LORE STREAMS
April 18, 2020 StreamAeyt is working on releasing SotE native species to create some concrete canon for both old and new members to use. He's currently wrapping up different subspecies of Elves along with their main cities and then will be moving onto dwarves.
So what does this mean for you?First and foremost, the rule of cool is still in effect. If you wish to make your own races, you are STILL more than welcome to and we encourage it! Secondly, our SotE canon species are to provide a foundation for members to use if they so choose. You are more than welcome to keep your current characters as they are, or revamp them to fit what Aeyt has made. There is a specific subspecies of elves that have also been created as a catch all to assist with grandfathering current characters in IF members choose to use it. This inclusion will be open for the next species we are also working on creating.
These SotE canon races are simply native to the planet, and to the specific creation myths and lore present in SotE. If you don't want to have to create your own creatures, feel free to utilize these! They exist to help provide backstory and information for your characters in a way that is ingrained into the lore of SotE, making it much easier to navigate lore-breaking. These species are not required for you to use or to stop you from creating your own races. They are instead just another option of play for you should you choose to use it.
What is World Breaking and Why Isn't It Allowed:For SotE, a lot of the limits are your own imagination. We don't like to set down hard yes or no answers, because we do understand that a lot of things are more nuanced, and we wish for this community to be able to express their creativity to its fullest potential. That being said, we are a community, which means that there are many members that have to also be considered when something major occurs. It would be impossible to demand that every member keep up to date with all the plots made by other members and adjust their own plots accordingly. Moreover, this would provide an ever-increasing history that new members would have to look into prior to joining, and let's be real we already have a lot of reading for members to do. :P
This isn't to say that you can't do big plots! Members are always welcome to reach out to the mod team if they have an idea for an event that they want to host and manage for other members. Your mod team is here and willing to assist you in making the event fit, and become part of the canon history of the site!
So about them canon races:As stated, eventually each traditional fantasy race will be worked into the lore to make their presence fit. Each canon race will have their own main attributes across the race, plus subcultures and races that are basically small evolutionary differences based on biomes and history.
ELVES ELVES ELVES!: The information presented here is up to further development as Aeyt continues to work on each elf society, to provide them with as much detail as possible. Far more detailed descriptions will follow when the lore is completed for each society. You may recognise the similarities of some of these subspecies to creatures you might find from DnD. Consider this SotE's spin on those species and our means of creating equivalents that work best with our lore.
Boreal Elves - Boreal elves are highly magical beings who are rigid in their traditions and think of themselves as superior to all others.
Jungle Elves - A semi-nomadic people, Jungle elves are a tribal society who utilize many animal furs and plant fibers in the construction of their homes and dress.
Woad Elves - Secretive for the most part, Woad elves live in "tree sung" structures made from living forest. They have a friendlier outlook towards those who show respect to their forest homes.
Plains Elves - The most common elves found in mixed societies, friendliest toward other races. They vary in complexion and appearance, and are easily the most diverse of the elven societies. If your elf character doesn't fit anywhere else, they will fit with the Plains elves.
Desert Elves - A divided people, the Desert elves dwell in the Moraki desert, either in luxurious spired cities, or in nomadic bands.
Alpine Elves - An elusive, proud people, the winged elves of the Alpines are rarely seen by the more short-lived races.
Bothraron Elves - Pale and fierce predators, the Bothraron elves were once known as the gentle Crystal Elves. Long centuries underground have robbed them of both their pigment and their softness, leaving behind a fearsome society forged by the challenges of living in the deep darks of the world.
Q&A: Per questions asked in the stream by our users.Q: So canonly why aren't any of these new elf cities and their people not more prevalent in the population?Great question! Aside from the Plains elves these subspecies are incredibly reclusive and hide their societies away from human eyes. They do not interact much with the outside world which accounts for their lack of presence to date.
Q: I want to use some SotE lore for a homebrew tabletop game. Is this allowed?Absolutely! Eventually, when the staff is able to do so, it's hoped that we'll even be able to put out our own tapletop rpg using the d20 system. This is a good ways away, however. In the meantime, if you'd like to utilize a part of the SotE canon for your personal enjoyment, by all means do so. The only stipulation is that, by law, the canon lore and races within SotE are the property of Rhi, so utilizing the canon for financial gain in any format is not allowed.
Q: So the fae came to Le'raana and mingled with the humans to create the Serenians. Does that mean the feywild exists?In terms of a distinct, separate fae dimension (such as similar to the feywild in other IPs) it does exist. However we have no plans on opening that up for exploration, utilizing it instead as flavor text. It exists and the world has been affected by it and the fae are present in the SotE world. But there is not going to be developed areas of the fae dimension itself.
Q: So these other dimensions exist, what does that mean for the Meeting Place?The Meeting Place is a special case. It does not operate in a completely different parallel dimension, but exists as a kind of pocket space. Think of the Meeting Place like a room you can walk into via a door. It's still part of the world, but in a kind of overlapping fashion.
Q: What does magic casting look like? Is there a set way magic is done that is the "canon" norm?The Rule of Cool applies, and however you wish to write your magic casting is up to you. If you prefer your characters to use magical components in their spellcasting, or if you want them to be able to call up magical spells with a few words, that's up to you! SotE has no, and never will have, a hard and set rule for what magic casting "looks like".
Q: What is the common language of Le'raana?There is none! Each country is going to have its own language and specific dialects based on the region. For instance, Adela is made up of the joined territories of what once were separate and distinct tribes. Each of those territories then, will have their own distinct Adelan dialect, which may become more of a mix of Serenian the further north into Adela one goes. This is the same for other countries as well: Connlaoth and Serendipity share a common ancestor, and their languages are related, but have deviated from one another over time.
The closest to "Common" that we get is the Trader's Tongue, which is a mixture of different languages to form a kind of Creole to better understand one another during trade.
As far as the logistical, meta side of it... when you're writing in an area with two characters who should know the language of that area, it's understood that the two characters will understand one another as the post is written. However, you DO have the ability to roleplay language barriers! A native of Thanatos may not know the Trader's Tongue, and the same could be said of a farmer in Connlaoth! If those two characters were to meet, they might need a translator.
Things to Follow!: The other topics that are currently in the works and will be discussed at a later date.- Adela's territories and their specific cultures
- The Kishahn Jungle
- The Serha Plains
- A canon concept of time via a calendar
- Canon magic materials and metals
- In depth discussions of demonic/celestial forces
- More canon races!
- -New continent lore
- Updated country lore
We're currently batting around the idea of making these streams happen more regularly, to show updates as they're being introduced as well as to get member feedback and answer any of your questions! This thread will contain updates of when those streams will take place as well as condensed summaries of what was discussed in those streams and questions that were answered for those that may have missed out. Stay tuned for further updates and future sneak peeks at all the work we're putting in to expand the world of Spirits of the Earth as you know and love it.
Got questions you want to be addressed in a future stream? Feel free to message Aeyt#8066 on Discord or any of our other mods and we will be sure to add it to the queue.
