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General Questions and Comments
#1
This seemed like something I should have. Post any questions or comments you might have about the comic in general (or about things other than the comic that you feel like talking about).
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#2
How are champions chosen, by the gods? What sort of tasks do they need to accomplish, and what are their jobs, besides making sure things continue to follow the [i]way[/i] of things? Do they each have some level of power, besides, shape-shifting? What sort of powers would that be?

Sorry for all the questions! I feel like, it'd help the stuff going on, if we knew a bit more of how champions worked, on a personal level, anyway. I'm kinda going on blind, here. XD
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#3
Maybe we should have a grouping for different types of questions. With new threads as new questions.
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#4
(02-27-201511:26 PM)Onasaki Wrote: How are champions chosen, by the gods? What sort of tasks do they need to accomplish, and what are their jobs, besides making sure things continue to follow the [i]way[/i] of things? Do they each have some level of power, besides, shape-shifting? What sort of powers would that be?

Sorry for all the questions! I feel like, it'd help the stuff going on, if we knew a bit more of how champions worked, on a personal level, anyway. I'm kinda going on blind, here. XD

I know with Eira, her people have done a trial-by-combat method of choosing the current Champion, with the loser being either killed or exiled to live as a human for the rest of her days (male champions have existed, just...rarely, so I use the female pronouns). I also know that power wise, I said that she can petition her archetype to borrow either healing and light power (full moon) or curse-like powers (new moon), but she has to be near a body of water and it requires some serious meditation.

Otherwise, I am equally blind.
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#5
(02-28-201503:30 PM)Eva Emaria Wrote:
(02-27-201511:26 PM)Onasaki Wrote: How are champions chosen, by the gods? What sort of tasks do they need to accomplish, and what are their jobs, besides making sure things continue to follow the [i]way[/i] of things? Do they each have some level of power, besides, shape-shifting? What sort of powers would that be?

Sorry for all the questions! I feel like, it'd help the stuff going on, if we knew a bit more of how champions worked, on a personal level, anyway. I'm kinda going on blind, here. XD

I know with Eira, her people have done a trial-by-combat method of choosing the current Champion, with the loser being either killed or exiled to live as a human for the rest of her days (male champions have existed, just...rarely, so I use the female pronouns). I also know that power wise, I said that she can petition her archetype to borrow either healing and light power (full moon) or curse-like powers (new moon), but she has to be near a body of water and it requires some serious meditation.

Otherwise, I am equally blind.

Most Archetypes have a preferred species for their Champion (such as Moon's Swan maidens or Fire's Dragons). These species tend to have their own traditions for selecting champions. Eva Emera has described how the Swan Maidens arrange things. For dragons, there used to be tournaments every few decades among the retired Drakes (those whose siblings had stepped down as the leader of the clan and were no longer needed a bodygaurd). The winner of the tournament served as the Champion and earned a great deal of prestige for his or her family. Our Drake wins by default because he's the last one. Other Archetypes (usually the more chaotic ones like Trickster and Revelry) do not limit themselves to a single species and haven't developed any traditional systems. They will often select Champions by contacting likely candidates through oracles or dreams and setting them on quests to prove themselves. Even Archetypes with preferred species and traditions will occasionally mix things up by selecting a promising Solifidian from a different group and instructing them to either join the traditional competition or challenge the existing champion.

In terms of duties, they are loosely defined as "furthering their Archetype's power on earth." This can take many different forms depending on the Archetype (I'm following the pattern of most polytheistic religions that portray gods as violently fickle). All Champions are expected to settle disputes and further the interests of Solifidian species closely aligned to their element. This can put them into conflict with other Champions, and a great deal of effort is devoted to petty rivalries and political maneuvering. The other, more fun part of their job, is things like questing for artifacts the Arcehtypes want in their temples, helping people who have earned their favor, or (more often) taking vengeance on people who have offended the Archetype or one of their closely associated gods (ex: Solar sending Phoenix after someone who desecrated a sun shrine or blasphemed against Apollo. individual pagan gods exist, since they are believed in, but because there are so many wish so much overlap, their sense of self can get muddled and it is very difficult for them to exert major influence on the real world.). Sometimes Champions are called upon to simply increase their Archetype's abstract presence in the world. This can be small things like Revelry throwing a massive party or Trickster creating mischief, or major events like Fire burning down a city. Basically, the Archetypes are the self-centered type of gods, and they use their Champions as their most direct means of influencing the real world in whatever way strikes their fancy. Revelry would most of the time likely be pretty chill and into spreading good will, but with a potentially very nasty streak.

Ok, power time. All Solifidians have the ability to shift between their true form and a human form. They usually have some type of magical ability that fits their species. Most Solifidians chosen as Champions have a preexisting affiliation with their Archetype, and powers that match. All dragons have pyrotechnic abilities, unicorns can heal, Trickster's candidates are usually natural illusionists, etc. Being chosen as a Champion usually means that they are exceptionally powerful or talented already, but the Archetype's patronage does give them a small additional boost and access to new skills. The exact powers vary by Archetype, and to some degree by Champion. Trevor can probably pull some crazy psychedelic mind games. Are you familiar with the play the Bacchae? Things get crazy and more than a little terrifying.

Sorry most of these answers are generalities. The Archetypes have such a variety of natures that its difficult to make statements that apply across the board. Ones like Trickster and Revelry work very different from ones like Fire and Fate. If you're worried about Revelry specifically, I'd say that, given his nature, you can more or less go with whatever seems fitting and it wont be out of character. Trevor is likely to be called on more to serve the "spreading the spirit" role than any diplomatic machinations.
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#6
(02-28-201509:06 AM)StellaFrost Wrote: Maybe we should have a grouping for different types of questions. With new threads as new questions.

That's a good idea

Sub forum creation doesn't seem to be working (I suppose that's what sometimes happens when you use a free service). I'm going to keep tinkering with that.

For now I'll see how keeping this open as a starting point/area for quick questions and then creating a new thread for any discussions that seem like they are going to be more involved.
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#7
So, to clarify for the swan maidens specifically because I was a dip and went with the severely-underpowered race... Would the way I have it work, where Eira has access to more "general" types of magic by appealing to her archetype (which fits with the rather mystical nature associated with the moon), but otherwise just being a valkyrie who is very, very good at her job? Or should I go poking around in the swan maiden mythos again? (Not that there is much, just that they are swan versions of selkies that got looped in with the Valkyries at SOME point...)
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