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"In the Beginning..."
---------- Forwarded message ---------- All right. As the subject warns, this e-mail is going to be pretty spammy, cuz I want to get down as many of my ideas as possible and see what y'all think. Also, keep in mind that this is still just brainstorming. All of you have expressed some interest in the MUSH, either as staffing or, in one case, providing the site, so I'm hoping you'll all have a hand in its creation. I'm looking forward to any comments or suggestions. If you like the ideas, and would like to become a member of the staff, I hope we can get together online and brainstorm other possibilities. Anyway, here goes: The theme is fantasy. It's not based on any one book or movie or TV show, which could cause some difficulties, as new players would have to familiarize themselves with the news files. On the upside, maybe that would dissuade a lot of the twinks out there, since I'm hoping for quality in our players, not quantity. The MUSH has no name yet -- I'm still working on that. But the idea is that it's a weird sort of parallel to our own world. It's the place where all of our mythology, legends, superstitions, and dreams come from. It's a place of gods and angels and demons. It includes aspects of Greek mythology, C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia," Thieves' World, Elfquest, Babylon 5, Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" comics, Grimm's Fairy Tales... and a whole slew of other stuff that would take too long to mention. ;) This world includes four 'races.' They're defined by the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Each of them is basically humanoid in appearance, though they all have distinct characteristics which I'll go into later when I summarize each race. This is also a place where magic runs rampant, and this magic usually takes the form of 'shaping.' MAGIC: That is, healing is just re-shaping a body to what it *should* be; knitting bones, sealing wounds, etc. There would also be shapeshifting -- the ability to take on a form other than your own (but it would have to be a living form; someone couldn't turn into a rock, for example). Then there's stuff like rock-shaping, plant-shaping, etc. Not everyone would be able to wield this magic, and some races might be more prone to it than others. Also, even those that *can* wield it may not be able to control it. There's an entire sub-class of people with just that problem... ;) SHAPESHIFTERS: In this world, those who can take on other forms, yet are unable to control it, are called "graisha" (I'll explain why later). They're basically lycanthropes, yet they aren't limited to one form. Some can take on as many as 2 or 3 animal-forms. This power would be most prevalent in the earth-race, usually exhibited around puberty, and since it causes violence, aggression, and other animal-like qualities, those who display it are outcast. No matter how much they might try to subdue the power, its effects are still apparent, not only behaviourally, but physically as well. A "graisha" can never be fully human -- there's always some telltale sign: the eyes of a hawk, cat, or wolf, claws instead of fingernails, long canines, etc. A few of them, after years of training and practice, can learn to quell their animal nature sufficiently so that they are no longer outcast, but this is rare. Also, some mages without this body-shifting power can learn it in time; and can take on the form of an animal without suffering the side-effects. But this, also, is rare. Most graisha are born with their curse and can only hope to learn to live with it. MAGES: This is just a catch-all term for any non-shapeshifters who still have magical powers, such as healing, rock-shaping, etc. I haven't really developed much beyond that. But there would be mages in each race, and they would usually have some prestigious position, rather than be outcast like the shapeshifters. Some are born with an affinity for magic, most aren't, and no amount of teaching or training can turn someone without this affinity into a mage. They were "born with it" the same way the graisha were; the difference lies in the fact that the latter is controlled *by* their power, whereas mages have control *of* their power. The Races: EMPYREAN: The word means "Highest heaven; among the ancients, the sphere of pure light or fire; the sky; the celestial vault." Since it also sounds like a mix of "Empire" and "Imperial," I thought I'd use it for the sky race. In appearance, they resemble angels; fair of face and form, with huge wings extending from their shoulderblades. Oddly though, they are the least magical of the races. Mages and shapeshifters are almost unheard of among the Empyreans, and they are the most dubious when it comes to magic. Tradition, social castes, and hierarchies are the focal point of their culture, which is largely based on earth's ancient Greek and Roman ideals. They are ruled by an Emperor, and their society is a patriarchal one -- though not completely so. Like the Romans and the Greeks, their religion is polytheistic, and many of the goddesses are just as revered as the gods. They have a very rigid social structure, and the ultimate penalty when one of their citizens breaks a law is to be cast out of their grand sky-city, to dwell on the earth below as one of the "fallen." The greatest punishment; even moreso than death, is to have their wings removed. They live in a city among the clouds, similar to the Olympean home of the gods from Greek mythology. I haven't decided on a name yet, but some of the possibilities are: Palladium, Arcadia, Civitas Dei, Empyre, the Celestial City, or the Empyreal City. Land-dwellers are rarely taken there, and to be allowed to visit it is a great honor. The Empyreans, unsurprisingly, see themselves as "above" the other races, yet also consider themselves their protectors or guardians. "Shepherds," perhaps. They are also the rulers of this world; its aristocratic/noble class. FIRE: I haven't come up with a name for either the race or their 'kingdom' yet; the closest is Avernus, named after a small lake in an extinct volcano near Naples, Italy, which was the supposed entrance to Hades (note: for the first several months, the Varati were called "Averni," but I never liked that name so I came up with another). Some other choices are: Tartarus, Gehenna, or Vulcan (though I'd want to avoid Star Trek references). These fire-dwellers live underground, in opulent palaces full of precious stones and crafted from stone and metal. They were the first to discover the secret of forging, and they are the master builders of this world. They are also the most warlike. "Fiery"-tempered, passionate, fierce, proud, and aggressive... they're the "Klingons" of this world. I'd thought of modeling their culture after our Arabian one. I'd also considered having the entrance to their domain in the desert. They're less structured than the Empyreans. They don't have a single leader, but would probably be broken up into different clans, each led by its own warlord. Their culture is strongly patriarchal, and their religion would be monotheistic. They worship one god, who they believe will one day return to lead their people to glory. A legend says that this deity will be reborn as their greatest warlord; that he will unite the clans, conquer the other races, and establish them as the leaders of the realm. Until that time though, they reluctantly abide by Empyrean law, for they haven't the power or organization required to fulfill this "destiny." WATER: The obvious name would be Atlantis, or the Atlanteans. Which I'm tempted to use, for the idea is that this world uses aspects of our own, and there have even been some cases where someone, or something from our world "crossed over" into this one. Our legend of a place called Atlantis would actually be true, and it really *did* disappear into the sea... only because it had been "absorbed" into this mystical realm. I'll explain more of that later. This race is rarely seen; they tend to stay in their own watery realm rather than walk the earth. Just as the Empyreans provided us with our stories of "angels," the Atlanteans are the basis for tales of mermaids, sirens, selkies, etc. Magic runs stronger in them; most would have some mild control of shapeshifting, so they could adapt to life both in and out of the water. Even out of it, though, they'd retain some aspect of their aquatic existence such as webbed fingers, a nictating membrane over the eyes, or fins. Like the graisha, they can't completely disguise their nature, yet they possess none of the savagery of that outcast group. The Atlanteans are the most peaceful and spiritual of the four races. Because they dwell beneath the water, they learned to communicate telepathically -- telepathy would be extremely rare in the other races. They also share a bond with other aquatic creatures, for they beleive that every living thing is linked in some way. Their religion is both simpler, and more complex than the others'. They do not personify their 'god;' their god is the sea itself. It embraces all things; every living thing depends on water for survival, and to them, water, or the sea, is life itself. Everything is cyclic. "For every death, there is a life. For every loss, there is a gain. Nothing ever ends." There are some stories that mermaids can't cry. In a way, that's true. They don't mourn, for though they may regret what has been lost, they also know that it isn't forever. They believe that after death, one's spirit joins with the sea or water, and in turn enfolds every living thing. EARTH: I don't have a name for them yet. Terrans, perhaps. I'm also pretty iffy on what their culture would be like. In some ways I'm leaning towards a Native American one; nomadic tribes with a deep affinity for the land. Or else a more medieval European society, deeply superstitious, feudal, etc. Maybe it doesn't *have* to be as well-defined, or maybe the "earth" race could just be a conglomeration of the others, and the Outcasts. Before I go into describing *them*, though, I'll quickly explain how the graisha got their name. It ties into the earth races's religion. It's polytheistic, but the main deity is actually three, combined. The maiden, the mother, and the crone. In Greek mythology, there are several groups of three: the Fates, the Furies, the Graces, etc. The name I finally settled on for this group, the Graiae, is actually a combination of various goddesses from Greek and Roman myths, including Gaea, Demeter, Selene, Artemis, Hecate, and so on. The Graiae, or the Three Sisters, personify such things as the phases of the moon, fertility, the seasons, life, and death. The first is the maiden, Danaera. She's very similar to Artemis or Diana: a young huntress with a silver bow. A waxing crescent, and a white hawk are her symbols. She is also the personification of spring, and she protects the beasts of the field and forest. All young creatures are under her care. But she can also be vengeful. In Greek mythology, there is a story of a man that spied on Artemis once when she was bathing. Angered, she turned him into a stag, and then set his own hounds upon him. Well, this world has a similar story, only instead of turning him into a stag, the Three Sisters cursed him with a body that was half-man's and half-animal's, yet never completely one or the other. "Graisha" basically means "cursed by the Graiae." These "beast-men" (and women) can only dwell in a state somewhere between reason and rage; human and animal, both a part of, and apart from man and beast. The second is Cybele, the mother. She represents autumn and fertility, and appears as either a pregnant woman, or one with a child at her breast. She personifies the fullness of the moon, and her symbol is an owl. The last is Crataeis, the crone. Her symbol is a waning crescent and a raven, and she also personifies winter and death. She is the most feared of the three Sisters, but to a few, she is a blessing, for only she can ultimately ease the burden of age and grant peace. There are other deities revered by the earth race (maybe), but it is largely matriarchal, and the three Sisters are the main goddesses in the pantheon. OUTCASTS: An outcast falls into three basic categories. The first is anyone who has been exiled from their realm for breaking a law (not just *any* law, of course. Exiling is usually the harshest punishment save death). Once exiled, the outcast can never again return to their homeland, unless the banishment is lifted. Until that time, they either have to fend for themselves, or live in the only city that allows everyone (more on that later). The second category is halfbreeds. As I mentioned, the four races are all basically humanoid; thus they can mate. But this is taboo in all four cultures, and the results of these matings are invariably cast out, as well as the parents. One of the reasons for such harsh rules is that the halfbreed children can never truly fit into either culture; usually they are 'deformed' (try mixing wings and gills--it just doesn't work), and if they have any affinity for magic, it's almost always 'wild' magic that they can't control. Which leads to the last category: the graisha. They're outcasts as well, for reasons I mentioned already. THE OUTCAST CITY: It'll have a better name than that. I've considered Sanctuary (but that's right out of Thieves' World), Haven (my favorite, but there's another MUSH named that), Refuge, Sojourn, Sanctum, and Exile. It's basically the Babylon 5 of the MUSH. Anyone can go there. It'll be the main area of RP, and will have areas ranging from the real dark, gritty "underworld" to the wealthy, aristocratic, high-class areas. It's the only place where all four races can mingle freely, as well as halfbreeds, outcasts, graisha, and so on. I think you get the idea. :) The last thing I was going to mention was the point I made about Atlantis -- how it was 'absorbed' into this world. Maybe it's a holdover from Crypt, but I like the idea of people or places being 'transported' into some magical realm. Besides, I already mentioned that this world is supposed to explain a lot of our myths and legends, and there have certainly been plenty about people disappearing into some "Fairyland" and returning to find that years have passed on earth, while only a few months have gone by for them. Think about it. It could explain the Bermuda Triangle. :) Which brings me to another point. If this world *does* "suck" people (or places, or objects) up, would it then have "modern" influences? I'm not too keen on the idea of cars or guns, so I figured that an easy way to get around that would be to say that technology just doesn't work there. Like in Terminator, the more complex stuff just wouldn't survive the transition. So if a plane *did* fly into the Bermuda Triangle and get "sucked up," it'd still be structurally intact when it got to this magical world, but the parts wouldn't work anymore. And then the fire race would come along, scrap it, and use the pieces to build something else. ;) Anyway, I'm not too sure yet on that last part, but I wanted to spit out most of my ideas and see what y'all thought. Sorry if I got less coherent there at the end. It's late, but I'm leaving this weekend and I wanted to get it done before I left. That's most of it, then. Let me know what you think, and whether it'd make a good MUSH or not. Thanks for reading.
-Astra
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