Rumi

Rumi observed the sludge and its interactions with his friends for many days. Mya had developed a topical remedy from local plants and lake minerals that seemed to keep Darigan from falling into fits of hunger. The sludge remained in the Oak Fort, but fewer and fewer people seemed to be thinking about it and discussing it. It was clear, however, that the populace of Loreroot knew well enough to stay away from the Oak Fort. Rumi wandered by the Oak Fort many times, and often felt a strong sense of abandonment. Where there had always been activity and joy, now there was silence. He wondered what power the Oak Fort gave to Loreroot and wondered if that power was diminished by the absence of man and beast. This drove him to great concern and he spoke with Mya to consider solutions. As he considered his options and his concern became stronger, it occurred to Rumi that perhaps everyone had been quick to conclude that the sludge was dangerous and must be avoided. It had clearly caused difficulty for Mya and Darigan, but they had chosen to fight the infection. Rumi decided to allow himself to become infected and surrender to it. He told Mya that he was considering entering the Oak Fort and remaining inside until he had discovered the nature of the sludge or died in the process. Mya was concerned for Rumi and gave him a jar of the topical remedy she had been giving to Darigan for protection. Rumi pondered the idea of entering the Oak Fort for several days as he sat in meditation at the Meeting of the Roads. He was sitting in sense meditation one day and heard the familiar sound of a finch that he had followed into Loreroot once before on the day he first spoke with Amoran K Kol. He followed the finch into Loreroot again and found the bird sitting atop a branch of the Oak Fort, singing. He realized that the time had come to enter the Oak Fort. Amoran came to the Oak Fort to meet with Rumi before his entrance and offered to come in to rescue him if necessary. He offered her thanks and prepared to enter. Rumi slipped off all his clothes and piled them neatly at the base of the tree and dove into Green Lake. He swam out into the lake and back to shore, where he got out and began to apply Mya's topical remedy to his entire body. When he was completely covered, he walked naked into the Oak Fort and sat in a lotus position in the center of the tree. It did not take long before he became host to the infestation. He sat still, breathing deeply as darkness surrounded his entire body until he could no longer see. The singing finch faded away as a steady pounding beat filled his ears. The air he breathed became thick and foul. He felt an earthward pressure that became more and more intense and his nerves began to feel an intense penetrating pain like fire and ice. This experience became more and more intense until Rumi fell unconscious, remaining in stasis in a lotus position in the center of the tree. For two weeks Rumi sat inside the tree, periodically regaining consciousness and losing it again. He would wake up to relive a memory from his past before becoming aware that he was inside the Oak Fort. With every realization of his present reality inside the Oak Fort came the onslaught of the pounding and the pressure and the pain. Initially this would quickly send him straight back into unconsciousness, but with each experience, he remained aware for longer periods of time. As he learned to surrender his body and mind, he would experience sensations of euphoria before being dragged back to the agony as his mind tried to retake control. After some time and practice, the periods of euphoria transformed into a subtle communication from the invader of his body and the Oak Fort. Through these auditory and visionary communications, he slowly came to understand that the sludge was the reproductive gamete mass of an underwater being, similar to the pollen of the land plants. The mass was in the process of seeking its counterpart for the purpose of reproductive creation when it was swept from the deep up onto the land. It sought to return to the deep. Rumi struggled to communicate his understanding to the invader before falling unconscious again. The next time he became aware, he observed that the darkness and pressure and pain and pounding were rapidly dissipating as the sludge slowly retreated from around his body and the Oak Fort into his lungs through his mouth and nose. Rumi regained his vision and movement as his breathing became increasingly stressed. He struggled to pull himself up to his feet by latching onto the inner wall of the tree. He managed to pull himself out of the entrance of the Oak Fort to see Mya, Darigan, and Amoran K Kol waiting outside, before collapsing on the ground from lack of oxygen. With the last air in his lungs, he tried to convey the location where the gamete mass could escape his body and reproduce. He barely made out the word "Peace" before falling unconscious. Mya and Darigan and Amoran K Kol struggled to help the unconscious Rumi. They wondered what he could have meant by "Peace", considering if perhaps he was calling for Lady Peace of Necrovion. They attempted to manually clear his airway and found the sludge had formed a solid plug in his throat. His heart was beating, but appeared to be slowing. Darigan tried dangling him upside down and shaking him. Mya attempted a healing spell and Amoran called forth a great rainstorm to attempt to help. Nothing seemed to work. Darigan held Rumi close to his face at one point and the unconscious Rumi suddenly made eye contact with him. His mouth opened and the sludge that remained in Darigan came forth from him and into Rumi's open mouth, rejoining the rest of the gamete mass. During this process the solid plug in Rumi's throat opened to bring in this sludge and Rumi became conscious and was able to take a breath and make out the word "Peace" once more before losing consciousness again. Darigan had the idea that perhaps Rumi referred to Raven's Peace, the place where Sharazhad had originally cast the spell that caused the flood. Mya and Amoran agreed it was possible and they walked and flew to Raven's Peace with Rumi still clutched in Darigan's talons. Darigan flew with Rumi over the water and Mya suggested he place him in the water. Darigan lowered the unconscious Rumi to the water and immediately the downward force of Rumi's body was far greater than that of gravity. Darigan told Mya that Rumi became incredibly heavy upon touching the water, and Mya suggested that Darigan hold Rumi and dive deep, allowing Rumi's body to lead. Darigan carried Rumi down into the lake. As they dove deeper and deeper, Rumi's belly seemed to light up a brilliant fluorescent color. They reached the lakebottom and Rumi's mouth opened. The fluorescent goo began to stream out from Rumi's mouth and across the lakebottom toward another fluorescent point of light. After a minute the last of the fluorescent sludge had gone out from Rumi and was beginning to connect with and swirl around the distant point of light. Rumi regained consciousness long enough to watch the coming together of the lights with Darigan. His lungs filled with water and he gave a deep smile before passing out again. Darigan carried Rumi to the surface and set him down on the land. Mya pressed his chest until the water came spewing out his mouth, and he began to cough and gasp for air. Soon after, Rumi woke up. He confirmed that he was fine and exhausted. Everyone asked him what had happened and his only response was asking Darigan if he saw the coming together of the lights in the deep. He said it was beautiful. They walked to the Oak Fort and Rumi put his clothes back on, which were wet from Amoran's rainstorm. He briefly spoke to the group about his experience in the Oak Fort and the memories that surfaced. Then he went to sleep. -Fin (Yes I know, more detail than you all might have liked...but that's how the story goes.)

It has been some time since I fought against the slime and I remember it having a different "avatar" than the road shades. I have confirmed now that it is a shade and an elemental. Given this confirmation, I am in fact looking to purchase a shade. If anyone would be willing to sell one uber-cheap ( for a good cause, of course ) or consider taking a series of payments as I can afford them, I am looking to purchase one. I give my word to honor my debt as I have honored a previous debt (I will give further evidence if requested). Another possibility would be a loan agreement whereby I offer a small sum of money to borrow a Shade for a determined period of time in order to conduct my research. Thank you.

I am beginning deep research on the Meeting of the Roads scene and I want to acquire a slime creature like the one found there (NPC stretched between the two rocks). If anybody has one, I will gladly buy it for an appropriate value. If anybody has an idea where to get one, let me know. I suspect it may be hard to come by. Feel free to respond on forum or by personal message. Thanks!

Thank you again Z for your comments. I am still a little confused about buildings and scenes. First you gave the example of the House of Liquid Dust and then the example of the Archives renovation. I guess my question is how do I know if something simply has no entrance whatsoever or if I simply cannot access a place because I don't know the clickie code, or haven't been granted access, but others can enter it. This also goes for a location that is under construction. For example, how did Ren know that Mur hadn't completed the archives. Did they display the same "under construction" message as the Gazebo of Chaos? As far as places I cannot enter, but seem like I should be able to, an example I think of is Champion's Dome. I can see a door and I assume there's an inside I could find at some point, but when I stand outside and wave my arms, it doesn't appear any different than the house of liquid dust. Other examples that come to mind are clickies at the entrance to accursed growth or drachorn lair or marind balcony. I believe those places can all be entered, but I have never seen anyone inside them. I apologize if I sound ignorant. Is there a way to determine if places have interiors besides just asking other people?

[quote name='Kyphis the Bard' timestamp='1300199131' post='80687'] ऄ [/quote] Nope, still can't see anything.

Thank you Firsanthalas for your post. [quote name='Firsanthalas' timestamp='1300189291' post='80678'] Mya and Sharazhad had an idea for a story. They consulted me about it. I told them that anything that involved something particular to MD itself was taboo and not allowed. So no blackwater or liquid dust. In the meantime, some people 'roleplayed' 'their' solution/cause. I.E. They made up whatever shit they wanted and justified it. I am also going to point out that NOBODY (other than Mya and Sharazhad) made any attempt to speak to me on the matter. [/quote] In regards to the specific event of the Loreroot sludge, I assume that Firsanthalas is referring to my extended roleplay and post in the sludge and floods discussion where I made up whatever solution I wanted and justified it. Just to be clear, I was in contact with Mya Celestia throughout the two weeks I was inside the Oak Fort and she considered my solution acceptable. I assumed that she had spoken with Sharazhad and I didn't even think to contact Firsanthalas or ask if she had mentioned my solution to Firsanthalas. I assumed that Mya's approval was all I needed and it was only after speaking with Mya that I posted to the discussion forum and began the part of the roleplay involving an understanding and a solution. [quote name='Firsanthalas' timestamp='1300189291' post='80678'] I find that really amusing and disappointing at the same time. I find it amusing to think that people are of the opinion that they can go off and make assumptions about a land and not consult the king. It's the same as making assumptions about something like liquid dust, branding them to be true and yet not consulting Mur. The first [category] is RP that has an impact on MD itself. This might involve someone doing some RP that leads to a new creature, or a new location being opened, or a realisation about something in MD. Anything along these lines has to involve Mur at some point. . If you want to do something involving MD directly, you need to refer and consult with Mur. If you want to be involved in an RP started by a person, you need to refer and consult with him/her/them. If you don't intend to participate, you should keep your nose out of it. [/quote] This is actually news to me and in some way clears things up quite a bit. I have been under the impression that I was out there in the realm wandering and roleplaying and being watched. I thought that if I did something that drew enough attention and participation, that it could influence the land or game or whatever elements were involved. It makes sense to contact the land king about a roleplay in his land. With regards to Mur, I must admit I have been hesitant to make any contact, as I thought it might be stepping out of line. From most indications, I assumed Mur kept pretty busy and did not like to be contacted by the random ants in his maze. From what Firsanthalas says, it seems he would rather appreciate thoughtful and creative contact rather than ignoring it. I have generally opted out of forum PM in favor of game PM, but I can see that forum PM really plays a critical role in this process. I won't hesitate to run my ideas past people using forum PM from now on. Perhaps another simple useful solution that would be an elaborated set of quest development steps (maybe pinned in the adventures and quests forum) that anyone could consult in the process of developing a quest. Example: I: Create quest idea II: Consult involved players III: Consult some non-involved veterans for counsel IV: Consult land king if involving a specific land V: Consult with Mur if involving deeper mechanics or new developments VI: Get needed items/materials made (I still don't know how this happens) VII: Post quest to adventures and quests section Perhaps even listing on the adventures and quests page some people consulted could give legitimacy to those who would question it.

I downloaded a version of Arial Unicode and installed it to my collection. From what I can tell, I already have a pre-installed version of Arial Unicode, so it may not be much help. Can you put the h and H in mangal here on the forum so I can see if my macbook can read it without having to cast silvertongue again?

I almost always use Google Chrome and I don't think it usually blocks popups. I'll try taking another look.

I have been attempting to use my locate spell and it is being cast correctly, but I haven't seen any useful information anywhere. At first I thought that some green dots on my map were showing traces or something, and I realize now that maybe those green dots are just idle players. How do I gain any useful information from the spell? Thanks.

Big thanks to Udgard for explanation of RP Reality Requirement (even though it was apparently quoted from another thread).

I appreciate everyone contributing to this discussion. I found Z's comments to be particularly useful in the sense that they at least outline the sorts of things that need to be taken into consideration. Personally I still find some difficulty in figuring out how some of the more concrete elements he mentions work. For instance, how do we know that the house of liquid dust cannot be entered? I didn't think that Sage's Keep could be entered and then I found myself there for the awards ceremony. I suppose every time I want to know how an element can be interacted with, I could just ask a veteran, but I know the answers to such questions are often considered spoilers (if not asked the right way, anyway). He also mentioned tools and materials. I must admit that bringing this up makes me feel like a complete noob, but I don't understand how inventory items work. I know Grido keeps glass and cement (or something like that) for work on the lighthouse in GG. Where did he get them? How does he use them? In the sludge roleplay, the Onyx Shard was a physical item which I even had in my own possession at one point during a conversation with Darigan and Mya. Where did it come from? Does its existence make the roleplay legitimate? Without giving too much away, the quest I am developing will certainly involve certain tools and items and materials and I have no idea how to actually incorporate them. It seems to me the way Z describes fluff roleplay becoming something real is analogous to Kafuuka's comparison to the snowball. As more and more people participate, the greater effect it will have and the more it stands on its own legs. Z clearly feels that there is a set of mechanics or carefully constructed connections, which can be found through research, debate, experimentation, etc. His analogy of a mathematician with a false assumption does bring up the spectre that veterans understanding of mechanics could be just as faulty as the new players, since none of us are Mur, who alone understands the full mechanics. The veterans have the sway to turn a snowball into an avalanche, so we must assume that their assumptions are correct based on their experience and ability to work the mechanics. Of course, Newton fully understood and worked mechanics before Einstein and his contemporaries developed a completely new set of further reaching applicable principles. I started this thread specifically looking for solutions in addition to opinions. Z and other veterans insist that we need to dig deeper and ask the questions. I don't think that new players need incentive, but I think we could use some directed stimulus. Personally, I would appreciate the development of more RP quests that require real research and debate. Rather than passing along spoilers, I think there are ways to encourage new players to learn how to ask the right questions. The realm would clearly benefit from more creative people understanding the known connections and learning how to see new connections. I wonder if more veterans would be interested in developing some simple RP quests with the specific purpose of encouraging learning. I appreciated the second part of Burns' tutorial quest and it would be nice to see more like it, especially that involve some RP elements. Still interested to hear other opinions and solutions.

Angien - current name: Mikhael Experience: 56575 Age: 82 Please take it off my hands.

I have tried to download and install these fonts with mixed success. It appears that I have correctly added kalinga and MV Boli. I have definitely had trouble finding Cambria Math, which unfortunately is most of the alphabet. I am not sure if I have success with Mangal or not. I have tried two different versions and the first definitely didn't work. By the time I got the second installed, my silvertongue had run out and I'm not sure if any of the characters remaining on the screen are h or H. I only have one silvertongue cast left until spells are recharged, so I'm hoping for it to be used for a successful test. Please send a link if you have any idea where to get these two fonts. EDIT: For non-windows users who need Cambria Math, try Asana-Math http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/fonts/Asana-Math/ I haven't tried the entire alphabet, but it is showing a few characters that remain on my screen from my last silvertongue cast. SECOND EDIT: I used my final silvertongue cast and Asana-Math works fine for the entire alphabet. I am now able to see the entire silvertongue character set except for h and H. I have tried three different downloads of the mangal font, each 144 KB (probably all the same) and none of them seem to work. Is it possible you listed the wrong font? Are there any compatible fonts that might work? I noticed that you also listed mangal for the comma , = ॰ I have been able to see that symbol from the start, even before downloading Mangal or any of the other three Hindi font packs I have just tried.

I decided silvertongue would be a great bit of fun for Rumi, since he's a poet. I knew from experience with other players that I don't have the appropriate character sets installed on my MacBook and now I have determined which characters I am missing. Can someone can help me find the character sets I need to display SIlvertongue on a MacBook? (generally I use Chrome browser). Missing characters: a b c d e f h i l m s u A E H K N O Q S T U 1 5 6 7 8 9 Thanks for your help.

Thank you Fyrd and Curiose for your responses. I can see from your replies that my suggestion would not be appropriate. I'm not familiar with Cutler's Astral Plane and I would be interested to learn the story and not make the same mistakes. In my experience as a new player, there seemed to be a lot of emphasis on reading the adventure log and learning about the history. I have to wonder what is the point of learning about it if it needs to be avoided in our own time. I recognize the value of the adventure log and other lore as a model for new roleplay. I also hope that there can be ways to fold the lore into new events where there is opportunity for it. In the case of the sludge roleplay that began this discussion, the shard from the Tainted Kris has resurfaced and so the history must necessarily be considered. I appreciate the sentiment that Granos shared in his rant that there is nothing holding us back from developing storylines and quests. Granos spoke about the trouble with "I can't do this because of X or Y". The issue I take concern with is "YOU can't do this because of X or Y". Should a creative player developing or participating in a quest simply ignore the misgivings of the respected veterans? In the case of the sludge quest, I came up with my own roleplay to solve the quest and checked with Mya for guidance to make sure I wasn't stepping on anyone's toes. We completely avoided recycled material and developed a new story that I suppose is now its own part of MD lore (for those few of us who cared or participated). Great, right? If it were all peaches and cream, we would not have seen the upset remarks of Firsanthalas that started this thread. There was a quest with a specific solution developed here which had to be abandoned and the quest creators feel stifled. Perhaps if a veteran has a specific problem with the development of a quest or story, they can participate in finding a suitable workaround that everyone can be satisfied with. All that great lore and history is nothing but a hindrance if it prevents a new lore from unfolding today.

[quote name='Chewett' timestamp='1299918754' post='80554'] I can see why whoever this "higher up" said no to liquid dust, because by creating a quest around it, you start creating its powers. As you said yourself newer players learn about lore from the quests around them, So surely its a good idea to not have someone making up things about liquid dust, that may or may be appropiate? Liquid dust is an intresting topic, even if we know little about it, So we really shouldnt start making up properties of it. As Burns said, there are so many areas of MD that lore has not touched, whereby you can easily create lore around it. It would make it more interesting, and if nothing has been said about it before, then you can say what you like, for it wont be wrong. [/quote] I agree with Burns and Chewitt and Awiiya that the development of new stories based on new research is the most appropriate way to move forward. The recycling of old ideas and stories does not lend anything new to the realm, but rather brings up all the old points of contention. I also think that ignoring the old ideas and stories creates the problem of a lack of continuity. Those ideas and stories are documented in the Adventure Logs, with players, and in places all over the realm. MagicDuel is a realm where the history has been developed by the players and there is a clear respect for that history. The involvement of older lore and research gives grounding to new lore and research by connecting new events to historic events. When grounded on the foundation of existing lore, the new events have a logical place in history and stand on their own merits. Building on the foundation of historic lore is valuable from a storytelling perspective because these connections give a story depth. This foundation is valuable from a community learning perspective because it creates the opportunity for players to interact and learn how to research as part of interactive roleplay quests. I see far more potential benefit from experiential learning where players research to solve a problem instead of research for its own sake. You might compare this to classroom learning versus hands-on learning. [quote name='Chewett' timestamp='1299918754' post='80554'] Its great to use lore, But if you end up changing that lore by your quest (eg drinking liquid dust like whiskey) then it will effect a larger audience who would then believe such "new lore". Using it as a reference point is great, but if you are directly using it, and it having players interact with the older lore, then you better be completed informed on that subject, otherwise things will go bad. [/quote] This is the problem for quest creators. As Chewitt says, they need to be completely informed on a subject of lore for their creation to be considered to have merit. As Awiiya alluded to, nobody is completely informed on any subject in MagicDuel and the veterans are the gatekeepers because they have some greater understanding. He suggested that veterans need to be more active so that other players can be more informed and more flexible so other players can make something of the limited information they have. I will take it a step further and suggest that we need some kind of transitional strategy where new players can get informed enough to where they can develop quests that are not cut off at the knees by the gatekeepers. I say a transitional strategy because I think that when creative players have an understanding of relevant game mechanics, they will develop quests will empower new players with experiential learning through those quests. It is a continuous cycle that appears to be broken at the moment. Clearly the difficulty here is the spoiler issue. I won't suggest that old players need to just spill out their secrets to those who want to make something of those secrets. However, if they have no interest in developing quests involving experiential learning, we need to help them find some way to communicate their understanding in a way that they are comfortable. I think that the knowledge needed to develop lore quests is insignificant compared to the understanding of how to research to gain such knowledge. Maybe the veterans would consider some way to teaching research, rather than teaching knowledge so spoilers wouldn't be a concern. One idea that pops into my mind as I write is the involvement of the Legend Speakers. Neither Curiose or Fyrd are ancient veterans, but I think they both have something very valuable that they could contribute in this way. Curiose may very well be the appropriate person to learn lore and game mechanics if the veterans can find a way to help her become a premier researcher in the realm. It appears to me that Fyrd Argentus is the most creative quest developer we have at the moment and I suspect that with the appropriate foundation in lore and mechanics, he would be able to develop experiential learning quests that empower other players to accomplish the same thing. Perhaps this kind of transitional strategy could kickstart the cycle of lore and learning. Just an idea. I'd like to see some other ideas of how we might be able to accomplish such a transition. Thanks for your input everyone.

[quote name='Firsanthalas' timestamp='1299846482' post='80512'] It seems that the plans and ideas were changed. Mainly this seems to have happened because of certain people objecting. Certain people that made no effort to participate I might add. Personally, my message to said people is this: Get stuffed. People complain that nothing happens in MD. When someone actually takes the time to try to inject something into it, the trolls emerge and complain. You know who you are. My message to you is simple. Either contribute something constructive or do the rest of us a favour and go F yourself or find someone to do it for you (if you can). Is this offensive? Darn tootin. I am past caring. I've had enough really. I'm off the wrestle with a pig. At least I can eat it afterwards. (Rumi: apologies if you felt I was taking a crack at you. I wasn't aware that certain things were changed. Based on the original concept the cause and solution was very different from yours, but given recent events, well done for at least bothering.) [/quote] I think we as a community are facing a significant dilemma here. I would like to open this up to public debate with a goal of finding and implementing some real solutions. This relates to other forum discussions about knowledge of the realm, most recently "Concerning Lore and Stories n' stuff." http://magicduel.invisionzone.com/topic/9175-concerning-lore-and-stories-n-stuff/ Let me speak first about my particular experience with the Loreroot sludge quest. This quest was developed (as far as I know) by Sharazhad and Mya Celestia and it seems that Firsanthalas was also informed as to the full nature of the quest. I apologize for any inaccuracies and I welcome any correction of the specifics. As the sludge was first introduced, there was initially a lot of talk about liquid dust in Loreroot. There were suggestions that the liquid dust had somehow taken hold and different opinions were thrown about, some saying liquid dust is only found in Necrovion, others saying there is liquid dust under all the lands flowing toward Necrovion, along with other such ideas. It was not long before word came from "on high" that liquid dust could not be a part of this quest because the quest would disregard game mechanics and and the true nature of liquid dust, which of course is little known to the general populace of the realm. Not long afterward, there was talk of black water, and the possibility that it have come up in Loreroot with the flood. There was discussion about how Darigan was affected by the sludge and that he was not the first dragon to be affected by black water. Sure enough, word came again from "on high" that black water could not be a part of this quest because it would disregard game mechanics and the true nature of black water. Some time later Mya found a shard in the sludge sample which was finally determined to be the broken tip of the kris lodged inside of Firsanthalas' arm by Granos during the episode of the Taint. We discussed the possibility of the re-emergence of the Taint and spoke to players around the realm about their previous experiences with the Taint. And word came from "on high" that the Taint could not be a part of this quest. Who is "on high" anyway? I don't recall hearing too much from Mur. I have no idea if Sharazhad had intended for the original nature of the quest to include some of these elements, but this experience presents a clear problem. There are some quests built into the structure of MagicDuel, including story mode, which all players have the opportunity to work at and learn from. That said, the vast majority of quests in MagicDuel are created by players. Player-built quests with open-ended roleplay that can affect the entire realm make MD it unique among other games and online worlds. In a traditional roleplaying game the quests are built by the game master or designer, who fully understands the mechanics of his or her world and can manipulate quests to adhere to those mechanics in a way that passes understanding to the players, as well as interlacing the various elements to tell a grand story. From what I have observed, it seems to me that there was a lot more understanding of game elements and mechanics in the past as players learned about them as they developed. Some of these elements have been altered over time and more importantly the player base has changed. There are many new players whose only links to those previous times are contact with veterans and the adventure logs. If veterans have some understanding about the nature of game mechanics, they certainly do not share them openly. There is a culture of secrecy regarding the inner workings of the realm with the idea that new players need to learn from observation just as the veterans have. However, todays veterans were able to observe and interact with older veterans who appear to have had a more full understanding of the game mechanics of their time and developed quests which passed along the knowledge and grand story mentioned above. We have some tutorial quests which challenge players to figure out the world around them and answer questions, and I honor the existence of these quests that promote observation. However, these quests are based in thought and not experience. There appears to be a lack of connection today between the camps of understanding and creativity. There are many players who want to create quests involving the grand story and the game mechanics, but lack the understanding to do so. The players who have some understanding of the game mechanics do not promote a variety of story quests involving those mechanics that can teach the new players to develop that same understanding. A player with deeper understanding of game mechanics is not obligated to develop story quests that use and teach the mechanics. They can do with their knowledge whatever they want. However, there needs to be a mechanism by which players with the spark of creativity can develop quests involving the deeper mechanics and grand story. I don't know what this would be. Perhaps creative players need to submit quest ideas to Mur who could participate more actively in helping those players develop those quests. I don't get the impression that he is inclined to do this as he clearly is working on the grand story in his own way and time. Perhaps a council of players who have been invited into the Border Research Forum (I'm guessing these are players that Mur has judged to be understanding of mechanics to a certain degree) could help creative players develop their quests. I am very interested in other ideas and suggestions. How do we empower players to develop quests using game mechanics and story without spoiling their learning experience? I don't know and I think there is a clear sense that the lack of creative quests involving story and mechanics are spoiling the playing experience and creating a sense of stagnation. Sharazhad and Mya and Firsanthalas should have been empowered to develop the sludge story along their initial intended route, whatever it may have been. If it deviated from the game mechanics, they should have had assistance, not criticism. There is clearly a lot of history in the realm and a lot of usable elements if one knows how to use them. Perhaps creative players need to go ahead to develop their quests as they see fit and only Mur ought to speak to their suitability. It just may be that game mechanics are altered by players building quests and Mur finds them to be a welcome change. I suspect this has happened before. If he wanted a stagnant world directed solely by his own mind, he would have written a novel instead of MagicDuel. He invited us all in here to participate. People, lets get creative! Offer your opinions and put solutions on the table.

I apologize. I have not necessarily been party to all dialog up to this point and have gotten some of the information second (or third or fourth) hand. As I understand it now, the kris shard did not cause the appearance of the sludge, but impacted the magic of Sharazhad, which caused the flood in the first place. I mentioned that it was a red herring because I did specifically want to draw attention to this element which did not have a place in the story. I hope this information gives the shard appropriate place in the story and will allow the continuation of roleplay along the storyline that I have elaborated.

I followed that clue for some time, specifically looking into the possibility of the taint being related. Having discussed with Mya, she has specifically assured me that the taint is not and cannot be an element of the sludge story (nor can liquid dust or black water). If there is some other way that the kris shard fits into the story, I would certainly be interested to see how it relates. I don't see why a red herring is unreasonable in this story or in any other story. We have certainly examined it from a number of angles and discussed its ramifications with a number of people. I think the possibility that it came up from the lake bottom along with these other elements is perfectly sensible, but not necessarily a part of a causal relationship. I think that the opportunity for a red herring enhances the story rather than detracts from it. That said, I recognize that you have a lot more experience with roleplaying in this realm and there may be "unsaid" rules (such as a need for all existing elements to be involved in a solution) that I don't necessarily know about, and I will defer to your judgment. [s]I have been engaged in quite a long roleplay inside the Oak Fort regarding the nature of the sludge, which is very near its conclusion. I will delay this roleplay until you are satisfied that the story complies your standards and anyone else who might voice an objection (Still waiting to hear from you, Sharazhad).[/s] EDIT: Roleplay has been completed. Mya recommended going ahead with it and there were several people waiting to participate upon Rumi's exit from the Oak Fort. If it can alleviate the problem of the introduction of the shard without its relating to the sludge story, I certainly see potential in another story beginning based on the fact that the shard has reappeared. Thank you for voicing your concern.

Happy Birthday!!!

Nature of the sludge Rumi has spent two weeks now inside the Oak Fort and I have spent a great deal of time considering the nature of the sludge and how it has interacted with various players. The following is what has come to me (and thus to Rumi as well through communication from total personal infestation of the sludge inside the Oak Fort) The sludge is basically a type of pollen. It is part of an advanced reproductive system, where a mass of this gamete material is actively seeking out a partner to complete the reproductive cycle. The plant that is trying to reproduce lives deep at the bottom of Green Lake and was in the middle of its natural reproductive cycle when it was disrupted by the sudden earth and water magic. The gamete mass is aware that is has not made fertilization and is actively working to achieve this. After the flood, the residue appeared on dry land, activating it's ability and desire to manipulate other life forms as a form of transport. This evolutionary step has allowed it to survive the alteration of its ecology by enabling movement over land. It has taken hold in the Oak Fort and has attempted to use Mya and Darigan as hosts to find its way to a partner in the lake or in another body of water, elsewhere in the realm. Unfortunately, the host experiences side effects, as in the similar case of ants which act as hosts to the fungus Cordyceps Unilateralis. Mya lost her sense of self completely in the process while the sludge drew massive energy from Darigan, causing him also to temporarily lose his sense of self in massive fits of hunger. Running into the lake would calm Darigan by making the gamete mass dormant, but it would reactivate not long after he came up onto dry land. The lake-mineral salve prepared for Darigan by Mya generated the same effect, basically tricking the sludge into dormancy. As for the kris shard? Classic red herring. Classic. If anyone has any ideas or comments they would like to add, I'm sure it will help the roleplay when Rumi exits the Oak Fort shortly.

Ankh to the east? [attachment=2634:ankh-east.png]

How much age do you need? I have an imp age 90 that I would consider trading. I know you said PM in park, but I have to remain at the Oak Fort for the time being and cannot interact outside of my roleplay.

Yes I am interested in feedback. You can send me a PM or post here if you like.

[quote name='Muratus del Mur' timestamp='1299378561' post='80191'] there are 4 in fact because : "walk" on a circle, you will find 2 points diametrally opposed, and two points perpendicular direction, all these 4 directions are unique and in a way they are all opposed to each other. north and south are opposed but yet the same axis, west and east are opposed yet the same axis, north vs east are like apples and ..bricks... even more different, nothing in common, same for the other combinations. In essence the cross symbol, symbol that is ofently combined with a circle btw. This is short and fast explenation, i could detail, in case why four points on a circle is not clear enough... [/quote] This specific circle you describe immediately draws my attention to the native american medicine wheel. This symbol describes many things, and one in particular comes to the forefront of my mind. The two sets of axes describe two paths, the north/south path of the living world and the east/west path of the spirit world. The journey of life is from south to north and the journey through the spiritual world is from east to west. It is a cycle of life, death, and rebirth, so there is no particular path that comes first. [quote name='Muratus del Mur' timestamp='1299378561' post='80191'] from these 4, only 3 are needed. any 3, because in our terms "nothing" else is needed to define the circle, a plane, a system, etc. but in other words what this means is exactly what it sais, the fourth point is no longer needed, if you have the other 3, its the void. symbolically is this a Cross cancels the circle. a T cancels the 3 points and an other circle cancels the void on top, creates chain reaction (nested is the name?) Ankh symbol [/quote] As I consider the relation between the medicine wheel mentioned above and the ankh Mur mentions (with other ankhs nested within the circle), I think specifically of the path from south to north. The ankh is generally shown with the circle at the top, just as north is generally shown on top in the medicine wheel. To me, the convergent symbolism represents a human life right at the center of the wheel or at the crux of the T in the ankh. Below us (to the south) is all that which we have already experienced, and we are at the crossroads with the east/west path, where all the experience of those that came before affect and counsel us. To the north is the unknown future, which is based on our decisions at any given moment. Perhaps the reason the ankh represented eternal life to the egyptians is as follows. From the crossroads, instead of a continued straight path toward death in the north, further movement north is entry from the south into a new nested circle. If we travel half the remaining distance on each leg of the journey, we will never reach the destination.