Cartography!

One of the limitations of working in a visual environment is that often times in roleplay, someone will hand someone a map or a document and it exits in the words only. We are planning a new campaign where we are starting from the maps and documents that I have in my library nd will be going from there to map out a new route to our final destination.  I started thinking that it would be nice to have actual maps to look at for this role-play.

I have always had a great fondness for maps, so I decided to try my hand at creating one and I am pretty pleased with how it came out.

 

“Running the Game”

I choose the name Running the Game for this post, as I want to give credit to Mathew Colville , an author and D&D mentor. He has a wonderful series of video on running D&D on Youtube, called “running the Game.  While I have been playing and very occasionaly running D&D since I was a young girl, I have found these videos to have given me a much better idea of what I am doing and why.

Recently I have been asked by several people to give them ideas on how to create roleplay for others. In a sense they are asking how do you DM a scenario. My first thought was to send them to watch the “Running the Game” series, but Mathew’s series of videos is based on the idea of running a table top game of D&D 5th Edition.  In second life we have the chance to great such elaborate visual environments that it changes a lot of what the DM does.  Instead of the DM creating the world as they describe it for the players, they are translating what the builder created for the players to the text based roleplay that we use.

You find yourself seated in a faery ring, a creature of stone and light appears before you. In the distance you hear the sounds of seagulls and pounding surf.

I have not yet mentioned the glowing portal that is found within the arbor of red roses, yet the players can see it. In a table top game the players would not know it is there until the DM mentioned it. In the visual atmosphere of second life where you can have sounds and light effects that draw the eye away from the goal.  Also having animations built in will tend to effect the player’s choices. The choice in the faery circle is to sit or kneel, with more kneeling choices than sitting.

The other challenge in our world is that all the time we are not adventureing is also available to roleplay. Hanging out in the tavern with friends, honing your skills and social events.

What Mathew’s videos are great for it giving you ideas about encounters and game mechanics.  In the first video he breaks down what an encounter is. He defines it as “An encounter is anything that stops the player’s forward progress and challenges them”

What I hope to do is take the basics that Mathew suggests and adapt them to our roleplay in the GA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Deep Roads Portals

This is a series of pages that are designed to spark interest in the deep roads portals role-play.  Currently within the environment of the great alliance, all planar travel comes with a 90% chance of death. Recently it has been discovered that within the deep roads are a series of portals that can be retrieved and set up. These pages are about other planes, and not necessarily the planes that will be chosen.

If you have received this note card or a link to this webpage
( https://wordpress.com/post/acaciarosefae.wordpress.com/527) You can consider yourself informed of the following.

There is a book that may have information that is useful. It came back from Faery with Cia, but will be in the Ithryn with Faulkes or Ivy at the healers hall((these will be going to those places soon, but are not there yet.))

There are portals in the deep roads, they are moveable gates. They are a danger to the continued use of magic on this plane.  There are forces of chaos working to try and acquire them.

there may or may not be useful information in the following documents. The Pages are written in Dwarven (the runes) and common, but an ornate and hard to read hand. (the two full pages) and drow in an elven script on the last.  OOC Information: The text in these is fairly generic and is supposed to represent notes on the topic.  The drow hand writing in red relates to the connection of what happened in faery and the deep roads

Personally addressed notecard holders- You would have an actual copy of these documents. That would be Queen Comet, Princess Ivy, Star, Nifredil, Juni, Myr, Kami, Kaella, Argolind, Ondine and Faulkes( who will have the entire book within the Ithryn Guild Hall, For Taure Ru, Elva’ree For Greenhaven Pelinor, for Lundene Sir Reginar, and Fur for Vana.

 

© 2017 Acacia Rose – All Rights Reserved

the brushes used to create this images were created by Obsidian Dawn

The Norse Pages

While these pages are for a specific role-play for  Najdin, they are certainly generic enough and contain information that other can use on a series of Nordic runes.

 

© 2017 Acacia Rose – All Rights Reserved

the brushes used to create this images were created by Obsidian Dawn

Folding the Golem

Acacia shuffled the papers on the table, both the carefully handcrafted paper from plants in Samar’s garden and the notes that she had made following her interview with the Magician. Setting the various spices out on the work table, and the ink that had come from her and Nifredil’s studies on perfecting an ink. The table had been cleaned and scrubbed, the area cleansed and hallowed. It was time. Picking up the feather quill she began to inscribe runes and drawings on the parchment. Everything she needed was set within reach.

Once the carefully inscribed ink was dry, She took a a knife, her amethyst atheme, and used the tip to slice off the unwanted paper.

Taking the top corner of the paper, she folded it down to the bottom corner, running her finger along the fold to crease it. Opening it again, she folded the paper in half sideways. Once this was done she flipped it over, Folding the paper in half, Using her finger to set the crease once more, and then folded it again in the other direction.
taking small pinches of the each of the spices set out she sprinkled the page with salt, cinnamon, lemonseed, onion powder and ginger root while
whispering the words the magician and taught her “Olirs Morthan Bathaor Gomgana Dir”

Taking the paper by the sharp folds she had created, she folded the top 3 corners of the model down to the bottom corner, running her had across to smooth and flatten it as she worked. Picking up three beeswax candles, she set them around the folded paper. Taking the paper she had cut away she twisted it tightly and used it to catch a bit of the flame from the fire burning under the cauldron to light the candles, whispering “Lathom Korak Gofan Jaloth”

She then folded the top triangular flaps into the centre and unfold bring the top of the form down, fingers running along the folds to keep them sharp.
Open the uppermost flap of the model, bringing it upwards and pressing the sides of the model inwards at the same time. This action she repeated on the back side of the model.

Folding the top flaps into the center on both sides, folding the resulting shapes up once more then pulling the paper out along the fold, she raises it to just before her mouth and breathes the words “Layok Kintor Yalum Manong” onto the model. She feels an odd sensation in her mouth but recalled this magican moving the bird through the flames of the candles at this point, so she did as well. She made a crisp fold that formed a head. She looked at the paper, breathing on it once more breathing out a purple and slightly sparkly smoke and the wings began to flutter, taking flight for a moment before settling down on her hand with a small chirp.

She smiled. It was done. Now she would be able to show the magician when she next saw him.

At the Edge of things, Becoming a Sage

Nifredil landed in the sands of a small island off the shore of Anar, he had not noticed this place before despite spending a majority of his time among the wilds of the Fae lands, and as his feet shifted through the soft white sand he approached where his friend was sitting perched atop a rock structure…”Vedui’ Acacia. It has been a while since we have talked last.”

Acacia had looked up at the soft sound of feathered wings approaching, and watched as her friend landed in the white sand. Lifting off from her perch she spiraled down to where he stood. “Miye Nifredil, It always seems like a long time between conversations, but that is because I enjoy them.” she dug her toes into the sand, reveling in the feel of the sun warmed sand. “Anar delights me, It always changes and yet stays the same.”

Nifredil watched as she landed softly before him, his head tilting slightly as she moved from her perch on the rocks…”I hope I was not interrupting anything.”…he would turn to look over at the horizon of Anar, skyline spotted with trees and mountains alike…”We have vastly different feelings when it comes to nature. You have a deeper affinity for the elements than I do.”

Acacia smiles, and reaches out a hand to him, while also reaching out for mental contact, “This is an edge place, The earth meets the sea here, the sky meets the earth, and the fire of the sun warms it all.” moving to stand at the very edge of the water, Sending through the link if it was accepted, *Let me share with you how it feels*

Nifredil would move with her as she also opened the link between their minds, he allowed her to take his partially gloved right hand as she lead him to the edge of the shore…”It is places like this that I did my very early practices with the elements myself, what I did…what I still do is in a drastic contrast to talking to them.”…he would closes his eyes for a moment to feel the warmth of the sun, the gentle cooling of the breeze against his skin, and his ears would twitch from the sounds that he heard around them

Acacia wrapped her fingers around his glove hand and opened her mind to him, as she trusted him, *Feel the balance here, there is a deep solid strength in the elements that does not exist in the power of the weave, That was pure rush and vitality, This has depth* Her mental words tried to explain the difference in the feeling between the two,

Nifredil would listen to her words, and attempted to recreate what she explained to him to do; only to shake his head in frustration as he responds telepathically..’I am sorry my friend. I can feel the well of power, and though the deity I was taught to follow by my mother is heavily rooted in the natural magics…I can not experience their depth as you do.”…his eyes would open to look at her as she hovered before him, her soft blue hand placed in his palm with her fingers hooked under the opening of his glove as he spoke again…”What you have developed is something truely special.”

Acacia blushed slightly. “I recall the night that I decided to pursue this path, It was while we were fighting the undead of the Monolith, When I was attacked, it was as if the water wished to fight them before I even touched the weave, I saw there the strength that came from having a willing ally in the elements.”

Nifredil nods to her slowly…”I have never truly been able let myself rely on such things. Gods, elements…it was not until recently I have allowed myself to trust in those around me in my life.”…he would look directly into her eyes as he slowly withdrew his hand from her, his arcane sight would peer deeply into the aura of magic around her before smiling softly at her…”You’ve more to tell me…”

Acacia took a deep breath, “Can you imagine combing the two, blending them to have the solid depth of the Elements with the wild power of the weave?” She let go of his hand to weave her fingers together. “The combination would be a fine thing, much as you have woven your classes together, to be both a user of arcane and divine magics,”

Nifredil would cross his arms over his chest, the edges of the hard leather curias he wore digging into his biceps to cause his veins to swell slightly, and the fingers on his right hand would rap lightly on his left arm…”The combination would be something to see, and something that I have never seen before.”…his head would lower till his chin tapped lightly against his breastplate…”And it sounds like a careful line that you will have to balance yourself along.”

Acacia holds one hand out to the left, “The wishes of the elemental lords, they are what create that depth, they must be honored and observed,” she held the other hand out to the right, “The power of the weave” she smiled impishly at him. “Or as some say, the power of the gods, It is a lot to balance, but when your suceed, it would be power and depth.”

Nifredil grins at her as she used his own words back at him as she explains the point of balance…”And are you the one that will find that balance, Acacia? Will you be the one to pioneer that path that treads on the line between evoking and commanding?”…he raised his head enough that he could look into her eyes once again as she stood before him with her arms spread wide

Acacia straighten her shoulders, and met his gaze, Bringing the two hands together in front of her, she spoke confidently, “I am.”

Nifredil nods to her as his arms slip from being crossed over his chest, hanging at his sides as the tip of each of his fingers touch the tip of his thumb…”Very well my friend. Then allow me to help you along that path as you helped me along mine.”…he would then take a step back from her, his boots sinking slightly in the sand as he lowers his head to her in respect

Acacia clasped her hands to her chest, as if holding something precious. “I would like it very much to work with you. to explore the bounds of what magic can do,. Thank you, the offer means much to me.”

Dawn’s Promise

It is the Fantasy Faire Time and the first sim I choose to wander was Dawn’s Promise, It seemed like a good name for a starting point.  I made many purchases including a new skin and outfit, and new particle effects.  Cole’s Corner is a favorite of mine, the creator of Song of Sakura, Midnight magic, and Eternal Flame

Song of Sakura

Midnight Magic, above and below, It comes in several different colors,
Eternal Flame and while I don’t seem to have an good pictures of them, Those who roleplay with me will recognize  my casting effects from the gatcha vendor in the slideshow.

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Song of Sakura

Model: Acacia Rose

Wings: -nea- Pixie Wings

Mesh Body: Lara by Maitreya

Skin:Seven Deadly Skins Taupe

Hair:TRUTH HAIR – Cuddles

Special effects:**CC** – Song of Sakura

Sim: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lundene Vana/14/61/22

Filling the Cauldron

About Filling the Cauldron (Republished from the Filling the Cauldron blog)

Elicio Ember is a brilliant Second Life creator and artist, known throughout Second Life for marvellous plants and designs provided through his Cerridwen’s Cauldron brand, his generous spirit and his involvement in events such as Fantasy Faire, where his region-wide builds are breath-taking in scope and vision.

Sadly, Elicio’s father recently suffered a serious stroke leaving him with neurological damage. Because of the medical situation in Mexico, where Elicio and his family reside, he and his sisters are faced with some serious medical expenses as Elicio explains.

To help the family meet these costs, we are excited to announce Filling the Cauldron, a week-long celebration of Elicio’s work in Second Life, with a coming together of musicians, artists and friends to raise money to help Elicio and his family.

Running from Saturday April 1st through Sunday April 9th, Filling the Cauldron will be a region-wide event at Holly Kai Park in the beautiful Blake sea. We will be featuring:

• Entertainment at the park’s main events venue
• An art show inspired by Elicio’s work
• An auction
• A special Design a Garden contest with a very special prize
• A photo contest with special prizes
• A merchant’s marketplace
• Cerridwen’s Corner – a mini-store of Elicio’s creations, allowing you to buy his items and visit his main store.

You can read more about the event in these pages, including – most importantly – how YOU can be a part of things. As the event dates draw near, we’ll be publishing a full schedule of the week’s events.

Filling the Cauldron is organised with the full approval and knowledge of Elicio Ember. Want to know who is behind it? Click here!

One of the Gardens was a maze, It had suggested light settings, I found it was hard to take good pictures, but it was a lot of fun to walk through.  At the heart of the maze was a Pavilion with  a lovely dance animation.

The Blood King – Driven Back

Acacia tightened the buckle on the strap of her quiver, adjusting the placement of the bow so that she could easily reach and draw it.  A stray beam of sunlight caught the dagger at her hip sending a rainbow of sparkles through the room as it reflected off the crystalline surface and the silver hilt.  The various rumors that had reached her played through her mind. the Sayter Dishan had been the first, and then the other mentions in the Tavern.  When Baelwhealar had mentioned that he had sent the rangerlord Jayded to investigate and she had not returned with word, it had become clear that something was amiss.

The flight to Lundene had been uneventful, clear skies and a wind behind her so her timing was good.  A flash of movement in the woods below her caught her eye. Cautiously she spiraled down to see who was moving in the woods below her.  Landing on a thick branch in a large and spreading oak she smiled to see a pack of wolves moving through the woods.

Calling out to them in the language of fae and druids, *Brothers of the hunt, can you tell me…*  The look in their eyes as they turned to face her caused her to pause. She looked from where she stood on the branch to the ground, She should be higher than they could jump, but she drew her bow.  Standing her ground, arrow nocked, but bow, held to the side, she tried again. *Brothers of the hunt, I am not your enemy*  The only reply was a low growl, a clear challenge.  The largest of the wolves lept at the tree, his claws gouging deep tears in the bark of the tree. She felt the tree shudder beneath her, but she was reluctant to draw on a wolf, even ones that were clearly saw her as a snack and nothing more.

She leaned back into the tree, reaching out and feeling the water of the earth spreading slowly up in to the tree, the bright green earth energy of the tree. Keeping her eyes on the wolves as they tried one after the other, Lifting their heads and howling in rage at each miss, she spoke softly, “Green grass, binding vine, around these wolves twine and wind” She pictured what she was asking, the vines and even the grass to wind around the wolves.

Vines and grass sprang from the Earth winding around the legs of the animals, quickly ensnaring the smaller and weaker of the pack. The larger beasts great leaps made them difficult targets for the vines. The trapped ones opened their mouths to howl, but the tone was different, and this she could clearly understand. It was a call, a call full of vehemence and hate.

Her attention turned back to the vines, repeating the spell, “Green grass, binding vine, around these wolves twine and wind” She felt the same reluctance to hurt or hinder the wolves that she had for shooting them.  The elemental forces knew that the wolves were one of their own, and while they were trying to kill her, they were were acting to their nature, they were hunting. Something had driven them, for this was not the honorable hunt she associated with wolves.  It was then that the first bat struck her, knocking her from the tree. Her wings reacted without out need of conscious thought, and she sailed upwards narrowly missing being caught by the  snapping teeth of the largest wolf.

She turned sharply in the air as she caught sight of a bat heading towards her wings. This placed her shoulder in the path of the bat and it hit teeth and claws tearing into the soft flesh. The scent of blood seemed to drive the wolves into a greater frenzy. Using her bow, she swung at the bats, knocking away from her. One fell only to fall prey to the pack below.   She felt the sharp pain of another bat biting into her leg.  Seeing that the bats circled around her, she landed on a higher branch, and melted into the tree. Slowly and painfully, moving from tree to tree until she was to the very edge of the land. She emerged, and heard a howl of a wolf nearby. She could not tell if it was one of the pack, or a different one,  but it mattered little, so she lifted from the tree, flying across the sea towards home.