(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role play forum. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)
The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.
ALSO, ATTENTION! Also, as I've now noticed... All of my old templates are WAY too large! Almost every last one of them. Boxcode images should only be 500x700 at the MAXIMUM! I've gone back and edited all current posts to reflect that standard. I'll be on the look out to make sure everyone does the same.
When I have time, I'll also be sizing down my old templates. But for now, I'll use the few I've got that meet requirements.
In the spirit of transparency, I am here to apologize to my city and to the people who write here.
Why an apology? Well, this city has so much to offer. There is more to it than what's most recently been discussed. I exaggerated certain aspects of her without giving other parts their due. There have been discussions amongst the staff about all the things that Lhavit is and what it is not. I wrote an essay about what she means to me. Since I'm an open book, here it is.
The Essay :
Isolated from the rest of the world, atop what was once a lonely and desolate mountain lives arguably the most vibrant culture in the West. They’re a group of small but tightly-knit individuals, a patchwork quilt of people. The greatest priest and the humblest gardener might fall in love over a warm cup of wine on a cold night - and often do. They rhapsodize together over their love of the stars. Every part of the day and night is appreciated, every person is loved for their contributions, for their differences and even Zintila herself walks among the people, she who nearly gave her life to save her own Mother Semele. This is only one small example of the vastness of the love she bears in her heart. It is that love, that connection that sustains the city. Much like a constellation the people are all like individual stars, more beautiful when drawn together.
These people pour their appreciation for life into all that they do. By day they are beyond industrious, always grasping at the elusive “better” that echoes softly in the distance. There is a spark at the heart of each person that irritates their spirit to action, to build bigger and move further along. Lhavit was built in some ways to resemble the past, but more so its aim is to cobble together a better future. To take the few remaining elements of a dead empire create a better and brighter today. Lhavitians have taste for the past only in that it teaches them how to secure a greater tomorrow. Because otherwise the past is nothing but dust. It is dead and gone. Pasts are forgiven. That beautiful, beaten woman in the dungeon only cares on whether or not she gets to live - right now.
By the light of the moon, the people celebrate. The Apollonian struggle of grit, grind and grace is suspended as the sun sets. For they love life so much, they seldom sleep so as to truly enjoy it, to enjoy every passing moment. The quiet become boisterous, the meek are empowered to dance and sing. The Dionysian spirit is with the people and those people embrace it. Aysel and Talora drink and revel with the Shinya, the Akka dance furiously with the healers of the Catholicon, the Towers gather together and with the doors thrown wide. Reimancers light fireworks in front of the Ethereal Opera House. The Seekers read the children stories. The skyglass bridges between peaks are bridges in the literal and figurative sense. Zintila’s power is what brings them all together. The people of Lhavit are nourished by the sun, crazed by the moon and irrevocably drawn by the stars, the void and its mysterious light.
Further, I'm here to apologize for my blatant favoritism. It wasn't intended in that spirit whatsoever but as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I wanted to fix problems for the players who came to me making noise. But those who don't deserve just as much - no, MORE attention. The writers who quietly love Lhavit, love her with every word.
Part Two; An Announcement
I'm not much for focusing on the bad, because its not productive. I've apologized, now it's time to make it right. The Towers are now open and fully unregulated. Magic is allowed in the city. I deleted the Wizard Registry -- and the Council of Radiance. It's gone. That's the last you'll hear of it.
For starters, this is the official announcement that Bee and I are starting GUERILLA MODERATION! What does this mean? Well, back when I was a wee AS, the lovely Ms. Pheonix encouraged me to jump into people's threads at random to shake things up a bit. If you want us to do it to you specifically, please let us know! If you DON'T want us to do it, please just send either of us a message or post here. If you don't care either way, feel free to just let it happen. But we're going to kick this whole favoritism thing in the ass. We're here to tell the PEOPLE'S story. People, as in you.
Further, we're going to be writing PoV threads for reference in the Crystal Sky and linking them in the Atlas to give everyone a feel for life in the city. We want to immerse you in the culture. Working examples really help and that's exactly what we aim to provide.
Finally, there is going to be a thread, the link to which I will post here that prompts all of you to write about what the city means to you, what it means to your character and your PC's role in it. There we'll ask you to intimate your hopes, dreams and fears for your characters. What your plans are. There is a historically cavernous divide between the players and the storytellers here in Lhavit. But no more.
Some of these changes may cause problems for certain PCs. You're free to write your own continuity, but if you want or need help just send us a message. We want everyone to thrive.
I would like to conclude by thanking Gossamer and Bee for helping me get over my most recent case of cranial rectal inclusion. Without them, I may never have written this. Thanks to them, this city is going to be better than ever.
Thank you for playing here. Thanks for writing with me. I take the love your pour into your work very seriously, as the time you take to do it is a gift beyond measure. I really mean that.
That was quite simply, beautifully put. I'm just joining the populace of Lhavit and I am still quite new to Miz' and still feeling my way around (quite tentatively xD haha), but I admire how heartfelt that was and it only stirs my excitement of starting in this city even more. You are definitely more than welcome to throw anything you please into any of my future threads!
I would love to learn more about the Lhavit culture and the whole nature of the city itself. That would definitely help me, personally, as I start to write in Lhavit, so I am looking forward to absolutely everything!
Hey stargazers! First, a couple of quick administrative things.
The SS request thread is not the place to apply for a job. That thread was designed for Neo to pass SS requests upstream to Mirage, as Neo was only an AS at the time. I'm going through it as it stands now but from now on if you'd like a job or any other special request, send me a PM with what you have in mind.
Next, grading announcements! Couple of things to note for our local graders. One is to PLEASE GO IN ORDER! Going through the grading queue, I see lots of threads graded while others are not. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'm assuming it's because there were problematic elements in the threads or character sheets of the threads that went untouched. Going forward, post an intervention and let me know or just let me know which threads need to be intervened on so I can take them out of the queue. Otherwise, it looks like cherry picking and that just ain't cool.
Next, a reminder. Please grade for quality, not quantity. Long word counts shouldn't automatically result in lots of skill points. I've seen short threads that have earned 5+ and long threads that have only merited 1 or 2, given the circumstances. Factor in whether or not the PC has a teacher, what that teacher's skill level is in teaching, if they're in a structured learning environment or if they're learning by structure. Trial and error alone do not a lot of skill points make. Lots of people write threads where there characters are winging it and that can be an inhibiting factor in their growth.
Finally, please always be referring back to the skill list. Try to determine just what a person is going for. Giving someone skill in socialization when they were going for seduction or medicine when they were going for herbalism ain't cool either. Award what you think is merited but please. Don't cut corners. People work hard on what they write, just like you. They shouldn't have to send you a message, asking you to change it.
Also, thank you Neive! Same to you Izuyanai. We're glad to have you here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
As Ball is getting closer and closer to maxing out Pyken as a skill, I would like to request that in places where Ball is not doing enough to constitute Pyken XP if Pyken technique lores could be issued instead.
Examples of proper XP level for Pyken would be: Ball developing or refining his technique by adding new thing against an actual moving target, not a dummy.
The use of basic skills alone are not enough to accomplish XP at Ball's current level of Pyken.
Thank you.
I will be handling all Ball related posts on Mondays @ 1800 my time *
But if some nice Moderator posts a nice quest thread for you, please go POST IN IT. Bee posted some quest threads on the 3rd for all of us (remember the jewel and ration thief things) and we are still waiting on some of the members of those threads to post THEIR FIRST POST in them. I understand some of you get moderated threads a great deal. But some of us don't and actually want to enjoy a moderated thread in Lhavit once in a while that gets posted too all the time. So please find it in your heart to go post to it so we can actually enjoy the adventure in a timely manner.
If you can't post routinely or frequently or you have too many moderated threads or no time to post... perhaps you shouldn't volunteer for these things or you should politely back out early on so it doesn't effect the rest of us and our enjoyment.
Thank you.
Kels
They laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at them because they are all the same.
Finally, there is going to be a thread, the link to which I will post here that prompts all of you to write about what the city means to you, what it means to your character and your PC's role in it. There we'll ask you to intimate your hopes, dreams and fears for your characters. What your plans are.
I think this may turn out to be one of the best moves ever. People have so many creative thoughts and ideas and I'm looking forward to seeing it all.
I will definitely contribute with my own views. And I'm really curious to read what others will put in !
Boxcode images should only be 500x700 at the MAXIMUM! I've gone back and edited all current posts to reflect that standard. I'll be on the look out to make sure everyone does the same.
What does this mean? Well, back when I was a wee AS, the lovely Ms. Pheonix encouraged me to jump into people's threads at random to shake things up a bit. If you want us to do it to you specifically, please let us know! If you DON'T want us to do it, please just send either of us a message or post here. If you don't care either way, feel free to just let it happen. But we're going to kick this whole favoritism thing in the ass. We're here to tell the PEOPLE'S story. People, as in you.
