THE ESSAYS
First of all, Happy 516 AV! With the turning of the Watchtowers this season, we are entering the second phase of the essay contest. You will be eligible to vote for only one of the essays, so be wise in your selection! PM me with whichever you decide.
Izuyanai :
I see Lhavit as the city that rose above the Valterrian, both literally and figuratively. The early shamanistic peoples that founded Lhavit were struck heavily by the cataclysm just like the rest of the world. However, with the help of the patron gods(goddess) they managed to rise above the destruction into a unique and flourishing culture among the mountains of Kalea. I believe that this city also serves as a symbol of hope and steady defiance against the destruction by lifting up the Alvina that sacrificed so much for the world. Zintila may have lost much of her power and glory but I think it is inspiring that in Lhavit, she is closest to her stars and that one day may regain her place among them. The city is rightfully revered as "The Star of Kalea".
I also noticed the positive influence Lhavit receives from the gods and from magic. This may delve into the realm of personal opinion, but to me Lhavit is one of the few cities that has mastered/been blessed with a positive relationship concerning the above. Magic may be a doubled edged sword and can bring as much harm as it can good. However, Lhavit seems to have discovered this fine balance and flourishes as a city of magic, philosophy, and scholars. The gods have gifted Lhavit with valuable building material known as skyglass and hearty animals such as the Okomo. The Star of Kalea to me, is a beautiful representation of the good magic can bring.
As for daily life, I imagine the city is always alive with something somewhere. Lhavitians devote themselves to work and aspire to realize their full potential. They are hardworking and polite but love to play just as much. Their roots in shamanistic culture open their eyes to the changes in season, night and day. They celebrate these things with unmatched enthusiasm because they see the beauty and importance of nature.
For me as a writer, I was immediately drawn to this city when I first came upon it. To tell the truth, I couldn't believe I'd found such a perfect city because it expertly incorporated aspects of my real culture. Not a cheap ripoff, but something unique and well adjusted to the world of Mizahar. I was sure I wanted to write in it because it was something familiar in a new and challenging setting, if that makes any sense.
Last of all about the development of my PC and of Lhavit. My PC is here to learn and grow. I feel like Lhavit is a nurturing environment for scholars and magicians. The dual nature is something symbolic to my PC though she may not recognize it to be. As for Lhavit, I'd like to see it continue to prosper on the foundation it has built for itself. I believe that it can serve as a guiding beacon of knowledge and skill in the rebuild after the Valterrian.
I also noticed the positive influence Lhavit receives from the gods and from magic. This may delve into the realm of personal opinion, but to me Lhavit is one of the few cities that has mastered/been blessed with a positive relationship concerning the above. Magic may be a doubled edged sword and can bring as much harm as it can good. However, Lhavit seems to have discovered this fine balance and flourishes as a city of magic, philosophy, and scholars. The gods have gifted Lhavit with valuable building material known as skyglass and hearty animals such as the Okomo. The Star of Kalea to me, is a beautiful representation of the good magic can bring.
As for daily life, I imagine the city is always alive with something somewhere. Lhavitians devote themselves to work and aspire to realize their full potential. They are hardworking and polite but love to play just as much. Their roots in shamanistic culture open their eyes to the changes in season, night and day. They celebrate these things with unmatched enthusiasm because they see the beauty and importance of nature.
For me as a writer, I was immediately drawn to this city when I first came upon it. To tell the truth, I couldn't believe I'd found such a perfect city because it expertly incorporated aspects of my real culture. Not a cheap ripoff, but something unique and well adjusted to the world of Mizahar. I was sure I wanted to write in it because it was something familiar in a new and challenging setting, if that makes any sense.
Last of all about the development of my PC and of Lhavit. My PC is here to learn and grow. I feel like Lhavit is a nurturing environment for scholars and magicians. The dual nature is something symbolic to my PC though she may not recognize it to be. As for Lhavit, I'd like to see it continue to prosper on the foundation it has built for itself. I believe that it can serve as a guiding beacon of knowledge and skill in the rebuild after the Valterrian.
Ornea :
Light never goes out in Lhavit. Life always goes on, night and day. I find this special; light never goes out. I see Lhavit as one of the main hubs of hope and light in a Mizahar.
About uniqueness. This city was NOT created by humans ! It was created by gods and by magic, in a place where only gods would be able to build a city, and it was shaped to resemble the world of the deities. And to me this is what makes it truly unique. Founded by gods, constructed by divine magic that shapes the skyglass, Lhavit sits on the high peaks in all its magical beauty, like a constant reminder of how the magic power of the gods exceeds what mere humans can understand or do.
The legend about Lhavit is like a wishful dream about a peaceful place of endless beauty where life is always easy and everything is perfect. A fairytale.
The real Lhavit is a many faceted city where people live totally real lives and deal with a lot of things, just like people in other cities in Mizahar. “Less is more” is the ideal here. The Lhavitians own little, work hard and enjoy life just like it is. Their happiness is due to their mindset. They love modesty and effort in Lhavit. New arrivals who expect to find a lazy life in luxury are in for a big surprise.
Quite a lot of Lhavitians become shinya monks. The massive Shinyama Monastery which dominates Shinyama peak holds nine hundred shinya, and they constitute ten percent of the population of Lhavit. The monks are peaceful, but the shinya are actually warrior trained wizards, specialized in the personal magic named flux, which makes them some of the foremost fighters in Mizahar. Shinyama Monastery holds the biggest and most disciplined group of wizards in the world.
Lhavit by day and Lhavit by night, both are essentially about light, as I see it. It’s never completely dark in Lhavit. The bioluminescence, another unique thing for Lhavit, creates a surreal atmosphere at night. The plants are glowing and so is other life in the city. There’s also other illuminations, lanterns and candles. Lhavit’s night is glittering, exiting, intriguing, beautiful and mysterious. In calmer areas it can be dream-like, silent, with the sounds of nature. In the places where people gather to socialize it’s crowed, intense, energetic, the air full of exited expectations. It can also become boisterous, unruly, chaotic, once in a while dangerous. The excitement of the night comes with some risks, but the shinya patrols are doubled and ready to intervene if needed.
This doesn’t mean it’s a big city. The houses can be big and impressive. But the population of Lhavit is only about 9000 people. I imagine the majority of the people in Lhavit to be born and raised there.
Daytime. Ships dock in the port. Goods is transported up to the city on okomos slowly climbing up the steep path to the gates. Other things, like big loads of rice from the fields along the river, meat, fresh fish, or things that are too heavy and bulky for an okomo to carry is lifted up by the pulleys at Sharai. Everywhere in the city and the areas around it, it’s as busy as in an anthill, with a constant traffic of pedestrians, cart and okomos over the bridges as well as on the streets of the peaks. All the people are working diligently. They may rest once in a while, and have a cup of well deserved tea or a glass of okomo milk, or food, but there is always more work to and they will soon be busy again.
When it’s festival time there’s processions along the streets, decorations, special food, song, dance and music, rituals, festive atmosphere and all the other things celebrations can be about, religious or mundane. Celebrations can sometimes go on all day and continue into the night.
What does the city mean to me as a writer? I spent far too long time writing this long essay, and am reluctant to erase some of the ramblings. I guess that may be an answer to the question. I like to write here. Ornea was made for Lhavit.
My PC is interesting to me of course, but I don’t think of her as the centerpiece of Lhavit. She is simply one of many people living there and fits into the city as a hardworking crafter. The work as metalsmith at Lucis opens new horizons of knowledge for her and provides her IC with real or imagined obstacles and risks to deal with and fight against. She is industrious and ambitious, interested in her job, and used to living without luxury. In that way it’s pretty easy for her to become assimilated in Lhavit. It’s worse with other parts of her Inarta mindset and style.
I never write high powered characters. I’m not looking to get a lot of power and limelight for Ornea. What I like is to send not so advanced PCs on adventures that challenges them and let them cope with this as best they can.
Exactly what my hopes, goals, dreams and fears for Ornea are is hard to say at this point. I’m just going with the flow for a while. I have started to write a little bit and find it fun.
Ornea IC dreams about advancing at Lucis and Lucis of course. Her longtime wish is to be not only the metalsmith of Lucis but the apprentice of the master gadgeteer, and she can see herself be as skilled as he is, in a vague future, someday. OOC I feel no need to get her there and have her do a lot of amazing things, to me it’s just something for the PC to IC strive for.
Development is fine. Changes and additions are of course totally natural. A city needs to be alive. But I want Lhavit to stay Lhavit. The diamond of Kalea. I want “the soul of the city” to be kept intact.
About uniqueness. This city was NOT created by humans ! It was created by gods and by magic, in a place where only gods would be able to build a city, and it was shaped to resemble the world of the deities. And to me this is what makes it truly unique. Founded by gods, constructed by divine magic that shapes the skyglass, Lhavit sits on the high peaks in all its magical beauty, like a constant reminder of how the magic power of the gods exceeds what mere humans can understand or do.
The legend about Lhavit is like a wishful dream about a peaceful place of endless beauty where life is always easy and everything is perfect. A fairytale.
The real Lhavit is a many faceted city where people live totally real lives and deal with a lot of things, just like people in other cities in Mizahar. “Less is more” is the ideal here. The Lhavitians own little, work hard and enjoy life just like it is. Their happiness is due to their mindset. They love modesty and effort in Lhavit. New arrivals who expect to find a lazy life in luxury are in for a big surprise.
Quite a lot of Lhavitians become shinya monks. The massive Shinyama Monastery which dominates Shinyama peak holds nine hundred shinya, and they constitute ten percent of the population of Lhavit. The monks are peaceful, but the shinya are actually warrior trained wizards, specialized in the personal magic named flux, which makes them some of the foremost fighters in Mizahar. Shinyama Monastery holds the biggest and most disciplined group of wizards in the world.
Lhavit by day and Lhavit by night, both are essentially about light, as I see it. It’s never completely dark in Lhavit. The bioluminescence, another unique thing for Lhavit, creates a surreal atmosphere at night. The plants are glowing and so is other life in the city. There’s also other illuminations, lanterns and candles. Lhavit’s night is glittering, exiting, intriguing, beautiful and mysterious. In calmer areas it can be dream-like, silent, with the sounds of nature. In the places where people gather to socialize it’s crowed, intense, energetic, the air full of exited expectations. It can also become boisterous, unruly, chaotic, once in a while dangerous. The excitement of the night comes with some risks, but the shinya patrols are doubled and ready to intervene if needed.
This doesn’t mean it’s a big city. The houses can be big and impressive. But the population of Lhavit is only about 9000 people. I imagine the majority of the people in Lhavit to be born and raised there.
Daytime. Ships dock in the port. Goods is transported up to the city on okomos slowly climbing up the steep path to the gates. Other things, like big loads of rice from the fields along the river, meat, fresh fish, or things that are too heavy and bulky for an okomo to carry is lifted up by the pulleys at Sharai. Everywhere in the city and the areas around it, it’s as busy as in an anthill, with a constant traffic of pedestrians, cart and okomos over the bridges as well as on the streets of the peaks. All the people are working diligently. They may rest once in a while, and have a cup of well deserved tea or a glass of okomo milk, or food, but there is always more work to and they will soon be busy again.
When it’s festival time there’s processions along the streets, decorations, special food, song, dance and music, rituals, festive atmosphere and all the other things celebrations can be about, religious or mundane. Celebrations can sometimes go on all day and continue into the night.
What does the city mean to me as a writer? I spent far too long time writing this long essay, and am reluctant to erase some of the ramblings. I guess that may be an answer to the question. I like to write here. Ornea was made for Lhavit.
My PC is interesting to me of course, but I don’t think of her as the centerpiece of Lhavit. She is simply one of many people living there and fits into the city as a hardworking crafter. The work as metalsmith at Lucis opens new horizons of knowledge for her and provides her IC with real or imagined obstacles and risks to deal with and fight against. She is industrious and ambitious, interested in her job, and used to living without luxury. In that way it’s pretty easy for her to become assimilated in Lhavit. It’s worse with other parts of her Inarta mindset and style.
I never write high powered characters. I’m not looking to get a lot of power and limelight for Ornea. What I like is to send not so advanced PCs on adventures that challenges them and let them cope with this as best they can.
Exactly what my hopes, goals, dreams and fears for Ornea are is hard to say at this point. I’m just going with the flow for a while. I have started to write a little bit and find it fun.
Ornea IC dreams about advancing at Lucis and Lucis of course. Her longtime wish is to be not only the metalsmith of Lucis but the apprentice of the master gadgeteer, and she can see herself be as skilled as he is, in a vague future, someday. OOC I feel no need to get her there and have her do a lot of amazing things, to me it’s just something for the PC to IC strive for.
Development is fine. Changes and additions are of course totally natural. A city needs to be alive. But I want Lhavit to stay Lhavit. The diamond of Kalea. I want “the soul of the city” to be kept intact.
Alses :
I love Lhavit.
Best to clear that up in the first moments. I have said in the past that the decision between placing Alses in Lhavit versus Sahova came down to a coin toss, and that’s certainly true, but she’s grown and developed over four years in the starry city and to a great extent it has shaped her, exerting pressures both subtle and great, ones I’ve seen coming a mile off and those which have crept up into my subconscious and down into my typing fingers without me ever being aware of it, until I looked back with hindsight and nostalgia on old threads. Alses would not be who she is and with the values she holds today without Lhavit.
Lhavit is special and wonderful, a fantasy city of light and beauty and grace in a harsh and unforgiving setting, and there’s something about it which wends its way into your heart and that of your characters and never quite lets go. Indeed, we have players returning from the hinterlands of Mizahar to the city again – even if Alses would prefer they didn’t; Brandon, I’m looking at you! – and whilst our ST turnover has been high for as long as I’ve roleplayed here, we’ve rarely actually been without one entirely – indeed, the latest changeover has seen our own fair Elysium returning from the depths of Real Life to take up her old mantle once more.
Lhavit, then, to me, is a city of people who are, when the chips are down and the balloon goes up, optimists. In a setting where we have the militant Knights of Syliras, the boiling cesspool of Sunberth, the dead hand of Alahea clinging on in Nuit-infested Sahova and the decadence of Kenash – built on the back of lives in chains – Lhavit is a simple triumph of the everyman; people muddling along as best they can, clinging to the dream of things getting better and – crucially – working to make that happen. It doesn’t matter if that person is a mage in one of the Towers, a farmer on the Sharai, a glassworker, a smith, a gadgeteer – all are welcome, free to make their success by the toil of their minds and the sweat of their brow.
And they do; there are no beggars in Lhavit – everyone works in some capacity or other, and this is the city that – perhaps uniquely amongst Mizahar’s settlements – never sleeps; a sort of drifting half-somnolence during the Rest bells is perhaps the closest it reaches, and even then there are still citizens going about their business in the streets, or laughing, chatting, spending time with their families and making the next generation of Lhavitians, to name but a few things the busy denizens of the Diamond get up to. Watching the city – no matter the bell – is an activity that would seldom get old. There would always be something new and interesting to see; a new building being raised by the devoted Constellation, the citizens dashing to and fro about their business, Morphing classes taking off from the Twilight Tower, fireballs rising like fireworks into the sky from the Dawn Tower, even the play of light through the city would be different and fresh each time.
Lhavitians are industrious, no doubt about it, raising an architectural marvel from the unforgiving peaks of Kalea, but whilst they work hard, they also play hard. Carousing, debauchery of all kinds, drink, drugs and a heady celebration of success are all par for the course in some of the more fun-filled festivals that adorn the Lhavitian year, serving as valuable pressure-release mechanisms and as a way to keep spirits (and the birthrate) high in the long, cold Kalean winters.
It is a city of light and air and magic, splendour and architectural delight amongst the dizzying spires of the Unforgiving, and I think the simple nature of Lhavit as a haven is a powerful draw. Yes, the clean streets and plentiful squares, the polite Shinya guards, the playing fountains and frequent festivals might hide a darker side – but it’s just that; hidden, and hidden better than in many other demesnes. Some of the attractions, then, are easy to see; Lhavit is a beacon of hope, both herald and archivist of a more civilised time, and a city where the rule of law is – outwardly, at least - respected and applied with care and finesse rather than a plate-gauntleted fist.
To those who like to play a less combat-oriented character, everything from a shopkeeper to healer to politician and spymaster, somewhere where violence is held at some remove has a powerful attraction. In part, I think Lhavit appeals because it is – in its way – militantly cerebral. This is not to say that violence is unheard of in Lhavit: it exists, of course, most particularly when the city is raided by the Zith, but it’s nowhere near as central a fact of everyday life in the Diamond as it is elsewhere. The cut and thrust here is of debate, not sharpened knives in the night; Lhavit favours discussion over death. Indeed, when a denizen of Sunberth wants to prove a point he does it on the cooling corpse of his adversary; a Lhavitian will wield words in the arena of the Basilika and retire for a convivial cocktail afterwards instead – and that’s something we should celebrate.
Lhavit does a very good job of projecting its own perfection and civility, and those stories of the perfect glowing glass city atop its five peaks only grow with each booze-fuelled retelling in taverns and around campfires across Mizahar. Even its own citizens buy into thelie dream, and pride themselves on their sophistication and culture. Of course, Lhavit isn’t perfect – far from it – but crucially, many of the flaws and rivalries and divisions between its factions are hidden beneath a thick coat of etiquette and rainbow skyglass. Indeed, few people – much as with the city’s patron race, the Ethaefal – bother to look past the glowing façade to see the weakness within, but it’s there all right, and in many ways the worse for being hidden. Lhavit is, for all its apparent strength and serene invulnerability, a couple of meals and a dark night away from barbarism.
There is also something of a hidden darkness to the Lhavitian character; these are the citizens, we must remember, who bought and sold people; the suffering of slave chattels is burned into the walls of the Ethereal Opera where they were sold to the rich and free, and their bones still crunch in the old tunnels from Port Tranquil to the city. Whilst such things no longer occur and are against nearly every law in the Diamond, the fact remains that Lhavit was a centre for the trade in flesh, a sordid past sufficiently recent that former slaves and slaveowners both coexist – perhaps uneasily – on the shining streets.
As to where I think Alses fits in the city…somewhere near the top
. She’s a Synaborn Ethaefal, one of the city’s precious few, and is therefore both indulged and put on a pedestal in equal measure. Alses, like others of her race in the city, finds that pedestal and that regard – and the accompanying expectations – difficult, at times; it is akin to a suit of armour she shrugs on every time she steps out of the confines of her home: protection and yet also distance in one.
She’s well thought-of in Lhavit, and not just the automatic regard every Ethaefal gets; Alses is a powerful and wealthy sorceress in several disciplines, and has never been found wanting when her city has called to date, even when it’s meant risking her life or going far from Syna’s light. Lhavit has been good to her, and she in turn seeks to be good for it – hence her forays into politics and governance. She’s certainly in the upper classes these days – such as they are - although perhaps not as close to the lofty pinnacle as she, in her 3am soul-searching, might like or covet.
Thinking about my hopes and dreams for Alses…well, first and foremost: survival. She is not, and never has been, a warrior, soldier or any form of skilled combatant; just as books and magic hold no interest for many people, pointy bits of metal and beating one another over the head has no attraction for her. This perhaps puts her at something of a disadvantage in Mizahar, where even the scenery can on occasion be out for your blood, but it’s a key part of her character, particularly since she’s keenly aware that immortality does not equal invincibility.
Secondly…a pretty crown, so she’ll be Glitterhorns in truth . I shall elaborate no further!
In terms of where I should like to see Lhavit develop…I think a key thing which is missing or at least marginalised from the city is industry. Obviously not on the scale of Sultros or anything like that, but it’s something which has always irked me in a low-grade kind of way…I know Lhavit isn’t renowned as an industrial centre and that’s never going to be its purpose, but there should be something.
Lhavit sits in Kalea, a region that has more than its fair share of orogenic excitement and general tectonic turmoil; that means minerals and ores should be abundant and often close to the surface. I would like to see some mines and quarries in the closer peaks; something has to supply Touch of Fire with its raw materials, and ditto for the jewellers of the city! Perhaps there could be kimberlite pipes riddling the peaks and the Diamond of Kalea could be literal as well as figurative . After all, there has to be somewhere (or several somewheres, for variety and verisimilitude) to supply the city’s hunger for sparklies! I’d totally invest in a diamond mine…although black opals are obviously best gem 
.
There’s been a lot of focus on the mages and the upper class of Lhavit – the two often being synonymous – and in many ways that’s been understandable, but I’d like to see the opportunities for the middle classes explored a bit more, the shopkeepers and artisan crafters, the clerks and accountants and administrators. The grinders and polishers, as it were, rather than the movers and shakers. How do they work in the city? Are there rivalries? Alliances? Are there guilds or proto-guilds or is it every shop for themselves? Or something entirely different? Are there tea-shops you don’t go into if you’re a Surya Plaza worker? Are there eating-houses you avoid if you owe your allegiance to the Azure Market? How is everything knitted together?
As for what Lhavit means to me as a writer…at rock bottom, it’s fun. I like to write here; indeed, it’s a positive pleasure to do so, to conjure up in my mind’s eye Alses’ stately processions along the tree-lined boulevards and squares of the peaks, to imagine the glittering spires of the great Towers, to stand on a balcony and see the great sweep of the Unforgiving at dawn as the sunlight sluices across the dramatic peaks and deep valleys, all the rest of it. Lhavit the city attracts PC mages and craftsmen, and I enjoy roleplaying with them more than I ever have conflict.
With love,
A. xx
Best to clear that up in the first moments. I have said in the past that the decision between placing Alses in Lhavit versus Sahova came down to a coin toss, and that’s certainly true, but she’s grown and developed over four years in the starry city and to a great extent it has shaped her, exerting pressures both subtle and great, ones I’ve seen coming a mile off and those which have crept up into my subconscious and down into my typing fingers without me ever being aware of it, until I looked back with hindsight and nostalgia on old threads. Alses would not be who she is and with the values she holds today without Lhavit.
Lhavit is special and wonderful, a fantasy city of light and beauty and grace in a harsh and unforgiving setting, and there’s something about it which wends its way into your heart and that of your characters and never quite lets go. Indeed, we have players returning from the hinterlands of Mizahar to the city again – even if Alses would prefer they didn’t; Brandon, I’m looking at you! – and whilst our ST turnover has been high for as long as I’ve roleplayed here, we’ve rarely actually been without one entirely – indeed, the latest changeover has seen our own fair Elysium returning from the depths of Real Life to take up her old mantle once more.
Lhavit, then, to me, is a city of people who are, when the chips are down and the balloon goes up, optimists. In a setting where we have the militant Knights of Syliras, the boiling cesspool of Sunberth, the dead hand of Alahea clinging on in Nuit-infested Sahova and the decadence of Kenash – built on the back of lives in chains – Lhavit is a simple triumph of the everyman; people muddling along as best they can, clinging to the dream of things getting better and – crucially – working to make that happen. It doesn’t matter if that person is a mage in one of the Towers, a farmer on the Sharai, a glassworker, a smith, a gadgeteer – all are welcome, free to make their success by the toil of their minds and the sweat of their brow.
And they do; there are no beggars in Lhavit – everyone works in some capacity or other, and this is the city that – perhaps uniquely amongst Mizahar’s settlements – never sleeps; a sort of drifting half-somnolence during the Rest bells is perhaps the closest it reaches, and even then there are still citizens going about their business in the streets, or laughing, chatting, spending time with their families and making the next generation of Lhavitians, to name but a few things the busy denizens of the Diamond get up to. Watching the city – no matter the bell – is an activity that would seldom get old. There would always be something new and interesting to see; a new building being raised by the devoted Constellation, the citizens dashing to and fro about their business, Morphing classes taking off from the Twilight Tower, fireballs rising like fireworks into the sky from the Dawn Tower, even the play of light through the city would be different and fresh each time.
Lhavitians are industrious, no doubt about it, raising an architectural marvel from the unforgiving peaks of Kalea, but whilst they work hard, they also play hard. Carousing, debauchery of all kinds, drink, drugs and a heady celebration of success are all par for the course in some of the more fun-filled festivals that adorn the Lhavitian year, serving as valuable pressure-release mechanisms and as a way to keep spirits (and the birthrate) high in the long, cold Kalean winters.
It is a city of light and air and magic, splendour and architectural delight amongst the dizzying spires of the Unforgiving, and I think the simple nature of Lhavit as a haven is a powerful draw. Yes, the clean streets and plentiful squares, the polite Shinya guards, the playing fountains and frequent festivals might hide a darker side – but it’s just that; hidden, and hidden better than in many other demesnes. Some of the attractions, then, are easy to see; Lhavit is a beacon of hope, both herald and archivist of a more civilised time, and a city where the rule of law is – outwardly, at least - respected and applied with care and finesse rather than a plate-gauntleted fist.
To those who like to play a less combat-oriented character, everything from a shopkeeper to healer to politician and spymaster, somewhere where violence is held at some remove has a powerful attraction. In part, I think Lhavit appeals because it is – in its way – militantly cerebral. This is not to say that violence is unheard of in Lhavit: it exists, of course, most particularly when the city is raided by the Zith, but it’s nowhere near as central a fact of everyday life in the Diamond as it is elsewhere. The cut and thrust here is of debate, not sharpened knives in the night; Lhavit favours discussion over death. Indeed, when a denizen of Sunberth wants to prove a point he does it on the cooling corpse of his adversary; a Lhavitian will wield words in the arena of the Basilika and retire for a convivial cocktail afterwards instead – and that’s something we should celebrate.
Lhavit does a very good job of projecting its own perfection and civility, and those stories of the perfect glowing glass city atop its five peaks only grow with each booze-fuelled retelling in taverns and around campfires across Mizahar. Even its own citizens buy into the
There is also something of a hidden darkness to the Lhavitian character; these are the citizens, we must remember, who bought and sold people; the suffering of slave chattels is burned into the walls of the Ethereal Opera where they were sold to the rich and free, and their bones still crunch in the old tunnels from Port Tranquil to the city. Whilst such things no longer occur and are against nearly every law in the Diamond, the fact remains that Lhavit was a centre for the trade in flesh, a sordid past sufficiently recent that former slaves and slaveowners both coexist – perhaps uneasily – on the shining streets.
As to where I think Alses fits in the city…somewhere near the top
. She’s a Synaborn Ethaefal, one of the city’s precious few, and is therefore both indulged and put on a pedestal in equal measure. Alses, like others of her race in the city, finds that pedestal and that regard – and the accompanying expectations – difficult, at times; it is akin to a suit of armour she shrugs on every time she steps out of the confines of her home: protection and yet also distance in one.She’s well thought-of in Lhavit, and not just the automatic regard every Ethaefal gets; Alses is a powerful and wealthy sorceress in several disciplines, and has never been found wanting when her city has called to date, even when it’s meant risking her life or going far from Syna’s light. Lhavit has been good to her, and she in turn seeks to be good for it – hence her forays into politics and governance. She’s certainly in the upper classes these days – such as they are - although perhaps not as close to the lofty pinnacle as she, in her 3am soul-searching, might like or covet.
Thinking about my hopes and dreams for Alses…well, first and foremost: survival. She is not, and never has been, a warrior, soldier or any form of skilled combatant; just as books and magic hold no interest for many people, pointy bits of metal and beating one another over the head has no attraction for her. This perhaps puts her at something of a disadvantage in Mizahar, where even the scenery can on occasion be out for your blood, but it’s a key part of her character, particularly since she’s keenly aware that immortality does not equal invincibility.
Secondly…a pretty crown, so she’ll be Glitterhorns in truth
. I shall elaborate no further!In terms of where I should like to see Lhavit develop…I think a key thing which is missing or at least marginalised from the city is industry. Obviously not on the scale of Sultros or anything like that, but it’s something which has always irked me in a low-grade kind of way…I know Lhavit isn’t renowned as an industrial centre and that’s never going to be its purpose, but there should be something.
Lhavit sits in Kalea, a region that has more than its fair share of orogenic excitement and general tectonic turmoil; that means minerals and ores should be abundant and often close to the surface. I would like to see some mines and quarries in the closer peaks; something has to supply Touch of Fire with its raw materials, and ditto for the jewellers of the city! Perhaps there could be kimberlite pipes riddling the peaks and the Diamond of Kalea could be literal as well as figurative
. After all, there has to be somewhere (or several somewheres, for variety and verisimilitude) to supply the city’s hunger for sparklies! I’d totally invest in a diamond mine…although black opals are obviously best gem .There’s been a lot of focus on the mages and the upper class of Lhavit – the two often being synonymous – and in many ways that’s been understandable, but I’d like to see the opportunities for the middle classes explored a bit more, the shopkeepers and artisan crafters, the clerks and accountants and administrators. The grinders and polishers, as it were, rather than the movers and shakers. How do they work in the city? Are there rivalries? Alliances? Are there guilds or proto-guilds or is it every shop for themselves? Or something entirely different? Are there tea-shops you don’t go into if you’re a Surya Plaza worker? Are there eating-houses you avoid if you owe your allegiance to the Azure Market? How is everything knitted together?
As for what Lhavit means to me as a writer…at rock bottom, it’s fun. I like to write here; indeed, it’s a positive pleasure to do so, to conjure up in my mind’s eye Alses’ stately processions along the tree-lined boulevards and squares of the peaks, to imagine the glittering spires of the great Towers, to stand on a balcony and see the great sweep of the Unforgiving at dawn as the sunlight sluices across the dramatic peaks and deep valleys, all the rest of it. Lhavit the city attracts PC mages and craftsmen, and I enjoy roleplaying with them more than I ever have conflict.
With love,
A. xx
Brandon :
Right, so where to begin?
Lhavit, the city I picked to start in… I honestly don’t remember why I chose it. I do recall I was originally going to go for Kalinor, but I guess Lhavit just has that little something which makes it just that bit more special. For one, there’s more diversity in the populace, and the roads are traversable for those not native to the city
In all seriousness though, what makes Lhavit stand out from the other major cities –I’m speaking Syliras, Zeltiva, Sahova, and the like; the civilized cities, if you will- is … well, everything. Its history, its location, it being somewhat of a central hub of scholars and magic in Kalea, if not Mizahar. Or more accurately, it’s a place where everyone who wishes it can school themselves in magical arts and crafts, and practice it in the open. Sure, there are rules and regulations to which to stick, but what place doesn’t have those?
As I see it, Lhavit is just about the only place where just about any living wizard/mage/whatever you want to call it can study and practice their art, unbothered. Without fear they’ll be hanged by a frightened, hateful mob. There’s no need to be sneaky about it, just go outside to the park, study the wild djed there with your novice-level auristics in hopes to improve. Conjure up some balls of water and steer them in a dance of transmutation and focus. Hammer onto that soon-to-be magical item until you drop! (Though that’ll be hard to do in the Alheas, I reckon.) And afterwards, go have some tea with the nice old lady from next door. Or a Shinya guard who’s off duty. Maybe even the Twilight Patriarch! Or Mr. Lucis from the gadgeteer shop, depending on who’s part of your social circles.
One of the things I like most about Lhavit might be just that, the way I imagine there are little to no restrictions to who can or can’t interact with who. There are no castes, there’s no social class –everyone’s the same. Sure, some are richer or more powerful than others, but they’re not all that conceited about it. Exceptions exist, of course, but still. The people of Lhavit are a polite, tea-loving, friendly bunch –except when confronted with races they don’t trust at all, naturally. Then they’re just the same as Sunberthians.
A city is more than its residents of course, and Lhavit is no different. Lhavit’s history is rich and filled with mentions of the Gods and the divine. Semele, Zintila, Syna, Leth, Caiyha, … and lastly the Ethaefal. Explaining Lhavit’s history goes hand in hand with the story of the Valterrian, and while Lhavit may not be the oldest city around, it is the only one as of yet which has a history I found genuinely awesome. Maybe it’s just me being biased, but who cares; this is a city built for a goddess as a temporary residence until she can ascend back to her rightful place.
Speaking of the architecture, I truly do like the way it has its own unique style. Every city of Miz is awesome in its own way, but Lhavit is by far the most fancy and sparkly. As I said, it is a city built for a goddess, and what better way to show that by decorating and topping off buildings with a bit of Skyglass? Or build entire structures and towers out of it? If I am not mistaken, Skyglass is made/ won out of meteorites, which basically means that it came from the beyond the sky, from among the stars. No better material to build the Diamond of Kalea, the Goddess of the Stars’s home, out of, right? But I think where its built is even more great and symbolic. Zintila longs for her return to the Stars, there’s no way she doesn’t. As a result, coincidence that Aysel and Talora found her or not –perhaps resulting from their own longing for their home too- Lhavit was built on top of a series of peaks, reaching for the sky. And where does Zintila live? How about the highest tower of Lhavit, on the top floor, as close to the sky as she can get. Quite simply put, I find this extremely beautiful.
As for where Brandon fits in, well, he doesn’t, and still he does. Lhavit is not a city of crime; the Shinya take care of that, seeing that the carefree, optimistic people of the Star of Kalea can live without a care in the world. Both during the day when the citizens work, and during the night when they party. Because of this, Brandon is an outcast, and he always will be. I never intended for him to stay in the city, and nor did he; but Lhavit has grown on us both. The duality of Lhavit, the fact that it’s a city that ‘never’ sleeps is just a perfect fit for Brandon’s nocturnal nature. He can be true to himself in Lhavit, something he couldn’t in Wind Reach, hence why I planned on returning a season after I had Bran arrive in WR. Both are mountain cities, but they couldn’t be more different.
Brandon is the shadow cast by the light, one of the many “dirty secrets” Lhavit pretends does not exist. I always imagine the Lhavitians being quick to try and forget all the bad things that might have happened in the city, banishing it from their mind. Like the Day of Discord, for example. After a some time has passed, he will not be remembered, or he will be forcefully forgotten. Though he’ll still be present in the backs of their minds, just like the day of discord. And that is also my goal for now; something I’ve been working towards ever since I started the whole “Incognito” plot. Not that he’ll be forgotten, but rather the opposite, that Lhavit never will. That he’ll always be somewhere in the dark recesses of the citizens’ minds.
That of course is woven together with me trying to figure out how to get Bran a Yshulis mark, which I assume might be coming if I just have Bran getting the city to admit that Incognito is a real problem, but he still doesn’t get caught.
Lhavit itself then, I don't really feel like there's much that needs to be changed. Maybe some more emphasis on politics for the players who love writing about that, some more development of agriculture of Lhavit for the green-thumbed PCs out there... Though I really liked the Council or Radiance, and I am sad to see it gone... And now I think about it, I think we should maybe expand the export and import some, the economy. That, along with the agriculture -and like Alses said some sort of mining industry- is the only thing I feel Lhavit might be missing.
Not counting the true MVPs in Lhavit who should be getting some more attention-not Aysel or Talora, not Zintila- the street sweepers who keep Lhavit's streets clean and free of Okomo poop
-Bran
Lhavit, the city I picked to start in… I honestly don’t remember why I chose it. I do recall I was originally going to go for Kalinor, but I guess Lhavit just has that little something which makes it just that bit more special. For one, there’s more diversity in the populace, and the roads are traversable for those not native to the city
In all seriousness though, what makes Lhavit stand out from the other major cities –I’m speaking Syliras, Zeltiva, Sahova, and the like; the civilized cities, if you will- is … well, everything. Its history, its location, it being somewhat of a central hub of scholars and magic in Kalea, if not Mizahar. Or more accurately, it’s a place where everyone who wishes it can school themselves in magical arts and crafts, and practice it in the open. Sure, there are rules and regulations to which to stick, but what place doesn’t have those?
As I see it, Lhavit is just about the only place where just about any living wizard/mage/whatever you want to call it can study and practice their art, unbothered. Without fear they’ll be hanged by a frightened, hateful mob. There’s no need to be sneaky about it, just go outside to the park, study the wild djed there with your novice-level auristics in hopes to improve. Conjure up some balls of water and steer them in a dance of transmutation and focus. Hammer onto that soon-to-be magical item until you drop! (Though that’ll be hard to do in the Alheas, I reckon.) And afterwards, go have some tea with the nice old lady from next door. Or a Shinya guard who’s off duty. Maybe even the Twilight Patriarch! Or Mr. Lucis from the gadgeteer shop, depending on who’s part of your social circles.
One of the things I like most about Lhavit might be just that, the way I imagine there are little to no restrictions to who can or can’t interact with who. There are no castes, there’s no social class –everyone’s the same. Sure, some are richer or more powerful than others, but they’re not all that conceited about it. Exceptions exist, of course, but still. The people of Lhavit are a polite, tea-loving, friendly bunch –except when confronted with races they don’t trust at all, naturally. Then they’re just the same as Sunberthians.
A city is more than its residents of course, and Lhavit is no different. Lhavit’s history is rich and filled with mentions of the Gods and the divine. Semele, Zintila, Syna, Leth, Caiyha, … and lastly the Ethaefal. Explaining Lhavit’s history goes hand in hand with the story of the Valterrian, and while Lhavit may not be the oldest city around, it is the only one as of yet which has a history I found genuinely awesome. Maybe it’s just me being biased, but who cares; this is a city built for a goddess as a temporary residence until she can ascend back to her rightful place.
Speaking of the architecture, I truly do like the way it has its own unique style. Every city of Miz is awesome in its own way, but Lhavit is by far the most fancy and sparkly. As I said, it is a city built for a goddess, and what better way to show that by decorating and topping off buildings with a bit of Skyglass? Or build entire structures and towers out of it? If I am not mistaken, Skyglass is made/ won out of meteorites, which basically means that it came from the beyond the sky, from among the stars. No better material to build the Diamond of Kalea, the Goddess of the Stars’s home, out of, right? But I think where its built is even more great and symbolic. Zintila longs for her return to the Stars, there’s no way she doesn’t. As a result, coincidence that Aysel and Talora found her or not –perhaps resulting from their own longing for their home too- Lhavit was built on top of a series of peaks, reaching for the sky. And where does Zintila live? How about the highest tower of Lhavit, on the top floor, as close to the sky as she can get. Quite simply put, I find this extremely beautiful.
As for where Brandon fits in, well, he doesn’t, and still he does. Lhavit is not a city of crime; the Shinya take care of that, seeing that the carefree, optimistic people of the Star of Kalea can live without a care in the world. Both during the day when the citizens work, and during the night when they party. Because of this, Brandon is an outcast, and he always will be. I never intended for him to stay in the city, and nor did he; but Lhavit has grown on us both. The duality of Lhavit, the fact that it’s a city that ‘never’ sleeps is just a perfect fit for Brandon’s nocturnal nature. He can be true to himself in Lhavit, something he couldn’t in Wind Reach, hence why I planned on returning a season after I had Bran arrive in WR. Both are mountain cities, but they couldn’t be more different.
Brandon is the shadow cast by the light, one of the many “dirty secrets” Lhavit pretends does not exist. I always imagine the Lhavitians being quick to try and forget all the bad things that might have happened in the city, banishing it from their mind. Like the Day of Discord, for example. After a some time has passed, he will not be remembered, or he will be forcefully forgotten. Though he’ll still be present in the backs of their minds, just like the day of discord. And that is also my goal for now; something I’ve been working towards ever since I started the whole “Incognito” plot. Not that he’ll be forgotten, but rather the opposite, that Lhavit never will. That he’ll always be somewhere in the dark recesses of the citizens’ minds.
That of course is woven together with me trying to figure out how to get Bran a Yshulis mark, which I assume might be coming if I just have Bran getting the city to admit that Incognito is a real problem, but he still doesn’t get caught.
Lhavit itself then, I don't really feel like there's much that needs to be changed. Maybe some more emphasis on politics for the players who love writing about that, some more development of agriculture of Lhavit for the green-thumbed PCs out there... Though I really liked the Council or Radiance, and I am sad to see it gone... And now I think about it, I think we should maybe expand the export and import some, the economy. That, along with the agriculture -and like Alses said some sort of mining industry- is the only thing I feel Lhavit might be missing.
Not counting the true MVPs in Lhavit who should be getting some more attention-not Aysel or Talora, not Zintila- the street sweepers who keep Lhavit's streets clean and free of Okomo poop
-Bran
Casimir :
First, why did I pick Lhavit? Unlike all these native Lhavitans (or at least, people who have been here long enough to forget), Casimir was made recently. I know exactly why I picked Lhavit - because of the beauty. The large skyglass buildings, the way it brushes the stars in an attempt to return Zintila to her home. Casimir was made to see the beauty in everything - by that, I mean everything. He's an obsessive hoarder. Most of the things in his starting pack are rusted and useless scavenged items. However, he sees true beauty in light and hope, everything I believe Lhavit to stand for. I want him to see this beauty and realise that it can form a city - the power of it.
To me, Lhavit is a city where you have true civilisation and hope in a world that's dangerous and deadly. It is a literal beacon of light in Mizahar, the sort of place people hear about in fairy tales and dream of visiting just to see how truly magnificent it is. There's nothing dark, nothing bad. No violent thugs, no dangerous predators with a city that's beautiful, not deadly. If Mizahar were to have a paradise, it would be Lhavit.
And why wouldn't it be? This city has been built by the goddess Zintila and divine powers that gave people the chance to create Skyglass. This city is placed high in the mountains, far from all the evil in the world. It has been created by gods and magic and does nothing but shine. A true pinnacle of the cities on Mizahar, it holds the touch of divinity that makes the world admire the work of magic and all things godly.
As for the people, they live good lives. Their world has been untouched, but they still work hard. They take pleasure in the little things, despite having a lot to be happy for. They are modest, happy and welcoming. The people of Lhavit are accepting and generous, taking life as it comes and making the most of it.
What I find the most beautiful is the city itself. It is the only city made by gods, and their divine gifts, so it is the only city with that sort of beauty. The whole city glows under the light of Syna and Leth, but most importantly, under the stars so near yet so far. The architecture, the material, the location all add up to form something spectacular, and that is all that helps build this dream of Lhavit.
Another reason why Lhavit is so unique and special is that magic isn't feared, isn't strange, isn't something to hide. It is something beautiful, something anyone can practice and study. You can openly practice it, with no need to fear that any angry mob will come after you, or that people will look at you with suspicion. There are other cities where this happens, perhaps, but Lhavit always stood out for me to be magical, but magic in a beautiful sense.
As for the cycle of day and night, I believe that day is the time for normal lives. People work hard, study hard and do everything they need to do. The streets are busy and the place is buzzing with life. Night is also full of life, but in a different way. Once working hard, the citizens play hard. This is the time people celebrate and entertain, enjoying themselves
Now, for my PC... Where does Casimir fit in this beautiful city? Put it simply, half of him doesn't. When Syna rules the sky, Casimir must be in the ocean, or he dies. That's it. He would dry out in 15 chimes, a painful and unpleasant death. But at night, he belongs. He's Ethaefal, and which city is more an Ethaefal's home than Lhavit? It's beautiful - Casimir strives for beauty. It values life, it values freedom, it values happiness. Casimir does all this too.
I want him to struggle. Those that know me as a writer know that I like hurting pushing my PCs to their limits. There is this danger of Casimir dying. I'm going to go straight to addressing that; he's going to have a few lucky escapes and find it haunts him too much to go untreated. Him working out the best way of being both in the city, and safe, is what is going to be a main focus.
But I want him to realise the benefits of this form too. Can many other races breath underwater; can they swim as fast as him; can they manipulate coral? More importantly, do they have to, because otherwise, they die? The answer is no. Casimir has the unique ability of coral manipulation and will realise he can use it to his advantage. One dream is for him to create a large house underwater, another is for him to be responsible for maintaining the ocean. It's his home and Casimir will be the only one in Lhavit capable. The city will force him, in a strange way, to change to become guardian.
And of course, the architecture will inspire him. He's an architect, deep down, made to construct. The beauty of the buildings in Lhavit will show him that buildings can be beautiful, simply like that. He'll want to have that skill - Lhavit is more than perfect for him.
For the city itself, I want the Okomo themselves to be developed. As such a large part of the city, I feel more should developed about them. Other than that, nothing. The city is so perfect as it is. Natural development will happen, and there is no problem with that, but Lhavit needs to keep the essence of being the Star of Kalea. It needs to stay that special paradise touching the sky.
To me, Lhavit is a city where you have true civilisation and hope in a world that's dangerous and deadly. It is a literal beacon of light in Mizahar, the sort of place people hear about in fairy tales and dream of visiting just to see how truly magnificent it is. There's nothing dark, nothing bad. No violent thugs, no dangerous predators with a city that's beautiful, not deadly. If Mizahar were to have a paradise, it would be Lhavit.
And why wouldn't it be? This city has been built by the goddess Zintila and divine powers that gave people the chance to create Skyglass. This city is placed high in the mountains, far from all the evil in the world. It has been created by gods and magic and does nothing but shine. A true pinnacle of the cities on Mizahar, it holds the touch of divinity that makes the world admire the work of magic and all things godly.
As for the people, they live good lives. Their world has been untouched, but they still work hard. They take pleasure in the little things, despite having a lot to be happy for. They are modest, happy and welcoming. The people of Lhavit are accepting and generous, taking life as it comes and making the most of it.
What I find the most beautiful is the city itself. It is the only city made by gods, and their divine gifts, so it is the only city with that sort of beauty. The whole city glows under the light of Syna and Leth, but most importantly, under the stars so near yet so far. The architecture, the material, the location all add up to form something spectacular, and that is all that helps build this dream of Lhavit.
Another reason why Lhavit is so unique and special is that magic isn't feared, isn't strange, isn't something to hide. It is something beautiful, something anyone can practice and study. You can openly practice it, with no need to fear that any angry mob will come after you, or that people will look at you with suspicion. There are other cities where this happens, perhaps, but Lhavit always stood out for me to be magical, but magic in a beautiful sense.
As for the cycle of day and night, I believe that day is the time for normal lives. People work hard, study hard and do everything they need to do. The streets are busy and the place is buzzing with life. Night is also full of life, but in a different way. Once working hard, the citizens play hard. This is the time people celebrate and entertain, enjoying themselves
Now, for my PC... Where does Casimir fit in this beautiful city? Put it simply, half of him doesn't. When Syna rules the sky, Casimir must be in the ocean, or he dies. That's it. He would dry out in 15 chimes, a painful and unpleasant death. But at night, he belongs. He's Ethaefal, and which city is more an Ethaefal's home than Lhavit? It's beautiful - Casimir strives for beauty. It values life, it values freedom, it values happiness. Casimir does all this too.
I want him to struggle. Those that know me as a writer know that I like hurting pushing my PCs to their limits. There is this danger of Casimir dying. I'm going to go straight to addressing that; he's going to have a few lucky escapes and find it haunts him too much to go untreated. Him working out the best way of being both in the city, and safe, is what is going to be a main focus.
But I want him to realise the benefits of this form too. Can many other races breath underwater; can they swim as fast as him; can they manipulate coral? More importantly, do they have to, because otherwise, they die? The answer is no. Casimir has the unique ability of coral manipulation and will realise he can use it to his advantage. One dream is for him to create a large house underwater, another is for him to be responsible for maintaining the ocean. It's his home and Casimir will be the only one in Lhavit capable. The city will force him, in a strange way, to change to become guardian.
And of course, the architecture will inspire him. He's an architect, deep down, made to construct. The beauty of the buildings in Lhavit will show him that buildings can be beautiful, simply like that. He'll want to have that skill - Lhavit is more than perfect for him.
For the city itself, I want the Okomo themselves to be developed. As such a large part of the city, I feel more should developed about them. Other than that, nothing. The city is so perfect as it is. Natural development will happen, and there is no problem with that, but Lhavit needs to keep the essence of being the Star of Kalea. It needs to stay that special paradise touching the sky.
Boo Beckett :
Truth be told, reading the other entries really brought home the realization that, a) Lhavit is a tremendously pretty city worthy of monikers such as beautiful, resplendent, and 'easy on the eyes'; b) Lhavit is a liberal hub of acceptance and understanding, and c) I have a penchant for wordy openings that serve no other purpose than to hide the fact I really do not have the necessary wisdom regarding Lhavit to write a worthwhile essay about it.
That is to say, while I could pillage the lore and conjure up a paragraph or two about the luminescent qualities of skyglass, (also it remains warm, resulting in mild winters you know), or how Lhavitians regard honor and reputation in high esteem, I'd only really just be repeating what you already know. So then, to avoid dealing this fine settlement a disservice with such a languid effort, I'll approach this essay via a slightly different perspective.
Let's begin with a quote, because quotes are fun.
It is my opinion that experience comprises of two variables; people and places. I'm not talking about on the job training or learning every day skills. I mean the really big stuff that has the ability to shape, inform, or challenge a person, or all three if the circumstances are right. Learning to ride your bike. Big stuff. That day your brother lent you Led Zeppelin IV. Big stuff. Falling in love, getting married, having kids, losing kids, rescuing three horses from a burning barn, traversing Spring Mountains, Nevada like you've known it all your life, then getting hopelessly lost in Paris a week later, all big stuff. The point is these big experiences comprise of two variables; people and places.
And when you get to thinking about it, it's not just the big ones that count. If we're a sum of our parts, then all the places and all the people matter. Experiences are found in all that we do. So then, writing online in a roleplay should be an experience all of its own, right? So far you're with me.
So here I am on Mizahar, delving through the various cities in the forum list, (learning along the way that some are open, some are not), and realizing that ultimately any enjoyment and fun I draw from this place is going to be determined by its people. With the initial scan of the cities complete, I had reduced my options to a mere handful. By now I already had a nice idea in my head of my character. I just needed a venue in which to unleash him. That's when I started to read threads. Lore is fun and good and, holy crap, plentiful, (really, there is an ass load of lore here that will forever leave me in awe of those that came up with it all); but did you know that reading other people's threads is actually really awesome too? Of course you did.
I'm not going to lie that when it comes to Lhavit, there are some really talented writers here. Not just in the way they juggle words and piece together stories and themes, but in how they incorporate this living, vibrant, breathing city into those stories. There is a real sense of Lhavit that seems to come alive in a lot of the threads here, something that I confess I did not find as much elsewhere. That's not to say that other cities were any less interesting or awesome. It was just that here the experience was more readily recognizable.
Sometimes it's lurking in subtlety. Often times it's up front and center, drawing you in with a descriptive outline of how a particular character views their surroundings, or in how they interact with them. There is a real sense of realism that comes not only from the solid base on which Lhavit has been able to build itself as a character of its own, but also from the pride in the city that many of the players exhibit. When you see others around you who are inspired and drawn to something, you naturally wonder why and seek out an answer. But as Herbert said, it's not a problem that need be solved. Nor can it. It's hard to put a finger on why certain places in life resonate with you in some way or form. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
So there you have it. That's what drew me to the city and and inspired me to enter this competition. I felt that you fellow players deserve a pat on the back, a tip of the hat, and a nudge in the ribs. I'm really looking forward to tossing Boo into your lives, and I'm earnest when I say that I hope he brings you as much fun and experience as I intend to get out of Lhavit.
In closing, let me just apologize for this terrible post template. I had to knock up something real quick and it sort of came out the other end looking a little depressed. Anyway, whatever. It is what it is. Suck it.
Oh, also, finished the essay just before deadline
That is to say, while I could pillage the lore and conjure up a paragraph or two about the luminescent qualities of skyglass, (also it remains warm, resulting in mild winters you know), or how Lhavitians regard honor and reputation in high esteem, I'd only really just be repeating what you already know. So then, to avoid dealing this fine settlement a disservice with such a languid effort, I'll approach this essay via a slightly different perspective.
Let's begin with a quote, because quotes are fun.
"The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience."
Frank Herbert, author of Dune.
It is my opinion that experience comprises of two variables; people and places. I'm not talking about on the job training or learning every day skills. I mean the really big stuff that has the ability to shape, inform, or challenge a person, or all three if the circumstances are right. Learning to ride your bike. Big stuff. That day your brother lent you Led Zeppelin IV. Big stuff. Falling in love, getting married, having kids, losing kids, rescuing three horses from a burning barn, traversing Spring Mountains, Nevada like you've known it all your life, then getting hopelessly lost in Paris a week later, all big stuff. The point is these big experiences comprise of two variables; people and places.
And when you get to thinking about it, it's not just the big ones that count. If we're a sum of our parts, then all the places and all the people matter. Experiences are found in all that we do. So then, writing online in a roleplay should be an experience all of its own, right? So far you're with me.
So here I am on Mizahar, delving through the various cities in the forum list, (learning along the way that some are open, some are not), and realizing that ultimately any enjoyment and fun I draw from this place is going to be determined by its people. With the initial scan of the cities complete, I had reduced my options to a mere handful. By now I already had a nice idea in my head of my character. I just needed a venue in which to unleash him. That's when I started to read threads. Lore is fun and good and, holy crap, plentiful, (really, there is an ass load of lore here that will forever leave me in awe of those that came up with it all); but did you know that reading other people's threads is actually really awesome too? Of course you did.
I'm not going to lie that when it comes to Lhavit, there are some really talented writers here. Not just in the way they juggle words and piece together stories and themes, but in how they incorporate this living, vibrant, breathing city into those stories. There is a real sense of Lhavit that seems to come alive in a lot of the threads here, something that I confess I did not find as much elsewhere. That's not to say that other cities were any less interesting or awesome. It was just that here the experience was more readily recognizable.
Sometimes it's lurking in subtlety. Often times it's up front and center, drawing you in with a descriptive outline of how a particular character views their surroundings, or in how they interact with them. There is a real sense of realism that comes not only from the solid base on which Lhavit has been able to build itself as a character of its own, but also from the pride in the city that many of the players exhibit. When you see others around you who are inspired and drawn to something, you naturally wonder why and seek out an answer. But as Herbert said, it's not a problem that need be solved. Nor can it. It's hard to put a finger on why certain places in life resonate with you in some way or form. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
So there you have it. That's what drew me to the city and and inspired me to enter this competition. I felt that you fellow players deserve a pat on the back, a tip of the hat, and a nudge in the ribs. I'm really looking forward to tossing Boo into your lives, and I'm earnest when I say that I hope he brings you as much fun and experience as I intend to get out of Lhavit.
In closing, let me just apologize for this terrible post template. I had to knock up something real quick and it sort of came out the other end looking a little depressed. Anyway, whatever. It is what it is. Suck it.
Oh, also, finished the essay just before deadline
Voting officially ends on March 6th, so that gives you one week to cast your judgement! We're looking to get the Spring Quest under way by then. Winners will be announced the next day, on the 7th.
Thank you all so much for participating. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply all of this touched me. I enjoyed reading every single one. Thank you for writing here and as Alses likes to say, Glory to the City of the Stars - and her players.
