Future of the Illians vs. Their Past

[Mailbox]

The Illians are one of my favorite races for several reasons. I love the cold and ice, they were lead by the God of Winter and Stasis who managed to put the world into a 1000 year ice age, and they're a generally interesting enemy with a powerful leader.

My question is that what kind of power did the Illians wield in the Age of Ice, and what society did they have? I assume that they continued to live in cities since their priests had control over the cold and Mulcarn watched over them. Also what are the central beliefs of the White Hand?

My other question is less lore based and more based on the future content the Illians will receive. What are the plans for them, or is it still a secret?

 

[Ekolite]

I expect its still a secret. Maybe they've left the best civ till last

 

[Fenboy]

Mailbox, FFH Age of Ice has the Illians as the Amurite player's major nemesis. They did live in cities, were the major power of the world at the time, and had managed to impress the Doviello as a vassal state. Beyond that I don't really know.

As to the future, well Auric Ulvin's backstory, along with the introduction of the Letum Frigus world location and the fact that 'Ice' is going to include scenarios heavily implies that the Illians will be attempting to ressurect Mulcarn...

Personally, I just want to see a Mammoth War Elephant and a Beastmaster with Polar Bear, Arctic Wolf and Snow Leopard minions

edit: Further checking of AoI's civilopedia reveals that they could create Ice Golems from their Temples, and that they fought a war with the Luchuirp who attempted to stop them summoning Mulcarn (the Luchuirp were the only Good civilisation in any state to try and stop them) this war ended when Mulcarn was summoned and destroyed the Luchuirp army.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

It was Barnaxus that was making th ice golems, after Mulcarn gave him life.

(Personally I think that they shouldn't have been called Luchuirp, but the Kradh-Ke-zun)

Also Auric said to the Illians: "Once you had been the greatest of scholars and priests, tributes were paid to you by all nations"

 

[Ekolite]

No it wasn't Mulcarn that gave barnaxus life, he met an old man in the widerness and he somehow gave him life. Mulcarn kinda captured barnaxus and told him to build golems made of ice.

 

[Kael]

It quickly became clear that Barnaxus was unlike any other golem. Barnaxus did not "take orders." He cooperated, he discussed, and he made suggestions. Barnaxus was a thinking golem, a learning golem. No one could guess how he had managed to break the magical ties that bind a golem to the two-dimensional world of "order and execution", and nobody really expected that they would ever find out. When asked, Barnaxus merely said: "A man spoke to me in the wastes and I awoke," he would say no more.

Barnaxus was being vague, Mulcarn is the one who gave him life.

 

[Mailbox]

"Once you had been the greatest of scholars and priests, tributes were paid to you by all nations"

This is one of my favorite quotes involving the Illians. Auric Ulvin is definitely my favorite leader.

 

[zxcvbnm]

Barnaxus was being vague, Mulcarn is the one who gave him life.

So was that before or during the Age of Ice? Am I remembering it wrong that Barnaxus existed in the Age of Magic?

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Barnaxus was created near the end of the Age of Magic, and was among the golems that the Luchuip lead to fight against Mulcarn when he first entered creation (at the beginning of the Age of Ice, a couple centuries before Kyorlin joined the Amurites and began his quest for the Godslayer). They were all defeated, but Mulcarn was impressed. Non-living, non-changing, non-sentient machines fir well into his element of Stasis. He gave Life to Barnaxus (before this Barbaxus was just an ordinary non-living enchanted machine like all other golems, albeit one of the best made ones) and ordered him to create Ice Golems for him

 

[Mailbox]

Since Auric is possessed by the spirit of Mulcarn, what is his opinion of technological progress? Is it a necessary evil in order to regain his power or does he think something else?

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Hmm...Well, most of it isn't really progress, just the regaining of lost knowledge. During the Age of Ice his people were the most technologically advanced in the world ("Once you had been the greatest of scholars and priests, tributes were paid to you by all nations...").

The fact that he is trying to regain power at all is a bit against the theme of stasis. Perhaps he thinks of these as reactionary moves required to return the world to a more stable state. Of course, can winter ever begin without something changing? He fall and his entrance into creation to begin the Age of Ice aren't very "static" either. Perhaps considering all these things to be necessary evils is the right approach.

 

[Tarquelne]

During the Age of Ice his people were the most technologically advanced in the world ("a nation of priests and scholars, tributes were payed to you by all....").

I think that's a neat quote too. But... does he* always tell the truth?


*Whichever

 

[xienwolf]

That brings to mind a deeper, more philosophical quandry about Mulcarn:

If you do something to change his domain, does he attempt to put it back (long term stasis) or to maintain what you have placed there now (short term stasis)?

 

[Mailbox]

I'd think he does long term, since he wants to return the world to the Age of Ice state.

 

[Seventh Star]

("Once you had been the greatest of scholars and priests, tributes were paid to you by all nations...").

I think that's a neat quote too. But... does he* always tell the truth? *Whichever

Well, the line is delivered to the ghosts of that nation, and they were the only surface nation to prosper during the Age of Ice, so yes.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Probably long term stasis, trying to bring the world into a "static equilibrium." Of course, this makes it sound like he would get along with Dagda better than most of the gods, which is ironic since Dagda made the compact and Mulcarn broke it. Of course, "Balance" in FfH probably really means "moderation" rather than equilibrium. (Hmm...how can Dagda represent pure balance? wouldn't that mean taking moderation to the extreme, which would make it not be moderation anymore?)

 

[Seventh Star]

Probably long term stasis, trying to bring the world into a "static equilibrium." Of course, this makes it sound like he would get along with Dagda better than most of the gods, which is ironic since Dagda made the compact and Mulcarn broke it. Of course, "Balance" in FfH probably really means "moderation" rather than equilibrium. (Hmm...how can Dagda represent pure balance? wouldn't that mean taking moderation to the extreme, which would make it not be moderation anymore?)

Wasn't Mulcarn summoned into creation by the Illians rather than breaking in himself? Given all the stuff about power in proportion to worship and influence, that might actually be technically legit.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I'm pretty sure it is still a violation. And I was wrong about them having power related to their worship apparently; the ability of others to channel their power is proportional to faith, but their actual power is not. They are limited in what they can do, sort of like having their power rationed out. They are allowed to either do a lot all at once, or to perform many tiny miracles. Overall, the compact is extremely complex and not particularly logical (like most laws and treaties), but I don't think he had any real justification for this action.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

but I don't think he had any real justicication for this action.

For covering the world in ice? I think that requires at least an amendment to the compact, if not a total rewrite.

 

[Ur_Vile_Wedge]

Also, I'm like 99% sure that physically manifesting oneself in Creation constitutes a violation, no matter how widely one is worshipped. Bhall's worship was much, much greater at her height than Mulcarn's was, and yet she never tried to actually step into things.