December 06, 2004

Misconception Glossary

The following is a list of corrections to common misconceptions and pre-conceived ideas about ShadowSiege mythos:

Dwarves - They don't exist; they never have. The same applies to Halflings, Trolls, Ogres, Ninjas, Shaolin Monks, Werewolves, Fairies/Pixies/Fae things, Angels, Fremen, the French, etc., etc., etc. ad nausum. All the races/peoples already listed on the website are the only one that exist, or ever have. We can say with confidence that no more races/peoples will be added. Please do not make any references to any races/peoples other than those listed on the website in your background, or your roleplay.

Elves - The chances that any character in the game has had - or does currently have - contact or a wealth of knowledge about Elves are very, very slim. They are/were a very passive and far-removed race who made very few marks on history. They are ancestors of the Tir, but the Tir seem to care very little about them. They, like the Tir, were also conquered by the Tyeni Empire, but that empire had seemed to develop an extreme distaste of Elves and their ways; Elves were persecuted by Tyeni at length, and possibly made sure that they did not survive the Cataclysm. They aren't related to Tyeni in any capacity. They are not an 'elder race' ala Forgotten Realms. Basically, at the moment, Elves need to be pushed back into a dark recess of everyones' minds and pretty much forgotten about until we better define them. Please don't include specific references to them in your background, or your roleplay, unless otherwise given the OK to by a staff member.

Guard, the - The is some confusion about the term 'the Guard'. The Guard is referring to, officially, the Telantha city guard, which is a military establishment under the Army of Viroth [see 'Guard, the' in the IC Glossary]. There is also a Temple Guard, which is a militaristic sect of the Church of the Golden Faith, and in no way connected to the city guard. [see 'Religion and Viroth/Cymurism']

Magic - The subjects of magic and mages and their mythos are currently being settled, fleshed out in great detail by the mythos people. For now, consider this: AD&D style 'schools' of magic do not exist: there are no conjurers or necromancers or battle mages, or whatever; there are only people who happen to study and use magic, and they are not very well organized. It's a very cryptic field. Also, spell casting is not terribly effective in one-on-one, toe-to-toe combat against someone who has a sharp piece of metal and knows how to use it. That's just the way it is, and you ought to expect it to be so. For the sake of not being too cryptic, here: there are three general forms of spell casting (in order of how common they are): Runic (also called Arcane) casting, alchemy, and mysticism. Arcane mages cast spells by drawing and combining runes in the air or on objects or people or whatever. They speak the names of the runes when they do so. Mystics are born and not made. They are 'enlightened', able to ignore or change the illusion of the universe at will (there is no spoon). Obviously, they are very very rare and unusual. Alchemists are pretty much what you might imagine they are. Please roleplay accordingly. Bottom line: your character is not a mystic. If they cast a spell, they must be described as taking the time to draw the runes, saying the words, etc. Obviously, the names of runes are not yet set, so a little creativity is fine.

Religions - Usually, in a pantheistic society, one tries to please all the gods. Of course, people will tend to focus on a particular set, or particular sects, or what have you. But generally speaking, one doesn't focus entirely on one god, unless that person is something like clergy, and thus people tend to be less dogmatic (which is to say, followers of one sect usually do not react violently to those of another). There will be, of course, exceptions, but rare ones. To put it another way, the different gods of Aagos to not equal out to different religions. There is one religion in Aagos that encompasses the entire pantheon, with many sects that focus on this deity or that, or even this particular aspects of these deities or those. A more comprehensive breakdown of these sects will get to the website eventually. If you have questions about this, contact a staff member. [see 'Guard, the'; see 'Religion and Viroth/Cymurism']

Religion and Viroth/Cymurism - Cymur is the patron deity of the Kingdom of Viroth, and the Temple of the Great Dragon in Telantha is a notable site in the city, but this does not equal to Cymurism being a state religion. To say this another way: In the Kingdom of Viroth, there is a separation between church and state. They are two individual powers. Other sects besides Cymurism are practiced, even, by the nobility and other members of government (though, Cymurism is certainly the most popular). [see 'Religions'; see 'Guard, the']

Tir - Tir are related to Elves in a very past tense, but not related to Tyeni. They are not an 'elder race' ala Forgotten Realms. They are not inherently magical. There is valid information on the website about Tir (or should be very soon). If you feel like you ought to know something about them that isn't covered there, or is otherwise obscure when it shouldn't be, contact a staff member.

Tyen/Tyeni - The Tyeni are not dark elves ala Forgotten Realms: they have no relation to Elves or Tir; there is no underdark; they are not matriarchal, etc. There is valid information on the website about Tyeni. If you feel like you ought to know something about them that isn't covered there, or is otherwise obscure when it shouldn't be, contact a staff member.

Vek'pem Ahrye - They're not, nor have ever been, undead. Though the process of moving from mortal to Vek'pem Ahrye is something of a secret, we can tell you that it does not involve 'necromancy' or dying or anything of the sort. It is, in fact, something quite opposite - a higher form of life. Please, please do not confuse them with the vampires of Anne Rice or Whitewolf - there is very little to nothing about ours and theirs that relate. Also, Vek'pem Ahrye do not change in any physical way; they grow no more muscles or brains or fangs or anything akin. Though, the latter misconception is alright to play around with in character. There is, to note, a book floating around in Telantha about Vek'pem Ahrye that some characters might be interested in reading.