AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 5, Page 1: The Knight, Revisited
WR: Heheheh, I knew I’d be back here, but I didn’t expect to do so for this reason. Ladies and gentlemen, a wonderful fellow stopped by and provided me with some valuable information, which they’ve allowed me to put into the Title Index.
WR: As a preface, these will primarily be regarding difference in polarity and power definition from my own, as personality traits didn’t really come up in our discussion, but nevertheless, their input will prove invaluable for those seeking a more realistic interpretation of the Knight and the Page.
WR: So, to give a quick brush up of my own definition of the Knight powers, I claimed that they draw power from without - using implements, symbols, and artifacts imbued with the power of their Aspect to do their magical work, and that their polarity was Passive - “other-oriented”.
WR: Chernubs proposed instead that Knights are Active Classes, and rather than drawing power from tools or implements, they instead have fairly limited access to their Aspect, but exploit what they have, wringing every last advantage they can get from it.
WR: Their two major examples were those of the Knight of Time, Dave Strider, using time-travel to make the very most of a session with a limited amount of time, and the Knight of Blood, Karkat Vantas, barely managing to bring his session through despite the lack of cohesion or solid bonds.
WR: To quote specifically; “dave's ability to almost singlehandedly sustain his session purely through time hopping even with only 24 hours to work with or how karkat partially kept his session together through working what connections they had to benifit the group.”
WR: So, in summation, this definition of the powers of the Knight is that they lack a greater access to their powers (which seems to take the form of a fated imposition - a lack of time, a lack of cohesion, and so on), but can manipulate it to amazing ends.
WR: I hope I’m doing Chernubs’ take on Knights some justice! Keep an eye out in the next half-hour for Pages Revisited. .)
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 5, Page 2: The Page, Revisited
WR: Following up with the revisited Knight powers earlier, Chernubs’ take on the Page - the polar opposite to the Knight.
WR: So, this one, the Polarity of the Class remains the same - Passive, though in this case the Page is the counterpart to the Knight, not the Heir. My interpretation of their powers is that, while they initially start off weak and without any notable strengths, upon reaching the end of their quest, they gain access to unimaginable power, at the cost of the inability to direct it.
WR: A few days ago, Rose quoted me saying “Heirs are like an artist given a lump of clay and the tools to shape it” - likewise, my interpretation of Pages was akin to giving someone a lump of C4 and a hammer.
WR: However, Chernubs’ version of the Page paints them in a more subtle, less visible, but altogether just as powerful light - and their example was none other than the very Page I disregarded for that lack of visibility. The Page of Breath, Tavros Nitram.
WR: To quote; “tavros being the guiding force driving an army he formed purely through passive suggestion and being ‘the wind behind their backs’. Not only just when he had gathered the rather impressive army of ghosts despite having been dead for a long time and never truely showing any development, but he had even been able to convince the underlings inhabing his land to help him simply by asking to do so.”
WR: Notice that - Breath is a social aspect. Charisma, freedom, action - these are what define Breath. And Tavros - while not seeming to - displayed charisma and action in rallying an army /and/ persuading the Underlings on LOSAZ.
WR: Quoting Chernubs again; “Id have to say that when it comes to pages themselves with the application of the ‘exploit’ function, it would boil down to their actions passively leading to outcomes that serve to ultimately better them and how if left alone to truely work towards their goals they can pull off extreme feats related to their aspect almost subconsciously.”
WR: Tavros was left to his own devices in both cases - time spent dead, and time spent communicating with the Underlings, with no pressure from other players to show his strengths. It was all him.
WR: While that still does bring up questions about what exactly happened with Jake in that doomed session, it can still generally be understood that his powers there weren’t exactly his own, as he had been tampered with by Aranea.
WR: So, the powers of a Page are subtle, the passive manipulation of one’s Aspect to achieve their goals. Whether it’s the subtle rallying or persuasion of Breath, or the impeccable inspiration of Hope, the Page - left alone - can accomplish great things without even realizing it.
WR: Again, I hope I’m not misreading or misrepresenting this - if I am, Chernubs, please come by again and correct me. For those others reading this, I hope this alternate take on the powers of Pages is helpful, and thanks again to Chernubs for telling me about this and letting me add pages to the Index for it. ^_
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 11: The Thief
WR: So, looking at what I’ve got from the research pages right now, I can already tell I’m not gonna enjoy today in the slightest.
WR: So, theft - (1) plain and simple, it’s the act of taking someone else’s property without their permission with the whole-hearted intent of depriving them of it. And anyone who carries out an act of theft or makes a career of it is called a thief.
WR: I can save you a long read, the rest of the post is several pre-SBURBan locations definitions of theft as well as the general idea of it. If you took something that wasn’t yours with the intent to take it, it’s theft. If you didn’t intend to take it, could have taken it back, but decided to keep it, theft.
WR: Terribly brief, I know, but that’s basically it.
WR: So then, what is a Thief’s personality? For one, self-centered, arrogant, but particularly clever. They’re usually fairly aggressive, running on a short fuse, so they have a habit of doing rather than thinking, and don’t particularly play well with others.
WR: However, they do have downtime from their usual arrogance, but don’t expect them to be soft or overly welcoming. They may be able to cool down, but they will always keep their guard up.
WR: And now, going onto polarity and powers. Polarity is obviously Active and their opposite is the Rogue. Their powers generally entail stealing their Aspect from another for themselves, or stealing something through their Aspect. This could be anything from stat drains to using portals to take things, but generally it always ends with the intended designs of the Thief.
WR: Exceedingly brief, and I managed to contribute /nothing/ to the given knowledge of Thieves. Well, I can’t say I’m hopeful, but at least someone out there’s gonna be able to make some use of this, right?
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 8: The Seer
WR: Wrapping up today’s posts on the strategist Classes, it’s time to delve into Seers.
WR: So, like a few of these, the research page in question is gonna be kind of a stretch, moreso than Witches and Mages, we’ll be using...Clairvoyance(1). “The term clairvoyance is the alleged ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through extrasensory perception.” I’m sure we all know the significance of the bolded line. It practically goes without saying at this point, doesn’t it?
WR: “Any person who is claimed to have some such ability is said accordingly to be a clairvoyant ("one who sees clearly").” This part plays well into Seers and how clairvoyance relates to them and their powers: “One who sees clearly”.
WR: “(1)Pertaining to the ability of clear-sightedness, clairvoyance refers to the paranormal ability to see persons and events that are distant in time or space. It can be divided into roughly three classes: precognition, the ability to perceive or predict future events, retrocognition, the ability to see past events, and remote viewing, the perception of contemporary events happening outside of the range of normal perception.” Obviously, this all is going to be worth note for describing their powers.
WR: And there’s also some worthwhile snippets from the Scientific Reception(1) part of the page - namely that most claims of clairvoyance as a supernatural ability are most likely simply for satisfaction purposes. The relevance of that will become a fair bit more apparent in just a moment.
WR: Polarity and Personality - obviously, much like Mages, Seers haven’t changed. They’re Passive and the opposite of Mages, so that’s easy enough to get out of the way. Onto the fun part, personality:
WR: Seers are likely the biggest case example of a Passive Class with a social barrier. Barring Pages. Seers are very restrained socially - of their own accord no less - but they do still make an effort to break those restraints. However, there’s also a secondary barrier in that our personalities can be somewhat lacking in some key strengths. Just to cite examples: Rose’s zealous psychobabble, Kankri’s hypocrisy, Terezi’s macabre justice - hell, even I’ve got some pretty strong faults myself.
WR: But, even beyond this, when they do go out of their usual reclusive boundaries, Seers can be fairly charming and amazing conversation partners. Of course, we’re still oddballs, but there’s a lot to be had out of it. Another trait of Seers is a fair bit more unusual among Passive players - a strong sense of pride. I’d hazard to say that, above all other Passive Classes, Seers have the strongest and worst egos. It does us well, but also does a fair bit of damage to us.
WR: And, of course, beyond this all, Seers are very much thinking sorts. They love to learn, they love having knowledge at their disposal, and they thrive on gathering and sharing that knowledge.
WR: So now, what do Seers do? Well, Seers can foresee any and all paths involving or ending with their Aspect. We’re given visions of them, and can willfully peer into events relevant to our Aspect, or beyond our Aspect’s boundaries. Much like Rose can peer into Magic Cueballs, or how I can see beyond The Veil with clarity.
WR: However, much like Mages have surety of their calculations, Seers have to sift through the visions and prophecies they’re given - they don’t get the answers quite so clearly as Mages, and the fact that they have a higher chance of convincing others, this puts their sessionmates at some risk when they heed the words of a fledgling Seer over a Mage.
WR: And that should wrap it up for Seers. I hope that this helped, and served to give insight to any who may read it.
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 12: The Rogue
WR: And now, hopefully to cap off the useless re-stating of known facts, Rogues.
WR: Rogues(1), interestingly enough, are synonymous with vagabonds. “Like a drifter, a rogue is an independent person who rejects conventional rules of society in favor of following their own personal goals and values.”
WR: “In modern English language, the term rogue is used pejoratively to describe a dishonest or unprincipled person whose behavior one disapproves of, but who is nonetheless likeable and/or attractive.” Well, at least that’s somewhat useful.
WR: “(1)In England, the 1572 Vagabonds Act defined a rogue as a person who has no land, no master, and no legitimate trade or source of income; it included rogues in the class of idle vagrants or vagabonds.” And then this is a little interesting, but not particularly helpful, I don’t think.
WR: And, there’s also this(1), but that’s kinda just the archetypical rogue most everyone knows.
WR: So, Rogue personality traits generally involve some degree of great charisma - very likable people, often beyond easy to get along with. They may not be the best people in general, but they’ve got that roguish allure.
WR: They all have their own ways about them, but it seems more often than not they try to give their all for one or more people, even if that dedication proves to their detriment. They also seem to have a uniquely deep connection with their Aspect in comparison to most other Classes, possibly even being the closest to their Aspect among the non-Master Classes.
WR: Then, what do Rogues do? Well, they can steal the essence of their Aspect, or steal things for another’s benefit. The definition that I give is extremely vague, but realistically I can’t actually think of what it is that Rogues can do.
WR: Honest to god, the biggest thing that’s aggravating me right now is that I cannot for the life of me differentiate Thieves from Rogues barring their personality and who their powers benefit, and that just irritates the hell out of me.
WR: I dunno what else I can really say about Rogues, so, if anyone has any input, it would be very, /very/ greatly appreciated.
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 6: The Knight
WR: And now, for the Knight. I don’t really have much to say to preface this, so I might as well just start talking.
WR: “A knight(1) is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a monarch or other political leader for service to the monarch or country, especially in a military capacity. Historically, in Europe, knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors.” - I’m not exactly sure what I could draw from the first part, about knights being granted the title for service, but it is worthwhile to note, especially alongside knights being historically warriors. Mounted warriors, but warriors nonetheless.
WR: “The word knight(1), from Old English cniht ("boy" or "servant"), is a cognate of the German word Knecht ("servant, bondsman").” - This etymology is largely interesting to note because it reinforces the Passivity of the Knight Class through service to others, but it is also worthwhile to ensure a distinction is known between Knights and Maids. Knights serve people in general, while Maids likely only serve one or, a very scant few people, and do most of their service to their Aspect.
WR: And, going back to the heavy-cavalry curiosity, it’s mentioned here that in Latin, the Medieval Knight was moreover an infantry title - “(1)the medieval knight, however, was called miles in Latin (which in classical Latin meant "soldier", normally infantry)”. The rest of the page is mostly information about the origins and declines of knights, their pastimes, and some other small tidbits, so it’s time to go on to talk about the SBURBan Knight.
WR: Starting off of course with Polarity, Knights are Passive - sworn to the service of others and generally fairly social Classes, and they are the Passive counterpart to Witches.
WR: Onto Personality - Knights are often those who give a front, (especially moreso when compounded with an aspect like blood), and have an easy time of distancing themselves from stuff when they need to. But, beyond that, they are impeccably social people, and when they’re relaxed, they’re actually genuine fun-loving folk. And in some cases, they can be fun-lovers twofold, like with Latula’s facade. Her game face is fun, and her off-game is fun.
WR: Of course, being Passive Classes, Knights also have to grapple with issues of confidence and self-worth. While not given as hard a time as Pages, they’re still not half as confident as Witches, and often need to take a long, hard think to figure themselves out. But, like Witches, Knights also have a good habit of saying what needs to be said, even if it hurts.
WR: Shortening it down, Knights are fun, admirable people who can easily put up a tough act to make distance where they need it, they struggle with self-worth and confidence, but they also can say and do what needs to be said and done.
WR: Now, onto Powers. This will probably be a little difficult to get across, but I’m confident I can do it. I’m sure you’re reading this with the Witch post fresh in your mind - if not, please refresh yourself, because it’s relevant.
WR: Remember how I mentioned at the end of the last paragraph on Witch powers that, like most other Classes, Witch powers come from within? Well, I believe that Knight powers come from without. It’s not innate to them. Their powers don’t stem from their will exerting the essence of their Aspect, but moreover from items imbued with the power of their Aspect.
WR: Let’s take some examples, shall we? Dave Strider, the Knight of Time, used Time-related implements and multiple timeline iterations of weapons very frequently - his Timetables, Caledscratch, and even broken and reforged versions of the mythical blade Caledfwlch. Or, Karkat Vantas, the Knight of Blood. His sickle was a symbol of his leadership, much as his shirt and zodiac was - the shackles of the Signless, items of inspiration to Alternians - gave him his powers.
WR: Of course, that makes it exceedingly difficult to define what it is a Knight can do - where it’s easy to say how a Witch, whose powers come from within them can control things through the primordial magicks of their Aspects, Knights...Don’t have the same kinda blessings. It may be difficult to say it, but it’s easy to see it - Dave’s use of Time to fight, switching instances of Caledscratch and time-hopping for advantages with his Timetables, or Karkat radiating an inspiring presence with the sign of Cancer emblazoned on his shirt, and inspiring a battle-trance of sorts with his sickle.
WR: Again, it’s very difficult to give accurate depictions of a Knights powers when they have such exclusive restrictions, but I’m sure with enough thought, many of you can draw amazing conclusions and display immense skill in manipulating the power of implements. (It is also worth noting, their powers have been shown to largely be used in combat - not sure how relevant it is, but there it is.)
WR: As much as I hate to say it, I don’t feel one-hundred percent confident in the information presented, but it is the best I could come up with given amounts of information and logic. Hopefully this helps, and hopefully I’m wrong in saying that this raised more questions than gave answers.
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 5: The Witch
WR: And finally, I can put the last two Classes shaken up from the Sylph post back into place. Today’s subject: Witches, and Knights.
WR: “Witchcraft(1) broadly means the practice of, and belief in, magical skills and abilities that are able to be exercised by individuals and certain social groups.” - This definition used for witchcraft is probably going to be greatly useful to define the powers of Witches - so, let’s keep this fresh in our minds as we continue on.
WR: In terms of better definitions, we have this: “(1)In anthropological terminology, witches differ from sorcerers in that they don't use physical tools or actions to curse; their maleficium is perceived as extending from some intangible inner quality, and one may be unaware of being a witch, or may have been convinced of his/her nature by the suggestion of others. This definition was pioneered in a study of central African magical beliefs by E. E. Evans-Pritchard, who cautioned that it might not correspond with normal English usage.”
WR: That...Also, is worth keeping our minds fixed on when we come to define the powers of a Witch. And it’s already giving me a greater sense of what Witches and Knights can do, actually. (thank you mr. evans-pritchard, you are making this whole hells of easy on me.)
WR: The other definition, just below E. E. Evans-Pritchard’s definition, basically goes on to say that the witches of Europe and Britain were stated to have used both physical and psionic means to cast their spells, but it’s dismissed in general as a notion to explain misfortune. And, the rest of the page mostly goes on to explain the practices of Witches and religious significance - as well as Witches in religion and religions involving Witches. Probably a worthwhile read, but glancing over it, I think I got most all of what I need.
WR: So, onto the personality and polarity of Witches. First, I should go ahead and say - their Alignment is still the same: Active. (although, many likely have noticed a theme with the posts, always coming in order of active-then-passive, but, just in case some haven’t, it’s worth pointing out. .) )
WR: In terms of personality, I believe that Witches are very bubbly folk, or, at least, openly positive. They have a very friendly demeanor, which makes them more socially attractive a prospect than most Active Classes, but they also have a general ease of saying whatever it is they care to say. They’re not about to mince words, and some of the things they’ll say can be downright harsh.
WR: But, that also shows another notable personality trait of Witches: Confidence. They care more about themselves and their freedom than anyone else’s poorer sensibilities or inability to take harsh words. They may be sorry to hurt people, but they’re not at all sorry for saying what they say, because it’s exactly what they mean to say.
WR: Short version: Very positive, have a strong social gravity, don’t mince words, and are very confident - although they can be mildly apologetic if their lack of a speech lock does undue harm.
WR: As for powers, I mentioned early on that the rough definition of witchcraft and Anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard’s definition of witchcraft would be put to use to explain the abilities of a Witch.
WR: For one - this will vary between Witches, but their powers can come from self-discovery. This is largely theoretical, but it is worth noting that some Witches need to reach some milestone of understanding themselves before being able to unlock their powers. (although it’s kind of a moot point, since that’s the case for most every class, anyhow.)
WR: Two, they have the power of control - remember my shitty old definitions of Pages and Maids wherein I said they “control x in a thing or an area”? Well, I believe this actually applies best to Witches. They control their Aspect in things and/or people. And, this power, of course, comes from within them - much like many other Classes, their power is drawn from their Aspect and through their will, is exacted upon reality.
WR: Of course, this presents a topic of interest which I’ll explore here in about...Thirty minutes. .P
WR: I hope this provides some solid exposition on Witches, and grants those out there who carry the name a better understanding of themselves and a greater lens to view their Aspect through.
AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 10: The Bard
WR: And now, for the second Destroyer Class. I really, really hope I can figure something out to add to this...
WR: “(1)In medieval Gaelic and British culture, a bard was a professional story teller, verse-maker and music composer, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or noble), to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.” Well, shit. Not exactly much useful information in the first paragraph...
WR: “(1)In medieval Gaelic and Welsh society, a bard (Scottish and Irish Gaelic) or bardd (Welsh) was a professional poet, employed to compose eulogies for his lord (see planxty). If the employer failed to pay the proper amount, the bard would then compose a satire (c.f. fili, fáith).” This.../may/ be useful? I know I expected a bump in the road on these two, but this is ridiculous.
WR: I hate to do this, but I’m gonna have to go on a whim and completely eschew research for this one, Bards just have nothing to them as far as I can see.
WR: Polarity and Personality - Passive, opposite to the Prince, moving on.
WR: Bards, from what I can tell, have two modes - let’s say X is their face mode, Y is their break mode. They often stay in their X mode for the most part, but there are always little things that may trigger them to go into their Y mode. This Y mode largely depends on their Aspect, and ironically, the Bard we know least about, Cronus, falls into his break mode near constantly.
WR: This isn’t of course to say that the break mode is a bad thing, either - for some Aspects, like Sound, Form, or Space, it could be a flight of driven creativity. But it still can be negative, like in the cases of Hope, Doom, and so on.
WR: From what all else I can tell, Bards seem to be completely impossible to accurately describe in terms of personality, besides probably being extremely mellow in their face mode. I suppose that reinforces Aranea’s statements that Bards are wildcards.
WR: The generally accepted powers of a Bard (1) are to allow their Aspect to be destroyed, or to invite destruction through their Aspect. I don’t really have anything I can add to the conversation, yet again, but honestly I wouldn’t be surprised at this point if Bards could metaphorically roll the dice and come up with random powers each time.
WR: Well, that was uncharacteristically sloppy. But again, I unfortunately have to chalk it up to there being really no solid information about Bards that doesn’t total up to “wildcard” status. If this helps /anyone/, I’m going to be surprised.
