Graves Hall Mod

Miscellany: The Weaving Society Charter

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:35:40 GMT

This is a work in progress and can be added to with input.

The Weaving Society Charter
Established in the Year of Tedious Recollection

Article I
Weaving is a privilege and as such must be practiced with skill and care. Weavers willing to obey by the code of ethics outlined in this charter may join the society and receive a monthly stipend for their work weaving.

Article II
The governing body of the society shall be comprised of the eldest weavers within each district of Aylasia. One weaver each for Little Spot, Great Spot, and each island. Two weavers for every other territory on the Aylasian mainland. Each governor will name a successor upon leaving her position in the society and may serve as long as she sees fit and continues to follow the code of ethics.

Addendum to Article II
There shall be no district governor for Linoa Island.

Article III
New members are to be considered on a trial basis to ensure that they are willing to follow the charter explicitly. During this time the new member will receive a reduced stipend. When the new member is deemed worthy they are classified as a full member and may receive a regular stipend.

Addendum to Article III
Former members who left or were removed from the society for violations of charter may be reconsidered for membership after a suitable amount of time passes. They will be treated as new members: while receiving a reduced stipend they will be under greater scrutiny for a trial period. Continued observation of the member will be decided upon as a case by case basis.

Article IV
Code of Ethics

I. Weavers will accept recognition of a life match whether it be natural or claimed.
II. Weavers will not create night/daymares without just cause; it is the weaver's responsibility to provide evidence should the night/daymare be warranted.
III. It is at the discretion of the weaver when and what to weave, but no person should go for more than a month's time without having a dream woven for them.
IV. Weavers shall observe territorial boundaries and inform the district governor should she begin weaving in a new district for more than the space of a month.
V. Above all else weavers must keep the secrets of those they weave for.
VI. In addition weavers must keep the secrets that they learn incidentally by weaving.
VII. This society must be kept secret and its business may only be discussed with other members.

Addendum to Article IV
VIII. Upon request no weaver shall create dreams while visiting Linoa Island. Any weaver found in violation will be subject to Linoan laws regarding the matter and may be heavily sanctioned by her own district governor.

Article V
Should a weaver violate the code of ethics it is up to the governing body of the society to decide an appropriate sanction. Minor violations may result in a reduction in stipend or increased scrutiny. More serious violations may result in a temporary suspension of stipend, a requested, temporary binding, or regular observation during weaving. Serious violations may result in ejection from the society.

Article VI
These articles can be added to at any time, as well as being modified by a vote of majority within the governing body.

Secret and Not So Secret Societies

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:34:30 GMT

We all know about the Graves Hall Society and it's members. But we haven't much discussed other societies that function within the larger culture.

1. The Elemental Society
This society was probably established around the time of Jackson Willis by a neat piece of legislation. Basically Parliament siphons off a bit of money to pay elementals who belong to the society a stipend in exchange for maintaining the weather (and preventing crazy-chaotic weather when and where they can). It's self-regulated in that members ensure a fair share of the work is being handled equally by each member and that no one is slacking off. A member can leave the society at any time, but for an elemental it's a pretty easy paycheck.

2. The Weaving Society
The Weaving Society is one of those secret societies that is not known about by the larger public. They are a self-governed body of weavers who agree to abide by a certain code of ethics in their weaving. Not every weaver is a member, but the large majority are. Most weavers are introduced by a fellow weaver or family member already in the society. They receive financial support from private sources and secretly from Parliament. Each weaver is paid a stipend for creating dreams because they serve a very important function in society (by preventing people's minds from descending into chaos). The society is usually headed up by a contingency of the eldest weavers, one or two for each district in Aylasia. They meet each month to discuss business, dole out the lump stipends to each district, and induct new members who agree to the charter. Those acting outside of the charter can be sanctioned by the society or removed altogether (such as weaving nightmares under most circumstances). After a certain amount of time has passed a former member can reapply, but they are under greater scrutiny by the society upon their return.

Miscellany: Sex and Pregnancy

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:31:07 GMT

We've been handling sex and pregnancy on a case by case basis in the game so far. So let's open up the discussion further. This is what I (and some of you who've spoken with me) have been thinking:

First and foremost: should you decide to play out a pregnancy in game, it will run the full length of the pregnancy in real time (so plan to deal with a cranky, hormonal character for 8-9 months).

1. There are probably magical charms, spells, or potions to have "protected" sex. This could prevent pregnancy and/or STDs (I'm not sure if we have STDs in Aylasia, but with all the hookers in New Meridian, probably).

A) Long term birth control. Potions, pills, or long acting spells that prevent pregnancy. They are not always effective (it depends on how well the potion/pill/spell was made, how and when it was used), maybe a little less effective than "real world" contraceptives.

B) Immediate protection. The Aylasian equivalent of condoms. These could be akin to barrier spells/charms that are used in the heat of the moment.

2. Sex between a faerie and a mage (and any other such beings of different sizes) only works when the faerie is mage size. I think there is some sort of universal law that applies to this that prevents the faerie from popping back into faerie form (some exceptions may apply, I'm looking at you Joey).

3. Some pregnancies are magical in nature. Ex: a half-faerie mom will stay in mage form for the length of her pregnancy to protect the baby, even if the half-faerie mom doesn't have that kind of control over the ability normally. A shapeshifter may still shapeshift, but he/she will only be able to shift into female forms during the length of the pregnancy, this is also to protect the viability of the fetus.

A vampire can only get pregnant with another vampire (and their offspring is considered a half-vampire); this is a previously established rule in the mod journal. Most other races can have children with other races, for example werewolves can get pregnant with non-werewolves, though the results are unsure in each case (will the baby be born with lycanthropy or not?). Stars can have children with mages, though most stars know that it is strictly forbidden (there's a reason for it, I haven't stumbled on it yet) and it is not known at all by the general public.

I'm sure there are other magical afflictions that occur with pregnancy (maybe backfiring magic symptoms with fluctuating hormones to go with the physical symptoms). This could be decided by the players for their individual pregnancy storylines.

4. Magic is genetic (for the most part). Children usually receive a combination of their parents magical abilities. Some abilities are not passed through family lines (like immortality, though this is changing with the influx of new and random magic). Sometimes magic abilities skip a generation; so a kid can end up with grandpa or grandma's skills even though mom or dad didn't develop it. A baby born of two parents who have suffered the full extent of the BP would be born without magic.

Miscellany: Aylasian Holidays

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:29:32 GMT

The Compendium of Aylasian Holidays

October 1: King's Day. Every ten years a new King is inaugurated on the 1st. Every year the inauguration is celebrated in the way which the current King sees fit.
October 31: All Hallow's Eve. A night of reveling and costume wearing fun.

November: Grand Derby Stakes. Not a holiday per say, but it is a yearly event, always held on the second weekend in November. Sort of like the Kentucky Derby. Horse races (except some of them have centaurs racing), lots of gambling, and glamorous socializing events in New Meridian.

The 12 Days of Yuletide
December 20: Bon Festival. A day to say goodbye to the dearly deceased. This is a quiet celebration in which one cares for the spirits that have passed (either long ago or just this year).
December 21: Solstice Feast
December 22: Abe's Feast. A celebration for the first King.
December 23: Snow Day. The one day of the year when all elementals make the weather cold and snowy. Everyone has the day off. Snow forts, snow men, and snow fights abound.
December 24: Alm's Day. A day of charitable giving before the day of more personal gifts.
December 25: Yuletide (or Yule). A day to give gifts and spread joy.
December 26: Festivus. The yearly street masquerade. Every town celebrates; it's like a block party on every street. Sort of like Mardi Gras, but tamer (there are children invited, no naked time).
December 27: King's Feast. A feast hosted by the King for the needy, less privileged citizens of Aylasia. Traditionally held at the Palace.
December 28: Candlement. A day in which mages write down their wishes for the coming year on a slip of paper. They light a candle and burn their wish in the flame so that it is released into the realm of possibility.
December 29: Thanks Day. A day to share your thanks before the turning of the year.
December 30: Seer's Day. The seers gather to announce the naming of the new year.
December 31: New Year's Eve (or Twelfth Night). There will be celebrations at several locations in New Meridian

This is what we have so far for Aylasian Holidays. This list could be added to with player input.

People: Shapeshifters

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:28:15 GMT

I've been working on this a bit since Circe's been living in my head. If anyone else has other insights that would be cool.

In Linoa island slang; a shapeshifter is a dodge (dodging from one form to the next; that's some dodgy magic) or a slider (sliding from one form to another).

There are a few different types of shape-shifters. Some shift into inanimate objects (and this has drawbacks because you start to lose your sense of self if you stay in object form for too long). Some shift into animals (similar drawbacks in that you start to act as those animals and can permanently take on their instincts and/or certain behaviors even when you shift back into yourself). Lastly, some shift into other personas (or faces).

Circe is a persona shifter, so this is the one I've learned (or invented) the most about. This sort of shifting (as most shifting that's done) alters the whole body as well as their personality. The shifter takes on another person's body, be it a body they have seen or a body they have imagined. The drawback to persona shifters is that they must have strong boundaries between their personas. Regardless, most persona shifters are a touch crazy (if not completely so). They often exhibit symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. If they are not careful they can lose their original persona. They may have any number of personas that they use for different purposes/reasons. They may use a persona for some portion of their lifetime and then discard it permanently or use it again later. Persona shifters have a sense of their original self regardless of what persona they are in and will act in the best interest of the original (barring the few instances when a shifter remains in one persona for too long and loses that sense of their original self, as in the case of Amaterasu).

Most shape-shifters live on Linoa island. Many of them also have iron and fire elements; this has something to do with Linoa being a volcanic island, fire and iron are particularly suited to living there and dealing with an actively volcanic setting. Shape-shifting is one of those types of magic that is secretive.

The shape-shifter culture on Linoa island is also highly secretive. If they don't like you, for any reason, they will kick you off their island and bar you from ever returning (with spells or simply by threatening). The secret of their existence is spellbound and heavily guarded. As an added precaution they do not allow shape-shifters under a certain age to leave the island, partially because one must reach a certain level of maturity so as not to shift into inappropriate objects or people.

Magic, People: The Baby Boom

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:26:02 GMT

This is definitely player knowledge and NOT character knowledge.

Because of the surplus of magic AND the fertility spell cast on Isadore, ALL mages can have children at a younger age.

The phenomenon will start cropping up more and more as the young mothers start seeking prenatal care and eventually it'll get press coverage.

My thinking is that the fertility spell (cast by the mystery NPC) broke the universal law about fertility which became compounded by the surplus of magic around New Meridian. The result is that the one, very pointed spell expanded and altered the world so that now mages can have children younger (the cusp I would say is 18-19). I don't know what other ramifications this might have yet (considering that mages will be giving birth before their magical gifts are fully realized and before they've had a real chance to discover them). I can already see Salem Academy building a daycare wing to help their young parents get through school.

Miscellany: Unstuck in Time

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:24:45 GMT

This applies more specifically to Beyond the Graves since Cam and Kat are definitely unstuck in time.

When time travel is taken lightly an individual runs the risk of becoming unstuck in time. This is when the travel is hastily done, or when it is augmented by some other magic (Cam and Kat were skipping dimensions when gifts given to them threw them off the correct timeline).

This explains why time travel is not taken lightly and very few people ever risk it.

Essentially when one is unstuck in time they cease to exist in their own timeline. Magic mail cannot be delivered to them; dreams cannot be woven for them (at least not in their own timeline). They cannot return to their own timeline without extraordinary magic. Those who return to their natural timeline are usually pulled back into it by someone on the other side, rarely does anyone manage to gather the magic required on their own. Many who become unstuck remain in the new timeline for the rest of their lives.

When interdimensional travel is thrown into the mix it gets even more complicated. The parties involved may reverse age (a la The Picture of Dorian Grey) and their magic may become unstable. When returned to their correct time the side effects of becoming unstuck often remain.

This may be added to later, as we're still figuring some of this out in game.

From a book in Reed's Hall library: Mail has occasionally been marked as undeliverable when one is unstuck in time...

From a book in Marlowe's Hall library: Interdimensional travel is compounded when one travels along a timeline. If done without careful consideration one can be unstuck in time. This can happen whenever time travel is rushed.

He or she who has become unstuck ceases to exist in their own time and loses the ability to travel by normal means. It takes extraordinary magic to pull an individual back into their own timeline; more magic than is possessed by an ordinary mage.

Miscellany: The Blanket Plague

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:23:23 GMT

Joey and I were chatting about the Blanket Plague, since that plot idea has finally come into play with some new characters. We know the cause, but your characters don't (and we kind of want to surprise you).

I just want to clarify a few things.

The blanket plague does not kill people. It only affects magic. In some people it only affects one particular ability, or more, in others it affects all of their abilities. Those that die usually commit suicide (mostly after losing hope about the loss of their magic abilities), some die because they were using their magic to continually heal a disease and without that magic the disease overtakes them. Though the original definition included a slow decline this is only in certain cases. In some other cases only one ability is lost and there is no more decline. This is due to the nature of the plague, it's also why the plague is so confusing; there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to how it strikes.

There is a particularly part of the population affected by the plague: criminals. Basically there is a higher incidence of the plague among criminals; no one can point to the exact cause of this, though there are no complaints about it either. The criminals affected committed a crime before the blanket plague took affect; this may be a clue. They are not the only mages affected, but they seem to be affected more.

There has not been a single case among faeries, which points to the fact that they may not be affected to it, or maybe essentially immune to it. This may be true for other non-mage races as well, but there are no definitive studies or numbers to go by.

There may be a cure that is entirely unknown, however it will only work if some magic abilities remain in the victim. This will probably be explained when more is revealed.

The Blanket Plague has only been around for the last 12 years. Before that no one had it as it did not exist.

The plague may pass from one generation to the next, though no one who has been affected by it has yet had a child. It might have something to do with how magical abilities are inherited and passed down the generations.

The original definition from the mod journal (and this mostly still holds true):
The Blanket Plague
A strange illness that has spread with alarming frequency. It masks ones abilities and slowly eats away at magic casting skills. The Fixities were under investigation for suspicion that they may have been causing it. Nothing was proven and they have since been apologized to profusely. As yet there is no cure, but the Scholars and Inventors are working at it furiously. The plague attacks in pockets (several people from the same area). Faeries are immune to its affects (and partial faeries may be as well); it is unknown why, and whether or not they may be a secret to a cure or a preventative measure.

Joey's character Elliot Waldemar was the cause of the Blanket Plague, a fixity scion. When his anti-magic was cast it would begin to slowly eat away at a mage's magic. It affected other groups of magical beings differently. Since Elliot's disappearance after the botched kidnapping of Enki Chance the incidence of new B.P. cases has stopped. No one but Elliot and possibly his sister actually know/knew he was the cause of it.

This plot has mostly played out, though it's still possible to have a character who suffers from some effects of the B.P. (if they caught it before Elliot disappeared).

Magic: Imbalance of Power

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:19:19 GMT

I've been working on this new overarching plot idea for a bit now, sort of letting it stew in my brain. It's been 300 years in the making actually. And it works into both Graves and Beyond.

It explains why some of the weirder stuff has been happening.

Essentially put: New Meridian is a magical hot spot.

Magic permeates the very air in Great Spot and Salem, Homestead and those other towns dotting the area around Meridian. While those places are protected by the magic, Meridian is an area that needs to be claimed and does not have natural protection of its own. There is magic to be wielded here and for an area with no defenses, surrounded by unclaimable land it was a challenge simply to keep it from being overrun by those who use the magic for their own means. Enter Hamlin Graves and his idea to set up a throne and Parliament to claim the land.

Fast forward a couple hundred years. What Hamlin didn't realize when he set up the throne at New Meridian is that the magic there couldn't be wielded by just one person. He believed that without use the magic would slowly dissipate or release itself. Unfortunately the magic lays untapped in New Meridian and has been slowly building (just the reverse of what he believed would happen) and no one has realized it. By setting up the kingship he essentially dammed the magic (just like a lake building behind a dammed river).

The dam is starting to leak a bit and the untapped magic has started to manifest in peculiar ways. New forms of magic are arising (like the scions), or being inherited in ways that they hadn't been previously (immortals birthing immortals, shifters popping up without any history of pan-magic in their family, so on). In the Beyond game there are empaths and people with the ability to teleport (the latter is a very new ability, but the empath abilities could easily be developed in the Graves game).

The dam is leaking worse in Beyond because no one has yet realized it, but the prophets will see soon that it might be the only way to bring home the missing monarchs (by channeling the magic into a powerful spell and thereby depleting the "lake of magic").

So. What does this all mean for the game?

Your characters could quite possibly develop a new, peculiar type of magic. Among other possibilities: this extra magic is affecting how things work, making things that were improbable more possible. It's not only affecting mages but magic itself. There are a multitude of ways this could be played out.

It's not necessarily all inclusive, but if you have a character who needs something interesting to happen to them this might be the plot to jump on. It's up to you how you want to play it, however it won't be explainable. While your characters will know something weird is happening they won't know why or how. So if you want, hop on the crazy train.

Family Trees: Beyond

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:15:21 GMT

Things got a little kooky with our families when we started making Beyond. So we made some family trees. They're twisted.

-Siblings are color coded (each color is one family of siblings; makes it a little easier to tell what your looking at). A sibling that is half colored is only half sibling (Enki of course is an adopted sibling).
-The blue line above Enki means he was adopted.
-The dashed, pink line means a love-affair that ended.
-The dotted blue line means that they weren't in a relationship, but they decided to have a kid together.

This is a seriously complicated family tree. Almost everyone else has their own, separate and easy to understand tree (re: except Elliot).

In terms of safe dating Sass and I have compiled a list:
Willow Myles, the Aeron brothers, Sophia van der Woodsen, the stars, Tullulah, and Seremela. Forrest Walker is ok so long as you're not one of the Elliot spawn. Also, Alexzander Albertine and Suri, Enki and Nate Chance are all safe if you're not in the Graves family!

This has been a public service announcement from the council on safe dating within Graves Hall. Thank you.

Magic: Renouncment and Binding

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:04:39 GMT

This is something I've discussed with a few players off the record. I figured anyone could weigh in if they wanted.

It is possible for magic to be renounced or bound.

A renunciation happens when a mage gives up a magical ability (or all of their magical abilities). Most types of magic can be renounced with no repercussions. Certain types require ceremony or permission. Such as a prophet; he or she must consult the other prophets and have their assistance to give up their abilities because a new prophet will take their position. Only a mage can renounce his or her abilities. It cannot be done under coercion or by any other means; this is a universal law.

A binding is a preventative measure which makes it impossible to cast a particular kind of magic until the binding is broken (at a predetermined date or by other means). It requires a small bit of ritual magic, though this is easy enough to obtain and/or cast. Many parents bind children against harder to handle elements (such as lightning or fire). At an appropriate age these bindings will break and the child can learn how to use these abilities safely or renounce them. These sorts of bindings are easily breakable under certain circumstances and can be cast by almost anyone (because they're easily breakable most wouldn't bother to cast on someone else). My thinking is that this is usually only used for children who are troubled by their abilities.

There are stronger bindings available, used by LEOS and the CLDF to keep prisoners from using their abilities to escape. Usually a LEOS anti-magic should be enough, but sometimes it is not. In this case a stronger binding can be used. The detention facility also has binding cells and locks which make it impossible to break free by magical means.

Magic, People: Fortuna, Verdad Ocultada and the Stars

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:02:28 GMT

It is not an entirely rare gift, but it is not so common either. About 30% of the population has some mild Fortuna ability. It is the ability to see things past, present, or future. Some of it is touch based (Touch-Know), some is strictly by course of visions (random or intentionally focused through trance). Divination is another form, using tools such as runes or tarot cards to focus energy. Some mages have prophetic dreams. Masters of Fortuna magic are known as Prophets. There are five known prophets in the world of Aylasia and all live in and around New Meridian. In game there is one active prophet: Aldrich Waldemar was named when Agatha Ambrose died. There are two NPC prophets, Maris Solange and Monroe Puissant, as well as one other available for play. The unnamed fifth prophet may be Atlanta Halton.

There is a facet to Fortuna magic that was created by the prophets in order to hide the visions of certain key people (past or future visions). It was designed as a specific spell that imbued a person with the ability to hide visions for a specific person. The resulting ability is called verdad ocultada. The ability to protect secrets is innate; it is almost as if the person is holding the visions back so that others cannot see them.

An unexpected side effect occurred when cast; the ability passed from one generation to the next through the female line, mother to oldest daughter. Sometimes the ability can pass to the first born daughter of a generation without passing through her mother. The ability may lay dormant in men, and other women in the family not being the first born. It is a very rare ability as the spell was used sparingly by the prophets to gift others. It is also a secret ability; those who are casting it are unknown and those that they protect are not aware of it.

Those with the ability may be given "assignments" by the prophets, people to protect (by hiding visions of them). This is done by passing a vision of the person to be protected; the passing creates an instantaneous bond between the protector and the protected that helps channel visions to the protector and aid them to know which ones to hide. The protectors can protect many secrets at once, and for more than one person. Protectors may chose their own assignments to protect friends and family, in this instance they don't need to be passed a vision to form a bond. In game the only people with this ability were Isabella Aznar (who disappeared) and Gwen Morrow (an NPC who died).

Stars have the ability to see the past, present, and future. This is a very big secret that the stars do not often share. Few mages are aware that they have this ability. They are the reason why mages have visions and can use Fortuna magic. They cannot always choose who will receive their visions, but they share them when they believe that something important will result from it.

The stars have sometimes meddled in human affairs because they have seen several different paths to the future and they would prefer (for whatever reason) that the future heads down a particular path. Sometimes they do not share visions because they believe that one path will take precedence over another. This sometimes results in a skewed timeline, in which some things were supposed to happen but did not because of meddling or a lack thereof.

Miscellany: Technology

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:59:25 GMT

It has been addressed absentmindedly before now, the subject of technology and how some things have developed on a parallel with our world and how some things have not (as in cars and roller disco). For all technical purposes Aylasian time runs parallel to our own.

The development of technology in Aylasia has been spotty because most things can be accomplished with magic, without the need for modern technology. Here's what I was thinking and please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments:

Transportation
Cars never caught on because people can travel by magical means, the same for planes. However there are boats, since travel over water long distance by magic can be a dangerous proposition. Bikes became popular for short travel, since using magic seems a bit superfluous when going short distances. Transportation spells are a big thing and can be purchased at reasonable prices if someone doesn't know how to cast one themselves. There are usually designated landing spots when using transport spells. There are also horseless carriages (like old school buggies minus the need for horses because they're drawn by magic); these are very popular with the officials in parliament for travel. They are often used for distances a bit longer than what you'd like to use a bike for, or perhaps for someone who's shopping, or feels important enough to ride in one.

Entertainment and Arts
Theatre is a big source of entertainment as it requires very little technology (you know, the Greeks are still supreme at it). There is cinema, though there aren't "movie stars" and the concept of celebrity has yet to develop (Sass would like me to point out that by the time beyondthegraves rolls around there is such a thing as celebrity and I agree). It's akin to old school cinema, with magic thrown in to make up for what their technology lacks (talkies are magicked in). Camera's are a few years outdated. There is no such thing as digital, only old school film and developing chemicals. It is not like wizarding photography in Harry Potter (the photos don't move).

Musical styles have developed pretty much the same (except that electric guitars are probably run on the lightning element, which is some fun trivia). However the only playback is vinyl (which has never lost its popularity; no one has a strong desire to replace vinyl since it's such a cool format). Record players run by magic, most are spellbound to spin and send the music signals to speakers (which are much simpler, like horns on phonographs, which can be magicked to play loudly at clubs and whatnot).

There is no such thing as tv or computers and I doubt there ever will be. Radios may be up for debate as I'm not entirely certain they wouldn't have been developed in some sense with the popularity of music.

Lighting
Some lighting fixtures run on oil (like old lamps) and fire. Witchlight however, is the most common form of light and every mage can conjure it. There are special fixtures (usually made of glass) that can hold witchlight once it's conjured. In particular it can be conjured to take on different colors and shapes if the mage is practiced and likes to play with it (which is why some clubs in New Meridian hire gifted mages to design their lighting each evening). There is even a type of witchlight akin to blacklight (and I think for simplicity's sake we could just call it blacklight).

I can't think of anything else that should really be addressed at the moment, but hopefully this helps clarify why some things have advanced to our own technology and why some things haven't.

Places: Isla Partei

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:57:22 GMT

For lack of a better description, it’s Ibiza, Mardi Gras, Spring Break and Cancun at sundown ALL ROLLED INTO ONE.

Isla Partei is located way way north of New Meridian, and is a tropical island in the ocean.

One can only get there by boat, departing the mainland every Friday night. And it’s one HELL of a cruise—alcohol is served freely and room allocations for the overnight ride are somewhat flexible. Security is quite good; to make sure that everybody has a good time, but is by no means pervasive. One can get up to all sorts of shenanigans on the cruise!

The main street is called Spring Break, and is lined with bars, shops and hotels. It’s not unusual to see people walking around in beach wear (and sometimes less) amongst people dressed to the nines in formal gear. On Isla Partei, the main mode of transportation is small topless ‘golf’ buggies. They have a maximum speed of approximately 5mph, but that’s not a bad thing seeing as most of the people driving them are wasted anyway.

Every night there’s an event or ten being held at any one of the dance clubs, including drinking competitions, wet t-shirt pageants and dance-offs. Though many would like to deny it, the drug culture on Isla Partei is widespread and open, particularly in the clubs.

Other attractions on Isla Partei include the glow-in-the-dark amusement center, comprising a blacklit mini-golf course, bowling alley and rollerdisco, and the famous East Beach—the only clothing-optional public beach in Aylasia.

Magic: Specific Spells and Magical Workings

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:55:05 GMT

Specific Spells and Magical Workings
Not exactly overriding types of magic; these are more specific spells and magical workings.
Amnesia Spells
Spells that make people forget. They can be cast at one up to many people and targeting a single memory to many specific memories or details. This type of magic is highly illegal. Most amnesia spells cannot be reversed without very powerful magic. It doesn't work on Weavers. See also: memory modification
Binding
To prevent the use of specific magic or all magic by a mage.
Break-Binding
A complex process (spell or ritual) in which a binding can be broken. Most break-bindings require the same ingredients as the original binding spell. Break-bindings are hard magic and require extreme attention to detail and a steady hand.
Memory Modification
Any type of spell that modifies the memories. Most modifications are simple replacements, shifting a detail into something else; these are the easiest type. Some modifications create new memories, or in the case of amnesia spells simply eradicate them. With the exception of amnesia spells, most memory modifications are fairly easy to reverse. These spells are illegal; if caught the caster can be punished with jail time. This type of spell doesn't work on Weavers.
Renouncement
To give up your magical abilities.
Ritual Magic
Ritual magic is old magic, usually passed down by oral tradition, though there have been some books published about it. They usually require an altar of some sort (which points to the possibility of religion in the ancient past of Aylasia that has since been discarded), as well as objects to magnify magic, chanted words, and a specific time of day or date (some spells are best done on May Day, some are best on a new moon night, some are best at dawn, so on). Many mages steer clear of ritual magic simply because it's complicated to work and if one thing is out of order the spell will fail. There is a ritual that can bind a weaver to a mage who is not her life match. It's best done on the new moon. Technically speaking the formation of a marriage thread is a work of ritual magic, but it's a relatively simple working.
Spellbound secrets
Are pretty much what they sound like: secrets bound by magic so that they cannot be shared. If someone were to learn a spellbound secret they would not be able to communicate it by any means. It requires ritual magic, which is complicated at best. The ingredients for a spellbound secret are unique to the secret they protect. Truth potions/spells cannot override spellbound secrets, however if the asker is clever enough they can ask "around" the secret and learn other useful things (such as the ingredients used in the spellbinding to then formulate a breakbinding). Fortuna magic can override spellbound secrets, but only if they are not protected by verdad ocultada which is the one kind of magic that overrides all others. Still, even if someone learns a spellbound secret by fortuna they will not be able to communicate it to others. If a breakbinding is performed it trumps verdad ocultada long enough for the person performer the breakbinding to see the spellbound secret once.
Unstuck in Time
Not so much a magical working as a concept. When one becomes unstuck they cease to exist in their own time and place. It takes extraordinary magic to become "re-stuck" in the right time.

Places: The Omnibus Club

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:53:47 GMT

The Omnibus Club is located in New Meridian, somewhere between Parliament and Silk Road. It is a tall building, several stories in fact.

Each of the floors has a specific theme that caters to a certain crowd. These floors are often being altered to suit the needs of the ever-changing club going crowds.

For Ohana and Oharu's party some of the floors that will be available (since they've rented the whole club):
- A roller-discotheque
- A bubble club (the kind where they pour bubbles on the dance floor)
- A classy restaurant (probably on the top floor)
- A rock club (with a variety of bands playing, probably Ohana's favorites)
- A lounge (which is decidedly for Oharu, laid back with jazzy music tinkling in the background)
- A dance club

Places: Dirty Vegas

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:51:54 GMT

Dirty Vegas is the brothel that Reed Graves created and Aiden Graves currently owns/runs. It sounds seedy, but frankly it's a high scale establishment that's done well in the few years since Reed bought the building.

As for the name Dirty Vegas (since Vegas doesn't exist in Aylasia), Reed asked his father what he should name his brothel/small casino. Camden thought Reed was joking and offered Dirty Vegas (since he's been to our world and visited Vegas). When Camden found out his son really had opened a brothel he had something of a subdued reaction; now every time the brothel is mentioned he has a good laugh about it.

Dirty Vegas has four floors (one below ground, three above).

The base floor is a spa with massage tables, jacuzzis, that sort of spa stuff. There's a relaxing pool often decorated with candles or floating flowers, a series of massage chairs for quick work, and more private rooms for more involved treatment.

The first floor is part casino, part lounge with a small stage for singing or a burlesque show and a bar.

The second and third floors are all private rooms for the employees to do their entertaining.
- Doyle's room, with illusioned windows (which have actually been blacked out, but appear as if the sun is shining through in the daytime.
- Damian's room.
- Reed's bedroom, which he insists is bigger than is pictured and adjoined bath.
- Spare bedroom.

This location is only usable in Beyond the Graves.

Magic: Faerie Abilities

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:49:31 GMT

Faeries in Aylasia came from "Faerie" to settle at one point. They lost touch with their ancestors and developed in different ways. Over time they lost some abilities, changed some abilities, added some new ones, retained old ones. You get the picture. Both types of faerie magic will be listed here.

Of note: Faerie has been spelled fairly consistently, but we each have our own variations of the shortened form: fey or fae. Either is fine and could be excused by region, or family tradition.

Something else important to note: while Faeries outside of Aylasia have the seelie and unseelie courts, those lines have long since blurred in Aylasia and there is no distinction or court in existence.

From the realm of Aylasia:
Changeovers: to call forth the faerie parts of the fey-touched. A changeover is irreversible so that one becomes all faerie or all human.
Dust: faerie dust has inherent magical properties. It is shed, usually during sleep and often clings to the skin of the faerie. There is a strongly regulated trade of dust in New Meridian and the surrounding areas. It's prized for use in certain spells and rituals.
Flight: they can fly with their wings in faerie form. The more they fly the further and longer they can do so, some faeries traveling great distances just using their wings.
Glamour: or faerie glamour. These are illusions specific to physical appearance. Only some faeries have this ability and it seems to be inherited through families (ie: some families lost the ability). As well, some fae can cast on other people and some fae can cast only on themselves.
Mage forms: the ability to shift into full, human size. When a faerie does so their wings disappear. Most full blooded fey cannot hold mage form for long, particularly when sick or tired. Half and part faeries seem able to hold it longer, though this depends on how many fae traits they inherited.
Potions: faeries are particularly gifted at herbal lore and often have a natural talent at potion brewing. They can sometimes get results with potions that mages cannot, simply by nature of how they mix (and possibly because their dust often gets mixed in during the process).
Recognition: a faerie can sense fae magic in others. Fey-touched cannot and some part- or half-faeries cannot either.
Spells: there are some types of spells and magic that only faeries can cast. Among them are "luck" spells, "blooming" spells for plants and trees, and "changeling" spells (though the latter has been banned in Aylasia).
True names: some faeries are given special "true" names. It is a secret name kept between the head of the family (or community leader) who gives the name and the trusted few who are allowed to witness the ceremony. These are usually given at birth. A true name gives someone power over the faerie, but it also allows them to know the true nature of the one it belongs to. Faeries also know true names for many plants and can use those names to sway them to grow or awake to play (in the case of dryads).

From the realm of Faerie:
Binding magic: for verbal contracts and wishes.
Changeovers: to call forth the faerie parts of the fey-touched. A changeover is irreversible so that one becomes all faerie or all human.
Illusions: akin to the illusions cast by mages.
Light flight: A pixie using light flight will appear as nothing more than a firefly or a shooting star to most people. It is only usable by pixies.
Pockets: storing objects in interdimensional spaces to be called forth when needed. This ability was lost to Aylasian faeries.
Recognition: a faerie can sense fae magic in others. Fey-touched cannot and some part- or half-faeries cannot either.
Translocation: moving things from across the room.
True names: Fae know their true names from birth, and they're the only ones to know it. Same thing for those who do a changeover to become full fae. As soon the transformation is complete, they become aware of their true names. They must share their names with others, otherwise only they will know it. True names have a huge amount of power, whether to be used for good (breaking a curse on another fey) or ill (having power over them).

Clurichaun Specific Powers: the realm of alcohol. A Clurichaun can banish it entirely from someone's system, or contrarily overload them with it (so long as there's some to start with) and effectively kill them with alcohol poisoning, even if they've only had one glass.

Places: Salem Academy

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:44:40 GMT

Salem Academy is almost 300 years old. It is currently in it's third incarnation as parts of the building have been destroyed over the years (once a fire set off by an uncontrollable elemental, and once because of natural flooding). The construction is stone in some places, wood in others, though the entire building has been whitewashed so as to be blinding in the morning sun.

It has an extensive lawn and a bit of woods out behind, where the school grows a supply of herbal remedies among other things.

The dormitories are off to the side, attached by a long hallway. Typically only students who live in the dorms are permitted this way, but children are always trying to sneak their friends in for a visit. There are a few pretty, little white houses further down the way for the scholars to live in. They are not attached to the main building and only the scholars know how to get into these buildings. They all have the amenities they need, including a shared kitchen, living area, and library. Each scholar's room has an adjacent bathroom for their own use.

The school itself is comprised of several buildings connected by hallways and peculiar passages. There is a wing entirely devoted to elemental magic now and constructed in such a way that even an out of control element can be tamed, all students regardless of school attend their elemental lessons here. The rest is mostly divided by Lesser, Middle, and Upper buildings, three separate and unique portions to the building. University has no specific building, as most of the scholars use any portion of the school to conduct their research.

The operations at school change depending on who is in control, but it is usually very loose. Teachers and students show up around 9 in the morning (sometimes the Upper School students and teachers agree to come in later when they feel like it) and usually spend some time catching up, discussing any magic that was done out of school. The term classes is used very loosely because every scholar has their own method of imparting knowledge. The Lesser School kids usually have more routine, but things gets less controlled as the kids grow older. They have lessons when they want to, where they want to, as their scholars feel the need to move lessons along.

There is no grade system as Salem Academy. Students are allowed to take any classes they want to and are simply encouraged to try a little of everything before they settle into a specialty (or several as the case may be).

Vacations are also a peculiar thing. They are entirely random and are usually announced a few weeks before they happen. It is usually up to the scholars and heads of school when they feel they need a week, or few weeks off. The last vacation was in early June for three weeks. The next vacation will probably be sometime in September.

There are three headmasters(mistresses) and three vice principals (one for each school). There is no overall headmaster, though there is a board of governors for the school, all influential alumni, or former teachers. The University has no master, though scholars are selected by the board of governors and will be reprimanded by them if they step out of line. It's extremely political on the board of governors and hard to become one of their flock (as they elect new members as a self-governing body). All of these positions help to oversee the school and keep it running smoothly.

Current Scholars include:
Aldrich Waldemar; teaches Abjuration at all levels
Garage Chance; he teaches spell magic at the Middle and Upper Schools, iron element at all levels
Miles Huxley; teaches healing magic at advanced levels as well as serving as a "school nurse" during the week
Puck; teaches Elemental magic at all levels
Teàrlag Chance; teaches faerie magic
Titus; teaches Fortuna magic

Places: Parliament

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:43:06 GMT

Parliament is an old and venerable building, having been built even before the government was centralized.

It is expansive, old gray brick and gold plated domes which are in need of polishing. It's a busy building with offices on every floor and a central room of debate under the main dome. Most of the government works out of this building, including the Central Bureau of Law Enforcement.

There are several branches of officials, each identified with badges wrought by goblins (very hard to replicate the handiwork those fellows put into them). There are law making officials, law enforcement officials (leos), secretaries, tax officers, and assistants. Law making officials have circular badges that look like a snake eating itself; they are mostly located in the east wing of the building. They have a variety of secretaries and assistants that aid them in keeping their paperwork together. Law enforcement officials have triangular badges with eyes in the center (something like a freemason pyramid); they occupy the west wing of the building, along with the tax officers and their assistants (who have nondescript rectangular badges).

Anyone entering the building must have a badge or a pass that can be obtained at the front desk.

Special sessions are held when a new law is ready for the King's vote, ironically they aren't as special as they used to be and happen with a kind of regularity, at least once a week, oftentimes more. Regular sessions are held daily from the opening of the building until the close to argue about laws (usually there is such a flurry of activity in the main dome room that several laws are discussed at once). Sessions generally have an air of controlled chaos.

Places: The Palace

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:40:14 GMT

Set on a hill in the center of New Meridian, the King's palace is home to the current King of Aylasia. From the grand entry hall, to the King's office where laws are signed, to his/her personal bedroom which changes very 10 years to reflect the taste of the current king. It also holds a grand ballroom should the king wish to entertain.

The palace is an elegant affair, and few get to see every facet of it. The officially approved parts of the palace available for touring exclude his/her own private rooms, and from time to time the king may come and greet the tours, should he/she have spare time to do so.

Places: Graves Hall

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:32:55 GMT

Only the invited are permitted entrance to Graves Hall. There is some magic in the hall that sorts out who is allowed and who is not (those who are not will not be able to physically enter the building, try though they might). They don't have regular meetings, though they all seem to know when other people are in the hall (perhaps by some magic of the hall itself). Members typically come together even if just to laugh at someone's new invention. Every now and again an important meeting will come about and they'll discuss things seriously, but these are rare.

Graves Hall is a peculiar place, the outside ever the same while the inside changes to reflect the mood or needs of its members.

The outside is stone, laid like bricks. There are pillars for support and an arched door and windows. It has two floors. On the second floor toward the back facing the Cadogan River is an open stone archway that leads to a balcony where one can see far into the country. It is a rather unassuming building, as most buildings in Hamlin are made of stone and have pillars, some grander than others.

Out back is a pretty garden that Hamlin takes great pride in, having groomed and grown most of the flowers and trees planted there since building the hall. Many of the trees were planted in remembrance of someone close to Hamlin or Ganymede who died.

The inside however, is an ever-changing landscape. When there's an important meeting a great, marble table will appear with comfortable chairs, one for each member. When everyone is in a lounging mood there are many divans and poufs littering the various rooms. It all depends on the members of Graves Hall and they are rarely unsurprised upon entering, finding some new piece of furniture or delightful painting or sculpture hung in a nook they never noticed before.

When more than one member is in the Hall the interior may blend to suit both or all of their tastes, sometimes blending completely, other times reflecting one member's interior more strongly.

Various Perceptions Past and Present
Hamlin's Perception: the Hall looks like it did when it was built, plain gray stone, but he has several unique rooms within it. There is the office on the second floor that only appears for him (it has a desk upon which appears the names of invited members). There is a bedroom with a navy blue cover. His library is expansive with polished marble surfaces (the books sort themselves back onto the shelves).

Marlowe's Perception: Gothic architecture at every turn. Pictures to come.

Morgan's Perception: There's a bubbled ceiling.

Ohana's Perception: Her Hall is elegant yet homey, the same sort of oxymoron that can be applied to Ohana's wardrobe.

Puck's Perception: His library has one tall window from floor to the high ceiling. There are tables near the window and his book shelves run from floor to ceiling. There's a ladder that slides all around the library.

Reed's Perception: the Hall looks like it did when it was built, though this is beginning to change now that Reed has expectations for himself. The furniture is beginning to shift into simple, elegant, modern Daemon style, the architecture will follow. He has a claustrophobically small library with one small lamp, no windows, and a cushy carpeted floor (the books that appear on the shelves are exactly what he needs, containing any reference no matter how small to what he's looking for).

Samra's Perception: Sam's library has a crystal chandelier that she describes as light and fire. Her book shelves are made of willow tree with the bark still attached.

Those Invited
Graves:
Current: Aldrich Waldemar, Enki Chance, Evie Chanson, Ganymede Orion (inactive), Hamlin Graves, Morgan Morrow, Samra Chance, Puck
Previous: Gabriel Headwind (deceased), Kenichi Abe (deceased)

Beyond: Aldrich Waldemar, Ginevra Graves, Marlowe, Puck, Reed Graves, Willow Graves-Myles
(I'm certain there's more, we just haven't discussed it much in Beyond)

To be Invited: Hamlin will invite these people in the course of the game:
None at present. If you'd like your character to be invited to the Hall please let me know.

Places: Cap Ou Pas Cap

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:24:30 GMT

The place of invention. It's proprietor is an inventor (and if someone wants to play him or her they'd be welcome) who trades in his own and other people's inventions.

Samra Chance frequents the shop most every day to chat or trade whatever new and kooky thing she's come up with. Evie Chanson is another frequent customer.

The walls are positively drooping with heavily laden shelves. Though clean, the shop is filled to brimming and there isn't much space left, though inventions come and go at a fairly even pace, so a hole is made and immediately filled.

Not all of the merchandise is properly tested before it leaves the shop, but that never seems to bother the regular customers. The owner also has a selection of spellbound objects, though these are usually less popular than the assorted variety of inventions.

Between Graves Hall and Beyond Evie and Oz Myles purchased Cap Ou Pas Cap. In Beyond Nate Chance runs the shop for the Myleses.

People: Werewolves

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:21:22 GMT

Werewolves are either bitten or born and when born one most often live in packs. A pack can have as few members as two or as many as a dozen werewolves. Lone werewolves are plenty common and happen often if someone is bitten. Werewolves become part of a pack by birth, bite (not common), or bond (marriage). The only way to change packs is by marrying into a new pack. Packs are led by a pack leader whose position is for life. The position is passed down to the strongest young male of the pack at the time. The new leader is chosen above the others through a series of trials put forth by the tribe. Each pack has one seat on the tribal council and the tribal council governs the pack and makes tribe laws. There is one tribal leader who is the supreme authority of the tribe.

Killing a werewolf, while not impossible is difficult. Silver knives, arrows, pretty much anything silver that cuts through their hearts. Werewolves are subject to the moon. They are forced to change by the full moon every month. They can change on their own the rest of the month, but during the full moon, their power is at its highest. During the new moon or during the day, their power is at its lowest. Werewolves also have heightened senses. They can hear, see, and smell better than humans even when not in wolf form.

Werewolves are not pure evil. Each werewolf has its own personality and is subject to tribe and pack rules. Each pack has its own rules for behavior to go along with the Tribe rules. Natural born Werewolves prefer forest and rural areas. Packs live in camps in the woods and often stay away from cities for many reasons, one of which is the amount of smells and sounds in highly populated areas tend to overwhelm and confuse them. Some werewolves may be able to stand them, but only sparingly. While in wolf form wolves can speak to each other through barks, growls, and other vocal cues, as well as a kind of wolf-body language.

Werewolves, when in mage form can stop themselves from changing into wolf form by taking quicksilver and many who were bitten chose to live that way. If a werewolf does not change often they will not have much control over their actions and more often than not they forget who they are and when they switch back to mage form, they have no recollection of what happened when they were in wolf form.

People: Vampires

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:20:26 GMT

Without a soul, vampires roam the world without a place in society.

Vampires discontinue aging from the first time they feed on blood, after having been bitten by a pre-existing vampire. A sireship is established when a vampire turns someone. The offspring will stay loyal to its sire until the sire frees them or until the sire dies. Very rarely does an offspring kill it's sire simply because the sire often has much more power than it's offspring.

A vampire can put some people under a thrall, something like an enchantment spell, by drinking from them once or twice. The person is then bound to the vampire's will to an extent, or at least come under the power of their suggestion.

Vampires are immortal and are unable to go into direct sunlight. The only known way of killing a vampire is by a stake through the heart or, obviously, by being exposed to direct sunlight. Mages that become vampires may lose their magic abilities; often the magic ability of a mage-gone-vampire dies with their body (this happening is upon the choice of the player). Along with this a familiar rarely stays loyal to it's mage after they have turned vampire. Reason for this being that more often than not the familiar will have lost respect for its mage and will see them as creatures below themselves.
NOTE: Vampires that do still retain magic abilities cannot simply alter the fact that they are vampires. (i.e. One cannot work magic to get their soul back, walk in the sun, etc.)

Vampires can breed and have offspring, though this doesn't happen often. The child of two vampires will only be half-vampire and will only sustain partial effects of vampirism (the choice of which effects they sustain is up to the player).
NOTE: Vampires can only breed with other vampires.

Vampires are shunned by other beings and often live in tight-knit, small clans with their own kind. (Like previously stated, a typical vampire clan consists of a sire and it's offspring).

Crosses (since religion doesn't exist), garlic, and holy water do not effect/ repel vampires. Although, goblin blood does repel vampires. Coming in contact with goblin blood will cause the skin to burn and ingestion of goblin blood will kill a vampire, burning them from the inside out. The reason for this goes way back; Hobgoblins having been used to protect mage homes, a (now deceased) prophet cursed the vampire race with being allergic to goblin blood. This, obviously, to keep mage homes safe from unwanted vampires. Therefore, vampires do not need permission from one of it's residents to enter a home, they only take the risk of running into a hobgoblin.