Sylvhara: Casting a Magic Spell

Basic Mage RP class /INITIATES
Teacher: Ondine Ninetails

Ondine Ninetails

Group Notice From:  Ithryn Mage Guild, Ondine Ninetails

This class is useful in preparation for your duel as well as a continuation of how to RP a  Mage. In the candidate class "Believable Fantasy" we explored how to RP a Mage believably .Today, we explore further RP techniques and the use of spells format to attain this .

Mage Class

Pionia Destiny: Walks into the room looking for a good seat... smiles and bows to the archmage. Looks at the Atchmage.. " greetings, Archmage"
Cymbidium: suilad, Arch Mage, Initiate.
Ondine Ninetails: greetings... Pionia
Ondine Ninetails: Welcome Nith and Cym
Ondine Ninetails: I am not sure if you remember Pionia?
Cymbidium: Yes, We met at the all guild meeting
Ondine Ninetails: excellent
Cymbidium: Pionia this is my mate Nithpantiel
Ondine Ninetails: yes now i remember
Ondine Ninetails: your welcome to come closer if you like Cym and Nith
Ondine Ninetails: greetings... Arch mage Sally
Cymbidium hands the Arch mage a pair of glasses and shoes the faries away from her hands.
Sally Foxdale: greetings archmage
Squish: hellooo all
Ondine Ninetails: Greetings to you Squish
Pionia Destiny: looks around and smiles warmly waving to the ones in the room
Ondine Ninetails passes the last of the cookies to Squish
Squish: mmmmm
Ondine Ninetails: I have been playing with the milder magics to observe potential familiars
Ondine Ninetails: it seems that my workload is increasing and i am in search of assistance in the darker magics.
Ondine Ninetails: finding and trusting is not always one and the same
Ondine Ninetails: but let me not bother this evening's class with my concerns
Ondine Ninetails: lets begin
Cymbidium takes out his previous lesson's and begin's writing in the margins.
Ondine Ninetails: a short review of the former class of believable fantasy


When RPing casting a magic spell, there are 4 stages: ALL should be included in the rp weather in live RP or posted.  Remember this when performing a duel too. Make note of these steps because this is the format you will use for your coming duels well as all coming use of magics and spells

 1.    Provide a context: Convey WHY you are casting the spell, and give a valid reason.
 Don’t cast the spell without any warning, because the spell will hopefully be a spectacular event, and you want it to capture your audience’s attention, but not conflict with any other RP that is currently active.

 2.    Control the elemental force: All casting of elemental magic has an essential component and that is the controlling manipulation ......this is  preparation for the actual casting. This  is most commonly done by meditation,trance, focus etc and  should be part of your RP -  both to explain to your audience that you are, for example, calling on the power of water, and also to create a sense of theater.

 3.    Use an incantation to cast the spell:
 As before, the incantation should both explore how the elemental magic is being harnessed, and the delivery should add to the overall performance. A short poem is the ideal form of incantation, but a few well crafted words will work fine too.
Have some ready in your folders. Something to be drawn in a moments notice for different effects

 4.    Show that the spell has been cast: The ideal way to complete the casting of your spell is with  some effect that might combine visual or audio elements or both.  Be sure to CLOSE*...many actually forget this.
 CLOSE CLOSE CLOSE.  The biggest mistake all casters make is forgetting that all magic must be closed

In some cases the name of the spell you are casting e.g. Sphere of Protection, creates an image in words of what the effect of the spell is going to be, but to actually use a particle effect adds so much more theater and drama!

 Playing out all these 4 stages in a fluid and dramatic way can be quite tricky, and gestures are a good way of orchestrating your charms and spells to create the greatest impact. Think of your spell on a plot line, like the story of a book. There is a rising action (the preparation), a climax (the casting), and the resolution (effects). Then Close.
 Take a moment and look over the 4 steps.

Students attending the class

Ondine Ninetails smiles "I am going to ask you to share a spell USING THE 4 STEPS with the group shortly. You may want to start thinking on it..."
Sally Foxdale hums absebtmindly
Ondine Ninetails: In your former Role Play Class, I am sure you heard the term "God-Moding". It is important enough to repeat here.
Ondine Ninetails: God moding can be considered many things, but a basic description would be anyone who plays an all-powerful, un-touchable, all-knowing character. There is no such Mage....
Ondine Ninetails: Simply put, any Mage, and character, can be injured and can die. Even those who profess to be immortal must have a weakness.
Ondine Ninetails: God moding can also be forcing actions upon another character. Also Forcing results. You cannot just grab someone by the neck and throw them across the room. You must give them a chance to resist or fight back.
Ondine Ninetails: Keeping what I just described in mind, can each of you share a brief spell with the group? you may use particle effects and gestures if you like but i know some of you have not had those classes as yet. So use your words only if you like to describe
Ondine Ninetails: Sally would you like to start and perform a spell for us???
Sally Foxdale: yes
Ondine Ninetails steps back for Sally to demonstrate
Sally Foxdale: while walking through town at dusk she enters an alley as a short cut to the Inn, a gang of cutpurses approach Sally
Sally Foxdale: asking for her purse and fingering their daggers they think the small woman is an easy target
Squish: Squish: flies off not wanting to be in a fight
Sally Foxdale: not wanting to lose her hard earned money she Bangs her staff into the ground and calls forth a mist to surround her
Sally Foxdale: '' oh Dampen earth
 give forth they mist
 so to blind those about me
 to protect this poor soul from danger
 so mote it be
 so be it ''
Sally Foxdale: as the mist emerges and surrounds her she slips away while the bandits are blinded and fumbling around
Sally Foxdale: at the end of the ally sally calls forth a wind to dispel the mist ''oh wind from the east disperse this fog then dispel they self back to the world''
Sally Foxdale: and continues on her way chuckling as she hears the curses been hurled behind her
Ondine Ninetails: well done
Nithpantiel claps
Ondine Ninetails: Sally posed the purpose of the spell...created it and closed
Ondine Ninetails: ALWAYS closed
Ondine Ninetails: nothing is more dangerous than a spell that noone closes
Ondine Ninetails: it will take on a lide of its own if you do not
Ondine Ninetails: Nith or cym??
Ondine Ninetails: would you like to show us a spell
Nithpantiel: I have one I am working on for my duel I suppose I could show
Ondine Ninetails: Be thinking on trying your hand at a small spell Pionia
Nithpantiel: it is rough
Ondine Ninetails: yes please do
Nithpantiel: give me a second to get set up
Ondine Ninetails: nods
Ondine Ninetails: which brings me to mention too to always have folders with particle effects and incantations ready
Ondine Ninetails: for at a moments notice
Ondine Ninetails: always helps
Nithpantiel: oh yes
Nithpantiel: ok I am ready
Ondine Ninetails: nods
Pionia Destiny: writes on her scroll as she listens to the class.. getting ready to show a spell she just made up... giggles
Nithpantiel walks through the woods, fallen leaves rustle on the ground as she walks, the birds sing and she is at peace....
Nithpantiel: me looks around and suddenly in the distance she sees a pack of wolves. She nervously looks around and sees if there is anywhere she can hide.
Nithpantiel quickly dismisses the trees around her realizing she doesn't have time as the wolves have spotted her.
Nithpantiel begins to sing a song of enchantment fingering the ever present jade stone in her pocket....
Nithpantiel: Leave that twirl and wind that blows hide me from my weary foes.....
Nithpantiel: blind their eyes and hide from view any image of me they see....
Nithpantiel: *a mist begins to form around Nith and the leaves at her feet begin to swirl around and around her.....
Nithpantiel continues to hum..."hide me now and blind their eyes vanishing now so I can hide"
Nithpantiel: *in an instant Nith is hidden from view, the confused wolves sniff around, they do not see her as she moves away from them
Nithpantiel: *appearing a short distance away behind a tree she waves her hand and the enchantment falls with a single phrase "Be done"
Ondine Ninetails: well done
Nithpantiel: Thank you, it still needs some work
Ondine Ninetails: again using the four steps
Ondine Ninetails: thankyou Nith
Ondine Ninetails: looking forward to your adept duel, Pionia, are you ready to try your hand at creating a spell?
Ondine Ninetails: you do not have to use effects this time if you do not wish to
Ondine Ninetails: waits patiently
Ondine Ninetails: Upon completion of your Initiate level, you will be annointed Mage Adept. ... As Adept, you will advance through roleplay and study to be Mage.
Pionia Destiny: this is the first time she tries this..
Pionia Destiny: feels already embarrased but tells it anyway---
Ondine Ninetails: that is ok...this is mainly to try and use the four steps

Pionia Destiny: The initiate mage feels danger getting close to her. Tension growing on her body sets her protection alarm. Looks around focusing on the source of the vile vibes, reaching out her arms, stars drawing in the energy of the air calling a wind shield. First a soft wind stars blowing causing her hair and clothing move softly as she chats.. vientos del norte, vientos del sur come to me.. hide me from this.. mote it be. A stronger force of wind surrounds her forming a whirpool around her, the rush of wind hides her for as long as she can hold the spell. Feeling her energy weakening, she tries harder to keep the spell. Finally, the evil feeling seems to go away. Just in time her body loses all its strength, leaving her on the ground exhausted and trembling..

Pionia Destiny: oops sorry if I interrupted the class... blushes
Ondine Ninetails: very nice spell ...very discriptive....be sure that it is closed under YOUR command. Never allow a spell to just disipate on its own. You discribed the drama the use ...an incantation beautifully.
Ondine Ninetails: now how woul dyou close it?
Pionia Destiny: aye.. I was not sure how to close.. since I am just an initiate.. i didn't want to do everything perfect... i am learning...
Ondine Ninetails: remember the movie by disney
Ondine Ninetails: what happened when he could not close it
Ondine Ninetails: the brooms and mops took on a life of thier own
Ondine Ninetails: if you do not close them then you must RP how they get out of control
Nithpantiel nods
Ondine Ninetails: think on it this week
Ondine Ninetails: your homework is to try some spells this week, weave them into yoru rp and use the four steps
Ondine Ninetails: send me 2 of them to read also, when doing a spell try not to para too much
Ondine Ninetails: you will find the drama is better if broken up a bit
Ondine Ninetails: rather than in one mouthful
Ondine Ninetails: it will add to the drama
Ondine Ninetails: the best thing to do is
Nithpantiel: because we have short attention spans hahahaha
Ondine Ninetails: have the four steps separate
Ondine Ninetails: in the postings
Ondine Ninetails: but even on this its up to you as a writer
Ondine Ninetails: if you think its better with a few steps overlapping it is your call
Ondine Ninetails whispers: any questions on that anyone???
Nithpantiel shakes her head no
Ondine Ninetails makes a small gesture to wake up the class with a small storm
Nithpantiel pokes Cym
Ondine Ninetails: chuckle
Pionia Destiny: giggles
Ondine Ninetails nods to the elements with a whisper of completion and turns back to the
class
Ondine Ninetails: Thank you for coming
Nithpantiel: Thank you Arch Mage
Ondine Ninetails: and Pionia be sure to try this witht the 4 elements
Ondine Ninetails: and send me the homework
Cymbidium places his hand over his head with a frown.
Ondine Ninetails: if no more questions we can end this session this evening
Ondine Ninetails: chuckle
Cymbidium: none
Ondine Ninetails: thankyou for coming Sally and Nith and cym
Cymbidium: pionia?
Ondine Ninetails: and for performing a spell again for us
Sally Foxdale: goodnight all
Ondine Ninetails: Good evening to all
Squish: bye bye
Ondine Ninetails: dark paths and be safe
Nithpantiel: Good night Sally, good night Squish
Nithpantiel: Good night Ondine and Pionia
Ondine Ninetails: Good night Squish
Ondine Ninetails: See you all soon again
Ondine Ninetails spins on her heel and steps through a portal to her cave
Pionia Destiny: smiles as she puts her scroll away and fixes her gown.. stands up looking
at the archmage... Great class!.. smiles at she sees the archmage dissapear in into the portal..

Pionia Destiny: sits back on her seat going over her spell.. thinking of a closing for her spells... pounding on a good closing... she finally writes down a closing. Reads it out loud to herself..

Pionia Destiny: The initiate mage feels danger getting close to her. Tension growing on her body sets her protection alarm. Looks around focusing on the source of the vile vibes, reaching out her arms, stars drawing in the energy of the air calling a wind shield.
Pionia Destiny: First a soft wind stars blowing causing her hair and clothing move softly as she chats.. vientos del norte, vientos del sur come to me.. hide me from this.. mote it be. A stronger force of wind surrounds her forming a whirpool around her, the rush of wind hides her for as long as she can hold the spell.
Pionia Destiny: Feeling her energy weakening, she tries harder to keep the spell. Finally, the evil feeling seems to go away. Just in time her body loses all its strength, leaving her on the ground exhausted and trembling..
Pionia Destiny: the mage whispers viento del norte, viento del sur.. gracias for protecting me.. dispelling the shield.

*************************
Roleplayers: Ondine Ninetails, Cymbidium, Sally Foxdalem, Squish, Nithpantiel and Pionia Destiny

Light and Shadow Roleplay Group

This is a group Pionia belongs to.. a wonderful repository of stories and adventures of Roleplayers....

As we can read from its description... " The Light & Shadow Roleplay Group group is meant to be a channel for posting live and ongoing roleplay, either into group im or, photos and logs posted into notices to keep everyone updated on running, and ongoing RP storylines.
Live action RP is encouraged but, a limited amount of non-live is acceptable, in the form of letters and incidences of isolation.

The roleplay posted must be relevant to Sylvhara, Taure Ru, Island of Shadow, Sentinal, Vana, Wayrest, Menel-Dur, Uhre, Zolio, Fellowship of the 4th Age, Uhre"

This kind of group serves as a communication mean to let know roleplayers of stories happening in the different realms that make up the Great Alliance. The Great Alliance holds together different roleplayer realms in an intent to agree on rules to be better roleplayers and help each other learn from different communities. The Light & Shadow Roleplay Group has 1146 members. Joining is free.

Now, what does this group has taught Pionia about Roleplaying? .. Well, it has become a school of roleplaying... since she gets their notices. She can read and learn from excellent roleplayers. She can follow story lines and see how they develop and grow. Also the kind of exchanges.. how roleplayers hint their partners on what they mean and how partners follow and react to those hints.

Example of a notice

Members of the group share their roleplays by copying them into notecards, adding images and even artifacts to illustrate their stories. These little notes..or scrolls as Pio uses to call them, keep the memories of a community of passionated storytellers and a wonderful resource for the ones learning and exploring into roleplaying.

These live roleplay logs are full of contextual language. So learning how different characters from different races, realms, classes use the language is really easy. From now on Pio will be posting some intersteing exchanges and commenting on what's going on and how roleplayed is run in the many different scenarios.

So, keep posted for fun interesting stories.. :)

The Bard Circle

Pio got a message with an invitation... opens the scroll and reads eagerly. It's been a while since she last went back to Sylvhara.... smiles pleased..

The Bard Circle Will Gather Today (10/14/12) in Beautiful Sylvhara at 1:00 PM pm SLT.
Please come and present your poems or stories or just come enjoy the readings
and the serene surroundings of a magical forest.

Everyone is welcome.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sylvhara%20Tari/130/173/22

Odil Lumiere: Next we will hear from ShadowDancer
Cerine Swordthain watches the Regent blush
Odil Lumiere: he dreams a lot
Aiden (herb.bricklin) brushes leaves from his hair
Odil Lumiere: Shadow if you please
Pionia Destiny: smiles.. glad she's not too late and can still enjoy some good stories.
ShadowDancer (bob.horton): thank you Lady Odil, yes I dream
Pionia Destiny: sits comfortably looking at the audience.. recognizing some old friends..
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): smiles

ShadowDancer

ShadowDancer (bob.horton): Conversation with a Special Owl

All day long I am thinking about my last dream, the dream of falling out of the sky and how an owl saved me from death. I have to see this owl again, I have to learn about him, talk with him ask him the questions that burn in my gut. Long treks to places I think I might find it do not yield any result. Where does a great bird like that live? What does it do? What does it want with me?
After long day of searching I am weary and hungry. I think I missed what they call a pay day and have no coin in my purse. All I have is an apple. I eat that and look for a hospitable bush to spend the night under. I find an abandoned camp site, the embers are still alive, I fan them to life and warm my cold body at someone else's fire. I stare into the flames for a long time as sleep eludes me and listen to the night sounds of the forest. Finally I sleep... Soundlessly great wings glide though the air, the forest sounds cease as if all creatures know that something significant is taking place. I watch the shadow of the owl but I cannot see it yet. "Greetings from one Shadow to another", - I think.

Me:"Greetings Owl, are you one who saved me?"
Owl: "I am not only that owl I AM THE OWL!"
I look on him with surprise and wonder.
Owl: "It is time for you to fall into the shadow and visit your ancestors, connect with them, learn about them. About their traditions, joys and sorrows".
Me: "How? I do not remember anything about my family I was taken too early for memories".
Owl: "You will find a way", - says the owl.
When I wake up I am even more confused than before and hungry too, I set out to find food.

End

Spica Inventor: nice story

Cerine Swordthain

Cerine Swordthain: The Wine of Creation

She lounges sleepily in the depths of her mother's cave. Deep blue eyes watch the spiraling dance of flame and ash as slender fingers caress the intricately-carved metal goblet. The aroma of a strong red wine wafts past her nostrils as she breathes with her unseen brethren and the Rhythm that connects them all. Closing her eyes against the light of the leaping flames; time fractures and dissipates as she knew it would...the sound of the fire's crackle becoming a roar in her sensitive ears before all goes blessedly silent. Only darkness now...has she forgotten to breathe? The fragile body gasps and pulls at the surrounding air as blood seeps gently from her nose. The metal goblet whose attention she had sought minutes before, was now in danger of spilling it's fluid onto the exquisitely-woven carpet that lay as a barrier against the chill of the damp cave. She listens as silence reigns in the Pathways. A frisson of fear runs through her...silence held it's place but not here...not in the glen that was her own.

She sits upon the Spring grass she cannot smell and wraps her arms tightly around her knees. Ebony curls lift on an unheard breeze as sapphire eyes survey the edges of her place within the Rhythm. The movement she often sensed outside her own branch in the Pathway was eerily still. "The calm before the storm." She thinks as her eyes shift from the tightly-woven bushes to the Cedar trees lining the edges. She feels for her connection with this place and sighs as she is reassured of it's place in her mind as she even now rested in it's flow.  She laughs suddenly...the sharp sound refusing to echo in the dead quiet. Words run through her thoughts...a lesson from long ago and pertinent even now...

"You will be subject to wild swings of self-indulgent behavior- much of which will frighten and confuse those around you. I went through this, but in the holds of Mori Tarma away from prying eyes. You cannot stop it...only try to contain it to avoid rousing too much interest or objection."

She had asked him how long this would go on...he had merely smiled, his blue eyes crinkling with a true humor and replied, "A thousand years I will give you, Cerine. A day more than that and I shall take measures to curtail your behavior by whatever means necessary." His voice held a promised threat...completely at odds with the timeline given for surely she would have matured far sooner than a millenia?

Self-indulgent for most was self-explanatory but for the Sereg....deadly...as evidenced by her recent behavior. She'd played the pieces upon the board with a clarity she should not have and yet...so much of the future was murky...pieces moved in a given moment with no guarantee what the next would bring.: And what most would have called spoilt behavior was in fact her testing the boundaries...manipulating...and questioning, always questioning. Who was she to decide another's fate?

Her head snaps up as color bleeds into the dense twilight bringing with it the rushing of thoughts and voices she associated with her brothers. The muted melody of their Chords vibrates within her, causing an instant reaction and the ringing of her own. She holds her breath as they suddenly still...assassins.... all perched listening and waiting. How she hated it when they all turned to her! Growling softly she stifles her own Chord into silence and waits until they continue on with their inner speech in the Pathways of the Sereg'wethrin. Slender fingers relax their hold on the goblet whose flight to the rug below is muffled as metal meets silken fibers and wine stains them blood red. A delicate body slips to the floor in a crumpled heap....

"Centuries of creation
Fashioned and transformed
A mystical ultimate organism that holds expectancy of union with the divine
No surprise that what seems to be insurmountable barriers are merely stopping points gaining our attention
Without bread or wine or altar the sun sets its host of fire upon the trembling chalice of earth
The shades of this fair season reflect in the lake of vineyards
The wine of creation
Blood Red and Real"

Poem by Ondine Ninetails
Cerine Swordthain: ~end~ for now

Odil Lumiere: Please read you poem
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon): of course
Odil Lumiere: please*

Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon)

Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon): Ode to the Bards Circle Tree
What a delight to behold this tree
In its predetermined cycles,
Undisturbed by human greed
And worshipped by poets and lovers alike.
Take your mind back to first creatures
Who built homes from trees like this
And removed many just like this.

They burnt them for fuel. How tragic.
And how fortunate is this one
Surviving for hundreds of years
In the soil fueled in turn
By fallen decomposing neighbors,
In the unending cycles of life,
worshipped by those who appreciate it's magisty.
We can learn from trees.
Unlike other creatures,trees use discretion in choosing the company they keep.
Hardwoods don't do well in conifer soil,
Hemlocks not with beech.
This grand tree chooses us, we do not choose it.
It chooses poets and lovers to protect.
Thank it for it's protection.
The Ent

Odil Lumiere: applauds and it is a true Ent poem too
ShadowDancer (bob.horton): appplauds the Ent
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): applauds
Cerine Swordthain claps
Aiden (herb.bricklin): thank you migthy tree
Zoskia (zoskia): that was winderful
Malakyte Thorne applauds

galadriel Silverspar applaud
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): smiles
Spica Inventor: :-) nice poem sequoyah :-)
Doyle Slen (beastmcstien): shakes his leaves

Odil Lumiere: I was ging to read a story today but we are out of time
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon) smiles at some, winces at others
Odil Lumiere: I will just read a short poem too
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): pretty good for wood
Malakyte Thorne: heheh

Odil Lumiere

Odil Lumiere: Dark Moon Nights
by Odil Lumiere

While the moon is hiding
And the winds are still
A lone owl is gliding
Over the empty hill
Only the distant stars are gazing
Coolly upon the land
The milky way is blazing
Like a silver band

The sea is moans it secret sorrows
With relentless beat
And little waves are sobbing
Among the reed
While it is dark you can hear
Small foot steps in the grass
All the creatures that hide in the daytime
Come out at least

Faint mist embraces the hills like smoke
Among them ghosts so restless
Shreds of old memories smote
With pain endless

Only the Moon remembers
What once was such delight
The cooling embers
Tell me I lost you heart

Odil Lumiere: end

Spica Inventor: claps
ShadowDancer (bob.horton): applauds
galadriel Silverspar smiles and claps
Cerine Swordthain applauds
Aiden (herb.bricklin): applauds
Doyle Slen (beastmcstien): appluads, well done loremaster
Frogie Foxdale: claps
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon) shakes his leaves
Zoskia (zoskia) looks at Odil for a moment, then smiles softly
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): smiles
Spica Inventor: one of sequoyahs pine cones hit me on the head
Malakyte Thorne applauds
Odil Lumiere: Thank you all for coming, your presence makes this Bard Circle what it is, a delightful time,
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon): That was no accident, Spica!
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon): Thanks for organizing this Odil!
Odil Lumiere: I hope to see you all again next week
Spica Inventor: i know hehe
Malakyte Thorne: Thank you Lady Odil
Cerine Swordthain: Thank you Odil!
Spica Inventor: thanx odil :-)
galadriel Silverspar: Thank you Odil
Odil Lumiere: It is my pleasure and I am so proud of all the talented persons we have here
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): Thank you Lady odil
Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote): Thank you everyone
Odil Lumiere: Thank you for coming queen Comet
Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon) tries to stand up but realizes he is already standing

*********************************
Roleplayers: Spica Inventor, ShadowDancer (bob.horton), galadriel Silverspar, Cerine Swordthain, Aiden (herb.bricklin), Doyle Slen (beastmcstien), Frogie Foxdale, Sequoyah (vlosh.troncon), Zoskia (zoskia), Ǿυεεŋ  Čөмεŧ (comet.quijote), Malakyte Thorne, Odil Lumiere, Pionia Destiny

Believable Fantasy:The Mage

Ondine Ninetails

Pio went to a class.. a mage class in Sylvhara. There, she met the archmage.. Ondine Ninetails. She belongs to the Sylvhara Mage Guild. She explained really good tips on how to be a good mage and how to roleplay believable fantasy. Here, it is the class.

Believable Fantasy:The Mage
By: Ondine Ninetails

When you hear this phrase " Believable Fantasy" what comes to mind for you?
When we apply this term >Believable Fantasy< to RPing a Mage, we hope that those that we engage as a Mage “believe” within the exchange of discussion IC that we ARE a Mage.

The actions we perform must fall into the agreed upon description of what a Mage is and what a Mage can perform within the rules of the Mage Guild  and according to the ROE to accomplish this goal.
A Mage is a person skilled in the mysterious and hidden art of magic, and has the ability to attain objectives, and acquire knowledge by supernatural means.
To do these things a mage will harness and bend energy with staff, wand, hud,spell, ritual, and ceremony…and sometimes with just a word or the gesture of a hand will suffice.
A Mage is wise; esoteric, serious and mysterious.

***********
How a mage RP various occult practices, traditions, and components of magic will be colored:
First by the mode of MAGE behavior,
Secondly it will be colored  by a race and culture.

This may include deities depending on the mage’s background. But know Since some of these dieties and "gods goddesses" actually exist amd interact, a Mage would still consider  homage or worship of this diety/god misplaced .A Mage would see all existing creatures as results of energy and deserving of only what they *earn* weather respect  homage etc.
The superstition part is that the clerics or druids see them as omnipotant . To the Mage "AS ABOVE SO BELOW" :all things die
..... even gods.....thus ......abandoned religions and temples
we are the scientists of our time

Remember the basic racial traits. The race the player chooses for their character will influence the actions of the Mage a great deal. A Drow will be moody , a Dragon will be aloof and neutral , and an Undead may well be quite bitter and/or sad, having been recently killed and brought back to life.

KNOW your race and its characteristics .Let people know a bit about you in your initial interactions. And the reverse is true as well. Know the race you are talking to. Learn about them so you know their culture and can act accordingly when visiting their territory.

Many misunderstandings IC and OOC are merely not knowing the race’s culture and manner.

  When Captain Kirk approached a new civilization, he learned its culture so as not to offend.

 If one is male and enters the Drow realm, he would be expected, out of respect for the race, and the culture, to bow before the Matron.
The list of knowledge and behaviors within the boundaries of the Mage Rp is endless, but several can be found with a little research.
Example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_magical_terms_and_traditions

Mages draw on the magic of the universe, elements, and their own inner energy, in order to create or change, protect or destroy. Magic itself is neutral, as is Nature and the Universe.
What each Mage intends and chooses to do with his or her skills and powers define them and their life path.

As you progress you will be encouraged to specialize in one of the Magical classes of magic. This too will color yoru weapons, abilities and interactions.
 a CLASS of mage as listed on the site
  A necromancer will engage a situation much differently than a Elementalist or Warlock
Arcane being a more general term of a balanced magician. And anyone aspiring to be Arch mage must be Arcane.

And an Elementalist. >>>Here it is important to remember and know that an ELEMENTALIST is DIFFERENT form an elemental.There is sometimes confusion on this.
An Elementalist Mage bends and works the elements.....An elemental IS energy and usually in the form of fae/sprit/etc
... again on different levels
...much as undead are on different levels

What we need to remember
Is
 that this is a game,
and games have rules to insure all can enjoy the fun.

* Keep It BELIEVABLE FANTASY.

 In roleplay you can't see profiles, titles, tags or names. You do not address people by name unless you have met them before or been introduced.

When you consent to play the game of becoming a Mage, and join the guild, you agree to RP the process that brings you to that goal as a Full Mage.
When you become an initiate and learn the use of particles and RP the process of  what it is to have the desire and talent to become a great magician within the Agreed upon RP in the guild.

Make sure to always check the weapons page so that you know you are using only what is level appropriate

if you have any questions on weapons..ask lexie

 You RP your LIMITATIONS as well as these acquired skills.
That is, if you are an initiate and a demon is going to attack you ,…
you can only defend or attack  in return with knowledge and weapons of an INITIATE.

 The results depends upon your clever manipulations and skills of that level.
Or, if you like,  you can use the dice to decide the results and RP *why* you won.

As an Initiate,you cannot use the skills and weapons of an Adept or Mage.
Even if you steal or gain a staff, you would not know how to use it
( ….other than hitting the demon over the head.)

Even if an initiate stole a Staff and read scrolls on how to use it,
 he would still most likely harm himself.

The use of magic is to be a RP knowledge process
 as well as having all the bling and bang weapons that anyone can buy and pretend with.

The game of becoming a mage comes under the practice of skills and studies RP within the structure of the guild.

And when you join the guild you agree to play the process within that structure , so all are able to have fun without godmoding or playing out of character.

RP is a balance, its not all about you, its about everyone involved and having fun throughout.  RP is about giving and taking.

A note here on RP;One thing the guild discourages is the use of being a shapeshifter as member of the guild. Although there are tines it might works in a well crafted RP,...within the guild you have Transmutation and illusion to use to accomplish this. And being a shapeshifter only MUDDLES the RP.

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Let’s quickly  review the different forms of RolePlay and common rules of IC and OOC.

ROLEPLAY DEFINITIONS

Private Roleplay:
    A roleplay occurring between a small group of people, most often only 2 or 3, that has little or nothing to do with other players or events in the realm.

Casual Roleplay:
    Roleplay that occurs between groups or individuals that has not been predestined or planned out. It usually takes place on the spot, and is created by only those who are involved, each adding their own input to it.

Realm Roleplay:
    Roleplay that roughly flows from an existing plot line that has been initiated by several players throughout the realm has escalated from individual players participating in casual roleplay, to the involvement of realm wide institutions such as race and or guild groups as a whole.

Epic Roleplay:
    Roleplay who's storyline has been approved by Council , leaving sufficient latitude for individual contributions . It involves several key players who follow the predetermined plotline( ezample -SYLVHARA LEGENDS).  Epic roleplay can last for an hour, or up to several days, even weeks or years,..

IC AND OOC

* READ AND FOLLOW the Realm rules. Not knowing the rules of the Realm, does not exempt you from them.that include skirmish rules

* What is In Character (IC) stays IC, and what is Out Of Character (OOC) stays OOC. What you learn OOC can not be used IC.

* This is Roleplay, don't let it slide. People play sides. If a player is playing a baddie it doesn't make them a bad person, they are just good people playing baddies. Don't take it personally.

*Don't chatter too much in ((OOC)) during a roleplay. Go into ims to ooc chat. Same goes for disagreements, always go into im. If you must argue, NEVER argue openly
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Something to contemplate in yoru RP

The difference between Light and Dark Magic and Neutral magic is :
neutral magic relies on thought and the Will, while Light and Dark magic relies on feeling, emotion . All have intent behind them.A CAUSE to draw on the magic of the universe, elements, and their own inner energy, in order to create or change, protect or destroy. Magic itself is neutral, as is Nature and the Universe. Which of those 3 Magics would be the most powerful? And Why?

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We use our eyes and judge a person on what their character looks and acts like.

Look and Act like a Mage,that is, unless you are trying to be hidden within the context of the story.
its part of the staging

In roleplay your senses are limited. Using radars or maps to see or locate people isn't real IC unless you have developed in Rp these skills or have reached the level that these are your tools..

Listening through solid stone walls or buildings isn't real unless it has been established you have that skill.

 We are mortal characters, not Gods. If you get hurt, act hurt.

If you get killed, you are dead.

Ghosts don't interact with mortals (again ..unless that is part of the story).

Don't make things more complicated or twist events to suit you unless worked through the format with others understanding the why and where it is going. (COMMUNICATE)
Giving peolpe a HINT of where it MIGHT go is not scripting. Its good Rp to have people informed on basic outlines. All that happens within the RP...... win or loose or come and go happens because of peoples skills and imagination.
Don't 'Godmod' This is All actions (unless incapacitated) should have a reaction.  Meaning, you RP an action and you give others the time to RP an action back.
You do not RP someone else's actions, but you can give hints as to what your actions could do or effect them.

 Be creative, and think of yourself in the position for real. when a player starts to dictate how other characters will react, for example,

”The dragon swoops down and grabs the elf by his jacket and lifts him into the sky .”

This gives the elf no choice in the rp!

 Better to say
 ”The dragon swoops down aiming for the elfs jacket so as to lift him into the sky.”

This gives the elf a choice to either “SEE”  or to “NOT SEE”the dragons approach and run or else describe what it is like when the dragon grabs his jacket and lifts him.
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Don't be afraid to use emotes.But avoid long thoughts...noone can react to yoru thoughts ,it stifels RP. however sometimes the thought is used to remind someone what they SHOULD have known

A character can be made interesting even if they're not doing anything by simply typing /me and a description. For example "/me looks up at the stars and smiles" or "/me looks lost in thought". The /me will be replaced with the character name when it is posted.

Don't use smileys or text speak in  character conversation.
Role players generally don't mind bad spelling as long as an effort is being made to stay in character.

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You do not have to be a member of a guild in order to roleplay in the Realms
However, if you roleplay as a Caster, and use magic in roleplay or combat and are not  a member of a Mages Cleric or Druid Guild or other caster guildsc your abilities will not be recognized.
To join a guild, pick one you deem most suited for you.  Contact the Head of the Guild and process with your course as a member.
 You are not bound to stay in any one guild, but we do ask that you inform the Head of your Guild before pursuing another course.

AND the change MUST be RPed

And lastly…..

Do be generous to the rp of others and allow them to add or comment
Do take the time to be caught up on a running storyline before you contribute roleplay to it
Do be a good listener and reply thoughtfully. Listen for a bit and get an idea of the flow of an rp before contributing something more than a nod or short comment.
Do be creative with your character. Even the baker or, storekeeper can be engaging, and add his perspective to the roleplay.
Do be patient with those just beginning. Share your roleplay knowledge kindly, and help to make better roleplayers
Don't use non-rp words like Ok (okay), lol, omg! or, common phrases like"Its a done deal" or "Gimme a break!"
Don't draw focus from the roleplay at hand, such as fainting, becoming ill or, announcing something outside the context of the rp.
Unless your realm is being attacked, then you can run up and yell, "We are being attacked!"
When a Rp is going on try asking questions rather than interrupting with your own story and history
Don't comment or, ask questions that divert or interupt the flow of the rp. (ie) Player 1 says: "My lord, do you believe the volcano is going to erupt tonight? Player 2 says, "the ground has been rumbling all day" Player 3 says "Have you seen my frog?"
Don't choose a character that cannot be affected by anything. Unless you are playing in a land of gods, where everyone has the same footing, characters who are all powerful or, have no vulnerabilities bring roleplay to a dead stop. They can also undercut and trivialize the roleplay they enter by not being the least concerned or affected by it.
Don't interject a different roleplay storyline into an RP already in progress, interrupting the flow.!"
DO Be consistent in your character at first. Establish who/what kind of Mage you lean toward,begin now creating your characters persona ,so others will understand enough to interact with you.

If you are constantly changing race /character/etc …people will avoid interaction.
be sure!!!! you have picked the race you want to go with

Arragon and Rowan Adept Ceremony

The video of Arragon and Rowans Ithryn Ceremony where they became Adept Mage.