Researching the library

[cactusjesus]

Hey! A couple of days ago I put in my downtime that I was doing research on our new library and was liasing with others who were doing the same thing so as to share information and help each other out. I belatedly realized that wouldn't do much unless I did it out of character as well. So I wanted to make a thread here and there so we could share information, give each other ideas, and stop each other from retreading old ground or falling into the same pitfalls.

Of course, I want to stay organized, so if this is the wrong place to post this feel free to move it somewhere more appropriate.

[Siriously]

For anyone who visits the Library while she is there and is open about their curiosity, Zolzaya will share that the library is at least 1000 years old and contains the knowledge of people from a different realm: the Atlanteans.

Each of the two dozen crystals contains the knowledge on a specific topic. The crystals do not seem to be able to be removed from the library - attempts to do so result in the crystal floating back its original place of its own accord.

She also lets others know that her packmate, Tsuna, is dedicating time and energy to cataloguing the crystals in order to aid others in their future research.

[Red Skies]

Red Skies wuz here.

The Ragabash is seen in the library for a period of time. If approached, he'll gladly discuss details of the library or whatever interest your PC has. If asked about his own interests, he waves off their importance and changes the subject.

[cactusjesus]

Hey everybody! So as you might know, the staff have made a new page on the forums regarding the library. It can be found under the settings section.

viewtopic.php?t=842

It gives an overview of the subjects that are discusses in the memory crystals. According to that post, one can do in depth research on a specific subject at the cost of one downtime action, once per game. There are 24 points, which means it will take a while even with many people, so I think we should coordinate amongst ourselves to be more efficient. Perhaps everyone volunteers to take a certain subset of topics?

[cactusjesus]

I've used one downtime action on investigation between each game already, and staff have graciously interpreted that as one downtime to index the library, and one downtime to study one subject as listed here, assigned post facto. So how about to make things easy, I volunteer for subjects 1 and 2, and the next person takes the next one, etc?

[Siriously]

1 and 3 are the pair that Zolzaya "read" at the first game.

EDIT:

Just got a more detailed answer from the staff on the reading from the first game.

"So the reading of the crystals are a more involved thing. You basically did a skim on the crystal game one. IT will take a fair amount of time to get through the information within the crystals."

So that means 1 and 3 still need a research-dedication.

The first one that I am researching is 12 as it is of high interest to my character specifically.

[cactusjesus]

Our research has born fruit! *rimshot*

Crystal 1: Flora
Within the Crystal is the information on Flora of Atlantis and Lumera This works much like a enclypedia. The following is a large listing but not a complete list. The Crystal has more that will be updated as we write them out.

With each of the listings there is a visual of the plant itself. There are many of the unique items that differ from Greece and Lumera/Atlantis.

Alether - A small gnarled shrub that produces orange berries. The berries can bring vigor to ailing bodies and help to fight certain diseases, especially those of the mind. When eaten by a healthy person, they enhance strength and quickness of reaction while numbing, at least for a while, the pain of wounds and the drain of weariness. Throughout the winter, the shrubs produce a crop of berries a day.


Larnuma - A fruit-bearing tree. The purple fruit is juicy, sweet and nutritious. Purple translucent oil from the fruit has a soothing and relaxing effect when rubbed into the skin, and has healing properties much like Alether. Larnuma fruit can also be made into a liqueur.

Oede - A rare and valuable herb that can cure serious diseases and restore health. The beautiful golden leaves of oede are heavier than they look and feel clammy to the touch. Oede is only found in a few remote areas.

Oxydine - A common, albeit weak, pain reliving herb

Laumwort - A bushy herb with bright scarlet flowers and leaves

Laumspur- Laumspur is a rare, wild and delicious tasting herb with bright scarlet flowers that is highly prized due to its healing properties.

Floroa Fungi - Floroa Fungi are biolumisenct fungi that is fleshy and very nutritious.

Volko - A species of blackberry found only in the remote uplands. Volko is prized by the supernatural who use it as a catalyst in magical experiments. The juice of the berries aids or speeds up reactions between substances while remaining unchanged itself.

Gallowbrush - A dark red, briar type shrub with sharp crimson barbs that can make a person feel weak and sleepy if they scratch the skin. It is commonly called Sleeptooth. The crushed thorns of the briar can be used to make a powerful sleeping drug.

Calacena - Calacena is a mushroom highly prized by supernaturals for its hallucinogenic qualities. It can be made into a pink paste that enhances the user's clairvoyant abilities.

Gnadurn - A tree whose sticky sap is used as a poison. It is often used by assassins as a poison because the sap is clear and lacks any flavor or scent.

Haina - A flower with red petals that, when used as a salve, is highly effective at healing battle wounds.

[cactusjesus]

I'm glad that we got the nice version of the shadavar. Considering how many folkloric creatures are darker and edgier for WoD games its a pleasant change.

Crystal 2: Fauna
A deposit of information on creatures that supposedly once existed in Greece but no longer do.

Geode Spider: Geode spiders are the perfect ambush predators. When stationary, a geode spider is nearly indistinguishable from a boulder or other rock formation, but their underbellies sparkle with prismatic quartz. They can burrow underground and prefer to attack from below, pulling their prey beneath the ground before entombing them in stony webbing. Victims frequently recover from the webbings’ petrification just in time to feel the stone spider’s acid-dripping mandibles sink into their flesh. These are classified as Type 3 Crystalline beings.

Geote Geotes are fragments of pure thought given life and substance. They are logical, emotionally distant, and naive to the ways of society in the world. Some approach life with Innocent curiosity, eager to embrace the wealth of experience the world has to offer. Others remain resentful and aloof, bearing a higher purpose in mind at all times. Though they often seem dispassionate, when a strong emotion seizes them, they experience it powerfully. For example, Geotes don't get annoyed, they become enraged. These are classified as Type 3 Crystalline beings.

Silili: Silili have a horse build with white and green hair and feathers over their body. Parts of their face, legs and tale have dragon like white scales that run across them. Silili’s are a class 2 Crystalline being, meaning that parts of them are very outwardly adapt to focusing the power of crystals. This aspect shows its self as metallic receptors that come protrude out of the body much as a bone would.

Forces of Nature - Elementals given physical form. These creatures much like their name are near unstoppable beings being

Shadhavar - An antelope like creature, the Shadhavar roams the plains where the wind blows freely. Graceful and a little melancholy, the animal stands approximately six feet tall at the shoulder, but is very thin. The Shadhavar has strange hollow horns that grow to enormous size, often as long as three feet. Wind whistles through holes in these bones to create a beautiful and haunting tune that carries for miles.

The color of harvest wheat, the Shadhavar's fur grows close to its body, with tufts at the tail and just above its onyx hooves. Dark patches mark its face, dripping down from its eyes — the stains of perpetual tears.

Nephilim - Gods who walk on the mortal plane they are the children of greater gods and mortals. Once awakened they are exceptionally powerful beings capable of vast magical power.

Metushélach - Children of Nephilim these beings are next to divine in nature. Capable of great magics they can learn magics from any of the Nephilim.

Kyklops - Vaguely related to Giants these creatures are the mortal children of Primordials. Capable of great feats even the gods fear them

Centimanes - Gigantic Monstrous creatures with 100 or more arms. They are siblings to the titans and the Kyklops

Karkinos - Giant crabs that can weigh thousand of pounds. Usually blue these creatures are massive and can hide well within the water.

Akephaloi - are demihuman creatures resembling a human without a head, with their face on their torso.

Arimaspi - They are beastial creatures commonly resebling Centaur but with 2 pairs of wings and a face bearing markings of Various arnimals. All four of their feet are scaly and hooved, and a long sinuous tail,

Astomi - The Astomi, are an race of people who had no need to eat or drink anything at all. They survived by smelling apples and flowers and perfumes that they sprayed on their victims.

Sciapodae - The only defining trait that truly separates humans from Sciapodes is that, in the place of a pair of smaller feat (like humans), the Sciapodes have a singular giant foot on which to balance themselves upright.

It should be noted, while the foot of a Sciapod does resemble a human foot, in all but size, not every Sciapod's foot faces in the same direction; some Sciapodes are right-footed, while others are left-footed.

Lapiths - This bald humanoid looks strikingly human except for the long folds of skin that droop from his head and neck to just above his ankles.

[Abracadaniel]

When Crystal 14 is revealed, seemingly cracked and broken, Polyphanes cocks his head. He turns the shimmering crystal upside down, and then it's unmistakable. The crystal is a map!

He waves over his Septmates, quietly marking points on his sailing charts. "Astypalaia, Ionia, Thera, Paros, Crete, Dokos..."

[Siriously]

As a note, I have DTs in already for Crystals 13 and 20.