Been a long time since I used my scrapbook mainly because I didn't have a specific purpose in mind for it. Finally, after far too long, I have an idea. So, I have done a lot of behind the scenes development in the way of Lore; Gods, Goddesses, Gnosis and Organizations as well as Races just to name a few. I've tried hard to make it so that there is little question as to my intended vision for the things I have developed. Unfortunately, the difference between intent and reality is oftentimes great. Thus, I am going to start posting my own perspective on my various creations and hopefully give everyone some insight into what I had envisioned for them. It is my hopes that perhaps I can clear up any misunderstandings or misinterpretations that may exist in relation to any of the things I have worked on.
I will begin with probably the most misunderstood (from what I have noticed), Rhysol, The Black Sun and The Ebonstryfe.
Rhysol
Before Mizahar opened for play, the Founders were busy coming up with all sorts of ideas for things they wanted to include in the game. It took some time to bring all these ideas together but for me, I wanted to address Evil. We had quite a few gods focused on many aspects and domains but when it came to the "dark" gods, I wanted to create on that stood out from the typical evil deity. At the time, I had around 15 years of gaming experience, mainly tabletop fantasy RPG's and had participated in other online fantasy games while reading countless fantasy books. Throughout it all, I rarely saw evil gods portrayed in ways that suited my own idea of what evil was.
First, let me try to define my idea of true evil. To me, evil is not mindless killing for the sake of killing. It isn't even killing for joy or doing so because of some mental defect. I can break it down into two aspects that are somewhat tied together. First, evil is doing something that may be perceived as horrible by the majority of others (the majority outside of the immediate area of influence) but doing so either because you genuinely feel you are doing the right thing. Evil is also doing something perceived to be horrible by the majority of others and doing so because, in your own mind, it is simply a means to a greater end. You may or may not take joy in those means, but it is the end that is most important.
This brings me to Rhysol. I wanted an evil god who was evil not because he wanted to do terrible things just for the sake of it but because he had greater goals that were more important than the little pieces that made up those goals. To mortals on Mizahar, they shouldn't be able to fathom or even come close to understanding the motivations of the greatest of evil gods. So, in my mind, I began creating this being who commanded the domains of Chaos, Betrayal, Corruption and ultimately, Evil.
Breaking that down, let's take Chaos. For me, chaos in itself, IS NOT evil. It IS unpredictability, instability, uncontrollable and everything that is not ORDER. When you take an ordered system and drop a little bit of uncertainty into it, it becomes unstable. Drop a few more elements of uncertainty into that system and it soon becomes uncontrollable.
Betrayal. Betrayal is the breaking of trust, the crushing of faith and the splitting of one's belief into shards of disbelief. In the end, this creates a great amount of uncertainty and breaks a routine thus the injection of chaos into an otherwise ordered (in some way) system.
Now, Rhysol. Rhysol enjoys chaos. He revels in uncertainty and unpredictability. Most mortals crave a routine, an order to things. They want to know what is going to happen next because such a mindset is comfortable and safe; it gives them a sense of control. Rhysol can't help but break that routine. He is like a kid with an extreme case of Attention Deficit Disorder mixed with a hit of acid. Appearing before someone who has momentarily drawn his attention, he may lay down horrific corruption upon their body, twisting them into terrible monsters just to see what is created out of it and what the thing will do next. Another time, he may appear before someone who has drawn his attention, someone who he might be expected to harm simply to do the opposite of what they may expect and give them a boon. His reasons for doing anything are up in the air and hard to pin down but often it is simply to see what happens next.
As for betrayal and corruption, Rhysol uses these to break cracks in the surface of order and peace. Corrupting mortals, twisting their perspectives from one thing to another, breaking their bodies from their normal order of shape and function, it comes back to chaos, uncertainty and instability. Betrayal accomplishes similar things but on a more subtle level. The best forms of betrayal come about by the breaking great amounts of trust developed over varying lengths of time; usually the longer the better. The shock to the order of things is thus much greater.
Through his influence; spreading corruption, inspiring betrayal, breaking the perception of reality, Rhysol touches the darkness within the mortal heart and draws out the evil inherent therein. In my mind at least, it is not Rhysol who is directly evil, it is those whom he touches who have their own evil awakened. Thus, through his deeds and influence, Rhysol inspires evil in others which makes him, as far as I am concerned at least, the ultimate evil. Thus my nickname for him, The Defiler.
Now, this next part is where I think it gets tricky for people. Rhysol doesn't actively want unpredictable followers. While sometimes such a thing can spark his fancy, it isn't the norm by far. He doesn't want the psycho-murderer type as they are too limited in potential. He doesn't want the criminally insane because they aren't functional enough. Rhysol wants followers who are more-or-less predictable (respond to "normal" stimuli with "normal" responses). He wants followers who are at least moderately intelligent and who can act on their own without him having to hold their hands. He prefers those who have been significantly betrayed in some way or have had something happen in their lives that has broken their faith, crushed their spirit or otherwise made them question their own perception of what is normal; what is real. These are the kind of followers who have a natural insight into what it is to betray and be betrayed. They are the ones who have been corrupted from what they were into what they are now. They are the ones who are uncertain about their own lives and their own existence. These are the people who are more apt to choose to follow Rhysol and in turn are the people more apt to be chosen by Rhysol.
Now, how does the city of Ravok, in general, view Rhysol. Well, to begin the answer to that, we need to first look at what Rhysol does for the city. Perhaps the most directly felt, well-known boon that Rhysol gives to each and every person living in Ravok, native citizen or outsider, is the weather. Ravok does not experience the extremes of weather as it is almost always moderate. There is the perfect amount of rain, cold, warmth and sun at all times. Thus, even the poor and homeless do not fear the wrath of the elements.
Via the Temple of the Black Sun, its priests and priestesses and The Voice, every citizen in Ravok hears about the greatness of Rhysol. Children are taught from the earliest age of comprehension that the outside work is dangerous and wild. The city of Ravok, in the center of a small inland sea, is protected from the terrible reality of danger that exists in the outside world. In large part, this is true as there are countless dangers in the surrounding wilds and few who venture off on their own, live to tell the tales of what they experienced. It is also emphasized in the lives of citizens that because they are citizens of Ravok, they are protected from the dangers outside the city as well as from the dangers that find their way into the city. This takes the form of citizens having more rights (even slaves) than visitors and non-citizens. Even slaves are often treated better than outsiders in many instances. Propaganda floods every aspect of life in Ravok; propaganda that elevates Rhysol, The Voice, The Black Sun and The Ebonstryfe to grand proportions. Those who try to openly voice dissent against any of these entities, are often dealt with by the citizens themselves. If the dissident becomes too troublesome, they simply vanish thanks to the Ebonstryfe.
