NationStates Jolt Archive

Link to IC thread: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541959

Gilgad now spied Xexamedes and exerted his Instantaneous Electric Effort--a tremendous many-pronged dazzle which not only shivered Xexamedes but destroyed Rhialto's aviary, shattered his antique way post and sent poor old Funk dancing across the sward on stilts of crackling blue lighting.

Do you desire power? Would you enjoy visiting other dimensions, planets, and even other times? More importantly, do you crave to humiliate you neighbors (in this case, fellow arch-magicians), whilst gaining social status? If so, this RP is for you!

It was inspired by Jack Vance's book Rhialto the Marvelous, which is the fourth and final installment of the Dying Earth series.

The RP runs thus: Far in the future (the 21st Aeon to be exact) the sun is dimming. The end of the world could be at any minute. In the land of Almery the most powerful people on the planet live: the arch-magicians. They can use their powers to easily summon a book. More. They can tell their manse to rise into the sky and take them to edge of the universe.
Magic is the study of the control of extra-dimensional beings. By using appropriate methods magicians can bind these beings to their will, allowing them to accomplish incredible feats. The beings require specific incantations and talk.
Now comes the being of the arch-magician: the sandestin, who speaks plain English. These beings are threatened into service with chugs (other extra-dimensional beings). A sandestin may take any form it chooses, and regularly changes such. It must serve an arch-magician enough to pay of its "indenture points", which it is constantly haggling for.

But enough flapdoodle; if you have any questions, ask. In the mean-time, show me your characters.
Arch-magicians can alter their appearance at will. Their personality is nothing like Gandalf, or Merlin. They are generally vain, they dress extravagantly (like Rhialto with his six-tiered hat), and they are often chasing after women.
Female arch-magicians don't exist. Women were banned from the group. Naturally, this peeved certain women who became "witches". Witches are easily as powerful as arch-magicians, and have a group of their own. Once in a while magicians and witches cooperate, but this is rare and is often due to a mutual menace.

So sign-up! Detail your character's usual attire (generally a combination of 1800's and earlier clothes, plus outrageous clothes of your own fashioning), his (or her, in the case of a witch) appearance, his personality, and his manse.
Your manse may be just about anything: a glass castle, a series ivory tunnels under a marsh, a palace carved from a giant pearl, ect. Be creative.
You'll also need to specify your character' name. Arch-magican names of the ones in the book: Ildefonse the Preceptor, Rhialto the Marvelous, Hurtiancz, Herark the Harbinger, Shrue, Gilgad, Vermoulian the dream-walker, Mune the Mage, Zilifant, Darvilk the Miaanther, Perdustin,
Ao of the Opals, Eshmiel, Barbanikos, Haze of Wheary Water, Panderleou, Byzant the Necrope, Dulce-Lolo, Tchamast, Teutch, Zahoulik-Khuntze, Nahourezzin, Zanzel Melancthones, Hache-Moncour.
Pick and appropriate name for yourself, then name your manse.

Remember, if you have any questions, feel-free to ask.

A big-bellied old man with gray wattles sidled a few steps forward. He spoke in wheedling nasal voice: "Must your disgust be so blatant? True: we are anthropophages. True: we put strangers to succulent use. Is this truly cause for such hostility? The world is as it is and each of us must hope in some fashion to be of service to his fellows, even if only in the form of a soup."
"Our talents lie elsewhere," said Rhialto. "If I see any more nets, you will be the first to fly the sky."
"No fear, now that we know your preferences," declared Doulka. "What are your needs? Are you hungry?"


Important terms you should know, as the most powerful fops in existence:

Archevaults: Banished magicians. They live on a star called far away. They look like humanoid reptiles about seven feet tall, and often have feathers in a few places. They are forbidden to return to Earth, on pain-of-death.

Blue Principles: A code of conduct that is somewhat Draconian. All arch-magicians helped create it, and have a copy of it. It is rarely invoked due to the fact that it has overly-harsh penalties, and most magicians simply are too-lazy to remember a fair law.

Conclave: This is a meeting between the arch-magicians for various reasons. It could be merely in honour of Phandaal (the greatest sorcerer who ever lived), but it is usually to come to a decision, or resolve a mystery. It runs a bit like Senate, with one person presiding over it (the Preceptor, who I can play). Rules are a little more lax. If you are offended by something, you can take it to the Preceptor. Many magicians bring food and wine.

IOUN stones (yes, the name was borrowed by D&D): Translucent stones kept by every arch-magician. They are always most valued treasures. As a magician possess more, his magical power subtly increases. They are seldom carried, but hidden in some parts of the manse (Rhialto keeps his in his crystal chandelier). If they are carried, they orbit around the user. They can hold spells, or memories, but can be physically taken. Most magicians have a collection ranging from five, to 20, generally about a dozen. They are often sought-after as compensations for greviences, but rarely given.

Sandestins: Creatures from another dimension. Magicians carry a special "chug" for each one. If the Sandestin misbehaves, it may be given treatment. If it does well, it is given "indenture points". Once it has enough indenture points, it is free to leave the magician.
Sandestins will often haggle for indenture points. They are not above indirectly insulting, or even hidering their masters. They should be given unequivocal orders. They can build castles, summona hat, or send knaves running along ht beach with buttocks aflame.

Wiih: A non-sentient creature that distributes justice. It will dissemble an arch-magician, and reassemble him in an alternate dimension in the most painful of ways. After becoming the victim of the Wiih, a magician can be called dead for all purposes. The Wiih can kill any know being. It is sometimes used as a threatening tool if a magician suffers a grave wrong. It hasn't actually been invoked for some time, with punishments being banishment, or depriving of magical ability being more common for serious offense.

OOC
Looks like good fun!
Though I'm not sure it will fit my Dystopian Future world too much.
Good luck on the RP, looks very promising!

So, If i create a witch (which I would prefer), would I still be a major character in the RP or must I create an arch-magician in order to be a major character. I'll create to suit.

So, If i create a witch (which I would prefer), would I still be a major character in the RP or must I create an arch-magician in order to be a major character. I'll create to suit.

If there enough other witches, you'd be a major character. You still could be, but it would require some creativity. Like impersonating a magician to infiltrate the conclave (simple enough with magic), or always troubling the arch-magicians as an antagonist.
Witches tend to hate men considerably, and it would be an incredible deviation from the norm if a witch befriended a man. Likelier then not, she'd be exiled from the witches association. Something to consider.

if i did a witch i would make her incredibly vain and egotistical, much like the men you were describing. i could definitely make her a man-hater, that i can do. or if you want some scandal where i fall in love with an arch-magician or vice-versa i could work with that. but this is your rp, so what do you want?

This reads a bit like Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time, but what the heck? Any room for a Muri shaman? Or would a Ordo Arkati sorceror be more fitting?

if i did a witch i would make her incredibly vain and egotistical, much like the men you were describing. i could definitely make her a man-hater, that i can do. or if you want some scandal where i fall in love with an arch-magician or vice-versa i could work with that. but this is your rp, so what do you want?

Whatever you want. Witches vary. They command sandestins, which generally take female form, and are hated by magicians sandestins.

"Forbidden love" is certainly a possible occurrence.

This reads a bit like Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time, but what the heck? Any room for a Muri shaman? Or would a Ordo Arkati sorceror be more fitting?

Your magician should be verbose to the extreme, an over-flashy dresser, and somewhat (possibly very) vain.

By verbose I mean you should use a combination of elevated vocabulary, interspersed with bits of archaic speech. Contractions are not used by people in the Dying Earth.

Magicians are typically fond of seducing women. This itself is not required though. There are some that don't care for such pursuits. One magician distrusts women so much, he sees to it not even female insects are permitted within his yard. Cooky, but then again the series certainly contains much comedy.

Your magician should collect things. Ao of the Opals collects jewels. Byzant the Necrope collects corpses. Shrue has a bunch of undead bees. You get the idea.

Magicians can also be misanthropes, though this is not common.

Ghurkas is a sorceror of the Ordo Arkati. About 7'6", he is a massively muscled, gray skinned giant with a vaguely canine, hairless head. His frock-coat is of infrablack, it's buttons carved of quaga-pearl in runes of power, and three tiers of lace at his throat. Deep-set in the lace is a blood-ruby that ties to a larger stone kept in his estate, a massive egg-shaped gem that contains the demons he's trapped over the course of his career.
His estate is a monstrous, sprawling affair in which a hundred different styles mesh unharmoniously to form a dark feng shui matrix of fell distillate. Always under construction, the estate erects odd towers and outbuildings constantly to the whims of it's bizarre master. Doorways open to the Far Horizons of Experience, or to Nothing At All.
Two major installations are the Garden of Death, a pleasant paradise where all the toxic plants and animals of a million paradigms sport and play, kept in balance by the odd forces Ghurkas commands; and the Seraglio, which houses the catamites of all the worlds Ghurkas has visited. Only Ghurkas roams the Seraglio, but the Garden is open to all who dare it.
"This world is doomed-and what of it? We, who have moved beyond Time and Space, who walk the Far Realms, shall not die with it. The stars are right--it is time to stride forth-to sweep out the new, raise up the old, and uncork the bottle of Divine Madness"
(OOC: Did I hit the right note? Vance is so fanciful, it's hard to tell if you're over the top. If not, just tell me to try again)

(OOC: Did I hit the right note? Vance is so fanciful, it's hard to tell if you're over the top. If not, just tell me to try again)

Excellent. Your description is an item to be emulated.

Okay, I'll do a preliminary Witches profile for now until we work everything out.

Name: Malichia (Mala-key-ah) of Cerinthion
Malichia generally wears a cerulean velvet, high-collared cloak. Under the cloak, She festoons a variety of ornately designed, high-quality dresses, similar to those worn during the Renaissance period, made of sky blue silk, often overlayed with sheer lace. She is tall and slender and of perfect form. Her skin is of an alabaster complexion with icy blue eyes that burst forth from her white skin. Her lips are always of a deep scarlet color. Her deep auburn hair is generally worn in intricate twists about her head with insect-shaped clips made of gold, intricately designed with a myriad of precious jewels that move about her head. Despite her beauty, she abhors men, especially the misogynistic arch-magicians. She is cold and ruthless and has little compassion towards anyone or anything. Her manse, named Cerinthion, mirrors her iciness. Positioned in a wintry wilderness far form general reach, It is a pristine white megalith. It is reminiscent of a Gothic Cathedral with whited gargoyles and cherubim and seraphim that often move about the monstrous complex. Inside is a plush paradise of icy blues and whites. Throughout much of the castle grounds grows a rare flower called the opiwax, found only at Cerinthion. It comes in either a pure white or a light blue. It can cure any human ailment, but is completely ineffectual on magical beings. Malichia gains great pleasure from keeping not only their beauty but their powers to herself.

*bump*

OOC: Would a Necromancer be an appropriate choice? I mean an arch-magician that practices magic involving life and death?

I thought this was the OOC thread, but have to ask-would he be a lich?

I thought this was the OOC thread, but have to ask-would he be a lich?

I did not realize this was an OOC thread. I was also going to ask if my character could be a Lich, I mean talk about some of the most vain and ruthless individuals known to wizardry.

OOC: Would a Necromancer be an appropriate choice? I mean an arch-magician that practices magic involving life and death?

Byzant the Necrope is very much into that sort of thing. His halls are lined with dead bodies, which he claims he can talk to. You can animate them to do all sorts of things. However, they're generally not used as soldiers.

I did not realize this was an OOC thread. I was also going to ask if my character could be a Lich, I mean talk about some of the most vain and ruthless individuals known to wizardry.

If you can explain why an immortal wizard would choose to appear in so hideous a fashion. They generally manifest as extremely handsome young men. One -in-a-while, when they're not trying to impress women, they appear middle-aged.

Exceptions: Hurtiancz is so vain he uses his natural form, which he considers the best. It is presently missing all its teeth, so he has ruby ones.

Haze of Wheary Water has a face that's orange, with leaves for hair. He appears that way because he is the only member of the conclave that is non-human. Also because he is completely immune to sexual charms.

May as well explain the goth movement or disco, while you're at it. Perhaps the gentleman gets his kicks from reminding his fellow arch-magicians of their mortality, and secretly(or openly) revels in their disgust. We are all what we wish to be, at least in this forum-our appearance is that we wish to present to the world, our powers obscure and misunderstood by many. It's a matter of style, and I, for one, certainly wish to encourage it.

May as well explain the goth movement or disco, while you're at it.

Ballrooms for this RP ;).

Perhaps the gentleman gets his kicks from reminding his fellow arch-magicians of their mortality, and secretly(or openly) revels in their disgust. They can be killed. They would probably die when the sun goes dead...that is, unless they another dimension to go to...which they very well might.

And they might have a particularly cooperative sandestin. Sandestins can be ordered to bring arch-magicians back to life in the event of death. Even create a new body for them if they're obliterated. Generally sandestins disregard this order. Why gain three indenture points when you can just abandon your master there?

We are all what we wish to be, at least in this forum-our appearance is that we wish to present to the world, our powers obscure and misunderstood by many. It's a matter of style, and I, for one, certainly wish to encourage it.

I do as well. The magician may be a misanthrope. His manse could be in the side of a mountain, with bloody vapor surrounding it. Not to say he'd be physically hostile to others, he just wants to discourage visitors.

In Dancers at the End of Time, Werner de Goethe has erected for himself a vast mausoleum of black stone locked in a perpetual shower of blood where he rests in a massive tomb contemplating the endless horror he sees the Universe as. Gotta love the sixties' weird symbolism and outlooks. I mention this only as a *BUMP*

In Dancers at the End of Time, Werner de Goethe has erected for himself a vast mausoleum of black stone locked in a perpetual shower of blood where he rests in a massive tomb contemplating the endless horror he sees the Universe as. Gotta love the sixties' weird symbolism and outlooks. I mention this only as a *BUMP*

Thank you. As this is going so slow, I am thinking about getting the IC thread going.

i agree!

I, on the other hand, am not so certain. Sensibly, we have two PC descriptions, and a query as to a potential player, which gives us three or four posters keeping an IC thread alive. If we can work plotlines out of that, all well and good, but I'd like a few more players for diversity's sake-hence this *BUMP*

Name:Len Arturo Miraki.
Len is a little known magician from the outskirts of the world.
Len Standardly wears Jeans with tennis shoes.A white shirt with a plaid coat over it and a hat.He wears bands over his arms to cover the markings that are on them.
Len is 6'1 and 191lbs, short light brown hair.Tall and slender body.
He is a mostly kind and trusting person.Though he has a very cynical sense of humor.
His manse is of no particular fanciness.It's on a 59 square acre yard where it features a 1 story house and a shop out front.

I'm interested.

Tobias the Spark
He gets his name for two reasons. 1) He thoroughly enjoys flame (all elements for that matter). And 2) He has provided the push that has started many a battle. His specialty is transmutation: changing something into something else. Tobias has become so adept at this that a simple touch is all he needs to start this process. Although he loves to start a war or two in his spare time, he also loves hanging around the nearest town, enchanting the children and annoying the adults to such a degree that a mob usually chases him out a few times before he finally leaves.
Typical dress for him is bright blue slacks with a blinding red tunic along with multiple cloaks, robes, and hats in varying degrees of shabbiness and eye pain. His boots change color as quickly as his mood, though they're typically emerald green. He also wears black glasses with thick rims and short lenses and is never seen without his cat. Lilly is pitch black and always ready to deliver a letter, provide a distraction, or help in various other ways.
His home from the outside appears to be entirely crystal though is perfectly normal on the inside, aside from various moving statues, flying books, and the occasional computer. Unlike most magicians, he has embraced technology and finds it wonderfully helpful in understanding things as well as keeping logs. Another odd piece of it is it's movement. Crystal will grow from the ground and connect with the manse while others break off. The new crystals then slowly sway forward while still newer crystal grows and continues the process. These leftover crystal spikes (usually no less than 30 or 40 feet tall) begin to produce an odd mist as they fade from existence which, although harmless to humans, will kill insects and other such bugs on contact.

Name:Len Arturo Miraki.
Len is a little known magician from the outskirts of the world.
Len Standardly wears Jeans with tennis shoes.A white shirt with a plaid coat over it and a hat.He wears bands over his arms to cover the markings that are on them.
Len is 6'1 and 191lbs, short light brown hair.Tall and slender body.
He is a mostly kind and trusting person.Though he has a very cynical sense of humor.
His manse is of no particular fanciness.It's on a 59 square acre yard where it features a 1 story house and a shop out front.

It seems a little...mundane; which is okay, it's just a little out-of-place chronologically speaking. If you're mundane for this era, you should probably wear monk's robes, and a petasos.

I'm interested.

Tobias the Spark
He gets his name for two reasons. 1) He thoroughly enjoys flame (all elements for that matter). And 2) He has provided the push that has started many a battle. His specialty is transmutation: changing something into something else. Tobias has become so adept at this that a simple touch is all he needs to start this process. Although he loves to start a war or two in his spare time, he also loves hanging around the nearest town, enchanting the children and annoying the adults to such a degree that a mob usually chases him out a few times before he finally leaves.
Typical dress for him is bright blue slacks with a blinding red tunic along with multiple cloaks, robes, and hats in varying degrees of shabbiness and eye pain. His boots change color as quickly as his mood, though they're typically emerald green. He also wears black glasses with thick rims and short lenses and is never seen without his cat. Lilly is pitch black and always ready to deliver a letter, provide a distraction, or help in various other ways.
His home from the outside appears to be entirely crystal though is perfectly normal on the inside, aside from various moving statues, flying books, and the occasional computer. Unlike most magicians, he has embraced technology and finds it wonderfully helpful in understanding things as well as keeping logs. Another odd piece of it is it's movement. Crystal will grow from the ground and connect with the manse while others break off. The new crystals then slowly sway forward while still newer crystal grows and continues the process. These leftover crystal spikes (usually no less than 30 or 40 feet tall) begin to produce an odd mist as they fade from existence which, although harmless to humans, will kill insects and other such bugs on contact.

Sounds like Makke the Maugifer: "[...] a great magician named Makke the Maugifer built a manse and ruled the land with his mauging magic. He mauged east and he mauged west, north and south; persons could lift their eyes to his countenance once, and with effort twice, but never three times, so great was the force of his maugery."

-Cugel's Saga

Kyo is a member of the Sixth House of the Void, and is the Lord Lich of his planets unit. He has a morbid sense of humor, and covers the top half of his head with a metal mask. His skin, what little of it can be seen, is dull and scarred and bloodstained. He also is a fluent Chameleon Mage, and is skilled at illusion magic. His teeth are deformed and dirty, and he has created many a turncoat with his imposing, yet strangely charming when needed, personality. His house is known as the Palace of Bones, and is made out of the skeletal remains of Templarian soldiers. He always wears the long black robe of a Sixth House Lich. He is 6'9 and has a muscular build. He has no recorded weight.

Picture: http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie/mouth_of_sauron3.jpg

It seems a little...mundane; which is okay, it's just a little out-of-place chronologically speaking. If you're mundane for this era, you should probably wear monk's robes, and a petasos.
Mundane?That's it.It could be worse.Trust me.

Mundane?That's it.It could be worse.Trust me.

Actually, what he said could have been much worse, so don't tempt fate!

Kyo is a member of the Sixth House of the Void, and is the Lord Lich of his planets unit. He has a morbid sense of humor, and covers the top half of his head with a metal mask. His skin, what little of it can be seen, is dull and scarred and bloodstained. He also is a fluent Chameleon Mage, and is skilled at illusion magic. His teeth are deformed and dirty, and he has created many a turncoat with his imposing, yet strangely charming when needed, personality. His house is known as the Palace of Bones, and is made out of the skeletal remains of Templarian soldiers. He always wears the long black robe of a Sixth House Lich. He is 6'9 and has a muscular build. He has no recorded weight.

Picture: http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie/mouth_of_sauron3.jpg

Very well done. This Lich will fit. I approve!

Mundane?That's it.It could be worse.Trust me.

It also could be better. We should emulate Rhialto's wonderful example.























http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/60000199/Images/14/IMPPEL017.jpg

It seems to be we have enough characters to at least start. But maybe we should discuss a bit more plot and structure because i don't exactly know any of that.

It seems to be we have enough characters to at least start. But maybe we should discuss a bit more plot and structure because i don't exactly know any of that.

I second that motion!

It seems to be we have enough characters to at least start. But maybe we should discuss a bit more plot and structure because i don't exactly know any of that.I also agree.We want to make sure we're all on the same page before we start.

The premise is that the Sun's about to wink out and we, as the most powerful beings in existence, are more concerned with playing Silly Buggers for status in our own hierarchy than the imminent doom that looms over us all. At least, that's what I gleaned off the OP. I could be wrong, or we could establish some other sort of arrangement as play progresses, though Silly Buggers is always good for unnecessary complications, and a certain amount always leaks in somewhere.

Oh, this should be good.

Alright, I have added a few terms you should know on the first page. If you have any questions, ask. I will begin the RP as soon as I have the time.

Good luck to anyone attempting to get Tobias' IOUN Stones. It's rather hard to find crystal in a manse made of the stuff! :D

I think three indenture points should cover it:p

I think three indenture points should cover it:p

Normally it would. But sandestins often won't do anything to irk an arch-magician directly.

bump-a-tude.

bumpity-bump-bump

Link to IC thread: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541959

Reminder: just so you coxcombs know, the tech level in the Dying Earth is somewhat devolved. The only mention of guns (muskets at that) are those carried by cockroaches. The nations in the Dying Earth are unusually named (Kaiin is one), and are generally independent cities. From what I can tell, the stories take place in Greece, but I could be wrong.