Seeking The Eternal Conflux

[Kuri Shardweaver]

I told you there was work to be done.

Hello, everyone. We're going to have fun. With fantasy...

Alright, sorry, now that I've gotten Portal out of my system, let's talk, shall we? I'm a storyteller by nature, and this sad husk of a forum is (at least partially)my primary reason for coming here. Peer pressure would be the other >.>...

Fact of the matter is, I have ideas. Most people do, it's a pretty common occurrence, I'm sure. Except when I get an idea, it ricochets around the inside of my skull like a bloody pinball until I either do something with it or forget. And I rarely forget. That would be where you chaps come in! Together, we're going to start doing something (hopefully!) with my pinball-producing brain, and maybe have a good time in the process! Starting with...

Seeking The Eternal Conflux

Now, picture if you will, a planet. Massive in its scope, this heavenly sphere is known to the majority of its sentient inhabitants as Xanthuru, and equates roughly in scale to our own solar system's Jupiter. With me so far? Great! Let's continue.

Some of you, at least, may have heard the term 'Ley Line' before. At least, I hope. But for those who have not, be not afraid, for I shall explain! In the scope of this planet of Xanthuru, the Ley Lines are a network of conduits of pure, usually-invisible mystic energy that blanket the entire globe. Where these conduits cross, Nodes exist, of scaling power dependent on the number of Lines that compose it. And of course, as with any source of power, these Nodes are highly coveted by the intelligent races of Xanthuru, and it is not uncommon for the center of a kingdom to be established over one, and even less uncommon for a war or two to be waged over a newly-discovered Node.

Which brings us to The Eternal Conflux. What is it, you might ask? Why is it so important? The Eternal Conflux(EC for short) is believed by many to be the single point in the entire world where every Ley Line converges. A site of power so incredible that, if found, an individual could make their wildest dreams a reality. Pretty tempting, huh?

So let's break this down:

What is Seeking The Eternal Conflux, exactly?- StEC as I envision it is a forum RP of epic scale open to anyone who wishes to join in and can write on a more complex scale than "See Spot Run". It is a High Fantasy setting full of magic, adventure, and exploration!

Tell me more about this Xanthuru place!- Gladly! As mentioned above, Xanthuru is a massive planet heavily influenced by the mystic energy flowing through it. It is full of fantastical beasts, ancient ruins, and mind-boggling kingdoms populated by diverse sentient races. On a more technical level, Xanthuru has a 13 month year, in which each month is named after a creature of the Divine Signs, from the Month of The Ram (1st) to The Month of the Serpent (13th). This year is broken down into 5 Seasons.

Whoah, what? 5? How does that work?

- Simple, my friends! The 13th Month is a season in and of itself, often referred to as the

Season of Darkness

, the

Gray Month

or

Drab Season

depending on which culture you're talking to. It is during this time that nothing grows or can be made to grow, and no creature has ever been recorded being born. Ley power drastically reduces to near nothing, and even the mightiest of kingdoms are left powerless during this time. Can I continue?

Yes

Thank you.

As a whole, only a rough quarter of the planet has been charted, making it no small wonder why the EC remains undiscovered. It is in this quarter that at least the early stages of the RP will take place.

So what kind of character(s) can I make, and how does one USE Ley Line power, exactly?- Excellent questions, dear reader! As far as Characters go, I will be posting a template if enough interest is shown, but the fact of the matter is, it's going to be a pretty loose template. Because of the nature of Xanthuru, you are more or less free to pitch an idea at me, and so long as it is both fairly balanced and fits well into the setting, it will more than likely be approved. The more detail you provide, the easier it is to flesh out a sliver of the world because of it, and therefore a sliver less I have to worry about fleshing out myself. Ley Energy is channeled from a Line or Node and shaped by the channeler's will into the desired effect. This generally takes a few years of training to accomplish even if one has the knack for it, and is not something to attempt without some form of Focus, particularly at Nodes. Some examples of using Ley energy include (but are not limited to): summoning elemental warriors, healing wounds, powering Ley-dependent devices, and of course the classic hurling of fireballs, lightning bolts, etc.

And now, I'll open the floor to comments, concerns, and any questions I might have failed to cover.

[CrazyRioter]

this could be interesting.....I'm pretty novice at forum RPing but ah well.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Is it weird to say I love you at this point? Cuz I do. This looks really cool.

Questions:

Just how prevalent are the Ley Lines? How close together do they tend to be, how far away are you from a line at any given point, and are there any variations in thickness or energy of the lines apart from Nodes?

Is there any magic that doesn't come from the Ley Lines?

What kind of technology level are we looking at here, on average at least?

How much influence do these Divine Signs have on what's going on? Do they do anything apart from name months? Do they have any special effects on things going on during those months or on those people born during those months?

Basically, I want more. More information on everything. I will be joining this.

Also, I need help combating the hanging shadow that is the Inquisition. Like, really.

[Kuri Shardweaver]

Is it weird to say I love you at this point? Cuz I do. This looks really cool.

Questions:

Just how prevalent are the Ley Lines? How close together do they tend to be, how far away are you from a line at any given point, and are there any variations in thickness or energy of the lines apart from Nodes?

In most kingdoms, the larger villages/towns are settled on/near the thickest lines, and those tend to be a handful of days travel by foot apart. Smaller villages can be anywhere from a week to a month's travel (on foot at least) from a line of any concern. There is a variance in thickness: consider a Node like an artery, the Lines veins, and then there are capillary-esq lines most anywhere else, but the amount of energy that can be channeled from such lines isn't anything to write home about. An experienced channeler would be lucky to make a spark big enough to start a campfire more than a day's travel from a worthwhile Line.

Is there any magic that doesn't come from the Ley Lines?

Occasionally a brave adventurer will return from one of the ancient ruins spanning the known world with an artifact. The method of creating such wonders were lost with the kingdom(s) whose ruins they are found in, but if the artifact can be successfully utilized they are said to bestow power comparable to that of a Ley channeler, or even greater in some cases. It is assumed by scholars that such artifacts were created USING Ley energy, but are not dependent on it to function, though most wind up under heavy guard in the greatest of kingdoms, functional or otherwise.

What kind of technology level are we looking at here, on average at least?

Fairly low. It's a high fantasy setting, so the world has not progressed much beyond the point of "swords and sorcery" so to speak. There are remnants of greater technology in ruins, but it is because of these ruins that the art of golem-crafting specifically is forbidden in the vast majority of the civilized kingdoms. A terrible war many centuries ago completely burned out two powerful Nodes, and the survivors agreed never again would the world know the mechanical horrors they had created.

How much influence do these Divine Signs have on what's going on? Do they do anything apart from name months? Do they have any special effects on things going on during those months or on those people born during those months?

I haven't completely fleshed out that particular aspect of the world, but presently the Divine Signs are comparable to our own Zodiac system, relevant to the respective time periods, of course. Most cultures use them as guideposts in the sky, consider a child born in a particular month to have beneficial attributes appropriate for the creature, and of course look for omens of things to come in particular alignments of the stars. The only real 'exception' to this is the Month of The Serpent/Season of Darkness. As said above, nothing is ever born in this month as far as recorded history/word of mouth has traveled. If a woman is in labor when the first stroke of the first day of the Month of The Serpent chimes, the child will either be stillborn, or in more incredulous rumors the labor will completely halt until the first chime of The Month of The Ram.

This is the only naturally occurring event which is widely considered to support the existence of the legendary Eternal Conflux, as most acknowledged scholars on the subject believe it is during this month that all Ley energy retreats to this point to be renewed for the coming year.

Basically, I want more. More information on everything. I will be joining this.

Also, I need help combating the hanging shadow that is the Inquisition. Like, really.

Thanks for the kind words of praise, Silus! The answers you seek are in blue

@crazyrioter: The best thing about being new is you can only improve from there!

[Comatose]

Keep in mind, Silus, the Inquisition has been around for two years now (I think). As an older RP, it's bound to have more members. Also, as this is a Brandon fan site, I think it's safe to say an RP based on one of Brandon's books is going to be more popular, since those books are the reason many people are here.

The idea is interesting Kuri. Very Ian Irvine-esque, particularly with the nodes and the forgotten technology. I wonder, have you read those books? I'll probably wait a bit to see what this is like before commiting, but I definately could be interested. The Mistborn RP has helped with my writing immensely, and so I am eager to see what other RP's can do for my craft.

A few questions. Firstly, out of curiousity, you say you hope we have all heard of Ley Lines. As someone who has never heard the term before, I wonder where you got it from? I think you've done a pretty good job of explaining what they are, but it seems like you have a source (because if they were from your own imagination, you could hardly expect others to know what they are).

Secondly, just for clarity's sake, Magic of any kind is only possible on or near a node or ley line, correct? And the power produced is effected by the strength of said node or line, with single lines being the weakest, and nodes increasing in power with the amount of intersections.

Next, since I have read Irvine's books, I have to wonder, are the ley lines an expendable resource? You mention that two were destroyed. Can these lines and nodes be drained for time, and take time to regenerate, or can a channeler draw energy from them for as long as they are able. Basically, I'm asking what is the cost for this magic system, either to the lines, or to the channeler themselves, or both.

Lastly, I'm just wondering what kind of RP you are planning. From what I've seen, Nexus has the feel of a game in which the characters are playing both with and against eachother, and against the moderator to succeed in the world Silus has created, where the Mistborn RP is more about experimenting with interactions between characters, either plotted or spontaneous, within the greater framework narrative the admins are working on. While both of these styles have their own advantages and disadvantages, I wonder what style your RP would take? Would you yourself be playing a character, or would you assume the role of moderator as you lead us through the world you have created?

Lastly (for realz this time), since seasons seem to be of particular importance (particularly the Month of the Serpent), when would the RP be taking place? From what I've gathered, no magic is possible during this time, but since it is such an interesting world element, it would be a shame not to use it as a plot device. What would you think about having the characters race to discover the Eternal Conflux before the Dark Season begins? Some might be hoping to use the node's god like power (which would be amplified if all the energy has retreated back to it) to prevent this time of darkness from happening, while others might hope to use it's power while everyone else is powerless to wreak havoc.

Anyways, I'll keep my eye on this topic, and see where it goes.

[Kuri Shardweaver]

Keep in mind, Silus, the Inquisition has been around for two years now (I think). As an older RP, it's bound to have more members. Also, as this is a Brandon fan site, I think it's safe to say an RP based on one of Brandon's books is going to be more popular, since those books are the reason many people are here.

The idea is interesting Kuri. Very Ian Irvine-esque, particularly with the nodes and the forgotten technology. I wonder, have you read those books? I'll probably wait a bit to see what this is like before commiting, but I definately could be interested. The Mistborn RP has helped with my writing immensely, and so I am eager to see what other RP's can do for my craft.

Can't say I have, but I've been looking for new reads!

A few questions. Firstly, out of curiousity, you say you hope we have all heard of Ley Lines. As someone who has never heard the term before, I wonder where you got it from? I think you've done a pretty good job of explaining what they are, but it seems like you have a source (because if they were from your own imagination, you could hardly expect others to know what they are).

Ley Lines are a not-so-well known concept of our own world, 'defined' by Wikipedia as follows: "Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, in his books Early British Trackways and The Old Straight Track. Watkins theorized that these alignments were created for ease of overland trekking by line of sight navigation during neolithic times and had persisted in the landscape over millennia. [1] In more recent times, the term ley lines has come to be associated with spiritual and mystical theories about land forms, including Chinese feng shui.[2]". For StEC, I merely expanded on the idea of a 'line' of mystical energy, so while this form of it may be from my own imagination, it is an interpretation of something currently existing.

Secondly, just for clarity's sake, Magic of any kind is only possible on or near a node or ley line, correct? And the power produced is effected by the strength of said node or line, with single lines being the weakest, and nodes increasing in power with the amount of intersections.

Correct. To work magic, a channeler has to draw energy from a Line or Node through themself, and 'shape' the intended effect with their own force of will. The power produced is a combination of both the strength of line and the skill of the channeler, the latter also dictating just how close they have to be to a line to do anything. The more skilled the user, the further from a line they can be without experiencing a noticeable drop in 'output'. The strength of the power source is determined by the Line's potency or the 'level' of the Node, yes.

Next, since I have read Irvine's books, I have to wonder, are the ley lines an expendable resource? You mention that two were destroyed. Can these lines and nodes be drained for time, and take time to regenerate, or can a channeler draw energy from them for as long as they are able. Basically, I'm asking what is the cost for this magic system, either to the lines, or to the channeler themselves, or both.

Excellent questions! Ley lines are semi-expendable, yes. The average person cannot handle enough Ley energy on their own to risk 'draining' a line, but a large group channeling at the same location will eventually 'run out'. Picture an ice cube tray that just got filled with water, and stick a straw in one recess and start drinking. Eventually you will run that recess 'dry', but if there is excess water in the other recesses, it will begin to fill back up. If you put the tray back under the faucet, it'll be full again in no time. That's the best comparison I can draw, really. A line can be tapped out, but because it's still part of a greater network, energy will flow back into it over time. The only exception to this is the two particular Nodes mentioned above, which got completely burned out. Records from that time are incredibly vague, but whatever they DID there, something particularly nasty involving autonomous metal warriors, it was such an immense drain and trauma for the Nodes that they essentially 'cauterized' and became impossible for Ley energy to pass through. The land in those two areas are completely barren and dead. Nothing can grow there, and animals of all types refuse to live or even pass through there.

As for costs on a channeler themselves, the act of drawing Ley energy IS taxing, more mentally than physically as it takes willpower more than physical power to shape it. The more power you draw, the greater risk you run of mentally exhausting yourself, or even potentially completely sundering your mind. Early on, many a hopeful channeler went mad from drawing too much. This is why Foci are employed, something to serve as a buffer between yourself and the raw energy of the line. Obviously, even with a Foci if you attempt to draw too deeply, or from too strong a source, the Foci object will likely break and you will suffer extreme mental trauma...or worse.

Lastly, I'm just wondering what kind of RP you are planning. From what I've seen, Nexus has the feel of a game in which the characters are playing both with and against eachother, and against the moderator to succeed in the world Silus has created, where the Mistborn RP is more about experimenting with interactions between characters, either plotted or spontaneous, within the greater framework narrative the admins are working on. While both of these styles have their own advantages and disadvantages, I wonder what style your RP would take? Would you yourself be playing a character, or would you assume the role of moderator as you lead us through the world you have created?

I definitely intend for StEC to run more like MB:I, where character interaction is important, but there is of course a greater framework. I definitely intend to have a few characters myself, but of course I will also be providing guidance through the world. I would say the greatest difference between StEC and MB:I is that as mentioned above, someone could give me enough details with a character that it would essentially fill in a sliver of the world for me, essentially helping build on the 'framework' I've established. There will be SOME struggle against the 'moderator' though, as of course any good epic has at least one great villain waiting in the wings

Lastly (for realz this time), since seasons seem to be of particular importance (particularly the Month of the Serpent), when would the RP be taking place? From what I've gathered, no magic is possible during this time, but since it is such an interesting world element, it would be a shame not to use it as a plot device. What would you think about having the characters race to discover the Eternal Conflux before the Dark Season begins? Some might be hoping to use the node's god like power (which would be amplified if all the energy has retreated back to it) to prevent this time of darkness from happening, while others might hope to use it's power while everyone else is powerless to wreak havoc.

I would argue that the 'best' time for this RP to 'start' would be mid-to-late spring, or early summer, so that anyone playing would have a sufficient amount of time to achieve any goals they had in mind. The scope of the world is such that you as a player could only really cover the majority of the KNOWN world in a year's time. Xanthuru is huge, with horse/carriage and boats being the only modes of transportation currently available. The Dark Season will most definitely come into play, at LEAST once, and its primary purpose is essentially that of a natural foil to the players. How does SoandSo react to a crisis when they've been cut off from their power source? How does Whatsherface deal with struggles back home when the world essentially halts for an entire month? Does a supposed party of adventurers bunker down and stop because they're powerless, or do they press on in hopes of finding the EC despite the risk? Is it even POSSIBLE to find the EC during the Dark Season, or does it too 'retreat' from the world? These are the sorts of questions this strange worldwide phenomenon is meant to spawn.

Anyways, I'll keep my eye on this topic, and see where it goes.

Thanks for the interest, Coma! Your answers are in blue!

[Emeralis00]

This seems interesting, I will be watching this.

Maybe I will join so I have something to do while I wait for the Nexus.

[Kuri Shardweaver]

Many thanks ! I'm aiming for interesting, after all!

[Emeralis00]

I suppose this is the thread of general discussion?

[KChan]

I think Kuri is going to make a general planning-type thread soon, but I don't see why we can't use this one in the meantime.

EDIT: I just spoke with Kuri, and this actually isn't the discussion thread. I'll leave the planning threads to him, but he's given me the go-ahead to make a general chat-type thread.