New Dragon Elements / Element Additions!
Nov 19, 2018 1:18:56 GMT -6
Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 19, 2018 1:18:56 GMT -6
I've always thought it'd be cool to have some more esoteric elements to dragons, and after a great deal of mod discussion, it is my pleasure to announce that finally, we do! Each loosely attuned to a different plane of existence, exotic dragon breeds have additional flavor to their magic to hopefully enhance the roleplay experience.
Lore wise, each of these elements has always existed, but is exceptionally rare; the vast majority of dragons are naturally attuned to an element of Elibe. Given the inherent mental influence that each exotic element can have on its user, many dragons of these elements have burnt out, gone berserk, or gone mad early, but those who mastered their element often reached unusual heights. So there is a certain level of concern leveled by other dragons, but unlike dark mages in Etruria, there is no widespread hatred or being hunted down for it. Most younger dragons, especially non-Arcadian dragons, have literally never seen an exotic elemental dragon, and non-Arcadian dragons are unlikely to know they even exist.
While mostly untested since the Scouring forced the entire race underground, in the olden days it is said that powerful dragons of any element could gradually refine their spirit to harmonize with one of these elements as well. Though few do; Arcadian dragons rarely pursue strength, while those that do tend to live short lives in a hostile Elibe. Ultimately it is a personal choice - some dragons believe it is disrespectful or wasteful to split one's attention and attenuate their soul to multiple elements at once, while others believe it is the mark of a great spirit or simply practical in combat.
Umbral dragon magic is parasitic in nature, feeding on emotion (any emotion, positive or negative); sort of like how human dark mages pay the Nether with their feelings but entirely internal. You can 'pay' it with positive or negative emotion, but the more you feel the easier it is to unleash your power.
Astral dragon magic is more synergistic, both strengthened by emotion but also strengthening it in turn; they coexist and harmonize - which can be bad as it crystallizes strong beliefs, see: Etruria, but also lends itself well to striving to protect something important and building incredible strength of will.
Arcane dragon magic is entropic - there's a negative feedback loop between it and emotion, each cannibalizing the other for power; it both strengthens existing feelings but also tears them apart and twists them, a violent force of raw inchoate change. Think of Nergal - someone forgetting WHY they needed all that power.
Mechanically speaking, exotic elements function identically to a 'normal' dragon - there is no explicit bonus, you don't get skills earlier, you are NOT stronger than an equal level Ice dragon, etc. It's just a roleplay flavor thing.
There are two ways to obtain an exotic element;
Lore wise, each of these elements has always existed, but is exceptionally rare; the vast majority of dragons are naturally attuned to an element of Elibe. Given the inherent mental influence that each exotic element can have on its user, many dragons of these elements have burnt out, gone berserk, or gone mad early, but those who mastered their element often reached unusual heights. So there is a certain level of concern leveled by other dragons, but unlike dark mages in Etruria, there is no widespread hatred or being hunted down for it. Most younger dragons, especially non-Arcadian dragons, have literally never seen an exotic elemental dragon, and non-Arcadian dragons are unlikely to know they even exist.
While mostly untested since the Scouring forced the entire race underground, in the olden days it is said that powerful dragons of any element could gradually refine their spirit to harmonize with one of these elements as well. Though few do; Arcadian dragons rarely pursue strength, while those that do tend to live short lives in a hostile Elibe. Ultimately it is a personal choice - some dragons believe it is disrespectful or wasteful to split one's attention and attenuate their soul to multiple elements at once, while others believe it is the mark of a great spirit or simply practical in combat.
Umbral dragon magic is parasitic in nature, feeding on emotion (any emotion, positive or negative); sort of like how human dark mages pay the Nether with their feelings but entirely internal. You can 'pay' it with positive or negative emotion, but the more you feel the easier it is to unleash your power.
Astral dragon magic is more synergistic, both strengthened by emotion but also strengthening it in turn; they coexist and harmonize - which can be bad as it crystallizes strong beliefs, see: Etruria, but also lends itself well to striving to protect something important and building incredible strength of will.
Arcane dragon magic is entropic - there's a negative feedback loop between it and emotion, each cannibalizing the other for power; it both strengthens existing feelings but also tears them apart and twists them, a violent force of raw inchoate change. Think of Nergal - someone forgetting WHY they needed all that power.
Mechanically speaking, exotic elements function identically to a 'normal' dragon - there is no explicit bonus, you don't get skills earlier, you are NOT stronger than an equal level Ice dragon, etc. It's just a roleplay flavor thing.
There are two ways to obtain an exotic element;
- At 500 posts dragons can pick one extra element of their choice (normal or exotic). And yes, that means your Fire dragon can pick up Ice to be a Steam dragon, or Wind to be a Smoke dragon. No limits, just what your creativity can make sense of.
- You can use a Black Ticket to start as an exotic elemental dragon. Again - no mechanical bonus. It's just for fun (and special snowflake status).
The cap on elements is two; rainbow dragons need not apply.