Introduction
"For decades the folk have struggled to master the world of Sosaria through the use of skills both prominent and benign. Many times these folk, not comprehending the vocation or the requisite accompaniment aptitudes, have erred in success and instructed apprentices in further culturally misguided directions. The folk of this world have collected and passed on the knowledge patchily through multiple sources: family, friends, trial and error or process of elimination; all acceptable means of didacticism, yet, there remains a gap. My task is to aggregate this information for future inhabitants. Experimentation has yielded beneficial variations in theorems, techniques and models to guide wayfarers in their goal of academic mastery or evildoers with a lust for power. Due to the upheaval of society, time and again, secretive covens of librarians charged with the protection of such knowledge were destroyed. To an astonishing degree, a hoard of collected tomes of lore have been lost, hidden or distorted throughout history. Unearthed relics, the tattered remnants of which are considered to be ancient volumes of texts, can be found within sundry ruins of the lands and lend credence to this most popular thesis.
Suppressed works tend too catch the ire of collectively powerful individuals and it is these coteries I will navigate with caution. It will take rapier wit and an indefatigable measure of constitution but with a little bit of luck and no small amount of charm I feel confident in the success of my enterprise."
~ Rivien, legendary traveler and storyteller
Rivien's Compendium: Comprehensive Guides For All
Moderator: RP Moderators
Rivien's Guide to Leadership 1st Edition
"Leading is a skill, one that often requires finesse. At times, learning how to lead men is no more different than leading animals. Wolves for instance have a knack for following or being lead. By comparison, wolves are pack animals, no different from man. Animals cling to close-knit packs as much for survival as we do too families, guilds, religions or kingdoms for stability or a sense of community and belonging, better put: purpose. Many times, I have found myself pondering such consistent parallels between our species and observed many comparable behaviors. Such a case was witnessed during a tracking expedition. As I jotted down notes on my parchment I was vexed. One wolf clearly lead and the others followed. The leader, whom I began to refer to as Alpha, ruled by strength or so it would seem. Alpha brooked no disobedience: every growl, stare, bark or move carried with it the inflection of a leader. Squabbling did occur but, as I said, Alpha brooked no disobedience. Any challenges to his supremacy were handled with the utmost prejudice. The benefits of this leadership style carry with it, advantages and disadvantages but the system worked, for them. Alpha lead by example: on hunts he was in the lead tracking and barking out orders. If there was a threat to his den, Alpha lead the hunt. I should know. As I made the unfortunate mistake to venture to close to Alpha's den on one occasion, I nearly found myself mauled for the effort. Such leadership styles can be viewed in established religious factions. Often, we may perceive these factions as autocratic (Lord British & Lord Blackthorne Kingdoms) or gerontocratic (Order of Nature & Cult of Tekstone) in our world."
"To be a leader of men, requires commitment and a measure of patience which cannot be discounted. Persuasion plays a part as well. Yet, it is intelligence that allows to intuit one's audience and persuade to follow ye, therein lies the crux of a leader. Learn how to lead an animal and ye can then grasp the true meaning of being a leader among men. The rough guideline I have discovered can be accepted as tried and true, yet, there is not a one plan fits all strategy to the art of leadership. If ye are sincere in yer intentions, ye must be willing to try again and again to learn from the animals around us which have been leading and been allowed to be lead for an age before our existence."
"If ye can find one of these these birds they will teach ye much about their methods of survival and how they choose to lead their flock. Catching a deer might be the easy bit but harder to learn from one in captivity versus one in the wild. If ye are able to locate one in the wilderness pay close attention to their tender ways in which they choose to rear. Sometimes a tender hand is as necessary as a closed one. Attempting to find one that will not gored ye will be tricky. Ah yes, the great hart - succeed in calming these prickly males and ye may have what it takes to move on to more difficult challenges. Attempting to find one that will not gored ye through and through will be tricky. Beware their antlers! Normally one of the most passive of it's family, black bears are more reclusive than their brothers and sisters. Unfortunately for ye, yer journey does not end here. Ye be having better luck finding a bottle of ale then subduing or finding either a polar bear, cave bear or an ursa. If ye do, (and I certainly recommend ye do not!) Best to observe their movements from afar, possibly from the safety of a very tall tree. Potentially the most aggressive destrier these lands have to offer, the warhorse requires a deft leader with confidence enough to tame the mustang or pay close attention to the one that attempts too. Ye'll be on yer way once ye've learned the ways of leadership from the war horse. Serpents move lithely and it is on purpose! Do not be lulled into a false sense of security with these serpentine reptilians. Depending on yer alignment, they may teach ye another manner entirely on how to lead. They're breathe is worse than their bite but these close ancestors of dragons are not to be trifled with. From these beasts ye will learn the manner in which to be decisive, when to strike and when to gather strength. And finally, if ye can secure the services of a tamer, able enough locate these most rare mounts, ye will be at the end of a very long journey towards understanding the depths of what it means to be a leader of men."
*Note: This guide is subject to change. There may be variations of this guide which exist, however, these are the tried and true methods that have propelled many great men into the roles of being leaders of this world. Take it for what thee will.
*Note: I bear no responsibility for the harm that befalls intrepid adventurers whom use this guide as their keystone.
~ Rivien, legendary traveler and storyteller
"To be a leader of men, requires commitment and a measure of patience which cannot be discounted. Persuasion plays a part as well. Yet, it is intelligence that allows to intuit one's audience and persuade to follow ye, therein lies the crux of a leader. Learn how to lead an animal and ye can then grasp the true meaning of being a leader among men. The rough guideline I have discovered can be accepted as tried and true, yet, there is not a one plan fits all strategy to the art of leadership. If ye are sincere in yer intentions, ye must be willing to try again and again to learn from the animals around us which have been leading and been allowed to be lead for an age before our existence."
- Starlings / Woodpecker / Kingfisher
Deer / Sheep
Great Hart
Black Bear
Polar Bear / Cave Bear / Ursa
Shabooli Warhorse
Serpent
Rock Lizard
Ethereal Llama / Ethereal Horse
"If ye can find one of these these birds they will teach ye much about their methods of survival and how they choose to lead their flock. Catching a deer might be the easy bit but harder to learn from one in captivity versus one in the wild. If ye are able to locate one in the wilderness pay close attention to their tender ways in which they choose to rear. Sometimes a tender hand is as necessary as a closed one. Attempting to find one that will not gored ye will be tricky. Ah yes, the great hart - succeed in calming these prickly males and ye may have what it takes to move on to more difficult challenges. Attempting to find one that will not gored ye through and through will be tricky. Beware their antlers! Normally one of the most passive of it's family, black bears are more reclusive than their brothers and sisters. Unfortunately for ye, yer journey does not end here. Ye be having better luck finding a bottle of ale then subduing or finding either a polar bear, cave bear or an ursa. If ye do, (and I certainly recommend ye do not!) Best to observe their movements from afar, possibly from the safety of a very tall tree. Potentially the most aggressive destrier these lands have to offer, the warhorse requires a deft leader with confidence enough to tame the mustang or pay close attention to the one that attempts too. Ye'll be on yer way once ye've learned the ways of leadership from the war horse. Serpents move lithely and it is on purpose! Do not be lulled into a false sense of security with these serpentine reptilians. Depending on yer alignment, they may teach ye another manner entirely on how to lead. They're breathe is worse than their bite but these close ancestors of dragons are not to be trifled with. From these beasts ye will learn the manner in which to be decisive, when to strike and when to gather strength. And finally, if ye can secure the services of a tamer, able enough locate these most rare mounts, ye will be at the end of a very long journey towards understanding the depths of what it means to be a leader of men."
*Note: This guide is subject to change. There may be variations of this guide which exist, however, these are the tried and true methods that have propelled many great men into the roles of being leaders of this world. Take it for what thee will.
*Note: I bear no responsibility for the harm that befalls intrepid adventurers whom use this guide as their keystone.
~ Rivien, legendary traveler and storyteller
Rivien's Guide to Resistance 1st Edition
"Ahh. . ." Rivien exclaims as he releases a puff of wizards weed between nods to his crowd. "Ahh. . . These demons of the depths are not a thing of legend. They exist: Lords of the Abyss, Bal-rahns, devlish fiends and doom keepers of the deepest dungeons" Rivien allows the shudders of fear to permeate throughout the inn crowd. Relishing the emotion, Rivien waits with an actors timing to continue. "Naturally, only those through sheer determination, by-way of training resistance to the elements can truly hope to have a modicum of hope to defeat such beasts in martial contest." Inhaling deep, Rivien works to manifest a creature of some grotesqueness, upon exhale. Ever the thespian, he revels in the symbolic image taken root in the patrons minds eye. "Not all are born with a natural prohibition toward these energies. . . Aye, tis true, some are born with stronger pools of fortitude, however! Those, with more willpower than innately gifted talents are toughened through alternative means. Allow me to regale ye all with a story of might and magic!" With sleight of hand, Rivien obtained smoke capsules and deftly detonated them. Smiling, he whispered to himself, "dramatic effect does set the mood so."
"How does one learn how to be a master of resistance to the magical energies that exist in our world, I dare ask? Well the answer is simple: one does not! For no matter the hours spent idly training no one person will ever achieve one-hundred percent mastery over the elements of magic, such a person does not exist in our realm of man. Any person claiming such a feat ought to be horse-beaten, whipped through the streets and cajoled into believing they are daft and quite possibly mentally unstable." Grinning at his lack of professionalism, Rivien considers omitting this tangential bit. "Posterity will thank me for my bluntness," the thespian concludes.
"Understanding one's limits are crucial. Any adventurer with eyes on bigger prizes and hopes of conquering the dark places of the world where even darker and more powerful inhabitants lurk, must recognize their limitations or be lost to the annals. One does not simply drink a potion and become immune, no! One must be always ready to resist the magical forces that would bend ye to their will. It all starts with fortifying yer mind. That is where the battle against magical properties will take place. Yer body accepts what the mind lets in. Consider the mind as the dike, and the body is the channel. If the dike is weak or breaks, the channel will flood and ye are lost. We will never be able to keep the dike without holes. They're as natural as breathing air, but we can strengthen the dike so that multiple holes do not exist. Below is a working list."
"This guide is not yer one plan fits all stratagem nor should it be considered thus. These are the magical creatures of our world that will teach ye, through patience and perseverance the methods to survive a flame strike, deflect the effects of a mind blast or reject a curse / poison on yer body. The skeleton magical users are the beginning of the journey. They will teach ye from the ground up, too a certain limit, the beginnings of the resistance. Be prepared to be pelted mercilessly with blast after blast and poison arrow after poison arrow. The beginning is always the hardest. Acclimating to the training regimen has seen more than a few hardy adventurers to early graves. Troll Shamans, Praetorian and Orcish mages and clerics are not to be trifled with dear reader, especially not in numbers. Remember: understand yer limitations and ye will go far. These magical users will use much of the same tricks as the skeletal undead, however, will utilize the power of summoning to call forth magical creations, stronger than their casters. Use this to yer advantage. Their strength, strengthens yer weakness. Be cautious though, too many elemental summons and ye will not be learning, ye will be very quickly entering an early grave. Gargoyles, Reapers and Titans - all dangerous creatures that have the ability to fell the most break the dike of the most resistant of characters. Do not be fooled, ye train with these creatures at yer peril. Much like the previous casters, Djinnis, Genies and all manner of Elementals have the same capacity to deal dealth with equal prejudice. The key is limitation. Understanding when to stop and when to start learning on a new target. Shabooli Shamans and Warlocks are perhaps the hardest to caters to anticipate ye might ever encounter, yet, if ye do, they could very well be the last stop on yer way to securing the channel. They live in the swamps and forested regions of the world and use unorthodox methods to ensnare their foes. They will use their natural environment as a weapon against ye, which make them formidable in their own right. Their advantage and oft times with deadly results lies in their use of bees and the manipulation of water. All fantastical creatures can be discovered throughout yer travels in multiple locations and should be mapped. Accidently crossing paths with some or all of the creatures at any one time is not recommended."
*Note: This guide is subject to change. There may be variations of this guide which exist, however, these are the tried and true methods that have propelled many great men into the roles of being leaders of this world. Take it for what thee will.
*Note: I bear no responsibility for the harm that befalls intrepid adventurers whom use this guide as their keystone.
~ Rivien, legendary traveler and storyteller
"How does one learn how to be a master of resistance to the magical energies that exist in our world, I dare ask? Well the answer is simple: one does not! For no matter the hours spent idly training no one person will ever achieve one-hundred percent mastery over the elements of magic, such a person does not exist in our realm of man. Any person claiming such a feat ought to be horse-beaten, whipped through the streets and cajoled into believing they are daft and quite possibly mentally unstable." Grinning at his lack of professionalism, Rivien considers omitting this tangential bit. "Posterity will thank me for my bluntness," the thespian concludes.
"Understanding one's limits are crucial. Any adventurer with eyes on bigger prizes and hopes of conquering the dark places of the world where even darker and more powerful inhabitants lurk, must recognize their limitations or be lost to the annals. One does not simply drink a potion and become immune, no! One must be always ready to resist the magical forces that would bend ye to their will. It all starts with fortifying yer mind. That is where the battle against magical properties will take place. Yer body accepts what the mind lets in. Consider the mind as the dike, and the body is the channel. If the dike is weak or breaks, the channel will flood and ye are lost. We will never be able to keep the dike without holes. They're as natural as breathing air, but we can strengthen the dike so that multiple holes do not exist. Below is a working list."
- Skeleton Magicians
Skeleton Warlocks
Orcish Mages
Orcish Clerics
Gazers
Praetorian Mages
Troll Shaman
Orcish Master Mages
Gargoyles
Reapers
Titans
Djinnis
Genies
Water / Fire / Ice / Air Elementals
Shabooli Shamans & Warlocks
"This guide is not yer one plan fits all stratagem nor should it be considered thus. These are the magical creatures of our world that will teach ye, through patience and perseverance the methods to survive a flame strike, deflect the effects of a mind blast or reject a curse / poison on yer body. The skeleton magical users are the beginning of the journey. They will teach ye from the ground up, too a certain limit, the beginnings of the resistance. Be prepared to be pelted mercilessly with blast after blast and poison arrow after poison arrow. The beginning is always the hardest. Acclimating to the training regimen has seen more than a few hardy adventurers to early graves. Troll Shamans, Praetorian and Orcish mages and clerics are not to be trifled with dear reader, especially not in numbers. Remember: understand yer limitations and ye will go far. These magical users will use much of the same tricks as the skeletal undead, however, will utilize the power of summoning to call forth magical creations, stronger than their casters. Use this to yer advantage. Their strength, strengthens yer weakness. Be cautious though, too many elemental summons and ye will not be learning, ye will be very quickly entering an early grave. Gargoyles, Reapers and Titans - all dangerous creatures that have the ability to fell the most break the dike of the most resistant of characters. Do not be fooled, ye train with these creatures at yer peril. Much like the previous casters, Djinnis, Genies and all manner of Elementals have the same capacity to deal dealth with equal prejudice. The key is limitation. Understanding when to stop and when to start learning on a new target. Shabooli Shamans and Warlocks are perhaps the hardest to caters to anticipate ye might ever encounter, yet, if ye do, they could very well be the last stop on yer way to securing the channel. They live in the swamps and forested regions of the world and use unorthodox methods to ensnare their foes. They will use their natural environment as a weapon against ye, which make them formidable in their own right. Their advantage and oft times with deadly results lies in their use of bees and the manipulation of water. All fantastical creatures can be discovered throughout yer travels in multiple locations and should be mapped. Accidently crossing paths with some or all of the creatures at any one time is not recommended."
*Note: This guide is subject to change. There may be variations of this guide which exist, however, these are the tried and true methods that have propelled many great men into the roles of being leaders of this world. Take it for what thee will.
*Note: I bear no responsibility for the harm that befalls intrepid adventurers whom use this guide as their keystone.
~ Rivien, legendary traveler and storyteller