This is not Furcadia canon

[Eliel]

I've mentioned and tried to explain this many different ways but I feel this fact is overlooked more often than not. Etla Isle does not exist in Furcadia canon. The more people bring Kasuria and the Primes and whatever else into this continuity... the more they trample the story Ive been trying to build. Star Wars is not the same as Star Trek. Marvel Universe and DC Universe shouldn't be blended together. Please stop dragging Furcadian crap into Etla.

The Rift
A magical 'rift' exists in the waters surrounding the island. This rift moves just as easily as the sea does. There may, at times, be other islands near Etla pulled into the rift. It can pull in ships and other vessels, storms and strange weather patterns, etc. Those passing through the rift can access Etla from another time, another realm (like furc canon), another dimension...

The oddities that pass through the rift and travel into Etla and into Eileadora, have dulled people's senses to strangeness over the years, allowing for a wider range of species within the dream, but the setting and structure of the continuity doesn't change much. Something too far outside of our time or our understanding is going to be seen as some sort of sorcery (or should be). Sitting in the tavern, yacking about the Primes, should cause people to look at you like you're crazy. Primes? WTF are those?

I do understand and recognize that different characters have different histories and may have originated in Furcadian canon and those characters may feel a strong tie or bond to those things.... but they don't exist here. They're not recognized here. I don't want them here. If I wanted to recognize Furc canon, I'd have used it in the initial structure for the continuity. If your character cannot live without these things.. then perhaps they should be in a Furc canon dream.

[Zelanze]

The only question I have regarding Etla's canon then is the geography of the Dragonlands. For example, according to the furc map the nearest port is Port Lathora of of Kasuria, and I was planning on setting up an rp that involves it (namely negotiating trade to there).

I always thought the primes and Furc's world origin story were kinda silly just if I'm being honest.

[Eliel]

I've never liked any of Furc's story which is why I decided not to use or recognize any of it. The map in the island map thread that shows dragonlands and kasuria and gilderiem and etla (here) is an accurate representation of where one might encounter the rift to pass through to Etla. However.. if the rift has moved, you could be sailing around for awhile til you find it.  Getting from Etla to Kasuria is fairly easy. So long as you have an intended destination, the rift will allow you pass through to where you want to go. Getting back is harder.

[Render]

So what is the Etla Isle theology? The great creator-goddess Heatherbee? :3

[Eliel]

*shrugs* Elora has never been the religious sort, doesnt give a flying fuck about gods or deities. She's never left the island or passed through the rift. The island exists and all of it's history and the rift exists... that's all.

If someone would like to ICly try to discover the origination of the island or the rift or whatever else, theyre welcome to. I know we have a few people who've been working on developing more story around Eilea's religion and such but for the most part, people have ALWAYS borrowed either from real life or from Furcadia and never allowed us to develop our own.

[Brollie]

Sorry! I oopsed on the Kasurian detail on my forum posts before this educated me

[Eliel]

Yeah, your post spurred this but that's why I realized this is a big part of the continuity that no one seems to catch. The rift only exists to allow people an easier way to bring their characters into Eilea, instead of having to make a new one that strictly fits the continuity. But it seems because Ive made it so easy to transfer over, everything else seems to come with it and there's been quite an influx of it lately.

[Brollie]

Yeah, your post spurred this but that's why I realized this is a big part of the continuity that no one seems to catch. The rift only exists to allow people an easier way to bring their characters into Eilea, instead of having to make a new one that strictly fits the continuity. But it seems because Ive made it so easy to transfer over, everything else seems to come with it and there's been quite an influx of it lately.

(I've edited the Kasurian details)
Honestly the rift works better for characters like mine and others who want a valid excuse for their furre/hyooman to hail from so far away that travel would pretty much mean death. Expecially since hyoomans are decently popular now, it allows wiggle room that Kasurian lore really does not allow.

[Lionheart]

*shrugs* Elora has never been the religious sort, doesnt give a flying fuck about gods or deities. She's never left the island or passed through the rift. The island exists and all of it's history and the rift exists... that's all.

If someone would like to ICly try to discover the origination of the island or the rift or whatever else, theyre welcome to. I know we have a few people who've been working on developing more story around Eilea's religion and such but for the most part, people have ALWAYS borrowed either from real life or from Furcadia and never allowed us to develop our own.

Not only is your current High Clergy dealing with his as an IC Problem, I am also having an OOC Issue where the real question for me, regarding faith, spirituality, theology, religion, etc, etc...

Do we want to develop something? Or, am I going Dragonlands Canon? What about Elven Gods? What about other people's creation story Gods?

Micheru did his write up for his Shadowlyng Gods and I thought that was great...

However, I honestly ask:

How does your Clergy bring you Faith when it seems explicitly stated we don't want the Furcadian Stuff here?

I have no problem using Dragonlands and the Primes, the Dragon, etc, etc... I mean, it's written into the Client we all play on, so it's always been an easy fall back.

I also know I can't serve every single person's deity individually. Not only does that not work in roleplay medieval fantasy settings (usually you had one church/religious body with one faith and everyone believed it), it doesn't work in real life where ministers that work in interfaith work (Hi - I'm aspiring to do this as an actual RL job) bring their own faith in to a discussion around your faith.

I'm at a loss because people are literally bringing in a range of Gods, Deities, Backgrounds, Canons, and Beliefs. I don't mind any of this, I just struggle with finding a commonality of bond regarding faith outside of more "humanistic" approaches.

Is this a discussion we can open up to help guide my hand? Or... am I gonna struggle with this one? Tilley ICly was actually going to approach the Queen and ask her and the King what their faith was because I've been doing IRL Research with my peers regarding how a new priest would enter into a broken church and fix it, and it's hard to unite around a faith if everyone has a different understanding.

Halp.

[Render]

Really, I'm kind of glad of the rift, because it's an easier explanation for how Render and his kind actually got here. Ugh, which reminds me I need to work on that book >_<

[Lionheart]

@Lionheart, I think that your best bet is to go the route of nondenomination.

Don't run a specific church, just encourage Faith.

If you try to promote something specific, you're going to alienate everyone, and the Church itself will fail.

Not WHAT you believe, but THAT you believe.

This is honestly where I was going to think to go with it on an OOC level because I personally believe that in my own ministry and faith of understanding.

IC this will have to be figured out by the High Clergyman because he is otherwise lost and confused on how to do this.

While I do get this regarding the Cathedral and find this a great suggestion that I think I can work into the play of our "most faithful man in the City" (So not ready)...

I still ask where we are drawing the lines on this or if it's meant to be ambiguous and grey.

We do have many different characters that come to us from a range of backgrounds and canons, so it'd be a great catch-all to say "We came through the Rift".

I'm just kind of curious where the lines are in the sand.

You cannot do this with matters of faith - I can't tell your character ICly to not believe that there is Flying Spaghetti Monster or that Spiritual Truth is found in hacking off limbs. If that's what your character believes... cool.

[Ayumu]

@Lionheart You should totally just bring The Earth Mother into our lives and I'll stand on a podium for you in the church

[Cas]

@Lionheart You should totally just bring The Earth Mother into our lives and I'll stand on a podium for you in the church

Seconded.

[Takurasho]

IC this will have to be figured out by the High Clergyman because he is otherwise lost and confused on how to do this.

Uh oh... A councilman without a game plan for his sector? Not good.

What is Tilly's religion?? Doesn't he worship Balance? Maybe he could give sermons on how people can bring peace and balance into their life, that's what most military clergymen do. Weren't you studying for that irl? Help OCs with their individual faiths, otherwise in general sermons... well I mean, I'm not gonna tell you how to play, but Tilly should stick with what he knows. Keep things general because as mentioned, focusing on one religion on an isle of people from multiple dimensions won't work well.

[Faaide]

I'm... glad you mentioned this.

I've RP'ed here how many years and I never realized typical Furc stuff wasn't recognized here.