Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Drindin 01-11-06, 10:43 PM	Heya! I'm new to the project, I hope that isn't a problem. This is actualy a creature I made for good ol' 2nd ed, back when I was like.. 12, so five years ago. I think it's time I made the ol' blade snake with a more of a mature mind, and the help of all you fine folks. For that help, you get to claim him for your own world creation project! The blade snake is a gargantuous creature, at a good 40 feet in length. They greatly resemble snakes, usually with grey mottelled skin to allow them to hide in their favoured terrain, rocky mountains and vast deserts. On their heads, they have a pair of large stingers that resemble a scorpions. They also bear a pair of large scorpion-like pincers, and have tales ending in cragged scythe-like blades. They are cunning predators, whose favoured prey happens to be carrion crawlers, but they are also resourceful scavengers. As such, the scent of carrion brought on by winds leading from large battle grounds can attract these creatures. Though they are typically solitary monsters, when food is scarce, or when breeding, they may gather into groups consisting of as many as four members. The creatures have no real society, though they are cunning beasts. Often, they will take art work found on the bodies of dead creatures they consume and keep such in their lairs to enjoy afterwards. Oddly enough, they seem to leave large piles of discarded weapons, clothing, gold, and other such wares out infront of their lairs, finding such items to be 'useless and revolting'. They speak draconic, and a few that live nearer populated communities might also take the time to learn common.
the_one_true_shea 01-11-06, 11:09 PM	Trollish predators (intelligent but not civililzed). Hmm, not prone to hoarding. Just really annoying to have move into your fields. Sounds good! More later! ---------------- Administrative details------ Welcome! Im Shea, the sorta "herald" round here. Please see my summary (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=8015633#post8015633) for a good place to start answering your own questions. Rny2 is like our evil jester.. The queen (Ilyala) has been MIA for a while, so let me be the first to say, Everyone's welcome! You get a point for actually having realized what going on before posting! Please dig in, get your feet wet, etc! Anything goes really. Nothing is set instone. We don't even have an "approved" list. My summary takes all ideas and records them... even the Kavu Rex... who will not be appearing as such in the WCP if I have anything to say about it. (Giant intelligent dinosaurs.. sure! "Kavu" anything .. no! ). :tiphat: see ya tommarow!
Drindin 01-11-06, 11:29 PM	You get a point for actually having realized what going on before posting! Yeah, I tend to do that! ;-P
Rny2 01-12-06, 05:50 PM	The blade snake is a gargantuan creature, at a good 40 feet in length. They greatly resemble snakes, usually with grey mottelled skin to allow them to hide in their favoured terrain, rocky mountains and vast deserts. On their heads, they have a pair of large stingers that resemble a scorpions. They also bear a pair of large scorpion-like pincers, and have tales ending in cragged scythe-like blades. Do the snakes keep to the deserts and mountains, or will they occasionally venture outward? Can the snakes swim as true snakes can? What affinity or connection occurs between the blade snake and its kin the scorpions and true snakes? They are cunning predators, whose favoured prey happens to be carrion crawlers, but they are also resourceful scavengers. As such, the scent of carrion brought on by winds leading from large battle grounds can attract these creatures. Though they are typically solitary monsters, when food is scarce, or when breeding, they may gather into groups consisting of as many as four members. cunning as in sentience, or cunning as in minotaur-like cunning, where you excel for what you're bred for? As both predators and scavengers, is there any incentive for any particular snake to follow either? Do they perform both functions simultaneously, or are there cycles and stages in a snake's life where it depends on one? Since they will often appear on battlefields, is there any stigma against the snake consuming the dead? Do the warriors quickly retrieve their dead to protect them from the snakes, or do the snakes have a sacred role as consumers of those fallen in battle? Why four? does this number have any significance in the snake's society or is it inbred in the snakes' racial memory? Does the number feature into any other part of a snake's life? Do the snakes need four members to breed? What happens if two snakes happen to meet, say, on the same battlefield? Do they divide up the bodies, or simple race to eat as many bodies as possible? The creatures have no real society, though they are cunning beasts. Often, they will take art work found on the bodies of dead creatures they consume and keep such in their lairs to enjoy afterwards. Oddly enough, they seem to leave large piles of discarded weapons, clothing, gold, and other such wares out infront of their lairs, finding such items to be 'useless and revolting'. Are the snakes cunning and also beasts, or simple cunning for being a beast? Why would creatures be transporting works of art through deserts or mountains? Do the snakes prey off of caravans and trade routes, burying themselves in key locations, or leech off of major points of civilization in the mountainous deserts? Why would the snakes transport the useless objects to their lairs, then reject them? Do the snakes lure artists the their lairs, then slay them for thier art? What about the art of oral storytelling? Can the snakes entrance artists and have them display thier work? Do the snakes think more clearly in their lairs? They speak draconic, and a few that live nearer populated communities might also take the time to learn common. What interaction do the snakes have with these communities? with dragons? EDIT: After viewing a few of the back pages, it appears you've been quite active in the old days, eh?
Drindin 01-13-06, 02:42 AM	EDIT: After viewing a few of the back pages, it appears you've been quite active in the old days, eh? Yes, way back when. Now, to your questions: Do the snakes keep to the deserts and mountains, or will they occasionally venture outward? Can the snakes swim as true snakes can? What affinity or connection occurs between the blade snake and its kin the scorpions and true snakes? The snakes tend to keep the mountains and deserts, but if there is not enough food, or too many Blade Snakes in their area, they will venture into more heavily populated areas, where they can become a true menace. Truth be told, Blade Snakes are neither relatives of snakes, or of Scorpions. Their closest relatives are dragons, and even those are hugely distant relatives. According to draconic lore, Blade Snakes were once a subspecies of dragon that had (insert terrible tragedy here). Due to this, they were cursed and their bodies deformed to the terrible abominations they are now. cunning as in sentience, or cunning as in minotaur-like cunning, where you excel for what you're bred for? As both predators and scavengers, is there any incentive for any particular snake to follow either? Do they perform both functions simultaneously, or are there cycles and stages in a snake's life where it depends on one? Since they live in a were once dragons, they have maintained a high intellect that rivals that of many intelligent races to allow them to cope. They are both predators and scavengers for two reasons: Their favoured prey, if it exists in this world, is a carrion crawler. Keeping large amounts of dead bodies nearby their caves tends to attract these creature. If it doesn't, they are both predators and scavengers for the simple reason they always need a readily available source of protein-rich foods to keep their bodies running, the specifics of which are as of yet, unknown. They prefer live prey when it's available, but if their isn't any, they will eat already dead, rotting prey. Since they will often appear on battlefields, is there any stigma against the snake consuming the dead? Do the warriors quickly retrieve their dead to protect them from the snakes, or do the snakes have a sacred role as consumers of those fallen in battle? Looking over the various cultures posted by Shea in the summary, two stuck out as being able to answer your question: Ones that viewed death as a plague, and one that viewed death as the climax of a persons live. To those who view death as a plague, the Blade Snakes would serve a sacred role in removing the earth from these terribly diseased bodies. To those who view death as sacred, the Blade Snakes are quite the opposite, viewed as terrible beasts who reap a man of his right to a proper burial. Why four? does this number have any significance in the snake's society or is it inbred in the snakes' racial memory? Does the number feature into any other part of a snake's life? Do the snakes need four members to breed? Four simply because the creatures live so far apart, and they view it as a lucky number. Four also because any more than this, and the creatures will start to fight amongst themselves. What happens if two snakes happen to meet, say, on the same battlefield? Do they divide up the bodies, or simple race to eat as many bodies as possible? Neither. This also occured to me. Since they are primarily solitary creatures, they will actually fight each other until only one is left. Wether this means they fight to the death, or fight until one runs away, depends on the individual Snake. Are the snakes cunning and also beasts, or simple cunning for being a beast? Why would creatures be transporting works of art through deserts or mountains? Do the snakes prey off of caravans and trade routes, burying themselves in key locations, or leech off of major points of civilization in the mountainous deserts? The snakes will do whatever it takes to get enough food to stay alive. Some snakes might ambush trade routes, others might raid communities, or leech of major points of civilization. Because they were once dragons, they still kept some of their natural hoarding behavior. Why artwork? Luck of the draw. Why would the snakes transport the useless objects to their lairs, then reject them? Do the snakes lure artists the their lairs, then slay them for thier art? What about the art of oral storytelling? Can the snakes entrance artists and have them display thier work? Do the snakes think more clearly in their lairs? This occured to me later. Blade Snakes prefer to drag the carrion back to their lairs. If carrion crawlers exist in this world, the dead bodies are used to attract them. If not, it is simply because blade snakes prefer to eat from the safety of their burrows. Because of this, they do not bother to strip a body of it's gear before dragging it to their lairs, and only do so afterwards. Since they do not like these useless, unattractive objects, they are fast to extripate the eyesores. What interaction do the snakes have with these communities? with dragons? As intelligent creatures, Blade Snakes might make a deal with the communities. If the communities bring the Blade Snakes X amount of dead bodies per year, in return the Blade Snake would protect the communities from hostile creatures. As to dragons: Due to their (insert terrible traged here), the Blade Snakes are naturally subservient to dragons. This also has a lot to do with why they horde art work.
Rny2 01-13-06, 05:40 PM	The snakes tend to keep the mountains and deserts, but if there is not enough food, or too many Blade Snakes in their area, they will venture into more heavily populated areas, where they can become a true menace. Do the snakes have an internal sense that detects the whereabouts of other snakes, or are the signs of a snake passing through fairly simple to notice? If so, what signs are they? Do most people know these, or only rangers and other mountaineers? Truth be told, Blade Snakes are neither relatives of snakes, or of Scorpions. Their closest relatives are dragons, and even those are hugely distant relatives. According to draconic lore, Blade Snakes were once a subspecies of dragon that had (insert terrible tragedy here). Due to this, they were cursed and their bodies deformed to the terrible abominations they are now. Did the tragedy occur simultaneously, by all snakes? was it a single event, after which the dragons hunted down snakes across the world, or did the snake race have tendencies to do tragedy and thus the metamorphosis of the species changed as different dragons came to the same conclusions about the snake? Did the snakes truly deserve this, or did something manipulate the actions of the dragons? What do dragons find revolting about snakes/ scorpions? Looking over the various cultures posted by Shea in the summary, two stuck out as being able to answer your question: Ones that viewed death as a plague, and one that viewed death as the climax of a persons live. To those who view death as a plague, the Blade Snakes would serve a sacred role in removing the earth from these terribly diseased bodies. To those who view death as sacred, the Blade Snakes are quite the opposite, viewed as terrible beasts who reap a man of his right to a proper burial. This dual role of the snakes, does it penetrate into the mentality of the snakes? What do they think of themselves? Do the snakes only care to consume their fill, ignoring the thoughts of the cultured peoples? The snakes will do whatever it takes to get enough food to stay alive. Some snakes might ambush trade routes, others might raid communities, or leech of major points of civilization. Because they were once dragons, they still kept some of their natural hoarding behavior. Why artwork? Luck of the draw. Why do the snakes appear so desparate in your wording? Is this also part of the curse? to accentuate their fall from grace, the dragons place a permanent unluck unto the snakes? this could also explain why the snakes stay so far away from each other, to prevent an increase in unluck in the energetic state of the world. This occured to me later. Blade Snakes prefer to drag the carrion back to their lairs. If carrion crawlers exist in this world, the dead bodies are used to attract them. If not, it is simply because blade snakes prefer to eat from the safety of their burrows. Because of this, they do not bother to strip a body of it's gear before dragging it to their lairs, and only do so afterwards. Since they do not like these useless, unattractive objects, they are fast to extripate the eyesores. Why are they so insecure? dragons always seemed more haughty and over-confident than the snakes as you portray them. Are they still of dragon type, or debased into something else? As intelligent creatures, Blade Snakes might make a deal with the communities. If the communities bring the Blade Snakes X amount of dead bodies per year, in return the Blade Snake would protect the communities from hostile creatures. As to dragons: Due to their (insert terrible tragedy here), the Blade Snakes are naturally subservient to dragons. This also has a lot to do with why they horde art work. How well do snakes digest bodies? could communities use Blade snakes to strip a body of rot-inducing flesh, and then bury it? Perhaps a single large snake could act as a living graveyard for the community. Do the snakes horde artwork for the dragons, or merely to impress them? Will a dragon require a gift of artwork to redeem the snake in its eyes? Is there any way to reverse the curse and turn the snake into a dragon again? Maybe its every snake's dream to bribe a dragon with enough art to convince the dragon to remove the racial curse?
Drindin 01-13-06, 08:00 PM	Do the snakes have an internal sense that detects the whereabouts of other snakes, or are the signs of a snake passing through fairly simple to notice? If so, what signs are they? Do most people know these, or only rangers and other mountaineers? They leave large trails as well as shed skins. They also excrete a pheremone that is odorless to most creatures, but is easily detected by the Blade Snakes, and is used to mark their territory. Did the tragedy occur simultaneously, by all snakes? was it a single event, after which the dragons hunted down snakes across the world, or did the snake race have tendencies to do tragedy and thus the metamorphosis of the species changed as different dragons came to the same conclusions about the snake? Did the snakes truly deserve this, or did something manipulate the actions of the dragons? What do dragons find revolting about snakes/ scorpions? There was a series of events commited simultaneously by the once 'Kaiser Dragons' that are now called 'Blade Snakes'. The event somehow polarized both good and evil dragons, who were also under a magical influence that distorted the actual events. The Blade Snakes were the real victims in the tragedy. Snakes and Scorpions were chosen because they were universally reviled and feared by most humanoids. This dual role of the snakes, does it penetrate into the mentality of the snakes? What do they think of themselves? Do the snakes only care to consume their fill, ignoring the thoughts of the cultured peoples? Yes, it does. It causes blade snakes personalities to range from Lawful Good, to Chaotic Evil. In places where they are viewed as godsends, they tend more toward Lawful and good alignments, as they tend to work closely with these peoples. In places where they are feared and reviled, they tend to become antisocial and destructive, and thus tend towards Chaotic and evil alignments. Why do the snakes appear so desparate in your wording? Is this also part of the curse? to accentuate their fall from grace, the dragons place a permanent unluck unto the snakes? this could also explain why the snakes stay so far away from each other, to prevent an increase in unluck in the energetic state of the world. They are desperate because of their exile into the harsh mountains and deserts. Unlike many dragons who can obtain sustenance from things like rocks and gems, they can only obtain sustenance from protein-rich flesh and carrion. They require food in areas where their food is scarce. They stay away from eachother, some because they don't want their neighbours to starve, and some for the more selfish reason of not wanting to starve themselves. This is also why they tend to come into such conflict when they have found a large feeding ground. This could be the last meal either ever eats! Why are they so insecure? dragons always seemed more haughty and over-confident than the snakes as you portray them. Are they still of dragon type, or debased into something else? Their fall from grace made them paranoid and feeling vulnerable. Not included in the initial description (though I should have), they have large frills on their backs where wings once were. They can be folded down to allow them to hide, or brought up to intimidate others, or to attract a mate. The serve another purpose as a temperature regulating device when it gets colder during the desert nights, or in the mountains. They were debased to the Abomination type. How well do snakes digest bodies? could communities use Blade snakes to strip a body of rot-inducing flesh, and then bury it? Perhaps a single large snake could act as a living graveyard for the community. They can only digest the flesh, so the bone is often excreted. If the right blade snake came across the right community, such an arrangement is very possible. Do the snakes horde artwork for the dragons, or merely to impress them? Will a dragon require a gift of artwork to redeem the snake in its eyes? Is there any way to reverse the curse and turn the snake into a dragon again? Maybe its every snake's dream to bribe a dragon with enough art to convince the dragon to remove the racial curse? The only cure that is known of is only a legend. It involves a ceremony in which a member of each humanoid race is sacrificed, and the blood used to draw various sigils. It is supposed to cure an individual snake of the curse. Attempted several times with no success, and there is no evidence suggesting it will ever work. It is said that only if all the dragons came together with the universal goal of reversing the transformation will it be possible, but that doesn't look like it will happen any time soon. Phew! Do you always do this? ;) :P
the_one_true_shea 01-13-06, 08:28 PM	Do the snakes have an internal sense that detects the whereabouts of other snakes, or are the signs of a snake passing through fairly simple to notice? If so, what signs are they? Do most people know these, or only rangers and other mountaineers? scent? Did the tragedy occur simultaneously, by all snakes? was it a single event, after which the dragons hunted down snakes across the world, or did the snake race have tendencies to do tragedy and thus the metamorphosis of the species changed as different dragons came to the same conclusions about the snake? Did the snakes truly deserve this, or did something manipulate the actions of the dragons? What do dragons find revolting about snakes/ scorpions? In this place... we could get away with a god damnation. They used to be sand dragons.. then Havar or someone got all hacked off at them... and pow they are all blade snakes instead. "Burnt off their wings" oooh what if they have black streaks on their back coloration. Like those old "crowned heron" and "black bird" stories. Ever heard the old navaho tale of how the crow used to be white? One day a message had to be delivered from the ocean to the sun. All the birds in the world gathered together to carry the message. Some birds didnt even try (like the swallow), some other birds came close (and show the burn marks in their eyes and wings) but only the crow made all the way. He was singed dark black as a mark of his success... and the sun promised to always guide them to precious things.. with a gleam. This dual role of the snakes, does it penetrate into the mentality of the snakes? What do they think of themselves? Do the snakes only care to consume their fill, ignoring the thoughts of the cultured peoples? Humans are both predators and scavangers.. does this effect our mentality? Some humans consume food to excess.. some refuse to eat at all. Why do the snakes appear so desparate in your wording? Is this also part of the curse? to accentuate their fall from grace, the dragons place a permanent unluck unto the snakes? this could also explain why the snakes stay so far away from each other, to prevent an increase in unluck in the energetic state of the world. Do the snakes horde artwork for the dragons, or merely to impress them? Will a dragon require a gift of artwork to redeem the snake in its eyes? Is there any way to reverse the curse and turn the snake into a dragon again? Maybe its every snake's dream to bribe a dragon with enough art to convince the dragon to remove the racial curse?[/QUOTE] Well, considering the dragon type: Territorial, hoard mentality, and in our world (my version) the dragons also lay massivly large clutches of eggs. Then leaving them to hatch ala sea turtles. As an abominated version of a dragon - the Territoriality remains.. they would prefer only one of them around at a time. The hoarding becomes somewhat specialized. They no longer hoard for massive piles of treasure.. they just need to have a collection of something beautiful. In my vision of the dragons of the nameless world there would be no way that the dragons were the source of the curse. Perhaps one of the heart dragons.. but I think it would be neater if a god of some sort "cast them down" from the exhalted state of dragondom. Their egg clutches no longer match with the ch'i tide. They no longer fly, they never grow beyond the "wrymling" size and they can no longer pass through the divine gates as dragons can. They have no chance to transcend (any more than a human does). It would be interesting to make point of the Blade Snakes "don't eat dragon meat" like the majority of the small/medium predators. Not even egg raptoring... because they revere their ancient blood.
the_one_true_shea 01-13-06, 08:36 PM	They leave large trails as well as shed skins. They also excrete a pheremone that is odorless to most creatures, but is easily detected by the Blade Snakes, and is used to mark their territory. The only cure that is known of is only a legend. It involves a ceremony in which a member of each humanoid race is sacrificed, and the blood used to draw various sigils. It is supposed to cure an individual snake of the curse. Attempted several times with no success, and there is no evidence suggesting it will ever work. It is said that only if all the dragons came together with the universal goal of reversing the transformation will it be possible, but that doesn't look like it will happen any time soon. Phew! Do you always do this? ;) :P Actually Rny2 started with these real quirky one liners.. :rolleyes: but you know you dont have to answer all the question... its like playing ball. "I dont know what do you think?" is sometimes the best answer possible! OK! So there is a transendance ritual that returns the individual.. and it involves a good ole blood sacrifice! One of each huminoid race might be a bit much (theres allot of them) but what if it was a "blood of each element" where you could get away with all elves.. (one of each element).. or a stranger combo.. of five. After the transmogrification they become a true dragon again? A blade dragon? or do they return to being a "long lost Kaiser?" OH! what if the legend says "one of each" and that is part of the reason its not working.. "one of each" means element.. but its often read "one of each" race? The Kaiser eh? I like it. What elements would they be (were) associated with?
Drindin 01-13-06, 08:47 PM	Actually Rny2 started with these real quirky one liners.. :rolleyes: but you know you dont have to answer all the question... its like playing ball. "I dont know what do you think?" is sometimes the best answer possible! OK! So there is a transendance ritual that returns the individual.. and it involves a good ole blood sacrifice! One of each huminoid race might be a bit much (theres allot of them) but what if it was a "blood of each element" where you could get away with all elves.. (one of each element).. or a stranger combo.. of five. After the transmogrification they become a true dragon again? A blade dragon? or do they return to being a "long lost Kaiser?" OH! what if the legend says "one of each" and that is part of the reason its not working.. "one of each" means element.. but its often read "one of each" race? The Kaiser eh? I like it. What elements would they be (were) associated with? The elements were: :g: Truth is, the reason why loosing their wings was so horrible, is because it was the only thing that tied them to other dragon kin! They had no breath weapons. They had no magical abilities. In fact, in terms of what they are capable of, they have changed little. They still have a poisonous bite, and they've always had a scythed tail. The only things that chaged was body shape (now serpentine rather than draconic) no wings, the poisonous scorpion tails on their heads, and the scorpion claws.
Rny2 01-13-06, 09:56 PM	The former Kaiser Dragons, being 'undraconic,' leaned heavily towards prodigious use of magic, even more than regular dragons. They could form whole societies based around the mana and magic in general, citing its permeation of the world as reason for continued existence. (This could also have to do with the Master Crystals) This heavy usage of the five elementary forces could have eventually overloaded the magical essence of the world, leading to a ruination of mana. Shin-La would then spin the Rizwil and Iradro from the excess threads of mana, thereby altering the properties of magic forever. Hmmm, sounds like Karsus's story. This also explains the reasons for the sacrifices needed for redemption. Shin-La would also curse the Kaisers with disconnection from the old elements. The stubborn Kaisers, though, experimented with new forms of magic (psionics, incarnum, riz-ira etc.) and soon broke something again. This time, the gods finished Shin-La's job and forbid the Kaisers access to magic. Because of their ages-old connection to magic, the Kaisers were deeply wounded both spiritually and physically, leading to their present condition.
Drindin 01-13-06, 11:02 PM	So, the Kaiser Dragons created the lore for the original master crystals? That would make sense. So, twice the Kaiser Dragons broke something, and twice they were cursed, the second time being a total disconnection from the magic that made them what they were, now the reviled Blade-Snakes with a constant hunger for carnage and flesh. Now, the real question is, what did they break? Perhaps the Kaiser dragons were the reason for the Lynn Wyrm swarm that descended down in to the Hinterlund, spreading the Rizwell? You did mention they probably dabbled in riz-ira magic to try and gain back some of what had been denied them (sounds a lot like the elves story in WCIII Frozen Throne ;)) Or maybe they had somehow, inadvertently, created the deserts and mountains they are now confined to, which makes their confinement a sort of 'final insult'.
Rny2 01-13-06, 11:15 PM	mountains sort of represent red mana, though that could be more volcanoes. Anyways, the desert could mean a lack of mana or energetic force in the area, making it barren. The Kaisers drew too heavily upon the land and the ch'i, ruining the mana. Breaking the riz-ira's set boundaries at the poles seems like a plausible problem. The Kaisers tried to bring the riz-ira outside of the polar 'corruption' areas, thereby disrupting the tied-off ley lines and threatening the eternal, vital ch'i once more. With their messing with the contained mana model of the world, the natural restraint of the world along the ley lines and the polar regions was lost, allowing fundamental mixing (gold cards) and the expansion of the rizwil to meet the iradro and vice versa.
Drindin 01-13-06, 11:58 PM	mountains sort of represent red mana, though that could be more volcanoes. Anyways, the desert could mean a lack of mana or energetic force in the area, making it barren. The Kaisers drew too heavily upon the land and the ch'i, ruining the mana. Breaking the riz-ira's set boundaries at the poles seems like a plausible problem. The Kaisers tried to bring the riz-ira outside of the polar 'corruption' areas, thereby disrupting the tied-off ley lines and threatening the eternal, vital ch'i once more. With their messing with the contained mana model of the world, the natural restraint of the world along the ley lines and the polar regions was lost, allowing fundamental mixing (gold cards) and the expansion of the rizwil to meet the iradro and vice versa. Perhaps the snakes don't live in actual 'mountains', something more like a barren valley where once there were mountains before their tampering.... hmmm.... time to make my region post...
the_one_true_shea 01-27-06, 04:23 PM	gold cards exactly... that gives me an idea! To add another layer to the mix magic cards? Gold and Silver? Rizwell and Iradro, er silver is more green so Silver=Rizwell and (orange) Iradro=Gold cards? Hm, idea. anyway, The Kaiser could be one of a few societies that were using stable "colorless" mana via the Rizwell and Iradro stones created by Shen-La. Basically he created a way to strip mana and respin it. This granted the user of the keystones great power.. but at the cost of the stability of the system. I like the idea that everything was fine, and there was no need for Shen-La to have created the keystones. He didn't realize what the eventual consequence on the mana flow would be. He was simply cutting new currents into the mana flows. Opening new pathways in a carefully balanced system. Once those options became available the Kaiser and others like them didn't know better but to abuse them. AKA - if it hadnt been the Kaiser it would have been the "xxx." The kaiser were the camel that broke the camel's back so to speak.. but they were just the straw. Other straws had been piling up dissonance in the flows for a couple hundred years. Say the Lords were there using the powers before the second breaking? Another pack of straws.. even the Niter could be "rizwell ghosts" ... I can come up with another one.. think I'm gonna add a culture! I keep thinking of this scenario where there is no "colorless" mana... you have to.. declare? the rizwell or the iradro when you use "colorless" ?? Have cards that react to the spendig of rizwell or iradro... aka colorless? thoughts?
Rny2 01-28-06, 01:34 PM	eh? Would that cause us to infer that Rizwil is more easily acceseble, with 'silver' or colorless cards being playable by all and always active, and the Iradro gold needing specifics, only working in certain situations? Why would Shin-La have need of the keystones? Being a primordial dragon, she certainly should have been able to see the consequeces. Do the wise have a blind spot? Maybe she was forced by the conditions (Trapped in tradition?) or was only working for a greater power? Dragged along by the mana flows, Shin-La had no choice but to widen the channels. How do the mana flows (the camel) normally regulate themselves, to prevent overusage? isolation of the ability to generate more mana? changing emphasis? Did the mana flows become spread too thin, or did they congregate too profusely? Crystal 'knots'? Are the other xxx races also cursed, or are they free from the fate of the Kaisers? Have they learned their lesson, also? did these xxx races co-operate, so that the blame is on all, or did they compete? How far did the xxx races go, before the problem occurred?
Drindin 01-28-06, 01:57 PM	It could be that these nodes were not created intentionally, but as a kind of biproduct of the Rizwell-Iradro mana spouts. Maybe prophets do have a blind spot when it comes to such pure forms of magic as these. Normally, the mana flows divide themselves up into the various types (red, green, white, black, blue, etc.) This way, no one flow of magic becomes too strong.
the_one_true_shea 01-28-06, 10:35 PM	Why would Shin-La have need of the keystones? Being a primordial dragon, she certainly should have been able to see the consequeces. Do the wise have a blind spot? Maybe she was forced by the conditions (Trapped in tradition?) or was only working for a greater power? Dragged along by the mana flows, Shin-La had no choice but to widen the channels. I think "no" she didn't know what was going to happen creating (perhaps "freeing") the riz-ira. I think there these "elements" were coiled like positive and negative poles throughout the mana flows then! Shen-la.. a magnificently powerful being with very little actual knowledge of what she was doing just plain.. "found them." Between the color- there was more than -less. Two. Riz and Ira! The initial keystones I would think were semi-stable. The kind of thing that needs to be. Spots that sorta-naturally grew keystones. Places that already had "strange" mana arrangments would have "needed" the keystones the most. Shen-la didn't put them there. She "made them appeare" the legends say she threw them from the heart of the world... At this point Im thinking of keystones as either being Riz or Ira... one or the other and intelligent at least to the extent of a psi-crystal. "Highly Motivated" if not highly intelligent. They can still be associated with colored mana of course. hmmm, you know.. "how is the normal balance achieved" is kinda a good question. By your standard ley line theory the mana flows along the lines. Coming to rest in pools. Those pools are drawn upon by those who know how to access it.. That expenditure.. umm, well "makes differnt mana" somehow.. or "returns it to the flow" as it is used. This is kinda fuzzy, but since were talking about having it "break" this is a sticking point.. at least a question I will think more about.
Rny2 01-29-06, 12:07 AM	I think there these "elements" were coiled like positive and negative poles throughout the mana flows then! Shen-la.. a magnificently powerful being with very little actual knowledge of what she was doing just plain.. "found them." At this point Im thinking of keystones as either being Riz or Ira... one or the other and intelligent at least to the extent of a psi-crystal. "Highly Motivated" if not highly intelligent. They can still be associated with colored mana of course. Motivated, coerced to create? An extension of the heart-urge that forced Shin-La to make her legacies. Shin-La's legacies, the result of a heart-urge. Will they amount to something constructive in the future, or only doom curious ones with great potential? The ignorant heart-dragon, exposed to the divine/planes spark of the heart. like spellfire and planeswalkerdom, did this corrupt or enlighten Shin-La? hmmm, you know.. "how is the normal balance achieved" is kinda a good question. By your standard ley line theory the mana flows along the lines. Coming to rest in pools. Those pools are drawn upon by those who know how to access it.. That expenditure.. umm, well "makes differnt mana" somehow.. or "returns it to the flow" as it is used. This is kinda fuzzy, but since were talking about having it "break" this is a sticking point.. at least a question I will think more about. The flowing river 'breaks' at places and gouges onto new terrain. A new plaything of the powers, tinkering with geography. A global, world flow rampages over lands stable and turbulent, and silent giants chuckle.
Drindin 01-29-06, 03:13 AM	The flowing river 'breaks' at places and gouges onto new terrain. A new plaything of the powers, tinkering with geography. A global, world flow rampages over lands stable and turbulent, and silent giants chuckle. Let's stick with the water theory... Mana is naturally attracted to mana of the same kind, like water is attracted to water... When you drop water on the ground, it'll spread but do it's best to get back to it's original drop. If you splash water from a river, it soaks into the ground, and after a while makes it back to it's river. But if you forceably break the river... fill it in, put a dam there... it pools, creating a lake, or it breaks into a new river, destroying land in the process. So, most magicians merely 'splashed' in the river before the first breaking. The mana was taken away from the flows for a short time, before it gradually made it's way back. But the Kaiser... block by block, log by log, created a dam. They drew from the manaflows in such great quantities, they eventually began to shift and move, reshaping the world in the process.
the_one_true_shea 02-07-06, 06:01 PM	Dragon Gods are theoretically Immortal. Perhaps Shin-La herself was assisting the Kaiser? Or someone else!!! Oooh! What if Shin-La isnt crazy or destroyed, just sorta "magicians apprentice" ala micky. "Ooops" She doesnt really know what to make of what she has made. The Kaiser dragons are good at using this new power. It extracts power from the system like a a sifter somehow. The more I think about it the idea of having some rizwell card set that produces riz/ira tokens that sac for colorless mana whenever another player spends a colorless. (Tap and one colored mana to use though). Oh, see how that is the perfect switch around! The five colors of mana become the two. Colorless and Colored. The riz-ira set has effects the require "colored" mana, and effects that require rizwell tokens, and effects that require iradro tokens and effects that required "no colored mana" depending on the way the spell or effect or the creature is set up conceptually. Take the Blood Snakes - Green. But, there is a ritual that could return them to the previous state (kaiser) yeah, I'll try to write it out as cards, Blood Snake Battle Master 2colorless:g::g: Summon Wyrm --- 4/2 Tap:Sac 5 Rizwell and 5 Iradro to convert. ----------------------- Flip Side Summon Wyrm Legend --- 6/5 Flying, Plainswalk :r: Deal 1 damage to target player or creature. Sacrifice: put 10 rizwell and 10 Iradro tokens on any card. ----------------------- Aca Bloomgarden 1 rizwell Rizwell Land At the beggining of your upkeep place one rizwell token on Aca Bloomgarden Tap: Produce 1 colorless mana Tap: Move a Rizwell token from one card to another. Tap & X Colored: Put X Rizwell on the Aca Bloomgarden, and X Iradro on any target card. -------------- Iradro Beast 5colorless Iradro Animal --- 1/5 Rizwellwalk Sacrifice a basic land to give Iradro Beast a +X/+2 Where X is equal to the amount of Iradro tokens on Cards you control. -------------- Mana Stone (eh..name) - 1 colored Special Land As an additional cost to play mana stone sacrifice a basic land and imprint that lands color on Mana Stone. Tap: Produce a mana of imprint type. Tap and X: Remove X Rizwell or Iradro Tokens from the game. ... .. . I just came up with those Mana stones. Neat Idea, tactical for the system.. but! The concept being that the mana based wizards create a way to "reclaim the mana from the rizwell" The mana stone would be a relic by D&D standards. Probably a statue or even a temple! Perhaps its a druid thing.
Rny2 05-14-06, 09:59 PM	Here's some revisions, taking in the idea of sacrificing lands: Hand of the Kaiser 5 Creature- Drake Whenever you play a riz/ira spell, you may sacrifice 10 lands. If you do, flip ~. 2/2 ~FLIP~ Kaiserric Avatar Legendary Creature- Dragon All spells you play are riz/ira. 5/4 Acca Bloomgarden Land At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a land and put a Rizwil counter on ~. Sacrifice a Land: Add X to your mana pool, where X is equal to the number of Rizwil counters on ~. Sacrifice ~: Put X Rizwil counters on target permanent you control and X Iradro counters on target permanent you don't control. Iradro Beast 5 Creature- Beast (Elemental?) Whenever an opponent plays a Rizwil spell, ~ is unblockable until end of turn. Whenever you play an Iradro spell, put a +1/+1 counter on ~. 2/2 Doable? Suggestions?
Book5 05-15-06, 05:38 PM	Here's some revisions, taking in the idea of sacrificing lands: Hand of the Kaiser 5 Creature- Drake Whenever you play a riz/ira spell, you may sacrifice 10 lands. If you do, flip ~. 2/2 ~FLIP~ Kaiserric Avatar Legendary Creature- Dragon All spells you play are riz/ira. 5/4 For game balance purposes maybe associating Kaiser with rixwell or iradro .. but no both.
the_one_true_shea 05-15-06, 05:59 PM	Acca Bloomgarden Land At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a land and put a Rizwil counter on ~. Sacrifice a Land: Add X to your mana pool, where X is equal to the number of Rizwil counters on ~. Sacrifice ~: Put X Rizwil counters on target permanent you control and X Iradro counters on target permanent you don't control. Burning land .. seems good. If harsh - but it also serves to trigger riz/ira effects as well. I think this is really good. I like the way this one can be used to set up something else like Iradro Molar Enchantment When tapping a land with Iradro tokens add colorless mana equal to the number of Iradro tokens on the land into your mana pool. When tapping a land with rizwell tokens take X damage, where X is the number of rizwell token on the land. Iradro Beast 5 Creature- Beast (Elemental?) Whenever an opponent plays a Rizwil spell, ~ is unblockable until end of turn. Whenever you play an Iradro spell, put a +1/+1 counter on ~. 2/2 Ouch - talk about a downside. Only your opponents? Yikes, but I think its doable.
Rny2 05-15-06, 07:10 PM	For game balance purposes maybe associating Kaiser with rixwell or iradro .. but no both. Well, actually my intent in using riz/ira meant a rizwil and iradro spell, one where you'd sacrifice a non-basic land and be unable to play spells unless you sacrificed a land for each spell. Union of Disunion. to shea: For some reason, I'm dissatisfied by the present Iradro beast. I think its too similar to the Witchmaw Nephilim, only replacing trample with unblockability. I think the Iradro Beast should instead have something keyed to the expansion of the Iradro and the seeding of new Beasts.
the_one_true_shea 05-15-06, 10:17 PM	"seeding new beasts" Umm how about instead of "block" its search your library for a creature card with a casting cost of (more or less or exactly) X - and put it into play with X iradro tokens. Where X is the number of Iradro tokens on the Beast?