[Laszlo's Scrapbook] If you only knew.

[Laszlo]

I made this for myself for a reference. I keep forgetting what locations are on which peak in Lhavit. It's a bit garish and it looks like a kid drew it with crayon, but it also helps remind me which peaks have which colors of dress. I'm only putting it here so I can easily find it. You people can use it or hate on it as you wish. It's not a work of art. Better viewed using right click>view image option, or similar. Secret :

[Phoenix]

I was going to attempt to make a Lhavit city map soon

[Laszlo]

That'll be awesome, Jules.

[Laszlo]

Saw this picture. Thought of Fia.

[Laszlo]

Sounds like pseudoscience, but it still made me laugh.

[Laszlo]

Lately, I've noticed Phoenix has done a couple scraps on Inarta. There was a trend, until recently, of new and veteran players making Inarta who were shy and quiet personalities. The Inarta are meant to be a passionate, often boisterous people who aren't afraid of confrontation. Since her scraps, not a single Inarta CS I've seen has been the timid archetype. Clearly, Jules' message got across the ether, either directly or through word of mouth, and made an impact. So, I'd like to do the same thing for Symenestra. I'm not the Symenestra ST, but they've been my favorite race for a long time. As Colombina put it, you could call me a Sym-pathizer. Don't groan at me, it was her joke. I swear. So, I'm going to do little blurbs about Symenestra over the next few days. There are some things I think are often misunderstood or overlooked that I think deserve some attention. Consider this my version of a vlog. Sadly my microphone sounds like a helicopter, so that just isn't possible. And I don't know sign language. Symenestra Names Like in many cultures, a Symenestra name has a lot to do with tradition, heritage, and even purity of blood. Many players I see like to pick normal, fancy sounding last names like Ladamere or Belvedere, or randomly made up fantasy names, but these simply don't fit. Like with any race, you have to pay close attention to the article. The naming section explains Symenestra name conventions very well. First name A fully blooded Symenestra is almost always given a name with three syllables. By the by, a Symenestra with a human mother and Sym father is still considered "fully blooded". Very rare cases of Syms having two Symenestra parents are no more "pure" than their surrogate-begotten kindred. The male names usually contain a D and/or V, while female names contain N and/or S. These names are designed to sound pleasant and appealing. For example, only the cruelest parent would name his son Vlackibal. Symenestra names are supposed to sound silken and attractive, such as Aviselle, Devaren, Veluris, and Nisondre. Two syllable names are usually reserved for Dra, who are Symenestra "mutts". Dra have a Symenestra mother and a sunborn (a nice way of saying non-Sym) father. These mildly rare, pitiful halfbreeds are Kalinor's second-class citizens. Having a shorter, two-syllable name helps set them apart from the rest of the race. Their mothers may love them dearly, but the reality is that Dra are not full Syms, and they will not help continue the Symenestra race or save them from extinction. Naming conventions are looser for Dra. Last name A Symenestra's surname is a relic of a bygone era. All Symenestra are named after flora, particularly flowers, that their ancestors once lived near when they were inhabitants of the Falyndar jungle. Despite now being cave-going parasites on the world (sorry Duvalyon), these names are all they have left of their once noble existence. These names also serve to help make Syms more appealing to surface races. With a gaunt appearance, sharp fangs, black claws, and often creepy red eyes (sorry again), they need all the help they can get. Some examples for last names include Aconite, Hyacinth, Orchid, Rose, Hellebore, Oleander, Durian, Amaryllis, Aster, Carnation, Larkspur, Lily, Iris – any common name for a flower. Bonus points for flowers native to jungle regions. A common mistake people make (including me) is picking the scientific Latin name or genus of plant, because it sounds "cooler" than a standard flower name. However, this misses the point. If a Sym's last name isn't a flower someone will recognize, the entire point of a flowery last name (it's so hard not to make fun of you, Duv) is lost. The idea is that someone might introduce himself as Valerin Orchid, and you'll think, "Orchid? Oh, how pretty. Too bad he's so creepy looking."

[Laszlo]

Symenestra Mothers Symenestra who give birth to their own children are exceedingly rare. It happens maybe once a year, if it even happens at all. The harvest is meant to prevent this from having to happen, so there's really no need for it. Yes, there are some Sym women out there who are willing to give their lives to have children, but usually a family (or even just the husband) will try to talk her out of it. A life for a life is noble, but it does not help the Symenestra race. It does not help the race avoid extinction, and it hurts families. The wife is basically choosing to leave her husband with her children because she wants to give birth. Again, some women do it, but most simply don't. The wiki talks about a VERY low rate of survival with Sym births. Coupling that with the VERY low rate of Symenestra giving birth to begin with, and you have something that almost never happens. And yet, almost every Sym PC I see these days has a dead Sym mother, because she gave birth. It's supposed to be super uncommon. True, many PCs are looking for a way to be different and stand out, but there are many ways of doing that besides killing off one of your parents (not counting surrogates, who aren't really people anyway ). I'd love to see more highlights on how much Syms love adoption. They're seriously crazy about it. A Sym mother who gets her children through surrogates will love them as fiercely as any birth-mom would love her kids. They are her blood, as far as she's concerned. Try telling her otherwise. Most Sym family units are very normal. Two parents and 2-3 kids (two kids is status quo, 3 kids is better). Remember, Symenestra worship Viratas, the God of Blood. As such, he is the god of family ties. Symenestra families, or Webs, are pretty much sacred. The Harvest protects Sym families by ensuring that no one [important] has to die. Be responsible. Use surrogates! Seriously, no one is going to miss a couple of ratty humans.

[Laszlo]

LASZLO YOU SLOW

Sorry for post slowness lately guys (on any of my PCs--you know you who are). Having a bit of a block lately. Thanks for being patient.

[Scarab]

Hi Laszlo! I'm popping in to tell you how much I love your Sym series. You explain everything really well. I, too, would be super happy to see more Sym-supported surrogacy. Also, flowery Sym names are the best (worst) trick ever. It would get me every. single. time. Silly human. I'm looking forward to reading Part iii! Here, have a hellebore:

[Duvalyon Hellebore]

Even Scarab is persuaded by Duvalyon's fancy last name. That has to count for something. Also, Duv's irises are burgundy, not red. Thank you very much. I'm sorry, not everyone has a PC whose ass glitters. Some of us chose the creepy card and must have them get by on wit and coercion. I approve of these Sym Messages. I try to highlight the dual nature of the race with Duv. They're awful and evil on one hand, but on the other they have clawed fingers. OR they have a very family and community oriented mindset. Duv has done wretched things to Azo/Sunborn, but he's very principled when it comes to his race and would even be viewed as upstanding in Kalinor. Even still, his philosophy is one of service to all save when it interferes with his race and family. He's not always the most chipper about it, but he'll come through. I have an old thread with Abashai, a Benshira who left his Tent and generally cool guy, and in it Duv actually shows scorn for Abashai because he's not with his people (who tend to be close knit). This is hilarious and fitting because Duv is the villain overall, and he's giving the good guy crap for not keeping a connection to his family. It's like having someone in prison lecture you on being nice to your mom. Prisoner: "You really shouldn't yell at your mom like that." You: "You really shouldn't stab people in the throat with a sharpened toothbrush." Prisoner: "Let's not make this about me... and he had it coming." All that to say, Syms can be morally complicated, and they really love their moms. Continue!