As an aside in a thread on the Dark Elf board, I said:

"I agree that it would be nice if characters could learn new languages. I don't think any of the current artisan guilds are appropriate for decisively bookish characters and it would be cool to see a scribe skill where one learns to make quills, books, stationery, and understand new languages. I suspect this idea would take an enormous amount of work to design and implement."

The possibilities go on: the ability to make writable books or open up new handwriting options come to mind. There are alternatives to the name scribe as well: scrivener, scholar, stationer. None of these, however, describe the skill itself: perhaps "diplomacy" would work to get both the language learning and writing skills in there. Maybe "scholarship."

Anyway, that's the idea. I think it's a good one that would add a great deal to the game but I am, of course, realistic about such a project being taken up.

Silvean's Player

>> I happen to have a wristlet which has a message written in dwarven. Although I am aware of several sorts of items which can be written on in-game, I am not aware of any way to write in different languages already known to characters.

Simply SPEAK <language> before you write. It will be written in the language you are speaking at the time.

-- Robert

"Wyrom isn't interacting with me, I think he is AFK scripting."

Huh. Cool!

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"What Kaldonis does on his off time is totally Kaldonis's business, dude." ~Scribes

>The writing system is very cool and one of the best roleplaying tools in the game.

This might be (yet another) derp question but, are writing media commonly available in the game? I am aware of several, but as far as ones to carry around and use, they are mostly sold at festivals, and so on.

From this understanding, I've basically avoided it at all, because I'd just run through my materials or fill my locker. I try to avoid dead ends as much as possible. (For instance, I purposely avoid cap...though I'm being forced towards it!)

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"What Kaldonis does on his off time is totally Kaldonis's business, dude." ~Scribes

>There's a stationery store on Illistim's Stearizza Var called Wax Eloquent. It needs some new merchandise but it has everything you need.

Cool! I might start playing with this a lot more.

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"What Kaldonis does on his off time is totally Kaldonis's business, dude." ~Scribes

Hi Valyrka,

Thanks for asking about the Wax Eloquent items. I'm primarily asking after them for other people interested in the writing system since I have altered utensils. Some easy ideas:

1. More paper options; paper can be dyed, so new store options should offer things that can't be achieved with dye, e.g. textures, material descriptions, etc.

2. Writing cases

3. More than one type of quill

4. Some back room stuff

5. New wax stick colors; can these be dyed?

6. Books to write in were available at EG last year at high cost; it would be nice to see an off the shelf option

More complicated ideas:

1. A way to make customized signets off the shelf from a list of options

2. A way to include illustrations in a letter

3. A way to add gold leaf, ribbons, or other embellishments to a letter either inside or externally

4. A way to change handwriting or ink

5. A way to write in reverse so that a letter could only be easily read with the use of a mirror

6. A code writing system requiring ciphers to read a letter

7. Invisible ink

The problem: The biggest problem with the writing system is that there is no way to get a letter into another player's hands unless it is hand delivered. I can't even get a demon to do more than drop a letter at a character's feet (assuming they're not under one of the many conditions that would keep a demon from finding them). The extent of this problem has been reduced by allowing letters to be written on externally -- this was a great change. I'm not sure if the player mail system was envisioned as something that would have worked in close connection with the stationery writing system. It's a nice idea but I'm sure it's a complicated thing.

Thanks, Valyrka. It's a neat store.