Thoughts on Theice

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Kelne
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Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kelne » Mon May 08, 2006 1:19 am

Well, since I've been struck down by the flu, I figured I'd have a bit of time to put down a few thoughts that have been floating around in my mind for a while now.

All of this is, of course, subject to approval from Lex, and I've discussed none of it with her, so a fair amount may well fall by the wayside.

A few general things before I get started. I tend to shy away from such ideas as vampiric immunities, 'born' vampires and the like. Hence, all this represents a bit of a departure from the Theice concept as written.

Theician Culture

There are a few key things to remember when dealing with vampires - They are immortal, they hate are undead, and they are ultimately reliant upon the living for their continued survival.

In a nation where vampires rule, matters are arranged for their personal convenience, and for the good of the society as a whole. Of key importance is the matter of food. While the living citizens of Theice are willing, even eager, to shed their blood for their masters, they are only so many. Hence, limits on the vampiric population are maintained in a variety of ways.

Of course, no creature as egotistical as a vampire is going to put up with being told what they can or can't do, particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. So, while an indiviual vampire may of course gift whoever they like with undeath, they are expected to adhere to certain standards. Those chosen to become vampires should be superior to the herd in all respects, and a credit to their sire's taste. If a new addition to the ranks doesn't measure up, there is a distinct loss of face. The sire's reputation is damaged, and they may find themselves snubbed. What reflects badly on the individual also tarnishes the clan's reputation, and they may take... 'steps' to rectify this.

Of course, while this cuts down on the rate of new recruits, you do still get a gradual rise in the number of vampires. This is where internecine conflict comes in. By accident or design, there is a degree of enmity between the different clans of Theice. Most of the time, this expresses itself in sniping and one-upmanship, with perhaps the occasional duel between those who have seriously offended one another. On occasion, however, outright fighting in the streets will erupt. Such affairs are vicious, if brief. Although your average vampire would vehemently reject any suggestion that they cull their own, this is in effect what happens.

More to come, but I think I've got enough for people to begin commenting on. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kelne » Mon May 08, 2006 3:19 am

The Mortals

Far from being mere cattle who exist only for the benefit of the vampiric aristocracy, the mortals of Theice represent a vibrant, important part of the nation's culture. While it is true that mortals do all the drudge work necessary to maintaining civilisation, it is also mortals who create the best artwork, poetry and other such luxuries so beloved to their rulers. Likewise, a good part of the army is made up of mortals, even if the higher ranks are held by vampires.

Down through the ages, many of the most talented artists Theice has ever known have joined the ranks of the undead. Unfortunately, something is always lost during the transition. While vampires can produce endless variations or refinements of their previous works, the spark of true creativity is missing. This is a source of intense frustration to them, as they can remember what they have lost, and they are often intensely jealous of mortals. In all, it is perhaps best that such creative minds be allowed to live out their mortal spans. Not that such lessons are ever truly learnt.

In many ways, Theician society boils down to mortals imitating vampires imitating mortals. While the mortals are the source of creativity and change, they look up to the vampires, seeing them as the ideal to which they should all aspire. To attract the attention of a vampire is considered a great honour, whatever the means used to do so.

If the vampiric culture can be considered decadent, the same can be said of the mortal culture. Despite the paranoia with which Theice views the outside world, only the Elders remember those occasions when it has impinged upon their civilisation. The rest blithely assume that the border patrols will handle any incursions, if they give the matter any thought at all. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Zemyla » Mon May 08, 2006 11:51 am

Since this looks like the place for a question:

What role do other undead play in Theice, if any? Also, would mortals there study necromancy often? <p>-----
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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby pd Rydia » Mon May 08, 2006 8:17 pm

Neat. I was wondering when someone might do something with this. <p>
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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kai » Mon May 08, 2006 8:47 pm

I think Tara/BattleAccountant is currently gamemastering something related, but it may or may not be going right now. I think it was paused at one point. <p>-------------------------
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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Mon May 08, 2006 9:05 pm

I'm in it. It still is, till more info about Theice is nailed down. <p>

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby FF Fanatic 80 » Tue May 09, 2006 5:54 pm

Because they may as well get asked:

Is Theice entirely self-sufficient? Or do they trade at all outside their borders?

How do they view neighboring lands/kingdoms? IE: Avon and Baron for example.


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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kelne » Tue May 09, 2006 7:39 pm

Other Undead

Aside from the dracolich Igunza, Theice has no other sentient undead. Such beings might come to threaten the vampires' control over the nation, and the secrets of their creation are either long-lost, or carefully guarded.

Mindless undead such as skeletons and zombies are another matter. Necromancy is a respectable enough profession, though few of its practitioners display much art with their creations. If necromancers are respected, those making use of their creations are not. The undead require constant supervision and direction for all but the most straightforward and repetitive of tasks. Nor are they aesthetically pleasing. Living servants are the mark of true affluence.

Undead are used for hauling materials, mining, streetcleaning and the like, as well as making up the bulk of the Legion. Certainly they cannot be trusted with anything so delicate as farming. When their duties bring them out into the view of the public, the undead will generally work in daylight, a time when the vast bulk of Theice's inhabitants are asleep and unlikely to be inconvenienced by them.

The Necropolis

Situated in the hills above the city, the necropolis holds all of the dead of Theice who aren't presently walking around. While the living of Theice number only a few thousand, the necropolis contains a hundred times that number. Little of it is above ground, the dead being stored in endless niches in the catacombs below ground.

There is no reverence for this place. The greats of the Theicians are gifted with vampirism and remain among their society. The rest are simply forgotten, stored in this vast mausoleum against the day when their bones might be animated at need.

Each corpse, when placed within, is imbued with a measure of necromantic energy, to make raising it easier when the time comes. The presence of all this latent energy lends itself to the manifestation of ghosts, pitiful creatures who have themselves forgotten their names, but are made dangerous by their hatred and envy of the living. Only those schooled in the necromantic arts and those already dead can walk the catacombs in safety. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kelne » Wed May 10, 2006 6:55 am

The Legion

Dedicated absolutely to the defense of Theice, the Legion is, at least in theory, above the petty political squabbles of the various clans. Comprised of the living, vampires, and mindless undead, The Legion guards against incursions through the waste or by sea.

During Theice's early years, all citizens were expected to serve at least a year in the Legion. With time, however, that requirement has lapsed. While its strength remains sufficient to patrol the borders and deal with any interlopers who brave the waste, it is debatable whether the Legion could see off a true invasion.

Recruitment, at least, remains constant among the living. A career in the military is seen as a suitable occupation for a younger son, and the steady meal ticket makes it an appealing option for those among the poor who might otherwise have difficulty making ends meet.

In contrast to the decadence of Theician society as a whole, the Legion maintains strict discipline, and sets high standards for its soldiers. Whether vampire or human, a soldier's first loyalty is to the Legion, ahead of clan or family.

While mindless undead make up the bulk of the Legion, they require direction to be effective. And, to be frank, they are terrible combatants, lacking the coordination and initiative of the living. Living units provide a core of skilled soldiers who can take advantage of any weaknesses exposed by the relentless undead assault, and pack a serious punch.

During the hours of darkness, the living units will be led by vampires with the experience of centuries to draw upon, and perhaps even joined by full units of vampiric warriors. Few foes are a match for such a ferocious assault, and to fight the Legion in darkness is to face almost certain defeat.

Of course, the Legion has its weaknesses. For all that its soldiers are well trained and highly disciplined, it has been a long time since they fought a war. Additionally, their dead troops are highly vulnerable to holy magics. Nor do they possess cavalry. Theice is unsuited to supporting large numbers of horses, and the less said about skeletal steeds, the better.

Isolation, and not the Legion, is Theice's best defense against the outside world. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kelne » Sat May 13, 2006 8:46 am

Foreign Relations

Any Theician would tell you that they are completely self-sufficient, and have no need for the outside world. Nor do the barbarians beyond the borders have anything to teach this enlightened culture whose history stretches back further than any other nation in Igala. As a nation, Theice ignores the outside world, secure in the knowledge that it will not impinge upon them. In fact, their language has diverged to the point that they no longer speak common (although the Theicians would maintain that theirs is the uncorrupted ancestral tongue).

Of course some individuals, particularly among the Elders, are well aware that ignoring the outside world does not make it go away. It may not impinge upon them often, but when it does, the results are catastrophic. As a result, they have established a network of spies across Igala, most of whom are completely unaware of who they truly work for.

Any untoward interest in the Theicians' little corner of the continent is subtly (or not so subtly, on occasion) discouraged. In the event that somebody doesn't take the hint, the Legion will be expecting them.

Historically, Theice's greatest concerns have been their nearest neighbours - Baron and Gwa'Aag. History has taught Theice just how dangerous the orcs are when they're riled up, and they make very sure that any orcs who enter the wasteland never leave.

Baron, while no longer a warlike nation, has airships, which are a matter of some concern to the vampires. They would not be discouraged by the waste or by the rugged coastline if they decided to come calling. Additionally, the royal family are aware of Theice's existence, and have made it known through unofficial channels that they will brook no meddling by the vampires. Since neither side wants a war, and no airship trade routes pass close to the country, a mutual hands-off approach has held stable for quite some time.

Avon's recent emergence quite literally on their very doorstep is another source of worry. Demons are foes that the Theicians would have difficulty dealing with if it came to war, and they by no means believe this talk of having turned over a new leaf. Theice would like nothing more than for Avon to conveniently vanish from the face of Igala. Of course, any meddling would have to be carefully done, lest it touch off a war.

Currently, the vampires are playing a waiting game, in the hopes that Avon will somehow misstep in its diplomacy, though there is talk in some quarters of influencing the orcs to deal with the problem for them. Not that the idea of an orcish horde at their doorstep is particularly appealing... <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

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Kai
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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kai » Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:06 pm

Okay. So... it's recently come to my attention (and I do mean only recently) that this information was never actually confirmed, and that since we've already decided that all of LMB's info is no longer applicable, we as of right now have no information on Theice.

Not only do we not have confirmed information, but it wasn't actually made public that the nation was still in need of more collaboration/consultation.

This is a problem for a few reasons.
*I want to edit the Theice wiki. I need some kind of concensus before I can rightly do so.
*I wrote a twenty-page story taking place in Theice, and I want to know exactly what I may have unwittingly done to our canon.
*This is a problem on principle. There's no reason why we should have "national experts" who've got all the info on a setting and share it with no one. What good is the setting information at that point? It's the reason nobody but Shini GMs in Barius, and I'd hate to see it happen to Theice.

So. Whoever's got info, whether this be Kelne, Lex, BattleAccountant, or god-forbid, LMB... please post it. Somewhere? Please? <p>-------------------------
<span style="font-size:xx-small;">I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble. --John Wayne</span></p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kai@rpgww60462>Kai</A]&nbsp; Image at: 11/1/06 16:08

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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Battle Accountant » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:58 pm

What I do know about Theice, I learned from Lex. And pretty much, I just learned the basics: it's full of Vampires and zombies...that's it. So, for what I'm using Theice for, I pretty much used my imagination as far as what the land would look like, with X's help.

Wish I could be of more assistance, but X might be the person to contact about it.

I'd try emailing her...

:D
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Kai
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Re: Thoughts on Theice

Unread postby Kai » Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:39 pm

My main issue is that what I know about Theice came from Kelne's speculations. I thought they were perfectly reasonable (certainly more believable and thorough than existing descriptions), and still haven't actually been told what in here contradicts Lex's plans. So, I don't even know how much I know.

I don't have Lex's email and apparently instant messenger doesn't work, because I rarely if ever get a response.

This thread is up so that if she ever decides to get back to me, she can do so no matter who's online and when. She's been linked, and if she wants to share her info or opinions with people who want to use the setting, she can. <p>-------------------------
<span style="font-size:xx-small;">I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble. --John Wayne</span></p>

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*Sigh*

Unread postby Vampire Jester Jinx » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:03 pm

I feel that I am being greedy.

I did help create this nation, and even though brandon was a fuckwit, I am quite attached to it and do have ideas, etc.

However, being a senior in college with massive debt and a bit more of a life than I used to have, I do not have time. It's not fair for an oldbie who hardly contributes ever to hold onto this. I honestly wanted to feel I added something to this community, but the truth be told, if I wanted to do something like that, the time would have been a few years ago when life was less stress crazy.

I give up. Kelne, Ashley. Have it. Go nuts. I may or may not ever contribute. But that shouldn't bloody well hold anyone up. That said, you all don't have to come after me like blood hounds, as my online life has pretty much ceased to exist.


I'm not leaving the community, but due to things as is, my participation is likely minimal for awhile.

That's all. Revamp away!

I look foreward to seeing this setting decrapped.



Edited by: Vampire Jester Jinx&nbsp; Image at: 11/15/06 23:24


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