Illarion Revisited...

[Moskher Heszche]

With the "Name of the Island" thread in RPG, new questions have come to mind that aren't necessarily things that should be decided by our characters, but rather by the players:

When our characters look up at the sky at night, how many moons do they see?

What are the names of the moons and what do they look like?

Are there any planets in Illarion's solar system that man can see with his bare eyes on certain nights (like Venus in our own solar system)? What are their names?

While we're working on a name for the island, how about the name of the mainland that many of our characters come from?

The island is very mountainous, although currently in the client the mountains are flat, what are the names of the mountain ranges? (There are already names for many of the forests and rivers) This one might be dealt with in-game.

Is there a name for the ocean that the island is in? How about the names of certain coasts?

Even if we don't come up with answers to these questions, I think that all players should be, at the very least, thinking about what their characters see around them and what the names are for those things.

[Moirear Sian]

Yes. I agree here.

I've also oftenly encountered the trouble of when people ask you where your character comes from. All I can say is "the mainland" - for example, I can say that my character is a "Salkamaerian", but even on moonsilver.de it says that these are cultures that are no more; more like guidelines of what the characters spring from. There is no closer mentioning of capitols, names of landscapes or anything, where they could come from.

I also think there must absolutely necessarily be a list introduced with a map and the landmarks on the island- namely the rivers, mountains and different terrain ranges. I'm sure there are older and experienced players that know them, but it would interesting if you could occasionally share them - this would improve ig communication.
I.e. if you tell some "northern forest" now, they sometimes don't know of where you mean - to the Northeast near Darlok's desert and Silverbrand, or to the Northeast beyond the mummies. There. It took me a full sentence to explain this, while it could be broken down to two striking names to distinguish these two woodland ranges.

As for the astronomy and astrology; stars and planets; I could imagine that the people might name them after the Gods or with slightly varied names. Don't forget: in the RPG-Forum, there's a thread which you can use to determine the character's astrological sign, and the calendar is broken down this way as well.

On a further note, I believe the main page of Illarion, or Moonsilver, should be expanded with alot of ig information like this - I remember when I first joined the game, it was almost impossible for me to create a character and his background story because I had to go looking all over for these bits and pieces of information. And even now, that I know it a bit better, I'm still stooped with always combing through everything to find something small that I want to know, because it's hidden somewhere in the forums.

--
Edit:
(some bits and pieces I got together from the chronicles)
The river between library and tavern: "Troll's Vein"
The northern river: "Fairy's Tears"

[Nanuk]

I expect this is in need of a statement .

When our characters look up at the sky at night, how many moons do they see?

What are the names of the moons and what do they look like?

Are there any planets in Illarion's solar system that man can see with his bare eyes on certain nights (like Venus in our own solar system)? What are their names?

Once I have started to work on that while doing the calender. It seems I got distracted somehow. I am quite busy at the moment with other stuff but I try to squeeze that in and finish it.

While we're working on a name for the island, how about the name of the mainland that many of our characters come from?

The island is very mountainous, although currently in the client the mountains are flat, what are the names of the mountain ranges? (There are already names for many of the forests and rivers) This one might be dealt with in-game.

Is there a name for the ocean that the island is in? How about the names of certain coasts?

Please wait with this until Damien has returned from his vacation. He is working on the mortals history which follows directly after the history of the gods. I am not sure if he has some things in mind concerning the names of places. He for sure will be able to answer the question. The same goes for the countries currently in existence on the mainland.

On a further note, I believe the main page of Illarion, or Moonsilver, should be expanded with alot of ig information like this - I remember when I first joined the game, it was almost impossible for me to create a character and his background story because I had to go looking all over for these bits and pieces of information. And even now, that I know it a bit better, I'm still stooped with always combing through everything to find something small that I want to know, because it's hidden somewhere in the forums.

I can see the problem in the lack of information. To include the further history will happen as soon as Damien has finished it. In the long run it is planned that the information on moonsilver.de will be transfered to the Illarion-page. Actually at the very beginning moonsilver was just a temporary solution which turned out to be quite persistent. At the moment we have to live with that.

[Moskher Heszche]

Ah. Looks like all this is already being taken care of. Thank you, Nanuk!

[Moskher Heszche]

I'm bringing this thread out of the gutter again. It isn't that I don't understand that the GMs working on the story, background, and setting of Illarion are busy, it is only that I feel this to be very important to Illarion.

I've offered to help with such things before. If Nanuk and Damien are busy, I can do some work on writing these things--with the permission of the GMs as well as acceptance of the individual things I write.

What we have thus far is a calendar, map, a basic understanding of the gods, a short bit of ancient history as well as modern history in the form of the Chronicle, and that's more or less all of it.

I am sure that there is some other, perhaps even larger, resorvoir of illarion history and setting inside the heads of Nanuk and Damien, but those things have only come out in short hints and personal discussions.

[Damien]

What we have thus far is a calendar, map, a basic understanding of the gods, a short bit of ancient history as well as modern history in the form of the Chronicle, and that's more or less all of it.
I am sure that there is some other, perhaps even larger, reservoir of illarion history and setting inside the heads of Nanuk and Damien, but those things have only come out in short hints and personal discussions.

Correct.
Historyline development is half way finished, but paused since other things are more important. It's not in a head, but in a file mainly. It comes out in short hints only because some of it may still be changed. Actual length is 12 pages of text, tendency : growing, but paused.
The actual map will be changed though.
The religions descriptions are finished too. Actual length is also 12 pages plus 4 pages spell system explanation (which will be unimportant to players).

[Cain Freemont]

4 pages spell system explanation (which will be unimportant to players).

Unimportant to the players? Does the spell system explanation pertain to how it works on a technical level, or how it works in terms of a character conjuring magic from within himself? If it is the latter, then I would think it would be important for players to know so they can bolster the roleplay they use with knowledge of how magic works on an ingame level.

[Damien]

Nope.
It's a thing that explains the used mechanics, and it is thought for our script programmers so they can see what exactly i mean when using certain words in the spell descriptions, so they can realize them.

[Cain Freemont]

Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying. It would be nice if there was an explanation of how magic worked on a roleplaying level too, though. Or is there?

[Moskher Heszche]

Personally, I think that that's one of the few things that should be left to the player. Otherwise, it ruins all the fun roleplaying that I've had with Moskher, debating on what makes magic work with other characters.

[Arkadia Misella]

Ark made the magic. There are no moons or stars as there is always sunshine. The ocean is Ark's ocean. What more could you need to know?

[Damien]

Where are the cows ?

[Cain Freemont]

Personally, I think that that's one of the few things that should be left to the player. Otherwise, it ruins all the fun roleplaying that I've had with Moskher, debating on what makes magic work with other characters.

The way I roleplay it makes magic seem more like "chi" than anything else. If they want a broad spectrum of ways magic exists, that's fine by me. I personally enjoy my own way of expressing magic.

Where are the cows ?

The cow isn't anywhere, its in your mind.

[Damien]

Then, why does it TALK ?
*hears voices*

[Cain Freemont]

Then, why does it TALK ?
*hears voices*

It talks because you want it to, Damien. Just let go of your cow-like urges and the voices will go away.

[Misjbar]

Illarion does not have cows, therefor cows do not exsist. Therefor milk does not exsist. So stop thinking about cows Damien. They are NOT real. NOT really here!

[Cain Freemont]

Illarion does not have cows, therefor cows do not exsist. Therefor milk does not exsist. So stop thinking about cows Damien. They are NOT real. NOT really here!

Sheep's Milk does, though. Maybe there's a sheep-cow somewhere in Illarion? O_O

[Bloodhearte]

The way I roleplay it makes magic seem more like "chi" than anything else. If they want a broad spectrum of ways magic exists, that's fine by me. I personally enjoy my own way of expressing magic.

My version of magic is fairly standard: shooting odd deposits of energy from your hands to harm/heal somebody and manipulate objects.

As for "chi," I think of that more as an existing energy used to describe results of the human form in terms of power that can't be described clearly by literal science.

I don't have to know how electricity works to turn on a freakin' lightswitch.

The cow isn't anywhere, its in your mind.

Wrong, they exist. As a midwestern dude I have the power to summon them...you of all people should know that.

[falco1029]

I love debating about magic using my character. I would hate to have an official release of it which would most likely prove my character wrong. This is something that shouldn't be released because there wouldn't be ANY way for our characters to know it unless a god visited them and told them

[Cain Freemont]

The cow isn't anywhere, its in your mind.

Wrong, they exist. As a midwestern dude I have the power to summon them...you of all people should know that.

*simply dies in remembrance of that topic*

[Dónal Mason]

Even if there was an official theory for magic, your character would be welcome to debate it. Besides, it could just be that different character use it in different ways.

[Zare]

I think that if people know how to use magic, then they would already have an idea of how it works. Or at least a universally accepted theory. Who would delve into the arcane arts without even understanding it?

[Cain Freemont]

I think that if people know how to use magic, then they would already have an idea of how it works. Or at least a universally accepted theory. Who would delve into the arcane arts without even understanding it?

A lot of the newbies I've seen ingame lately

[Moskher Heszche]

Aside from that note by Cain, which is valid to a certain degree, even ancient cultures that believed in magic debated on the source of magic.