The World of Layonara  Forums

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Shiokara

Pages: [1] 2
1
General Discussion / Re: For a friend...
« on: November 20, 2012, 09:38:21 pm »
Parabéns. Feliz aniversário, Hellblazer!
The following users thanked this post: Hellblazer

2
Just for Fun / Fistful of Rupees
« on: August 07, 2012, 11:51:57 pm »
If you like the Legend of Zelda franchise, and you like Spaghetti Westerns, then you might really like this video series. It's pretty well-crafted.
The following users thanked this post: davidhoff

3
Just for Fun / Layo Memes
« on: August 06, 2012, 09:42:29 pm »
Alright, guys and gals, time for a bit of fun. Gather your wry wit, humor, and pet peeves, and shove them into a quickmeme with a Layo theme. I bet there'll be some great ones. Here's mine:

Cleric of Aeridin

Edit: Attachment wasn't working. Couldn't figure out how to just imbed the image in the post. Tried using the image option, but it came out black. QuickMeme must be crafty.
The following users thanked this post: miltonyorkcastle, Link092, Teo

4
Just for Fun / YouTube Gamer
« on: August 06, 2012, 06:55:05 pm »
Hey all. Since I'm dropping by, I thought I'd show y'all my other project besides writing during my summer off. Videos won't come up as quick once September rolls in, but for now feel free to check out my gaming channel at your leisure. If you dig free to play games, or just want to see some mediocre commentary/analysis, check it out.

Shiokara's YouTube

Any pointers or suggestions would be much appreciated of course. Also, if you have any f2p games you want me to check out, I will.
The following users thanked this post: ShiffDrgnhrt

5
General Discussion / Haven Mines
« on: November 03, 2011, 10:02:23 pm »
I took a run through the Haven Mines today, which I don't normally do. And I just want to say that even though it's easily accessible, this dungeon is beautifully designed. The map waypoints for the Main Furnace, Equipment Sheds, etc. are a nice touch. Additionally, the inability to rest inside really adds to the challenge level of the dungeon since it is so long. The fourth floor feels like an accomplishment, and is quite imposing, because of its openness and scale compared to the narrow complex of passages linking up to it. Very nicely done.
The following users thanked this post: ShiffDrgnhrt

6
After scribing a duplicate, William sends the following report to Aragen's library via a ship bound for Mariner's Hold.

The following users thanked this post: Lance Stargazer

7
Ask A Gamemaster / Polling GM Interest for CDQ
« on: October 19, 2011, 11:57:02 pm »
I'm curious if there are any GMs interested in running CDQs for practicing Aragenites. These would be mainly information gathering quests focused on events and local culture. My interest comes from wanting to advance William Walker within Aragen's ranks. He's not yet level 8, and he likely won't be anytime soon, but I just wanted to throw some ideas out there.

I also thought it might be fun to have an open CDQ event to which other people are invited. This way what my Aragenite records would be dependent upon players' actions.

Interested in any thoughts/comments/etc.
The following users thanked this post: mixafix

8
Development Journals and Discussion / Poems and Songs - Kira Adams
« on: August 23, 2011, 10:00:24 pm »
"Pantoum of Arrows"

Our arrows sang and sunk into our prey
Which danced and swayed moments before it fell
Dead. In the silent wood we came to say
The arrow's flight, its song, was like a spell.

We danced and swayed moments before night fell,
But at last light we doused the fires and slept.
The arrow's flight, its song, was like a spell
Or dream in which the archer's mind was swept.

As the sun set we doused our fires and slept.
Ahead tomorrow brings a new forked road
Or dream in which the archer's mind is swept
By whim or choice to the next episode.

Tomorrow always brings a new forked road,
And so before we start we sing or pray
By whim or choice for the next episode,
For the Great Runner to guide our way.

We sing and our arrows sing. When we pray
Our arrows and we share dreams, so we say
The Great Runner guides us both on our way.
With Falcon our feet and our flight won't stray.

With Falcon our feet and our flight won't stray.
The following users thanked this post: RollinsCat

9
Rumour Has It / Zahid Al Safi - Dead
« on: August 08, 2011, 10:29:44 am »
Human lives are brief, lasting little longer than a child's writing in sand. Their legacy lies in their works, whether they are children of the flesh or children of the mind.

Zahid Al Safi, aged 69, died as he was born, wandering the Great Desert. After fighting for Sederra against the Green Dragon Cult, he ultimately succumbed to old age. He will not likely be remembered beyond the absence of an old man on a bench, or a shouting figure at the side of a Center road. Perhaps he never found the oneness he sought, but he smiled and died in peace. His journal, like his body, moulders in the desert's shifting dunes. He breaks down, and becomes one with the sands.

10
General Discussion / Becoming well seasoned
« on: February 05, 2011, 02:44:31 am »
Oy! 's ol' Görmungard birthday! 'Ere's a point ta ye, mate. Ma'e sure ye get inta a li'l bitta tha gud killin' an' debauch'ry!

//Happy Birthday, Chazzler!
The following users thanked this post: Chazzler, Stephen_Zuckerman

11
Just for Fun / How I imagined Argali's pier to form
« on: January 28, 2011, 08:15:43 pm »
Quote
Howabout... +a lot+ of rock dumped from the shore to a point where the ships won't run aground. The rock is delivered in the holds of arriving ships.


Bacardi Island Commercial (contains images of alcohol logo and partying).
The following users thanked this post: EdTheKet, Dezza, Script Wrecked, willhoff

12
Poetic License / Gnome poetry, oh noetry!
« on: January 23, 2011, 03:18:33 pm »
Dreaming

When I rode the wing'd contraption, I flew
with the big wind like birds, and each feather'd breast
I gazed on gave way to my engine lest
it get caught in the gears and ground for stew.
The exhaust from my mighty pipe did spew
a cloud of blue and black which I assess'd
was burnt oil, some gasket had failed and messed
up the whole works. Falling down the ground grew
detail. There a flock of floundering geese
turned up their beaks at my steam-dream-filled flight,
a fog of clouds cleared, and I cursed the grease
that fail'd once more before eternal night.
Nay mourn my sleep, nor call my fall a waste,
For one sweet instant, Goran I embraced.

~ Ignatius J.H. Wordsmith
The following users thanked this post: Chazzler, Stephen_Zuckerman, ShiffDrgnhrt, Lance Stargazer, RollinsCat

13
Introduce Yourself / Checking in
« on: December 10, 2010, 06:13:21 pm »
Hey Layo,

I just thought I'd check in to see how everyone's doing. It looks like there've been a lot of changes. I'll have to get my bearings again it seems. :)

14
Trade and Market Hall / Charity Service - Knuckles for Nickles
« on: May 08, 2010, 05:02:24 am »
Eoanira posts handwritten notices around local markets and alchemy halls.

North Point needs aid. Let me help you help others. I have for sale two boxes of majicked skeletons' knuckles useful for grinding into potions. Boxes are 500tr each. All proceeds to help support Aeridinite efforts in Northpoint.

Buy knuckles, help others.
Make potions, help yourself.
Where's the bad?

He adds at the bottom:

[SIZE=10]*Miscellaneous donations accepted, too.[/SIZE]
The following users thanked this post: cbnicholson

15
Abandoned? Me! Lord Protector, I almost died when I entered the crypts to find my power gone. It's been a while since I've tried anything even gray. Gray is a dishonorable hue, a dingy tint. At least black doesn't make any claims to be right. Right. Righteousness. Power. Justice. What is right is what is good. What is not right is bad, leading to corruption. I fell. I will not let others fall.

The law must be pursued in every letter, every clause. It is there for a reason. Nonetheless, there are loopholes. That is why we are needed. We are the plugs. We plug up the leaks. The cheats. The thieves. They will be tried. I have studied the laws. I have studied all this time, and now I am ready.
The following users thanked this post: Lance Stargazer

16
Quests Ideas and Discussion / Twelve Angry Adventurers
« on: February 08, 2010, 02:47:34 pm »
I have an idea for a quest involving one of my characters, Aunlyn, the Rofireinite church, and any players welcome to join.

Basically, Aunlyn will commit a (potentially subjective) crime, get caught, and face trial. I would like to fill as many roles by players as humanly possible, so we'll figure Rofireinite players for the prosecution. Toranites and Voraxites for their supportive witnesses (who'd love nothing more to see Aunlyn destroyed, banished, etc.), A Rofie advisor for Aunlyn's defense, and witnesses supporting Aunlyn played by sympathetic characters.

The DM, or high-ranking Rofie official (like Jennara) can act as judge, and I would love if there were a jury, though I don't know if Layo's system functions by a jury of one's peers (but it'd be great for RP).

This could be broken up in a couple sessions. One for jury selection (with a week of deliberation/preparing cases in between) and one for the trial itself. Maybe one more (much shorter) session of 30 minutes or so for sentencing/punishment.

I really think this would be great fun. Good characters appealing for Aunlyn to receive just punishments vs. Good characters arguing he should be killed and re-killed until he can't be killed anymore. Evil characters tempting jurors with bribes, or Evil characters who want to see him swing just for the fun of it. Potentially disguised Dark Elves sitting in the audience or trying to get on the jury just to see what happens. An Aragenite stenographer!

Could be fun. And give adventurers a feel for how the trial system really works. I don't mind if Aunlyn is NPCified for this quest. My main reason for creating him was to use him as a foil to create conflict between other characters.

I also recognize that Aunlyn may be completely lost if proven guilty and super executed/banished from the surface/jailed indefinitely. I have no problem losing this character.

I read somewhere that GMs need to have at least two endings for each quest? Here are some possibilities I thought of just now:
1) Aunlyn is Guilty and permanently dealt with
2) Aunlyn is Guilty but is justly sentenced
3) Aunlyn is proven innocent
4) Aunlyn is broken out of jail via impromptu or some such method
The following users thanked this post: cbnicholson, Lance Stargazer, geloooo

17
NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / Pacifistic Character Progression
« on: February 03, 2010, 04:18:33 am »
This is an idea I had that I'm still kind of working out, and which may be wholly unrealistic, but here goes:

Since Layonara's current incarnation is NWN-based there is currently no skill-based progression for characters who are more pacifistic in nature. While it's true you can RP a character this way and have a rich experience all while being level 1, the system itself is designed in such a way that you receive the fullest experience if you progress through levels. This, I think, discourages a lot of players from submitting such characters because while they like to RP, there is just a certain amount of positive reward associated with mechanical progression that cannot be emulated with a character of this type.

DMs and WLs have the xp wands, which helps with this a little, but only when they're around, which is subject to variable availability depending on time zone issues and other matters. This is an attempt to get around that.

Now, Layonara's lore includes in it some deities that not only encourage a certain amount of pacifism, but require it. These are significantly underrepresented in the player base likely for this reason. I imagine that there are also NPCs that exist, which don't worship a deity and yet are pacifistic, maybe even some stonebound NPCs that we just don't hear about. I understand the pacifism of these deities is related to the lore used for the MMO, which, I assume, will have viable ways for character to progress without fighting (like practicing inscription or somesuch thing), but this solution is intended for the current situation, which is MMO-based lore being used to mold an NWN incarnation of Layo.

Thus, I believe pacifism should be handled this way. If a player wishes to play a pacifistic character, he must decide so from the original character submission only. This could look like a statement, and could be considered similar to class submission restrictions.

Progression will be decided based solely on logs, screenshots, CDQs, and entries which the player keeps. (NOTE: It is the responsibility of the Player to keep these. I cannot stress that enough.) XP will be decided based on how well these characters can represent their RP. When a player feels he has enough evidence gathered to progress, then he should post his readiness in the Character Submissions forum. Essentially this would look like, "Pacifistic Character Progression Request - (Name)". Now, obviously one will not be doing this for every level. That would be unfair to the GMs and approvers. To reduce the burden on the GM team I would suggest only offering progression to milestone levels. I.E. Progression to 10 so the character can do CDQs, Progression to 20 so the character can go for WL, with some exceptions as Pacifist Druids could be allowed a "Progression to 16" post so that they can have tree-walk.

With only really 2-4 reviews of character progression in this way it shouldn't create too much of a strain. This strain is further reduced when you consider placing other rules into affect like, "You cannot attempt a CDQ until two months after your level 10 Character Progression submission. This is essentially taking a CDQ slot." Also, even with this policy in place I don't think you're going to see any big rush to create pacifists.

Oh, as a side rule. If a player breaks the pacifist agreement by fighting, it should be treated as a grave offense. I would say first offense: A warning you're headed down the path to destruction. Second offense: You lose said character as you've made it clear you cannot RP a pacifist any longer.
The following users thanked this post: Hellblazer, Lance Stargazer

18
Ask A Gamemaster / A question regarding the Goblin race
« on: January 28, 2010, 02:09:53 am »
This is something I've been wondering about for a while now, and on doing a quick "Ask the Loremaster" search I couldn't find a thread where it had been asked before, but when I read the LORE page on goblins, I am always surprised that they cannot be submitted with Lawful Evil alignments.

Here are some quotes I find relevant to why a good portion of goblins should actually be considered LE:

Quote
The force that all goblins, with the exception of the few farmer tribes, respect most is terror. Any goblin that wishes to gain power over others knows that he must terrorize or exterminate all of his opposition. While this is sometimes achieved by a strong goblin relying on brute force, more often the most cunning and clever goblin succeeds. Despite the prejudices of other races, goblins recognize that brains are more important than muscle; they seek to be crafty and sly.

Amongst their own kind, goblins are always very aware of social status, and are constantly scheming to remove, weaken, or just embarrass their opponents. What others consider insignificant actions may be grievous insults to the goblins; brawls and death are often the result of a social faux pas.


Quote
Goblins who have come to dwell among other races will try desperately to understand their social customs, and rely on innate cunning to survive – and perhaps even thrive – in their new surroundings.


Quote
The harsh upbringing of a goblin hero hardens him, as well as engendering his natural racial slyness.


Goblins are crafty, sly, and and described as "constantly scheming to remove, weaken, or just embarrass their opponents", likely in order to gain power by means of terror or extermination. This is because their governmental system is a communist system where power is decided on which goblin is most terrible, except this goblin cannot be socially terrible because "brawls and death are often the result of a social faux pas". It seems that any race so attuned to societal norms, and who enforces them with brutal consequences, should be considered lawful.

Also, Communism, as it is presented here, is suggested to be a form of government (and economics), and not a particularly chaotic one.

The final point I want to make is that Goblins, being so disliked, "try desperately to understand [other races'] social customs", which suggests that in a society where people are law abiding, so too would the goblin living in this community. Indeed, it seems that goblins in such areas would have to rely on laws in order to not be killed on the spot. Chaos isn't good for a goblin living in a community not his own, which some goblins, prized for their slyness, should recognize.

So I was just wondering why goblins who aren't magic users must be submitted as chaotic? It's possible I'm emphasizing the wrong points here. I'll very much accept the argument that goblins don't really practice a form of order because they're constantly trying to undermine one another in order to gain absolute power, or that terror is not a legitimate basis for order, but I just needed to ask this because it's been on my brain for a while now.
The following users thanked this post: ShiffDrgnhrt

19
Rumour Has It / Protest!
« on: January 18, 2010, 12:28:52 pm »
*Rumors abound of Port Hempstead's unjust laws regarding the monstrous races. They are spouted by a figure outside Hempstead's walls. Any gatherers would notice that the figure is very clearly Dark Elven.*

Why should Half-Giants, Half-Orcs, and Dark Elves be killed on sight in Hempstead's walls? As part of some ancient grudge? Hempstead was sacked in the 9th century, who remembers the attack personally? Only the oldest of Elves could! It has been over six hundred years since the attacks, and for this all manner of dark-skinned elves and large men are turned away or killed? I stand here to say do not judge us by the color of our skin, but by our individual actions. It is wrong to condemn entire races based on the faults of their society. It is wrong to condemn the products of raids and rape, who cannot help their unfortunate circumstance. We must hit Hempstead where it hurts most for Deilar. In the wallet. Do not buy your goods there! Do not do business there! Such bigots do not deserve your hard-earned true because their own truth is tainted by the touch of inequality.
The following users thanked this post: lonnarin

20
Trade and Market Hall / The fingers of the dead
« on: January 08, 2010, 05:17:49 pm »
They're clawing, knocking, scraping at the insides of boxes as I walk. Unsettled undead bones. Unliving, too. The bodies put to rest. The knuckles still holding some al'noth. Use them for healing. Use them for necklaces. Make them rest. Turn the aberration to healing. Three boxes clawing, knocking, and scraping. Five hundred true each. Buy them and support life. Mine and healing others'. *at this point the rest of the not becomes illegible*

- Eoanira Ceviran
Lightbringer of Aeridin
The following users thanked this post: Dorax Windsmith

Pages: [1] 2