Shienvien Member
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...But you *can't retire Thaler. You just ... can't. :-(
...Nothing is wrong with niin, humans, deigan, Nightwalkers, Melenians, xuhrl-njok, tarken (you do not capitalize species except for Melenians and Nightwalkers, since those are from place names (Melenians from Melenaoth/Melenian Islands and Nightwalkers from Neitwakar) ... it is one of my greatest literary peeves, the unnecessary capitalization, and actually makes me physically cringe whenever I see it).
Aemoten, while immortal, is not overpowered, nor more powerful than Jaelnec or Thaler or Olan (he is making Thaler stay out of the current fight because of her mental condition, not because of her skill - if Jaelnec was suicidally depressed, he would not allow him to fight, either).
I actually estimate that Jaelnec would have better chances of winning than Aemoten in an one-or-one swordfight (or at the very least, I have tried to write him as being slightly inferior to Jaelnec in that regard). Aemoten has nearly died several times, too, and for the matter has been seriously injured notably more often than Jaelnec. He can request aid from the Six-Eyed God, true, but this is the one god who always takes something tangible in turn for favors. I am counting down on what he gives, and I tell you, Aemoten is quite strongly in the minus at the time being. (In a sense, an actual Favored One of any other deity is more overpowered, since although what they can do is more limited, they can do it indefinitely without a notable cost.)
The resurrections aren't exactly as easy as Thaler imagines it, either, the same as losing someone dear to him has never gotten any easier. (Do you also insist that if a mother loses one child, losing the other would not be as painful anymore? No! That is ludicrous!)
...I usually play average characters. Not weak. Nothing particularly spectacular, either. Not strong enough to effortlessly defeat anything but the lowliest grunts, but not so weak as to be violently butchered in the very first fight.
And I don't see where Legion says his people are harder to defeat than humans? I'd say they are about equal to humans in that regard, and far more easy to defeat than, say, tarken or xuhrl-njok, especially when not in numbers. The del-korm are more physically powerful, but put one against a tarke or a lohk, or a deigan or xuhrl-njok using magic, or just a bunch of basic commoner humans with crossbows who are in a fortified position, and the physical superiority disappears.
I know we had a bit of a run-in with power-scaling back in the day, but do not leap to conclusions prematurely. It does not do anyone justice.
They aren't playing their own races because their own races are more powerful. These races aren't more powerful than the established beings of Reniam, just different. They are playing them because of variety, and because they like those races and would like to try them in a different setting.
Aemoten, while immortal, is not overpowered, nor more powerful than Jaelnec or Thaler or Olan (he is making Thaler stay out of the current fight because of her mental condition, not because of her skill - if Jaelnec was suicidally depressed, he would not allow him to fight, either).
I actually estimate that Jaelnec would have better chances of winning than Aemoten in an one-or-one swordfight (or at the very least, I have tried to write him as being slightly inferior to Jaelnec in that regard). Aemoten has nearly died several times, too, and for the matter has been seriously injured notably more often than Jaelnec. He can request aid from the Six-Eyed God, true, but this is the one god who always takes something tangible in turn for favors. I am counting down on what he gives, and I tell you, Aemoten is quite strongly in the minus at the time being. (In a sense, an actual Favored One of any other deity is more overpowered, since although what they can do is more limited, they can do it indefinitely without a notable cost.)
The resurrections aren't exactly as easy as Thaler imagines it, either, the same as losing someone dear to him has never gotten any easier. (Do you also insist that if a mother loses one child, losing the other would not be as painful anymore? No! That is ludicrous!)
...I usually play average characters. Not weak. Nothing particularly spectacular, either. Not strong enough to effortlessly defeat anything but the lowliest grunts, but not so weak as to be violently butchered in the very first fight.
And I don't see where Legion says his people are harder to defeat than humans? I'd say they are about equal to humans in that regard, and far more easy to defeat than, say, tarken or xuhrl-njok, especially when not in numbers. The del-korm are more physically powerful, but put one against a tarke or a lohk, or a deigan or xuhrl-njok using magic, or just a bunch of basic commoner humans with crossbows who are in a fortified position, and the physical superiority disappears.
I know we had a bit of a run-in with power-scaling back in the day, but do not leap to conclusions prematurely. It does not do anyone justice.
They aren't playing their own races because their own races are more powerful. These races aren't more powerful than the established beings of Reniam, just different. They are playing them because of variety, and because they like those races and would like to try them in a different setting.
Dark Jack said The part of them being arctic is news to me, though... did I miss that somewhere? Was it mentioned?
A bit of metagaming on my part, I guess... But yeah, whenever they have been placed on a map they have been up in the north, and while not all of them are the arctic type (those not quite so far up are a bit smaller and much darker in color), they certainly aren't tropical...
Dark Jack said (most notably having to deal with Melenian ships and pirates)
Why would the Melenians take interest in a people who can crush bones with ease and take their time in being stopped by wounds, but don't particularly care for riches of any kind... I would imagine the pirates would learn to leave them alone quite quickly, never mind that del-korm probably do not seafare all that much besides occasionally to the nearest coast. (Don't take my word on it, I just haven't seen them described as taking much interest in the sea, and I don't imagine they would myself.)
(It is unsustainable, that word there, no 'r'.)
Hrm... And I believe it is you in the collab, Ashgan with Jillian, and Merc on the Zerul-side (and Yoshua being undetermined for the time being)?
Éireannach and Nightwalkers I guess could have the same kind of incompatibility backlash as humans and Nighwalkers - namely that the half-human hybrid would always be completely and utterly blind (which would also give a logical justification to why such relationships would be looked down on). Just a suggestion here.
Also, as I pointed out - long lifespan doesn't necessarily mean long period till maturity. There are Earthern beings which can hit hundred and twenty, but are full adults at three or so. And yeah ... wars, illness, predators, underabundancy of food, low conception rate, the factors which bar exponential population growth rate are many. Here I will also note that fertility period may not last for the entire adulthood - human women past forty-five or so very rarely conceive naturally despite the life expectancy being at about eighty (and lifespan cap at over hundred), for instance.
Also, as I pointed out - long lifespan doesn't necessarily mean long period till maturity. There are Earthern beings which can hit hundred and twenty, but are full adults at three or so. And yeah ... wars, illness, predators, underabundancy of food, low conception rate, the factors which bar exponential population growth rate are many. Here I will also note that fertility period may not last for the entire adulthood - human women past forty-five or so very rarely conceive naturally despite the life expectancy being at about eighty (and lifespan cap at over hundred), for instance.
To be fair I do not know much of xuhrl-njok culture(s) besides them being sociopaths, and purely self-oriented (in which the aforementioned sociopathy plays a part)... That xuhrl-njok are highly intelligent, that I didn't doubt - just look at their magical capabilities, and I don't mean sheer prowess here -, but I guess I mostly imagined their sociopathic selves to be either fairly solitary or make temporary small groupings for when it currently happens to be useful for them (or a strong one threatening to blow some weaker ones up if they don't do as requested ... and the weaker ones doing what was demanded because they objectively figure they can't win and getting blown up is not at all beneficial for an individual). ...But they actually managed to convince a substantial number of their species that an unified empire composed of xuhrl-njok is something they would all individually gain from? Oh dear.
(I vaguely recall the spryne-part meaning "nation" ... and them sometimes using it interchangeably with individual because each one is out for oneself only anyway.)
...Speaking of which, I can't exactly imagine niin making a nation, either. I figure they wouldn't simply be able to care about being a people long enough, let alone bother with making a nation with borders and rulers and such rather than just settling down wherever seemed convenient, only to wander off again when something more interesting is on the horizon.
And hmm... Yeah. You haven't said there are beasts as great as those of the Malith Jungle in the west ... but you hadn't said there weren't, either, and there are couple of creatures that are big and fearsome enough in the north, too, including in Rodoria. Some species of powerful bovine-kin (such as used to be here until - surprise - humans hunted them to extinction ... actually, all over the world there used to be massive beasts that humans eradicated) or similar alone would explain why creatures like del-korm showed up... I think currently the main issue with del-korm being from the south (no conflicts with locals provided) would be climate. (Arctic del-korm variant in southern Balazth? Erm...) Could a large island off of northwestern Kirirak work? Del-korm have been placed on an island before.
(ASTA's character was/is somewhat of an outcast, as I've understood, which in part explains how he ended up so far... And for the matter, del-korm *can* live quite long if they don't get killed ... not sure how long exactly - he can specify -, but well over a century, if not a couple of centuries.)
(I vaguely recall the spryne-part meaning "nation" ... and them sometimes using it interchangeably with individual because each one is out for oneself only anyway.)
...Speaking of which, I can't exactly imagine niin making a nation, either. I figure they wouldn't simply be able to care about being a people long enough, let alone bother with making a nation with borders and rulers and such rather than just settling down wherever seemed convenient, only to wander off again when something more interesting is on the horizon.
And hmm... Yeah. You haven't said there are beasts as great as those of the Malith Jungle in the west ... but you hadn't said there weren't, either, and there are couple of creatures that are big and fearsome enough in the north, too, including in Rodoria. Some species of powerful bovine-kin (such as used to be here until - surprise - humans hunted them to extinction ... actually, all over the world there used to be massive beasts that humans eradicated) or similar alone would explain why creatures like del-korm showed up... I think currently the main issue with del-korm being from the south (no conflicts with locals provided) would be climate. (Arctic del-korm variant in southern Balazth? Erm...) Could a large island off of northwestern Kirirak work? Del-korm have been placed on an island before.
(ASTA's character was/is somewhat of an outcast, as I've understood, which in part explains how he ended up so far... And for the matter, del-korm *can* live quite long if they don't get killed ... not sure how long exactly - he can specify -, but well over a century, if not a couple of centuries.)
South has been described to have quite a lot of warrioresque peoples in them - my own Sekalyns included -, so I would have imagined an aggressive species would have harder time there than in the barbaric west... Unless it is even farther south or the Sekalyns (and other human peoples of the region) and del-korm somehow can coexist. The niin - who are also southern - are inherently even more chaotic, but by description are generally slightly more agreeable? (Although I still find it surprising niin have managed to avoid extiction.) The xuhrl-njok sprynes themselves are thorough sociopaths and haven't been eliminated by the peoples adjacent to them, either... Weren't large parts of west also canonically described as constantly warring?
@Jack: I do have contact with him from before he said they wish to join the RP, actually (from a Skype RP group Alf added me a long while back). As an extension, they have an access to the Compendium (if you recall, I got it out of the old site in its entirety, minus the hiders; hence a technique of "paste the thing over Skype" exists and is readily available). If something remains confusing still, they can ask here (he wanted to use a character of his own race - physically powerful somewhat wolflike (not shapeshifter) beings I guessed might be from somewhere west for the iteration of this world; his character would probably also be what is essentially a sound-elementalist by another name)?
I also spent some time thinking how, rather than Aemoten being in Rodoria (and quite used to it by now), the rest of the characters would fare when introduced to Sekalynic, Egemic or Drylandic (er... Amratarians and other such) cultures. Not all that likely to happen (but who knows?), but it could be quite interesting...
(Also, Mahz essentially stated they would like to, but don't really know how to fix the problem, since it has to do with the architecture - of what? the language they use? the server? he didn't specify - and he doesn't really have the means to handle it. I am partway inclined to offer to look at the thing and see whether I can fix it myself...
(If Syn is truly gone, then we should probably edit the available character spaces up. Might need Syn/Yoshua's confirmation on that.)
I also spent some time thinking how, rather than Aemoten being in Rodoria (and quite used to it by now), the rest of the characters would fare when introduced to Sekalynic, Egemic or Drylandic (er... Amratarians and other such) cultures. Not all that likely to happen (but who knows?), but it could be quite interesting...
(Also, Mahz essentially stated they would like to, but don't really know how to fix the problem, since it has to do with the architecture - of what? the language they use? the server? he didn't specify - and he doesn't really have the means to handle it. I am partway inclined to offer to look at the thing and see whether I can fix it myself...
(If Syn is truly gone, then we should probably edit the available character spaces up. Might need Syn/Yoshua's confirmation on that.)
Have been slightly preoccupied myself these days; will be posting tonight or tomorrow morning.
Ah... So it is not as persistent decline as I initially assumed.
And first-stage vampirism is essentially what any newly turned vampire of my kind can be arbitrarily said to have for the first couple to handful of months. During that time, the person will slowly develop the urge to devour other people's blood while just as slowly losing the appetite for and ability to digest most other foods, the societal instincts and feelings would diminish and die out till only the knowledge of having cared about other people at some point remains, and then memories would decay, too, and take even that... Senses become keener, some light-sensitivity develops (my vampires didn't quite burst into flames), teeth elongate, first melanin and then other pigments get eliminated (various albinoids, albinos and leucistic people were regrettably murdered for looking suspiciously vampiric even more often than part-plood palanteri), muscles change, they become stronger and faster, more resilient to blood-loss and damage... Yeah.
Generally what is considered to be the end of the first stage vampirism is the loss of the last scrap of knowledge of ever having been human, or the loss of any capacity for the related emotions. They will have become feral monsters with little sense or restraint. During the second stage, the physical changes will continue, but the vampire would also start to regain its intelligence and develop the ability to plan and restrain oneself. By the third stage - often considered the final one, though some give very old and far-altered vampires their own category - you have a being who can act just as civil as any human if it wants, but is no more than a thorough sociopath who can only sustain itself on fresh human blood. If some opt to stick with humans, do not be fooled: they only do so because having food follow you around can be convenient. They won't have any scruples about eating anyone, no matter nice they bothered to pretend to be until then. They, curiously enough, also seem to borderline see through or otherwise completely ignore other vampires; same goes for second and late first stage vampires.
- Basically, the first stage of vampirism is that of losing your humanity and slowly becoming a monster; the second stage of vampirism is that of being a monster; the third stage of vampirism is that of being an intelligent calculative monster with impeccable self-control. And if you want, you can add a fourth stage for slowly having become quite powerful even compared to normal vampires.
(I assume Reniam vampires "black out and wake up a full vampire" - much like Morgan was described to?)
And first-stage vampirism is essentially what any newly turned vampire of my kind can be arbitrarily said to have for the first couple to handful of months. During that time, the person will slowly develop the urge to devour other people's blood while just as slowly losing the appetite for and ability to digest most other foods, the societal instincts and feelings would diminish and die out till only the knowledge of having cared about other people at some point remains, and then memories would decay, too, and take even that... Senses become keener, some light-sensitivity develops (my vampires didn't quite burst into flames), teeth elongate, first melanin and then other pigments get eliminated (various albinoids, albinos and leucistic people were regrettably murdered for looking suspiciously vampiric even more often than part-plood palanteri), muscles change, they become stronger and faster, more resilient to blood-loss and damage... Yeah.
Generally what is considered to be the end of the first stage vampirism is the loss of the last scrap of knowledge of ever having been human, or the loss of any capacity for the related emotions. They will have become feral monsters with little sense or restraint. During the second stage, the physical changes will continue, but the vampire would also start to regain its intelligence and develop the ability to plan and restrain oneself. By the third stage - often considered the final one, though some give very old and far-altered vampires their own category - you have a being who can act just as civil as any human if it wants, but is no more than a thorough sociopath who can only sustain itself on fresh human blood. If some opt to stick with humans, do not be fooled: they only do so because having food follow you around can be convenient. They won't have any scruples about eating anyone, no matter nice they bothered to pretend to be until then. They, curiously enough, also seem to borderline see through or otherwise completely ignore other vampires; same goes for second and late first stage vampires.
- Basically, the first stage of vampirism is that of losing your humanity and slowly becoming a monster; the second stage of vampirism is that of being a monster; the third stage of vampirism is that of being an intelligent calculative monster with impeccable self-control. And if you want, you can add a fourth stage for slowly having become quite powerful even compared to normal vampires.
(I assume Reniam vampires "black out and wake up a full vampire" - much like Morgan was described to?)
Dark Jack said Different vampires also have varying strength depending on the dilution of their curse, or how many times it has been passed between individuals from the original vampires to the current recipient. The originals were almost incomparable to modern vampires...Hmm. So you went the way of the diluting curse. What is a very diluted vampire? Someone who functions almost like a human or deigan respectively with just slight alteration? Someone who still needs blood to survive, but has little to practically no vampiric power? Can the curse weaken enough for the last link down the line to be unable to contaminate another?
-.My own vampirism worked much like an unstoppable progressive blood-transmissioned illness - there was some occasional fluctuation, but it didn't really weaken or become stronger down the line, although older vampires were typically more potent due to them having been altered further. There were other differences, of course, such as the original person being completely destroyed by the end of the first stage of the curse/illness,,,
Amongst other things, there was no such thing as a part-vampire. Hara was and is a quarterblood palanter, and due to the palanter-blood in fact completely immune to vampirism. It just happens that there are some very unfortunate overlaps in the appearance and abilities (but not developing drives or urges) of less-than-half-blood palanteri and folks with first-stage-vampirism...
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