Oki doki! Next was. . . .

"Two blood drinkers works just fine for me. So long as you mean creatures that must drink blood to survive, and drink little to nothing else. I'm trusting that a blood-craving won't be limited to only two?"

Yes, two that drink blood to survive, one on each side. And yes, there are other races that enjoy consuming blood, however they must feed on more than that to survive.

Yeah. Like I guessed.

Next? :)

“I'm not quite sure what you mean by reversible creatures. You mean ones that don't necessarily stay on one side, within their same type? As in, a parent could go to the Daywalkers, and a child (cousin, brother, etc.) could go to the Nightwalkers? I'd rather not have any of those at all. If you mean something else by that, though, feel free to clarify.”

*Gathers thoughts*

Sorry this response took a while but it really took a lot of attention to work out my thoughts coherently on this one :P If you would like to have sub species inside the races that land on opposite sides of things, then it follows that there will be inter racial breeding and children that WILL have to choose one side or the other when they reach a certain age. For them, it will be a choice things. I only say this to follow true to my idea that no one thing should decide if you are a Nightwalker or a Daywalker. For many races, I see that yes, they will be most definitely on one side or the other, however with races that have sub divisions, I see a lot of “Choice” entering the matter when it comes to the more ambiguous aspects to the sides of the war.

If you really don't want “Choice” to enter into this at all, then it would be best if we stick with singular races with no divisions, but even then, going along with what I said before, that does not eliminate the idea of choice since even in the most narrowly construed definitions of what makes someone one thing or another, there are always the exceptions.

But I digress. When I said Riba I was talking about having sub races and inter racial children for the most part. So a dark elf and a wood elf have a kid, which side would it be on? For the most part, whichever parent that raised it would make the choice, but I have always loved a good rebellious undertone, or perhaps just freaks who just don't feel they fit in. In that respect, I had plans to have such things, but if you really are against such things, then to minimize my creativity in that respect it would be best if we went with the narrow race setting. In other words, only one race of elves, one kind of dragon(Or simply all different colors of dragons on one side, separating out the drakes, wyvrens, and flying serpents), and so on and so forth.

Sorry, Pope. This very much deserves a long, detailed response. I however, am on spring break, and this is the first real internet access I've had all week. :0

I should be home tomorrow or Friday, and I promise I will address everything you said then.

No problem. I patient. I just glad you're alive!

Ok. Here we go.

Do you think all that separates the Daywalkers and the NIghtwalkers could really just be a choice? I mean, it is possible, but it also seems more likely that there would be something... tangible. And while it may not be just one thing that makes the distinction, it also seems reasonable that there would be some things that would make you shunned very much by one group or the other. Nor am I sure how valid your example of the children are. If these two sides hate each other as much as we have laid out thus far, wouldn't children between Daywalkers and Nightwalkers really not be a... thing?

Because I do think that varieties within the species are a grand idea. And I'm all for avoiding generalizations like "always" and "never". Which means, maybe, a choice would be a thing. But it seems to me like the choice would kind of be like a white child from the pre civil-war time period choosing to go live among the slaves, or a black child being adopted by a white family. There are certain cases where certain things just... don't happen, right?

It isn't that I think the separation should be choice in 98% of the cases, just in a select few. I think for the most part we can come up with reasons for the races to be split so decisively. However, if we are going to have races that stem from the same base on either side of the line, then it is not outside the realm of possibilities that they are still genetically compatible, and when it comes to those children, I do see them having that moment of choice, if they are ever told that they are born of both sides. Side hating one another has never stopped rape you know :P All it takes is for one elf to rape another elf, and boom, possible pregnancy, and a child born from each side. If she comes to term at least. :P

As for the black and white example, I see what you mean, but I can also see some mixes producing children that are not clearly one side or the other. For example, if say red dragons are Daywalkers, then a red dragon child, even if it had a black dragon parent(In this case a Nightwalker) so yeah, it has no choice. However if a Gray Elf as a Nighwalker has a High Elf child(Daywalker), they both share such similarities that the child could pass itself off as from one race or the other. That child, if ever told, would have a choice. Or, if the child makes a perfect mix of the two, say a high elf face structure with red hair(The hair of a sylvain elf), then the child would belong nowhere, and this would add a very interesting angle to the story should such children exist in their own underground manner :P

So, when I say choice, it is suppose to be a very rare and unspoken of thing, since I see most of those kinds of pregnancies being terminated early. For me it's a fun idea, but if you really don't want it I guess I can just let my mind think of these things and I just won't write about them. . . .*Sad face* :P

One thing first. Don't be so afraid of saying something I won't like. I'm not afraid of a little bit of healthy argument, especially if it will lead for a better idea. I'm not looking to have you accommodate me, really. I'd rather create a great, believable, realistic world. Cool?

Before we continue, though, there is one thing I would like to understand a little better. What separates the Nightwalkers and the Daywalkers? I agree that it wouldn't be just one thing, but I also don't think it would just be our random selections, right? I mean, we couldn't just flip a coin, and if it is tails the are Nightwalkers, right? So, what does separate them? I'm thinking, if I know this, it may help me quite a bit in understanding the question with which we are dealing right now.

I'm a rather accommodating person, but don't worry, if it REALLY bugs me, I will speak up and disagree :P If I can work with something, I'd mostly seek out tweaks or if the thing is open enough, the chinks can be worked out during the play itself :P

Hnnnnnnnnnnnnn. . . . . I have a few ideas to cover the spectrums of kinds of creatures. Let's see if I can list the idears :P

Natural Sleep Patterns(Vampires, Owls, Felines, Fairies, ect)
Disposition(Weres, Elves, Dragons, ect)
Worship(Dwargies, Striders, Beastmen, ect)
Intelligence(Owlbears, Demons, Displacer Beasts, ect)
History(This last one is for those that made the decision on sides so far back in time, the side they are on is as natural as breathing)
And for our own personal creations, we can come up with why they are on the side they are on.

These are all I can think of off the top of my head, feel free to drop in your own ideas on why they are separate :P

Can you elaborate a bit more on what you mean by some of those? Sleep patterns makes perfect sense, and history also works, but I'm imagining that disposition and intelligence doesn't mean that all the good, stupid species go to the Daywalkers and the evil, smart people go to the NIghtwalkers. So how would intelligence and disposition play into the decision? Also, what would they be worshiping?

I won't deny, I'm still slightly concerned about how... abstract it seems. But maybe I'm missing something again.

So, you need a few example of Intelligence, Disposition, and Worship? M'kay. . . . .

I guess I'll use some species for these examples. Depending on how we play them, Weres could be either. If we use the lunar cycle for the transformations, they are most likely to end up Nightwalkers. If they are mostly unaware of their beast aspects, it gets a little more sketchy. If they are fully aware of their beastness, then it depends on their intelligence as to where they end up on the scale. Weres are mostly meat eaters, and rather indiscriminate, so if we dial down their intelligencee to animalistic levels, I would put them on the Nightwalker side, but if they have a human level ofintelligencee even when changed then again, it's up to a new factor: Disposition. Are they, despite their intelligence, predisposed to indiscriminate violence? If so, Nightwalker(Since such things are best done at night to avoid detection :P), if not, if they are simply more animalistic in their actions they could be Daywalkers.

That's one example of two those aspects working together to figure out where we wanna place a race. Think of them like check points for us to figure out, or simply look through when placing a race.

Striders are Nightwalkers. They operate in the dark, they worship dark gods, sacrifice intelligent beings, and feed on the flesh of sentient beings.

I'm not saying we make blanket judgments, I was just coming up with a set of categories to look over when making our decisions on races. Does that make sense? There can be really smart races and really dumb races on both sides. I don't want to use the terms evil and good, since they are highly objective and would, for me at least, make things far too simple. Black dragons are technically evil, however in our world they could have aged to the point that they no longer kill indiscriminately, and before the war even started had been on the side of the Daywalkers :P

Pope, I'm sorry to need to say this, but it is still something that needs to be said. I know you've been at the convention, and because of that things have been going exceptionally slowly from you, but I also perused some of the activities you have, and I found at least 25, probably more, roleplays that you are involved with. Most of them as complicated as this one.

Now, I can't know how much you can handle, but, even before the convention, your replies were slow. And I get why that would be the case, I really do. But at the same time, I'm struggling to work with it. Waiting five, six days, even a week for a reply once the roleplay has actually started is all well and good, but when there are gaps this long in the planning stage... things start to fall through.

I write because I love it, because I love the world that is being created, and because I love the character I have placed in that world. But having to wait so many days at a time to get back into the world, I lose the passion for it, especially since at this point there is very little for me to truly care about. I love this idea, it is wonderful and unique. But every time you reply I have to go back, reread almost everything, remind myself of why I care so much. And then, once I have remembered, once I do care again, I have to hope that you will reply quickly, before my passion fades back to a slow burn. And every time it gets harder to remind myself that I should keep trying.

I still want to roleplay with you. I truly do. But at the same time it is hard and uncomfortable to approach this story with such a cyclical pattern. I don't know what I want from you. I can hardly ask you to ignore other people to satisfy me, but, at the same time, if you tell me that there is nothing else you can do and it is either this or nothing, I'm not sure that I won't take nothing.

I understand. I am sorry about the most recent lags in my replies. I am currently stuck in a house miles from my home and it's making it very hard to write. I know this may sound silly, but I am writing right now with the sun up, and it's really killing me to do so. My mind is slow, and I have no idea when the next explosion is going to happen in this household. I was hoping to be home way before today, and it looks like it still may be a few days before someone has time to get me home. My not responding is not by my choice, and I am really very sorry about it. If I were home I would be much quicker, and I know my past actions may not make that believable, but it is the truth. Before the con, the month leading up to it, I'm always super busy, and while I am here, far far from my comfort zone, writing is hard. My lag has nothing to do with my other RPs, I promise.

Now that I have finally kicked myself into writing during the day, when most here are asleep or at work, I will be able to reply better, and once I get home I will be ever more attentive now that the con is over until next year. (Side note: Also, I have to think really really hard on some of your questions, which accounts for a couple of those days on occasion, sorry. I just wanna give you my best and when I'm half dead I can write really good RP replies, but crappy OOC replies :P) This may sound stupid, and a bit selfish of me, but if you would poke me if I haven't replied in 24 hours, it acts as a kick and will get my juices flowing better. I know, I'm asking for you to keep me on task, and I'm sorry.

I really wanna RP with you too, and I love this world we are developing. My mind works a bit different from yours in that I have absolute recall after a couple lines. I'm sorry to hear it's so hard for you to keep this in your mind. (25, really? Well, I only have 20 on my list, and only about 14 are mostly kinda active. . . .Then there are the 6 on the other site. . . .*Shrugs*) Anyways, my motivation is working and I'm getting up all 14 replies before I sleep. I'll be around for a while today, and if you wanna keep working on this, y'know, back and forth for a few hours, I'll be here.

Sorry again I am causing so much trouble. *Bows*

As I said, I can't really blame you for it, and I can't force you to do anything else. I'm not sure I would even if I could. I'm not ready to give up on this yet, either. I think, if we can figure something out, this will flow quite well.

In all honesty, I haven't been poking you because my other partners have taught me it is rude to poke someone more than once a week. If I really can poke you every twenty four hours or so, I gladly would. This is a partnership, so keeping each other on task is hardly a big trial. I wanted you to know how I was feeling about it, because not saying anything wouldn't have solved anything. I certainly don't want to be a quitter.

I have no problem with pokes, as long as that is what they are. Exasperated whining and angry jabs need not apply :P Ever 24 hours I am guarantied to have at least one chance to do replies, so if I haven't yet a sharp poke will get my attention and prompt a response when I next flash by the site. I leave it up overnight sometimes, so don't try to track me via my "Online" status :P

As of late it's been almost pure stress keeping my away, but I'm finding that this site, and writing helps a little bit. Site went down for two days, RIGHT as I was going to do my responses, killed my mood for responses. But I am up, I am back :P Well, I need sleep now, but when I get up I will get strait to work! *Shakes fist* I never know when to give up, because I always have time! *Giggles* But seriously, I have no problem with a good poke when you feel I've been gone too long. Once or twice a day is fine :P

Right. Then, onwards we go. Thanks for taking the brief interruption.

I'm feeling pretty good about what separates Daywalkers and Nightwalkers now. It really is directly connected to the day and the night, even if some of the connections are more implicit.

Which means we are back to the mixed children thing. Which I am also feeling better about. A choice could be a thing, but once the choice is made it isn't exactly something that can be switched again. My problem with the choice was that, if there was the chance to choose once, why couldn't a second choice be made. But I'm thinking that is a little easier to work around...

24 hour poke. Even though I'll probably be in bed before I get a chance to read it. <3

No problem.

For me the choice would only exist if

A) They are obviously are of a mixed race

B) They are raised by both parents so they KNOW they are a mixed race

C) Their parent tells them they are mixed and force them to make the choice

D) Any mix of the above

I would think that for a mixed race that comes to the point where they have to make the choice, someone other than the parent/s will have figured it out by then and they will tell the leaders, and they will have to be informed of said choice. For those in the resistance I would say they would have made a public choice, and in the resistance they feel more free to be themselves.

As for the night and day thing, yeah, for the most part I can see it related to the actual time of day, but I also like the exceptions. Fairies like to operate at night, but I see them as Daywalkers, know what I mean?

That will work. I'm assuming that we don't want our characters to be ones who have made a choice? Because they are opposite and supposedly hate each other?

I can see some exceptions, but I'm also thinking we should probably avoid such sweeping covers as "fairies." :) For some reason, I can't really see a boggart as a Daywalker. Unless of course by fairies you meant small winged tricksters, and not the whole sweeping "fey" group, in which case I am now mildly embarrassed.

Either way, I think we can move on to the next thing?

Sorry, just got home yesterday and passed out for a full day :P Yeah, I was thinking maybe a reoccurring side character could be one of the "Choosers".

As for the Fairy refrance, I was using it as one of many sub divisions of small winged humanoids. Fairy, Pixie, Imp, Gargoyle(The small kind), Sprite, you know :P Fairies are either nice or mischievous, Pixies are mischievous and almost always a touch mean, Imps are very mischievous and cruel, Gargoyles are whatever their masters are, and sprites are completely up for grabs by either side. Fae on the other hand are the large kind of humanoids I count along side Elves, Nymphs, and Dryads as a "Type set".

As long as none of that is confusing or objectionable, then yes, let us move on :P

~*~*~*~*~*~

"As far as the number of variations within a species... I don't think it is really necessary to define that. That is something that could easily change at the drop of a dime. But that does raise the question; How many humans are there in the world, and what is the ratio of humans to the supernatural? If there are a large number of supernatural species, that would mean that there is less for each type. I know what I'm trying to ask, but I can't seem to find the right words. Do you kind of get what I'm trying to say?"

Wow this sorta ties into what were were just talking about :P

If we are really going with the idea that all the fighting has been kept secret, we need the humans to outweigh the supernaturals by a reasonably large margin, so a 70/30 split isn't too far out thee as an idea. As for how many of each, that depends, yes, on how many species there are. It was one of the things I wanted to go with when speaking earlier, but I may not have said it and just forgot I didn't. Anyways, I think there should be only once race of elves, one or two races of small winged humanoid, a few races of animal human hybrid type things, a very small selection of undead like creatures(No zombies, they give me headaches :P) one or two race of dragons. . . .You get the idea. We pick our favorite kinds of races and formulate and modify them until we can set down a flat set of a few types for each of our fav kinds of beings. Make sense?