[Seven's Scrapbook!] Uncensored Aspersions

[Nixie]

Subject: [Seven's Scrapbook] Uncensored Aspersions

Alvadas Seasonal Thread Goals

11- Kiss someone passionately in the House of Broken Mirrors

I would volunteer for that, but I have a sneaking feeling that your already planning that with Victor. ;p lol That... and I don't know if Nixie and Seven will be enemies or friends yet. haha

[Seven Xu]

Actually.

ac·tu·al·ly
Adverb:
1 As the truth or facts of a situation; really: "the time actually worked on a job".
2 Used to emphasize that something someone has said or done is surprising: "he actually expected me to be pleased about it!".
3 Superfluous.

I would like to delete this word from my vocabulary, please.

[Seven Xu]

Something in Lhavit OOC just caught my eye, and now I have to rant about it.

Being that the foundation for my PC's early life is based on the less-than-satisfactory view of symenestra in Lhavit, I am adamant about this subject. I did a lot of reading and re-checking to make sure what I was doing was founded, when I made Seven nearly a year ago. Now, all of a sudden, people have a beef with it.

This opinion is all based on a quote from Zintila's lore.

Based in the lore of understanding and acceptance, Zintila's stars shine down on all and so long as that tolerance and racial diversity is accepted in Lhavit, her skyglass will stand strong. But there has been a warning issued, both at the city's creation after the Valterrian and along its rocky road to being a complete city. Whenever intolerance spreads - among its denizens or among her followers - then the Skyglass will fail and turn to dust, blowing across all of Mizahar in a snowfall of glitter.

Understanding and acceptance does not hold together physical material, but I won't nit pick--it could be a fable, it could be truth. It could be from a time when Zintila had any control over anything, because let's face it, if she can't protect her own city from a djed storm, what's to say she can level it when someone makes a snarky remark about a Widow? It sounds more to me like legend, passed down to promote the Lhavitian way of politeness towards foreigners. If that's the way it's supposed to read, it makes total sense.

To foreigners, they are hospitable, even amidst the harsh peaks of their environment, but they are not without dealing judgment upon those who threaten the sanctity of their city.

Okay.

The primary threat to Lhavitian society, however, is the proximity of Kalinor and the Harvest that the Symenestra carry out. Potential surrogates are often captured from Lhavit.

Potential surrogates are often captured from Lhavit. That sounds to me like those nasty symenestra are threatening the sanctity of their city. It's true that symenestra do not have the physical hardiness to sling women over their shoulders and drag them kicking and screaming from a city. The fact that they lure them away with kind words and promises does nothing to soften the ultimate blow, that they are, in fact, taking these women to their deaths. Now, if women are often taken from Lhavit in this manner, would Lhavitians not become aware of it, would they not look at symenestra with suspicion when they see them talking to a woman?

One more, and then I'll wrap my rant up.

... any race is eligible to play as a Shinya for the exception of Zith, Symenestra and Dhani.

For the exception of zith, symenestra, and dhani. Does that sound to you like Lhavitians are open and accepting of every race? Does it sound like they treat every single person that comes through their gates--or is born on their peaks--with respect? Has Lhavit been torn asunder and blown to the wind because of it?

All I'm really trying to say is, the lore backs up what PCs think and why they think it. No one should be getting out of sorts because Joe Lhavit hates Widows. They probably stole his wife, and he could give two fucks about loving and accepting them.

I feel like this may be the product of a city and an Alvina wrote by two different people. On a site as large as this, lore will contradict itself sometimes, and people can argue on both sides until they're sick. I'm going to stick with my beliefs, play my character as Lhavit's lore intends, and happily throw skyglass glitter in the faces of heathen Widows as I've been doing for the past year.

[Mirage]

As always I am impressed by your logic and reason Seven. Sometimes my views may not always agree with yours, but never can I say that I do not understand where you are coming from. Continue, and remember...

Question your Reality,
Mirage

[Elhaym]

I have to reply to this, because I also have opinions regarding this.

This quote…

Based in the lore of understanding and acceptance, Zintila's stars shine down on all and so long as that tolerance and racial diversity is accepted in Lhavit, her skyglass will stand strong. But there has been a warning issued, both at the city's creation after the Valterrian and along its rocky road to being a complete city. Whenever intolerance spreads - among its denizens or among her followers - then the Skyglass will fail and turn to dust, blowing across all of Mizahar in a snowfall of glitter.

… was not in Zintila's lore when Seven, or Lhavit was created. Obviously it is there now and must be followed, but I think…

Disclaimer: This is an opinion, and I am not saying this is why it was added or that any of what I say is fact or should be considered an explanation of the lore

…it was added to aid in the change of the city that is known in the lore as the Day of Discourse. When Lhavit was originally created, there was a very rigid caste system in place. Anyone who was born to a mother or father of the lesser caste was essentially doomed to be a tireless laborer or simpleton, while more noble houses (Dusk, Dawn, Twilight) were political forces within the city. This, along the predominantly asian NPC casting was not truly intended for Lhavit, but it happened. To correct this, certain steps were taken in the addition of this lore, the day of discourse, as well as the generalization of Lhavitian NPCs to not all be asian.

Now, as I said, it is my opinion that the quote from Zintila's lore above relates directly to the caste system. If the intention was that all races were to be treated fairly and equally in Lhavit, then there is a lot of serious contradictions that Seven pointed out. Let's face it; Symenestra are a threat to the city, and Dhani and Zith are not trusted. It is my opinion that while the city will tolerate their racial diversity, that does not mean they are loved, or even liked like a human or a Konti would be. The Shinya are there for a reason; if the city was truly a happy go lucky peace fest, we wouldn't need guards and everyone would just love each other no matter what they did. These races have their reputations for a reason.

I roleplay Elhaym with a very heavy anti-symenestra attitude and that stems directly from her exposure to Lhavitian people. She never cared about them before in Syliras, for instance. If there was a city on the edge of the jungle in Falyndar and the Myrians constantly killed people from that city, don't you think they would develop a slightly anti-Myrian viewpoint? (Just an example). This is how it is in Lhavit. It is the closest source of non-Symenestra for the harvesters in Kalinor to reach, and given that they can actually enter the city freely, probably the ripest when you factor those together. Whether or not women leave willingly or not, the Shinya know what most Symenestra are there to do. If they would purposefully turn a blind eye to the safety of their own city just because Zintila asks tolerance from them, then I think that's unrealistic. IMO, the Shinya would probably follow these races (Zith, Dhani, Sym) at a distance and always watch them if they could.

Anyway, I had to chime in since I spammed chat with my opinions before I read your scrap, and they turned out to be exactly the same essentially. >_<

[Gossamer]

. Response To quote George Orwell...."All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." To clarify this... Lhavit was never approved to have a caste system. It did, in fact, just show up one day uninvited and unwanted the same as the hugely asian stereotypical theme that was counter to what we agreed to let happen with a new city. It was also designed to be a welcoming place for all religions philosophies and peoples.. except those who have worn out their welcome by doing stuff that is counter productive to the good of the whole.. ie.. Harvesting or Feasting on its people as in the Zith and Symenestra situation. Dhani fall in there because well lets face it, no one particularly likes snakes as a whole. We rectified this. And I do and will reserve the right to make any in-game corrections that need to be made to keep Mizahar on the track I want to see it on. This includes making additions to my Gods and Goddesses or adding new ones. This is also probably why it will be a long time and under careful microscopic scrutiny before another new non-founder city is added or players are allowed to do writeups for the Gods etc. It's easy for one situation or one individual (or in this case two) to ruin the experience for the whole of the game. And of course, we were not without blame blindly trusting folks to do the right thing and then being shocked when they deviated. .

[Seven Xu]

Ain't nobody likes snakes.

It is an unfortunate thing that Lhavit got out of hand and off track for so long. I like that the past "version" of the city was not wiped from the history completely, but explained in-character, so that those of us that joined the site and chose Lhavit to base their character concepts on were not caught with our pants down. It even gave me reason to fuel Seven with more bitterness toward Ethaefal. Takes the guy a lot to grit his teeth and smile at those handsome, glassy-horned devils. I guess that makes him an abnormal Lhavitian in itself!

What I'm really trying to wrap my head around is an idea claiming there is absolutely no racism allowed in Lhavit, due to Zintila's nature of understanding and acceptance. The way people make it sound, Lhavitians look as if they turn the other cheek when symenestra harvest their wives/daughters/sisters because they're just so darn polite. Lhavit's a thriving cultural hub, a mix of people from all over the world and an air of xenophobia would be utterly counter-productive, but I think somebody somewhere got the wrong idea about just how protective this cultural melting pot can get when you start messin' with their ladies.

Thanks for clarifying otherwise!

[Seven Xu]

.
Bound

Sometimes you plan things for your character, and sometimes you don’t. This was one of those things that jumped up from nowhere in conversation (hey, what if this happened) when discussing the course of our storm thread. This is not something entirely in-character for either PC. The vows were ambiguous—though they meant no less. There were no witnesses, just a pair of bleeding, panicking men in a dark alley trying to make sense of their home being ripped asunder above their heads. A while ago, I would have thought this was a silly idea. I have more fun not planning complex plots in advance (see: fall). Sometimes ends have to be planned. But, the ride there is just so much more fun blindfolded.

Victor and Seven’s Chevas mark is an abstract bird enveloping a crescent moon; it shines a pale silver colour. They were marked after a short exchange of promises and admissions. I believe they are the first same-sex couple to receive a Chevas mark in-character (do not quote me on that, my research equals perusing the character sheets of Sira and Addy). I have no idea how this is going to affect my PC, or Victor’s PC, and that’s when I enjoy writing his story most.
.

[Aidara]

I feel so perused *squee*

[Roka]

In honor of your bounded-ness.

secrete :

'Daaawww.