Mojena

[Shadoweagle]

***************NOTICE***************

New SECTION added:
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Nethermyst Races
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See post after Myths section.

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[Shadoweagle]

I'd like to suggest an animal...

Brachyurus
These animals are massive, bristly-furred wolfs with silvery-white fur. They stand about 6 feet tall at the shoulder. As on regular wolves, the thickest fur of a Brachyurus' coat is above and around the shoulders. On a Brachyurus, this shoulder ruff is constantly "up", as if the creature were angry. Their howls are eerie and carry for miles. Brachyuruses are vicious and territorial, and live in packs of five to seven, led by an alpha female.

Nice

.....

Edit - [Mojena] - Overview. Key: *
Edit - [Mojena] - Flora and Fauna. Key: ***

[Iain]

A very interesting setting. Can I suggest a plant?

Sea Mojenlar

This gargantuan plant is actually not related to the great Mojenlar tree; in fact, it bears almost no resemblance to it: rather, its name has been given due to its size and dominance of the oceans in the same way that the Mojenlar dominates the land.

Sea Mojenlar is a large leafy sea weed, resembling the giant kelp but far larger and thicker. Growing in huge, dense forests which may be hundreds of miles from one end to the other, the Sea Mojenlar can grow in a depth up to 2 1/2 miles of sea water, its vast stems and thick leaves cutting out all light from the lower regions. Similar to the forests on land, the upper canopy of the Sea Mojenlar makes a rich ecosystem, however, there is very little life much below surface. The lower portions of the plant is simply a thick, flexible "trunk"; the upper portions are covered with wide, thick fleshy leaves and air sacs. The tangles are so thick that it can be extremely difficult to sail a ship through it (though it could be done).

For some reason, Sea Mojenlar does not grow in shallow water. It can, however, crawl over land; an isolated rocky island in deep water might have its lower shore totally covered with Sea Mojenlar (which can grow at up to 2 feet per day); some smaller islands are totally covered. A becalmed ship would require the crew to be daily cutting back the growths.

P.S. As a random fact; Captain Penguin, did you know that "Brachyurus" means "short tailed" and there are several species on Earth called it? Maybe brachyuruses have shorter tails than regular wolves (as well as there other interesting features).

[Shadoweagle]

Not bad at all, Iain Thanks for the suggestion.

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PM to strolen, regarding necromatic magic

I caught your conversation with manfred after I left, last night, So I thought I would try and help clarify for you

09:39:58 [Strolen] I am looking for a reson to become a necromancer and I don't see the pull for it besides being evil...which doesn't give a lot of motivation.

-First, these people don't worship Ophreal to get necromatic powers, they worship him so in the next life, Ophreal rewards them. The necromancy is just a bonus.

09:40:24 [Strolen] I guess control over the dead is a pull.
09:40:39 [manfred] Learn about things from "the other side", literally.

-Necromancy, though generally 'evil' has a lot of uses which could be far FROM evil:
*Summoning an undead to save a family from a dangerous creature, without risking ones own life.
*Talking to the spirits of dead animals in the same way the druids could talk to the spirits of the trees, and learn things about the future
*Blinding/confusing a creature to make your escape
And so on.
09:40:57 [manfred] Immortality, not to forget this one.
Yes - Studying the dead will also give longevity over life, divulging secrets of the other world. There won't be immortality as such in this world, but the 'under' people will certainly have a longer life span.

09:41:58 [Strolen] Immortality. OK.....sick of all the shiny happy people looking for another power. It is a tough once since they have to catch animals which seem to be pretty rare.
09:42:24 [Strolen] I think it would be rarer then elementalism then probably.

No, you do not understand - how is hunting for some creatures so much more difficult than hunting for a rare plant. First, the druids have to BRAVE the creatures to get TO the plant, then the plant itself may be poisonous or hostile in some way. Necromancers can just set up large pit-traps and check on them once a week, they will have caught a variety of creatures! And it doesnt matter if they have been killing each other or not, because all necromancers need are the ingredients, not the animals. One more thing: these people will be USED to bieng underground. They will be able to see in the dark, and they will know their surroundings very well, not to mention the haunts of certain animals, plus what those animals strengths and weaknesses are. The only problem they may have is collecting feathers from a bird in the treetops

09:45:59 [manfred] Thirst for Knowledge is always a great motive.
09:48:14 [manfred] Now, even a shaman is a necromancer in a way... he speaks with the Dead (ancestor spirits), and can ask them for favours.
09:48:51 [manfred] So why such upheaval if you make corpses serve you?
09:50:57 [manfred] It's almost the same thing...
09:51:33 [manfred] And if you don't believe in any afterlife... then there is no problem.

What he said

09:53:17 [Strolen] I'll buy that. It is just the difficulty vs. return investment I was looking at. Judea worshippers are magic heavy, everyday occurance almost taken for granted. I would think they could get quite powerful. So why turn to this dark art that requires difficult hunts for rare animals (that are still scholar wizards after all, not rangers) just to command a few dead? I was looking for the key hook to draw in more necro recruits and I am not so sure that I am convinced entirely on the why.

Necromancers are also magic-heavy, everyday occurance things, and they would get quite powerful as well. They would simply use their spells for different things. Druids tempt their crops to grow with druid magic, and necromancers hunt food with offensive spells. Also, 'powerful' in the sense of this world for druids, means bieng able to make several trees grow at once, though useful, its nothing outrageous. But if used properly, it can mean the difference between life and death (entangle a dangerous creature by making some vines grow at an accelerated rate, wrapping around its legs and bodice.)
And as said, for necromancer, its no more difficult to hunt for creatures as it is for druids to hunt for plants, because they have lived down there for generations and know what they are doing.

09:54:06 [Strolen] There has got to be a key ingredient that provides the pull that life goddess can't provide.
09:54:22 [manfred] Creating eternal servants...

Creating eternas servants
better defence
longevity

But one thing I dont think you are realising, Strolen: These people have lived down here for generations upon generations. Necromancy and worshipping Ophreal is all they know to DO! It isnt as though they migrated down from the trees a few years ago and suddenly decided "Oh, I might as well give Ophreal a try!" Why not ask your same question from the necromancers point of view (just imagine for the moment that they are the focussed on people for now, and the treetop people are the rumored people)
*Edit:Shadoweagle* 09:54:06 [Strolen] There has got to be a key ingredient that provides the pull that the death god can't provide.*/Edit*

09:57:12 [Strolen] The servants have to have some kind of intelligence though....vampires popped into my head for some reason..

Zombies/skeletons/basic undead for menial tasks. Ghouls for relaying messages safely to another town (they can glide straight through whatever danger there might be) Vampires for a bit of intelligence with the undead power (Raising a vampire would be something only the most powerful of necromancers could do). And so on.

09:59:03 [manfred] Maybe looking for a way to create an artificial soul? Something the gods have no "copyright" on?

Yes. Piecing together flesh/claws etc from many different beasts would be an interesting experiment that necromancers could do. "Create the perfect creature"


10:00:10 [Strolen] There is something with what you are saying but I still feel unsatisfied.

One last thing to realise, and this is OOCly. Necromancy isnt for everyone. Why do some people go warriors? Rogues? Chaotic? Lawful? It depends on taste. You may not think this complete, others may

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I'm aware there may be some holes in my setting. Please be aware, though, that I STARTED this just a week or so ago, Im still working on it, looking for errors/ideas that don't work (Such as the fact 220 thousand people would be extremely difficult to live up in the treetops. Ive refined to 22 thousand [Thanks Manfred ])

So please bare with me while I add to it and work it around. of course, a lot of things I say don't make much sense anyway

All the same, I DO appreciate if people point out errors. I mean, how can I fix it if i don't know it's THERE!?

[Shadoweagle]

No, you do not understand - how is hunting for some creatures so much more difficult than hunting for a rare plant. First, the druids have to BRAVE the creatures to get TO the plant, then the plant itself may be poisonous or hostile in some way. Necromancers can just set up large pit-traps and check on them once a week, they will have caught a variety of creatures! And it doesnt matter if they have been killing each other or not, because all necromancers need are the ingredients, not the animals. One more thing: these people will be USED to bieng underground. They will be able to see in the dark, and they will know their surroundings very well, not to mention the haunts of certain animals, plus what those animals strengths and weaknesses are. The only problem they may have is collecting feathers from a bird in the treetops

Just adding to this

Animals can be hunted: searching for scent/landmarks, disturbed trees, tufts of fur, shed scales and so on. They can also be heard. Plants have to be SEEKED, not hunted. There is little tell-tale signs to say you are in the right area for a certain breed of plant to grow.

All in all, I think it would be EASIER for a nethermyst denizen to gather ingredients for spellcasting than it would be for Druids to find theirs.

[Strolen]

But can't druids plant their own? Once they find them and they are used for spells, can they just grow a garden? Can't say no to all the different plants...if they are just plants. They will find ways to keep them from dying, but I can understand maybe if their were other limits. Going to have to figure out some of those because if magic is common....gardens would probably be too.

[manfred]

And still a little bit more to Necromancy.

Magic can be divided in many ways, and one is around the problem of healing. The "common" magic, with all its funky special effects and versatility, cannot really heal. The other kinds, even druidic magic, and all the clerical stuff are able in this regard (to various degrees, of course).

A little exception to that "common" magic is Necromancy. It is Necromancy that deals both with living and dead tissue most intimately, and so Necromancers would be the most qualified as healers. Even without godly support, they may be able with their magic to positively influence the sick and wounded. Sure they have not those great spells like Cure *** Wounds, but their understanding may be much deeper.

The only problem they may have is collecting feathers from a bird in the treetops

What about a secretive nightly expedition into the Above? Where come all those stories about ghosts crawling around in the dark from, anyway?

[Shadoweagle]

But can't druids plant their own? Once they find them and they are used for spells, can they just grow a garden? Can't say no to all the different plants...if they are just plants. They will find ways to keep them from dying, but I can understand maybe if their were other limits. Going to have to figure out some of those because if magic is common....gardens would probably be too.

I suppose Druids COULD plant their own glades for many ingredients, even though necromancers can do this to an extent, making pens for certain animals. This won't be done as easily as druids gardens, but all the same, it would be simpler than hunting. Some plants could be extra sensitive to sunlight, or need moisture only an estuary or marsh could provide, so some may not be able to be planted (Which still leaves the good ol' Hunt for rare ingredient that only grows in X place in the world, for healing some rare disease etc...).


And Just to give a bit of organisation for Manfreds post

Healing

Elementals: Cauterise wounds(fire), restore fluids/cure dehydration(water), little else, barring a few more minor things.

Druids: Exceptional in healing disease and mental effects, using various ingredients as catalysts for healing spells.
-Cure disease
-Cure poison
-regain stamina
-Close wounds via dramatically increasing the natural healing process of someone.

Necromancers: Exceptional in healing physical ailments, as they have great knowledge of physical makeup of biengs.
-Cure cramps, some forms of blindness etc by redistributing muscles/bones to proper alignment
-Close wounds by manipulating the flesh, promoting tissue repair. stitches wounds together, more than closing them over.

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I like the idea of the nightly expeditions:

Hanala walked slowly along the long, rickety boardwalk at the edge of the treetop town, enjoying the night sky and listening to the sounds of the nocturnal Mojenian Krilling owl. Abruptly, one of the owls' hootings cut off with a strangled 'squee', and the rest of the forest goes quiet for several seconds, before continuing its sounds. Hanala gasped softly to herself and peered out into the forest.... nothing... But wait! A flash of a pair of bright eyes glaring at her, and the outline of a thin humanoid creature, before... nothing... Whatever it was, is gone now...

[CaptainPenguin]

Diving Herons-
A species of heron which dives into rivers to gather fish.
Some communities have trained diving herons to retrieve fish to supplement their diets.

Bark Burrowers-
These are giant maggot-like worms, about the length of a grown man's arm. They are a blight on the forest, devouring tunnels in the wood of the trees.

Heart Wasps-
Heart Wasps are massive bees that nest in large ground hives. They are about the size of a human torso.

Fetching Jackanapes-
The Fetching Jackanapes is a small, intelligent monkey that is trained to gather fruits and other foods for villages.

[Shadoweagle]

Diving Herons:
I like Though perhaps they are difficult to train, and take years to be perfected or something, so they are more of a rare commodity. These can then be sold for large amounts, as they are such a benefit.

Bark Burrowers:
Not bad. This could lead to a myth of how the underground world (which is yet to be explained) came about - The mother Bark Burrower, who was as large as the mojena tree, and three times as thick, burrowed for years, underneath the world, creating the caverns

Heart Wasps:
This can refine 'looking for a needle in a haystack', into 'looking for a coin in a Heart wasp nest!'. A good idea, and very dangerous for mojenians and nethermysts alike (A powerful necromatic spell requires the venom of a stinger of a heart wasp - who is game to brave an entire nest of them to get one!?)

Fetching Jackanapes:
Im not sure about this idea, especially if the Mojenians can make glades just below their villiages, which is fairly safe. Perhaps they can be harvesters for the glades, however, picking fruit that the people grew themselves

[Strolen]

They really do have birds in some asian countries that are trained to retrieve fish. They are taught from birth (hatching?). I am pretty sure they have something around their neck to keep them from swallowing the fish though. A steel ring or a rope when they are going to go fishing.

On that same note, other birds (hawk-like) could be another huge past time as another source of food. There has got to be tons of birds perhaps. Maybe a special larger breed of bird that is perfect for hunting, and perhaps can capture some tree born animals.

[Shadoweagle]

Been a while since I've worked on Mojena, time to pick up the slack a bit

Edit - [Mojena] - Nethermyst Races. Key: *
Edit - [Mojena] - Locations/Terrain. Key: *
Edit - [Mojena] - Magic. Key: ***
Edit - [Mojena] - Locations/Terrain. Key: **

[CaptainPenguin]

BUMP!

[manfred]

On that same note, other birds (hawk-like) could be another huge past time as another source of food. There has got to be tons of birds perhaps. Maybe a special larger breed of bird that is perfect for hunting, and perhaps can capture some tree born animals.

How about using birds for guarding? I see little place for "common" guard dogs here, but a bird would be perfect. Among the countless sounds a forest of this size produces, there should be a bird with an unusual, perhaps deep voice, that alarms its owners of strangers approaching. It would be well fed, as they can't spot all dangers. On the other hand, it is usually killed first in secret nightly raids...

[CaptainPenguin]

BUMP!

I could see warriors who are trained to use birds as weapons- it'd be like falconing, except instead of sending the birds to hunt, you send them to attack.