The RPG in all of its glory (maybe)

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 7:30 pm

I only made that suggestion because that's how I automatically saw it when I read Wuffy's post on Almulsis going into Farspace. If my view is wrong then fair enough - I'm not after everyone agreeing with me and I'm quite happy to agree with Wuffy (as he made that post) or Soph (as it's her RPG) if I've misunderstood something.
I'm not 100% sure I agree with your thing about readers having input...I mean, I may misunderstand you and apologies if that's the case, but it seems like you're saying that readers of the story are free to sort of butt in and, like, say stuff/set rules about the world the people are playing in, without actually RPing in it themselves. That seems a bit, kind of, unfair...
It's probably best that you consult the players/owner of the RPG before you suggest stuff about it that hasn't been decided yet...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:02 pm

Yes, this isn't the free for all story thread as I had set up, this is an RPG with sophia as dungeon master and the rest of us playing bit parts. Hence the world and concepts are exactly sophia sized, and while we players may add input and test the limits ourselves, we do so in the story if it is unclear expecting to be corrected by her if we are wrong, or would PM her first. AS you can spot I have said some thigns as a mage feelign the limits that may not, on reflection, be full correct and should maybe be corrected or changed.

So you haven't broken a rule so much as seem to be coming into it the wrong way. If you are merely a reader conjecturing and creating a guide to other readers based on the story unfolding then the RPG thread from players isn't the best place to put this, as it makes it seem official. You should have created it in a seperate thread on the creative forum, and if it gets adopted I would happily sticky it with the RPG and this thread. If you are trying to create an accurate summary of farspace so you feel comfortable playing, then sophia is the one to have given this to first and then she could have posted this and we could have had a group discussion about it as players and DM.

My apologies if my bleary eyes at 6a,m didn't spot some of the thigns in the six pages.Ameena is summarising the threads just now... inconsistencies in stories, charatcer, or technical aspects are probably best to discuss once she has posted

Post by **Sophia** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:25 pm

Eep, such vigorous debate!!

I'm sorry for being so silent on the topic myself, when I probably should've spoken up, it has been a busy last few weeks.

For what it's worth, most of what is in that encyclopedia entry is based on a close reading of materials that have been "officially" posted and "canonized," and I have no issue with it. Anything that I may not agree with is under the section of unconfirmed rumors, and that is exactly the point, they are unconfirmed.

To clear up some of the points that were unclear:

- I never used the word "ether" to refer to farspace. If anyone did, it is a mistake.

- Creatures native to farspace exist in certain fixed forms, as their "physical" and "mental" beings are one in farspace. Those that are not native have a less fixed appearance, as their presence in farspace is but a projection of their real existence in nearspace. If someone knows an astrogator well in nearspace, that person may appear to be approximately the same. Otherwise, the person may be somewhat more amorphous, though still uniquely identifiable. It is probably true that spells that manipulate void energy can also be used to change one's projected image in farspace.

- A thought appears to be a glowing point of light, that, upon close inspection, may be seen to be made of words and pictures swirling about in a close formation. To consult it is really is a matter of "reaching with ones mind," as one nears the thought, the thought enters one's own mind. It is as though one has remembered a fact long forgotten-- there is no conscious "finding out," the knowledge is simply now there.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:41 pm

There you go then : )

TyGuy6 · Post by **TyGuy6** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 1:27 am

OK, I'll bring out the secret. I'm planning my character as we speak, and when I finish him I'll be waiting for the right time to bring him into the plot.

With this being the case, Beowuuf said I ought to have given the Encyclopedia to Sophia to check over and post. I don't want to do that, because I want to be able to add new facts as the story progresses. If my name as the author is not enough to show that it is unofficial, I can add a disclaimer. I think of it as a summary (may not be perfectly correct, as it is MY brainchild) of all known details, just as Ameena may do with her summary of the story in general.

So tell me, is this the wrong forum for my Encyclopedia entry(ies)? If so, I apologize; I only wanted to keep the RPG posts together in one thread.

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:05 am

I think what Wuffy was saying was more along the lines that you were kind of adding/making up new stuff which hasn't yet come up in the RPG, rather than only noting down stuff which has been mentioned. And also that you should probably have checked with Soph before writing it, since it's her RPG so she has the final say in general stuff about the world. I think perhaps the problem with you putting your name on it may be not that it's you writing it, but that the facts in it weren't invented by you - they were invented by Soph (and probably Wuffy as well).
My summary isn't adding in any new things. I'm not making anything up. I'm just paraphrasing the story into a shorter form so it's easier to read back over the main things that have happened in the RPG so far rather than flipping back through pages of RPing in order to look something up.
I'd advise PMing your character profile to Soph before you start playing, just so she can check it over and make sure it doesn't clash with what's been said/done so far.

TyGuy6 · Post by **TyGuy6** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:31 am

I'm not making it up either; Sophia agrees on that point. (for "most of what is in [it]", at least)

Of course the facts weren't invented by me.

Encyclopedias don't invent things. They simply document them. I thought it was clear that I didn't claim to be the inventor of the facts.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:30 am

Whatever, most of my objections were to do with you coming into it without checking over facts with sophia and seeming to be adding, assuming or making concrete facts not consulting her first, since she is the DM. If she happy then it's all ok.

In that case, your farspace timescale thing is based on me playing badly then - there would only be one timescale, or even if time runs different in different areas or at different points or entry, it should not be that large. Either I have played it too slow in the fight or too fast elsewhere - I personally would assume some time has passed but not a hysterically large amount - closer to your 80:1 not the huge figure. For example in the real world the reaper is about to chop into the V thinie, in farspace I can appear, notice a black shadow, see an astral dragon in the distance, watch it come over, consume the thing, check it out quickly, where it was and still return in time to see that the v-things is unharmed, yet he has barely reacted to the disappearance (hence why almulsis didnt' know if the repear was defeated by the v-thing or if it was connected to the whole astral dragon bit). So faster, but not blink of an eye fast. I guess. Sophia can correct me : )

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:07 pm

Well it's like dreaming or thinking I suppose, isn't it? You can be sitting thinking something but when you "snap out of it" and look up, it could be that only a few seconds have past though you felt you were sat there ages, or the opposite and you think you were only sat there a minute when actually it was longer.
Since Farspace seems to be a kind of "dream realm" (from the PoV of the physical creatures anyway, not necessarily the denizens of Farspace themselves), this probably makes sense.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:07 pm

Heh, Ameena or Sophia - interesting in ressurecting this? Starting to think about RPG thread in a different forum and reminded me off this one sitting in plain sight : )

Post by **Ameena** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:56 pm

Hehe been waiting for ye to post for ages - keep it going

.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:12 am

Still need Sophia to occasionally poke us with plot stuff I reckon

Post by **Ameena** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:14 am

Aye but we can poke her to get her to tell us stuff

.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:21 am

I just read the summary story...umm, i thought this was the orihginal temple village. Ah well : )

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:12 am

It seems to have died again...someone wake it up - it's fun!

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:18 am

Lol, yes it is

We should either turn it into a purely improvisational RPG or story without a GM to take the pressure off of Sophia (withthe knowledge that any charatcer each person has taken is pretty much off limits) or take turns being the GM, or something!

How long has Ameena been waiting around?

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:01 am

Since you last posted, lol.
I think it is Soph we're waiting for atm, isn't it...hey, Soph...if you're still interested in playing, we await your next input

. If not, maybe, as Wuffy says, we can take over...though you're the one with the story and all that, so if you'd rather we followed it through then umm...well, make a post I suppose. Or PM Wuffy with what you want to happen so his char can do stuff, if you don't wanna play any more. We could just kinda break away from the story and our chars could wander a new path if you're giving up on it. I would like to carry on with the Reapers thing, since it's been started, but 'tis up to you...

Post by **Sophia** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:22 am

I'm sorry, I've been buried in code lately. If you want to continue with the story, feel free... either more freeform, or someone else can GM things too-- you? Beowuuf? I think you two are the only ones left (besides me

) or maybe you could just keep it freeform between yourselves, too.

Incidentally, though, a while ago I did think how the magic system in this RPG could fit into the DM rune system (3 sets of 6 with various meanings)-- here's what I came up with, what do you all think?

POWER:
Increasing order of symbols

ENERGY TYPE:

- Air
Air energy is the most common form of energy in nearspace. However, due to the inherent thinness and immateriality of air, air energy is also the most dilute form of magical energy. This makes it the easiest to control, and the basis for many spells related to nearspace.

- Void
The most common form of energy in farspace, on the other hand, is void energy. In many ways it is similar to air energy, and, indeed, various exotic (and typically poisonous) gases found in this realm contain ample amounts of void energy. Thus, void energy is typically used in the creation of exotic gases and various spells related to farspace.

- Life
Life energy, symbolized by the circle of life, draws on the vitality and energy of living beings. Healing and protection spells flow from the preserving power of life energy, but it can also be used to conjure the undead.

- Fire
Fire energy is a highly powerful form of magical energy, and those mages who can control its power will find themselves in possession of many powerful spells. It is extremely difficult to control, though, and its volatile, powerful nature makes it highly dangerous.

- Iron
Electricity and magnetism are at the core of iron energy, for they are the forces that drive the advanced machinery benig developed by the experimentors of the Great Houses. Mages can use this power to draw forth lightning, to control metal, and to perform many other feats to enhance the power of machines.

- Earth
The discovery of true earth energy was something of a surprise, for its nature was widely misunderstood. A form of energy existing within the substance of matter itself was long since posited, but only recently has been observed. Despite the apparent stability and solidity of objects, they actually consist of billions upon billions of tiny particles, held in a cohesive bond. When these bonds are shattered, the amount of power released almost defies comprehension. Should a bomb ever be built that harnesses this power, it would likely be the end of civilization.

COLOR:

- Black
Black represents calm and quiet. It is used to impart the properties of stillness and tranquility to otherwise violent forms of energy, and often makes them easier to control. Black energy is "dead," but its touch cannot inherently transfer the power of death, so the energy is generally safe.

- Blue
A color of blue imparts the energy with a sense of emerging from a source and flowing to a destination, as the winds in the sky or the water in a stream. Blue-colored energy is often used for finding the way, and astrogators find blue-colored energy to be useful in navigation.

- Green
Green represents nature, and the natural balance of things. Forms of energy colored green associate themselves with plants and the outdoors, and spells using green coloring will rarely find themselves at odds with the natural order of things. Be warned, though-- green energy also represents venom.

- Gray
Gray is the color of bleak skies and monotony. Energy colored with gray represents order, and is in opposition to both green's harmony with nature and red's chaotic properties. Gray also represents the void, and is often used to banish monsters that cannot be killed by normal means.

- Red
Red represents fire, blood, vitality, and chaos. Love is red, but so is hate. Red is a surging, powerful color, and as such, it requires more power to control, as energy colored red will be inherently unruly, and will likely take on a "mind of its own" if left unchecked.

- White
White is all things, and yet nothing. White represents all the cosmos, and energy in its truest form. As such, coloring energy white infuses it with power drawn from the essence of the universe itself. This potent form of magic requries the most power to control.

ANIMAL ASPECT:

- Dog
The loyal dog is fairly easy to control, bringing the concepts of friendship and love to a spell. The Dog is often used in the creation of spells of protection and beneficial potions, but the dog will also fight fearlessly for his master if provoked.

- Horse
The horse is a loyal servant, bringing strength and solidity, and a will to serve. The Horse aspect brings regimentation to more chaotic forms of power, and can be used, much like the breaking of a wild horse, to bring more abstract forms of magical power into line.

- Owl
The wise old owl makes a spell clever, contemplative, but just as the owl stalks its prey in the night, so too is there a great power to the Owl's
aspect. Spells related to the scholarly are often in the Owl's domain, as well as those that require the vision from above that the Owl has while it is flying through the night.

- Cat
The cat brings speed, grace, and capriciousness to a spell. Cats are capable of great love for their masters, but they are also fickle beasts, and they may show great deceit, as well. The totem animal of witches, the aspect of the Cat is best regarded with aversion, for though it is capable of great things, it is also capable of terrible things.

- Spider
The insidious hunter, the unstoppable killer, the Spider aspect brings patience but inevitable death. Assassins frequently find spells channeled
through the aspect of the Spider to be quite useful, and any spell pertaining to trapping one's prey will find itself requiring the power of the Spider.

- Dragon
The mighty dragon is the most powerful creature in creation, and, as such, its rune requires the most magical power to bring under control. Only
experienced spellcasters should bring the aspect of the Dragon into their incantations.

Post by **Ameena** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:33 am

Hey that's cool stuff Soph

. Though I reckon the Horse should have something to do with Freedom too - galloping free and all that...well, I'd consider that more an aspect of the Horse than the doing-what-the-human-on-their-back-says

. The Dog is more of a "willing servant" in that respect, though in a familial way, 'tis true.
Anyway, enough of my nitpicking - I still think it's cool

.
So, Wuffy, looks like it's for you to make the next post and see what this temple dude has to say to Almulsis...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:26 am

Lol, I guess so! Fine, I shall post somehting new in the next few days then!

And yes, still nice magic system - as you say it combines the original with the DM parameters well (is trying to remmeber if this was exactly the system I saw before or if anything has been tweaked since then)

Post by **Sophia** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:49 pm

No, it's basically the same.

It's just that you didn't say a single thing about it the first time I showed it to you, so I thought maybe you never got it!

Oh, and Ameena, you're right about the horse-- I was having a little trouble separating some of the aspects.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:50 pm

Lol, maybe my comp crashed when I was replying! Maybe I forgot..I'm terrible really

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:55 am

Hehe, sorry Ameena, if we're going it alone then you have to o some fun story stuff too : )

I won't touvch your character, but you are free to nudge mine a little bit, especially if its in harm's way!

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:01 am

Ohh no, I'm not touching anyone else's char...I don't know exactly why it is he should be worried or anything, so I can't have those priesty-blokes do anything. If he (Amlulsis) and Ameena end up in the middle of a forest or something, I might have some big nasty scary monster thingy come along ('cause Ameena would know how to deal with that sort of thing...well actually, her method of "dealing with" that sort of thing wouldn't be of much help to Almulsis, but still...), but atm I don't really know what might happen. So I'll just kinda leave you to it and have Ameena reacting outside to things she hears within the temple...but if you want her to do something more, you'll have to bring Almulsis outside so she can follow him or something

.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:06 am

Lol, yeah, I mean more 'you can go make a psychotic priest suddenly realise there is soemthign not quite right about him' but ok, I'll post more later on

Post by **Sophia** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:00 am

I'll post too (I hope you didn't think I was completely giving up!)-- a bit tangential, since I don't want to hold things up again. Feel free to disregard or connect to your own plotlines as you see fit.

I implied but didn't state it before, so I'll be more clear, now. I don't think it's fair for me to try to remain the "GM" if all I'm going to do is hold up the game-- I'll be happy to still move the plot along, but I think the system should change from 'explicit consent' to 'implicit consent', so to speak.

That is, rather than feeling the need to wait for a reply, feel free to assume that everything is ok with me and to do whatever you like in your posts-- I'll complain if things go too far out of whack.

Does that sound fair?

Post by **Ameena** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:04 am

Sounds good to me...

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:27 am

Hey, Ameena, did you ever watch Neil Gaimen's Neverwhere or read the book?

Post by **Ameena** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:55 pm

Umm no, sorry, never heard of it, or of him.

beowuuf · Post by **beowuuf** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:03 pm

Lol, darn, it was jsut soemthign I'd stolen from there. Ah well, if I managed to do something based on it you might not know what to do. Hey ho, you can probably figure it out anyways : )