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 Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:45 am
Different sort of suggestions thread, to address a specific subset of issues, viz, the worldbuilding of DD.
Quote: OK. I get it. Point bloody well taken, pardon my French.
One of the elephants in the room about the DD setting is that we have the Stars' homeworld, Dreamspace, which they can't get back to; and we have their current (nameless) world. There are no specified humanoids or anything else with opposable thumbs who could've made weapons, clothing, armor, jewelry, or styled the Stars' manes and tails. There's no cohesive explanation for cosplays. Some herds and Stars want to play with ruins of previous civilizations, or have already found some. We'll start officially releasing familiars this fall. The whole thing with the Signs is still something of a WIP situation.
I intended to leave the current world and Dreamspace mostly blank slates, and develop the thing with the Signs as RP Elders appeared and suchlike, but now that we're getting a good handful now in play...it's definitely time to start working things out, especially since we're making the Signs and will be playing them. Familiars are finally being templated...and we don't know exactly how we want to work their relationship with the Stars, either. Cosplays have been around for a while, and while it's debatable whose customer-canon influenced others, there's still no explanation for them, either.
So. Where the heck do we go from here? What was Dreamspace like? What is the nature of their current world? How do all the edits get made? How did the cosplays get here? What relationship do familiars have with the Stars and with this world? What the hell is going on with the Signs? And what are any stipulations on new ideas and suggestions and official worldbuilding errata going to look like?
This was posted up as the companion to the Suggestions Thread in the same guild on July 16, 2013.
Anything I typed with definite intentions to implement, if not official canon already, should be considered more or less official, assuming people are cool with all of this.
I will admit, since Hoshi was doing much of the responding, I ended up taking some of the preconceptions about this world and some other ideas, bouncing them off her (mostly), and will clarify before I officially open this thread what my current proposed plans, thoughts, and ideas are. So please, sit tight for what may be a highly whimsical, bumpy ride.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:55 am
Quote: That Which is Set in Stone
The following points are worldbuilding things that are absolutely set in stone, which I decided/noted down, even before the whole thing with DD happened. These are non-negotiable, unless there is sufficient feeling that these points are disliked/unwanted/etc. - The Signs (the Western ones, anyway; we may later discuss whether Eastern or others exist, too) are god-type beings who do NOT require worship, and are more kind of intermediaries with godlike powers between the gods who created the Stars (the Great Star Council) and the normal Stars who kind of...stepped into the role of godhood. - The Signs were chosen to be granted these powers and responsibilities by the GSC (Great Star Council, who then promptly left the Stars to go build some other world elsewhere in the universe). They were originally mortal Stars, and there is much speculation on why they were chosen, the criteria, will it happen again, etc. - The Stars' homeworld is Dreamspace. This world, which is still unnamed, is NOT their original homeworld, though it has BECOME the world they call home. - Biting does NOT pass on vampirism or Alcor status. Well, OK, maybe vampirism, but I'm strongly inclined to say no. Stars who have been bitten but wish for purification can be purified by a Sign and/or an RP Elder. Who does purification will be worked out, but opportunities will arise. Stars who have been bitten but do not wish for purification (or whose owners do not wish for purification) don't need to go through purification. But their status will, in breedings, be henceforth considered to NOT qualify for Alcor. The whole thing with biting was NEVER originally allowed, and happened during my first hiatus. The cause was probably when I retroactively rolled Alcor status for Arei and Helki's descendants, and Lore was the only one of Arei's children who wasn't an Alcor. The roll for Lore to be an absolutely normal Arcturus was SUPPOSED to be official, standing, and permanent, and the rules will continue to reflect the fact that Alcors are shapeshifters in the traditional sense (selkies, some mermaids, tennyo, etc), rather than in the popular werewolf sense (which is actually typical of the modern vampire/undead sense, rather than being typical of traditional shapeshifters in world mythology).* - There almost certainly are not just the 13 Signs in the legends; there's at least one very evil, very powerful Sign separate from the Western Zodiac group. - The stories of DD will be developed by players and staff and their Stars as seen fit; guidelines for typical representations of the characters will exist, but, hey! This is oral tradition. Different versions, different viewpoints, moments that sound totally OOC...all of these are fine. Oral tradition in the real world tends to keep stories in regular circulation for about 500 years, thousands of years if it's a really major plot point in that oral tradition. Stories change a lot during those 500 years and more; oral tradition is basically the game of telephone played by a bunch of competent listeners/storytellers over a very long period of time, and memory is NOT infallible, and all stories we tell are subject to our own opinions and experiences. It's OK if the story you tell doesn't end up fitting the Sign when that Sign appears; it just means that, for whatever reason, the story you tell got garbled or changed or something along the way, and that really does happen all the time! *I emphasize this point, because it has become a major screaming point. To clarify: THE EVENTS OF HALLOWEEN WILL STAND, but we will very likely be looking for an IC explanation of dafuq happened. IF PEOPLE WISH TO, FOR PLOT REASONS, REMOVE ALCOR STATUS FROM THEIR STAR, THIS CAN BE ARRANGED. THIS PROCESS WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT BE FORCED. But biting is henceforth absolutely banned as a way of transmitting Alcor status. It will resume status as a purely genetic condition.
Quote: That Which is Borderline Canon, Or, if Preferred, Fanon
The following points are worldbuilding things that are not yet set in stone, but have been suggested as explanations for various errata. They are all negotiable or confirmable, as people feel they should be tweaked, confirmed, or thrown out the window. Some of these points may, in fact, BE true, or partially true, it's just that we ain't sayin' quite yet. Some of these points are already in use by regs and shop staff to explain something, but aren't officially set in stone yet. Be aware that, even if things here don't get made official, people may still wish to play by these points, anyway. Unless something is totally against official canon or wouldn't work or something, effective shop fanon will be still allowed, within reason. - The Signs were originally herd leaders who distinguished themselves in some way, and had thus earned the attention of the GSC, for whatever reason. - Gemini is actually a DOUBLE Sign -- a Sign where two Stars share the job. - Ophiuchus was, actually, a friend of Aquarius, was forgotten by the GSC, and Aquarius spoke up for her. Ophiuchus is NOT an evil Sign, she's just dark. - Signs choose their RP Elders on primarily a personality basis. These RP Elders may be considered to be the Signs' mystics, their prophets, their champions, their chosen ones, or simply their mortal representatives. - Cosplays came through some kind of portal, wormhole, rip in the space-time continuum, etc, and were, in the process, turned into Stars. This shapechange might be due to some weird magic that was part of the shift in location. - Familiars play some role in helping create the edits we see on the Stars. - This current world may be a place-between-worlds, that things come into and kinda sorta end up staying in, unless they find a way to a different world. Species and peoples who came to this world have made mighty civilizations in this world, but these civilizations are not around anymore, for whatever reason, and have probably been gone quite a while, leaving perhaps descendants who do not fully remember their former glory. Such civilizations may include the draconic civilizations, whose descendants are the dragonet familiars.
Quote: That Which is Up For Discussion
The following points are points on which we don't have a solidified idea on what we want to do. These are highly open to discussion and suggestion. - How do RP Elders find out, aside from the marking and the new magic powarz, who their Sign is? Does the Sign come to them in a dream or something? What happens? - Are familiars bonded to Stars, or are the two just good friends? - Are some of the familiars descended from the civilizations of the current world? Do any of them have sentience? Do all of them have sentience? - Can Stars handle weapons, or are weapons curios they picked up, belongings cosplays had in another time/place, or things that they made, but are not greatly proficient with? What's the deal with tools, for that matter, or magic staffs?
Quote: Stipulations For Suggestions and Ideas
The following points are points on which people have voiced legitimate, reasoned objections to certain ideas. Please respect them. - Humanoids. One of the big bones I have about them in this world is the whole matter of domestication, which, if the animal is sentient, very quickly becomes a case of slavery. Friendship, I'm cool with, same with symbiotic relationships based on mutual respect and autonomy from each other. Stuff like how the Narnians and Archenlanders interact with talking animals in the Chronicles of Narnia series, how the book Wind in the Willows addresses human-animal relationships, how MLP Gen 1 works with the token human characters in a world that's mostly sentient animals and slightly anthropomorphized animals...that kind of stuff, I have absolutely no problem with, and could be brought to champion. But I absolutely do NOT want humanoids to try to domesticate the Stars. -- Voiced by elfstar89 and Geyser Eelborn - More to come
Quote: Ideas? Suggestions? Stipulations?
As the title of this post suggests, here's the point in time where I open stuff up for discussion, and put together forms people can use to coherently put forward ideas, suggestions, and the serious concerns that can become stipulations in the worldbuilding process. Don't be afraid to post what you think, but do be polite about it. Please. While I did do the framework, I always intended for people to be able to participate in the worldbuilding and metaplot stuff. [size=18][b][color=green]I Have an Idea/Suggestion![/color][/b][/size]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Category:[/b] Signs and RP Elders, Familiars, Edit Explanations, Cosplays, Worldbuilding
[b]Idea/Suggestion:[/b]
[b]Source of Idea/Suggestion:[/b] [size=18][b][color=red]I Have a Concern![/color][/b][/size]
[b]Username:[/b] Signs and RP Elders, Familiars, Edit Explanations, Cosplays, Worldbuilding
[b]Concern:[/b]
[b]Source of Concern:[/b]
Quote: Feedback and Inclusion
Feedback, as in the Suggestions Thread, will be edited into the post in bold dodger blue. I'll respond as I see fit, but will try to get some kind of feedback out to each post. ^^;
Concerns will get added to the Stipulation post as they're raised, unless they pertain to one of the Set in Stone points.
Objected to Set in Stone points and ideas/suggestions will be posted either in Set in Stone or Fanon if there's sufficient agreement with an idea. Yes, this means people can agree with others' ideas. I'm going to tentatively set those changes at being at least 2 people (no mules) in favor of an idea/suggestion/objection will get it onto the Set in Stone (or Fanon, for the objection or new ideas) list. 4 people (no mules) in favor of an idea/suggestion/objection either not on the Fanon list or currently on the Set in Stone list bumped off (objections) or bumped up to Set in Stone (new ideas).
Sound fair? I'd like as much consensus as possible on the ideas that will be posted. If you agree with something someone else posted, please Quote that post, so I can keep track of things.
That said, please, have at! Be polite, honest, and thoughtful!
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:01 pm
Quote: I Have a Concern! Username: Worldbuilding? I guess razz (Nikkichomp) Concern: Dreamspace vs nameless world -- For Gen 1 Stars, of course Dreamspace is their world of origination. But what about all generations after that? Do the Stars travel back to Dreamspace when born? Do they not have natural birth and they wish upon a star and the babies are delivered from Dreamspace? I don't know, perhaps I'm being a bit dense, but I've always been confused about where gen 2 and later stars are "from". Their parents came from Dreamspace, have lived in namelessland, but all Stars are somehow originally from Dreamspace? Source of Concern: My brain xd Good question to ask. Stars are from Dreamspace in the same sense that a given animal or plant species is from some specific part of the world, even if the individual was born elsewhere. Stars, as a species, are native to Dreamspace, though that doesn't mean that all Stars are born in Dreamspace necessarily.
As for traveling back to Dreamspace...I dunno. So far, the idea has been that the portal or whatever that transported the Stars to this nameless world is a one-way gate, so Stars can't go to Dreamspace now that they're here. This is certainly up for discussion. owo Quote: I Have a Concern! Username: Hoshi Lockhart Concern: The humans. Realistically, you can't get around humans not trying to domesticate the Stars. Even if they're nature-respecting, you'll always have bad seeds. To be honest, if given the opportunity, I will use a bad seed to torture one of my own Stars. You would have to opt for no humans at all to avoid that. If you do, I'll have more concerns. Such as the Stars wearing tack. Where would they get the idea to wear a saddle or carry a bit of rubber or metal in their mouth? Bad humans create nice plots. It's our nature to control. But if you're really set against it, go for a middle ground. Have humans extinct or moved onto greener pastures for whatever reason. Like 95% of animal shops, Hart&Hind doesn't have humans, either. But what they did was make humans extinct. So the buildings are all still there, but they aren't. It's a better route than simply not having them. Or make some sort of Star police. Source of Concern: I've used the memory of humans in Yasmin's past and a few herd concepts. Good suggestions to bring up for getting around my anxieties about humans. Seriously. I may play with humanoids being occasional travelers to the world of the shop, or a dying race or something. IDK. Depends on how people feel about running the world of DD. Other thing I've been thinking about is whether some of the familiars used to be greater and more humanoid long before the Stars arrived, and use some of the tack to work with the Stars. I don't believe I've colored anyone with a bit in their mouths; the most is a bridle with reins, and the original bridles of the shop have become helmets, with the original saddles being, for multiple reasons, dropped entirely. oO Quote: I Have a Concern! Username: Hoshi Lockhart Concern: Are the discussions on AIM being recorded anywhere? I know you've been talking about ghosts once and that kind of concerns me considering I want to heavily take from Fatal Frame. It would be nice to give my say or know how heavy or minor I need to revamp someone or something. Source of Concern: I miss them and I care, too. This is the same problem DD had before. Things about the setting are decided, but not posted anywhere for us all to see. That is a definite concern, and I keep poking people to post them in Suggestions and Worldbuilding threads as a reference to what was discussed, if nothing else. Mayhap I need a rusted, barbed poking stick. >>
As for ghosts, ghosts are still heavily up in the air. Insofar as I know, we haven't finalized anything on them, or if we have, it hasn't been posted (see this rusted, barbed poking stick I'm going to start using???). >> Quote: I Have an Idea/Suggestion! Username: Hoshi Lockhart Category: Weapons Idea/Suggestion: I think they would be able to? Stars are intelligent beings, I'm sure they've found a way, if not awkwardly, to use weapons. They can start wars with each other, so I don't see why one side couldn't one day invent a weapon to gain the upper hand. Maybe it could also tie into what I said above. They found them left over from humans and decided to use it. Or they are relics they just think is cool, to make into a family heirloom for a herd when one passes leadership to another. It could be all questions already posted and more. Source of Idea/Suggestion: The Royal Family is already skilled at combat. ;P Sooraya has already been RP'd using a sword. Me likey. Me likey mucho. Something that goes in hand with my responses above is that, among other familiars, the dragonets may be able to craft weapons, armor, clothing, and jewelry, and do hairstyles, or help the Stars do so. But I also like the idea that weapons may be relics, and that Stars can use pre-gunpowder tech, maybe clumsily, but still with some skill. A lot of the guns would be harder to do. xp Quote: I Have an Idea/Suggestion! Username: Hoshi Lockhart Category: Elder Signs Idea/Suggestion: I see a few ways of doing this. Since it's a reward for RP, one suggestion is make Stars go on a quest of self-exploration to discover their sign. Or make them travel to a sacred place where all the signs are present. Kind of like how Tinkerbell had to individually touch each item to discover her talent. Maybe the signs could have built a circle of stones somewhere and the Star must touch their nose to it to find out which one responds to them. Then either the Sign themselves appear to bestow the elemental power and the zodiac sign or some power of the stone does it. The Elders are representatives of the Signs on earth, aren't they? That usually requires some sort of travel and quest in stories. Something close to the water so Nova aren't handicapped. You could also do it the dream way. A dream of being in the sky and a certain constellation speaking to them. I seen the above as starting as a dream, too. Or a "feeling" of needing to go somewhere. Source of Idea/Suggestion: I guess Tinkerbell and Skyrim. Definitely an intriguing idea on the first one. Unfortunately, since this is not the original world of the Stars, they wouldn't have such structures yet...but I can kick my naturalz herd in that direction through at least a partial revamp.
In the meantime, talking to other people, I think I'll work with the dream idea. Maybe evolve it into a more Native American-style spirit quest of some sort, once the Order of the Tree gets some shrine areas set up? owo
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:04 pm
Quote: I Have an Idea/Suggestion! Username: Hoshi Lockhart Category: Familiars Idea/Suggestion: I like the idea of them being natives to the world before the Stars. It would explain many of the edits if the familiars introduced them to things like fancy hairstyles and clothing. It would also be fun to RP how a herd comes across their personal familiar. I suppose they could be bonded. That's the thing with animal shops, isn't it? If you don't want the familiar bonded to anyone, you don't put them on anyone's cert. Leaves the options of friends or bonded open to all players and characters. Source of Idea/Suggestion: Seemed logical. I like those ideas, too, but, admittedly, I suggested them. 8'D Let's see how others feel, too, shall we? heart Quote: I Have an Idea/Suggestion!Username: [x~Ripple~x] Category: Worldbuilding Idea/Suggestion: My idea revolved around humans being in DD, this has caused you great concern so I've been giving the whole thing some thought. My suggestion is to have Humans in the DD world quested and pre approved (by you each time if it eases your worries) to ensure the human/humanoid in question would fit. So far a few idea's have been tossed around in regards to humans in DD, at this point I believe the idea's are: The DD world is a world where many other's meet. Whether it be through reincarnation, portals, magic, falling etc. I like this idea because it leaves it open to fit the many different styles and stories of the stars whilst putting boundaries in. Of course this needs development and limits at this point but it certainly allows stars to have memories of their past lifes whilst explaining (in perhaps some kind of transformation for pets who are not reincarnated?) how they got to this world. I don't seen actual humans becoming a big part of DD itself just the acknowledgement of their existence in these other said worlds and past lifes. The actual humans I feel should be kept quite plot based and at most points side characters/NPC'S, for NPC's these could be required to seek permission for a staff member to play. I do NOT want them to become a focus in the shop but it might be cute to have some humanoid base if there was a colorist wishing to work with them to create approved and accepted quests. Source of Idea/Suggestion: AIM/My brain? xD I would like humans in DD in certain fashions but don't want it to take too much away from being a horse shop if possible. My plan is to keep a level ground that keeps everyone happy and also allows for creativity. My worry is that at this point the idea of "Humans killing horses" is restricting the decision when yes this could happen but this way you can see exactly what's planned and why. Everything is possible in character and through RP, I want people free to achieve anything realistic with their pets, if they are willing to play a human coming in and killing their pet? Well it's their pet, death has always required permission anyway. It does not mean this human would be free to reek a tyrannical over throw and slaughter of the DD world, a herd? Maybe with permission but think of the possibilities of back stories and plots that could arise from such a thing that at no point would be "out of your hands". Quote: I Have an Idea/Suggestion!Username: [x~Ripple~x]/Chat users Category: Worldbuilding Idea/Suggestion: For Werewolf Alcors to be changed to "Wolf shifters" Source of Idea/Suggestion: A lot of the conversation arisen from the Halloween event has made it very clear that in no real sense are the Wolf alcors werewolfs and are not and never have been allowed to bite to transfer the Aclor status. If a pet want's to refer to themselves as a werewolf IC? Go for it! But offical for OOC talk and everything else I'd like the designation to be altered for all future endeavours. Again, I have not finished replying to ideas here, either, but that will be rectified. New thoughts will be in next post. I would very much like people to spew ideas at me and give me feedback on new ideas that I bounced off Hoshi. ^^;
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:25 pm
So. The new idea. This borrows from a very old, never canonized idea that hasn't really died yet that all of this is happening on Earth in some way. It also builds on the currently existing shop canon. Without further ado, here's the new potential story for the world the Stars currently inhabit.
Earth at the end of the 20th century had become an increasingly strange place. Supernatural events were on the rise, and some religious groups and conspiracy theorists claimed the world might end in the next fifty years. The inability of computers to cope with a new century, let alone a new millenium? Armageddon? The Mayan Prophecy? Or some other disaster heralding the end of the world as we knew it? Scientists and governments initially scoffed at the supernatural events on the rise...until the true issue came to light. All of mankind's beliefs were true, and those gods of those pantheons who had been waiting for their Doomsday began it.
Not all of the gods and spirits of Earth intended for Doomsday to occur now, if at all. But the die had been cast, and supernatural, natural, and human worlds were thrown into a now-irrevocable chaos as had not happened before in human history or memory. Nations fell. Alliances rose and were shattered. Heroes were born and destroyed. What was left of the Earth when the dust settled was a strange world, the very fabric of reality shredded.
To enable the greater wars, Pangaea had been reconstituted. Ruined cities slowly began to be reclaimed by wilderness. The supernatural entities of Earth had largely died out, leaving a few people who could still perform magic and a greatly shrunk number of supernatural creatures. The survivors of mankind survived in small, scattered communities. Into this much-changed world, a door was opened from another world, a door that could only be traveled in one direction. The door of Dreamspace had been slowly torn open by the Great Divine Wars.
Where do humans fit into this new world? Well, the supernatural world in generations long past destroyed this world and left it a shattered ruin. Magic may not be high on anyone's priority list. The sudden arrival of the Stars from Dreamspace, a race of magical beings in the form of supernatural equines, is certain to create waves in the world of the humans. What is certain is that, as wondrous as magic and the Stars are, magic destroyed mankind and Earth, and cannot readily be controlled by anyone mortal-born. This is increasingly a world of Stars, rather than humans, but this is the homeworld of humans, and they may very well appear in our tales and RP.
Where do the Signs fit into this saga? Some of this is still up to metaplot discussion on staff levels, but it's also a legit point to bring up how the RP Elders connect to their Signs. The suggested course of events is some combo of the below. It is, of course, up for discussion.
- Elder receives everything in a dream from their Sign, in which their Sign chooses them.
- Elder receives everything from a pilgrimage to one of many sacred sites (possibly sacred to a specific Sign?), where the Sign chooses them.
- Elder receives a dream from their Sign, prompting them on a pilgrimage to a sacred site (possibly sacred to that specific Sign), where the Sign officially blesses them with their mark and powers relating to that Sign.
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Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:26 pm
This is now opanz for discussion. ^^;
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Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:18 am
Quote: - Cosplays came through some kind of portal, wormhole, rip in the space-time continuum, etc, and were, in the process, turned into Stars. This shapechange might be due to some weird magic that was part of the shift in location. - Familiars play some role in helping create the edits we see on the Stars. - This current world may be a place-between-worlds, that things come into and kinda sorta end up staying in, unless they find a way to a different world. Species and peoples who came to this world have made mighty civilizations in this world, but these civilizations are not around anymore, for whatever reason, and have probably been gone quite a while, leaving perhaps descendants who do not fully remember their former glory. Such civilizations may include the draconic civilizations, whose descendants are the dragonet familiars. This section of fanon is now under serious discussion to replace the Post-Apocalyptic Earth idea.
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Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 3:45 pm
I Have an Idea/Suggestion!
Username: VG Cat
Category: Edit Explanations
Idea/Suggestion: Alchemy. A magic that every star(no matter their race) has is the ability to craft items out of material components found in their environment. It's just like any craft, some have a raw and natural talent for alchemy and others couldn't figure out how to turn three sticks into a bigger stick if their life depended on it. In the beginning the most basic and abundant materials around would be the limit of what a star beginning the craft would be able to do, such as plants, rocks, dirt, clay, etc. As they begin to fail less and less at creating items out of those materials they would be able to move on to more difficult and complex ones, like cotton and leather/hides. Things like metals and minerals/gemstones would be on the more experienced and advanced end of the spectrum.
This could explain how generations beyond the first(cosplays and any first gen with any kind of item edit) would have these item edits passed down to them.
A star could potentially learn and master alchemy(as much as it can be mastered) on their own with no teaching or guidance but it would take much much longer than if they had an experienced and advanced alchemist teaching them 'recipes'.
Source of Idea/Suggestion: Gaia, actually, tangentially. I forgot how the idea first came around/what I was thinking of at the time. I was busy washing someone's car.
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 12:49 pm
I wasn't sure where to submit this so I'm putting it here, hope that's ok. >>; Long ago in an age shrouded in mystery disaster struck the world, rocking it to it's very core. The native inhabitants of the planet were very nearly wiped off it's face, civilizations crumbling in the wake. Piles of rubble littered the planet as the native dominant species attempted to reclaim what they believed to be theirs and keep their reign as dominant over all. What caused the destruction is unknown.
Millenia later nature had taken it's course and took back what was hers, what the dominant species, homo sapiens, had taken from her and ruined. Forests returned, swamps, whole ecosystems that hadn't been seen in centuries were abundant once more and able to sustain life, the taint of man and his machinations believed to be successfully purged.
It is during this return to the wild where our story starts. For centuries man had gazed upon the night sky and made stories about the beings they believed to see, calling them constellations and assigning each a personality. Little did they know those stars were indeed living entities with their own agendas and machinations.
The world needed reclaiming and in order to do that humans had to be culled. The Star Council, the embodiments of the signs of the human zodiac, discussed how to handle the situation. Before anything could be settled upon one of them acted without approval, wanting the world for themselves, and caused the genocide. In doing so holes were torn in reality, though very small and unnoticeable in the beginning. As the planet recovered from the star's doing the tears grew until eventually beings from other worlds began to fall through, each as surprised as the next. It was very well timed, perhaps even...planned.
It was a curious thing. No matter what form the beings had in their home worlds their bodies always changed to that of an equine, with varying differences. Perhaps it is the magic of the Star Signs at work, attempting to prevent a repeat performance. The lives the beings once knew were gone, and having no way back they settled on the planet and claimed it as theirs. They became known by the small folk, the natives of the planet and descendants of homo sapiens, as Stars, for when each arrived they seemed to fall from the celestial heavens above. The event of the stars first appearance is known as The Great Starfall.
The stars began creating herds and their own histories and ideals, religions and spiritualities as any other sentient race. The most widely accepted belief is of the Star Council's existence, though little is known about the actual members of the Council and has been up for debate for centuries. All that is known is that when a star performs excellently and becomes all that they can be a member of the Council grants them special powers over the element assigned to the Council member, a prestigious event that only the most respected stars are able to achieve.
I feel like I got a bit off track in the beginning and sent some mixed signals by saying what happened wasn't known and then explaining what happened. >>; I'm hoping that people read that as ICly, no one knows what happened other than the Thirteen Signs, because they were there. This is just a rough draft/idea. I'll probably come back when I have more time to sit down and really think about it(so, after work and not during lunch) and tweak it in places and use any suggestions or ideas people have.
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:39 pm
In a world so long gone it has been forgotten from history there was treachery. The dominant species of the planet, homo sapiens, had covered the earth like a plague, destroying and polluting their own nonrenewable resources and creating a population that was close to the tipping point. So dense was the population that it was not uncommon for one to murder their brother for just a little more space. Starvation was a worldwide epidemic.
Calamity struck the humans. While they began to fight and slaughter each other for space and resources, a powerful entity had crept into their world and, with power and ability never before seen and only heard of in myths and legends, were completely decimated. Their civilizations crumbled into dust. The entity was in control now.
Knowing they could do nothing with a planet nearly devoid of life they had to sit back and wait for millions of years to pass while nature recovered. Some humans had survived, and through the years had evolved to adapt to their surroundings. They were now a race of diminutive creatures, no taller than four feet, and knew nothing of their ancestry or of the world before.
Then, one night, the stars began to fall. These were no mere stars, but horses, beings from another world entirely that had somehow accidentally fallen through a tear in their world and crash landed on this new earth. Such creatures had never before been seen by the small folk, as they were known as by the stars, as they were known as by the small folk. The small folk regard the stars as mighty and noble creatures and are more than happy to create clothing and jewelry in their honor. The stars had no idea of where they were, and the small folk weren't exactly able to give them an answer they all agreed upon. They did know, however, that they would never be able to return to their home world; Dreamspace.
As time progressed each star began to like their new home and continued their lives as they always had. They created herds to socialize and find protection in, formed alliances and enemies. Over time stars began to fall from other worlds. It seemed the very fabric of the universe was torn in several places, a powerful magic cast over the world so that any creature that fell to it would become an equine. Some stars had memory of their homeworlds and old lives, others did not.
One thing they held in common was their belief of the Great Star Council. Beings of immense power, they were thought to be the oldest, wisest, and most powerful of all the stars and were thought to be deities. They had been in Dreamspace since the beginning, but had left, feeling it was time to move on. Before leaving they left 13 of the mightiest herd leaders in charge of watching over their beloved stars, gifting them with supernatural abilities such as fire, water, air, and earth. Belief in the Great Star Council is chiefly held in the older stars, while the younger generations subscribe more to the belief of the 13 herd leaders, referred to as the Signs due to their names being that same as those of the zodiac.
The entity responsible for the destruction of this world seems to still lie in wait, but for how much longer? Are their plans beginning to come to fruition? The Signs are nowhere in sight and the stars are vulnerable, it is only a matter of time...
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:32 pm
I Have an Idea/Suggestion!
Username: Hoshi Lockhart
Category: Signs and Worldbuilding
Idea/Suggestion: To use the Sign's domains to fill in some holes. Such as you've got one with rebirth. Use that to explain why some Stars have been brought back from the dead. How, that depends. Letting the Sign's owner help with the plotting would be difficult, since no one plays her anymore. So we can't say for sure if she's doing it on purpose or if something like an object of hers got lost and was used accidentally to bring a few to life. I assume said object or spells got corrupted, since the Stars aren't being reborn. You could have some plot fun with that one if someone is intentionally messing with the domain.
Aquarius could help me fill in some of my personal holes with the Kuze Shrine and how it deals with dreams.
Also gives the Signs something more to do. 'Specially since not many seem to remember them or realize they're there. Awakening Elders is a fine duty, but the Signs also seem to just be wandering around.
Source of Idea/Suggestion: Me?
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:42 pm
I Have an Idea/Suggestion!
Username: Hoshi Lockhart
Category: Worldbuilding - Vampires
Idea/Suggestion: I don't see the DD ones as being dead. Sangrivores works better, to copy what you said in chat. Not much more I can elaborate on that one. You brought up the word, you understand it better than I do. ;P
Source of Idea/Suggestion: Me?
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