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Topics - Cairn

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1
Your game is dying, and almost dead.

The RPers are -gone-. I repeat, -gone-. 1-2 cliques of European friends in the same guild does not a game make.

You need to consider the efforts of the people on your development team, the LONG term efforts of the people who have Beta tested this game, and do what is right.

As attractive as a new Engine may seem, it will not save this game. Neither will new quests, new gear, new mechanics, etc. - the effort to implement is immense and cannot be supported by the current team without a development cycle that is UNREAL - and killing this game slowly.

Common complaints are either about the mechanics or the lack of RP. I think, and everyone should know this by now, that the two don't always play nicely together. In fact in many ways the mechanics either gently get in the way or are just not a necessary aid.

From where I sit, we've got two options.

1.) Shutter the game, stop bleeding time into this failed project, or
2.) Restructure and re-advertise

If you end up going with #2, good luck. Strip the game to what it needs, stop development on things that are 'nice to have', and focus on supporting RolePlay to the highest extent. Advertise the game as such, make sure the lore is ROCK solid, and find a way to bring player population up into a developed, albeit small, world that already exists and can be fleshed by the imagination. There are plenty of text-based RPs that do incredibly well at this. Take a page from them - our world can live, breathe, and be a great place to play, but it is TORN between mechanics and RP, and wants to be too much.

Develop what's worthwhile. Get a smaller, more defined focus, or watch the company continue to die.

Thanks guys - and good luck to our dev team!

Thank you, fellow Beta testers, for a hell of a decade with this gem.

(random thoughts - re-org under a Board of Directors, start structuring as a non-profit company, helps define focus & create accountability, etc. etc. - your thoughts welcome)

2
General Discussion / What's the good word?
« on: March 20, 2017, 05:16:28 pm »
Hey friends!

Does anyone play this anymore? I don't ask that facetiously, I promise.

I want to get back into this game, as I love(d) it, I really do. But it's super hard for me to just....come back & play with people who a.) don't want to play with me, b.) aren't RPing anyhow, and c.) I have to wait on for hours to even show up because time zones are different.

Last few times I logged in, the game had gone to the levelers. Now - more power to you late night French or German cliques who play together, I bet it is a blast.

But if it's a less than ~20 player base with maybe 1-4 RPers unlikely to meet when I'm on, I think hey, it's a good time to bid this game a permanent farewell.

3
General Discussion / Consequence
« on: September 15, 2015, 12:39:17 pm »
I like to post threads about thoughts apparently, lol.

Anyways, here's the latest:

Yliakum's settings depict it as a harsh world to live in, where every citizen should learn not only a trade, but also be able to protect themselves from the environment through combat, etc. Everyone learns how to fight to some degree, or at least barter or talk their way out of a situation. Magic is not only a tool, but also a weapon, and spells can both be defensive and offensive. Strange things happen in this Dome......

Magic and innovation make things very, very convenient to get over.
So it's partially the fault of the settings being contradictory.


One thing's missing, though: real Consequences. Yliakum as it's played is also often a land where things that might be major to us (death, robbery, dismemberment, or even more minor things like loss of tria, social stature, etc.) are often minor, and can easily be rectified with a few choice words or some hand-waving and rehab time.

Here's why: When we have a character, it's hard to have it change in any way other than positive. Read that through thoroughly - I'm not saying we DON'T change our characters, but rather we gear them to overcome every obstacle in a positive manner. Even the things that may have physical or mental side effects we in turn choose to have those side effects be spun for 'good', somehow. And I am not saying that everything needs to be bad....

We just need real consequences, or at least ones that take time to mend from. We can't have people who have had things happen to them without any mental or physical results. We can't have people running around who should have PTSD of some sort acting normally.

Now, hear me out:

I -am- saying that we should advocate consequence, both positive and negative.
I -am- saying that we as an RP whole have gravitated towards being 'fixers' of everyone's choices; why? It's convenient and people like being fixed and moving on.
I -am- saying that the results of this are people who's story arc stall. You're fixed, you sputter, you mill about with nothing to do.
I am -NOT- purposefully trying to make anyone feel bad. The fact that we gravitate towards fixing people is natural, and those of you who do so should feel no shame about it whatsoever. It's right to do that for other people's characters.

Dear Other People's Characters (including me),

Let's just consider our consequences a bit deeper, shall we?
Let's think about how we would be affected if we
a.) lost all our money (and the mental & physical dilapidation thereof!)
b.) got mugged (And the trauma and stress involved!)
c.) broke off a relationship (And the despondency therein!)
b.) Found the hope afterwards! <-----

Little things like this can greatly improve our roleplay, just going above and beyond when it comes to fleshing out how we react. Because truthfully, PlaneShift is a reactionary game. Things can't be planned very well since we're just going about playing off of each other for the most part.

So in your reactionary game, let's consider being revolutionary in very small ways.

(A sidenote, for the people who don't like sadness, etc.
-go watch Inside Out (xD)
-I'm not advocating evil or unhappiness. I'm advocating for a grasp on how to integrate your character. Remember, the defining trait of the human (or perhaps Ylian...) condition is HOPE. Through each reaction, perhaps keep Hope as close to your chest or as far away as it needs to be....)


Postscript thoughts on consequence, feel free to add:
Too many become lost in the Realm of Death....(whether true Death or not) - Octarchial Decree
My tummy and legs really hurt when he poisoned me, and I was quite mad at him. I still get pissed when I think about him - Cairn (hypothetically? :D)

4
Newbie Help (Start Here) / Bought In
« on: August 31, 2015, 09:45:55 pm »
Do you remember the first time you sat back in your chair and went, "Wow." When playing PlaneShift?
That first moment you became a part of a roleplay.

The first moment your character interacted with someone on a level deeper than a simple hello.

The first time you saw the potential this game holds.

I want you to share it, please?

I'll start with mine.

On one of my original characters, (before there was a tutorial area) I had just stepped out. I had no description, but I knew that I wanted to be a fighter. I hadn't even read the forums, didn't knew they existed. All I knew was this game was free and in 3D, and we were out of the collecting crystals phase!

So I went around proclaiming in main (there was no gossip lol!) "Here I am! I am a fighter, I'm gonna beat all your *sses!"

And of course, no one particularly liked me  because I had no etiquette, and I was just 'trolling' or not participating or ruining the game.
I almost gave up, because I had no idea what was going on.
But there was an Enki who talked to me in main, a very well respected guild leader.
He taught me that I was more than just a group of pixels. I could be a character, something deep and fleshed out entirely.

For my first RP, my character was inducted into a guild. ICly, with all of the trappings of the ceremony. I have rarely ever felt like more of a part of anything than that.

That's my "Bought In" moment


P.S.

I encourage you to consider yours and seek out the 'nodescr.' characters, or those who have just started. We all win when we give others this moment.

5
General Discussion / RCD
« on: August 27, 2015, 01:02:44 pm »
I want the RCD. To open and use for roleplay again.

Deepest regards,

Cairn.

6
General Discussion / RolePlay
« on: June 17, 2015, 10:15:05 am »
Every few years or so I get the urge to go back and and re-visit some foundational concepts of what makes this game tick.

Inevitably, it opens Pandora's box and the thread is locked. But in the meantime, it's good fun!

Here's a quote I'd like to discuss. Let's try and not get too off topic with it....like I probably will :P

"We cannot control extenuating circumstances. All we control is our reaction to it."

Let me paraphrase: "We can't always control what happens to our character. All we can control is our character's reaction to them."

/Discuss


[Here is my first two cents, but I've change to spare:
-When you're creating a character, you should not only have back story created to some degree, but also some goals in mind. These goals can as much clearly define your character traits as the backstory can. Too many times I have ran into characters who are simply 'out of things to do'. Think about it as you think about your own life - what is your immediate goal? 1 year? 3 years? 5? 10? What do you have on your docket that you want to achieve, immediately or down the line? Your character needs to have something to 'live' for.
-How does this affect how we react to things? Simple. It's like if, through something unforeseeable, you lose your job. Well, one of your immediate goals is self-presevervation, correct? To live, we need to eat. To eat, we need to have food. To have food we need to buy it, with money. You get the point. Your character needs to have reason and purpose. So, consider your goals as well, when you think about your reactions in-game.

There will be more. But I'd like to open conversation up :)



7
General Discussion / Random thoughts thread
« on: February 13, 2015, 12:40:17 am »
Since my return to PlaneShift playing a regular main.

-We  need guilds, badly. We undervalue how important they are to make players feel included, and what they contribute to RP.
Someone once told me not to offer ideas without possible solutions. My solution is for you all to make them :D:D kidding. I don't know how to best run a guild, but maybe we can find some ways to integrate them further? Thoughts?
...

Ok that was all.


/post your random thoughts here, too?

8
General Discussion / The "I Am PlaneShift" Awards 2012
« on: December 06, 2012, 03:03:36 pm »
The 2012 "I Am PlaneShift" Awards
Hosted by yours, truly...


Hello again, friends and roleplayers! Those of you lurkers may remember a time when the PS community awards were around. However, those have long been past, and I think Garris was the last person to run one. I think it's time to just recognize a few of the people who still play, and the forumers and players who make this game what it was.

A few rules: In each category, feel free to nominate 1-2 people, no more. Nominations will be done via PM or thread, whichever you feel most comfortable with. Simply copy and paste the blank form with the necessary names put in.

-Categories will not be as vast this year as in previous years. No need to string things out.

-Voting will be done in a separate thread after nominations have been announced.

-3 nominations is required to make the voting thread for any category.

-In the event of a tie, both players will be rewarded with the love and adulation of this community.

-This isn't a "bigger" competition, it's a "let's applaud people" competition. Don't take it personally if you don't get what you want.

--Judges: during nominations, also include who you wish to be named as three judges. Myself and two others will ensure the process is completed fairly and without biase, such as multiple votes or alts. There will also be three awards chosen by the judges. Choose wisely, PS.

-Alts may be chosen for singular awards. "Mains" are preferred, and we will try to make the awards broad enough that  alts can't simply be created or have been created for an award to be won, etc.

Without further ado, here are your categories. Please PM your nominations or post them, or your questions, in this thread.

Vote for Your Judges:
1.) Cairn
2.)
3.)


IN-GAME Awards:

2012's Best Roleplayer:
(Who you think has invested the most time and effort into this community, created a sense of realism, and gotten in-depth with their character/s more than anyone else. There can be biase here, so think long and hard before either outcrying against nominations or throwing your vote willy-nilly).

2012's Hero:
(The in-game character who has gone out of their way to make sure Hydlaa and Yliakum has stayed safe this year. Could be a martyr, misunderstood hero, or even someone who's just thwarted a potential catastrophe. Your votes decide.)

2012's Villain:
(That one character who just eats you up. Literally? Figuratively? We're looking for a well-rounded character who has several facets instead of just inherent 'evil'. Badness, misunderstood-ness, maybe desperation - the character who you just enjoyed being bad.)

2012's Contributor:
(That character who wasn't necessarily evil or a hero, but just contributed to the overall feeling of reality in this game. Someone who poured their heart out into an average Joe and made things all that much better for everyone else in this game. Think long and hard on this one, as it is what we all should aspire to be.)

Imagination's Scribe:
(Who created that plot you just couldn't tear your character away from? Who got you so involved that you leaped in your chair, or stayed awake thinking about what was going to happen next? OR, even just the person who's character drew you in in ways others couldn't, or went out of their way to make things happen to yours.)

Two-Face:
(The character who's 'reveal' shocked you most in some manner. Perhaps it was your bread-making housewife who murdered her husband in jealousy over an affair! WHO KNOWS?!?!)

Moribund:
(Sometimes, static is good. Things don't change much, and maybe this character didn't either.)

Punching Bag:
(Took their licks. Maybe didn't give em, but hey, a drink will solve the pain...everywhere...)

Yliakum's Stupidest:
(Don't take it to heart, ladies or fellas, but your character was dumber (IQ or actions-wise) than a dead clacker.)

Forumer Awards:

Most Informative:

Biggest Poster:

Funniest Poster:

Snark Attack!

Most Loved Poster:

Most Hated Poster:

Most Respected Poster:

VOTING CLOSES: Dec. 25th for Nominations, End of January 2013 for voting. Awards will be announced ASAP after that.

9
Newbie Help (Start Here) / Character Sketches
« on: October 18, 2012, 05:11:07 pm »
Just for fun, why don't you lay out a quick sketch of your character? Sometimes when I make a new character, it's on the fly, but most of the time I like to have a pre-determined set of traits that will really define them. You can put anything here, like why your character is the way he/she/kra is, what makes 'em tick, or just a short history. Heck, even a "sketch", as in a drawing will work. What do you imagine your PlaneShift character as?

I'll start (1 out of many >.> won't do 'em all):

Bryn Caminum, cyclical age 23
Race: Dermorian
Gender: Female



Temperament: Fiery. She's very unsure of herself, with a tendency to overreact to a lot of situations. She could be seen as bi-polar perhaps, with fits of shyness, envy, and rage her most common emotions. She's detached from life a bit, and naive, believing herself be the end all on most subjects and the authority on things she has no clue about. She can be construed as cold, but in reality puts herself too deeply into most situations, creating problems.

A li'l background: Born a blacksmith, loves blacksmithing, can't lift a hammer to save her life. She stokes fires, and well, being an incredibly trained and focused Red Way mage, does a good job of it. She has spent all of her life in and out of the Circle, with her father and mother at the Forges, and obsesses about fire in general. Very controlled use of it.

In Hydlaa: She's naive, and just wants to create her own life. She loves easily, loses quickly, and let's face it, kinda just leads a drama-queen life. She's a super-typical character, a little ordinary, but kinda what I'd expect from a citizen here. Magic is the norm in a land like Yliakum, and she just happens to use it for her job and be good at it. I like having a normal character sometimes, and Bryn may be as close as I get.

10
General Discussion / Status
« on: August 06, 2012, 12:53:13 pm »
Well, my laptop broke and my PC is not put together right now.

Also, my child will be born soon.

So, not sure where that leaves me in my various RPs :/

For continuity's sake:

Wulfar is returning to the Ojaveda family farm to tie the loose ends together, being the only remaining family member and heir to that fortune/famine. Mariana is welcome to come  :whistling:

Bryn is realizing her powers and training hard under the last available Red Way master.

Trypsen's up to no good.

Anhur's taking care of his daughter in Gugrontid.

Korst is bartending in heaven. well, not heaven.

Amaranth is sleazin' up fenkis somewhere.

Umithar is visiting a Diat on another level.

Lani's playing mindgames.

And the rest of 'em...well, they're off doing their thing. If you know you know :P

Sorry for the (hopefully) brief interruption of my RP. I especially regret the lack of continuity in those RPs which I am very vested, but I hope you all will understand and enjoy your game!

11
General Discussion / How Close Are We?
« on: July 26, 2012, 05:13:51 pm »
A study! The whole TGMBA thread got me thinking...

how far off are we as a whole from the PS Settings as to how we RP? Are we fairly flush with them or is the flux of single character types or lack of variety causing a rift?

Of course again, I never mean to offend, just curious as to what you think of the issue and how it's going to affect us. I mean, should we cater to the players, being as they are what put into it and get out of it, or should we force a return by pressing people to make characters differently, perhaps?

/begin!

12
In-Game Roleplay Events / The Gods Must Be Angry-DEBATE
« on: July 22, 2012, 02:11:50 pm »
I never mean to offend or start fights, so sorry in advance to the people who didn't like this plot or don't like it.
Quote
__

Just a few remarks:

a) This kind of plots was the reason why Illysia left once. Too blatant. Too violent. Too forceful to be ignored by people who don't like it too much...
Understandably. Unfortunately, these types of plots will always be a staple within PlaneShift. Due to the settings, the nature of the Religions and their backstory, and also due to the wants and tendencies of our players, PlaneShift will never be a Utopia. Of course, my aim isn't to offend Illysia. Nor is to force her to leave. In fact, it's never to force anyone to leave. They can, and always will, have the choice to simply ignore it if they choose. Now, I know it's hard to ignore plots like these, and that certainly makes you ticked that you can't, if your a player that desires only a Utopia to come too. That being said, I'm perfectly willing to call off this entire RP and disregard it ever happening :) those who are offended need only say so - I try to be an obliging fellow.


b) This kind of plot even enforces GMs to get involved as guards, although GMs are meant to stay out of roleplays as much as possible, to avoid preference among players.

There's a certain irony to this one. The guards, placed by the developers/settings team, are meant to corral RPs like this. However, since they are NPCs, they literally do nothing. A wise 'villain' RPer can simply commit crimes out of sight of the guards, to fulfill settings purposes, and then because a GM is "not allowed to get involved", the crime goes unpunished. Equally ironic is the Octarchial decree that the citizens of Hydlaa are not allowed to perform vigilante style justice, in essence. That certainly corrals what someone can and cannot do.
a.) The GM team runs several events. These events are the most public of all, even being advertise, OOCly, and OOCLy attended or invited to by many. Does the public have the chance to ignore these, perhaps not violent (although some are), but nonetheless blatant?
A: Of course. It's up to the player.
Does a player have a choice to interact in any RP, no matter how blatant, violent, dramatic, traumatic, emotional, non-emotional, Utopian, friendly, unfriendly, etc?
A: Of course. It's up to the player.


Now, all that being said, as I mentioned, I'm perfectly willing, happy, and capable of ending this RP and disregarding it ever happening. That may sadden some people who were involved, and it may make others happy who didn't want it to happen, but I'm good with it.

All things considered, the RP cliques need to be broken up. There is no RP of any kind going on between the different guilds and groups, for the most part, most if it centered around where you are placed and will remain so.
GM involvement is a bonus, but they don't have to if they don't want to, I'm sure Hydlaa will always produce vigilante justice anyways, despite that being improper.
Player involvement that I saw so far was incredible. At least 30 or so players that may not have ever interacted with each other chose to do so and got that chance. I saw players I didn't even know existed.

of course, pros and cons - your guy's call.

I'll always cater :)

13
In-Game Roleplay Events / The Gods Must Be Angry
« on: July 20, 2012, 11:48:59 pm »
[Enjoy your hunt for Hydlaa's serial killer. As a rule, I don't post logs from my RPs, ever, but you are always willing to post the ones you've had, or any thoughts or interest you might have in the Red Fenki]

14
Guilds Forum / [BRANCH]: Sempetor
« on: May 16, 2012, 04:42:06 pm »
In-Game Contacts [Mod. 6/6/12]:
Umithar | Morghain | Leukos |Trypsen | Arosi | Acon | Lani

www.sempetorps.webs.com

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pride and obvious joy that I present to you one of PlaneShift's great guilds, now available to the public. For years Sempetor has been a branch of the religion of Laanx, which although being the main religion, is heavily underutilized. For this reason, I believe it is now upon the people to bring it to the forefront where it rightly belongs, with all of its Intrigue, Murder, Politics, Power plays, Unassumingness, and History-Born aspects. For this reason, I call upon you, alts, mains, Laanx worshippers, devious interlopers. . . role players, to join. Whether it is your life's devotion or simply a place to put an alt that could be a Sempetor, this /IS/ the guild for you.

Sum Up, because the rest of this post is ginormous
Quote
Simply put, Sempetor is for fighters/warriors/assassins/physical or magical violence/guards/peacekeepers/chaotics/etc. There is a place for everyone who is warrior or mage roleplay-based within this guild. If you are creative with your RP, whether to infiltrate this guild, support this guild, or cause its downfall, you are welcome here. We do not discriminate.

 

As an Organization:

As a guild, we aim to add (more) intrigue and valuable, historical and lore-based roleplay to the setting of Yliakum in PlaneShift. All of our members will be versed in valuable and proper roleplay according to settings, and will maintain their characters in a proper way, developing and acting in accordance with how they ought to. As members of Sempetor, we will strive to the highest order of accuracy and roleplay and maintain that standard until the guild no longer remains.

As PlaneShift community members, we will maintain a high standard in knowing and maintaining our accurate knowledge in lore and settings. We will not be an elitist guild, we will strive to treat each new member of the community with understanding and offer our skills at teaching to them. To be in Sempetor will and must remain a great honor, and each new member will be hand-picked and groomed by the other members to not create an aura of elitism but to make being in the guild a great emblem of humility, yet pride in what they have accomplished.

 

Our Philosophy:

In greatness, servitude; in knowledge, teaching.

Sempetor
In service to the Masked God
In-game Contacts: Umithar (Cairn), Morghain, or Lani


A Short History, drawn from The Great Library of Hydlaa (The Five Branches of Laanx):
Quote
A brief observation on the internal structure and politics involved in the temple of Laanx.

There are five branches of the church hierarchy, these are called the Five Seats of Laanx. The five chairs in the Iron Temple of Laanx in Hydlaa represent the Five Seats of Laanx. The following lists the current responsibilitiesof each of these branches, though every branch has many subtler sub ranks within them; these will be discussed in depth in another text.
Quote
Sempetor: This is the martial branch of the religion. They serve as guards and enforcers for the other branches and cannot act on their own. Many Sempetor serve as city guards or are members of the governmental armies. Some are even Gladiators. It is rumoured that Sempetor also has a hidden sub-branch of assassins and possibly thieves, though all branches deny this vehemently.
Quote
Leadership: The head of each of these branches is called a Diat (dee-aht). There is one Diat per level, making eight Diats for each branch, forty in all. The proper term for the head of a branch is Diat Pryam, Diat Noctar, and so on, and individuals are addressed as Diat, followed by the Surname. One of the eight Diat Pryams is chosen every spring to be the leader of the religion until the next spring. None of these positions are permanent, and a majority vote of the other Diats in the branch can have any other Diat dismissed, or in extreme cases, imprisoned or even sentenced to True Death. New Diats are chosen by a series of ceremonies in which they are required to prove their worth. These ceremonies can be found the texts of Laanx held in restricted libraries in the Temples. The active Diats will cast ballots on the candidates, one for every active member of their own branch, numbering seven in most cases unless some abstain, and one for each of the other branches, totaling eleven votes. A Diat who is stepping down is not allowed to cast a vote for his or her replacement. Diats are chosen from volunteers that can come from the ranks of either the lower priesthood or followers in one of the branches. This often causes power struggles and plotting in the hierarchy as Diats vie for support from their own branch and the others.

The Diats of a level are required to meet once every three months at the main temple of their level, though they will often gather more frequently. All Diats gather at the Iron Temple in the spring of the year for discussion of doctrine or the induction and voting on new Diats. At this synod, they discuss the direction of the church and the finer points of the teachings of Laanx through both his actions and his writing in the Book of Names. There have been many debates that have raged through to the bright hours of the morning over some arcane point in the Book of Names.

An [OOC] Introduction: I have browsed these forums for years upon years, and have seen some wonderful roleplays and characters, some even claiming to be in the Branch Sempetor of the Laanx religion. In all fairness, this should already be an established, firmly based guild or organization that does events, runs roleplays, and helps the community. Since it is not yet, it is now time for it to be this. So I began to dig as deep as I could into the lore and history surrounding the Masked God, specifically the role of religion and worship of her/it/him, and came to the conclusion that this guild could be of a great service to the community and to the quality of the roleplay therein. This being said, I will lay out the 5 OOC Goals of Sempetor:

1.) Encourage Community and RolePlay. Play with new players, indoctrinate them into PlaneShift as a community and as a setting.

2.) Run events, using Lore/Settings/History. Many events are already ran that can be done outside of these, and are all good, but Sempetor must feel the need to write and prepare events that are historically accurate and will revolve around a. the characters in the guild b. the Laanx religion (or others opposed), and c. Sempetor's setting in Yliakum

3.) RolePlay accurately, without godmodding, using OOC information, or judging others. We are not elitists, we will just be good at what we do. Fin.

4.) Educate. We have a vast history and knowledge in PlaneShift and it's players, and it is time to gather this knowledge and share it with new generations of players. Already on the Sempetor website it has begun being collected, but I know that there is Eons more to do. I will open up access to information to anyone who wishes, although with the privacy/spoilers rules, I have to keep it unaccessible to all but registered players.

5.) Have fun! While it is an overstated and overused goal, it is simply what must be done! Planeshift has a reputation of turning players into detail-based obsessive monsters, who spite others who do not roleplay in what they presume to be the 'right' way. Sempetor must not ever become like this. While we are secretive, set up, and roleplay is a demanding factor, we will never become the guild that shuns all others.

An IC Introduction:

Quote
(Circa 450AY) - Umithar Hrain is elected Diat of Sempetor on the Dome level, and continues in this position for the foreseeable future. He runs virtually unopposed, and is rumoured to lead with an iron hand, and a contingent of some of Yliakum's deadliest. Sempetor grows in size and power under his leadership, surpassing many of the other branches in both political aspirations and goals. Hrain is rumoured to have the mind of a serpent, and is not to be trusted. Diat Pryam retains control of the religion, however.

Ranks:

Diat of Branch Sempetor - (Rank 9): The Diat of the Sempetor Branch of the Laanx religion. Answers only to the head Diat Pryam of the entire religion. His word is in semblance to law to other members of the Sempetor branch, and can only be questioned by the Council, who are members of the lower priesthood.

Rank 8 - Hidden

Council Sempetor - (Rank 7): Select members of the lower priesthood who have been either voted in to position or ascended by the Diat's own hand into a council of sorts, to provide wisdom and leadership for the rest of the priesthood. Knowledge of the religion and wisdom are often required skills, but sleight of hand and money can cause greater influence still. Certain members are "enlightened" to the presence of the Hands above them, and may control them within reason as they see fit.

Sempetor Adept - (Rank 6): A member of the lower priesthood found to be versed in the knowledge of the Masked God and his will. Often times they are teachers for lower adepts, or devoted to spreading the religion of Laanx to others. Can be preachers, devoted fanatics, or simple men leading out a life in support of their God. Oftentimes more of the warrior caste are found here, and they are most devoted to protecting members of the other branches as well.

Enforcer - (Rank 5): A senior in the lower priesthood, similar to the Adepts above them. They strive to become teachers, leaders in the community, and bring tria to fill the coffers of their God. Must be well-respected in the community and not (often) prone to violent fits of behavior. If they are, must be good at not being caught. Many a warrior has been bred into this caste, and most Enforcers are great in skill and Way. They are the strongest caste within the Sempetor, in numbers and perceived skill.

Sempetor - (Rank 4): Simple men of the priesthood. They are percieved as still learning about the God, but devotion is obvious! They wish to fill the coffers for their God, and enlighten every level with the glorious truth that is Laanx. Many men from this rank go on to become leaders in the Branch Sempetor. Great warriors or guards come from this rank, but they are not yet renowned enough to become an Enforcer.

Sempetor Warrior - (Rank 3): A simple man or woman within Branch Sempetor. They find solace in learning and fighting for their God. Not yet experienced or diligent enough to become an Enforcer or Sempetor

Novice - (Rank 2): A warrior and priest apprenticed to either an Enforcer or sempetor adept. They are not well-trained in becoming a warrior for Sempetor, but they are devoted.

Masked Initiate - (Rank 1): a newly fledged member of the Branch.

Ranks 1-4 cannot order any other rank, even or even lower ranks. Enforcers and above can actively pass on the Diat, Council's, or other's commands. Rank 5-7 are mentors and semi-leaders. Rank 7-9 is leadership.

Article I.) How Leadership within Sempetor Works:
The Diat commands every rank, with only the council actively able to sway his decision via majority vote. The Diat can at times override this, with fear of reprimand or removal from position. The council can independently make commands as an entity with a majority vote, although each council member has no more sway than a normal enforcer on his/her/gemma's own. The council has the power and authority to report a Diat's actions to Diat Pryam, forcing a removal if necessary of Diat Sempetor from his/her/gemma's current position into exile, death, or true death if absolutely necessary. Enforcers and above are indepently able to make orders but must report them to a council member, Diat, or the entire council if possible, with fear of reprimand or removal from the Branch. Each decision must be weighed carefully. Orders given without the council's knowledge either before or immediately after will be punished as necessary. As a precaution, it is best to inform the Council oneself rather than have them find out any other way.

Article II.) Punishment within Sempetor: Failure to follow a Diat's or the entire Council's order will result in being placed down into an appropriate rank, or removed from the Branch entirely. Actions against Sempetor or it's members from a member within the ranks will result in more severe punishment, carried out by a Rank 8 or peer. Failure to follow a Rank 8's order will result in punishment, stripping of title and rank, and if deemed necessary by Rank 8, Council, or Diat, death and disallowment from the Iron Temple or other sacred grounds. True Death as a punishment is a reserved right and will only be carried out as a last resort, for an unworthy Diat or criminal of war against the Masked God. Punishment for inappropriate actions including but not limited to: disobedience of an order from a rank 5 or 6, open action against another Sempetor member, unordered violence, open inappropriate behavior disgraceful to the Masked God, lewd conduct demeaning to the Branch; will be set by the punishing council member or above, and carried out as seen fit.

[OOC: We will kick people from the Branch for IC reasons if it absolutely is necessary. This does not mean we will break roleplay or communications from you, simply that your character saw fit to do what it did and Sempetor sees fit to continue in the pre-ordained path! If this is the case, we wish you the best of luck in future endeavours and we will roleplay with you in an appropriate manner. We do not force true death or death on anyone.]

-See website for further information, etc.-

Article IX.) All actions of Sempetor must somehow benefit the cause of Laanx.

[OOC: We are aware not all of your characters are Laanx worshippers, or are in this guild to do this. If you are to bring about the guilds downfall, go for it. If you are BF and want to infiltrate, do it. All sorts of things are possible, just be sneaky about it, and remember if you are in Sempetor you are aware of this, and don't want to be caught doing the opposite.]

Article X.) Sempetor is aware that there is life outside of the Branch. We do not police the outside activities of our members save if their conduct is demeaning to the Branch, wherein they will be questioned and/or removed. What an elf/human/gemma/enki does with their time is solely to them to decide.

[OOC: You are allowed to be a normal being in Sempetor. Your flaws, fears, character facets, they're all welcome! Just remember, when you're in this guild, your in it for a reason. We don't simply accept people that are gonna do nothing with the roleplay offered to them by this unique group. If you want to be a chaoticly lawless person, go join the OL or something, unless you have well-formed business being in here to topple us or something.]

What Makes Us Tick: Let's be honest, great guilds come and go. There are all sorts of novel, moment-based guilds that fulfill their purpose and then they are gone. I don't want Sempetor to be like this, and in all honesty, it has no reason to be like this. It will always be around, whether by our hands, GM hands, or the setting of PlaneShift in general, the fact remains that Sempetor is there. I only want this to be a great chance for players to step into their shoes and write some history as a Sempetor member, and make them a great thing to be. I truly believe that this can be a guild that writes history, helps new members, and is a solid staying force for as long as we can be. I'll give you this, that the player base is not large right now, nor will it probably ever be, but that shouldn't hold us back. Alts and mains alike I accept and invite, provided you fit an accurate portrayal of what I'm looking for. All I ask for is strong leadership, good friends, and a nice family to be around.

Sempetor should be timeless because it is already set in stone. There are facets we can change and be and admire, and with the strength of history behind us, we can set a great legacy.

Website, and More Info:

www.sempetorps.webs.com

On this Sempetor website, you'll have a chance to register for both the website and the forums, both of which are chock and (forum-wise going to be chock) full of information, such as lore and settings, history, links to great planeshift resources, and a discussion board for the guild. The website also features a members list, about us, and more.

Excerpt:
Quote
As A Guild:

[IC]: Led by Diat Sempetor, known only to the closest of friends as Umithar Hrain, a middle-aged Ylian man, Sempetor maintains it's reputation as the martial branch of the Laanx religion. Devout in their worship as well as their duties, they are sworn to protect all of the other branches that are not capable of doing so themselves. Many Sempetor serve as city guards or members of the Octarchial armies, or armies of the Vigesimi as well. There is rumoured to be a sertain sect within the Branch Sempetor that are assassins and thieves, but this all speculation and never proven. Each member of Sempetor is well-versed in combat, whether by swords or the magic Ways, and each member is hand-picked by Sempetor leadership to have a certain skill set that will best serve the Branch, and further the worship of Laanx in accordance to the Diat's orders.

Much of the time the Sempetor act on orders from the Diat in charge of the entire religion. There are times when a Sempetor's orders will come directly from Diat Sempetor, and each and every order uttered by the divine Diats is treated as unbreakable and must be followed. To be in this branch is an honor, to worship the great masked God is a greater honor still.

Forged over the hard hearts of the spurners With the molten metal of the faithful And the skilled hammer strikes of the soulful Laanx's book of names hath called for its priests.
Tend now to the chaos in the crystal
Let his mighty name ring forth in echoes And scatter his enemies in death throes While awaiting converts at each portal For Laanx, highest lord of Yliakum Hath made a home of this cold lifeless stone And brought souls from the Azure Sun.
Let none question the lessons of the crystal's hum.
And let us pass in passion the messages Marked out for us each in Laanx's passages.

[OOC:] Each member of Sempetor will be held to high standards. You are certainly allowed to be your own character, and certainly there will be some who do not adhere closely to the rules of the religion of Laanx, let alone the rules of the Branch Sempetor. However, be aware that should you act too openly against the Branch, you will be kicked out in an IC manner. Be aware that roleplaying a Sempetor is exactly that- you will be a Sempetor as well as your own character, so it must be a character choice to be one of the Branch. All manner of RP is accepted.

A small list of RP rules to be aware of in Sempetor (see forums for more):

-Sempetor does not accept godmodding.

-Sempetor members roleplay first, teach second, powerlevel third.

-Sempetor OOC must be curteous to others.

-Sempetor IC must be within the boundaries of the game of PlaneShift.

-Sempetor does not engage in cybering or x-rated roleplay.

-Sempetor is a 16+ guild. All members must be mature. We may become an 18+ guild because I expect a certain level of maturity, and I have a no-holds-barred policy of guild chat. This means that if you are curteous to others, I do not mind swearing, the expressing of opinions, etc. Be within reason, but freedom of speech is encouraged.



If this sounds like a good guild for you, then you may get a hold of me.

-Diat Sempetor

What I want from YOU:
This needs to be a community based effort because to be fair I can't run or organize everything about this on my own. It is a large-scale project and I need a bit of dedication. So yeah, I can run this guild on my alts alone and provide some interesting roleplay, but I won't even start it until I can get some good people that I believe will pour even a wee bit of time on my side. Sempetor has everything; intrigue, assassins, killers, spys, politics, religion - the guild is boundless. I want there to be sempetor events, sempetor parties, sempetor killings, you name it. With or without you, there will be, but with you, it will be on a greater scale than previously imagined. So in the post below, I'll make a nice sign up and see what kind of activity with alts/mains i'll get, and see how many people are interested. When that's done, we'll take the next step.

Ingame contacts: [IC] - Send a yulbar/groffel/ or other appropriate letter form to Umithar Hrain. [OOC] - /tell Wulfar, Aedrich, Trypsen, Umithar, or Cayrn when on. Express opinion and interest and we'll get it rolling.

OOG contacts: Post here in this thread or message me. I'll have other leaders available soon and when they reveal themselves you can message them if they wish you too also.

It is duly noted that other great Laanx oriented guilds have been formed, such as VoL, etc., but I don't really want to hear about that :D

15
General Discussion / What do you seek, and what did you find?
« on: May 07, 2012, 09:51:59 am »
The more and more I play planeshift, (it's drawing on 7 years, some of you are quite older than this even.), the more and more I find my RP and RP goal changing, for the good [I presume]. In essence when I first started, I was focused on single-character driven roleplay, assuming the hero mantle, epic dueling, etc. and these are all quite nice, and can be easy given the fantasy atmosphere and tremendous lore you can work with.
Within a few years though I had begun work on what I felt were massive tapestries, multiple characters and split or weaved plots, some lasting up to a year or more IRL. These I thought to be more challenging and would earn me a more deserved spot in a pantheon, per se, of 'great' roleplayers.
However coming back to PlaneShift as it is and in my current state of mind has put a new perspective in me.
Both of the goals I ascertained to were noble, and well, but both were aimed to improve, well, me. Some of the greatest forumers and members of this community have been selfless enough to produce simple, yet incredibly well-made characters that improve the ingame community as well as the experience of the game itself.
So, my new perspective is just that, and includes my challenge to you: Roleplay for and with others. You are given a character to develop yourself, but you cannot 'force' its development I feel. It should evolve as you as human would evolve when placed into these situations; The world develops you, your interactions develop you!
Too often I have seen and been guilty of forcing my character into a rut because that is the way I want him/her/kra to be, and I will not deviate even under extraordinary circumstances. I do not wish that upon people. Yliakum is a fair semblance of a pulsating world, and within that you should take into account the actions of others and the effect it has on the small story you created for your character before it was plopped into Hydlaa.

That being said, I want to ask you all,

When you first started, what did you aspire to? Did you find it? And if so, what's your next goal?

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