers from their starting points in Saalarann to wherever the beginning of the track is. This can be sidestepped with traditional uniforms or jerseys worn by the kiria and worked into the design of the Draalwa of each human participant sigiled with teleport spells or simply acting as targets for teleport spells cast by Saala. These uniforms would also have ghost sound sigils on them, to alert the wearer that the race is beginning in "3, 2, 1, GO!" Of course, the teleport functionality would be rather useless in the Saalarann Classic, but you can see why it would be added once the market grew for races "abroad".
    All this talk of teleportation. If Saalarann is a flying city (which I was aware of), why can't it be built vertically as well as horizontally? To an onlooker, Saalarann must be a sight to behold, a series of man-made mountains suspended high in the sky and spread over a great distance. But like the clouds around it, Saalarann could also be made to tower in places.

    Essentially, the race starts near the top. The kiria are lower than the humans, and begin by swooping into a long, shallow, spiraling arc over the rest of Saalarann. The human competitors drop off the highest peak of the city and enter a controlled plummet (Star Trek 2009, baby!). Each track has designated checkpoints the racers are not allowed to deviate away from (missing checkpoints means disqualification), with the kiria banking besides various landmarks and through artificial trenches and canyons formed by parts of the city drifting nearby, while the humans have to dive through large rings set far apart (the idea being to glide a ways, and then enter a controlled dive to gain).

    The kiria "finish line" is somewhere in the city, usually near the very bottom. The human one is a platform set up back on the ground (actually a teleportation circle that sends the racers right back to the true finish line with the kiria). Both tracks are measured to be equal in timing, not in distance. All racers are allowed a set number of Wind Spell Charges built into their official uniforms via implanted magic wands. These are all nonlethal spells designed to help a racer or hinder an opponent with a well-timed blast of wind. If a competitor attempts to use their own Native power, they are penalized and forced several places back by a referee.

    Note: The uniforms also have a built in safety spell that minimizes impact damage (such as when you dive headlong into the earth trying to hit the human finish line or get pushed by a wind spell into a building).
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
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  2. - Top - End - #62
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Yeah, but that requires metagaming knowledge, which people in-setting don't have .
    Yes, but still, a good DM respects his players while driving their characters up various trees and into various pits while throwing stones at them. Making the CEO of a company have a very obviously dragon-ish name out-of-universe is akin to hitting a party with the clue-by-four prematurely.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    He might work better as just a human (albeit a highly trusted one by Obsid), you're right. Although magic has been shown to be pretty darn powerful in Almantha, so it'd be no stretch of the imagination for humano-draconic pairings.
    As I said, it's more a physics problem than anything else, and not one that dragons would realistically care much about solving.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Yeah. Never heard that one. I think maybe I could be more helpful if you posted a little thing on each of the Minds and their personalities/plans. The History post was helpful, but perhaps too subtle. Write up each of the Minds like a God in a regular D&D setting, if that helps organize their modus operendii.

    It feels like a lot of the setting is still mostly in your own mind, so some of our input doesn't come off as helpful when we don't have the complete picture.
    Yeah, sorry, I keep thinking that I'm going to recruit from this thread, and thus I feel leery about disclosing plot details. Ah well, I can recruit from the Roleplaying Games forum later. I'll type up profiles of each Mind in the morning.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    All this talk of teleportation.
    I was mainly thinking how do the racers get to, say, the Obsidian track, or the Dekonian track, without flying there directly. Teleport chestplates were the best thing I could come up with (I almost put down helmets).

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    If Saalarann is a flying city (which I was aware of), why can't it be built vertically as well as horizontally? To an onlooker, Saalarann must be a sight to behold, a series of man-made mountains suspended high in the sky and spread over a great distance. But like the clouds around it, Saalarann could also be made to tower in places.
    Sounds fair, and basically what I envisioned when I thought it up.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Essentially, the race starts near the top. The kiria are lower than the humans, and begin by swooping into a long, shallow, spiraling arc over the rest of Saalarann. The human competitors drop off the highest peak of the city and enter a controlled plummet (Star Trek 2009, baby!). Each track has designated checkpoints the racers are not allowed to deviate away from (missing checkpoints means disqualification), with the kiria banking besides various landmarks and through artificial trenches and canyons formed by parts of the city drifting nearby, while the humans have to dive through large rings set far apart (the idea being to glide a ways, and then enter a controlled dive to gain).

    The kiria "finish line" is somewhere in the city, usually near the very bottom. The human one is a platform set up back on the ground (actually a teleportation circle that sends the racers right back to the true finish line with the kiria). Both tracks are measured to be equal in timing, not in distance. All racers are allowed a set number of Wind Spell Charges built into their official uniforms via implanted magic wands. These are all nonlethal spells designed to help a racer or hinder an opponent with a well-timed blast of wind. If a competitor attempts to use their own Native power, they are penalized and forced several places back by a referee.

    Note: The uniforms also have a built in safety spell that minimizes impact damage (such as when you dive headlong into the earth trying to hit the human finish line or get pushed by a wind spell into a building).
    Terminal velocity would still be basically lethal though; a deflector shield can only do so much when it tries to deflect the ground. Also, I've got this great idea for the opening ceremonies. Just before the race, the racers (human and kiria) are ushered into a large circular room, that is dark save for a few windows, through which they can hear the crowd roaring in anticipation. they take their places around the edge of the room, and when the announcer calls out "Please Welcome the Racers of the 25th Annual Saalarann Classic!" the floor detaches from the building and starts falling down to the ground. This is the racers' cue to jump backward off the platform and soar in a highly choreographed arc to their starting positions (the one and only time during the race when they are allowed to use their natural power), to rapturous applause. Then the countdown is given (by Saala herself, the one remaining weakness of her pre-ascension days), and they're off. The platform that fell earlier is actually the human finish line, and it is designed to release the checkpoint hoops as it falls.

    Also, the refs should be called lakitus.

    One other thing Ninja, what time zone are you in? Because it's 2:30 AM my end and I've never seen you post before 1.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-06 at 02:30 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  3. - Top - End - #63
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    One other thing Ninja, what time zone are you in? Because it's 2:30 AM my end and I've never seen you post before 1.
    Well. I'm up waaaay too late right now, but it's 2:30 in California. Since you posted at 12:30 (according to my clock) I'm guessing you're somewhere east of the Mississippi...assuming American residency (and really, why would I ever think anyone would hold residency elsewhere at all ).

    As to your post. I aggree emphatically with everything you mentioned. Sleepy time now.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
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  4. - Top - End - #64
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Profiles of the Minds

    Dekon
    God of Earth, known as the Living Tree. A kindly God, he controls the plants around Dekonio. His mouthpiece is a sapling, his symbol is a pinecone. His favored people are the elves, and they look upon him as children do their father. He is lawful good. However, he sees himself as more of a gardener than a father, and will not hesitate to make an "evil" decision if it provides the best outcome for all. Also, he is devoted to his best friend, Obsid, his best friend since before their ascension.
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    Make that "Arrusif". He and Dekon have been working together since Arrusif became a lich, with Dekon working to curb Arrusif's more needlessly destructive plots.


    Obsid
    God of Fire, known as the Soul of Flame. Feels a great responsibility towards the people of his city, and will routinely hold back lava flows so that people can escape. True Neutral, in theory. After Dekon gifted the nomon to him, they quickly became his favored people, even more so than the humans who flood the city. His mouthpiece is a sleeping dragon, his symbol is a folded wing of flame. However, he has become strangely distracted of late, and highly defensive and evasive when questioned. Luckily, hardly anyone questions him.
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    This is because a clutch of dragon eggs from his ascension is incubating in lava and just about to hatch. He is thus trying to hold the magma in their chamber while keeping anyone else from finding them and discovering his secret.


    Aqua
    Goddess of Water, known as the Source of All. Vivacious and energetic as she was in life, and takes a great interest in sculpting water and ice into aesthetic shapes. Chaotic Good, mostly. If any people would be favored by her, it would be the aventi, but for the most part she doesn't care much about the day-to-day workings of her city. Her mouthpiece is an empty throne with tentacles of water surrounding it, her symbol is a teardrop falling into a snowflake.
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    However, she is beginning to dabble in the mind-affecting powers of water magic. At the bottom of the lake she created, there is a bubble of air, in which float several unconscious people. They are connected in a sort of biological computer, through magical synchronization of thought, and Aqua uses this makeshift computer as memory capacity and extra data cycles. Thankfully for the occupants, she has not hit upon the idea of using adrenalin for purposes of overclocking, or she has but considers it abhorrent.


    Saala
    Goddess of Air, known as the Breath of Sky. Lawful Neutral to the core, she wrote the code of conduct that all four of the Minds adhere to. Her favored people are the kiria, but that favoritism simply exists in a trust in them to do the right thing. Has a great weakness for the Saalarann Grand Prix, to the point where she has specifically hired several water mages to be trained in scrying, simply so she and the people of Saalarann can watch the race in greater detail. her mouthpiece is a thunderous cyclone, and her symbol is a stylised version of the same.
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    What, were you expecting a plot twist?


    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Well. I'm up waaaay too late right now, but it's 2:30 in California. Since you posted at 12:30 (according to my clock) I'm guessing you're somewhere east of the Mississippi...assuming American residency (and really, why would I ever think anyone would hold residency elsewhere at all ).
    I'm actually in Michigan right now, to answer your question.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  5. - Top - End - #65
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Dekon
    God of Earth, known as the Living Tree. A kindly God, he controls the plants around Dekonio. His mouthpiece is a sapling, his symbol is a pinecone. His favored people are the elves, and they look upon him as children do their father. He is lawful good. However, he sees himself as more of a gardener than a father, and will not hesitate to make an "evil" decision if it provides the best outcome for all. Also, he is devoted to his best friend, Obsid, his best friend since before their ascension.
    Going with the gardener theme, perhaps Dekon is interested in family trees as well. He specifically prunes and weeds lineages of those elves he feels kindly towards, setting up marriages, sometimes secluding a member with an undesirable trait. He does it mostly as a benign hobby.

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Aqua
    Goddess of Water, known as the Source of All. Vivacious and energetic as she was in life, and takes a great interest in sculpting water and ice into aesthetic shapes. Chaotic Good, mostly. If any people would be favored by her, it would be the aventi, but for the most part she doesn't care much about the day-to-day workings of her city. Her mouthpiece is an empty throne with tentacles of water surrounding it, her symbol is a teardrop falling into a snowflake.
    Spoiler
    Show
    However, she is beginning to dabble in the mind-affecting powers of water magic. At the bottom of the lake she created, there is a bubble of air, in which float several unconscious people. They are connected in a sort of biological computer, through magical synchronization of thought, and Aqua uses this makeshift computer as memory capacity and extra data cycles. Thankfully for the occupants, she has not hit upon the idea of using adrenalin for purposes of overclocking, or she has but considers it abhorrent.
    So...she's a Weird Scientist? She lives off Science alone?

    Going by Aqua's personality, I can see her University will be an interesting place. Made of water, and prone to shape shift at the whim of it's occupants. Need a lecture hall? Say no more, an amphitheater will be formed within minutes. A lab for magical tests? Not a problem, just walk through the wall on your left. Mind the sharktopus.

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Saala
    Goddess of Air, known as the Breath of Sky. Lawful Neutral to the core, she wrote the code of conduct that all four of the Minds adhere to. Her favored people are the kiria, but that favoritism simply exists in a trust in them to do the right thing. Has a great weakness for the Saalarann Grand Prix, to the point where she has specifically hired several water mages to be trained in scrying, simply so she and the people of Saalarann can watch the race in greater detail. her mouthpiece is a thunderous cyclone, and her symbol is a stylised version of the same.
    Spoiler
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    What, were you expecting a plot twist?
    Kinda interesting for someone representing Air to be so rules-minded. But being an action-junky must make up for that.

    Just a thought: Is there a throne-room type place each of the Minds resides in in their cities? Like Aqua's throne is a specific thing in a specific room somewhere in Aquacor? If so, Saala might have trouble fitting in one.

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    I'm actually in Michigan right now, to answer your question.
    Timezones. Amirite?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
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  6. - Top - End - #66
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Going with the gardener theme, perhaps Dekon is interested in family trees as well. He specifically prunes and weeds lineages of those elves he feels kindly towards, setting up marriages, sometimes secluding a member with an undesirable trait. He does it mostly as a benign hobby.
    Sure, why not? It might be a great honor to be given a match by Dekon himself. It also explains why the genealogy stuff is in the Green Chapter of the Sharenia Library.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Going by Aqua's personality, I can see her University will be an interesting place. Made of water, and prone to shape shift at the whim of it's occupants. Need a lecture hall? Say no more, an amphitheater will be formed within minutes. A lab for magical tests? Not a problem, just walk through the wall on your left. Mind the sharktopus.
    To be fair, the entire city is like that. Aqua pays lip service to a city layout by having set archways that anyone with the right password/clearance can expand into a studio/atrium/sleeping pod by palming the right archway while thinking the right things. Other than that, she leaves the occupants to do much of the work of deciding the inside of the city on a daily basis.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Kinda interesting for someone representing Air to be so rules-minded. But being an action-junky must make up for that.
    There are certain cliches that I'd like to avoid on principle: The Fire mage is always the hothead (when logically, they should be the most stoic and controlled of casters, to avoid losing control), the Air mage is always the one that's out to have a good time, the water mage is always the literal ice queen, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Just a thought: Is there a throne-room type place each of the Minds resides in in their cities? Like Aqua's throne is a specific thing in a specific room somewhere in Aquacor? If so, Saala might have trouble fitting in one.
    Yes. All of the throne rooms are just below the place with the magic nexus in each city. Dekon's is just beneath the canopy(in fact, it is the last room in the trunk before it splits off into smaller branches, and if you look up, you can barely see the magic nexus that powers him. Saala's is just above the voting hall, and is bare of any decoration save windows at regular intervals and three orbs set into the floor in a circle around the center of the room. This is where Saala generates her mouthpiece (which can be any size, BTW, and in fact Saala has found "as tall as the room" to be a conveniently imposing size for the purposes of greeting supplicants and champions). Aqua's is similarly at the top of the central tower (incidentally, this central tower is the one constant of Aquacor's skyline), and her throne is opposite the archway where someone can press open the door. Obsid's throne room is encrusted with the gold, minerals, and jewels he found in life, and the floor is etched with the dragon's image, curled up and expanded to fit the room.

    Spoiler
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    So naturally, when the floor of Obsid's room rises up to attack the party, they are given fair warning of what their opposition is.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-06 at 08:26 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  7. - Top - End - #67
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    There are certain cliches that I'd like to avoid on principle: The Fire mage is always the hothead (when logically, they should be the most stoic and controlled of casters, to avoid losing control), the Air mage is always the one that's out to have a good time, the water mage is always the literal ice queen, etc.
    Wasn't critcising. In fact, I also like Fire Mages who have to be calm (or else boom).

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Yes. All of the throne rooms are just below the place with the magic nexus in each city. Dekon's is just beneath the canopy(in fact, it is the last room in the trunk before it splits off into smaller branches, and if you look up, you can barely see the magic nexus that powers him. Saala's is just above the voting hall, and is bare of any decoration save windows at regular intervals and three orbs set into the floor in a circle around the center of the room. This is where Saala generates her mouthpiece (which can be any size, BTW, and in fact Saala has found "as tall as the room" to be a conveniently imposing size for the purposes of greeting supplicants and champions). Aqua's is similarly at the top of the central tower (incidentally, this central tower is the one constant of Aquacor's skyline), and her throne is opposite the archway where someone can press open the door. Obsid's throne room is encrusted with the gold, minerals, and jewels he found in life, and the floor is etched with the dragon's image, curled up and expanded to fit the room.

    Spoiler
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    So naturally, when the floor of Obsid's room rises up to attack the party, they are given fair warning of what their opposition is.
    Alright, nice. So, what do they look like as Minds? I assumed originally that they were like that pic I showed you earlier, the big glowing rock. Sort of transformed into these great self-aware artifacts of power that could project their power and influence across the world, but they were confined physically. Am I correct in these assumptions?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Alright, nice. So, what do they look like as Minds? I assumed originally that they were like that pic I showed you earlier, the big glowing rock. Sort of transformed into these great self-aware artifacts of power that could project their power and influence across the world, but they were confined physically. Am I correct in these assumptions?
    Well, it depends. Technically the self-aware artifact of power is the city itself, powered by the magic nexus at the top of each elemental city's central tower. The "throne room" is merely a convenient place for them to inhabit an avatar. For example, Dekon prefers to bend the branches of his sapling to create messages when "talking" to someone in his throne room, Obsid uses electronic speakers built into the dragon carving in the floor, Saala uses "ghost sound" to speak to someone in their throne room (EDIT: and uses weather magic for the visual part, i.e. the cyclone and thunder), and Aqua projects her thoughts directly into a physical person's mind, telling them that she needs one of them to sit in the empty throne for her to speak with them all. If asked why she doesn't just project something for them to address, she retorts that 1) the person who sits in the chair will emerge unharmed, and 2) she gets to see the experiences of the vessel as payment for her answering the questions or providing the services the supplicant requires. "Also, I'm a goddess, why are you questioning me in the first place?"
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-07 at 12:00 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Elven biology

    The changes wrought in the elven population by the nexus have been far-reaching and have had massive implications culturally and beyond. The first of these has been the de-emphasis on food as a means of survival. Any elf can subsist on sunlight, water, and ground-based nutrients accumulated while sleeping, without the need for food of any kind. However, they still prefer the taste of food, and because of their vegetable nature, excess calories are used in displays of color, leaf, and fruit.

    These "outfits" are fresh-grown each morning, and are generally shaped according to the desires of the elf; an elf looking to store energy long-term will grow fruits (only causing a slight pain when picked voluntarily), one looking to impress or attract will grow flowers, one looking for something more practical will simply grow leaves or needles, and one preparing for battle will grow thorns and secrete poison.

    To protect against physically inflammatory attacks or disasters, elves create suits of stone armor, and will physically put the plates of armor on after they wake up. Because of this, they will choose to grow an outfit of vines, which they use to lash the pieces of armor in place. They prefer to use a specific type of petrified wood known as ebony (transliterated from the elven ebon`a, or "black-wood", a euphemism for "dead wood" or "rock wood"), for it's tendency to break off in flat, obsidian-esque pieces, although any rock will work in a pinch. Well-crafted suits of fire-armor are passed down from generation to generation, and many elven families have tinkered with and improved their family suits as needed. Many elves are also trained in anti-magic from an early age, although the teachers tend to overspecialize their lessons into "anti-fire" because of the high amount of danger.

    When an attack manages to slip through the armor, the resulting wound gets covered in scar tissue-like bark, which in turn prevents the same area from attack. However, there is no way to grow anything from beneath an area of bark. This leads to elven adventurers or mercenaries retiring relatively earlier than their human counterparts, because bark scarring inhibits their ability to put on armor normally.

    Elves sleep by growing a tough, rigid seedpod around themselves, with roots penetrating into the ground searching for water or for nutrients to make up any deficit in energy or diet balance. For all intents and purposes, these pods are impenetrable and impermeable, although their occupants literally sleep like logs.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-18 at 11:39 AM. Reason: Added scar tissue mechanic.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Elven biology
    This is a really unique take on the "Nature Folk" stereotype Elves sometimes fill. I really love how this works. Although I would like to see a mention of flammability (plant people + fire = no bueno). It's the sadistic part of me.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    This is a really unique take on the "Nature Folk" stereotype Elves sometimes fill. I really love how this works. Although I would like to see a mention of flammability (plant people + fire = no bueno). It's the sadistic part of me.
    I'll add an edit, once I figure out whether to treat it like organic burns, burn scars on trees, or whether something else occurs to me. And that would be something that they would keep in mind.

    EDIT: done. Them simply growing bark didn't seem to cut it, so I decided to add a type of armor/shielding that will be only available in Dekon's forest. I might add something about bark naturally growing to cover wounds (as their answer to scar tissue), but if/when I add that, it will be in the morning.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-17 at 10:39 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Aaand it's done. Elven biology 1.2 is now go.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
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    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    I'm considering adding a bit on astronomy, with (among other things) more than one moon and a not 24-hour day. However, when you have more than one moon, you have to take into account the physics and gravitic fluctuations of two objects orbiting around a third, not to mention the fact that there is a diminishing returns limit on lunar-object size around an otherwise earth-like planet, especially if you want them to have a stable-enough orbit that crashing them conveniently into the side of the planet is not workable as a deus-ex-machina. Thoughts?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
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    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Ironically, my first posts on this site were involved with the idea of twin moons. We managed to cobble together a calendar, although you might not have a use for it.

    How do two moons effect the culture of the setting? I mean, regardless of what the moons' scientific orbit-stuff might be, they'll stay up cuz you say so. It might be a touch cliched to have the moons be important to the Water guys (tides and all that), but it wouldn't be cliched if it didn't make sense to some degree.

    I'm a little out of it tonight, so forgive me if I seem brief.
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    Post Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Ironically, my first posts on this site were involved with the idea of twin moons. We managed to cobble together a calendar, although you might not have a use for it.

    How do two moons effect the culture of the setting? I mean, regardless of what the moons' scientific orbit-stuff might be, they'll stay up cuz you say so. It might be a touch cliched to have the moons be important to the Water guys (tides and all that), but it wouldn't be cliched if it didn't make sense to some degree.

    I'm a little out of it tonight, so forgive me if I seem brief.
    My original though was to have 4 moons, then have them orbiting around Therinos in such a way that the Fissuran religion could co-opt them into months, one for each element, and base the year off that. But then I started thinking: "a system with a planet with 4 moons either needs a very large planet or very small moons, and since I need all the moons to be visible enough to have significance, 4 moons might be a tad much" leading to that rambling about "gravitic fluctuations" in my previous post.

    However, I came up with another thought. What if the first moon was natural, formed during Therinos' creation like if our Moon was formed without the impact of an asteroid? (the chunk would be a tad more irregular, to be sure, not to mention asteroid impacts), however, the second moon, orbiting around the first, is an artifact of Alabas capable of converting solar energy to magic energy, and then casting it away from the moon's surface? That would make the occasions when the satellite cast it's rays on Earth all the more worthy of celebration. Of course, such an artifact would be the crowning achievement of Alabas, even more so if at moon's height, syzygy would occur between the moon, it's satellite, and the capitol of Alabas. (of course, they would need to meddle - extensively - in the orbits of both the satellite and the moon in order to keep this sort of alignment happening on a predictable basis, thus leading to a good reason why the Minds would break away).

    In terms of calendar events, this would create celebrations based around it and the creation of both highly accurate astronomical predictive instruments (gotta know where exactly the eclipse will fall, after all) and systems and rituals to contain and redirect the power. The celebrations would probably be seen as harmless by the minds, but the rituals and systems would be outright banned by order of Fissura canon (because the Minds hate what Alabas became and see their power-hunger as one of the reasons they left in the first place).

    More later: I'm going to bed. However, I'd be glad if you wanted to respond to this (in the morning, mind you: you did say it was 2:30 AM your end? ).
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Post Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Ironically, my first posts on this site were involved with the idea of twin moons. We managed to cobble together a calendar, although you might not have a use for it.

    How do two moons effect the culture of the setting? I mean, regardless of what the moons' scientific orbit-stuff might be, they'll stay up cuz you say so. It might be a touch cliched to have the moons be important to the Water guys (tides and all that), but it wouldn't be cliched if it didn't make sense to some degree.

    I'm a little out of it tonight, so forgive me if I seem brief.
    My original though was to have 4 moons, then have them orbiting around Therinos in such a way that the Fissuran religion could co-opt them into months, one for each element, and base the year off that. But then I started thinking: "a system with a planet with 4 moons either needs a very large planet or very small moons, and since I need all the moons to be visible enough to have significance, 4 moons might be a tad much" leading to that rambling about "gravitic fluctuations" in my previous post.

    However, I came up with another thought. What if the first moon was natural, formed during Therinos' creation like if our Moon was formed without the impact of an asteroid? (the chunk would be a tad more irregular, to be sure, not to mention asteroid impacts), however, the second moon, orbiting around the first, is an artifact of Alabas capable of converting solar energy to magic energy, and then casting it away from the moon's surface? That would make the occasions when the satellite cast it's rays on Earth all the more worthy of celebration. Of course, such an artifact would be the crowning achievement of Alabas, even more so if at moon's height, syzygy would occur between the moon, it's satellite, and the capitol of Alabas. (of course, they would need to meddle - extensively - in the orbits of both the satellite and the moon in order to keep this sort of alignment happening on a predictable basis, thus leading to a good reason why the Minds would break away).

    In terms of calendar events, this would create celebrations based around it and the creation of both highly accurate astronomical predictive instruments (gotta know where exactly the eclipse will fall, after all) and systems and rituals to contain and redirect the power. The celebrations would probably be seen as harmless by the minds, but the rituals and systems would be outright banned by order of Fissura canon (because the Minds hate what Alabas became and see their power-hunger as one of the reasons they left in the first place).

    More later: I'm going to bed. However, I'd be glad if you wanted to respond to this (in the morning, mind you: you did say you were 2 hours ahead of me? ).
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    It's just 11pm right now, and I've had an idea.

    Four moons seems a bit much, as you said, but how about four astral bodies? The main Moon is one, then the second. Finally there might be a particularly prominent Star (like Polaris with Earth) and a nearby planet. While Alabas may have had a hand in these things, there's no reason the commoners would know.

    According to Fissura Canon, the primary moon is a manifestation of Dekon's power, and the secondary is the same for Obsid (first moon is green, second is red). The officials in the church who make these sorts of decisions figured a green and red moon so close to each other must naturally represent Dekon and Obsid's close relationship. Likewise, the Arch Star (due to it resting at the highest point of the sky, or Arch), is a rather vivid silvery-blue color and often associated with Aqua due to this as well as its tendency to wax and wane like the tides (I'm assuming few understand the relationship between the moon, gravity and tides on Almantha cuz otherwise this all falls apart). The nearby planet (like Mars or Jupiter), is often thought of as a star. It is believed to represent Saala because it's orbital pattern across the sky seems to always hold near the Arch Star, thus representing Aqua and Saala's less-obvious closeness.

    And for PC's to figure out:
    Spoiler
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    that Lich, Arussif? Whenever his presence is felt it is represented by Sun imagery, as his thirst for vengeance is ever-burning, and/or he is the TRUE Mind of Fire, with Obsid only a pretender.


    Anyway that's what I got tonight. I'll check back tomorrow evening. Sleep is coming.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    It's just 11pm right now, and I've had an idea.

    Four moons seems a bit much, as you said, but how about four astral bodies? The main Moon is one, then the second. Finally there might be a particularly prominent Star (like Polaris with Earth) and a nearby planet. While Alabas may have had a hand in these things, there's no reason the commoners would know.
    No amount of power would be able to affect the planets (or the stars, like they theorized) like how you're implying, not even that attained by Alabas in its heyday. Not that it stopped them from trying, of course, leading to the trick with the second moon, but even that failed to grant them the power to travel to or affect what is now the star associated with Aqua. Will think up names for these planets and stars later,

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    According to Fissura Canon, the primary moon is a manifestation of Dekon's power, and the secondary is the same for Obsid (first moon is green, second is red). The officials in the church who make these sorts of decisions figured a green and red moon so close to each other must naturally represent Dekon and Obsid's close relationship. Likewise, the Arch Star (due to it resting at the highest point of the sky, or Arch), is a rather vivid silvery-blue color and often associated with Aqua due to this as well as its tendency to wax and wane like the tides (I'm assuming few understand the relationship between the moon, gravity and tides on Almantha cuz otherwise this all falls apart). The nearby planet (like Mars or Jupiter), is often thought of as a star. It is believed to represent Saala because it's orbital pattern across the sky seems to always hold near the Arch Star, thus representing Aqua and Saala's less-obvious closeness.
    I like it, but I think the Arch Star should be 1) as bright as Vega, if not brighter, and less of a bluish light and 2) should be associated with Saala, not Aqua. Aqua would get a Jupiter-sized Neptune visible enough to discern its blue tint, especially as it's widely known how energetic Aqua is and how sedated Saala is in contrast. The rest is unchanged.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    And for PC's to figure out:
    Spoiler
    Show
    that Lich, Arussif? Whenever his presence is felt it is represented by Sun imagery, as his thirst for vengeance is ever-burning, and/or he is the TRUE Mind of Fire, with Obsid only a pretender.


    Anyway that's what I got tonight. I'll check back tomorrow evening. Sleep is coming.
    I like that, a lot. And it provides a whole new dimension on designing the boss fight rooms.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-29 at 12:19 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    No amount of power would be able to affect the planets (or the stars, like they theorized) like how you're implying, not even that attained by Alabas in its heyday. Not that it stopped them from trying, of course, leading to the trick with the second moon, but even that failed to grant them the power to travel to or affect what is now the star associated with Aqua. Will think up names for these planets and stars later,
    A simple misreading on my part. I mistook what you meant about Alabas and the Moon. Pay it no heed.

    I like it, but I think the Arch Star should be 1) as bright as Vega, if not brighter, and less of a bluish light and 2) should be associated with Saala, not Aqua. Aqua would get a Jupiter-sized Neptune visible enough to discern its blue tint, especially as it's widely known how energetic Aqua is and how sedated Saala is in contrast. The rest is unchanged.
    I think switching them is a great idea in any case. As to the Gas Giant:
    Spoiler
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    Wouldn't it be awesome for a one-off adventure to have PCs get flung from Almantha to this world, and find that it is an O2-rich gas giant? Flying cities and small atmosphere-bound planetoids and all that. And multi-colored people a la John Carter of Mars.

    Like I said, a cool one-off. But let's get back to Almantha.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I think switching them is a great idea in any case. As to the Gas Giant:
    Spoiler
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    Wouldn't it be awesome for a one-off adventure to have PCs get flung from Almantha to this world, and find that it is an O2-rich gas giant? Flying cities and small atmosphere-bound planetoids and all that. And multi-colored people a la John Carter of Mars.

    Like I said, a cool one-off. But let's get back to Almantha.
    8D

    Oh man, that is such a cool idea.

    Spoiler
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    And it could work too: that magic broadcasting thing orbiting the moon doesn't stop just because it isn't pointing at Therinos. The arc of the magic broadcasting would diffuse after a while of course, but if there's enough magic pointed in that direction to kickstart sentient life...


    EDIT: NOOOOOO! I had a big post all set to go about the Arch Star, Aqua's planet Acor, and both moons, but then I hit a button and I was sent back here!
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-05-29 at 11:25 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    So I've decided to scrap associating specific planets to the four Minds, if only because the post with all the relevant info has been lost to the great recycle bin in the sky. Oh yeah, and:

    The thread lives again!
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
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    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    The thread lives again!
    It's alive. It's ALIVE!

    So...where were we?
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    It's alive. It's ALIVE!

    So...where were we?
    We WERE discussing the astronomy of Almantha, and you had some great ideas that I swear were implemented into that giant astronomy post that was lost, but I came to realize that it doesn't really work when the gods in question are physically interacting with their supplicants on a day-to-day basis. The artifact moon that broadcasts all the magic it can soak up is still there, as is the larger, natural moon it orbits around, and the Arch Star and the blue gas giant, and maybe a couple rocky planets between it and Therinos, but none of them has any real cultural significance beyond navigational aids.

    I was on an Elder Scrolls kick at the time, and on Tamriel, the Nine Divines' home planes look like planets against the blackness of Oblivion and the starry holes punched to Aetherius. (Don't ask-long story involving Nirn's creation) Elder Scrolls astronomy is weird, and I made the mistake of thinking that they were the planes of the Daedra (rather than the Aedra, an elven name for the Divines), omnipotent but trickable beings who love using mortals for various things, from the benevolent to the destructive to the literally insane. All of whom are, IMO, much more interesting than the Aedra, who devote their entire existence to keeping Tamriel running and thus do not appear except as deus ex machinae. As a side note, I'm going to be writing the Minds as Daedra-in-character, if not in name. It makes them more interesting, I find, and more liable to affect the plot in the way that gods should (I mean, they have affected the plot of TES on numerous occasions, ranging from central figures in DLC storylines to fully-fledged antagonists and plot-instigators)

    Going forward, I think the Minds need fleshing out. They're kind of one-note now, with the possible exception of Obsid, and even he needs some sort of face to present to the public when he can't be paranoid at them. As it is, Dekon is a carbon copy of the Great Deku Tree with a dark side, Obsid is a dragon-in-Mind's clothing whose children are hatching, and he's going insane trying to keep it a secret, Aqua is a giddy socialite in the form of a city, and Saala has an ivory tower complex, literally and figuratively.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-06-28 at 09:00 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Scratch that, we need to flesh out the Revien Freelancer Guard. All I have currently is that joining them would be the start of an adventure a la "you all start in an inn", and that they're genre savvy enough to know that teams of 6 or 7 are just enough to get the job done, but not much more than that. (furthermore, these extra groups would be quick-n-easy respawns in case of TPK) Sympathetic Merc group? UNATCO-esque authority? I'm not entirely sure. So, in an effort to spark discussion again, where should I go with this?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    This was the post I was working on when the Interwebs forgot Giantitp existed for a few hours.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Going forward, I think the Minds need fleshing out. They're kind of one-note now, with the possible exception of Obsid, and even he needs some sort of face to present to the public when he can't be paranoid at them. As it is, Dekon is a carbon copy of the Great Deku Tree with a dark side, Obsid is a dragon-in-Mind's clothing whose children are hatching, and he's going insane trying to keep it a secret, Aqua is a giddy socialite in the form of a city, and Saala has an ivory tower complex, literally and figuratively.
    Off the top of my head:

    • Obsid is a James Woods / Hades fast-talker salesman type character. He's quick, he's clever, he's charming. Every word out of his mouth sounds absolutely genuine, and genuinely passionate. He talks fast and thinks fast. He's got a bit of a quirk where he just cannot refuse a deal, or at least cannot refuse making one. Sometimes this is something like a business arrangement. Sometimes, if the other person has discovered one of Obsid's secrets (either the truth about the Minds, or his hatchlings), Obsid will make a deal with them, usually to the tune of "if you can make it to the door I won't burn you to ash". Course they never make it. Obsid cheats.
    • Dekon is senatorial, almost like that kindly old grandfather everyone wishes they had. He's regal, but earthy (ba-dum-tish!) and gives the impression that anyone can come to him for advice. Of course, he's kind of a sociopath. At best he sees people the way Mendel saw his pea pods: just another step in his endlessly complex breeding programs. He's often known to slide into long periods of reminiscing where he'll rattle on at length about various ancestors and family lineages and their accomplishments he played puppet-master and king-maker to. And when you're quite enraptured he'll gently explain why he thinks you oughta go talk to that nice girl over there by the lillies because she's got wonderful eyes he'd like to develop for next season...
    • Aqua really is a gossipy socialite. She dispenses wisdom and pure hearsay in equal measure however. She's a trickster like that, using information as a means of uplifting some and eroding others. While she is remarkably chatty, she's also the most personable of the Minds, directly engaging even the "little people" in casual conversation. She likes people, truly, and likes being around people. This tends to lead to a semi-official position among the populace: The Nightowl. This person is usually whomever Aqua wishes to talk with the most for a week or more. This person will undoubtedly be up all night for several days running, since Aqua craves human contact, and yet does not need sleep. For the Nightowl's health, the position is short lived.
    • Saala looks down on people . She (I've forgotten their genders!) laughs at her own jokes (a rare thing), uses archaic phrases and words to show off (though sometimes she doesn't realize she's doing it), and is known to take a special interest in her city's brightest minds while regarding anyone below that level as cattle. Saala is also, oddly enough, an adrenaline-junky. If you're not a member of the elite, you can still reach that level of esteem in her eyes if you prove yourself in the sky-surfing sport she frequently watches. She sometimes yearns to take a mortal form and try out the sport herself.


    As for the Freelancer Guild, I would go for a Sympathetic-Heroic-Thieves-Guild archetype. They could be totally in it for the money, but that's no reason to be an a******. Once you're in, you're a Brother/Sister. Any man in the Guard will have your back. It's like a Fraternal Rangers thing.
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  26. - Top - End - #86
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Off the top of my head:

    • Obsid is a James Woods / Hades fast-talker salesman type character. He's quick, he's clever, he's charming. Every word out of his mouth sounds absolutely genuine, and genuinely passionate. He talks fast and thinks fast. He's got a bit of a quirk where he just cannot refuse a deal, or at least cannot refuse making one. Sometimes this is something like a business arrangement. Sometimes, if the other person has discovered one of Obsid's secrets (either the truth about the Minds, or his hatchlings), Obsid will make a deal with them, usually to the tune of "if you can make it to the door I won't burn you to ash". Course they never make it. Obsid cheats.
    I can totally see this, but if it goes as far as "If you can make it to the door..." there's no real reason for him not to roast them as soon as they make a move. Unless he wants to let off some steam in a fight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    • Dekon is senatorial, almost like that kindly old grandfather everyone wishes they had. He's regal, but earthy (ba-dum-tish!) and gives the impression that anyone can come to him for advice. Of course, he's kind of a sociopath. At best he sees people the way Mendel saw his pea pods: just another step in his endlessly complex breeding programs. He's often known to slide into long periods of reminiscing where he'll rattle on at length about various ancestors and family lineages and their accomplishments he played puppet-master and king-maker to. And when you're quite enraptured he'll gently explain why he thinks you oughta go talk to that nice girl over there by the lillies because she's got wonderful eyes he'd like to develop for next season...
    Again, he's smart enough not to talk about why he makes the matches beyond "I'm sure it'll be a good match", but it does fit that he bears no more connection to the elves than a gardener who talks to their flowers.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    • Aqua really is a gossipy socialite. She dispenses wisdom and pure hearsay in equal measure however. She's a trickster like that, using information as a means of uplifting some and eroding others. While she is remarkably chatty, she's also the most personable of the Minds, directly engaging even the "little people" in casual conversation. She likes people, truly, and likes being around people. This tends to lead to a semi-official position among the populace: The Nightowl. This person is usually whomever Aqua wishes to talk with the most for a week or more. This person will undoubtedly be up all night for several days running, since Aqua craves human contact, and yet does not need sleep. For the Nightowl's health, the position is short lived.
    This is also the reason why she started her wetware project down at the bottom of the lagoon, for someone to talk to while the Nightowl recuperates/is given a successor. This in turn points to why she doesn't use adrenalin in her setup; nightmare-racked dreamers aren't very good conversationalists.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    • Saala looks down on people . She (I've forgotten their genders!) laughs at her own jokes (a rare thing), uses archaic phrases and words to show off (though sometimes she doesn't realize she's doing it), and is known to take a special interest in her city's brightest minds while regarding anyone below that level as cattle. Saala is also, oddly enough, an adrenaline-junky. If you're not a member of the elite, you can still reach that level of esteem in her eyes if you prove yourself in the sky-surfing sport she frequently watches. She sometimes yearns to take a mortal form and try out the sport herself.
    You got all four genders right, although since they ascended it's been largely cosmetic. Also, entrance to the "elite" is largely meritocratic, although Saala has veto power. This also makes me think that there is an "Upper" and a "Lower" Saalarann, separated by a disc of streets and teleport stations known as the Axis. Upper Saalarann houses the companies, schools, and mansions of the elite, and Lower Saalarann houses everything else. Most businesses that cater to both straddle the Axis, leading to a strange setup of a restaurant with a front door in Upper Saalarann, overlooking a nightclub on the Axis, with a strip joint in the basement, whose front door is in Lower Saalarann, all run by the same people.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    As for the Freelancer Guild, I would go for a Sympathetic-Heroic-Thieves-Guild archetype. They could be totally in it for the money, but that's no reason to be an a******. Once you're in, you're a Brother/Sister. Any man in the Guard will have your back. It's like a Fraternal Rangers thing.
    Totally doable. The only loyalty is to the Guard (Not the Guild, that implies a - shall we say - less badass organization to my mind), and all others are encouraged to bend in the face of coin. As for uniform, I'm thinking having standard-issue black-and-stainless-steel armor, but having everyone mod, mix, and match pieces to personalize and customize, to promote individuality and to sidestep the within-the-box thinking that plagues so many other armies. For example, a mage character might wear a chestplate under a set of robes for extra durability, or a rogue character might eschew the standard-issue gauntlets for the ones he swiped from a goblin blacksmith, or a kiria might substitute the pauldrons for wing armor pieces (might be misremembering their relative wing-to-arm position). In all cases, helmets are a) optional and b) designed to act more like gas masks than anything else. (It is rumored that the original founders commissioned the designs from a goblin caster, but the unofficial transaction was never documented on the goblin side and the relevant documents on the Guard's side were never much more than a line in a budget, and of course the schematics themselves) The result is a highly versatile force that throws itself at a problem, deals with it, and often gets paid twice doing so. Thoughts?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  27. - Top - End - #87
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    PirateCaptain

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    I really like the idea of personalized armor for Freelancers. Since they're based in the central city, and thus are something of a balancing act between the Minds, I would advise a Black and White base uniform (Yin Yang). I can also see recruits from, say, Obsid adding a dragon crest to his helmet, or one of Dekonio's wearing a green and brown surcoat.

    Question: How well-known is the Freelancers? And what do people think of them?
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
    Ninjadeadbeard's Extended Homebrew

  28. - Top - End - #88
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I really like the idea of personalized armor for Freelancers. Since they're based in the central city, and thus are something of a balancing act between the Minds, I would advise a Black and White base uniform (Yin Yang). I can also see recruits from, say, Obsid adding a dragon crest to his helmet, or one of Dekonio's wearing a green and brown surcoat.
    Sure, that's kind of what I was going for when I suggested stainless steel, although that would be more reflective than white normally is. I would suggest however, that new recruits are given one crest or one surcoat in one of four possibilities (keep things not as broken for the lvl 1s), and only as they increase in rank (I'll decide how to handle that later; currently thinking the party gets it when/if they talk to their commanding officer, who will travel with them until lv. 5 or so, and then return to Revien for further increases in rank.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Question: How well-known is the Freelancers? And what do people think of them?
    They're very well-known, given that they are Revien's first line of defense, the second being a citizen militia, who have set traps and automatic barricades that the higher-ups of the Guard do not know about as a function of their contract. This is a safeguard against betrayal (They are mercs, after all, and despite the respect and gratitude they enjoy their true loyalties are always in the back of people's minds) and is further obfuscated by the fact that each district of Revien has its own cell, led by a trusted member of each community. Retirees from the guard are in high demand as emergency military advisers, another reason why the Freelancers command such respect. As for public opinion, people respect them as a line of defense, and are grateful to them in person, but they are viewed as a necessary evil at best.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, and Arathnos from Wyntonian's Patria thread is going to be dropping by - sometime - to fluff up some criminal entities beyond the Moon Market.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-01 at 12:45 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  29. - Top - End - #89
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    PirateCaptain

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Sure, that's kind of what I was going for when I suggested stainless steel, although that would be more reflective than white normally is. I would suggest however, that new recruits are given one crest or one surcoat in one of four possibilities (keep things not as broken for the lvl 1s), and only as they increase in rank (I'll decide how to handle that later; currently thinking the party gets it when/if they talk to their commanding officer, who will travel with them until lv. 5 or so, and then return to Revien for further increases in rank.
    Or you could just put all the nicest bits in a higher price range than players can manage at low levels. The Freelancers may be a brotherhood of sorts, but it's not the kind that hands you coin if you're in a hole. They're more the angry older-brother-hood that makes you work for it. No handouts. Earn your way. Recruits have to earn even their first scrap of armor.

    They're very well-known, given that they are Revien's first line of defense, the second being a citizen militia, who have set traps and automatic barricades that the higher-ups of the Guard do not know about as a function of their contract. This is a safeguard against betrayal (They are mercs, after all, and despite the respect and gratitude they enjoy their true loyalties are always in the back of people's minds) and is further obfuscated by the fact that each district of Revien has its own cell, led by a trusted member of each community. Retirees from the guard are in high demand as emergency military advisers, another reason why the Freelancers command such respect. As for public opinion, people respect them as a line of defense, and are grateful to them in person, but they are viewed as a necessary evil at best.
    Ah, so more Grey Wardens than Night's Watch.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, and Arathnos from Wyntonian's Patria thread (will link later) is going to be dropping by to fluff up some criminal entities beyond the Moon Market.
    Awesome. More input is good input.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    Ninjadeadbeard just ninja'd my post. How apt.
    Ninjadeadbeard's Extended Homebrew

  30. - Top - End - #90
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    So the server decided to eat my post. Here's take 2.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Or you could just put all the nicest bits in a higher price range than players can manage at low levels. The Freelancers may be a brotherhood of sorts, but it's not the kind that hands you coin if you're in a hole. They're more the angry older-brother-hood that makes you work for it. No handouts. Earn your way. Recruits have to earn even their first scrap of armor.
    No handouts besides the paycheck, that is.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Ah, so more Grey Wardens than Night's Watch.
    Yes, except there's no drinking a corrosive magical poison in order to attend. And oh, God, would you imagine a group of PCs in the Night's Watch?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Awesome. More input is good input.
    That's what I thought too.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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