background story - join now for the ultimate experiance

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Sat May 19, 2001 4:21 pm

Ok, this will be the place to talk about the background story and to distribute subjects to people willing to help.

So far three people have volunteered to help.

These are:
- Damien
- Dax
- Jeanderaux

Thanks in advance. Everyone else is also invited to participate, as there are a lot of things to do.
------------------

The following stories are needed at the moment. Feel free to pick something out of this list. If you choose something, please write it down here, to avoid that more than one person is writing at the same story.

1. General introduction to Illarion:
This should be more or less something like an advertisement. Bror will need this text e.g. to put it on several RPG sites, attracting new people to Illarion. Don't make it too long and try to make it interesting, arousing the couriousity of the reader.

2. General description of the land itself:
Should include inhabitants, beasts and landscape. I will put up a bigger map on the moonsilver-page, than it will be more easy to do.

3. Origin of the gods and general genesis:
I have already started to write the beginning, and as I think that too many people beeing involved in one part of the story just mix the whole thing up, I will keep this part for myself (sorry). But I'm in contact with Damien and we are discussing several things. When the general direction and the different gods are set, it will be able to take part in writing stories about the gods for everyone. I will post the first part of the gods structure (very soon) and the origin of the gods (medium soon *g*) here. At least than you can take part in tearing it apart

.

4. General discription of the different races:
Every race in Illarion should get a detailed discription. If you can read German than go to www.moonsilver.de --> Library --> Races --> Dwarfs. There is a discription of the dwarfs. Try to stick to this structure (and if you don't like it, write down here what is lacking in this story). I would propose that the following aspects should be included into the discription:

- outer apperiance
- talents and weeknesses
- place of living
- general habits and customs
- which god(s) do they prefere
- include a small story of an incident, which is of great importance to this race (can be good or evil)

The following races are still free to choose from:

- Human
- Elf
- Halfling
- Lizardman
- Ork
- Gnome
- Goblin
- Fairy

5. Discription of the different vocations:
I'm not 100% sure if all these vocations are still planned to be implemented. So maybe it is better if you wait until Bror confirms their future existence. If you are not sure than start with the warrior, druid and mage. I have also seen that on the English part of this page the basic aspects of the vocations are missing. I will try to translate this part .. hmm .. maybe tomorrow

.

- Warrior
- Thief
-------
- Druid
- Ranger
-------
- Cleric
- Paladin
-------
- Mage
- Warlock
-------
- Bard

I think you should not just stick to the obvious aspects of each vocation. Try to be creative! Maybe include a discription of an outstanding personality of a vocation in the history of Illarion. Or you can talk about some secret societies inside of the vocs. Or about racial differences ....

6. Basic description of the beasts and creatures:
Not so important at the moment, but if you feel like writing stories where the blood is dripping from the pages, here is the place to live your darkest dreams

.

7. Basic discription of runes, herbs, weapons, ....:
This part is also of minor importance. But if you are in the mood for something short than try it out. I have written a small discription for the fire rune (English). If you want to do something similar, you will find this example also on the moonsilver page.

===========
This is everything I can think of (at the moment). If I have forgotten something important, add it down below.
It doesn't matter if you write in English or German, although English (or both versions) is prefered. Please don't forget to post here what you have chosen to write!

One last thing: Don't be too direct with the discriptions of the magic, weapons and monsters. We don't prefere stories like "The demon is the hardest monster in Illarion and the best way to kill it is,..." or "the fire sword is the strongest weapon." Giving hints on something is ok but don't explane everything!

Nanuk

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Sat May 19, 2001 5:13 pm

History. We will need history of the races, their origins, and former empires as well as related things. But to do that, we need two things first : an exact world map, and the gods (and their relations to each other and the races).

To get all put up in order (without much trouble), we should start with a structure of the things to be made (history-and gods-related, and legends):

1. Basic gods system (numbers, names, relations)
2. Short description of all gods, their origin etc.
3. Description (short history) of the god's relations in past
4. Description of the actual god's relations
5. History (storyline) of every god's past
6. actual relations between gods and cultures, and relations between gods and cultures in past
7. Map details - race (and gods) related
8. Legends, old history, stories and all this stuff

(Edited by Damien at 5:30 pm on May 19, 2001)

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Sat May 19, 2001 6:19 pm

Oops, Damien, you are right! The history of the races should be written too. We can't have it that people are running around without a past:biggrin:.

I agree that the basic god system and the short description of the gods are a pressing matter. But when this is done we can spread our interests to many subjects. Especially because if we would reach point 6 in your list, we could go and publish the book we have created

.

As I have understood Bror, the short introduction to Illarion and a general discription of the land itself is also needed quite urgent.

By the way, I have updated the map on moonsilver. A bigger one pops up if you click on it.

Nanuk

(Edited by Nanuk at 6:20 pm on May 19, 2001)

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Sat May 19, 2001 6:42 pm

Nope, this is just a structure to the common thing to do. That means, to do number 6, we need number 1,2,3,4,5 before.
Explanation:
2-4 are meant to be short descriptions. That means :
2. about four to five lines of text for each god,
3. a one page text or a diagram,
4. a diagram
5. a short text for every god (about half a page long). Could be made as a short story or legend, or general genesis text.
6. would be done in one or two diagrams with several short explanations.
7. Would be one short description for every race belonging to location and gods.

8. is the stuff we and other writers can make on the base of 1-7.

So, it is just a development status pindown. It makes sense to start in this line of events, it will be a solid ground for illarion's whole background.
See, it won't fill a book =)

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Sun May 20, 2001 12:47 pm

I have translated the page with the vocs, although i don't know if it is still up to date:

Vocations
-----------------------
To enable everyone to choose the vocation he/she likes most, each kind of magic will have a character specialised in this magic and a mixture between a magician of this school and a warrior. The only exception: bard magic

The vocations warrior and thief are not talented in magic.

To give each of the vocations a right to exist and to avoid disadvantages, there will be individual and unique talents accessible only to some or one vocation.
-----------------------
A character can choose between the following vocations:

Not talented in magic:

Warrior
-very good weapon skills
-unique skill: berserk/rage (high attack, low defence)
-unique skill: forging of high quality weapons (more accurate, deliver more damage)
-unique skill: repairing weapons

Thief
-medium weapon skills in close combat, good in distance fighting
-cannot use all kinds of weapons
-armour, made out of metal, is prohibited
-unique skill: pick pockets
-unique skill: set trap
-unique skill: find traps
-unique skill: camouflage (high defence)
-unique skill: backstabbing
-----------------------
Druid lore

Druid
-medium weapon skills
-can not use all kinds of weapons
-can use druid magic
-unique skill: identify item
-unique skill: pacify beasts
-unique skill: herbal lore

Ranger
-good weapon skills
-can not use all kinds of weapons
-can use parts of the druid magic
-unique skill: set traps
-unique skill: pacify wild beasts
-unique skill: herbal lore
-----------------------
Priest lore

Cleric
-medium weapon skills
-can not use all kinds of weapons
-can use priest magic
-unique skill: identify item
-unique skill: sacrifice

Paladin
-good weapon skills
-can use parts of the priest magic
-unique skill: detect evil / danger awareness
-----------------------
Mage lore

Mage
-poor weapon skills
-can not use all kinds of weapons
-cannot use any kind of armour (leather or metal)
-can use mage magic
-unique skill: identify item

Warlock
-good weapon skills
-cannot use any kind of armour (leather or metal)
-can use parts of the mage magic
-unique skill: enchant weapon
-----------------------
Bard lore

Bard
-good weapon skills
-can not use all kinds of weapons
-can use bard magic
-unique skill: rhetoric (buying cheap, selling expensive)

If I have made something wrong feel free to comment.

Nanuk

Dax · Post by **Dax** » Sun May 20, 2001 3:01 pm

Greetings,

There is alot to be done and alot I would like to start on, but I will limit myself and Start on the General Introduction.

Bror · Post by **Bror** » Sun May 20, 2001 4:02 pm

Be careful, that no stories are written parallel that may depend on each other

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Mon May 21, 2001 11:32 pm

that's why i suggested that development tree.

Dax · Post by **Dax** » Tue May 22, 2001 2:31 am

I have been thinking and tinkering with the general introduction.

I think if we had a base story of Illarion and the other components done it would be alittle more interesting.

meaning that I can take tidbits from its past and truth of Illarion and add it into the description to catch the eye.

I somewhat feel that what I write now will either become part of Illarion, or basically be a lie or a jumble of type that won't be nearly as interesting and so I will hold off with this and continue on something else. Possible me and you can work together on something Damien?

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue May 22, 2001 11:12 am

Yeah, but we need the gods.

Dax · Post by **Dax** » Tue May 22, 2001 2:43 pm

Well I'm willing to help with anything, but I think someone has monopolized on the gods, so all I can do is wait?

Gilean · Post by **Gilean** » Tue May 22, 2001 4:49 pm

I would like to create a discription and habits of the halfling please. I will combine many atributes of simmilar races that i know of. (i.e. kender in dragonlance. I really wanted to be one of them.) (Hobbits from jrr tolken and other etc.)

Captain Kirk · Post by **Captain Kirk** » Tue May 22, 2001 8:16 pm

Hallo

if all u need is a god, take ME as god *g*

Bye
Read ya
MfG

Capt. Kirk

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Tue May 22, 2001 9:21 pm

Hehe, I think this is getting very funny. But one thing after the other.

Bror has told me, that the vocation system isn't up to date any more. So if you want to write something about one vocation it would be best to start with the warrior, mage or druid, as they are already implemented in the game.

@Gilean
Thanks for helping.

Quote: from Dax on 2:43 pm on May 22, 2001
Well I'm willing to help with anything, but I think someone has monopolized on the gods, so all I can do is wait?

Since I have asked Bror, if he needs any help with the background story, it never happened once that another person asked the same thing. Might this be because I was not very active or because there was no one interested, I don't know.

Since I started to be a little bit more active, I realise that there are quite a lot of expectations. Let me make something clear: I am no student any longer, which I do regret sometimes

. And the job I do at the moment requires that the time I spend in the office is very long. As I write this, I'm still in my company and I know that I will be here for another 2 hours, giving it a total of 15 hours. And this is just a "normal" day.

I have said this before and I can repeat it: The time I can spend for this game is limited. If there is another person, who is willing to take this job and thinks that he has more time to do it, I will be more than willing to give it away, as I like this game and hope that there will be more progress in the future. I just started as there was no one around doing it. But as long as there is no one willing to take this job, you have to get along with the speed I'm willing to drive. If this is too slow for you, jump into the front and push that speed putton down.

It was never my intention to monopolize a part of the job. But I think that too many people working for the same thing, will end up in chaos. I realised that to discuss the structure with Damien is difficult as we do have some different approches. We are just two and have problems to find the middle path, with more people it would be more difficult.

Nanuk

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue May 22, 2001 9:26 pm

The Problem is just a problem of understanding views. And we both are german and explain ourselves in english.
The structure is just a necessary base and can be done in some Diagrams. You must look at it as if it was a tree, 1 is the roots, and the rest follows.
I should send it to you in german hehe..

Dax · Post by **Dax** » Tue May 22, 2001 10:22 pm

Damien please email me some of your views and ideas with the gods.

I would like to send in some input from old USA

If help writing directly is a problem maybe I can be a mediator. I seem to be good at seeing two sides and explaining it simply.

I hope to get the gods done and do it well, but asap so the rest can start and not take a year to do.

Eleanor Rigby · Post by **Eleanor Rigby** » Wed May 23, 2001 1:15 am

Hmm, don't have the time to read all the comments, but I want to help with the storyline too.
The problem could be that I don't have so much time and it could be a problem for me to keep up with the developement. I can't spend half an hour every day to read message boards and see what the others have written. Sure, sometimes I have more time left and I spend some hours reading through the Illarion message boards, but at the moment I'm not up to date.
If this isn't a problem I'd love to help developing a rich and detailed world for Illarion.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Fri May 25, 2001 4:14 pm

We're four people in the story team right now, with nanuk as project leader. He too has not much time, but he does a great job.
Dax, Nanuk makes the gods system. We both have discussed some of it, and it's almost standing. It still has some weaknesses, but they will be balanced soon. Well, until Nanuk returns from holiday, we will have to wait a bit =)

Sturm Feuerklinge · Post by **Sturm Feuerklinge** » Sun May 27, 2001 1:24 am

Und ich würde gerne die Waffengeschichten und blah übernhemen..okay?

Das ist nicht viel und ich kann schon so ein paar Asse aus dem Ärmel holen, nur die Koffinzufuhr muss stimmen

Grüsse

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Mon May 28, 2001 11:07 am

*ggg*

The Silent One · Post by **The Silent One** » Wed May 30, 2001 12:57 am

can i be a god?
can i be the god of sacrifice?
I should be the god of sacrifice cause of my name from the book called deep wizzardry.if you had read the book you would agree.

The Silent One · Post by **The Silent One** » Wed May 30, 2001 1:03 am

I think we need the main story for like illarion the game first then work on the rest. i think that cause we need something that newbies can get an idea from not like an story but like what you do in the game then the next thing should be the main story i think.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Wed May 30, 2001 9:16 am

The main story is definitely needed first, because if we start the main story later, we will have to match it to a thousand things, and we will have to change story things alot to match with the background.
God's stuff is on its way, Nanuk and me are discussing it, Nanuk will put it up when he thinks it's finished.

Jeanderaux · Post by **Jeanderaux** » Thu May 31, 2001 1:25 am

Hello,

I'm ready to start working on a few different things. What is still left to work on, and go ahead and assign me a topic to start on. Thanks,

Jeanderaux

Alexander · Post by **Alexander** » Thu May 31, 2001 3:03 am

i would like to help if you want me to write a story line i can just contact me and tell me what for and any suggestions on plot lines.

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 4:35 am

Sorry for the long delay. I was on vacation and I will just be here for two days. My company sends me on a trip which will take about 1 1/2 weeks. But I will be back eventually. Maybe Damien can moderate the ongoing progress.

In my absence Damien completed the god structure. I didn't have so much time to put it up on the website and I most probably will not be able to complete it until my return. But after a long night I uploaded the basic structure of the gods(go to Legends and Myths) and parts of the Armory.

There will be old gods or the first ones, which came to this world and build it up. They are responsible for the creation of plants, animals, the different races and the younger gods, with one exception. Nargùn as a younger god did also create a race.

Their active part was mainly during the creation and some time thereafter. But nowadays they more or less do not show up often. Keeping a distance to Illarion and the struggle between the powers. Here we also have an exception: Tanora, which is also known as Zelphia for the lizardmen, is the only one of the first gods still being present often.

I just managed to put in the short description for the old gods. The younger ones will follow some other time. Hmm, Damien, next time you have to translate your texts on your own

, that took me much too long. But the credit for working it out goes to him.

@all

Thanks for offering your help. I'm quite tired at the moment, so I prefer to go to bed now

. But tomorrow I will check who is willing to help and will update the list of people and the things we need.

Please give us some input, what you think of the system so far.

Nanuk

Farlorn · Post by **Farlorn** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 1:53 pm

Nanuk and Damien
pleease...
I need a god of the forest (and perhaps of life or wilderness or wild animals)

super work guys

Bror · Post by **Bror** » Wed Jun 06, 2001 5:53 pm

I guess this god(dess) will be Oldra. She is responsible for life and fertility, which means the god for all living creatures and growing plants. (Just my thought - I have nothing to do with the storyline)

Nanuk · Post by **Nanuk** » Thu Jun 21, 2001 9:43 am

Sorry for the late answer.

@Farlorn
Bror is partly right. Oldra is responsible for life and vertility in general but especially is in favor of domestic animals, arable land and gardens. Things which are connected to or altered by the existing races. If you are looking for someone who likes and protects the untouched wilderness than Malachín is your man.

@all
Damien has finished the first desription of the younger gods and with some changes I have uploaded it on the story website. Have a look and comment on it, we would like to have some feedback.

We try to be back soon, to explain the next steps. We are discussing this procedure at the moment.

In addition I would like to make the following offer (which I might regret someday;)): When I started to program the website moonsilver it was not intended to be kind of "official". Therefore there is still one page where I planned to write down the story of my charakter. As this place can be put to better use now, I want to ask all of you if you want to write down something concerning your own charakter, might that be his/her history, some other stories about your deeds or a special incident or maybe a poem, what ever you come up with, than send it to me. This might sound very arrogant to you but I have to say that I will not add every story I will recieve. Be assured that I will not value the narrative quality of your story and I will also ask for the opinion of another person, but what I want to see is, that some effort has been put into the writing.

Nanuk

Darzog · Post by **Darzog** » Thu Jun 21, 2001 1:07 pm

hi,
just had a look on the gods.
very good!
I just miss more "evil" gods.
Perhaps a god of the night and dark magic...
he often appears in nightmares or something like that.
not really chaotic..more subtile in his work...using influence to powerful people
so his followers may found something like illarion's mafia