Xorus,
Let us begin.
I think you've read a lot of my parallel connections to demons in current Elanthia and a loose connection to Luukos, but the Unlife isn't the Undead is the jist of it. It's more of a demonic power like the Vvrael.
I know we've discussed this in email, but here is almost all of the in-game lore. I own a lot of the Shadow World source material, but I never played it and I can't interpret it like you do.
Here is the Phoenix Library
http://www.gshousephoenix.com/Enlightenment/Library/Library.php
Here is my discussion in 2011.
http://www.gshousephoenix.com/Society/Events/HouseEvents/DoU.php
The current Althedeus/Stone storylines since 2010 have tied into a lot of the House of the Rising Phoenix goals so we've always kind of rose to the challenge of combating evil so we've been heavily involved. Kenstrom has been cool in tying things across so Grishom Stone could be harnessing the Unlife or demonic power in general with the Star of Kharta as a trigger. This starts to explain some of Raznel's power, the mist and the Deadfall Forest or the blood trees.
I know a lot of it ties to blood magic, but I wonder...it all is interwoven nicely.
Thoughts everyone?
-Geijon/Jeramy
FIREPHOENIX
INIQUITY
Re: The Unlife
10/18/2018 11:00 PM CDT
The Vvrael was pretty clearly directly based on the Unlife concept. The Unlife is kind of a metaphor for the consequences of this extraplanar collective energy seeping into our universe and corrupting it. The Shadow World cosmology has "Existence" on a spectrum of Order and Chaos, with our material universe being a "plane of existence" on probably the lower end of ordered. The chaotic side of Existence is planes of demons, dark gods, and more chaotic essence. The [Liabo] Gods were from a higher order reality.
The furthest extreme is pure Anti-Essaence, the "heart of Chaos", which is anti-thetical to all the rest of Existence. That is what is called the Unlife itself, it cannot do anything but destroy everything else and is totally alien. It is described as a "collective energy" that is not a single intelligent entity and may or may not have awareness.
<<parallel connections to demons in current Elanthia and a loose connection to Luukos, but the Unlife isn't the Undead is the jist of it.>>
One of the major differences we have is that in that Shadow World setting, the Dark Gods do not have the same origins as the Light Gods. They are manifestations of "the chaotic aspects of the Anti-Essaence", meaning they are from "negative" or demonic planes further down the chaotic axis. They are inherently malevolent and wantonly destructive, and their followers are Evil Clerics who have different spell lists from Clerics. (e.g. Necromancy spells instead of Resurrection spells.)
[Luukos] is a necromancer in that setting, but it is a pretty minor detail. He's much more about soul devouring and ritual sacrifices. The Luukos => Undead thing is much more strongly asserted in the Elanthia setting. But if the religion is to be believed, the Arkati have the same basic origins. Though there have always been bases for interpreting the Lornon Arkati as having been corrupted by exposure to other worlds or great demonic entities. I think "unholy" power in GemStone (and ultimately proper "undeath" itself) still needs to be considered "demonic"/extraplanar/anti-mana in nature to be coherent. It's this old notion of "tainted", corrupted souls that need to be cleansed/purified.
<<Kenstrom has been cool in tying things across so Grishom Stone could be harnessing the Unlife or demonic power in general with the Star of Kharta as a trigger.>>
Grishom seems to have initially been acquiring his advanced knowledge and powers from Althedeus. Then he later corrupts the Star of Khar'ta with blood/shadow realm power. Blood I think has to be regarded as a medium or a store for power, but "the shadows" it seems to me are rightly considered an extraplanar demonic power. It is presumably what the oculoths are actually constituted from, maybe the dark vorteces/voidlings as well. Some kind of dark energy that corrupts its surroundings and who is exposed to it. We've seen player characters get the black vein effect from exposure to it. The Disciples of the Shadow get physical transformations, I assume that applies to Raznel.
It probably darkens the dispositions and makes people more violent/evil. That is basically the same as "evil essaence" in the Shadow World setting, which is darker/chaotic energy used for the Evil spell lists. The source book descriptions for how that works seems to be the origins of the "Dark Path" phrase as well as the "new source of power" phrase in the Broken Lands story. The GM is supposed to keep track of your corruption from using it. Eventually you hit a point where you are incapable of not being evil and the GM can veto your actions. In that setting only the Dragonlords and maybe some Lords of Essaence can use the Evil spell lists without becoming dominated by it.
- Xorus' player
Wehnimer's Landing Town Halls, Now With Authentic Frontier Gibberish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5Mr5eCF2U
The furthest extreme is pure Anti-Essaence, the "heart of Chaos", which is anti-thetical to all the rest of Existence. That is what is called the Unlife itself, it cannot do anything but destroy everything else and is totally alien. It is described as a "collective energy" that is not a single intelligent entity and may or may not have awareness.
<<parallel connections to demons in current Elanthia and a loose connection to Luukos, but the Unlife isn't the Undead is the jist of it.>>
One of the major differences we have is that in that Shadow World setting, the Dark Gods do not have the same origins as the Light Gods. They are manifestations of "the chaotic aspects of the Anti-Essaence", meaning they are from "negative" or demonic planes further down the chaotic axis. They are inherently malevolent and wantonly destructive, and their followers are Evil Clerics who have different spell lists from Clerics. (e.g. Necromancy spells instead of Resurrection spells.)
[Luukos] is a necromancer in that setting, but it is a pretty minor detail. He's much more about soul devouring and ritual sacrifices. The Luukos => Undead thing is much more strongly asserted in the Elanthia setting. But if the religion is to be believed, the Arkati have the same basic origins. Though there have always been bases for interpreting the Lornon Arkati as having been corrupted by exposure to other worlds or great demonic entities. I think "unholy" power in GemStone (and ultimately proper "undeath" itself) still needs to be considered "demonic"/extraplanar/anti-mana in nature to be coherent. It's this old notion of "tainted", corrupted souls that need to be cleansed/purified.
<<Kenstrom has been cool in tying things across so Grishom Stone could be harnessing the Unlife or demonic power in general with the Star of Kharta as a trigger.>>
Grishom seems to have initially been acquiring his advanced knowledge and powers from Althedeus. Then he later corrupts the Star of Khar'ta with blood/shadow realm power. Blood I think has to be regarded as a medium or a store for power, but "the shadows" it seems to me are rightly considered an extraplanar demonic power. It is presumably what the oculoths are actually constituted from, maybe the dark vorteces/voidlings as well. Some kind of dark energy that corrupts its surroundings and who is exposed to it. We've seen player characters get the black vein effect from exposure to it. The Disciples of the Shadow get physical transformations, I assume that applies to Raznel.
It probably darkens the dispositions and makes people more violent/evil. That is basically the same as "evil essaence" in the Shadow World setting, which is darker/chaotic energy used for the Evil spell lists. The source book descriptions for how that works seems to be the origins of the "Dark Path" phrase as well as the "new source of power" phrase in the Broken Lands story. The GM is supposed to keep track of your corruption from using it. Eventually you hit a point where you are incapable of not being evil and the GM can veto your actions. In that setting only the Dragonlords and maybe some Lords of Essaence can use the Evil spell lists without becoming dominated by it.
- Xorus' player
Wehnimer's Landing Town Halls, Now With Authentic Frontier Gibberish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5Mr5eCF2U
DMWCINCY
Re: The Unlife
10/21/2018 02:52 PM CDT
Just thoughts on Stone. He was originally part of the Arcane Eye and was making golems in Mestanir. It was never determined or given in the story if he started studing blood magic then or after he was a host with Athedues. It very well could have been that his ability with blood magic and seer powers is what got the entities attention but again only guessing. I always had the opinion Stone had his powers already and the entity only showed him how to be more powerful.
INIQUITY
Re: The Unlife
10/21/2018 11:51 PM CDT
<<He was originally part of the Arcane Eye and was making golems in Mestanir. It was never determined or given in the story if he started studing blood magic then or after he was a host with Athedues. It very well could have been that his ability with blood magic and seer powers is what got the entities attention but again only guessing. I always had the opinion Stone had his powers already and the entity only showed him how to be more powerful.>>
In his book, at least, he claims to have already have studied summoning but wasn't on his father's level. He ended up on the island after getting wounded by krolvin and tossed overboard into the arctic water being unfit for a slave, and the island pulled him to it when he called out, presumably because of his existing power and potential. Then his very advanced knowledge gets imparted to him through visions and dreams, and the island becomes a power source, letting him do the stuff on very large scales.
Coincidentally, I think this is how Bandur Etrevion from the Graveyard/Unlife story was acquiring his knowledge of the black arts, just less explicitly stated.
- Xorus' player
Wehnimer's Landing Town Halls, Now With Authentic Frontier Gibberish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5Mr5eCF2U
In his book, at least, he claims to have already have studied summoning but wasn't on his father's level. He ended up on the island after getting wounded by krolvin and tossed overboard into the arctic water being unfit for a slave, and the island pulled him to it when he called out, presumably because of his existing power and potential. Then his very advanced knowledge gets imparted to him through visions and dreams, and the island becomes a power source, letting him do the stuff on very large scales.
| Chapter 2 - "A Remarkable Birth" |
| For over ten years I dwelled on the red island, learning its secrets, harnessing its unbridled power, and strengthening |
| the bond it had made with me. It had given me life. It had immortalized my body and enhanced my powers. Having no true |
| voice, the living island spoke to me in the form of dreams and visions, imparting me with the knowledge of blood magic |
| beyond anything I could have imagined. To this day I have never fully gleaned the island's origin, for part of me |
| knew the answer would never be given, while the other part of me knew the truth. Was it a creation of the Drakes |
| themselves? Perhaps the trapped spirit of an Ur-Daemon? Maybe something else entirely. But it was ancient, and |
| it was confirmation of my father's and my beliefs. It was true power beyond the Arkati. |
| Chapter 3 - "Gasp of Life" |
| A master of summoning, my father knew no equals among our order of the Arcane Eyes. While I had studied all he knew, |
| I had never reached his heights until coming to the red island, where the use of blood magic allowed me to stand with |
| no rivals. Even my family's enemy, Elithain Cross, could not compete with the power I now wielded. With the art of |
| summoning and blood magic combined, I was able to call forth and gather the flesh and metal I needed, and then able |
| to bleed life into my creations. The island's power was endless, offering me an unlimited supply of energy to create |
| vast numbers of servants. An army loyal to me and my cause. |
| - Grishom Stone, "Beyond the Arkati" |
Coincidentally, I think this is how Bandur Etrevion from the Graveyard/Unlife story was acquiring his knowledge of the black arts, just less explicitly stated.
- Xorus' player
Wehnimer's Landing Town Halls, Now With Authentic Frontier Gibberish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5Mr5eCF2U
DMWCINCY
Re: The Unlife
10/22/2018 06:30 PM CDT
Yeah i keep forgetting about that book. I was going off the IG NPC knowledge and events. That said the question about Athedues still stands on when and why that happened to stone.
