I have a quick question about damage types (not trying to stir the pot or anything). Really, this is leading into a report on Psionics BioFeedback I plan to submit for the November envoy report. Just looking form someone very knowledgeable about mages and Lusternia design to understand the basis for certain mechanics.

Anyway, Elementalism skill later specs into: Aeromancy, Aquamancy, Geomancy, and Pyromancy. Aero is associated with electric damage type, aqua with cold, geo with poison, and pyromancy with fire. BODYSCAN RESISTANCES suggests Elemental is a damage type category that includes: fire, cold, and electricity. This design is also mirrored in proofing, potions, damage mod runes, Psionics BioFeedback, and Psychometabolism EnergyContainment. No doubt there are other occurrences as well.

I have several questions regarding Geomancy & Poison, and I am wondering if anyone can give me both mechanical and role playing perspective. If Geomancy is paired with the Elementalism, why isn't Poison paired with the elemental damage type. Yeah, "Earth" might be the more traditional elemental type... But does this give Geomancers an advantage considering there are very, very few poison resistances as compared to the traditional elementals?

It didn't used to, due to the relative ease of blunt protection, but now with Tuning geo staffs are pretty scarily deadly to non-Totems users.

Traditionally, earth is paired with healing, so the dark side of that is creeping sickness i.e. poison.

Because 'hot' and 'cold' and 'electric' are matters of energy, ie energy being released (heat) or absorbed (cold) or discharged (electric).

Toxins are proteins.

Is that why you smear meat tenderizer after a bee sting?

To elaborate on Eventru's statement, poison is usually outside the elemental spheres because for the most part, it's a part of the natural world.

I believe the only reason Earth even has a poison attribute is not because it's a natural part of the elemental sphere, but it's a result of the Taint of Kethuru affecting the makeup of the plane. It's sort of an add-on that reflects Magnagora's tainted version of the planes. It could also be leaking energies from the half-formed masters of the sphere above (or inside them), since Water has reputed healing properties and that's not usually an elemental thing. (This doesn't seem to be the case for Hallifax and Gaudiguch, but they don't have living half-formed).

Earth is a bit weird because it doesn't really have an "energy" associated with it. That's because it is matter.

Elementalism in general is hard to categorize because the classic western elemental thinking is 4 core elements, but things like lightning and cold don't fit in well, since they are technically combinations and each RPG or world deals with them differently. (For instance, in Lusternia lightning is associated with air because of that domination of the weather, while in, say, Avatar: The Last Airbender lighting belongs to the Fire nation--likely because Lightning and Plasma (fire) are similar states).

To be honest it's best a question for the creatrix.

Thanks for all of the credible answers regarding geomancers and elementals.

Now, for the mechanics. Since the advent of Bodyscan Resistances, I'm noticing how Elemental resistances are over-represented, with hardly any defenses to cover poison, psychic, and asphyxiation (ooh, asphyxiation). I'm wondering what the future "Vision" ™ is for extending damage mods and resistances.

Would it be:

1) Yeah, there is a pecking order with the availability of damage types, something like Physical > Elemental > Poison > Cosmic> Aspyxiation > Psychic. AND/OR

2) Rock, paper, scissors in regards to how guilds receive resistances. For example, mages are strong against magic attacks. Monks have weak defenses against magic. AND/OR

3) Offer more choice-based defensive applications. Like the way Ecology Charms or Tattoos DamageAbsorption works. That way gluts and gaps fall to the error of the player and not an oversight with skills.

I think this question has been brought up else where before. Just curious. As I am thinking about whether Psionics Biofeedback could use a tweak up to address how elemental damage type seems to be over-represented by allowing a choice model to cover resistances towards the less common damage types.

Actually, yes. It needs to contain a certain enzyme (most, but not all, tenderizers do), but said chemical (papain) speeds the breakdown of the proteins. It's important to get the stinger out first, though, otherwise it will seal the wound (and become infectious, not to mention it has a venom sac attached to it that will continue to pump venom out for a bit after).

To comment on what Phred is saying, most - if not all - poisonous creatures in Lusternia come from soulless energies. Scorpions, maybe vipers - these are creations of Blooredi. Look at Crow and Glomdoring, where poison is also heavy. Illithoid? Yep.

'Poison' isn't really an earth 'thing', the way I see it, but an adaptation/mutation caused by the "taint" of any soulless. I can't think of a single location in which the soulless have corrupted the lands and animals, and poison can't be found in spades, for that matter!

Hrm Eventru, help me understand something more deeply. Grandmother Scorpion was made by Blooredi as the perfect weapon to combat the soulless... no? Outside Blooredi's general vile end envy, is there any evidence that would support he was leaning towards the soulless end of the spectrum? Also, Grandmother Scorpion was directly mentored by Tzaraziko, who had a significant role in combating Illith. Outside of the Holy Inquisition by the Paladins (who found Grandmother Scorpion and her chosen ones), is there any other mention as Grandmother as drawing on soulless energies? In fact, I believe her special scorpions are described as being "Holy." Yeah, it is a shocking twist that Grandmother would later accept the illithoid's exchange of psionic protection for her scorpion style of combat. But I consider that more dramatic irony than any real proof that her poison comes from soulless energies.

Well, He took the elixir with the traitors, I'm pretty sure.

Blooredi sought out and consumed Fain's elixir - it was only after that was he able to produce a Great Spirit (Scorpion). "Holy" is subjective - they are, though, worshiped by some lucidian and dracnari in a cult there in the desert. A cult that, I note, is lead by four rotten undead, in the form of mummies.

As for Tzaraziko, their relationship means next to nothing - Tzaraziko herself was wild and unpredictable, and utilized soulless energy (Illith's eye).

All very good points.

From the Book of Elfenehoala during the Vernal Wars. Nothing to prove here, just a great quote.



From Tzaraziko's section of the Vernal wars. The Chronicles of the Old Ones come directly from the destruction of Alin'dor and Lacenti, right? Both were destroyed early in the wars. I always assumed Tzaraziko's brush with the Orb of Illith came much after these cities were destroyed.

I am still trying to figure out the sequence of Tzaraziko mentoring Grandmother Scorpion, Tzaraziko rescuing the Old Ones from their fates, Tzaraziko's grasp of Illith's eye, and Tzaraziko's ultimate defeat of Illith... but that seems like the general order. In my mind, Tzaraziko adopting Scorpion came at the start of the Vernal Wars, perhaps even before the destruction of these cities.

Wouldn't that mean Tzaraziko was not yet infected with soulless energies? She's Tzaraziko the Enigmatic, not Tzaraziko the Erratic after all (at least not until after the eye incident) . Dunno, I might not be as quick to downplay the nature of the relationship. Then again, I don't have as firm a grasp of the ancient histories as I would like. You would certainly know better.

Tzaraziko was always wild and unpredictable. She just became increasingly so, and perceived as wholly erratic, after she came in contact with the Eye.

However, if my memory serves, she lost her hand (and the eye) in the defense of Alin'dor.

Well, I wasn't around for Viravain pre-taint, but didn't she create things like insects and spiders, and she wasn't one of the twelve, correct? Wasps and Spiders use poison but I wouldn't call them part of the "corrupted evil" we see. (Maybe I'm misremembering here. They mention she created small creatures, I assumed it was insects.)

Also, if we got into technicalities, Jellyfish are poison, even though in game they only cause paralysis.

I'm just having a hard time seeing that poisonous creatures = influence of taint, as at the very least it seems part of the natural cycle. Unless we make the connection of death and decay as part of Magnora's influence on creation and the first world.

Viravain was not one of the twelve, what?

I meant she wasn't one of the twelve traitors, who were fooling around with soulless energies, like Blooredi was.

(And sorry if I'm misunderstanding, I wasn't sure if Viravain created the spider or not, or just adapted to them after her fall from grace).

One of the problems of a mythology where all what we consider "classic evil" like comes from the Soulless is that there are edge cases involved, especially when there are so many creatures and beings around. I just wasn't sure poison should be considered "tainted" energy or exirico when it seems part of the natural cycle and it's not condemed by Druids or the like. Is Fungi powered by soulless energies, for instance? That's simply what I was questioning.

Unless Eventru is saying most of what we consider death and decay is part of Magnora's influence on the cosmos.

I'm only pointing out that many (not all) poisons come from tainted/soulless-influenced animals.

Also, the only poisonous spiders I can think of are, indeed, tainted (widows). Viravain did not create them - she created gossamer spiders that, when the taint hit, transformed them into widows. Likewise, wasps were not one of her creations (bees were, though, iirc? Butterflies for sure) - they were, again, an abhorrence that rose in Glomdoring following the Taint.

Also, toxic mushrooms, iirc, use a chemical compound, not proteins. Venom is protein-based.

I was largely being facetious in that aspect of my argument, however the rest is quite true - most animals that use venom are either creations of Blooredi following his soullessness (how else do you think an otherwise mediocre creator started forming a Great Spirit? Dumb luck?), or Tainted (widows, vipers).

Of course there's probably exceptions to this, though 'how many' is an interesting question.

Fixed.

Surely the scorpions on astral aren't emanations of soulless energies.

(This is a joke, right?)