Nature Faction 2: Electric Boogaloo

[Doubtful]

It'd be depressing if people gave up at the slightest threat of failure. Pursuing your current path will definitely lead to interesting RP opportunities and developments, it'll certainly open up avenues that wouldn't be available if characters did nothing at all!

As for the groves storyline, I'm a little cautious to go apple bobbing in that particular barrel of frogs. There's certainly no denying that the grove existed, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it needs to be dug back up. After all given that the mystifying hideyness of the grove (IE: non faithful people could never find it unless directly led to it by a faithful member of the grove) is now also corrupted and in control of Talona's puss filled brood, who's to say it'd even be found again?

Nobody likes to end a story with, "They all died or moved somewhere else. The End." The story of the Wardens of the Vale needs to have a proper ending before our characters can have reason to move on into the next story.

That tends to be the pretty much bog standard ending for the 'baddies' side in most stories. People are only unhappy with that as an ending when it relates to sympathetic groups.

[greypawn]

As there is not a great fit faction for Lathanderites right now, I would be happy to have Artemis serve as a bridge between civilized factions and the smelly hippie society. She already all about sunshine, the great outdoors, and the natural order.

While I agree that there isn't a great faction for Lathanderites right now there are options. The lawful good sorts fit fine in the Legion and the others fit alright in Exigo. Clerics of Lathander do bless new trade agreements and farmer crops which makes them a decent fit in Exigo. The Legion is in constant struggle with the Black Hand which gives Lathanderites a place within the Legion. Been debating putting Elliot into one of the two. Also, a not mechanically set faction is the noble house of LaCroix who has a Temple on his estate.

[Daimondheart]

As for the groves storyline, I'm a little cautious to go apple bobbing in that particular barrel of frogs. There's certainly no denying that the grove existed, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it needs to be dug back up. After all given that the mystifying hideyness of the grove (IE: non faithful people could never find it unless directly led to it by a faithful member of the grove) is now also corrupted and in control of Talona's puss filled brood, who's to say it'd even be found again?

Actually, even though my character was not a member of the Grove or even a druid, she was able to enter and leave the Grove by her own will after she was given a stone by Maia. I think the trick to entering was that you needed to have at least on Alexandrite in your character's inventory. And while I can certainly understand not wanting to get into it again with its history, that still leaves players with characters that were a part of the Grove to one extent or another out of the loop.

That tends to be the pretty much bog standard ending for the 'baddies' side in most stories. People are only unhappy with that as an ending when it relates to sympathetic groups.

True but this is the situation you run into when you're RPing in a persistent world where characters can be good, bad, chaotic, lawful, or neutral. It's never as simple as writing your own story or running a campaign with a single goal in mind.

[Valhalla]

True but this is the situation you run into when you're RPing in a persistent world where characters can be good, bad, chaotic, lawful, or neutral. It's never as simple as writing your own story or running a campaign with a single goal in mind.

I believe we prefer the term "evil".

[KingArthur]

So the way this is heading I assume the druids would be more 'lawful good'- instead of a neutral 'pursue there own goals' type deal?

[Daimondheart]

I can't speak for the druids. It's how Cora is, but she isn't Lawful Good either. She's just willing to respect the seemingly more righteous law of the Emperor and the Legion. Course, for all you know, Cora is really chaotic evil and just telling everyone with power what they want to hear.

[Raksha]

I think the intent is more to fill the 'good-ish nature and elfy faction' that a lot of players have been asking about. Mind you, though, that's heavily colored by both of the current characters working on the thing being Good servants of Good nature deities*.

*probably

[Valhalla]

Talos best 'nature' diety. <3 Vala.

[Daimondheart]

Personally, I'm hoping to find some sort of balance that would allow evil into the faction as well. Perhaps not blatantly evil, but I think a neutral or lawful evil character should be able to get into the ranks.

[Farmboy2003]

TBH it always annoyed me that there was so much potential for internal strife in the old faction, I could not see how the furies and the other two subfactions could get on with each other. You don't allow, say lurue and Tymora worshippers into the black hand as there's too much friction. The triad doesn't allow lathanderites as an example (I'm still not sure if that's personal). Even though the deities fit in the old example, it just seems like to much infighting - Why join a faction that's at odds with a third of it members?

As a long time elf player, I really wish to keep the elves out of this. I'm more interested in filling this gap for CG/nature themed characters. I'm sure we can find a place in it at some point.

[Doubtful]

Personally I'd raise an eyebrow and nod sagely at something like this:

1. Lathanderites and Sunites team up to fight evil and look fabulous while they're doing it. Add a few Sharessans (Eartha Kitt or Lee Meriwether styling is mandatory), and maybe the occasional Hoarite to act as the Straight Man.

2. House Ulsteris demonstrate their longstanding affiliation with the land, farming and it's people by building a big ass temple to Chauntea who just happens to be really into all that farming, people and land business. Super handily she's also like a major nature deity that bridges the Urban-Wild gap and has close ties to a bucket full of other nature deities making her the numero uno choice. Plus it expands on existing server lore. The temple could provide a rich bed for ideas to grow organically and cross pollinate with mental bees or something.

3. Elves. Elves deserve something cool and interesting, not being lumped together with a nature faction because you know all elves love trees and hugging bears, tigers, dolphins and all the other forest creatures. A while back I dropped some truly Anvilicious hints about a possible introduction for a group of elves, but no-one picked them up (fie on you all!). Personally I'd favour the introduction of a group of Evermeet Elves as traders and merchants*, selling pretty junk to humans and useful stuff to races that matter (IE: only other elves). Subfaction of ExiCorp would be my first choice because, you know. Traders. Also secret political agendas, because those things make me go all happy-noise.

4. Playable Lizardmen (would settle for a minotaur).


*all credit to Poltergeist for selling me on the elves as traders from Evermeet idea.

[sonuvalich]

Doubt, if you make kobolds a playable race I will fish all the tea out of Boston harbor and return it to the UK with an eloquent apology note and 237 years of back taxes.

[Farmboy2003]

1. seems a great niche, my (elf) undead hunter would fit nicely into such a CG faction.

2. I seem to remember someone in charge mentioning that there were more temples than taverns in Sundren, but yeah, not a bad idea.

3. I remember this idea, but it was also wrapped in a "hey lets change Sundren to the time of the sundering 1100 years ago or so", which was also very awesome in itself - This would cater to many elf players, especially those who use the craft system. I'm just not personally interested in it. Apart from the hidden elf agendas...

[KingArthur]

Doubt, if you make kobolds a playable race I will fish all the tea out of Boston harbor and return it to the UK with an eloquent apology note and 237 years of back taxes.

Na, lizard men are cooler.

[Nyssis]

3. Elves. Elves deserve something cool and interesting, not being lumped together with a nature faction because you know all elves love trees and hugging bears, tigers, dolphins and all the other forest creatures. A while back I dropped some truly Anvilicious hints about a possible introduction for a group of elves, but no-one picked them up (fie on you all!). Personally I'd favour the introduction of a group of Evermeet Elves as traders and merchants*, selling pretty junk to humans and useful stuff to races that matter (IE: only other elves). Subfaction of ExiCorp would be my first choice because, you know. Traders. Also secret political agendas, because those things make me go all happy-noise.

This is my personal opinion, but I see the introduction of tel'que'tethira elves and other races from the metropolis of Silverymoon more warranted than the xenophobic elves of Evermeet for the purposes of trade. Silverymoon guarantees a more easily protected entrance into the Sundered Vale through the gate and gives the Blackwood Company more stations to bring in revenue, as opposed to the pirate-infested Trackless Sea which cuts a lithic coastline around Sundren that would only benefit Port Avanthyr.

The Evermeet elves are superior sailors and are protected by Queen Moonflower, so they would have a more direct route for trade with the mainland, but the predominance of the sun elven clans on the isle are still reserved about humankind eons after Karsus' Folly. Silverymoon elves are more open to the other species and willing to barter. It also goes without saying that any elf from Evermeet would viciously want to splatter the Thayan Enclave due to the Red Wizards' past attempts to invade the island.

/toggleelf. Sorry for derailing the thread!