General Q and A

jedi-explorer wrote:

Okay I know this thread is kinda dead now but I was writing something relating to a couple of characters, one being a normal human the other magiocrat and her enemy, and they bump into oen another on the streets of Negav. She's all like (Note over-dramatized) "You villian! I'll slay you!" and he just laughs and is all like "Yeah right. I'm a Magicocrat! You can't just murder me in plain daylight, but me? I'm rich and powerfull! I could just use a spell and banish you from my sight and say it was self defense. Nyaah nyaanh!"

So my question is could he do that? I mean he is rich and powerfull but is he above the law? IS there even a law for that mater! XD

Yeah... the Magiocrats aren't just random wizards. They're also politicians, they're the people who run Negav. Assuming they did go out for a stroll outside of their (most likely quite substantial and self-sufficient) estates, and assuming they don't just use an illusion spell to just look like someone else for a while... they'd most likely have a bodyguard or two. Probably not full-on battlemages, but at least a couple Isolon Fist soldiers. A couple guys with SMG's are more than enough for bodyguard duty.

Keep in mind. Negav isn't the United States. It isn't some grimdark dystopia, but it wouldn't surprise me if walking up to a Magiocrat and threatening to kill them was an offense meriting death (or at least legally justifiable grounds for self-defense. Even if it isn't 100% in line with the law, no one is going to convict a magiocrat except other magiocrats). Assuming they have bodyguards with them, they'd probably blow you away right there, or at least leave you in a bloody heap before tossing you in whatever jail was closest. Negav isn't a first-world Earth country. Going around threatening powerful politicians, or merchants, or other important people, probably could cause you to disappear.

Also, it'd still be a magiocrat. They are hardly defenseless. These guys came up through the ranks as Isolon Fist battlemages, or instructors at the Isolon University, or even just as incredibly strong individuals that managed to get into politics. They're some of the strongest known human mages in existence.

Attacking a member of the government on the streets would look like an case of terrorism. the Other Magicrafts could easily distort the public view to something like that and have the fellow thrown in a prison encampment, torturing him under the guide of integration. "Terrorists" need to be made an example of after all.

Why banish someone when you can lengthen the punishment by giving him life and giving him the waterboard torture technique everyday?

DarkOne wrote:

Attacking a member of the government on the streets would look like an case of terrorism. the Other Magicrafts could easily distort the public view to something like that and have the fellow thrown in a prison encampment, torturing him under the guide of integration. "Terrorists" need to be made an example of after all.

Why banish someone when you can lengthen the punishment by giving him life and giving him the waterboard torture technique everyday?

Keep in mind, most Negavians are fairly satisfied with the Magiocrats. They might not agree with every little thing they do, but they keep the city protected, and keep the local economy moving. Someone trying to attack a Magiocrat is likely not going to be very popular in the public eye.

That's what I mean, the magiocrats can accuse someone like that so easily and noone would defend him. But sexing up the crime would mean they can apply more punishment (to teach him a lession) it would only take a twist of a few words.

Quote :

Yeah... the Magiocrats aren't just random wizards. They're also politicians, they're the people who run Negav. Assuming they did go out for a stroll outside of their (most likely quite substantial and self-sufficient) estates, and assuming they don't just use an illusion spell to just look like someone else for a while... they'd most likely have a bodyguard or two. Probably not full-on battlemages, but at least a couple Isolon Fist soldiers. A couple guys with SMG's are more than enough for bodyguard duty.

Keep in mind. Negav isn't the United States. It isn't some grimdark dystopia, but it wouldn't surprise me if walking up to a Magiocrat and threatening to kill them was an offense meriting death (or at least legally justifiable grounds for self-defense. Even if it isn't 100% in line with the law, no one is going to convict a magiocrat except other magiocrats). Assuming they have bodyguards with them, they'd probably blow you away right there, or at least leave you in a bloody heap before tossing you in whatever jail was closest. Negav isn't a first-world Earth country. Going around threatening powerful politicians, or merchants, or other important people, probably could cause you to disappear.

Ah alright so I was right. He'd be in the right and could legally do whatever he wanted. Okay that's neat to know and I just now realized he only has two goons for his body guards. Maybe I should update that and give him a private security force. After all what evil megalomaniac couldn't use a few storm troopers, eh? Thanks for you help, rcs,Shady Knight and Darkone.

jedi-explorer wrote:

Quote :

Yeah... the Magiocrats aren't just random wizards. They're also politicians, they're the people who run Negav. Assuming they did go out for a stroll outside of their (most likely quite substantial and self-sufficient) estates, and assuming they don't just use an illusion spell to just look like someone else for a while... they'd most likely have a bodyguard or two. Probably not full-on battlemages, but at least a couple Isolon Fist soldiers. A couple guys with SMG's are more than enough for bodyguard duty.

Keep in mind. Negav isn't the United States. It isn't some grimdark dystopia, but it wouldn't surprise me if walking up to a Magiocrat and threatening to kill them was an offense meriting death (or at least legally justifiable grounds for self-defense. Even if it isn't 100% in line with the law, no one is going to convict a magiocrat except other magiocrats). Assuming they have bodyguards with them, they'd probably blow you away right there, or at least leave you in a bloody heap before tossing you in whatever jail was closest. Negav isn't a first-world Earth country. Going around threatening powerful politicians, or merchants, or other important people, probably could cause you to disappear.

Ah alright so I was right. He'd be in the right and could legally do whatever he wanted. Okay that's neat to know and I just now realized he only has two goons for his body guards. Maybe I should update that and give him a private security force. After all what evil megalomaniac couldn't use a few storm troopers, eh? Thanks for you help, rcs,Shady Knight and Darkone.

Yeah... the Magiocrats don't have goons for bodyguards. The Isolon Fist is their personal army. They protect magiocrat assets inside and outside of Negav, and likely the magiocrats themselves. They are very competent.

Try and remember, magiocrats aren't anime-esque big-bads. They're just... really powerful mages who got into politics. Well, the current members. The original magiocrats lead a coup that ovethrew the city's former, and quite inept, neko king. He nearly drove Negav into the ground. Not sure how many of the old revolutionaries are still on the council, but newer members would come from the Isolon Fist's battlemage corps, the Isolon University, or even just extremely powerful, influential mages who manage to work their way in.

Are some of them going to have less than noble motives and pet-projects? Sure... but I imagine the magiocrats kind of police their own (not like anyone else could), and if one of the council members got to be too out of hand and/or too much of a liability/embarrassment, they'd give him the boot. They're trying to keep a city running and stable afterall.

rcs619 wrote:

jedi-explorer wrote:

Quote :

Yeah... the Magiocrats aren't just random wizards. They're also politicians, they're the people who run Negav. Assuming they did go out for a stroll outside of their (most likely quite substantial and self-sufficient) estates, and assuming they don't just use an illusion spell to just look like someone else for a while... they'd most likely have a bodyguard or two. Probably not full-on battlemages, but at least a couple Isolon Fist soldiers. A couple guys with SMG's are more than enough for bodyguard duty.

Keep in mind. Negav isn't the United States. It isn't some grimdark dystopia, but it wouldn't surprise me if walking up to a Magiocrat and threatening to kill them was an offense meriting death (or at least legally justifiable grounds for self-defense. Even if it isn't 100% in line with the law, no one is going to convict a magiocrat except other magiocrats). Assuming they have bodyguards with them, they'd probably blow you away right there, or at least leave you in a bloody heap before tossing you in whatever jail was closest. Negav isn't a first-world Earth country. Going around threatening powerful politicians, or merchants, or other important people, probably could cause you to disappear.

Ah alright so I was right. He'd be in the right and could legally do whatever he wanted. Okay that's neat to know and I just now realized he only has two goons for his body guards. Maybe I should update that and give him a private security force. After all what evil megalomaniac couldn't use a few storm troopers, eh? Thanks for you help, rcs,Shady Knight and Darkone.

Yeah... the Magiocrats don't have goons for bodyguards. The Isolon Fist is their personal army. They protect magiocrat assets inside and outside of Negav, and likely the magiocrats themselves. They are very competent.

Try and remember, magiocrats aren't anime-esque big-bads. They're just... really powerful mages who got into politics. Well, the current members. The original magiocrats lead a coup that ovethrew the city's former, and quite inept, neko king. He nearly drove Negav into the ground. Not sure how many of the old revolutionaries are still on the council, but newer members would come from the Isolon Fist's battlemage corps, the Isolon University, or even just extremely powerful, influential mages who manage to work their way in.

Are some of them going to have less than noble motives and pet-projects? Sure... but I imagine the magiocrats kind of police their own (not like anyone else could), and if one of the council members got to be too out of hand and/or too much of a liability/embarrassment, they'd give him the boot. They're trying to keep a city running and stable afterall.

So you're saying having a Magiocrat as a main bad guy for a campaign is a bad idea? Since he'd likely be found out?

It's not a bad idea, just a complicated one. To take down an politician you are no longer talking about a fantasy battle, or even a war. Your talking about a convoluted assassination mission. It would take someone who is the Felarya version of Solid Snake to pull that off. But I get the impression you don't want to tell that kind of story.

the only other way I can think of would be to con a politician, not defeat him per say, but still knock him down a noch. If the hero could expose the Magiocrat in such a way that would make the whole government look bad, forcing them to single him out and retire him, then that might be revenge enougth. but that kind of story is just as complicated.

But if you mean a villain that can be defeated the old fasioned way through battle, then i woulden't suggest a Magiocrat.

There's also another very, very crucial part about villains, especially the highly political ones, that must be taken into consideration: What do they gain from it? If they're oppressive for the sake of being oppressive, then you got a character that's as interesting as a line. Furthermore, you have to ask yourself: Would they have more to gain if they did things legit? Negav is literally a trade center set in an interdimensional hubworld. I don't really see what a Magiocrat could gain that can't be gained from doing things legally. If the "evil" part is something only remotely related to Negav, let's go with the tried and true, albeit clichéd, hate all predators, must kill them all, then you have to consider that no one within the citizenry is going to care about this. In fact, let's say you go the old fashioned route and the hero kill the magiocrat for this reason, then your hero is going to become one of the most loathed and hunted criminal in all of Negav, for what essentially amount as murder.

Shady Knight wrote:

There's also another very, very crucial part about villains, especially the highly political ones, that must be taken into consideration: What do they gain from it? If they're oppressive for the sake of being oppressive, then you got a character that's as interesting as a line. Furthermore, you have to ask yourself: Would they have more to gain if they did things legit? Negav is literally a trade center set in an interdimensional hubworld. I don't really see what a Magiocrat could gain that can't be gained from doing things legally. If the "evil" part is something only remotely related to Negav, let's go with the tried and true, albeit clichéd, hate all predators, must kill them all, then you have to consider that no one within the citizenry is going to care about this. In fact, let's say you go the old fashioned route and the hero kill the magiocrat for this reason, then your hero is going to become one of the most loathed and hunted criminal in all of Negav, for what essentially amount as murder.

Also, I doubt a "We must kill all preds!" Magiocrat would be very popular on the Council itself as well. I'm sure there's no love lost for giants among them. Council members will have lost family or friends, or comrades (especially if they came up through the Isolon Fist)... but you don't want a zealot on your Council, messing up your proceedings and holding up other policies and things that need to be discussed and pushed through. That'd just be a hassle for everyone.

However, if Jedi still wants a political angle for his thingy, maybe have his character go up against someone of a lower rank? A modestly successful merchant? Some kind of minister or smaller-scale politician? Someone who isn't protected by the elite of the Negavian military, and who couldn't probably blow you up just by looking at you.

Shady Knight wrote:

There's also another very, very crucial part about villains, especially the highly political ones, that must be taken into consideration: What do they gain from it?

Well what he hoped to gain was destroying Negav and rebuilding it during the first failed attempt. A little lame I know, but what can I say? It's all I could think of at the time and Felarya is "take over the world" proof in most scenarios so I had to do something.

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However, if Jedi still wants a political angle for his thingy, maybe have his character go up against someone of a lower rank? A modestly successful merchant? Some kind of minister or smaller-scale politician? Someone who isn't protected by the elite of the Negavian military, and who couldn't probably blow you up just by looking at you.

Replace Mobius as the main villiian or change his rank? Hmm...I suppose I could though I like his Magiocrat family and all the little interlinked ties he has to everyone. I'll consider it though.

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the only other way I can think of would be to con a politician, not defeat him per say, but still knock him down a noch. If the hero could expose the Magiocrat in such a way that would make the whole government look bad, forcing them to single him out and retire him, then that might be revenge enougth. but that kind of story is just as complicated.

But if you mean a villain that can be defeated the old fasioned way through battle, then i woulden't suggest a Magiocrat.

Oh! Sorry I didn't see your post till I went back through re-scanning to see that I had listend to everyone. The first idea could work. I do have somebody who's...something what of a solid snake as far as bad az level goes and he hates Magiocrats. hadn't even thought of using him like that. Also the second idea has some good merit. I did have a version of him that had been humilated and exposed to the Council and had to pay for his crimes. Though I wasn't sure how to run him then...Now maybe I think I know a way. In fact I thank you, dark one, for those ideas they just may have solved the whole problem!

Destroy... Negav... WHY?! Why would anyone do that? Do you have any idea how horribly stupid, illogical, and all around awful such a plan is? Destroying Negav means that, for a while, you are vulnerable to every single predator and threat to human kind in the vicinity. That's exactly what the magiocrats have attempted to prevent since Tono's reign ended! Why, oh why, would anyone in their right mind, think it'd be a good idea to tear down the highly fortified city, and then rebuild it in its own image? That is the worst villainous plan I have ever heard of, outside of many other dumb plans I've seen in comic books.

While I'm at it, how does he expect to destroy the city? Plant bombs in every districts and hope no one notices? I'm sorry, but I just don't follow your reasoning. Who would want to follow someone who blew up the safe haven, with fortified walls made of extremely rare and solid metal, autocannons stationed all around the perimeter, and a military composed of highly powerful mages and soldiers armed with advanced technology? Again, what does he gain from all of this? What would destroying Negav give him that he already doesn't have? This is self-destructive behavior, plain and simple.

Shady Knight wrote:

Destroy... Negav... WHY?! Why would anyone do that? Do you have any idea how horribly stupid, illogical, and all around awful such a plan is? Destroying Negav means that, for a while, you are vulnerable to every single predator and threat to human kind in the vicinity. That's exactly what the magiocrats have attempted to prevent since Tono's reign ended! Why, oh why, would anyone in their right mind, think it'd be a good idea to tear down the highly fortified city, and then rebuild it in its own image? That is the worst villainous plan I have ever heard of, outside of many other dumb plans I've seen in comic books.


While I'm at it, how does he expect to destroy the city? Plant bombs in every districts and hope no one notices? I'm sorry, but I just don't follow your reasoning. Who would want to follow someone who blew up the safe haven, with fortified walls made of extremely rare and solid metal, autocannons stationed all around the perimeter, and a military composed of highly powerful mages and soldiers armed with advanced technology? Again, what does he gain from all of this? What would destroying Negav give him that he already doesn't have? This is self-destructive behavior, plain and simple.

Well I kind of see that NOW but then I was a little bit of amateur at making evil plots that didn't involve high risks. I blame it on some Space Military RPs I did a while back where there was too much war and super weapons at the center and not enough true emergencies or political stuff. Partly my fault. It was my first experience with RP. Though now I can see that doesn't work with places like Felarya. As for how he did. In my canon I added a location to the map called the Terra Needle. A device designed by a long ago vanished race for mysterious reasons. (The laguge they used is based on numbers and formulas to make a cipher that's tricky to crtack...Unless you happen to be obsessed enough) Supposedly Mobius, being a expert in magic himself, learned that it was a powerfull tool used to alter the terrain around it and reshape it. Likely it was built in Felarya as prototype then abandoned for some reason. He figured out how to use it for another purpose though. As a weapon. By cranking up the power and seriously overhauling some of the power relays he manged to make it work like a "qauke maker" a shock wave weapon that would send a huge tremor at Negav and thus shake it to dust. Ofcourse in the event that someone, in this case a young naga named Clare, managed to stop it, he had a back door set up so he could exit the needle and be home again....Actually ya know what I can see the flaws now. It's funny when you talk about it how they become aparent.

These thoguhts have not stop bugging me since I frist thought of them months ago: How does Negav begin new trade relationships with other worlds? Are there any designsted Magiocrat(s) or someone else in charge of starting new trade relationships? How long do these take on average? How would the guards of the other politician even get into the city with thier weapons? Where would the trade talks be held? Those kind of things. Also; its great to be back on the forum agian, for I have missed this place greatly.

Well I would think there would be business firms already in Negav for that sort of thing, they handle the negotiations according to law and write up business proposals for the Magiocrats, who as politicians simply sign the papers or reject it.

In order to get over they would normally need a gate and arrive at the Gate near Negav, if they are really intrested in Business with Negav they would of done their research and know about this.

DarkOne wrote:

Well I would think there would be business firms already in Negav for that sort of thing, they handle the negotiations according to law and write up business proposals for the Magiocrats, who as politicians simply sign the papers or reject it.

In order to get over they would normally need a gate and arrive at the Gate near Negav, if they are really intrested in Business with Negav they would of done their research and know about this.

This is true and while this would normally(sort of) work as an answer for me, but however it is more complicated than that. When I asked those questions, I was referring to a civilization in which that only began dimensional travel in a time frame, relative to Felaryas' timeline; around 37 years ago and only began sending members of their own kind in the last 7 and said means of dimensional travel initially did not involve gates. Hopefully I did not confuse anyone reading this.

Here's a better question: why would they even start business with civilizations that have just discovered dimensional travel over, you know, every other ones that have already made a solid economy out of it?

Shady Knight wrote:

Here's a better question: why would they even start business with civilizations that have just discovered dimensional travel over, you know, every other ones that have already made a solid economy out of it?

Years of remote observation via drones prior to personel arriving to Felarya, along with "field" oberservation and reconnocess coupled with rather large advancement in the field of dimensional travel between when they first achived it and current date.( to give you an idea, look back to how the internet and technology in general changed between 1969 and 2006. That kind of advancement. And before you even ask as to what is holding them back from exploring many other relams and universe: Cautious exploration. And they fact that they could detect the gate near Negav and assumed that the city-state had knowledge on other worlds and thought it would be a good idea to get information from them. Also, before you ask at to why they didnt just go though the gate? Simple: any civiliazion that is new to dimensional travel would(hopefully) know better than to take intrude upon the space of another beacuse of the risk of accidently provoktion. Agian, real life has many examples of this. Furthermore, when I said "trade" I did not mean trade of physical goods, but of rather information(Remember, trade isnt just physical goods; it can also be of ideas and information.))

Agian, I do hope that this makes it clear as to what I'm talking about.

Nope, that just raised a whole bunch of new questions and holes. Bottom line: you're asking for stuff none of the people on the forum know, so you're better off just sending Karbo a note or private message, and at the end of the day, it's not even important to know that stuff. You could just say that it's the same as we did in real life in the very old days, only instead of ships, it's interdimensional spaceships.

No, Black Hole Fragment, what you are saying isn't clear. It sounds like you're trying to devise a faction and want to portray the process by which they get in touch with the Magiocrats and get to trade with them. If so, given it's the crux of the fiction you'd be trying to write, that'd be something good to write up yourself.

Otherwise, let me try and pitch in. To start trading with Negav, you'd have to start small, gather something of a reputation so that the Magiocrats might actually think you're worthy of their time, then arrange a meeting in their offices and bring a lawyer. The rest would be just a game of pressure and sweetening the deal.

If you're interested in trading things other than information, tangible goods that aren't easily reproduced, well, we assume their trade is relatively unrestricted in Negav, so you can just set up shop there.

Stabs wrote:

No, Black Hole Fragment, what you are saying isn't clear. It sounds like you're trying to devise a faction and want to portray the process by which they get in touch with the Magiocrats and get to trade with them. If so, given it's the crux of the fiction you'd be trying to write, that'd be something good to write up yourself.

Otherwise, let me try and pitch in. To start trading with Negav, you'd have to start small, gather something of a reputation so that the Magiocrats might actually think you're worthy of their time, then arrange a meeting in their offices and bring a lawyer. The rest would be just a game of pressure and sweetening the deal.

If you're interested in trading things other than information, tangible goods that aren't easily reproduced, well, we assume their trade is relatively unrestricted in Negav, so you can just set up shop there.

I imagine the two easiest ways to get in good with Negav trade-wise would be...

1: Food: In Negav, and even in the Chomikai Commons surrounding it, space is at a premium. I don't imagine they can grow enough food in-house to feed everyone reliably. Being able to provide large amounts of food and essential goods in reliable shipments would probably be something of interest to the city. I always had the impression that the bulk of Negav's food supply is imported from offworld.

2: Weapons/Technology/Magical stuff: This is a bit more situational, but the Magiocrats know that they are surrounded by a world that would kill them if they gave it the chance, and not only that, they have a rival faction within their own city, armed to the teeth, and allied more out of convenience than true friendship. I imagine they would always be looking for new bits of technology they could buy for their own use and/or reverse-engineer, and/or modify, and/or enchant to enhance performance. Same goes with offworld magical stuff I imagine.

Thank you.

How long can Dryad go without food? I was curious becuase I was writing bio and in it I talked about the character going for years trying to stave off hunger using her root system and photosynthesis. I wanted to know if that was possible though.

I'd say a few months, or more. About as long as a tree can go without water.

Speaking of water, slug girls don't like salt. It hurts. How would a dryad react to being salted? That stuff goes right into the soil, and then into the roots, if unchecked. That's gotta smart.

Thank you I can now revise the bio. ^_^ As for salt personally from my own experiance with it, it's worse than weedkiller. Heck the stuff even rusts metal. I think even resilient Dryad would be sueverly injured if she got it on her. That being said I think it would take allot more than the bucket or bags of salt I used. After all most Dryad's are pretty tall so you may need at the very least a dozen drums to do any real damage and how are you going to deploy it? Better to just use Dryad-Away or Giga Weedkiller 999.