Vehem
Modmod Monkey
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2005
- Messages
- 3,219
There's an upcoming feature which is designed to add elements of the old "Wilderness" design to *some* games (each game has a chance of one of the Wilderness features being present in it). These features are generally "anti-natural" in nature and are in defacto opposition to the Fellowship of Leaves. The Fellowship has always been primarily concerned with "defending the forests", but until now the only real threat to them has been Hell Terrain, making FoL a force on the good-side of Armageddon. With these features, they have a more obvious and immediate concern to deal with - though the features themselves are a hazard to any race.
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We currently have two flavours of one part of the mechanic however. Each is the same in terms of gameplay, but the lore is different, which will change the way they are perceived in-game. Both have Agares as the root of the problem, though one is more direct than the other.
We'd like some feedback as to which fits the player view of Erebus.
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Both make mention to the events in the Beltane Cycle (if you haven't read this, it may be worth doing so before deciding which way to vote - it can be found in the 'pedia entries, starting with the Fawn). Version 1 most likely occurs after those events, Version 2 occurs during them.
======
Whilst both feature Fawns, the nature of them is quite different.
Version 1 has them as living creatures filled with despair and an appearance to match - disheveled, reduced, less than the guardians they once were.
Version 2 has them as a product of the Godswar and so more demonic in nature, their skin has lost its vitality and the reflection is twisted and evil.
Artwork exists for both options, in the screenshots attached. These can easily be altered based on feedback however and are provided simply as a visual aid. The main poll is on the lore itself.
====
We currently have two flavours of one part of the mechanic however. Each is the same in terms of gameplay, but the lore is different, which will change the way they are perceived in-game. Both have Agares as the root of the problem, though one is more direct than the other.
We'd like some feedback as to which fits the player view of Erebus.
Spoiler Version 1 :
Thessa sat in the somber bower fingering a golden feather. She sat without speaking, as had become common. She knew two men awaited her invitation, and knew if their errand was of importance they'd come forward without.
They did. Travel worn warriors, a pair of scouts.
"Archmage, I am Cardel, this is Gissen. We've come for your counsel." Fore-warned, he continued without waiting for a reply.
"We come from the forest's northern reach. People are... disappearing. When we seek them our best trackers become lost. A new settlement vanished completely. Worse, even the sons of Cernunnos sicken. We've brought one with us. Can you help him? We're afraid. We're afraid it's come again, the..."
"Corruption." Thessa interrupted. She looked up and directly into Cardel's eyes. "The Corruption." One hand raised and fiercely chopped down. "No. Show me this son."
The soldiers left, then dragged in a well-made travois. On it lay a fawn.
Thessa stood and approached. A fawn, but yes, wrong. Its body was covered with dirt and some sort of rash. It wore none of the usual ornaments. And, though it was hard to judge lying down, its legs looked deformed. Too small. Its head was turned away. She reached and gently faced it toward her, asking "Who are you?"
The eyes she met burned with fever. Or was it madness?
"He won't speak," Gissen offered. “He's said nothing since we found him. He hardly stirs."
Thessa stared without speaking, and finally the fawn moved. He smiled.
"I know who he is. What he is. There have been rumors... Diakonos."
The fawn nodded.
Cardel frowned. "Diakonos?"
Thessa spoke in a whisper. "They wander the wilds of Erebus, calling themselves "Servants of the Dead God." They don't believe Seccullus lives. Won't. They still consider themselves his followers, but their hope has failed. You're right, it is corruption. But of a kind no part of the forest may suffer but us. They live in darkness and confusion, and can inflict it on others. Even you would wander aimless and lost if you fell under their spell. To walk with the Diakonos is to walk in a forest dark though the sun is high. To walk with the Diakonos is to find every path tangled though it stretches straight before you. They are twisted. Sick, but it comes from the spirit. It is not imposed, I say. It is accepted.
And they eat flesh, but never the flesh of animals. And never their own kill."
The fawn's slight, sad smile never flickered, but again it nodded.
"This one comes with a message."
Cardel shook himself. The archmage's soft voice had stilled all the forest sounds. He'd tensed, waiting for an attack. "What message?"
"That the Diakonos are here. And that we are tardy."
"What?"
Thessa reached into her hair and brought out a golden feather, running one finger down the vane. The Diakonos held out its hand. She pulled back, shaking her head.
"Take it away. If it runs before the sun sets let it go. If not, then kill it."
Cardel, voice choked with outrage, shouted "While it just lies there? It's sick, we should...!"
Her voice a whip, Thessa hissed "You will do what I say. And then, on my authority, you will send bands to the south, to the west, and to the east. For the moment the north is a waste of effort. We know this. Others do not. Do what I say and all will be to Evenmore's advantage. Now go, and drag this thing with you. I have work to do."
Later, and after much discussion away from the archmage's hearing, Cardel and Gissen found themselves standing guard over a Diakonos still supine on the travois. In the end all had been arranged as the archmage said. Cardel shook his head. "This is hard."
Gissen watched the sun sink behind the trees. “These are hard times," he answered, and drew his knife.
They did. Travel worn warriors, a pair of scouts.
"Archmage, I am Cardel, this is Gissen. We've come for your counsel." Fore-warned, he continued without waiting for a reply.
"We come from the forest's northern reach. People are... disappearing. When we seek them our best trackers become lost. A new settlement vanished completely. Worse, even the sons of Cernunnos sicken. We've brought one with us. Can you help him? We're afraid. We're afraid it's come again, the..."
"Corruption." Thessa interrupted. She looked up and directly into Cardel's eyes. "The Corruption." One hand raised and fiercely chopped down. "No. Show me this son."
The soldiers left, then dragged in a well-made travois. On it lay a fawn.
Thessa stood and approached. A fawn, but yes, wrong. Its body was covered with dirt and some sort of rash. It wore none of the usual ornaments. And, though it was hard to judge lying down, its legs looked deformed. Too small. Its head was turned away. She reached and gently faced it toward her, asking "Who are you?"
The eyes she met burned with fever. Or was it madness?
"He won't speak," Gissen offered. “He's said nothing since we found him. He hardly stirs."
Thessa stared without speaking, and finally the fawn moved. He smiled.
"I know who he is. What he is. There have been rumors... Diakonos."
The fawn nodded.
Cardel frowned. "Diakonos?"
Thessa spoke in a whisper. "They wander the wilds of Erebus, calling themselves "Servants of the Dead God." They don't believe Seccullus lives. Won't. They still consider themselves his followers, but their hope has failed. You're right, it is corruption. But of a kind no part of the forest may suffer but us. They live in darkness and confusion, and can inflict it on others. Even you would wander aimless and lost if you fell under their spell. To walk with the Diakonos is to walk in a forest dark though the sun is high. To walk with the Diakonos is to find every path tangled though it stretches straight before you. They are twisted. Sick, but it comes from the spirit. It is not imposed, I say. It is accepted.
And they eat flesh, but never the flesh of animals. And never their own kill."
The fawn's slight, sad smile never flickered, but again it nodded.
"This one comes with a message."
Cardel shook himself. The archmage's soft voice had stilled all the forest sounds. He'd tensed, waiting for an attack. "What message?"
"That the Diakonos are here. And that we are tardy."
"What?"
Thessa reached into her hair and brought out a golden feather, running one finger down the vane. The Diakonos held out its hand. She pulled back, shaking her head.
"Take it away. If it runs before the sun sets let it go. If not, then kill it."
Cardel, voice choked with outrage, shouted "While it just lies there? It's sick, we should...!"
Her voice a whip, Thessa hissed "You will do what I say. And then, on my authority, you will send bands to the south, to the west, and to the east. For the moment the north is a waste of effort. We know this. Others do not. Do what I say and all will be to Evenmore's advantage. Now go, and drag this thing with you. I have work to do."
Later, and after much discussion away from the archmage's hearing, Cardel and Gissen found themselves standing guard over a Diakonos still supine on the travois. In the end all had been arranged as the archmage said. Cardel shook his head. "This is hard."
Gissen watched the sun sink behind the trees. “These are hard times," he answered, and drew his knife.
Spoiler Version 2 :
Gilden crept along the trail, tracking. His keen eye could spot the slightest sign of a creature passing through the forest, but that skill was unnecessary here. The tracks were plain - a group travelling in haste, seemingly panicked as they darted back and forth trying to force a path through the undergrowth. By their number they matched the hunting party that he was looking for - they had been due back a day since, but had not returned.
There was movement ahead - something in the scrubs. This had once been thick forest, but now the ground was dry as ash and the trees had recently burned. They would recover given time, but the forest seemed to have little time left - it was sick. At its heart the Archmage, Thessa had discovered a dark blight, whilst at its edge the land itself seemed to no longer welcome the tree's roots. More recently, elves had been found slain in the groves, but no tracks led away from the bodies. Hopefully he would find answers with the hunters.
He crouched low, trying to catch sight of the movement again. As the moments passed, there was nothing, Then he saw it, moving quickly between the trees - the silhouette of a fawn, a defender of the woods. Perhaps the creature would be able to tell him of the lost hunters. He stood.
As soon as he did, he realized he had made a grievous error. The creature turned toward him, its eyes fixed on his. What he saw then was no fawn - it was a dark and twisted mockery of those noble creatures. Its eyes burned from dark sockets whilst its fur hung in ragged clumps from its legs. Its hooves were bloodstained and its skin draped, pale and lifeless.
"Diakonos..." whispered Gilden in disbelief. The creatures were legend - twisted servants of the Angel of Despair from an age long since passed, when Succellus and mighty Cernunnos defended the woods from Agares himself. Most galling of all, the worst injuries were inflicted upon the woods by such corrupt versions of the woodland creatures as these, created through the black power of the mirror sea in Agares' own hell. At the battle's height, Cernunnos battled a demonic-copy of himself whilst Sucellus and the remaining guardians of the forest drove Agares' forces away from the heart of the wood. The story was known by all elves, but none living was known to have seen such a creature, until now.
The moment of surprise had passed for them both. The diakonos lowered its head and charged, rapidly closing the distance between them. Gilden lifted his bow and let fly.
There was movement ahead - something in the scrubs. This had once been thick forest, but now the ground was dry as ash and the trees had recently burned. They would recover given time, but the forest seemed to have little time left - it was sick. At its heart the Archmage, Thessa had discovered a dark blight, whilst at its edge the land itself seemed to no longer welcome the tree's roots. More recently, elves had been found slain in the groves, but no tracks led away from the bodies. Hopefully he would find answers with the hunters.
He crouched low, trying to catch sight of the movement again. As the moments passed, there was nothing, Then he saw it, moving quickly between the trees - the silhouette of a fawn, a defender of the woods. Perhaps the creature would be able to tell him of the lost hunters. He stood.
As soon as he did, he realized he had made a grievous error. The creature turned toward him, its eyes fixed on his. What he saw then was no fawn - it was a dark and twisted mockery of those noble creatures. Its eyes burned from dark sockets whilst its fur hung in ragged clumps from its legs. Its hooves were bloodstained and its skin draped, pale and lifeless.
"Diakonos..." whispered Gilden in disbelief. The creatures were legend - twisted servants of the Angel of Despair from an age long since passed, when Succellus and mighty Cernunnos defended the woods from Agares himself. Most galling of all, the worst injuries were inflicted upon the woods by such corrupt versions of the woodland creatures as these, created through the black power of the mirror sea in Agares' own hell. At the battle's height, Cernunnos battled a demonic-copy of himself whilst Sucellus and the remaining guardians of the forest drove Agares' forces away from the heart of the wood. The story was known by all elves, but none living was known to have seen such a creature, until now.
The moment of surprise had passed for them both. The diakonos lowered its head and charged, rapidly closing the distance between them. Gilden lifted his bow and let fly.
======
Both make mention to the events in the Beltane Cycle (if you haven't read this, it may be worth doing so before deciding which way to vote - it can be found in the 'pedia entries, starting with the Fawn). Version 1 most likely occurs after those events, Version 2 occurs during them.
======
Whilst both feature Fawns, the nature of them is quite different.
Version 1 has them as living creatures filled with despair and an appearance to match - disheveled, reduced, less than the guardians they once were.
Version 2 has them as a product of the Godswar and so more demonic in nature, their skin has lost its vitality and the reflection is twisted and evil.
Artwork exists for both options, in the screenshots attached. These can easily be altered based on feedback however and are provided simply as a visual aid. The main poll is on the lore itself.