Speaking of nagasith, since they're a subset of mugwumps, can they interbreed even without the aid of human bonking magic? Or are the two races too different now?
Nagasith (the player race) can't breed at all, they aren't from our timeline. The nagas left in the caverns now seem like a completely different race at this point, but it is an interesting question...
I was going to compare nagas:mugwumps as orcs:orclach, but I'm not actually sure if orcs / orclach can intermingle either (for some reason "no" is stuck in my mind but the helpfile definitely doesn't close the door on that since it calls them a sub-race).
WHY don't we have any considerable mugwumpish settlements?!
We do/did! It's just evolved since then to become a cosmopolitan wonder of the Times of Weakness and, further down the line, the industrial capital of the Basin.
PS. Oh! And also [REDACTED]. How could I have forgotten about [REDACTED].
Reclaiming my Quizmaster crown as I remain away(ish) while continuing my exam preparations.
1.) Out of all the movies, books, and TV shows in the world, what character of figure in that wide world best matches or captures the essence of your character? 2.) What is one fact that few people have caught on about your character? 3.) What is your favorite IG literary book? 4.) What is your favorite IG scholarly book? 5.) How do you perceive scale in Lusternia? How do you imagine how big is the Inner Sea? How do you reconcile there being only 10 firefly squid in the ocean (this isn't true, but this is an example)? This is a theoretical kind of question, I think. 6.) Do you prefer longform emotes or predetermined/overridden emotes? 7.) What are some of your questions about... mugwumps? (This is a @Mboagn bone of a question, but you can offer other questions about Lusternian peoples; NB, this does not mean I, or any admin, will necessarily answer them). 8.) I know you all like Divine interaction, but I really wonder, what exactly constitutes that? Is me interacting with you in-person enough? Fulcrux? Through Order-related denizens? 9.) How do you imagine how you relate to the Gods (especially those of you in Orders)? 10.) How do you best communicate to others (players, perhaps even Godmin) the story beats or plots that you want to engage or participate in? What do you think would be a good way if there is not a "best" way?
1)Dunno. I like to think some mashup between the self-doubt and discomfort about nobility of Rand al'Thor mixed with Sam Axe. But I feel like not really? I used https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/characters/ to get an idea of potential characters that fit his personality.
2) He keeps a list.
3/4) None, as of yet. Finally got demigod, and so gonna stop and smell the roses, as it were, and enjoy some of the cultural stuff in Lusternia.
5) I mean, a day = an hour. So one hour = two and a half minutes. One minute = ~2.4 seconds. So, given how quickly we're able to move around, I'd say the scale works as far as time and travel goes. Ish. Enough that I can reconcile it okay. Distances, number of mobs, etc., I liken to playing Dungeons and Dragons. DM doesn't explicitly detail EVERY citizen in a city, just the important ones/ones you interact with. I look at say, the beggars in Mag the same way. They're the ones that we take notice of, if we want to.
6) Either. I tend to adapt to whomever I'm rping with.
7) Baked, fried, or grilled?
8) I mean, I asked an imp a question, and got answers. That was pretty awesome. I tend to avoid events/divine stuff, since it's always a flood of people and emoting, and I tend to not have anything to add to the chaos. I've been playing Lusternia (sometimes really actively) for a long time off and on, and I think I've appeared in a event post ever.
9) Indifferent, but curious.
10) Depends, really. For stuff that can easily be pushed in an IC fashion, that's my preference. But I have no problem shooting someone a message with the ol' //.
Reclaiming my Quizmaster crown as I remain away(ish) while continuing my exam preparations.
1.) Out of all the movies, books, and TV shows in the world, what character of figure in that wide world best matches or captures the essence of your character? 2.) What is one fact that few people have caught on about your character? 3.) What is your favorite IG literary book? 4.) What is your favorite IG scholarly book? 5.) How do you perceive scale in Lusternia? How do you imagine how big is the Inner Sea? How do you reconcile there being only 10 firefly squid in the ocean (this isn't true, but this is an example)? This is a theoretical kind of question, I think. 6.) Do you prefer longform emotes or predetermined/overridden emotes? 7.) What are some of your questions about... mugwumps? (This is a @Mboagn bone of a question, but you can offer other questions about Lusternian peoples; NB, this does not mean I, or any admin, will necessarily answer them). 8.) I know you all like Divine interaction, but I really wonder, what exactly constitutes that? Is me interacting with you in-person enough? Fulcrux? Through Order-related denizens? 9.) How do you imagine how you relate to the Gods (especially those of you in Orders)? 10.) How do you best communicate to others (players, perhaps even Godmin) the story beats or plots that you want to engage or participate in? What do you think would be a good way if there is not a "best" way?
1. Estral from the Green Rider Series is probably the closest I can think of without putting great thought into it. It's not intentional, but there's a lot of parallels in Alexandria's thought processes, the music that underlies everything, and particularly in how she views herself. 2. She's got a wicked sense of humour, but only around very few characters, none of whom are active presently. 3/4. Pass. 5. It gets the 'I'm magical' suspension of disbelief. If I can basically blink through rooms at incredible speed, and fly on wings made of crystal, and jump off the edge of a magical cliff that is both up and down and land safely at the other end. Once you accept these things, the specific amount of items/critters in an area is less of a workaround and more of a given. (Would still love more honeycomb though.) 6. I prefer a steady mixture of both. If I am with someone who tends towards longform, I will gravitate towards it as well. Otherwise, I am just as happy using both in tandem. 7. Pass. 8. All of it. Never once did I feel like it wasn't special when Czixi's NPCs spoke to Alexandria. Allie's relationship with the Order was predominantly with the NPCs over Czixi herself, because that's how it worked best when Czixi was still about frequently. I will treasure every minute of it, and trying to alt and be in another Order still feels like a betrayal of what I had and loved dearly. 9. Very complicated in regards to Allie/Czixi. Allie was very, very secure in feeling like she mattered until the day one of the NPCs said something that came off as "you'll always be second to <spoilers>". After that day, it became less a given to Allie and more... I don't know. It's hard to describe. It was a hard transition, because it was both happiness and deep insecurity, and I had insight into that other relationship that made it both better and worse. I have mostly been burned by gods going inactive before - Auseklis early on, when I was one of the first (maybe first) to join. Isune, when she moved to Hallifax and dissolved the Order - after Kiarlea had been following her for A Very Long Time. Another one (who I think has moved one) really, really burned me with preferential treatment to someone else who I had been working alongside. Honestly, me the player is starting to feel like none of them really want me around them, and while I know it's my anxiety speaking, it's a hard feeling to shake after so long playing this game. 10. Nelras and I frequently communicated about stuff - especially the less pleasant parts - OOCly on discord, mostly to keep things from becoming too awkward. Often we would share snippets the other might not see - thoughts or tells, etc - but we never let it affect the story from carrying on, even when it goes unexpected ways. In-character? I just... aim the RP that way and blunder in however my character would, if it's awkward. Allie, when it's important, will usually write long, rambling letters. Other characters will just speak to directly to the person. I tailor it to suit the character when it's strictly in-character - if it's something that requires cooperation from another that I'm not 100% sure they will be okay with, I'll usually obtain consent in an OOC format.
Czixi, the Welkin murmurs, "Fight on, My Effervescent Sylph. I will be with you as you do."
Aian Lerit'r, Lead Schematicist exclaims to you, "A *paperwork* emergency, Chairman!
Another day, another round of questions from a procrastinating Divine.
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special? 2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction that took a direction you didn't expect. 3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why? 4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia? 5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
Avatar by Sam Smith. You can follow her on Twitter here.
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EveriineWise Old Swordsbird / BrontaurIndianapolis, IN, USA
Another day, another round of questions from a procrastinating Divine.
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special? 2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction that took a direction you didn't expect. 3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why? 4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia? 5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
1) I guess I don't, really.
2) During the dreamweaving event (I think), Ev and a few others were looking for information and of course, Ev goes to talk to Tokota. While there, Tokota started to get sleepy (a sign that he was under attack by whatever big bad we had). Someone went to get Adushoc and brought her there, and she did some stuff to try and help Tokota. That was really when the relationship between Adushoc and Tokota deepened, leading to their current blissful state.
We found out later that entire thing was off-the-cuff by the admin who was possessing Tokota at the time, as there was no plan for Tokota or Adushoc for anything in that event. Up until then, I had assumed that everything that happened in events was planned or scripted. To find out that something like that, that led to a major story shift for these two NPCs, was completely made up and unplanned on the spot was pretty neat.
3) To no one's surprise, it's one of the old Serenguard Vision Quest logs, specifcally, this log featuring Ev, Turnus, and Adasser. Those vision quests, every single one, brought out the best RP in people. I LOVED guiding people through them, since the only directions were basically, "You'll meet an animal spirit and ask them some questions." Yet the RP that people came up with, all unplanned, all on the spot, was always superb.
4) I think his name was Elmund. He was the first Serenguard Ev met when I started playing, and acted a bit like a mentor to him.
5) Nope!
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
Another day, another round of questions from a procrastinating Divine.
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special? 2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction that took a direction you didn't expect. 3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why? 4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia? 5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
1. I'm very weird when it comes to events. I love to hear about them and gather first-hand accounts after the fact, but being there for things gives me extreme performance anxiety. Should I say something? Is it proper to throw out an emote here? Do I look like I'm begging for attention when I just want to contribute? For the most part I prefer the backseat if only to keep my poor heart from crumbling under the pressure.
2. There was an old Mysrai event that radically changed my perception of how I as a player should be prepared to deal with godly influence over events, in a positive and character-building way. Long story short, Mysrai willed it that one of Their Order mobs ceased existing! Any mention of the name was met with godmotes of your brain getting foggy, of reality shuddering weirdly, effectively censoring whatever you were talking about - we had no choice but to accept this, at least until I found a clever way around it. The real surprise came when I wasn't punished for finding my way around it, but rather charged with keeping the secret for Them - it was so cool!
3. One particular log that's been lost to the ages, much to my chagrin, stands out. Before Mysrai's egregores were available as mounts, They pulled me into a super secret (and super "if you're here you're about to die") room, and the first one of them jumped out of my throat! Super spooky, super cool. It also set the tone for my role as Their Speaker of the Thousand Ways, which was a theme that continued for RL years beyond, up to the formation of my cult. Nothing has compared since!
4. As I've probably mentioned like fifteen times, @Xypher was Eri's first real friend, mentor and father figure. The two of them are still really tight even after all the centuries and life changes
5. Nope.
Crumkane, Lord of Epicurean Delights says, "WAS IT INDEED ON FIRE, ERITHEYL."
-
With a deep reverb, Contemptible Sutekh says, "CEASE YOUR INFERNAL ENERGY, ERITHEYL."
Another day, another round of questions from a procrastinating Divine.
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special? 2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction thT 3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why? 4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia? 5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
1: Not really sure how to answer this one. I'm not sure I get the context, sorry
2. Many of the divine have surprised me in so many ways, often showing the smiling, encouraging face of their player hiding behind the frowning, forboding faces of their characters. You play this game and labor under the notion that some people think poorly of you, and you find out that they think highly of you instead; some gods go out of their way to really encourage you and try to keep you around. Lyreth making Pesukaru His avatar, for instance, when Pesu was bordering on leaving the order because he didn't understand it, and didn't feel like he fit in. Fain taking Shaddus around His temple and showing him many of the hidden things. Crumkane 1.0 really spending a lot of time to make Subotai's time in His order special, and showing me that I can make a difference. Mysrai going out of their way to roleplay with {data redacted}, and not always giving me my way. The short time we had Ein, and the roleplay he had with all of us. Each of these and many more divine have went out of their way to give me a reason to stick around, and help me feel special.
I'm going to give a special shout-out to Terentia going out of Her way to give Parhelion the time of day, and even roleplaying with him. I really never expected anything to come from interacting with her, because I've never really had any sort of real rapport with older Terentia characters.
3. There are too many to name, and I wish I could find where I've lost them: Eamna giving a gift to Parhelion, Czixi asking Shaddus about Thax's wellbeing, Thax speaking to Shaddus about joining His order, Shaddus being ordained in Fain's order (not for the faint of heart, I assure you), and more.
4. Too many to count!
5. I can't say I remember any specific Ironbeard gifts, but when the Vaults came out last year, Parhelion managed to win a torus and Boots of Shanth within like 3 keys of each other. That counts, right?
Her voice firm and commanding, Terentia, the Even Bladed says to you, "You have kept your oath to Me, Parhelion. You have sworn to maintain Justice in these troubled times."
Yet if a boon be granted me, unworthy as I am, let it be for a steady hand with a clear eye and a fury most inflaming.
Another day, another round of questions from a procrastinating Divine.
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special? 2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction that took a direction you didn't expect. 3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why? 4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia? 5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
I understand this thread hasn't been replied to in a good while, but I thought it'd be fun!
1. I generally don't 'celebrate' in-game events in general (unless you mean player-run ones...? Then I usually recognize whoever ran the event.)
2. It, and the player base (admin included in this), being so open and welcoming. I remember being really nervous to come out to people on Lusternia, being well aware that most of them were older than me, and expecting most, if not all, to refuse to or be unable to understand or accept my gender identity, much less gender me appropriately, even though Esei (at the time) was unable to be non-binary.
3. There's way too many, but... if I had to pick? All the ones with Lief, or the ones with Nocht.
4. Gurashi.
5. I legitimately don't remember. Probably something, though!
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Ev would be soft spoken but with a deep voice. He'd continue his role as a solitary type, glimpsed occasionally between the trees of the Serenwilde, often heralded by an audible but invisible flap of great wings that trail behind him, melding with the ethereal energies and the spirit of the Land. He'd do his best to stay out of anything and everything, choosing instead to focus on protecting the Spirit of the Verdant Land from unseen horrors only dreamed of by the Shelterfolk.
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
I mean, at this point, Ev is drifting into Sir Ian McKellen territory.
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
Let's just say that @Rancoura would almost certainly know the whole story. Ev would most likely feel he had been betrayed and cast out, rejected by the Verdant Land. Cutoff from the only home and life he's ever known, and not by his choice, and having a strong dislike of city life, he'd probably end up in Glomdoring, fully losing himself to the deep and disturbing corruption of the Wyrd.
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
When curious were first introduced, I was convinced they were part of an event where, having been snatched up and obsesssed over by mortals, the curious would suddenly "activate" and attempt to take over the Basin.
I still completely believe this, and am patiently waiting for it to happen. Chop chop!
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Tae and Bollikin. They are ADORABLE.
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
1. Probably a god of levity or a benevolent trickster with an immortal chicken as his "calling card."
2. Maybe the guy who voices Trevor Belmont in the animated Castlevania or Henry Cavil with less of an edge
3. Lured by the machinations of a charismatic Duum cultist, he leaves Serenwilde to join said cult and works (as a rogue) to bring all to Unity.
4. That Trader Bob is really a Soulless and has his tentacles in everything unbeknownst to the rest of mortalkind
5. I'm a bit biased as a Mayflower, but the tension between Maylea and Nocht is always compelling, and Maylea's relationship with Kaenalye (or her shards) is lovely. I should read more Elder Histories though to broaden my horizons on the subject.
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your
character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they
like?
Oh geeze. Not entirely sure, but probably something suitably wyrden (whatever that would entail). Most likely some sort of trickster, though.
Edit: they also would probably not have an order, or anything. Still incredibly devoted to the Wyrd, and this is just one 'step' up to spread the Wyrd's glory, see?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
Tom Hiddleston for masc Esei, Sophie Turner for fem Esei, most likely.
What
would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're
already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
This is genuinely hard to envision for me, just because Esei embraces a lot of the 'darkness' that exists in me IRL. If those 'dark' parts of me were suddenly gone, I wouldn't really be 'me' anymore. But, if they absolutely had to, they'd probably get affected with ~morals~ and be dragged kicking and screaming (and crying) out of Glomdoring.
Alternatively, as a sadder version, in the cast of Glomdoring's sudden combustion: being lost in a fugue for months/years before being pulled by whatever closest ties they have left. (Which makes me wonder about the Shee-Slaugh if that ever happened...)
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
Joke answer, either that Mysrai is made of bees, or that Darvellan is actually a Goloth in a lucidian racehat disguised as an Elder who is working with the Goloths.
Serious answer, probably that Wyrden Maylea will happen at some point, even as a 'fake gods' plot line a la Xynthin.
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Joke answer, Terentia/Viravain, aka Warcrimes.
Serious answer, whatever the hell Nocht and Viravain have going on.
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
1. I like something like the Kiakoda concept, a dissolution of self leading to existence as a spirit entwined with the wilde. A being of instinct that manifests avatars that engage in the cycles of nature, not quite on the level of the White Hart being connected to deer but like... playing the role of a deer, or a wolf, or hare. Perhaps one fragment spends time growing as a tree, etc.
2. Maybe Peter Capaldi but with a lighter accent.
3. Giving up on Nature basically. Losing the hope that Serenwilde can succeed leading to depression and apathy that it doesn't really matter so why not have some fun with X before the world burns.
4. Related to recent Seren things. Basala'oren Seren has been used all around the forest as a greeting, rallying cry, etc but the translation (awaken the shelter) doesn't always... make sense in those contexts. But since the vibrant spirit and particularly with what's just happened, my headcanon is that its a subconscious memory of past lives that we've latched onto because we're telling ourselves what we need to do.
5. I kinda liked the ending of Lisaera and Charune because it was just like "it was a thing, now it's over, and that's okay"
1) Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Aescuton, The Dread Star
(Points if you can guess what the name is a play on!)
Very much focused upon the greater good and making the hard choices. A strong emphasis on seeing true and clear despite how murky a situation might be, and seeing into the hearts of others, and oneself. Righteous anger, but strictly controlled. Firmly believes in a philosophy of only unsheathing your blade (literally and metaphorically) when you intend to use it in earnest, lest it cheapen the blade and its wielder. Encourages His followers to stoke their anger, but shape it, and direct it outwards to those that deserve it. Your should be as the falling of a terrible star of judgement, etc. Make them dread it. Calm, composed, in control, though cool of manner in most situations. Warm, gentle and reassuring (if a touch formal and awkward at times) to His allies, a bastion of immovable resolve, a terrifying, implacable foe to His enemies. Cannot abide mortals that waver in their belief in the Light, or permit it to be diminished in any way. Is not swift to engage in battle, but when He does, His pragmatic, elegant brutality is infamous - He will sever and rip a foe into pieces with a blend of raging ferocity and surgical precision. Absolutely loyal, and expects the same of His followers. Similarly, He is extremely, single-mindedly vengeful. Rumoured to have some degree of prescience.
He'd certainly still be as devoted to Lantra as He was as a mortal, and relieved to finally be able to fulfil his vow to be Her Knight in a manner that is actually useful to Her, if She allowed Him to. I like to imagine His Order and Lantra's would work hand in hand often, and Terentia's, to a lesser degree. Would almost certainly stir up a great deal of trouble in the delicate power balance the Divines play within.
His symbols include an eight-pointed star formed from four overlapping blades of light, a constellation of stylised, vigilant eyes, a shield formed from swords, and a figure kneeling in reverence.
Godrealm: The Star-Fort Calvera, forged of blades of light. A massive, floating fortress that, on the outside, glows with a dreadful, cold luminescence, and is severely daunting to look upon. Within, though, an orderly, peaceful environment that is pleasantly warm and tranquil, with lush gardens, an abundance of martial-orientated areas and defensive emplacements, and is utterly free of shadows. The temple proper would be a balance of pragmatic functionality and elegant design, all graceful, faintly curving lines that sabers, soft gold or white marble, and a bunch of star motifs.
Order Beast: Siralii - Huge, quadrupedal entities strongly tied to the Light - Humanoid upper torsos, far too many eyes, long bodies, feathered/furred all over, halos, big clawed leonine feet, long tail, and a ton of wings, probably some glowing eye-markings in there. Think aesthetically along the lines of old testament style angels, the BE NOT AFRAID style that are, in fact, completely terrifying. Lovely singing voices, exceedingly good with the timid, children and so on. Horrifying, berserk rages where they sing hymns of damnation while ripping people into bloody pieces.
Priest NPC: Adrasiel, Sidereal Templar. Either an angel of some sort if I could get away with it, or a Trill that is infused very strongly with the Light and Aescuton's essence. Calm, measured and composed, Adrasiel is exceedingly good with people (to make up for Aescuton's failings with them) and has a natural gift at putting others at their ease, with their warm and graceful manner. Exudes a sense of patience and has a soothing air, unless you're an enemy, in which case they are very much the holy avenger type and will kill you as soon as look at you, and not in a particularly gentle way. Kind eyes, bright blue in hue, golden hair, deep bronze skin and fine, beautiful features.
(There's also a Maskbreaker AU I like to toy with, but that's probably for another time!)
2) Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
This is a really tough one for Avaris, since his voice is so weird. It's all layered and reverby so finding one example is essentially impossible. Think of a more natural sounding Reaper from mass effect, with a bunch of other voices harmonising on top in different pitches. A balance of deep, rich and higher, sweeter tones that harmonise and resonate with one another.
3) What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
Boy have I thought about this one a lot. The key thing to know about Avaris is that he doesn't believe that he is an inherently good person. He wakes up every day, and sits on his bed, and has to think for a long time on whether he wants to be good. It's a choice he actively makes every day. Is it still worth it? Is he making a difference, and should he keep doing it even if he doesn't change anything? Because he recognises that being good is hard, and he struggles enormously with anger and just wanting to tear down everything that's wrong in the world.
There's a lot of ways it could turn out, depending on a great many variables - But the fulcrum is always Lantra, because She's so central to who he is and how he defines himself. If She leaves for the Void again on a bad note with him (You are a disappointment, etc), then it'd be a slow, gradual degradation of his desire to be better, to serve the Light and ensure that good triumphs. He'd end up not evil, necessarily, but just a flat, apathetic shell of who he was that is bitter and resentful of people that have close ties to their Divine.
If She dies, then he forsakes all efforts at even trying to be good, and obsesses over doing whatever he can to punish who/whatever killed Her (or whoever he views as being the one at fault) in the most agonising, humiliating ways possible. Only vengeance. Then if he gets it to his satisfaction, there's nothing left for him, and he knows that what he's done would be a grave disappointment to Lantra, so he just...Ends.
The best one is if She somehow gets corrupted or goes darkside Herself. I've daydreamed about Magnagoran Lantra a whole bunch, and how that would impact Avaris. He'd quit Celest immediately and follow Her to Magnagora, but he would be absolutely miserable. He'd try his best to remain moral and righteous, despite following an evil Divine and living in Taint capital of the world. He'd be doing what he could to act as a beacon of light and strive to remind Lantra of who She was, to try and coax Her back from the darkness She's been swallowed by. Working in secret to save people from Her and the others (Think bringing prisoners meals in the dead of night, freeing them where he can, etc) and generally doing damage control as much as he is able without Her casting him out. Eventually, though, depending on how close he is to Her before Her fall, he'd likely start being warped himself - Just slowly. He'd be a little more crueler than necessary, at first, a little less caring about the suffering of others, and slides further and further down that slippery slope. Then you end up with dark knight Avaris, all black and flaking gold, broken halo, permanently red markings, etc. This version essentially never gets angry, because his anger is all outrage and righteous indignation. You hollow that out, and he's as cold and terrible as the light of a dead star. He'd stand at Her side and watch impassively as darkside!Lantra and whoever did terrible things to people, and not feel so much as a flicker of guilt, or concern. If She told him to do the most reprehensible acts imaginable, he'd be glad to do it - Because She is his Lady, and it might make Her smile.
4) What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
I have a pet theory that Eyos splintered into changelings! It would explain why the other Elders never found the sharded race, because they immediately chameleon'd into the existing ones and blended in.
5) What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Maylea and Nocht, probably! They have such a fascinating dynamic, all that resentment and anger, but you can tell there's still something there in a lot of subtle ways. Delicious stuff!
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
1. I honestly can't personally see Cheliyi as a Vernal Goddess, but! If I had to pick, She'd probably be Mangrove themed! Very fond of tree-fae and trees in general, but also a little bit in love with the sea. Her personality would still be quite childlike, but also she could be a temperamental as an ocean storm. Her focus would probably be protection of Nature from mortal interference, or at the very least from the Taint. She wouldn't be against the Wyrd per-se, but if they threatened to worsen her favored areas, it wouldn't be the greatest. Still quite devoted to the Light and purity of Waters, though she'd make sure to incorporates trees in there somehow. Divine beast would be Treepies (Magpie relatives found in tropical forests!) Not sure about much else.
2.The person I think of when I think of Cheliyi's voice is Ayane Sakura, Japanese VA of Ochako Uraraka from MHA/BNHA.) She's also voiced many famous characters in older animes! A good example of how I hear Chel sometimes is in this clip. (The red haired one) https://youtu.be/tXVaunt4lyI
3. Oh dear. The amount of which I've also thought about this is a bit... concerning. Chel's "fall from grace" isn't very pretty, or very satisfying. It entails three factors: how lonely she is, the physical safety of her loved ones, and her mental stability.
It's not exactly a secret that Chel suffers from bouts of extreme anxiety and paranoia at times, although... given her circumstances, "they're always watching" isn't that far from the truth. She constantly has a sea of voices in her head telling her what to do, and singing their boppin tunes, usually about the glory of the Wyrd. This mainly depends on proximity to Glomdoring, and how well-rested she is that day in order to tune them out. If she happened to be quite isolated from other people (self-induced or otherwise,) exhausted from a lack of rest, or any sort of emotional stress, and one of her loved ones (cough cough Gurashi, Tridemon, or Esei to name a few) just happened to kick the bucket or cut their thread... the voices would start to make a little more sense. Finally, something bad would need to happen to Lantra. Either She would have to go into the Void, or maybe someone (god forbid) hurts Tavi. The ensuing anger would be enough to blind her to any possibly kindness or calming down.
The voices whisper that maybe just maybe that person over there looks tasty. Or that she should find the person that hurt her family and make them suffer in the cruelest ways possible, for justice. She'd grow so torn and guilty over the voices that she'd start to lash out and lose touch with reality, assuming everyone is either "with them" or someone she might hurt. At some point, something would snap and she'd try to cannibalize someone. Once she regains lucidity, the horror of it all would dash any hopes of her ever being "goodly" ever again, because she promised not to, and she broke that promise. Bonus points if it is a close friend or loved one. She'd go back to Glomdoring, if they'd have her, the bubbly, joyous mugwump forever gone. In her place, a manic, bloodthirsty wyrdenwood once more, looking for her next fresh meal. Everything that made her -her-, her commitments to honesty and promises, her compassion and her love for so many would just be gone.
The fastest way to descend into madness is probably if someone perma-kills Gurashi or Tridemon. They're her current anchors to reality, though thankfully not the only ones as she's learning to trust her judgement again. They're still integral enough, though, that if one of them died, she would go numb with grief and anger. Then the voices filter in, convince her they're the only real things, and voila, wyrdenwood once more. She'd probably join Shikari, if she ever chooses a Divine again, and be yet another 'quirky' follower of Crow. Hollow and hungry and not quite remembering why she feels that way.
4. Nocht carries the [REDACTED] in baby harness and has child leashes on them when they all go to the Faire. He's an exhausted single dad with 20+ kids, not including His order.
5. Surprise surprise, it's -also- Nocht and Maylea! I just want them to go to couple's therapy okay. Sit them down with Mysrai as the therapist and watch all hell break loose.
Cheliyi squints. Hesitantly, she asks, "Does He need pants?"
Very much focused upon the greater good and making the hard choices. A strong emphasis on seeing true and clear despite how murky a situation might be, and seeing into the hearts of others, and oneself. Righteous anger, but strictly controlled. Firmly believes in a philosophy of only unsheathing your blade (literally and metaphorically) when you intend to use it in earnest, lest it cheapen the blade and its wielder. Encourages His followers to stoke their anger, but shape it, and direct it outwards to those that deserve it. Your should be as the falling of a terrible star of judgement, etc. Make them dread it. Calm, composed, in control, though cool of manner in most situations. Warm, gentle and reassuring (if a touch formal and awkward at times) to His allies, a bastion of immovable resolve, a terrifying, implacable foe to His enemies. Cannot abide mortals that waver in their belief in the Light, or permit it to be diminished in any way. Is not swift to engage in battle, but when He does, His pragmatic, elegant brutality is infamous - He will sever and rip a foe into pieces with a blend of raging ferocity and surgical precision. Absolutely loyal, and expects the same of His followers. Similarly, He is extremely, single-mindedly vengeful. Rumoured to have some degree of prescience.
He'd certainly still be as devoted to Lantra as He was as a mortal, and relieved to finally be able to fulfil his vow to be Her Knight in a manner that is actually useful to Her, if She allowed Him to. I like to imagine His Order and Lantra's would work hand in hand often, and Terentia's, to a lesser degree. Would almost certainly stir up a great deal of trouble in the delicate power balance the Divines play within.
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Hides true star shape except in Serenwilde, goes around invisibly as meta-support. 'Interacts' with anyone enjoying nature environs with ambients. Former squeaking becomes some weird insolated weather event whenever Xiran breaks a thing and then makes apologies. Regularly peek in and enjoy Jolanthe's creations.
Queen Maeve, Lanikai, and Wise Lamella have each other on aether-dial if anything really threatens Nature. Ackleberry and Jojobo have links to Faethorn that could be re-established with enough effort around Fae Songs and the Tree of Trees.
I wanna see Lisaera and Carakhan interaction (Moon and Ocean forces!), with Terentia commentary. Have been loving the Maylea-Nocht story, now that I'm slowly catching up.
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
1. Think this came up before, answer is still mostly unchanged. A god of industry that was very pollution heavy. 2. Tom Hardy. 3. Not really sure, can I just say I'm pro seeing the Lantra fall from grace arc too? 4. Two part answer here. Conspiracy theory: That Tzaraziko was actually a changeling is also one that I have. Personal headcanon: Ever since last year's ascension and the time scar event, Uzriel has secretly been collaborating with alternate time-line variants of himself. He never swapped out of Geomancy until after that event, perhaps learned or swapped places with an alternate Uzriel that learned only Necromancy and not Geomancy. Hmmmm! (This was something oocly plotted on for awhile but never really did anything IG about it, I still like the headcanon) 5. At the moment, I really want to see more of the Dro/Li relationship. Including what it was like during the Elder Wars and before. All of the Dro interactions with other Elders during that time really.
Edit: I forgot to include my imp headcanon! Which is that the Mag families pass down imps like they are mischievous and less competent versions of house elves from harry potter.
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like? Lean into the Prince of Frost vibes. Death to all autonomous agents so that Wyrd/Nature can continue uninterrupted, maybe some Soulless sympathy.
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character? Mark Hamill. Ability to flip from normal or chill vibes to maniacal on a dime.
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like? Synl would fall by being somehow sealed/resurrected in a suit of armor in service to Thax. Maybe trying to reestablish his soul by studying Necromancy, maybe trying to reestablish autonomy by studying Nihilism.
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon? Vira can't float outside of Wyrd, she has to walk and doing so only reminds her of how much she hates everything not-Wyrd.
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!) I don't interact with divine enough to have a favorite. I'd love to know more about how Manteekan fit into Glomdoring pantheon, seeing as how he's allowed to have an order and everything in an org where he's technically a prisoner?
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
1. As a character, Eri has enough disdain for the gods that he would never want to become one, so pass!
2. Tilda Swinton
3. Eri has already fallen from grace after some fashion plenty of times
4. Ashtariel is still alive in Iklara, and Zvoltz's unwillingness to admit it or work to free Her speaks to some great evils of His that She would otherwise reveal.
5. I've always had a soft spot for the siblingness of Shikari and Viravain, but the tension between Kalikai and Terentia gets me all aflutter.
Crumkane, Lord of Epicurean Delights says, "WAS IT INDEED ON FIRE, ERITHEYL."
-
With a deep reverb, Contemptible Sutekh says, "CEASE YOUR INFERNAL ENERGY, ERITHEYL."
Haven't bumped this in awhile! Forgive any repeats, but below is inspired by recent Discord conversations:
Poof, Ascension still works like it did for Ayridion! When your character ascends and becomes a proper Vernal Divine, what are they like?
Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Oooh fun questions! 1) Enough said:
2) Charlize Theron, or Cate Blanchet - smooth, refined, a little sultry but also capable of tearing you apart gloriously. Edit: Or an Emma Stone as Cruella would also work really well!
3) redemption and fall from grace are two sides of the same coin, really! This is hard to know. Maybe by giving over all control of her snarky tongue and burning all sorts of bridges, it would be a fall from grace. Not sure about redemption though there is some deep-seated uncertainty/vulnerability that could be exploited in the right hands, possibly, to lead her away from all the tainty goodness. Slim chance, but hey, soft gooey centre is there somewhere, promise.
4) Honestly - not sure on this.
5) Agreed with Uzriel, I'd love to know more about the relationships with Dro and the other elders (esp Li-Varili) both before and after the elixir. Traitor gods are very polarised against the others, I'd love to hear/learn more of the grey areas between them, such as divine on either side of the fence that have or had a bond. There's plenty of open hate and animosity, where's the grey? Who secretly agrees they did what they had to? Who has forgiven the sins of the past in a new era of survival? Who sympathised then but now doesn't? Surely these opinions exist somewhere, i would love to explore them! Also hard not to love the classic Fain and Drocilla pairing and what it could have been. Also loving the drama with Dro and Li-Varili.
I have come back to reclaim my title as Quizmaster.
What is your favorite org-specific (city/guild/clan) emote and why?
Making it a bit broader, what is your favorite emote and why?
What is an emote you think we clearly need and why?
How often do you make use of the libraries? What is your favorite book (scholarly or literary) to read from Lusternia?
Which of your fellow players do you think has a very lovely writing style?
This one might be one already mentioned before, but if you could sum up your character's current status or disposition in one word, what would it be?
Say a player from your past suddenly returns. Who are they and why are they important to you?
A perennial question, but similar to @Lantra's "headcanon" question, what is some lore that you are currently perplexed or puzzled by? What is some lore you want to know more about?
If your character could ask one question to Terentia, what would it be?
Why do you all use "sharded" when the correct term is "splintered"?
Comments
PS. Oh! And also [REDACTED]. How could I have forgotten about [REDACTED].
Explorer (80%), Achiever (53%), Socializer (53%), Killer (13%)
Bartle Taxonomy
(test yourself)
2. She's got a wicked sense of humour, but only around very few characters, none of whom are active presently.
3/4. Pass.
5. It gets the 'I'm magical' suspension of disbelief. If I can basically blink through rooms at incredible speed, and fly on wings made of crystal, and jump off the edge of a magical cliff that is both up and down and land safely at the other end. Once you accept these things, the specific amount of items/critters in an area is less of a workaround and more of a given. (Would still love more honeycomb though.)
6. I prefer a steady mixture of both. If I am with someone who tends towards longform, I will gravitate towards it as well. Otherwise, I am just as happy using both in tandem.
7. Pass.
8. All of it. Never once did I feel like it wasn't special when Czixi's NPCs spoke to Alexandria. Allie's relationship with the Order was predominantly with the NPCs over Czixi herself, because that's how it worked best when Czixi was still about frequently. I will treasure every minute of it, and trying to alt and be in another Order still feels like a betrayal of what I had and loved dearly.
9. Very complicated in regards to Allie/Czixi. Allie was very, very secure in feeling like she mattered until the day one of the NPCs said something that came off as "you'll always be second to <spoilers>". After that day, it became less a given to Allie and more... I don't know. It's hard to describe. It was a hard transition, because it was both happiness and deep insecurity, and I had insight into that other relationship that made it both better and worse. I have mostly been burned by gods going inactive before - Auseklis early on, when I was one of the first (maybe first) to join. Isune, when she moved to Hallifax and dissolved the Order - after Kiarlea had been following her for A Very Long Time. Another one (who I think has moved one) really, really burned me with preferential treatment to someone else who I had been working alongside. Honestly, me the player is starting to feel like none of them really want me around them, and while I know it's my anxiety speaking, it's a hard feeling to shake after so long playing this game.
10. Nelras and I frequently communicated about stuff - especially the less pleasant parts - OOCly on discord, mostly to keep things from becoming too awkward. Often we would share snippets the other might not see - thoughts or tells, etc - but we never let it affect the story from carrying on, even when it goes unexpected ways. In-character? I just... aim the RP that way and blunder in however my character would, if it's awkward. Allie, when it's important, will usually write long, rambling letters. Other characters will just speak to directly to the person. I tailor it to suit the character when it's strictly in-character - if it's something that requires cooperation from another that I'm not 100% sure they will be okay with, I'll usually obtain consent in an OOC format.
Czixi, the Welkin murmurs, "Fight on, My Effervescent Sylph. I will be with you as you do."
Aian Lerit'r, Lead Schematicist exclaims to you, "A *paperwork* emergency, Chairman!
1. As a player, how do you like to celebrate in-game events to make them special?
2. When has Lusternia genuinely surprised you? Whether it's lore, or an event, or a player interaction that took a direction you didn't expect.
3. What is your favorite RP log you have and why?
4. Who was your character's first friend in Lusternia?
5. Any especially good Ironbeard gifts you'd like to brag about? Tis the Season!
2. There was an old Mysrai event that radically changed my perception of how I as a player should be prepared to deal with godly influence over events, in a positive and character-building way. Long story short, Mysrai willed it that one of Their Order mobs ceased existing! Any mention of the name was met with godmotes of your brain getting foggy, of reality shuddering weirdly, effectively censoring whatever you were talking about - we had no choice but to accept this, at least until I found a clever way around it. The real surprise came when I wasn't punished for finding my way around it, but rather charged with keeping the secret for Them - it was so cool!
3. One particular log that's been lost to the ages, much to my chagrin, stands out. Before Mysrai's egregores were available as mounts, They pulled me into a super secret (and super "if you're here you're about to die") room, and the first one of them jumped out of my throat! Super spooky, super cool. It also set the tone for my role as Their Speaker of the Thousand Ways, which was a theme that continued for RL years beyond, up to the formation of my cult. Nothing has compared since!
4. As I've probably mentioned like fifteen times, @Xypher was Eri's first real friend, mentor and father figure. The two of them are still really tight even after all the centuries and life changes
5. Nope.
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1: Not really sure how to answer this one. I'm not sure I get the context, sorry
2. Many of the divine have surprised me in so many ways, often showing the smiling, encouraging face of their player hiding behind the frowning, forboding faces of their characters. You play this game and labor under the notion that some people think poorly of you, and you find out that they think highly of you instead; some gods go out of their way to really encourage you and try to keep you around. Lyreth making Pesukaru His avatar, for instance, when Pesu was bordering on leaving the order because he didn't understand it, and didn't feel like he fit in. Fain taking Shaddus around His temple and showing him many of the hidden things. Crumkane 1.0 really spending a lot of time to make Subotai's time in His order special, and showing me that I can make a difference. Mysrai going out of their way to roleplay with {data redacted}, and not always giving me my way. The short time we had Ein, and the roleplay he had with all of us. Each of these and many more divine have went out of their way to give me a reason to stick around, and help me feel special.
I'm going to give a special shout-out to Terentia going out of Her way to give Parhelion the time of day, and even roleplaying with him. I really never expected anything to come from interacting with her, because I've never really had any sort of real rapport with older Terentia characters.
3. There are too many to name, and I wish I could find where I've lost them: Eamna giving a gift to Parhelion, Czixi asking Shaddus about Thax's wellbeing, Thax speaking to Shaddus about joining His order, Shaddus being ordained in Fain's order (not for the faint of heart, I assure you), and more.
4. Too many to count!
5. I can't say I remember any specific Ironbeard gifts, but when the Vaults came out last year, Parhelion managed to win a torus and Boots of Shanth within like 3 keys of each other. That counts, right?
2. Honestly have no clue.
3. Sentient peep chili.
4. Tzaraziko was actually a changeling and could just be lucidian/dracnari (or anything else) as was convenient.
5. The Clangorum/Agnomenon brotherhood. Thax was a good collab, but I want moar!
2. Maybe Peter Capaldi but with a lighter accent.
3. Giving up on Nature basically. Losing the hope that Serenwilde can succeed leading to depression and apathy that it doesn't really matter so why not have some fun with X before the world burns.
4. Related to recent Seren things. Basala'oren Seren has been used all around the forest as a greeting, rallying cry, etc but the translation (awaken the shelter) doesn't always... make sense in those contexts. But since the vibrant spirit and particularly with what's just happened, my headcanon is that its a subconscious memory of past lives that we've latched onto because we're telling ourselves what we need to do.
5. I kinda liked the ending of Lisaera and Charune because it was just like "it was a thing, now it's over, and that's okay"
Very much focused upon the greater good and making the hard choices. A strong emphasis on seeing true and clear despite how murky a situation might be, and seeing into the hearts of others, and oneself. Righteous anger, but strictly controlled. Firmly believes in a philosophy of only unsheathing your blade (literally and metaphorically) when you intend to use it in earnest, lest it cheapen the blade and its wielder. Encourages His followers to stoke their anger, but shape it, and direct it outwards to those that deserve it. Your should be as the falling of a terrible star of judgement, etc. Make them dread it. Calm, composed, in control, though cool of manner in most situations. Warm, gentle and reassuring (if a touch formal and awkward at times) to His allies, a bastion of immovable resolve, a terrifying, implacable foe to His enemies. Cannot abide mortals that waver in their belief in the Light, or permit it to be diminished in any way. Is not swift to engage in battle, but when He does, His pragmatic, elegant brutality is infamous - He will sever and rip a foe into pieces with a blend of raging ferocity and surgical precision. Absolutely loyal, and expects the same of His followers. Similarly, He is extremely, single-mindedly vengeful. Rumoured to have some degree of prescience.
He'd certainly still be as devoted to Lantra as He was as a mortal, and relieved to finally be able to fulfil his vow to be Her Knight in a manner that is actually useful to Her, if She allowed Him to. I like to imagine His Order and Lantra's would work hand in hand often, and Terentia's, to a lesser degree. Would almost certainly stir up a great deal of trouble in the delicate power balance the Divines play within.
Tenets: Judgement, Vigilance, Wrath, Temperance, Reverence.
His symbols include an eight-pointed star formed from four overlapping blades of light, a constellation of stylised, vigilant eyes, a shield formed from swords, and a figure kneeling in reverence.
Allies: Lantra, Darvellan, Terentia
Enemies: The Traitors, Wyrden Divine, Li-varili, Lisaera
Godrealm: The Star-Fort Calvera, forged of blades of light. A massive, floating fortress that, on the outside, glows with a dreadful, cold luminescence, and is severely daunting to look upon. Within, though, an orderly, peaceful environment that is pleasantly warm and tranquil, with lush gardens, an abundance of martial-orientated areas and defensive emplacements, and is utterly free of shadows. The temple proper would be a balance of pragmatic functionality and elegant design, all graceful, faintly curving lines that sabers, soft gold or white marble, and a bunch of star motifs.
Order Beast: Siralii - Huge, quadrupedal entities strongly tied to the Light - Humanoid upper torsos, far too many eyes, long bodies, feathered/furred all over, halos, big clawed leonine feet, long tail, and a ton of wings, probably some glowing eye-markings in there. Think aesthetically along the lines of old testament style angels, the BE NOT AFRAID style that are, in fact, completely terrifying. Lovely singing voices, exceedingly good with the timid, children and so on. Horrifying, berserk rages where they sing hymns of damnation while ripping people into bloody pieces.
Priest NPC: Adrasiel, Sidereal Templar. Either an angel of some sort if I could get away with it, or a Trill that is infused very strongly with the Light and Aescuton's essence. Calm, measured and composed, Adrasiel is exceedingly good with people (to make up for Aescuton's failings with them) and has a natural gift at putting others at their ease, with their warm and graceful manner. Exudes a sense of patience and has a soothing air, unless you're an enemy, in which case they are very much the holy avenger type and will kill you as soon as look at you, and not in a particularly gentle way. Kind eyes, bright blue in hue, golden hair, deep bronze skin and fine, beautiful features.
(There's also a Maskbreaker AU I like to toy with, but that's probably for another time!)
2) Who would you cast as a voice actor for your character?
This is a really tough one for Avaris, since his voice is so weird. It's all layered and reverby so finding one example is essentially impossible. Think of a more natural sounding Reaper from mass effect, with a bunch of other voices harmonising on top in different pitches. A balance of deep, rich and higher, sweeter tones that harmonise and resonate with one another.
3) What would your character's "fall from grace" story arc be? If you're already a nefarious villain, what would your "redemption" arc look like?
Boy have I thought about this one a lot. The key thing to know about Avaris is that he doesn't believe that he is an inherently good person. He wakes up every day, and sits on his bed, and has to think for a long time on whether he wants to be good. It's a choice he actively makes every day. Is it still worth it? Is he making a difference, and should he keep doing it even if he doesn't change anything? Because he recognises that being good is hard, and he struggles enormously with anger and just wanting to tear down everything that's wrong in the world.
There's a lot of ways it could turn out, depending on a great many variables - But the fulcrum is always Lantra, because She's so central to who he is and how he defines himself. If She leaves for the Void again on a bad note with him (You are a disappointment, etc), then it'd be a slow, gradual degradation of his desire to be better, to serve the Light and ensure that good triumphs. He'd end up not evil, necessarily, but just a flat, apathetic shell of who he was that is bitter and resentful of people that have close ties to their Divine.
If She dies, then he forsakes all efforts at even trying to be good, and obsesses over doing whatever he can to punish who/whatever killed Her (or whoever he views as being the one at fault) in the most agonising, humiliating ways possible. Only vengeance. Then if he gets it to his satisfaction, there's nothing left for him, and he knows that what he's done would be a grave disappointment to Lantra, so he just...Ends.
The best one is if She somehow gets corrupted or goes darkside Herself. I've daydreamed about Magnagoran Lantra a whole bunch, and how that would impact Avaris. He'd quit Celest immediately and follow Her to Magnagora, but he would be absolutely miserable. He'd try his best to remain moral and righteous, despite following an evil Divine and living in Taint capital of the world. He'd be doing what he could to act as a beacon of light and strive to remind Lantra of who She was, to try and coax Her back from the darkness She's been swallowed by. Working in secret to save people from Her and the others (Think bringing prisoners meals in the dead of night, freeing them where he can, etc) and generally doing damage control as much as he is able without Her casting him out. Eventually, though, depending on how close he is to Her before Her fall, he'd likely start being warped himself - Just slowly. He'd be a little more crueler than necessary, at first, a little less caring about the suffering of others, and slides further and further down that slippery slope. Then you end up with dark knight Avaris, all black and flaking gold, broken halo, permanently red markings, etc. This version essentially never gets angry, because his anger is all outrage and righteous indignation. You hollow that out, and he's as cold and terrible as the light of a dead star. He'd stand at Her side and watch impassively as darkside!Lantra and whoever did terrible things to people, and not feel so much as a flicker of guilt, or concern. If She told him to do the most reprehensible acts imaginable, he'd be glad to do it - Because She is his Lady, and it might make Her smile.
4) What's your favorite lore "conspiracy theory" you have, or personal headcanon?
I have a pet theory that Eyos splintered into changelings! It would explain why the other Elders never found the sharded race, because they immediately chameleon'd into the existing ones and blended in.
5) What is your favorite god relationship? (Can be romantic, friendship, rivalry, random ridiculous pairing -- whatever!)
Maylea and Nocht, probably! They have such a fascinating dynamic, all that resentment and anger, but you can tell there's still something there in a lot of subtle ways. Delicious stuff!
2.The person I think of when I think of Cheliyi's voice is Ayane Sakura, Japanese VA of Ochako Uraraka from MHA/BNHA.) She's also voiced many famous characters in older animes! A good example of how I hear Chel sometimes is in this clip. (The red haired one) https://youtu.be/tXVaunt4lyI
3. Oh dear. The amount of which I've also thought about this is a bit... concerning. Chel's "fall from grace" isn't very pretty, or very satisfying. It entails three factors: how lonely she is, the physical safety of her loved ones, and her mental stability.
It's not exactly a secret that Chel suffers from bouts of extreme anxiety and paranoia at times, although... given her circumstances, "they're always watching" isn't that far from the truth. She constantly has a sea of voices in her head telling her what to do, and singing their boppin tunes, usually about the glory of the Wyrd. This mainly depends on proximity to Glomdoring, and how well-rested she is that day in order to tune them out. If she happened to be quite isolated from other people (self-induced or otherwise,) exhausted from a lack of rest, or any sort of emotional stress, and one of her loved ones (cough cough Gurashi, Tridemon, or Esei to name a few) just happened to kick the bucket or cut their thread... the voices would start to make a little more sense. Finally, something bad would need to happen to Lantra. Either She would have to go into the Void, or maybe someone (god forbid) hurts Tavi. The ensuing anger would be enough to blind her to any possibly kindness or calming down.
The voices whisper that maybe just maybe that person over there looks tasty. Or that she should find the person that hurt her family and make them suffer in the cruelest ways possible, for justice. She'd grow so torn and guilty over the voices that she'd start to lash out and lose touch with reality, assuming everyone is either "with them" or someone she might hurt. At some point, something would snap and she'd try to cannibalize someone. Once she regains lucidity, the horror of it all would dash any hopes of her ever being "goodly" ever again, because she promised not to, and she broke that promise. Bonus points if it is a close friend or loved one. She'd go back to Glomdoring, if they'd have her, the bubbly, joyous mugwump forever gone. In her place, a manic, bloodthirsty wyrdenwood once more, looking for her next fresh meal. Everything that made her -her-, her commitments to honesty and promises, her compassion and her love for so many would just be gone.
The fastest way to descend into madness is probably if someone perma-kills Gurashi or Tridemon. They're her current anchors to reality, though thankfully not the only ones as she's learning to trust her judgement again. They're still integral enough, though, that if one of them died, she would go numb with grief and anger. Then the voices filter in, convince her they're the only real things, and voila, wyrdenwood once more. She'd probably join Shikari, if she ever chooses a Divine again, and be yet another 'quirky' follower of Crow. Hollow and hungry and not quite remembering why she feels that way.
4. Nocht carries the [REDACTED] in baby harness and has child leashes on them when they all go to the Faire. He's an exhausted single dad with 20+ kids, not including His order.
5. Surprise surprise, it's -also- Nocht and Maylea! I just want them to go to couple's therapy okay. Sit them down with Mysrai as the therapist and watch all hell break loose.
Avatar made through Picrew
(Just kidding! I would be glad to add commentary
2. Tom Hardy.
3. Not really sure, can I just say I'm pro seeing the Lantra fall from grace arc too?
4. Two part answer here.
Conspiracy theory: That Tzaraziko was actually a changeling is also one that I have.
Personal headcanon: Ever since last year's ascension and the time scar event, Uzriel has secretly been collaborating with alternate time-line variants of himself. He never swapped out of Geomancy until after that event, perhaps learned or swapped places with an alternate Uzriel that learned only Necromancy and not Geomancy. Hmmmm! (This was something oocly plotted on for awhile but never really did anything IG about it, I still like the headcanon)
5. At the moment, I really want to see more of the Dro/Li relationship. Including what it was like during the Elder Wars and before. All of the Dro interactions with other Elders during that time really.
Edit: I forgot to include my imp headcanon! Which is that the Mag families pass down imps like they are mischievous and less competent versions of house elves from harry potter.
Ahem.
2. Tilda Swinton
3. Eri has already fallen from grace after some fashion plenty of times
4. Ashtariel is still alive in Iklara, and Zvoltz's unwillingness to admit it or work to free Her speaks to some great evils of His that She would otherwise reveal.
5. I've always had a soft spot for the siblingness of Shikari and Viravain, but the tension between Kalikai and Terentia gets me all aflutter.
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1) Enough said:
2) Charlize Theron, or Cate Blanchet - smooth, refined, a little sultry but also capable of tearing you apart gloriously.
Edit: Or an Emma Stone as Cruella would also work really well!
3) redemption and fall from grace are two sides of the same coin, really! This is hard to know. Maybe by giving over all control of her snarky tongue and burning all sorts of bridges, it would be a fall from grace. Not sure about redemption though there is some deep-seated uncertainty/vulnerability that could be exploited in the right hands, possibly, to lead her away from all the tainty goodness. Slim chance, but hey, soft gooey centre is there somewhere, promise.
4) Honestly - not sure on this.
5) Agreed with Uzriel, I'd love to know more about the relationships with Dro and the other elders (esp Li-Varili) both before and after the elixir. Traitor gods are very polarised against the others, I'd love to hear/learn more of the grey areas between them, such as divine on either side of the fence that have or had a bond. There's plenty of open hate and animosity, where's the grey? Who secretly agrees they did what they had to? Who has forgiven the sins of the past in a new era of survival? Who sympathised then but now doesn't? Surely these opinions exist somewhere, i would love to explore them!
Also hard not to love the classic Fain and Drocilla pairing and what it could have been. Also loving the drama with Dro and Li-Varili.