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Messages - Eliel

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1
Conspicuous Concoctions / Snake Oils
« on: December 26, 2018, 04:28:31 AM »
Now Selling:

Snake Oils
By Priss

A collection of perfumes and scented oils sure to attract your deepest desires.

Romance Oils

Aphrodisiac Oil
patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang
Use sparingly; will arouse those nearest you.

Attraction
rose, lavender, vanilla, sandalwood
Just a dab on your pulse points; to attract both males and females.

Binding Love
jasmine, gardenia, vetiver
To aid in securing long-term love.

Desire
jasmine, lotus, musk
Used for sexual attraction of someone you know and desire.

Firey Love
opium, musk, magnolia
Will make someone feel the heat of searing love for you or wake up with a passionate, relentless longing.

Pleasure Oil
musk, opium, patchouli, narcissus, lotus
Excellent as a massage oil. Designed to promote pleasure - both giving and receiving.

Sweet Seduction
lotus, honeysuckle, sandalwood, ylang-ylang
This playful and flirty blend should be used carefully.

Prosperity Oils

Abundance Oil
spruce, myrrh, patchouli, cassia, orange, clove, ginger, frankincense
To draw riches of all sorts.

Bayberry Blessing
bayberry, orange, cinnamon
Anoint your wrists daily to bring money to you pockets and blessings to your home.

Customer Attraction Oil
rose, patchouli, cedarwood, orange, elderberry
Anoint green candles and burn in your place of business or spray this scented oil to attract customers and to stabilize business.

Inspiration
pine, lily, hyacinth, clove
To remove artist's block and inspire fresh ideas. Builds confidence and causes the wearer to become more optimistic.

Gambler's Oil
patchouli, lemon, jasmine
To banish even the worst of luck and bring good fortune in gambling.

Lucky Nine Oil
A special blend of nine mystical oils to bless your home or business and bring about good luck and good fortune.

Master
bayberry, musk, dragon's blood
A masculine scent for love, luck, and power.

Three Kings
frankincense, rose, myrrh, cinnamon
Many talents, endowments and favors may come to those who use this perfume.

2
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Island Flora & Fauna
« on: November 10, 2018, 08:43:25 PM »
Lakes & Rivers (Freshwater)

Trees:
Cottonwood
Silver Maple

Plants/Flowers (Flora):
Algae
Bulrush
Cattail
Duckweed
Watercress
Water Hyacinth
Water Lily

Animals (Fauna):
Common: Bass, Black Flounder, Bream, Carp, Catfish, Cottonmouth, Eel, Goldfish, Heron, Minnows, Mussels, Muskrat, Otter, Platypus, Trout, Turtles
Insects: Black Flies, Chiggers, Earthworms, Leeches, Mosquitos, Ticks

Unique:
Alligator Snapping Turtle - Almost completely typical for the species other than being about 5% larger than the norm; maximum attainable size is unaffected. A combination of abundant prey and long term exposure to the island’s inherent magic have resulted in a slightly larger, more aggressive alligator snapping turtle than many realms.

Boers’ Eel - An electric eel that can grow up to three feet in length. It is characterized by the its unusual number of gills (eight) and the presence of a secondary set of jaws capable of protruding from within the throat either to help grip prey or to tear chunks off and draw them back to the throat for swallowing. The regular mouth’s teeth are nearly all curved backwards to help grip prey. The animal is capable of delivering a shock of up to 10,000 volts at 800mA for up to ten milliseconds, making it capable of outright killing many other creatures in its environment. While this could conceivably stun the average adult human male, the shock is unlikely to prove fatal beyond the possibility of posing something of a drowning risk. Special sensory organs running along its snout and underside aid in detecting its prey via electrical impulses. Boers’ eel is known to have relatively poor eyesight.

Dead-eyed Skullfish- A common, black-eyed variant of the koi-like Common Skullfish, they are a mottled black and white piscine dream for an alchemist. Though these bottom-feeders have a flavor most commonly likened to manure, skullfish yield innumerable useful ingredients for salves and potions and the shallow water populations have been nearly fished out because of this. The possibility of deeper-dwelling populations exists, one twice the average size was fished out of the bottom of a lake by a Jonathan Featherbottom, but no one else has been able to verify this. Recorded uses for the black-eyed skullfish are as follows:
Eyes- can be squeezed into a mixture of milk and urine to cure cataracts
Skull- can be ground into powder for an unguent that on first application to the eyes causes hallucinations and on second, allows the user to see through invisibility spells, can be imbibed for similar but weaker effects
Scales- can be powdered and used as a minor enhancer for other alchemical effects
Innards- are good for nausea and ulcers when dried, ground and boiled in wine, though the flavor is still regrettable
The bones  are known for making exceptionally sharp, durable needles, prized by seamstresses.

Giant Crayfish - Commonly found in rivers but not so much lakes unless one sticks to the shallows and muddy banks. These invertebrates can grow up to 90 centimeters long and weigh as much as 8 kilograms. They commonly maintain burrows along riverbanks and may occasionally attempt to move inland during periods of heavy rain and flooding. Their young typically stick to small creeks and tributaries until old enough to fend for themselves. Despite its size the giant crayfish mostly sticks to carrion.

Purple Mudcrab  - These large crustaceans tend to remain relatively near but not always in bodies of freshwater; lakes, streams, tributaries, and even simple creeks are all sufficient. The purple mudcrab is roughly the size of an iron coin at birth and will grow almost continually throughout its life potentially two hundred year long life, molting every two years until reaching a maximum size not exceeding 91 centimeters in length and 14 kilograms in weight. These crabs are highly cannibalistic; hard-shelled specimens regularly target and devour others of their kind that are mid-molt. Their diet consists of virtually anything living that is unfortunate enough to wander into striking distance; the crabs are opportunistic feeders, often lying motionless in wait for hours on end. The left claw is very fast and strong; it’s used used to quickly grasp and hold prey. The right claw is larger and slower, but its sharpness combined with the immense amount of force it can apply make it ideal for causing grievous wounds to prey--or slicing them up for easy consumption, sometimes before they’ve even died. It’s not bad for crushing shells or exoskeletons to get at the softer insides of tougher prey either.

Soft-shelled Ourogongi - One may call this mollusk a bottom-feeder, and they would be correct in that assertion. The soft-shelled ourogongi is something of a throwback to the days before many water dwelling mollusks had shed their shells. Its length never exceeds 30 cm, and its weight without its shell would certainly never exceed 2 kg. Eight limbs protrude from the front of a translucent shell that could, in the correct light, enable one to see the inner workings of the creature in question. The soft-shelled ourogongi’s arms lack suckers, possessing instead tiny fibers they use to collect algae and other near-microscopic life from their environment. The animal passes its arms through a uniquely evolved beak once they’re sufficiently caked in nutritious organisms. Its shell is quite useless as a defensive implement, sadly - and many animals prey upon it as a result.

3
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Island Flora & Fauna
« on: November 10, 2018, 07:52:15 PM »
Swamps & Marshes

Trees
Live oak [seeds, coffee substitute, medicinal, tannin]
Mangrove
Pecan [nuts, medicinal]
Swamp Cypress
Water Tupelo [fruit, honey, cork, dye]
Wax Myrtle [edible, tea, medicinal, dye, wax]

Spirit Tree- A relative of the banyan, spirit trees have aerial roots running from their branches to the ground that enable the trees to grow up to 200 meters in diameter. Though they have been known to growing more arable land, they prefer the damper areas of the swamp, and are revered by the Draegir as a representation for eternal life because of their seemingly ever-expanding size. Usually a Draegir settlement is centered around one of these arboreal giants, used as a meeting place. They can be used to make a brown dye and harvested for their fig-like fruit.


Plants/Flowers (Flora)
Resurrection fern [tea]
Spanish moss
Fragrant water lily [edible, seeds, medicinal]
Pondberry
Cardinal flower [medicinal]
Blue flag iris [dye]
Marsh willow herb [edible]

Kohnjigi Ohnjigi - These plants are believed to exist as one singular entity spread across the entirety of the marsh. Scholars suspect that either their roots are fully intertwined, leading to a sort of codependency, or all examples of this plant seen on the surface are in actuality extensions of a singular entity far below. In either case, the tulip-like pods that grow from the kohnjigi ohnjigi’s exposed limbs carry within them the building blocks of creatures known colloquially as mimics. Leaves and bulbs taken from the kohnjigi ohnjigi are believed to possess powerful regenerative qualities when worked into salves, pastes, and potions.

Marsh Mold  - Marsh mold is both an ordinary mold that grows on dead bodies and an animate creature that may occasionally be vaguely humanoid in appearance. The former represents its regular state, wherein the mold grows on dead or dying animals and consumes them by accelerating their rate of decay. The mold then, once sufficiently nourished, releases spores into the air to further propagate its species. The latter occurs when mold spores latch onto the body of something biologically immortal -- the mold grows as normal, but it cannot as quickly or as fully consume its victim. Instead, victim and mold become indivisible from one another; the mold encompasses and absorbs the victim, adding their biomass to its own whilst simultaneously approximating some vaguety of their form, albeit in a sludge-like state brought on by perpetual decay. Some reports would seem to indicate that the mold even gains a small amount of its host’s intelligence from the arrangement. Regardless, it must seek out and consume living biomatter in order to maintain itself in a state of relative homeostasis, otherwise its rate of decay may accelerate past what the regenerative properties of its newly acquired body can combat and result in its eventual dissolution. Mold-hybrids cannot produce spores, but they can inject living creatures with some of their own biomass to begin a process that will eventually convert the victims into duplicates of the original.

Mimic - A blank slate if there ever was one. The mimic is in actuality a type of plant despite most scholars grouping it in with the local fauna due to its propensity for changing properties. Every mimic begins its life within the pod of a kohnjigi ohnjigi plant. Only once a humanoid creature has entered into the mimic’s territory will its “tulip” open to release one of the creatures, whereupon it quickly takes the shape of a featureless green and brown humanoid; it lacks eyes, any orifices, and even the most basic hints of distinguishing features other than its alarming lack thereof. Its first and only objective is to pursue the individual that triggered its release with immense aggression, as it knows instinctively that it must kill and replicate this person if it is to perpetuate the species. Mimics possess a beast-like cunning but no real intelligence until after they’ve acquired their victim’s memories, at which point their intellect will increase to match that of the individual whose life they intend to assume. These creatures are excellent at blending in -- even victims’ closest relatives seldom realize there’s been a change, but sometimes the duplication process may omit a tidbit of important information there or there. Duplication is accomplished through a combination of DNA mimicry, requiring direct physical contact, and the mimic’s innate psionic powers allowing it to perfectly copy a subject’s memories unto itself. Their objective is to propagate the species by either impregnating or becoming impregnated, depending upon the sex of the individual copied. In either case, the resulting child will also be a mimic. It will feel compelled throughout its life to return to the marsh and enter the same pod its parent emerged from (or another, if that pod was destroyed) in order to begin the process anew via reversion to the plant-like state its parent was once in. This process also allows the kohnjigi ohnjigi to upgrade future mimics with additional physical or mental characteristics based on the memories it pulls from the head of the new generation, as they also hold their parents’ sum total memories from the time of conception within their DNA.


Animals (Fauna)
Common: Alligators, Crabs, Crawfish, Frogs (various), Herons, Mud Snakes, Newts, Rattlesnakes, Salamanders, Toads (various), Turtles (various),
Insects: Mosquitos, Beetles (various), Black Flies, Cicadas, Dragonflies, Pill Bugs, Spiders (various), Ticks, Water Striders

Unique:
Black-beaked Snapping Turtle - Otherwise known as alligator snapping turtles of unusual size. These hulking testudines range from 2.2m to 7.2m in total length and may reach weights in excess of 700 kg. The black-beaked snapping turtle is so named for almost black coloration of its beak. Unlike its normal counterpart, the black-beaked snapping turtle’s skin is capable of reactive color and texture change -- the animal adapts to its surroundings so that it may better ambush prey. One of these animals may lie dormant in the marsh for days on end whilst waiting for prey to take the proverbial and literal bait. Crystalline growths along the shell spread as the creature absorbs more magic from its food and surroundings, ultimately leading to a state wherein the shell has ruptured and grotesque amounts of flesh and innards may spill out into the creature’s surroundings. Despite this terrible fate, the turtles somehow survive their own evisceration and gradually become fused to the ground where they were when their split-shell syndrome, as it has come to be known, reached the terminal stage. It extends fleshy `roots` into the ground which then branch out into the area, just beneath the surface, and develop rows upon rows of sharp hooks, teeth, and other useful feeding instruments along the way. Animals reduced to this state subsist by drawing magic and nutrients from the surrounding marsh, by ensnaring small animals in nigh-invisible tendrils reaching up out of the ground in their general vicinity, and by engulfing larger prey items in excess flesh and digestive enzymes if they should happen to stray too close.

Maarothet - Believed to have once been raccoons, the maarothet does bear a striking resemblance to its alleged relatives in a plethora of ways, but it has just as many differences to separate it from them. Firstly and curiously, the maarothet has crystalline growths in place of its claws and fangs, and spikes of similar make run down its spine in rows. What may have once been a busy tail is instead coated in innumerable quills that, not unlike its teeth, fangs, and spines, do indeed appear to be crystalline in nature. These animals may take their coloration and markings from virtually anywhere on the grayscale, though darker colors are far more common. The maarothet may reach weights in excess of 11 kg and lengths upwards of 76 cm; their shoulder height is typically no greater than 34.5 cm. In addition to looking like raccoons, the maarothet even acts like them! … Sort of. The species displays aggressive tendencies towards anything of its size or smaller and will feed at virtually any opportunity. Worse still--and most curiously, one might add--is its ability to feed on any magic that is cast upon it. The crystals across its body permit the animal absorb magic almost without limit; its spines absorb, its tail vents to prevent overflow. This absorbed energy may be assimilated fully to temporarily augment the animal’s physical capabilities, fired back at its aggressors in the form of exploding quills from the animal’s tail, or transferred to other nearby members of the same species (requiring direct physical contact) which may then in turn perform any of the aforementioned actions with it. Failure (or loss of the ability) to vent magic quickly enough can result in overload that stimulates excess crystal growth, eventually consuming the animal in its entirety; or, if enough magic was poured into it swiftly enough, causing it to explode, likely taking everything in its general vicinity with it.

Marsh Wolf  - Once ordinary wolves of some sort, these monstrosities have been warped by continued exposure to the ever-increasing ambient magics in the marsh. The fur is normally matted and spotty at best, and the skin underneath can be far worse; exposed muscle and bone are common sights. The animals routinely display double-layered muscles and sufficient availability of connective tissues to enable them to function relatively normally despite the functional limitations normally imposed by such a mutation. Borrowing from serpentine physiology, the marsh wolf’s lower jaw is in fact capable of splitting open along its center line, allowing for a much larger bite radius and the swallowing whole of certain prey items. Three rows of shark-like teeth line the inside of the marsh wolf’s maw, although as well it does retain its (now extremely elongated) canine teeth. These canines are in fact the only teeth it has that are capable of delivering the powerful cyto neurotoxin stored in glands on either side side of the neck. Marsh wolves typically have three barbed tongues that can be shot out up to a distance of four feet, spaded tails, and see well into the infrared spectrum thanks to small pits just below and slightly ahead of the eyes. They remain pack-oriented, although the politics within their family units can be far more violent than in ordinary wolf specimens. These creatures may weigh up to 112 kg and stand as tall as 89 cm at the shoulder.

Skull-faced Bear - No one quite knows why or how these bears wound up living in the marsh, but there is one thing they do know: the animal is terrifying. Thinning and receding of the skin has left bone exposed along much of its snout, yet the animal does not appear to suffer in any discernible way from the types of maladies that would normally accompany such severe deformity. Skull-faced bears exhibit canine teeth up to twice as long as those of the average brown or polar bear and possess a secondary row of serrated, backward-curved teeth behind the first to help make sure their prey isn’t getting away once grabbed. Weighing up to 950 kg and standing at an average of 1.7 m at the shoulders, the skull-faced bear is more than capable of looking even tall people right in the eye without ever having to rise to its hind legs. But, if one of these bears should stand, it could potentially stand as high as a whopping 3.1 m. Skull-faced bears display frightful levels of aggression; the usual methods of deterring bear attacks serve only to further incite the beasts. Some of these bears possess the ability to disappear seemingly at will and reappear anywhere within visual range of their original position. Incurring damage triggers a runaway regenerative response in the skull-faced bear that, if repeatedly stimulated, will culminate in uncontrolled mutation that will make the creature many times faster, stronger, more aggressive, and more durable than it had been before. Indeed, the only way to damage the skull-faced bear once it mutates into this state is to strike the exposed brain stem at the back of the skull or the enlarged heart, which may or may not begin to protrude through the breast bone. Note that the bear can no longer utilize its `blink` after its mutation reaches this point.

4
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Island Flora & Fauna
« on: November 10, 2018, 07:44:50 PM »
Northern Mountains/Forests

Trees
Red oak [acorns, tannin, dye]
Sweet chestnut [chestnuts, tannin, oil, medicinal]
White-bark pine [pine nuts, rosin, turpentine, tar]
Yellow birch [sap for winemaking and beer]
White ash [medicinal, dye, repellant]
Sugar maple [syrup, seeds, medicinal, perservative, potash]
Sumac [berries, roots, shoots, medicinal, dye, mordant, oil, tannin]


Shrubs/Plants/Flowers (Flora)
Mountain laurel [poison, medicinal, dye]
Blueberry [edible, dye, medicinal]
Blackberry [edible, dye, medicinal, fiber]
Raspberry [edible, medicinal, dye]
Huckleberry [edible, medicinal]
Rhododendron [incense]
Honeysuckle azalea
Fern [miscellaneous]
Lichen [edible, dye]
Nettle [tea, medicinal, dye, fiber, oil]
Yarrow [tea, medicinal, dye, skin cleanser]
Monkshood [poison, medicinal]
Cornflower [edible, medicinal, ink]
Red valerian [edible, medicinal]
Bleeding heart
Yellow corydalis

Tears of the Moon- similar to snowdrops, these drooping white flowers bloom, one to a plant, in tiny niche-like cups of fertile soil along the highest slopes of the northern mountains shortly after the winter solstice. As myth would have it, the moon wept when it saw how were-creatures were enslaved to its waxing and waning, and where each tear fell a flower bloomed. Though to harvest them involves risking frostbite and death by avalanche, they are worth considerably more than their weight in gold and highly sought after. When dried and powdered, the petals can be made into a medicine of sorts that will prevent a were from transforming during the full moon and it is rumored that there is a way to cure lycanthropy completely with them, though it has not yet been discovered.

Waterfall Holly- This denizen of the mountain slopes and general foresty undergrowth sports round five or six-spiked leaves [similar to mahonia bealei] and long draping groups of tendrils covered in pale blue-white berries that are sweet to taste... and sadly given to inflicting miserable stomach cramps and accompanying nausea on anyone foolish enough to go eating them.


Animals (Fauna)
Common: Bear (Brown), Bobcat, Cougar, Deer, Elk, Fox, Goat, Hawk, Owl (various), Pheasant, Big Horn Sheep, Squirrel, Wood Mouse
Insects: Ants, Bees, Cicadas, Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Spiders (various - poisonous and non), Wasps

Unique:
Blood Beetle - Blood beetles are so-named for their habit of attaching to large mammals and drinking to their hearts' content. These insects typically grow to 17 centimeters in length. Their larval stage is considered odd due to its possession of an armored carapace almost from the moment it hatches. The plates grow along with the grub rather than having to be molted. Blood beetles typically lay their eggs in the open wounds of various mammals, as their young feed on raw flesh. Blood beetles are quite green despite their name, though one might see hints of red peeking through their abdominal plates after a large enough feed.

Frost Moth - These not-so-tiny creatures greatly resemble the animal that would one day be known as the poodle moth, but they are considerably larger; with a wingspan comparable to a dinner plate when full grown. The frost moth is a rarity in that it can bite - its mandibles are quite strong, even capable of painfully biting the average person. These mandibles are intended for gnawing one's way into plants for access to their nourishing sap. This same feeding behavior is exhibited by the insect's caterpillar stage as well.

Markhor - The markhor is a breed of mountain goat characterized both by its unusual size and a-typical horn shape--corkscrews. The animal's height typically ranges anywhere from 65 to 115 centimeters, its length between 132 and 186 centimeters, and its weight ranging from 32 kilograms all the way up to 110 kilograms. The markhor is commonly seen both high up in the mountains and down in the surrounding lowlands. A few may occasionally even wander further South. These goats are strict herbivores.

Lesser Gryphon - These gryphons strongly resemble vultures in their more bird-like areas. They lack the gripping strength of their fully predatory cousins, but their beaks are more than strong enough to crush bone. The feathering and fur on these animals is black with red highlights along the wings and a white collar around the neck. They've no feathers to speak of on their heads. Lesser vultures are generally comparable to bobcats in size--a fitting truth given that their feline anatomy far more closely resembles those than any sort of lion. Height, weight, and length are all comparable to those of a bobcat. This animal feeds chiefly on carrion, but it may occasionally opt to prey upon a small or severely weakened animal. Locals sometimes refer to them as greppons.

Mountain Bison  - Larger and sturdier than more common breeds of bison, the mountain bison--also known as wood bison--is well suited to higher altitudes and cooler climates. Its thick coat of fur serves as both insulation against the elements and a sort of armor against many would-be predators, up to and including young wyverns. Males typically grow to upwards of six feet in height at the shoulders, a whopping ten feet in length, and well over 900 kg in weight. The females, while smaller, are typically within three-quarters of the male's figures. The bison are strictly herbivorous.

Mountain Wyvern - The mountain wyvern strongly resembles the increasingly rare white dragon, though its wings are anchored to its arms rather than growing from the back. With a common length of twenty feet (counting the tail) and weight approaching roughly 2721 kg, these wyverns are the apex predators of their region. They do not possess a breath weapon of any sort, but a large stinger at the end of their thick, sinewy tails partially compensates; it injects a potent neurotoxin capable of paralyzing even the snowy gryphon in mere moments. Its preferred prey items are the aforementioned snowy gryphon and mountain bison, although they will pick off smaller animals such as the markhor or an unfortunate traveler if provided with the opportunity. These wyverns are strictly carnivorous.

Pigmy Snowy Gryphon - Surprisingly only distantly related to its larger counterpart further down in this list. The pigmy snowy gryphon typically grows only to the size of a large cougar, and its feline traits are often more pronounced than those of more common gryphon variants. It possesses cougar-like ears growing from its owl's head, a properly feathered tail, and talons more closely resembling those of its avian cousins than the feline. Its fluffier look, "puppy dog" eyes, and overall softer features tend to onlookers feel more at ease. ..... Right before they die. The pigmy snowy gryphon is quite voracious, exceeding even the local wyvern population in both prey drive and outright viciousness. One might liken them to a domesticated cat in that they will sometimes hunt simply for their own amusement rather than a need for food.

Polar Owlbear - These creatures are unlike standard owlbears in that they're adapted primarily to colder environments, though they can handle periods of relative warmth if they remain relatively inactive. These massive creatures strongly resemble the average owlbear in build but not in sheer size or coloration; stark white with occasional hints of tan dominate the pelts of these monstrosities. Males can reach heights of 167 centimeters at the shoulder while on all fours, and well in excess of 304 centimeters if standing upright. Females are almost as large. The animals may reach weights exceeding one ton. Also unlike regular owlbears, these creatures possess claws more akin to those of their owl counterparts than those of polar bears.

Snowy Gryphon - White and pure as the wind-driven snow, the snowy gryphon serves as something of a guardian of Etla's mountainous Northern region. These curious creatures differ from the common gryphon not only in their coloration but in that their more bird-like traits appear to have been inherited from a large species of owl rather than an eagle. Both a protector and a hunter, these majestic creatures could rescue a benevolent traveler one moment only to turn around and slay a hostile visitors the next. Males commonly grow up to 153 centimeters in height and an impressive 680 kg in height with females tending to be of similar yet very slightly smaller make. The snowy gryphon often targets markhor as their preferred prey when solitary, but a family unit may choose to attack larger prey. They usually avoid wyvern confrontations whenever possible, family or no.

Turkey Vulture - Ordinary in all ways save that long term exposure to the island's magics have resulted in a 10% size increase. Behavioral patterns are entirely unaffected. Turkey vultures are primarily carrion feeders with a very small percentage of their nourishment coming from opportunistic predation.

Wood Louse - Commonly known as a pillbug. These obnoxious creatures do not appear to care about any climate factors at all, are unaffected by altitude and don't appear to be meaningfully impacted by alterations to their immediate environment in any discernible way.

Wolpertinger - One may liken this unto a platypus in that it bears the traits of seemingly unrelated animals for no discernible reason. Its head resembles that of a rabbit, its canines those of a saber-toothed cat, its body larger-than-average ground squirrel, and the wings on its back those of a pheasant. It even has a pair of antlers that somewhat resemble those of a deer. This is not, however, a creature of myth and legend; it possess no inherent magical ability nor sufficient intelligence with which to command such prowess. The antlers are employed in exactly the same way a buck's might be, its wings only give it enhanced jumping and gliding ability rather than full flight, and its canine teeth are for little more than show and/or attracting a mate. They're herbivores. Hops are a favorite food of the wolpertinger.

5
Character Sheets / Re: Felicienne Vdo
« on: August 22, 2018, 05:53:37 PM »
Pretty basic stuff here so approved! Welcome ^.^

6
Character Sheets / Re: Shinsuke Amuro
« on: July 14, 2018, 12:05:11 AM »
Didnt realize your app was still sittin here. Apologies. Since we discussed already I'll move this to char sheets. If there are concerns, I know where to find you =P

7
Character Sheets / Re: Nataros
« on: July 14, 2018, 12:03:19 AM »
Hello and welcome! Everything looks good.

8
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Lost? (Dream Maps)
« on: July 01, 2018, 12:10:46 AM »
Valshiem:

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


https://i.imgur.com/zArZUHJ.jpg

9
Character Sheets / Re: Veula
« on: May 30, 2018, 12:34:06 PM »
Hiya! Welcome!

Sorry for the delay, I just moved and a lot of staff has been dealing with some RL issues as well. We'll try to give this a good look over ASAP!

10
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Magic Lore & Guidelines (New System)
« on: October 28, 2017, 04:36:07 PM »
Added a new guideline around the rift and it's effect on 'outside' magics.
Example: If you are granted your powers from Venus, you are partially cut off from that deity while inside the rift. Your powers are weakened.

This also protects from lore crossover. If all your abilities are from a Japanese-based mythology, then there could be a hit here as well since this is not Japan.
There are always exceptions and loopholes or particular scenarios. We could go into the intricacies of how the Rift moves and shifts through time and space that could potentially give you more power at some times and less power at others, but that seems much more complicated. The general gist here is to account for the existence of the Rift and how it might affect external influences.

11
Botanica / Product Offerings
« on: October 28, 2017, 01:15:00 PM »
visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Balms & Salves

Headache Balm
Blend of Frankincense, Peppermint, Spearmint, Lavender and Basil
For use, apply a small amount to the back of the neck and temples to ease tension.

Sleep Balm
Infused with Vetiver, Chamomile, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Sweet Marjoram
For use, apply to pulse points, upper chest and soles of feet before bed.

Nourishing Balm
A propriety blend of tree nut butters and oils for the skin.
Can be used to treat skin conditions and heal/nourish chapped, flaking, or dried skin.

Hair/Fur Growth Salve
Blend of Rosemary, Lavender, Peppermint, Aloe, Olive, and Coconut oils
Relieves dryness, itching and flaking of scalp/skin and promotes hair/fur growth.

Burn Salve
Infused oils of St. John's Wort, Comfrey, Burdock, Calendula, Sea Buckthorn
For treatment of minor burns and skin irritations.

Healing Salve
Blend of Bee Balm, Marygold (Calendula), Lavender, Basil and Honey
For the treatment of small cuts, scrapes, bruises and irritations.

Comfrey Salve
Comfrey oil, honey, beeswax.
Aids in healing of broken bones. Soothes bumps and bruises.

Black Drawing Salve
Pine Tar, Charcoal, oils and beeswax.
For splinters, bites and boils. Also soothing for some skin conditions.


Infusions & Tinctures

Good Health Tincture
Elderberries, Echinacea, Thyme steeped in vodka
A few drops on the tongue daily to ward off illness. At the onset of symptoms, take a spoonful every half hour.

Nausea Tincture
Ginger Root steeped in vodka
A few drops on the tongue at onset of nausea. Use more as needed.

Milk of the Poppy
Use with caution. For pain relief and inducing long sleep [anesthesia]


Tea Blends

Calm Mind
Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Lavender, Catnip
ProperTeas: Mild sedative; calms nerves [nervous system] and mind [stress and anxiety]. Aids in digestion. Also beneficial for inducing sleep.

Pregnancy Tea
Raspberry Leaf, Alfalfa, Nettle, Chamomile, Spearmint, Rose Hips
ProperTeas: During and after pregnancy. Nourish mom and baby [vitamins and minerals]. Reduce nausea.

Headache Ease
Ginger Root, Passionflower, Skullcap, Feverfew, Lemon Balm, Chamomile
ProperTeas: Mild sedative; calms nerves and mind [nervous system, stress, anxiety]. Reduces inflammation.
For chronic headache conditions, drink regularly to prevent onset.

Relax
Rose Hips, Elderberries, Nettle, Hibiscus, Lemon Balm
ProperTeas: Calms the body and helps it adapt to stressors and ward off illness.

Breath of Life
Mullein, Elecampane, Marshmallow, Calendula, Echinacea, Chamomile, Ginger Root
ProperTeas: Ease respiratory distress. [asthma, allergies and as an expectorant]

Basics
Fresh & Dried Herbs

Infused Herbal Oils, Honeys and Vinegars

Distilled Herbal Essence Oils

Pigments, Stains & Dyes

Honey

Beeswax Candles

*OOC Note: It's sometimes hard to determine the medieval equivalent of things. I try to keep in mind historical and technological restraints in materials, processes and general medical knowledge. If you would like a better understanding of anything listed here, just ask.

12
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Magic Lore & Guidelines
« on: October 24, 2017, 08:14:14 PM »
Sure! lol. I mean, hopefully not an aneurysm. I suppose they would require time spent meditating or 'recharging' so as to have a full reserve to pull from perhaps? I also added to the FAQ post above to try to break things down into a more 'what-this-means-for-rp' sense.

13
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Magic Lore & Guidelines
« on: October 24, 2017, 07:28:47 PM »
There's no simple black and white answer. The idea is simply that nothing is free. The balance is more like... If you're drawing from a personal reserve or channeling the aether through yourself, then there's essentially a cooldown effect. You've depleted part or all of your resources to 'pay the price' of the spell and time must pass to restore the balance of energies. However, if you pull directly from the aether or from the island/planet, then the price must be paid some other way. And if you haven't offered up something, the aether may just take it wherever it sees fit (and this ties into a future plot twist >.>)

14
Continuity Knowledgebase / Re: Magic Lore & Guidelines
« on: October 24, 2017, 02:10:39 PM »
FAQ:

WTF does this even mean?!
 - All things are the aether. All magic is the aether. The aether is originally comprised of the four base elements. Using magic is still working with the aether, even if you're working with the base elements. Kind of like... at the beginning of time, the 4 elements existed and they decided to all hang out and BAM! Aether. Now everything exists. Everything. Light, Dark, Time, Gravity, Void, Pizza. Mmmmm. Pizza.
 - As a sort of 'natural law' the aether maintains a balance to all things. Using magic, playing with the aether, manipulating things to your own or someone elses personal gain, has a cost. This cost may be paid by the time/effort put into casting it. It may be from drawing from a personal reserve and causing a cooldown effect for the reserve to replenish. It may be some sort of kharmic system that comes back on you later. How you decide to pay the toll of each of your spells and abilities is up to you.
 - The other natural law at play here is the amount of time something takes to build up should have an equal effect. If in one round of posts, 2 seconds of time has passed, then you've invested 2 seconds of time/energy/focus/faith/whathaveyou into your 'casting'. The resulting effect should be equal to what was put into it. Essentially, you can't call down a storm of meteors in the time it takes to sneeze. The pendulum also accounts for the passage of time and the polarity in all things. The 'flow' to nature and the aether: Life - death cycle, seasons, tides.. taking time to learn something or effort put in to get good at something before there is a pay off.
 - Faith is the collective power manifested by the masses. If something exists in lore elsewhere because enough people believed in it (and this counts for gods/deities too) then we are connected to it through the aether. Distant faith-based things have a reduced power in Etla because of the rift (like deities from other realms). This brings about holy and unholy magics, divine-granted powers, etc. Paladins and any other sort of 'faith-based' power user are granted their power determined by their devotion. Meaning, they must pray regularly, or give an offering or otherwise 'pay the price' for their powers just as any other magic user must.
 - Tiers and Preps: The tiers are a suggestion for breaking types of spells down into the amount of time/effort/cost they should require to enact. The actual 'time' as-in number of preps, is up to the players and heavily situational. Each RP will call for different things so this is where we're giving you back a little power. Use your best judgement when casting in an RP with others.

15
Continuity Knowledgebase / Magic Lore & Guidelines (New System)
« on: October 23, 2017, 08:48:52 PM »
visitors can't see pics , please register or login


The Aether
Everything is comprised of energy. This energy can be referred to as aether. The aether is comprised of the four prime elements: earth, fire, air and water. The manipulation of the aether has several disciplines, methodologies and faiths, but for the purpose of this document, we will refer to all as 'magic'. All magic is in some way derived from the aether, be it using a trait of the aether itself or using one of the elements that comprise aether, such as fire.

The Balance
As above; so below. As within; so without. What you put in, you'll reap. What you take away; you'll pay. The aether maintains a balance always.  All magic has a cost, whether you're pulling directly from the aether or from a personal stash (or equivalent). The cost, or effect, is equivalent to the power of the spell or action used. Example: Life for life. Giving or returning life requires life paid. Be it of another being, or surrounding natural life, as well as the toll on the caster(s) themselves. The 'toll' can be distributed between several practitioners to reduce the individual cost but the cost remains. Some may find ways to cheat the balance, temporarily, but the aether will always collect and restore the natural balance of all.

The Pendulum
The pendulum swing manifests in everything. All things rise and fall, ebb and flow. To everything there is a tide or season. The only factor is time. Manipulation of the aether may take an investment of time but the pendulum swing will bring an equal reaction, either over an equal amount of time, our compounded into one larger effect. In relation to what else is happening in each round, the invested energy and focus on your magic should have an equal reaction.

The Faith
When a great many people believe in something, they give it power. Though Etla is essentially 'cut off' from the deities of other lands, the aether connects all. Those with faith may manipulate the aether much like a caster, but the Balance and the Pendulum are still in effect. Their faith must be unwavering, putting in as much as they expect to get out.

The Rift
The Rift works as a sort of bubble around the island and has an effect on magics as well. Anything that exists within the bubble (fire, earth, light, shadow, time, gravity, life/death to name a few) can exist and be manipulated at 'full-strength'. Things that originate outside the bubble (faith-based lore, time-specific lore, area-specific lore and the like), their existence and manipulation within the rift are diluted. The exact effects or handicaps are up to individual players but there should be a 'hit'.

The Structure
We recommend a 5 tier casting system, halving the old system. We leave the finer details to the flow of the individual RP but the tiered system is as follows. The examples given are for determining scale.
   Tier I (Hurt): Cantrips and minor spells. A small investment of energy for a small reward. Ex: Enough energy to cause or repair intense bruising, or summon a small creature or item.
   Tier II (Wound): Minor to moderate spells. A mediocre investment of energy. Ex: Enough to cause or repair bleeding, or summon a moderately sized creature or item.
   Tier III (Kill): Mid to large spells. A decent amount of investment for decent reward. Ex: Enough to cause or repair major organ damage, or summon a decent sized or more powerful creature or item. (humanoid/natural transformation and self-teleportation included at this level)
   Tier IV (More Kill): Major spell. Major investment for major reward. Ex: Grenade level blast damage. Healing extensive wounds. Summoning larger/more powerful beings and items. (minor mythical creature transformation and teleportation of self +2)
   Tier V (Over Kill): Massive spells. Massive investment with massive cost for massive reward. Ex: Michael Bay level blast damage. Healing massive wounds (think saving from the brink of death). Summoning large supernatural creatures. (major mythical creature transformation, group teleportation and reanimating the dead)
   Ritual: Anything beyond the scope of this tiered system requires a ritual with multiple casters. Includes: Resurrection, creating life, summoning greater/named spirits (only 15% chance of controlling the spirit)

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