OOC/LORE for The Age of Dragons (Recruitment OPEN)

[thinkslogically]

That's cool with me, as far as I'm concerned you can do whatever you like I'll ask questions if there's anything I don't understand, but I'm happy just to roll with it.

My big issue with this game is going to be RPing Krazk! She's not at all like me IRL so it's going to be interesting to see how long I manage to keep this vain beauty-queen thing going

[Quarg]

My dragon would benefit from therapy.

► Show Spoiler

So tell me what you feel when you sense food...

[GathersIngredients]

rofl on the therapy.



And @Quarg, Sapphire wasn't actually biting hard enough to cause pain, when she nipped her brother's ear. At least that wasn't her intention. It was more like a "hi, I like you, you're my brother and I want to bond/play with you" thing. That's why I wrote "playfully". But it's entirely possible that she nipped a bit too hard, not knowing her own strength (yet), and/or that he's hurt emotionally by her "attacking" him. Also why I had her lick him thereafter to demonstrate her general goodwill towards him.

And may I say that I find it absolutely adorable how he's protective of her now? I'm so glad they get along well and I hope this will continue in the future.


@ GM: As far as I have gathered we're all in a cave now, each dragon mother with their kid(s) and the almost-fight just got broken up. How is the general outlay of the cave? Is it dark, it it light, are there dark and light bits? Is the pool still reachable and are there any dangerous areas that we know of? (One dragon fell to its death, I remember, but we kinda learned to "fly" a little since, so would that still be fatal?) Are there any exits already known to us? And/or a hole in the ceiling to fly out of (perhaps like a dormant volcano, that would be pretty cool) ?


Also, on the truename thing. I couldn't come up with one yet. I'll get back to you when I have an acceptable idea, until then I'd just use the variable $truename as a placeholder, if it's all the same to you.

[BadgeAddict]

Gathers Q&A:
1. General Outlay: It's a very large cave, large enough for four female Dragons to comfortably lounge in, and an entrance large enough to get in and out of with relative ease. Katia is the youngest and smallest of the four dragons and is about 25' long to give you an idea of how much of a really big cave it is. Otherwise, the entrance is around a bend in the cavern, to keep out some of the wind, you are on an island that is very cold, though there are a variety of animals here like sheep and goats. Kalt Insel is a frozen wasteland much of the year. Also, on the 1st post, under Locations (not a tab), I posted a very crude sketch with a bit of color to kind of describe what I was trying to express through words. I did not however include any amount of scale, but it's big.
2. So, in the upper cave here the light levels, depending on time of day, range from medium to low levels of light. Though a dragon's eyes can adjust to lower light levels quite easily. The nest-cavern, is deeper down into the mountain and ranges from low to almost no light levels.
3. The pool is still reachable and there really aren't that many dangerous areas, unless you were purposely killed by one of the older dragons. This is highly unlikely unless you try to purposely piss one of them off, and even then..highly unlikely...the only way to get killed at this point would be to purposely kill one of the children of one of the other mothers...
4. The part of the cavern that you are in now has a easily visible exit, though your mothers would probably stop you from wandering out on your own.
5. So, you'll realize this eventually anyways, so i don't mind telling you. This is a dormant volcano and the caverns are warmed by vents in the rock that allow the heat from the magma pockets to reach up into the caverns of the mountain...the mountain is really really big and is the home of the dragons on the island.

[spiderwrangler]

Tha'zkrel

[Theis2]

Sorry I'm not more active yet, but I got two exams the next two days which I'm preparing for.

[thinkslogically]

you know, Spider's (very cool) drawing raises a question... What do we look like? I had assumed four legs and two wings:

► Show Spoiler

Is that about right?

[spiderwrangler]

I asked Badge OOC before sketching, he confirmed 4 legs, 2 wings. So yeah, more D&D than Game of Thrones.

[BadgeAddict]

yes, 4 legs, 2 wings...and very horny

theis, no worries... I'm actually being impatient because I'm enjoying writing this as much as you guys are (hopefully enjoying it). I did originally say that you could expect 1 to 2 updates a week...and I've realized that I'm more able to update as people make posts. So, take your time, and I promise I won't move on without you.


Edit: "[OOC; erm, yeah, another question about the communicating telepathically: Are the targets of the communication selective? As in, even in a room full of dragons only the ones you want to "hear" what you are "saying" get the message, or does it kinda work like talking -> if you're close enough you can "listen in", even if the words were not meant for you?]"

Gathers: So, I've been thinking about how to better communicate who is talking to whom...especially because I'm not coloring the mothers voices...I find adding colors everywhere for npcs kind of hectic to keep track of. If anyone has a suggestion as to how I could separate out Whispering (specific) vs. Talking (anyone in a given area) or Yelling (everyone within a given range) I am willing to take anything into consideration.

To answer your question specifically I actually found that I needed to add a new ability to the ability list that you can eventually learn.

Mental Communication:
Baseline: Dragons are able to speak to one another through an inborn method of magical communication. This is selective in that they can talk to only a specific person, or openly talk to many.
Ability: This ability not only enhances the range in which mental communication can be made, but also allows you to listen in on conversations that are not meant for your ears.

I hope this answers your question.

Mental Magic, on the other hand, is focused more on extracting memories, planting false memories, erasing memories, as well as things like Telepathy and Telekinesis.

[thinkslogically]

Soooo... Krazk is vain & curious right? What I'm thinking for her is that (barring any IC events that alter this), she is unlikely to be a fighter herself, and far more likely to seek out followers who will worship her and bring her gifts and stuff. I don't know where her curiosity will take her yet, but it could well be that she becomes something of a bard - learning stories about the dragons and other people of the world.

But, I'm not sure how the skills you've outlined fit with that idea. I mean, Krazk IS vain, but she's also legitimately beautiful and it would be cool to be able to use that charisma in some way. Languages seems like the best fit for her, but it's only the one skill. Basically, I'm not asking you to change your game to suit me, but it would be handy to know what my options are going to be
while I'm still deciding who Krazk is / might end up being

Also, do we get any innate bonuses to our starting "stats" at all or is the personality stuff just for flavour for the time being?

Lastly, will there only be two levels to each skill (Baseline & advanced) or will we see more options the more we train?

Thank you Badge!

[BadgeAddict]

So, I'm more than willing for you to expand upon an ability more so than I have. In the next update, you're about to learn which of the mothers teaches what, so that will be helpful, you'll meet the others at the Presenting Ceremony.

So to explain abilities a bit...The baseline is what after you become a dragon ready to leave the island (50 years - training will make this go by fast), you will achieve the baseline in everything. Taking points in the ability (of which there is a cap of 20 points that can go into each one) will allow you to take the baseline above and beyond.

So, think of it as flying normally is your baseline, and attempting to fly upside down. Attempting to do so is a certain DC and having an ability score makes it easier to succeed.

There are/will be some abilities that exist that I will not tell you about...moreso forcing you to discover them, but I am more than willing to allow you to (within reason) make up your own, or suggestion something that could be an ability and I can incorporate it. I want your character to be what you want them to be as much as possible.

[thinkslogically]

cool, thanks! We'll see what happens to her over the next 50 years but that sounds great

[Arch Lich Burns]

If anybody is going to die soon it will be abrabik. Panterna hit a nerve by making his mom angry, and dismissal of the system she believes in is probably fast track to his death. But we will see.


20? I am going to try to surpass that with flight.

[spiderwrangler]

20? I am going to try to surpass that with flight.

You're going to try to surpass the cap? Doesn't it being a cap mean it's the limit?

[BadgeAddict]

It's Pantera, and For future reference, If I have Lore that explains a question that you ask, I may (similar to how Thinks suggested for story time) have the person answer with something generic and then point you towards the tab that explains everything. This isn't to avoid more typing as much as it is to avoid me accidently changing my Lore by typing the answer differently than I already have.

If, in the case like the bastards comment, things need to be explained within the personality of the character, I still will...we'll see how it works out, but if you ask a fairly simply question and it's in the Lore, you'll be getting a pointer.

Death: Actually, given that you lot may be some of DragonKinds last hope, the queen of the island would heavily frown upon any killing of a youngling, it's more likely that there parents will be killed for not keeping their children in line. (As dragons believe that the opinions of the children are merely an expression of the opinions of the adults). At this point, one of the few ways to die, outside of doing something incredibly stupid, would be to kill the son or daughter of one of the other mothers...it is possible that in her rage she would kill you.....it might kill a lot of story too....so I would advise against it.

[thinkslogically]

soooo rtfm?

[BadgeAddict]

What is RTFM? yes..I do make changes and updates to the Lore now and then, and I can try to get in the habit of making a post when I make a major update so that people can go and read it.

For the sake of Lore, and I usually express if it's readily known or not, expect that leading up to your first birthday you will have "general education" classes which will teach you a lot of the "baselines" of the abilities, as well as give you a History lesson on Dragons (aka the Lore)

[Arch Lich Burns]

Main thing i dont understand is how bastarization effects the blood line, from a genetic view. The father is still part of a bloodline, so i dont get how it messes things up

[BadgeAddict]

Is not a genetic problem... It's just frowned upon. Though I'd believed, incorrectly, that it does cause genetic problems. (Much how some people think that kissing can make you pregnant)

[thinkslogically]

Actually, now you mention it, I don't think I understand how Life Bonding affects your genetic lineage, or "dragon heritage" unless one / both of the parents are completely unknown (which they don't seem to be). Is the bond between mother and hatchling any different from the bond between father and hatchling? Because proving maternity wouldn't be as cut and dry as in mammals (eggs go missing after all), but the strong parental bond seems to have overcome that so far. Does that bond not exist with the fathers so that their role could be in doubt? Or does life-bonding actually alter the hatchling in some way to make them "better"? It doesn't have to be genetic anything, because they're fire-breathing dragons. It could just be some form of magic if that's the route you want to take.

[BadgeAddict]

If I mentioned genetics at all I apologize... Life bonding would be an equivalent of a English king officially marrying a woman and having a child with her as opposed to having a child with one his many mistresses. The whole purity of bloodlines is not so much genetic as it is.... Ancestral.... Meaning that dragons have created a hierarchy system and at some point decided that the only way to be somewhere within that hierarchy is to be born legitimately.

So, while life bonding is magical in the nature that it binds two dragons into one, it has no other major effect....

Much of the differences in opinion among dragons is traditionalists vs. Non-traditionalists.

The bond between mother and children is strongest because the mother gives you your true name and because.... Magic....

[Arch Lich Burns]

an fathers or grandmothers imprint on dragons? Can a mother imprint on one that is not her own?

[Quarg]

In English law, a bastard child of a monarch is considered "Naturally Dead"
In Dragon Law, a bastard child I guess used to be the same way...

[BadgeAddict]

Thank you Quarg for that, yes precisely.

Basically, Dragons came up with this...method of rulership/class system/hierarchy in which your place within it was based on the number of levels you were from the original seven. The fewer levels between yourself meant a higher place of authority for you. So, typically the ones who would like to keep to the old traditions (one of which includes the pecking order) would like to hold onto their power as much as possible. (Not that power means much anymore)

So, when I talk about purity of bloodline, I'm not talking genetics, I'm talking about a dragon's lineage or Heritage (where they came from). Bastards would be the equivalent of commoners in british law, and royalty shouldn't marry commoners. This has however happened in times past, and a dragon with a pure line to the Seven has fallen in love with and had children with a bastard, which essentially ends that line of "purity". This is but one of the many reasons bastards are looked down upon (Though in this storyline, they're getting around to being more accepted...by some, but not by all) This does not mean that dragons with pure lines are inbred.

Pantera is 20 levels (Generations) below her ancestor Altin, the Golden Sun, who was one of the Seven. Do keep in mind that these dragons live a really really long time, and don't always pop out a kid as fast as possible. One of the things that hurt them in this big new world, is their continued belief that they have time to wait, and if they wait long enough, things will turn around for DragonKind.

As for, how do they know how pure their lineage is, this would be something that each family would hand down to their children...with a great amount of pride. This would be something that they had memorized and would have their children memorize as well.

Burns:
1. Neither Fathers nor Grandmothers imprint on dragons, only mothers, as their children are from their body, they know them closest. Though the mental bond of family does extend to both parents and sometimes grandparents.
2. And no, a mother cannot imprint a dragon that is not their own flesh and blood.

Thinks:
1. There are two types of bonding, True Name and Heart name. (Similar to the idea that, a true name allows someone to have power "over" you.) a True name creates a mental bond between a dragon and the person he/she shared their name with. A heart name is what creates this Life Bonding (Life-Mates).
2. I may have confused everyone a bit and I apologize for it, so, when I say things like, Traditionally dragons did this..... I mean that, it is not something that changes them mentally or physically, it is something they believe in strongly, or did at one time.
3. A father's role is quite similar to female penguins in which they forage for food while the female dragon guards the egg as well as provides this ~mental presence~ on the hatchlings mind. The mothers that you have just met recently have been lounging in this cave for a little over a month, keeping a watchful mind on all of you. The fathers role is quite clear, provide for his mate/mother of his children while she is connected to her children. (Which mind you, this constant presence of mind, is quite taxing on a female).

I would like to apologize for any confusion my words cause...And I'll add to Lore a lot of this information to try to clear up any of this confusion.

[GathersIngredients]

So which name is the one that we are using (so far) in the game? And the mothers, too?



Also, if dragons mate for life and there was 7 original, does that mean one of the poor buggers didn't have anyone to pair off with and thusly doesn't have any offspring? Or did they just "wait" around until one of them bit the dust and picked up the widow(er)?

Which also reminds me to ask: how old do dragons get to be (unless killed in battle etc.), and is "life bonding" after the death of their partner something that is done, accepted even, or frowned upon?

And... is there any biological reason for only the mother remaining behind to offer the presence to the eggs/hatchlings? Because with mammals, it's clear that the one who's carrying the child has to stay with it, and the bond would be much stronger, because of the child growing within her body. But with dragons laying eggs, it seems to me that after that the fathers would be equally suited to remain behind and offer the mind presence, no?
Iirc, with the penguins it is because the production and laying of the egg takes such strain on the female, she goes and hunts (to replenish nutrients and whatnot), because having her stay behind and "starve" until the male would come back would most likely be the death of her (and with her the egg/chick), while the male is "fresh" and healthy and can endure it (in most cases). So I'm kinda curious if the same might not apply to dragons as well. But then again, they don't live in an environment quite that hostile to them, I suppose, and apparently the distance to hunt-able game isn't that far for dragons.

I just enjoy musing over these kinds of things, this is by no means meant as critique of any sort, mind you!