September Participation Incentive

Messages for the Warlocks' Guild
venis
Posts: 297
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:09 pm
Guild: Warlocks
Temple: Dread
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September Participation Incentive

Post by venis »

The Guild’s living walls pulse beneath the missive boards as yet another manifests.

“To The Only True Magic Wielders of Consequence,

This incentive will span the otherworldly month of September. This time, I've taken it upon the two who profess a desire to wear my mantle, Enthia and Maugath, to demonstrate they can effectively draft a participation incentive. I was pleasantly surprised, as both suggestions fit together in a way. I'm taking what portions of their submissions I deem fit, and awarding each for their efforts the 'event' requirement. As ever, for any Warlocks finding themselves ignorant of what the overarching participation scheme entails, you may ameliorate your shortcomings here.


Monthly Opportunity 1: Opine on Your Guild

Compose a post or piece of literature for these boards, preferably in response to this thread, but anything with a clear enough subject line shall suffice, which offers us the following two things: (a) What it is that made you join the Warlocks' Guild; and, either (b)(1) Why you are still here; or, (b)(2) How you view the Guild as fitting for yourself.

That is, this is the classic "What does it mean to be a Warlock" inquiry. Simple enough stuff, yes?

Go forth and do so, and you shall be guaranteed at least three (3) Raw Rune(s) and seventy-five thousand (75,000) gold pieces, payable on the treasury. More may be awarded for excellence and thoughtful submissions.


Monthly Opportunity 2: Archiving our Lore and Maps

As to the Lore
It has come to my attention that many of our scrolls and documents that profess to be our founding matters, indeed the very history of Warlocks, have either vanished or been placed in dusty coffers, chests, or otherwise become unusable. Hence, bring us a historical tale, preferably in your own words, but it may be borrowed from the original storyteller if you so desire, of our Guild. Do not place it in response to this thread, entitle it appropriately for our archives as to consolidate our lore here on these boards. For example, appropriate postings may read something such as, "The Great Wyvern", "the Shadow Dragon Accord", "the Tale of the Pool of Blood", "A Treatise on the History of our Guild's Officers", etc. and so forth.

Do not repeat offerings other Warlocks have submit. Rare lore scrolls will receive my most overwhelming favor in this regard, but you shall be entitled for each unique submission at least one (1) Rune of Transmutation and two hundred thousand (200,000) gold pieces.

As to the Maps
Pick an area semi-based on your current level. You must completely explore, map, and document the area. All entrances, exits, hidden features, items, creatures and commands must be noted. Quests (without answers) must be shown by location during the current time of exploration. The area must be completed in its entirety to receive the full reward. Partial completion may allow for partial reward, depending on judgment of the activity given to the task.

Larger, more detailed and less traveled areas shall be awarded one (1) Rune of Transmutation, and upwards of two hundred thousand (200,000) gold pieces if met with total completion.

Medium areas awarded one (1) Ensanguined Rune, and upwards of one hundred thousand (100,000) gold pieces.

Smaller areas awarded two (2) Raw Runes, and seventy-five thousand (75,000) gold pieces.

If you can gain complete exploration of one area, you are eligible to request a second area. To ensure no overlap, bring your requests directly to a Guild Officer as to reserve that area you seek to map. These maps must be current, created by the Warlock and not based off of a template.

These maps shall comprise an archive of maps that we disseminate to one another and covet as Warlock Guild property moving forward. Try to be useful, as I will spoil you just as much as to the lore should you prove you are.

Go forth and see it is so, or languish in your own mediocrity for all it concerns me,

V."
venis
Posts: 297
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:09 pm
Guild: Warlocks
Temple: Dread
Contact:

Re: September Participation Incentive

Post by venis »

For clarity, the Origin of the Species of Shadow Dragons already appears here, as provided by Theseus. Don't waste our time collecting this piece of lore.

However, I've never been terribly fond of the way it's told, so if someone wants to give a shot at telling it in a more smooth and cohesive manner, potentially at the risk of the wrath of many Warlocks should they fail, be my guest.
Mrityu
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:35 pm
Guild: Warlocks

Re: September Participation Incentive

Post by Mrityu »

My submission for the Monthly Opportunity 1: Opine in your Guild. I have written a short backstory for myself in the third person.

A young dark elf, descending from a family exiled from Woodtop, Mrityu grew up listening to ever fanciful stories of his families origins in nobility. Long before his birth in Tranos his family, accustomed to a life of nobility in the elven city, failed to thrive in the cutthroat environment of the merchant city to the point were the family name become forgotten and all that remained of his kin lived in poverty.

Generations of his lineage had turned to either petty thievery or selling all the last thing they had, themselves.
For Mrityu, however, the stories of his families origins, regardless of their flowery nature had filled him with that, oh too common, drow trait of pride. Rather than resign himself to the new ways of his family, he turned to dark arts and the pursuit of power to elevate himself beyond his stature.

He showed some promise in the arts and with the few spells he could lay his hands on sought out a path in the Warlocks’ Guild. Magic for him was not a path to aid his fellow man, but a path to live the tales of power he felt his lineage was due. His family had been spurned from their home, they had been stripped of all wealth and power. Mrityu felt it was his duty to claim all the power he could to restore himself to a station he saw himself in.

The path led him somewhere unexpected however, this was no place for lords and ladies, such stations were beneath him. In joining the guild he had found a truer path than rising in ranks of reputable parties.
He found the needs of the world matters not any more.
He found there are the lesser beings of the world and there are people of his ilk.
He found there are the weak and there are the Warlocks.
sliper
Posts: 236
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 2:09 pm
Guild: Warlocks
Temple: Fate

Re: September Participation Incentive

Post by sliper »

It is only natural to ask oneself, what does it mean to be what I am?

Perhaps less natural, but more insightful, is to ask oneself - What am I not?

I have pondered both questions over my many years. I have asked what it means to be a Warlock from both sides now.

The answer, I have found, has always been the same. It is not as shallow as I thought it was when I was a Wizard. It is not as deep as I thought when I served as Warlock Guildmaster.

Venis has always liked to state that we Warlocks are the only magic users of consequence. In a moment of weakness, I borrowed this line as Guildmaster; it is a strong one to use politically, but ultimately it is just that-- a tool of identity politics which is ultimately meaningless.

There are Warlocks who are as useless as enchanters and wizards. More than we would all like to admit. There are even magic users outside our ranks who matter- few in number, but certainly out there- Anera, Jasra, and to a lesser degree, Aoveron as well.

Others will tell you what they feel it means to be a Warlock. Most will be derivative and add nothing to the conversation. Ravon will disagree with me, certainly, and I look forward to her screed in response. (I don't).

But nothing will change the truth. Perhaps being a Warlock used to mean something more. But what does being a Warlock mean today?

It means following Dread. It means being a denizen of Twilight. It means brooding. It means trying to replicate Kort, or Azul-mar, or god forbid, Venis or Mireilla. For a faith that prides itself on individuality, it sure does lack something.

We have lost our competitive edge, we have sacrificed it for conformity to a nonconformist ideal. If there's an original thought out there, we could use it right now.


~The Last Warlock, Lord Sliper, Priest of Fate~
Sliper, Charter Member
Stryph
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:03 pm
Guild: Warlocks

Re: September Participation Incentive

Post by Stryph »

Odd from what I saw of the "Last Warlock" was a lot of nothing. For being the self proclaimed last warlock you certainly faded into obscurity with little more than a whimper as you lost the seat of GM. You bore me.
Stryph - Tir - Rath
User avatar
Maugath
Posts: 41
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:55 pm
Guild: Warlocks
Temple: Dread

Re: September Participation Incentive

Post by Maugath »

I will openly admit that it took much thought to decide if I should voice an opinion to what Sliper has had to say regarding this topic. As mentioned by another, it may be expected that the current leadership step forth with rebuttal and defense of what was said, lest he believe the words spoken. It is not that I did not consider this line of thought..

It is that I also considered it better to sometimes not entertain the thoughts of fools, lest it add fuel to the limitless inferno that is their ignorance.

I will, however, address the comments. With the same humor that I had when hearing them. I do not hold the same contempt for Sliper that the more tenured Warlock seems to hold for Sliper. I will not call him Wizard, in a derogatory sense, as others do. There are those in our past who started as Wizards and, realizing that they did not belong, found their true calling within the Warlocks. I will not hold your history against you, as I was not present to witness the fault of that history.

However, neither will I call you a Warlock. Certainly not the "Last Warlock," by the actions that you have shown me in the time that I have been here. While that time may be short, you have shown me nothing of leadership. Nothing of originality, and nothing that defines any ideal of what a Warlock should be. You swoon at the feet of Croft, spoon feeding him compliments and praise. Parroting his sentiments, word for word when both in realm. One would think the Grand Admiral of his fleet, Lord within his city should not have to stoop to such acts. Paying due respect is one thing. Groveling with no dignity is another.

As you are aware, more so than anyone, even if you do not admit it - Your failure here is on no one but yourself. It is not because you have not conformed to some ideal set by those before you. It is not because the only way to be a successful Warlock is to take an oath to Dread and its teachings. It is not to try and replicate those of our past. Even those of our present.

It is instead because you, Sliper, have
nothing to offer. For one asking for originality in thought..you have presented none.

I welcome you to change my mind, to change the mind of everyone here. I invite contribution, in some form, from you. Otherwise, you have no reason to be here.

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