Adventures in Edassa Information Thread (RP Ongoing!)

[BreathTaker]

I picked 1416 first simply because I wanted my character to have some black powder pistols. Do you have any specifics down on weapon evolution? By that I mean: what kinds of weapons are popular, are any weapons restricted in certain cultures or areas (like spears are for Darkeyes), are there firearms, and how evolved are these firearms at the present time? Also, what kind of metal is primarily used, I'm assuming that since gunpowder exists we are close to the steel age or there already.

 

Another question is, do Inquisitors/Paladins have weapons that identify them?

[Seonid]

I picked 1416 first simply because I wanted my character to have some black powder pistols. Do you have any specifics down on weapon evolution? By that I mean: what kinds of weapons are popular, are any weapons restricted in certain cultures or areas (like spears are for Darkeyes), are there firearms, and how evolved are these firearms at the present time? Also, what kind of metal is primarily used, I'm assuming that since gunpowder exists we are close to the steel age or there already.

 

Another question is, do Inquisitors/Paladins have weapons that identify them?

 

Weapon evolution is rather a large topic. I'll give details on what I suspect is the topic of most immediate interest: Gunpowder. Also, I'll lay out a basic overview of how weapons in Menkor (and the related kingdoms) are distributed. It should be noted that this overview really only applies to Menkor and its neighbors - other more exotic places will have some unique weaponry associated with them.

 

Development of Gunpowder:

Gunpowder was first pointed towards a military end by the house of Khusrui, a Taravoy merchant house, in 1251. The Taravoy are islanders, and are as at home on a ship as they are on land. Other than the mercenaries that hire themselves out, Taravoy are much more likely to face combat on the high seas than they are to deal with land combat. Given these peculiarities of Taravoy culture and experience, it should perhaps not be surprising that the first use of gunpowder was for ship-mounted weapons, specifically small-bore weapons designed to fire what we would now call grapeshot. These were mounted on the deck of the ship, with an eye towards clearing the deck of a hostile ship or significantly degrading its boarding parties. It was enormously successful, and remained a heavily guarded secret for a generation. By the mid-1270s, however, House Khusrui began to place the weapon on the market, earning such lucrative production and royalty contracts that the House was able to retire from shipping for over a century. By 1277, all Taravoy merchant ships carried the weapons, and new variants aimed at breaking masts and otherwise disabling the actual ships of any hostile power were under development. By 1281, weapons similar to the hand cannon had been developed for the marines on a merchant ship to use to repel boarders, and these replaced the crossbow on such ships within a decade.

 

The secret of gunpowder continued to be heavily guarded by the Taravoy as a confederacy of houses. Informal agreements (which often had much more force than formal law) were enforced by murder and sabotage, and the secret was successfully protected for nearly a century. This is even more remarkable considering the fact that, from about 1290 on, Taravoy mercenaries armed with handheld gunpowder weapons were increasingly common among the armies of the mainland. Around 1300, House Khusrui - now the leading manufacturer and supplier of the growing mercenary industry - successfully completed and tested a bombard, a fixed heavy cannon for use against walls and fortifications. These quickly became popular on the mainland.

 

Because these gunpowder weapons were strictly limited to mercenaries (and because anybody who tried to replicate them often ended up dead in a suspicious accident or a convenient explosion), they had only a limited effect in shaping the battlefields on the mainland. They were often quite effective, but their expense was often prohibitive. This changed in 1350, when the Lyusan city-state of Theiropols succeeded in developing their own gunpowder weapons, safely hidden away from Taravoy spies and assassins. The Taravoy response, in keeping with their mercantile ambitions, was to begin selling gunpowder weapons to the mainland. The Court of the Gods, realizing the potential for overturning the established social order, had forbidden the use of gunpowder in 1315, although many of the nations who professed allegiance still made use of the mercenaries, publicly washing their hands of the infidel's use of the weapons. The acension of the Alcorazimai Emperor to the High Prelature in 1355 only extended the reach of the ban. And the Empire's enforcement was considerably more effective, especially in the lands historically owing allegience to them. The northern kingdoms, largely aligned with the Church of the Martyr, and the kingdoms who converted after the Emperor became High Prelate enthusiastically bought the new hand weapon designs for their Royal Guards (as the expense prohibited their use more generally) and equivalent elite units. The Church of the Martyr itself constructed a manufactory for gunpowder weapons in 1360, and the Inquisitorial soldiery made the transition during the next two decades. Among the city states of the delta and the Lyusan Islands, gunpowder weapons became normative very quickly, and by 1370-1380 they were standard weapons.

 

The first pistols were manufactured in 1373 or 1374. By 1400, cannons designed for use as battlefield artillery rather than siege equipment were being fielded (in limited quantities of course, and pretty much only by the Lyusans, Taravoy, and the city-states of the Berydian delta). The waning power of the Alcorazimai Empire resulting in many of the protectorate states openly flouting the Imperial ban. By 1415, the use of gunpowder had displaced other weapons among the Lyusans, Taravoy, and Berydians, while the northern kingdoms were mostly still maintaining only elite units with gunpowder weapons (with the exception of the Church of the Martyr). The eruption of the volcano Katuko'iphireia in 1423 changed conditions worldwide, and certainly froze development of new weapons. The widespread social chaos that resulted also had a practical effect of a technological regression in many areas, but within 40 years, new gunpowder weapons were widespread again, without the limiting factors of Taravoy pricing or Imperial bans. By 1500, they were normative across nearly the whole continent, except for among a few tribal peoples and the xenophobic remnants of the Senlii Empire, on the northern coast of the continent.

 

Weapons in Menkor:

As far as other weapons go, there is a distinction between weapons used by soldiers on the battlefield and weapons used by individuals. In Menkor (and the other nations of the central plains and the east coast) in 1375, various more specialized polearms that were popular in earlier years, such as the voulge and the glaive, have given way to the pike as the dominant infantry weapon. Pike formations, sometimes fortified against infantry assault by a supplementary force of halberd-wielders, are an overpowering advantage on the battlefield.

 

The age of the armored knight is coming to an end, although heavily armored cavalry is still a potent force, it is no longer the completely dominating influence it once was. The primary cavalry weapons are the lance and the kingsword (so named because owning and using one requires a special permit from the king; the nobility are often distinguished by their centuries-old familial permits. Similar laws are found in every nation with landed nobility once controlled or significantly influenced by the Kaloneri Empire, with one exception. These laws are now archaic, and serve to reinforce an aging social order instead of enforcing a meaningful distinction in fighting ability between classes), although light cavalry companies are moving towards the cavalry sabre, with its deliberately unbalanced construction.

 

Heavily armored soldiers now fight on foot almost as often as they do on horse. These foot knights, generally wielding heavy two-handed swords, are used to break pike formations so that the cavalry can execute a successful charge. As a result, weapons designed to defeat the heavy plate armor favored by the nobility and the wealthy have come into fashion, such as maces, flails, and poleaxes. These, however, find use most often by the heavily armored nobility. The most common counter used by the average infantry soldier is a polearm of some sort, such as a bill or a halberd.

 

The dominant ranged weapon is the heavy crossbow. Specifically, a variant with heavy steel arms - allowing for a much stronger draw weight - called an arbalest is common across most of the nations of the central plains (note: naming conventions are not consistent across nations. The eastern countries, lineal descendants of the old Kaloneri Empire, call such weapons steelbows, and their wooden-armed cousins lockbows). Most of the northern nations now maintain a force of men armed with gunpowder weapons, although the high cost of importing them from Taravoy or Lyusan weapons dealers has prevented them from displacing the crossbow as yet. As the technology for making them becomes more widespread, use of the crossbow will die out.

 

Longbows are still in use among the Cetar people, living in the southeast of the country of Gaelet, and among the Nilari nations on the eastern coast. The Nessei tribesmen still use composite bows from horseback, as do the Kinseni in the southern desert.

 

As personal weapons, however, polearms such as pikes leave much to be desired. Their most effective use is in a formation with many similarly armed allies in support (with the signal exception of the halberd). The wealthy and permitted often carry their kingswords around the town to show off their connections with power, although the rapier is moving into fashion among the younger generation. (It should be noted that the kingly decree against the unpermitted ownership of swords has been extended several times to cover newer types and styles of swords. However, the name kingsword refers to what we would call an arming-sword, the long-bladed sword intended for use as a weapon by an armored knight.) People without permits generally carry a mace, a hand-axe, or a halberd if they feel a need to carry a weapon. The halberds carried by commoners within city gates are much shorter and have smaller blades than the type found on the battlefield, to be able to find usefulness in the narrow streets of many western cities. Likewise, the maces are much lighter as well, as they do not have to be able to crush through heavy plate armor. Spears are seen as outdated and ineffective, suitable only for hunting or the poorest of the poor.

 

About the Inquisition of the Church of the Martyr - agents of the Inquisition often attempt to blend in with the local populace, the better to ferret out heterodoxy, heresy, and apostasy. There is an Inquisitorial uniform - the colors are white with a black cross (the sign of the church of the martyr is a stylized flame, but the black cross symbolizes the twin goals of the Inquisition, the vertical bar representing their duty of strictly making sure that the communication between heaven and earth was not tainted by heterodox or heretical practice, and the horizontal bar represents the duty of standing as a line between the Church and mortal threats both internal and external; the black cross is a descendant of the sign of the High God Taris, in the Court of the Gods. The cross is officially one that equally quarters the background, but it is often seen in a stylized fashion on soldiers of the Inquisition) - that is worn whenever official duty calls for it. The Inquisitorial soldiery generally wears a white tabard with the Black Cross over whatever armor they are otherwise wearing (in 1375, generally some form of partial plate or plate and leather), but the Inquisitors themselves are much more heavily armored (in their official gear).

 

An Inquisitor in his full uniform (circa 1375) would wear a long white robe over padded under-armour. His legs and arms would be given some sort of flexible armor, like metal scales, to be worn under the robes. Over the robe would be a heavy breastplate with pauldrons (shoulder plates), and also plated gauntlets, as well as a closed helmet. As far as weapons go, they would carry a halberd, about 7 feet long with a heavy axe-head on it and a long spike on the tip. For secondary weapons, they carry a heavy mace (both spiked and non-spiked variants are common) or a one-handed warhammer. After about 1385 or so, black powder pistols are standard equipment as well (although individual Inquisitors may have gotten their hands on a pistol or two as early as 1375).

 

A Paladin of the Court of the Gods would be like a knight in full plate armor. He generally fights mounted, with lance and kingsword (and sometimes crossbow - there are a few mavericks), and his horse is fully armored with plate barding as well. He or she is supported by a number of squires sworn to his service, who generally fight mounted as well, with swords and crossbows. Many Paladins and their squires have picked up some sort of weaponry designed to penetrate plate armor (preferably the type that can be used from horseback). Although the Paladins do not wear a specific insignia, their extraordinarily distinctive plate armor is an immediate identifier that they are something more than just another lord with money to throw around. Not to mention their magic.

[Lightsworn Panda]

Can Inquisitors wield magic? Also, is magic not very widespread, since I don't see much mention of it in your backstories?

 

Great work, Seonid. I really look forward to when it starts. 

[BreathTaker]

Storms now I want to be an Inquisitor of the Martyr instead of the Court. Heavy Armored Tanks with giant weapons are my usual but I wanted to do something more along the lines of what the Martyr's Inquisitors wear and I want pistols so Storming bad.

[Seonid]

Can Inquisitors wield magic? Also, is magic not very widespread, since I don't see much mention of it in your backstories?

 

Great work, Seonid. I really look forward to when it starts. 

 

Some Inquisitors can wield magic, but not all. Unlike the Order of the Paladins, where a familiar bond is a prerequisite, Inquisitors are chosen for their loyalty. Those who have the gene are tested for and trained, but the Inquisition is much too large to be able to fill their ranks with magic-users only. The Paladin Order (still coming up with the in-world name or names of the order(s) - a Paladin would introduce him/herself as "I am [name], Paladin of the Order of [name];" there are potentially more than one order of Paladins) fill their ranks wholly with magic users, but they have access to several populations who are far higher than normal in terms of magic users.

 

As far as how widespread magic is in the population: not at all. I think I mentioned before that the frequency of expression of the gene for magic is about 1 in 10,000 in the general population. Not all of the people who have the gene learn about it and are able to train it, of course, and not all of those who do learn about it decide to do anything with it. In the minds of the average person (including the nobility, so this isn't just the commoners), the only positive association with magic is with religion. Magic users outside of religion (or of a religion different than the one that the person belongs to) are viewed in a highly negative light, except for in certain communities focused around the magic itself. The Magi at Lushbeck are an example of such a group, but they were mobbed and driven out around 1307, so this serves as an illustration both ways.

 

Most religious magic is Type II-a, with a very few incidences of Type I (generally less than four or five on the planet at any given time, and sometimes as low as none). Type II-b is almost never associated with religion generally (although the groups that teach it and explore it are generally religious or quasi-religious in nature, these groups/religions tend to be exclusionary, non-evangelizing, and often are perceived as fringe and other. None of the major religions - The Church of the Martyr, the Court of the Gods, worship of the Life-bringer, and the religion of the Prophet - dabble in Type II-b magic, and several of them condemn it), and is limited either to self-taught individuals or to the small communities who have grown up around it (again, such as the Magi of Lushbeck).

 

Just as a general note, the trend of history on the continent is towards decreasing tolerance of magic. The loss of tolerance in religious matters won't come for a couple of centuries past the times we're interested in, but the revolt against the Inquisition in 1424-25 sets the stage for the slow disappearance of religious dominance in political matters. Eventually, even religious use of magic is persecuted by the culture and disappears. By the time the planet reaches the Space Age (roughly 1800-1900 or so, although they've adopted a new calendar by then, counting the volcanic eruption in 1423 as year 0), magic has not been practiced openly for so long that any belief in it is considered incredulous, and historical accounts regarding magic are treated as the result of ancient superstition. Underground use of magic may persist, however, in close-knit and hidden communities even through the Space Age and beyond.

 

Storms now I want to be an Inquisitor of the Martyr instead of the Court. Heavy Armored Tanks with giant weapons are my usual but I wanted to do something more along the lines of what the Martyr's Inquisitors wear and I want pistols so Storming bad.

 

Both are pretty bad-chull. Go with either one suits your fancy. If you do have pistols, then they'll be among the first pistols ever seen on the continent. So there's shock value there, and the smug satisfaction that comes of owning almost the only weapon of a type that has ever been built.

[BreathTaker]

So would a Paladin be able to have a pistol or two along with their regular weapons? I'm now leaning heavily towards the Martyr but I like titles and shock value. If I do Martyr, I have a bad chull idea for an intro scene where he has just cleared out a nest of Heretics. 

[Seonid]

So would a Paladin be able to have a pistol or two along with their regular weapons? I'm now leaning heavily towards the Martyr but I like titles and shock value. If I do Martyr, I have a bad chull idea for an intro scene where he has just cleared out a nest of Heretics. 

 

In 1375, a Paladin might have a pistol. He'd be the only Paladin to do so, and he'd have to be a bit of a maverick to do so (Paladins consider their weapons holy, with good reason, and generally don't consider using other folks'), but it is at the edge of the realm of possibility. Inquisitors would be more likely, as their hunt for secret heresies often takes them far afield from the lands controlled by the Martyr and into contact with people who might have new weapons like this.

 

By 1400, a Paladin with a pistol would be no more noteworthy than a Paladin with a crossbow. Unorthodox? Sure. Weird? Not really.

[Lightsworn Panda]

Huh. I thought Type-I magic would be a bit common. Ah, well.

 

The Inquisitors sound pretty awesome. Now, what are the chances of there being a Panda worhshipping Priest?  In all seriousness, though, I actually am considering creating a Panda Priest.

[Seonid]

Ok. So, first update:

 

I just finished my first day at my new job, and looking at it, I don't think I'm going to have time to run the RP until the semester is over. Sorry about the delay, but we are going to have to postpone this thing until mid-Dec. I think an arbitrary date of Dec. 15th will work just fine. I will periodically update with worldbuilding info and I'll still try to respond to questions, but there isn't enough time to commit to running the RP until then. (After Dec. 15, I'm good timewise all the way until at least next August, and hopefully farther.)

 

About Panda Priests - certain branches of the Senlii or Shogadu people do reverence animals, viewing them as either representations of powerful spirits or symbols of honored ancestors (depending on which of their worship systems is dominant). Pandas could definitely fit on the list. What exactly are you thinking about with panda worship/a Panda Priest?

[Lightsworn Panda]

I'm thinking about a Panda devoted Priest who is bestowed with the power of a Higher Being, who happens/used to be a Panda. That'll make for some interesting RP.

[Seonid]

Hmm...I doubt there would be a Higher Being that was once a panda, but there could certainly be one that manifests as a panda (either because it likes it, or because its followers expect it, or both) if it makes an appearance in the physical realm. I'm still a little hazy on the political details of the Outer Realms.

 

The followers of this being would likely belong to the far north, either Nessei (unlikely but possible), Shogadu, or Senlii (if so, it would be an underground religion, to avoid Imperial suppression). Cultural details will be forthcoming, but expect vaguely Asian.

[Lightsworn Panda]

Sounds good. 

 

You might want to send us a PM when the games starts to remind us.

[Seonid]

Oh I will. In fact, I'm going to change the thread title as well. Hopefully that will let other interested parties know who might not have been following this thread.

[BreathTaker]

Ok, My character is going to be a Paladin. I was wondering if there is a way to associate either him or his Battalion with the Raven. I want him to be a high ranked field officer if that's cool with you. 

 

The reason I want the Raven is because obviously I love ravens but also because

 

the Raven was a symbol of cunning and wisdom, but as a carrion bird also a symbol of battle and death. Warriors who fought beneath raven banners were said to be invincible, and reading the movements of ravens were thought to predict the outcome of battles.

[Seonid]

Ok, My character is going to be a Paladin. I was wondering if there is a way to associate either him or his Battalion with the Raven. I want him to be a high ranked field officer if that's cool with you.

 

A Paladin sounds excellent. As far as associating with the Raven, that is rather easy. The short reason is because each Paladin has their own insignia, based on their House rather than a specific religious Paladin symbol. It is a simple thing to make the Raven one of the symbols. Consider it canon.

 

The long reason requires more explanation. But hey, when have I needed an excuse to post a wall of text in this thread?

 

 

The Court of the Gods

To understand the role that Paladins play in the politics of this religion, we've got to understand a few things about the religion itself. The pantheon is called the Tribunal, so the religion can strictly be called the religion of the Tribunal. However, the central point of worship is in the sacred city of Al'Lidne, which is called the Court of the Gods. The religion is often referred to by this name as well. The two terms are nearly interchangeable. The Tribunal consists of seven high gods, and quite a few lesser ones. The Seven are: Taris, the king of the gods, the Stormcaller, Nalathea the Virgin, Argon the Warrior, Hurisen the Lawgiver, but also the Lady of Gifts, Khurdan the Maker, Jerad the Wise, and Miranda, who is simultaneously the life-giving one (for both the land and the people), the Lover (she is consort to Taris), and Mistress of Death.

 

Important minor gods include: Lin Hei, the messenger of the gods, and also the god of revelation and seeing, often called the Fateweaver, Yann and Garyth, god of the fields and lord of winter, respectively, and Kira, lady of the hearth.

 

The Court of the Gods is the temple district of the city of Al'Lidne. It holds the central temples of six of the seven members of the Tribunal (the main or central temple of Nalathea is in Lilytan), and around 30 temples to various minor gods and goddesses. The high priest of the temple of Taris is the head of the religion, and together with the high priests/priestesses of the rest of the Seven, makes up the highest governing body - also called the Tribunal. The Court of the Gods is also the home of various military orders dedicated to various gods, as well as the Legion of the Sacred Temple - the most powerful and versatile of the military orders sworn to the service of the Tribunal. It is officially tasked with the protection of the temple, but has often been expanded to be an significant offensive power.

 

However, the days when the Legion could march all the way from Al'Lidne to Alcorazim unopposed, or lay siege to Corento to bring back just one heretic priest, are long gone. For operations outside of places where the Tribunal has recognized authority, the order of the Paladins is utilized. The Order is divided into twelve houses, which are counted as noble houses in the eastern kingdoms. A person not a member of one of the houses who wishes to join the order must renounce their own familial ties and be adopted into one of the twelve houses. Careful breeding has resulted in a set of communities that have high prevalences of the magic-using gene. These individuals are groomed to eventually become Paladins, while non-magic users end up serving in other capacities in the Order.

 

*  *  *  *  *

 

It's late now, and I've got a lot to do tomorrow. Tomorrow evening after work, however, I should be able to post another installment. This one will be focused on the organization of the Order, and how it tends to function. It will also discuss Squires as well as detailing the responsibilities of a full Paladin.

[Unodus]

Can I sign up for joining in on the game? .o.

[Seonid]

Can I sign up for joining in on the game? .o.

 

Sure! Glad to have you! Go ahead and read through the worldbuilding information. The RP proper starts on Dec. 15th, but my finals get over on the 11th, so expect a lot of background information specific to the setting we'll be playing in around then.

 

And, for anyone who's still following this thread, I've got a brief (briefer than I'd like) summary of the order of the Paladins

 

 

Order of the Paladins

The order of the Paladins was officially founded in the late 700's, but the origins go back almost a century and a half before that, rooted in an Atani tradition where the third son of a noble house would dedicate himself to a member of the Tribunal (most often Taris, who has as one of his titles - Lord of Justice, although Hurisen the Lawgiver was by no means uncommon) and spend his life dedicated to the promotion of justice. On those occasions when such a third son had the magic-using gene expressed, a familiar bond was often formed with a spirit whose goals aligned with the actions of the paladin.

 

The practice was formalized into the Order of the Paladins, and placed under the purview of the priests of Taris. For about a century, the tradition of sending third sons into the Order continued, but it was gradually replaced by the growth of new political and familial structures surrounding the order itself. Around 900 S.E., these structures were formally recognized by the Court of the Gods as the twelve Houses of the Order. From the official founding of the order, candidates who were capable of forming a familiar bond were being sought out to participate, and by 950, no candidate was eligible to become a full Paladin without it.

 

******

So much for the historical development. Now for the actual organization:

******

 

The current organization is divided into two parts - the organization for those who are candidates to be Paladins, and the organizational structure for those who are not. Those who have the potential undergo rigorous martial training as well as developing the mind through study and religious practices. After a period of training, they undergo individual one-on-one mentoring by a current Paladin, before undergoing the ceremony that induces the familiar bond.

 

For those who cannot become Paladins, the structure is different. These make up the bulk of the houses, of course; even in these tightly-knit communities, only 1 in 100 or so are actually born with the genetic makeup. Many choose to serve the order in mundane ways, working in commerce, banking, agriculture, or other fields to support the temporal needs of the Order. Others, and not a small fraction, choose to serve militarily. These range from the House Guardsmen that provide security for the safe houses, fortresses, and manors affiliated with the order to the Squires who accompany Paladins into the field. A full Paladin will be accompanied by 7-10 squires at any time, meaning that a Paladin is already a small unit commander. This provides significant leverage in political disputes.

 

In addition to the squires, a Paladin can call upon the services of other men-at-arms of the order to fulfill his duties. Depending on the House, their resources, and the area in which the Paladin is serving, this can range from several dozen infantrymen and light cavalry to a full battalion of over a thousand men capable of investing an enemy stronghold.

 

Politically, the Paladin Order is independent of any secular government, and is governed directly by the Court of the Gods. Their reputation for upholding justice won goodwill enough to allow them free rein in many of the southern nations (including, at times, the empires of Alcorazim and Navar), but the rise of the Church of the Martyr has closed most of the northern nations to them (at least officially; they still operate there, but with a smaller profile. They are often targets of the Inquisition, but are only rarely captured).

 

The functions of a Paladin remain similar to the mandate which the third sons originally swore to - uphold justice, protect those who cannot protect themselves, oppose evil (this is defined differently in different time periods; sometimes evil means opposition to the Court of the Gods, sometimes it means certain of the various sorcerer's cults that spring up from time to time, sometimes it means opposing the influence of certain spiritual entities who are, in Tribunal theology, diametrically opposed to the Seven. Further elaboration on this theme will have to wait until I have more fully fleshed out the political situation among the Outer Realms). A common practice is for Paladins to go into service as lawyers or judges in towns that cannot provide their own. In a city, this might instead manifest as being a judge or a lawyer for the poor, who might not be able to afford the services of the law otherwise.

 

Militarily, the Paladins are the arm of the Tribunal in places where they do not hold cultural and political dominion. During the mid-to-late 1300's, the Order was instrumental in helping many of the city-states of the Delta and the Minharan Valley retain independence in the face of the Imperial conquest. In 1355, when the Alcorazimai Emporer ascended to the high priest's office, the Order was officially disbanded. However, they still remained active in places that did not recognize Imperial authority. These branches were cut off from many of their traditional assets, and were greatly reduced in power, but they nonetheless survived various purges over the next century.

[BreathTaker]

Do familiars take on animal form or do they remain in their ethreal form?

[Unodus]

Ok, I've gone over everything 

Some questions though...

Should I announce a "character template" before the game begins? and if I do, what are my options? (I understand the game will take place in a bordering Medieval/fantasy theme- is our role in the story to influence and change the world around us (for the better, I assume :3) or to interact with it- and explore?)

What is your stance on Chronomancy? (Time manipulation magic) I understand you have a magical system in play, would that branch of magick be applicable? (And more importantly, possible to use in a RP perspective?)

And finally, I see there are a lot of "Factions"- is being aligned with one obligatory, or necessary? I understand magic is strongly tied with "Religion", will being apart from "Religous Factions" stint magical capabilities, and if so- are there other ways of gaining Magicks?

Thanks for allowing me to join in ^-^ I look forward to playing :3

[Kobold King]

Forgive me if this question has already been answered, or if I'm grossly misunderstanding the way the magic works--I learn best by immersion, and I can't always keep details in my head properly.

 

The familiar spirits intrigue me. Do they possess human or near human intelligence, and if so, would I be eligible to play as another's PC's familiar animal?

[Mailliw73]

Are Paladin, Ranger, and Guardian from this world?

[Voidus]

So I'm currently trying to do a profile for an Inquisitor Sorceror, what kind of rules are there for Inquisitors with regards to marriage, both before becoming an Inquisitor and while an Inquisitor?
(I'm thinking of having him have a contract with the spirit of his wife)

[Seonid]

Forgive me if this question has already been answered, or if I'm grossly misunderstanding the way the magic works--I learn best by immersion, and I can't always keep details in my head properly.

 

The familiar spirits intrigue me. Do they possess human or near human intelligence, and if so, would I be eligible to play as another's PC's familiar animal?

 

First question first. Yes. All of them possess human or near-human intelligence (some even greater), but their perception of the Material world is not the same as a mortal's. I have some more work to do in hammering out the details in the perception, but I'll post it later.

 

If you are intrigued by the idea of playing as another PC's familiar, that sounds like a very interesting character to me.

 

Are Paladin, Ranger, and Guardian from this world?

 

Not in their current state, no. However, the characters who I based them off of are. Samhain Seonid, the prototype for Paladin, became a leader in the rebellion of 1299 (see my post on the previous page for more information), and he is the source of my forum handle. He was compassionate and merciful, unlike Paladin, who has been twisted by Calamity.

 

Ranger was based off of Asher Il'veradon, a Ti'in tribesman from the far south. He made his way north searching for his sister who had been taken by slavers, and ended up as Seonid's friend and companion.

 

Guardian came from Ariel of the house of Kilbaen, a student at the Academy of War during Seonid's time there. She ended up as his personal bodyguard. The long-distance crush she has on him is canon. No, the two of them never work out.

 

 

So I'm currently trying to do a profile for an Inquisitor Sorceror, what kind of rules are there for Inquisitors with regards to marriage, both before becoming an Inquisitor and while an Inquisitor?

(I'm thinking of having him have a contract with the spirit of his wife)

 

As far as marriage, Inquisitors are forbidden from having current relationships, as those could potentially be used against them. Widows are accepted into the order, however, as long as any children are fully grown, not heterodox, heretics, or apostates, and so on.

 

As for having the contract with the spirit of a wife, well, that would be quite tough to manage but not impossible. Death severs the energy left in the bonds that connect a spirit to a mortal body, leaving the spirit of a deceased mortal nearly unable to perform magic on another's behalf. However, deceased spirits tend to move on to an Outer Realm. If said spirit was invested by one of the more powerful entities in that Realm, they would certainly be able to become a familiar spirit, but would likely only do so by divine assignment.

 

 

 

 

Also, Unodus, I missed your question during this round of answers and my lunch break is over. I'll answer it when I get another chance.

[Voidus]

Alright a different familiar it is then, just wanted to run it by you first. I think I'll keep the widowed Inquisitor backstory then, I'll post a profile up soonish.

[Kobold King]

First question first. Yes. All of them possess human or near-human intelligence (some even greater), but their perception of the Material world is not the same as a mortal's. I have some more work to do in hammering out the details in the perception, but I'll post it later.

 

If you are intrigued by the idea of playing as another PC's familiar, that sounds like a very interesting character to me.

 

I'm in love with non-human characters, especially the ones with radically non-human minds and ways of looking at the world.

 

Would a familiar of an animal-like appearance possess the same quirks and general personality as a wholly biological animal of the same kind? For instance, would a cat-like familiar enjoy hunting and cleaning itself, or would a crocodile-like familiar enjoy wallowing in cool water or basking in the sun?

 

I guess I'm open for adoption.