[centre]Matters of Much Use[/centre] [centre][hider=My Hider] [img]https://i.imgflip.com/yzivh.jpg[/img] [/hider] [youtube]https://youtu.be/r2pt2-F2j2g[/youtube][/centre] [hider=The Codex of Creation, courtesy of BBeast] [center][h1][i]The Codex of Creation[/i][/h1][/center] Recorded here are all the additions to the Codex of Creation, and their authors, such that knowledge of the Codex may carry on for all eternity. [b]From the memory and trial of Logos,[/b] [color=Peru]as transcribed by Teknall,[/color] [b]Order, and the Laws of Physics upon which all else is built upon.[/b] [color=Peru]By the hand of Teknall, the elements Adamantine, Mithral and Orichalcum.[/color] [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]By the hand of Toun, suitability for life.[/b][/color] From the scrawls of Vestec, impossible and ridiculous distortions of some objects. [color=Peru]By the amendment of Teknall,[/color] [b]at the command of Logos,[/b] [color=Peru]bounds upon the chaotic variations.[/color] [color=violet]By the editing of Vulamera, unity of the Codex, so it would work as one.[/color] [color=ed1c24]By the hand of the Adversary, the occult, magic inherent to objects, materials and rituals.[/color] [color=red]By the hand of Vakarlon, luck and chance.[/color] [color=0072bc]By the touch of Julkofyr, emptiness, and uncertainty at the quantum level.[/color] [color=Gold][b]By the mark of Zephyrion, reactivity of gases.[/b][/color] [color=Gold][b]By the breath of Zephyrion, Change, such that the Universe will always be dynamic and even the Codex is not inert.[/b][/color] [color=fff79a]By the hand of Niciel, a bit of purity.[/color] [color=bc8dbf]By the mark of Astarte, her own magical essence, a wild kind of magic which will suffuse the Universe.[/color] [color=8F9779]From the touch of Slough, universal palatability for life.[/color] [color=C8C62E]By the hand of Belruarc, arcane, lawful magic.[/color] [color=9e0b0f]By the mark of Jvan, the Other, life existing outside the Laws of Physics.[/color] [color=Peru]By the amendment of Teknall,[/color] [b]at the command of Logos,[/b] [color=Peru]imprisonment in the Gap, keeping the Other outside the Universe unless freed.[/color] [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]From the efforts of Toun, vain attempts at perfection.[/b][/color] [color=00BFFF][b]By the touch of Ull'Yang, stellar evolution, and unity.[/b][/color] [color=0072bc]From the defiance of Julkofyr, the Orbs of Darkness.[/color] [color=orange]By the power of Kyre, resilience for the Codex.[/color] [color=violet]By the power of Vulamera, mind, intelligence and sentience.[/color] [color=black]By the will of Vowzra, something inscrutable, unknowable until the Time has come.[/color] [color=black][i]By the irrevocable word of Fate and unmatched power of Amul'Sharar, many things, incomprehensible to all.[/i][/color] And all these things were written into the Codex, and by the will of Fate the Codex was written into the Universe and the Universe was born in a Shattering Disunity. Recorded here are creations made separate from the Codex, yet still form a fundamental part of the World. They are written here such that they may not be forgotten. [color=a2d39c]From the essence of Reathos, the Primordial Pool, the plane in which all souls go when they die, and is part of the cycle of Life and Death.[/color] [color=ec008c]From the creativity of Illunbar, the Dreamweaver, a magical harp with the power of dreams.[/color] It is through all these things that the World was made. Thus it was Fated. Thus it has been. [centre][img]http://i.imgur.com/X2fo0HX.gif[/img][/centre] [/hider] [hider=Abridged History of the Hain as a Species, courtesy of Muttonhawk] [center][h2][i]Esaulic Era[/i][/h2][/center] ??: The hain are created by Toun in the Valley of Peace. Toun steals the slave hain and scatters the rest all over Galbar. ??: Hain gather into small tribes and embrace hunter-gatherer lifestyles. ??: The mythical hain, Ch'eater, sacrifices his family to occult powers in return for immortality. ??: Cultural signs of a clean white and complete hain shell being considered attractive and smooth, gapless surfaces seen as aesthetically comforting is observed. Scholars speculate this to be imparted by Toun's perfectionism, though this theory is not popular. Most attribute this behaviour to the nature of its origins; areas populated heavily by dangerous fibrelings originated a cultural aversion to hair and gaps where hair might poke through. ??: The first sculptor in the Cult of Jvan, Fishbones, completes metamorphosis. ??: The first wild urtelem walk upon Galbar. [center][h2][i]Ikanotita Era[/i][/h2][/center] ??: Widespread and sudden signs of violence and fear towards the Cult of Jvan erupt across the global Hain population. This is correlated with evidence of wild creatures and ants behaving the same way. ??: The tale of Niciel's forgiveness takes place, founding worship of Niciel amongst valley hain and beginning relations with the newly created angels. ??: The tale of Slough and the Hunters takes place, where Slough is known by the name ‘Life-Deer’. The tale is supposedly allegorical, but its alignment with descriptions of the life goddess from other species suggests otherwise. Reverence for nature spreads amongst hain tribes, particularly around the north-west Jvanic coast. ??: Stone Chipper begins wandering Galbar, spreading knowledge to willing tribes of hain. Stone working and urtelem taming become widespread. Hain tool use increases and tool designs homogenise, save for contextual applications that prove more efficient. ??: Gerrik the apprentice joins Stone Chipper's travels. ??: The Chipper Tradition of travelling scholars and craftshain begins. ??: The Rovaick walk Galbar. Putatively, they were made by Vestec from an amalgam of all life on Galbar at the time, including hain. They are mostly confined to mountains, away from white giants. ??: The first signs of bright staff flowers (also known as hogweed) used as protective talismans by some hain tribes. This lines up with spread of a number of new flower varieties all over Galbar. Association with Toun appears to be independent, despite some shamanic traditions applying the new flowers' significance to each of the gods. ??: Teknall's 'sacred flower', called the earthsoul flower by most hain, is used in urtelem taming in some parts of the world due to its strange property of colouring to urtelem emotions in the vicinity. ??: Humans walk Galbar in small numbers. ??: The demigod, Lifprasil, is born. The insidie are created. Hain interactions with insidie are limited to Vectec's voren insidie in chaos hordes. ??: Strange remains of an entire tribe of hain, cut into precise and perfect portions, are dated to this point in time. ??: Chaos hordes form near the ironheart mountains, including hain members. ??: First evidence of hain 'second hatching' rituals, otherwise known as 'Beautification of the Flesh' in Jvanic circles. This ritual is different from tribe to tribe, but follows from the intrinsic urge of hain to carve disturbing images into their shells upon adolescence. This evidence lines up a short time after the needle fae appear on Galbar. Attacks against Jvanic sculptors decline. ??: The metatic ocean is created. Countless hain and human tribes are annihilated. Cornerstone is created. ??: Tales of the Great Ant TOBIA take place. The Niciel worshipping valley hain in particular speak of the friendly creature's exploits with them and the angels. ??: A simultaneous period of shared pain amongst the entire hain population precedes the first accounts of strange sparks of unexplained power from a few hain. ??: Proto-Ilunabarous languages tie many languages and dialects by a common root, extrapolated to have been created at this time. ??: Rudimentary astronomy is depicted in some hain societies. ??: The bow drill sees use in hain tribes. Fire creation spreads around Galbar via Chippers. ??: Gerrik Far-Teacher is canonised by Stone Chipper. Stone Chipper reveals his true identity as the god Teknall. ??: Grot's armies mobilise. Hain tribes around the north of the ironheart mountains are destroyed or displaced. ??: Phantasmagoria takes places. Great leaps are made in sentient technology and culture. Evidence of formal trade, bread making, pottery, leatherworking, trapping, herbalism and poisoning, eloquence, poison use, fruit selection, sewing, binding and weaving, artistic wood carving, winemaking, bead making, petroglyphs, and painting are seen worldwide rather than in secluded, accidental pockets. ??: Stories of the archangel Falas speak of meeting 'strange creatures' outside of the Valley of Peace take place. These are a tribe of regular hain, suggesting that the Valley Hain have either emigrated, died out, gone into hiding from the angels of the valley, or mutated beyond physical recognition. Of course, Falas may have simply had a secluded upbringing. Such things are lost to history. ??: Shamanic hain tradition shows more mentions of the foreign entity known as 'Jaan'. ??: The Prophet Sularn is inscribed and the cult of Toun and Teknall is founded. Those with the mark of Toun are able to descend from the mountains without fear and interact with humans and hain. ??: Gerrik Far-Teacher and a mysterious warrior hain known as Wind-Striker assemble an army to help repel a horde of chaos, bringing the first purely hain army to bear. Dedicated weapons and fortifications are crafted and refined in hain communities that participate. ??: First tales of hain-human interaction. Some episodes are peaceful and trade is made, others are violent and superstition is born. Deep seated beliefs about hair do not help in some cases. ??: The battle of angelblood ridge results in some chaos hain joining Lifprasil's budding empire. These are the first hain believed to have joined him. ??: Hain develop djinni fighting techniques with their shamanistic magic. They do not initially work very well. This is in response to some stories of tribes being slaughtered for their second hatching rituals. Hain that consciously avoided second hatchings fell victim to anxiety, fear, and eventual madness as what they would normally carve on their shells became vivid hallucinations. The only cure for this was to undergo the ritual. ??: The event that caused many life forms to follow the tracks of the reincarnation of Slough occurs here. This marks the first chapter in the history of dedicated Slough worship by the hain skirting the Venomweald. Previously, there had only been reverence and respect for Slough. ??: The first sin cults spring up amongst hain and rovaick communities near and on the ironheart mountains. ??: Hain are part of the founding of Xerxes an eventually make up much of its army. ??: Obsidian weapons spread from Xerxes. ??: The Parade comes to the west coast of the Jvanic. Theatre joins oral story tradition. ??: Metalworking techniques spread from the ironheart mountain rovaick. Copper tools begin to spread. ??: Xerxes is shattered by Vowzra's Victors. Hain try to pick up the pieces with other races. Many travel and spread the technology founded in Amestris. ??: Death of Vowzra. ??: Ironheart metals, pioneered by the Toolsmith Conata, spread new kinds of metalworking, such as bronze. Advanced metals, such as those produced by Conata herself or the aluminium found in the bones of white giants, are traded in incredibly rare quantities. ??: Human shamanistic traditions from Ilunabar spread to the hain of Mesathelassa. ??: Tales of the avenging angel Makeda spread amongst hain communities. [center][h2][i]The Blinding Purge and the Bronze Age[/i][/h2][/center] ??: Logos' realta storm Galbar from all directions. Countless are caught in their indiscriminate fire, marking the largest planetwide massacre in existence. ??: Tauga the Blowfly, a Jvannic hain, unites a predominantly hain slave community in Xerxes to rebuild the city in Amartia's absence. Coinage is conceived. ??: Amartia returns to Xerxes with the Fallen Victors and assumes control from Tauga in an apparently peaceful handover. [/hider] [hider=The Moons of Galbar, courtesy of Antarctic Termite] Galbar has currently has six moons and a ring. They were designed from a single moon, [b]Unitas[/b], by Vulamera, who first split it into eight. [b]Cogitare[/b] is a charcoal-black moon, where Vulamera lived and died. It's difficult to see against the night sky unless silhouetted by stars, dawn or dusk. [b]Vigilate[/b] and [b]Scitis[/b] are twin moons in the same orbit. The main source of moonlight, they shine white and look like eyes. They were claimed by Vulamera, for herself. [b]Auricolor[/b] is a bright, faintly golden moon, full of useful and precious metal ores. It was given to Teknall. [b]Periditus[/b] is a very heavily cratered moon with tectonic scars. It was given to Kyre. [b]Mirus[/b] is a moon with beautiful geometric valleys. It was given to Jvan, who promptly gave it back. Unknown to most, Jvan's rogue avatar claimed it after Vulamera's death and connected it to the Submaterium, in which it built a vast subsurface laboratory. Two moons no longer exist in their current state or location. [b]Lex[/b] was another deep black moon, larger than all the others. It was given to Logos and destroyed by Vestec, and now exists as two rings which cross and glitter in many colours. A flourishing forest of Jvanic life has since grown in it, tinting it mauve, and her huge satellite observatory/factory Holy Site, Ovaedis, is part of it. The change-eaters live here. [b]Perfectus[/b] was a perfectly smooth moon, at least at first glance. It was given to Toun, sent hurtling towards Galbar by Vestec, and stored in the Gap by Vowzra, who later took it to Chronos. After its time in the Gap, many strange and dangerous artefacts had developed upon it, which Vowzra scattered throughout the universe. When Old Chronos was destroyed, Jvan sent it back to the Gap. [/hider] [hider=Basics of Magic, courtesy of BBeast] There are three main classes of magic which are an intrinsic part of the Universe, by virtue of being part of [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3355088]the Codex[/url], contributed by three different deities. [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3372086]Astartean Magic[/url]: This magic has effects which are strange, whimsical and wild. In use in mortals, Frettzo has described it as soul magic, where the magic produced is tied to the person's personality. You could say that magic which harnesses Astartean Magic requires its users to have will and charisma. Thanks to the actions of Vestec, all races on Galbar contain the potential to use Astartean magic, although this amount is too small to create a potent magician without divine intervention or extreme chance. [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3370849]The Occult[/url]: Contributed by Mammon. This magic is centered around rituals and material objects. Certain items in specific combinations, or secret words spoken in the right way, create magical effects governed by the occult. The occult is the easiest magic for mortals to access, for it does not require any innate powers on the user's part. However, it does require intricate rituals, and any major effects would almost certainly require a sacrifice of some sort. I consider a part of [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3883686]this post[/url] to be exemplary of the occult. [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3373043]Belruarcian Magic[/url]: This magic is described as the magic of scholars and thinkers. It is refined and has its own rules, and by understanding these arcane rules and principles it is possible for users of magic to construct spells to perform any manner of feats. It is a kind of magic which can be studied, and its better users will require intelligence. So far, no one has explicitly referenced it, but it is still available for use. Of course, you can take any combination of the three. Or you could try to develop something completely new (although I would recommend building on what already exists). I'm just letting you know what you have to work with. P.S. Regarding Termite's latest post and the Acalya, I would like to say that the Urtelem should be extremely resilient to the Acalya flower's infection. They were designed in part as a countermeasure against the Ashlings, which are quite similar to the Acalya flower in terms of infection (some crystalline substance hijacks all the fleshy bits and makes it all crystalline), and thus were immune to the Ashling infection by design. The Acalya flower is substantially more aggressive in its infectious potential, so it could theoretically infect an Urtelem, but short of total immunity the Urtelem would be quite hard to infect. Of course, once they start punching Acalya plants with their bare fists and getting all those diamond shards stuck in them, risk of infection would skyrocket. But it would still be slow. Overall, the Urtelem are close to ideal for handling Acalya forests. [/hider] [centre][img]http://i.giphy.com/26BGqaIKJ3dzYe4OA.gif[/img][/centre]