Editing Microscope--The Mural of Lu the Fatherless

[[Category:Microscope]]


== Microscope RPG--The Mural of Lu the Fatherless ==

'''Players:''' Glyptodont, Muskrat, Yadal, Tetnak


'''Threads:'''
*[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?708297-Interest-Recruitment-Microscope-RPG Recruitment Thread]
*[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709298-Microscope-The-Mural-of-Lu-the-Fatherless Out-of-Character Thread]
*[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709297-Microscope-The-Mural-of-Lu-the-Fatherless In-Character Thread]
*[http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Microscope--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless Game's Main Wiki Page]


== The Palette ==

'''YES to:'''
#YES to the story being told as if it were one, or more, competing histories rather than reflecting the "real" events of the world. (TV Trope's Unreliable Narrator phenomena at play)  (Yadal)
#YES to Epic-level heroes that aren't magical but can achieve as much as mages anyway. It's not that they have "powers" of any sort, but that the Laws of Physics in this universe allow for conventional warriors to be as powerful as mages without needing to have any special abilities.  (Yadal)
#YES to a karmic cycle of reincarnation. When you die, you are reborn--and you may be reborn higher or lower up the cosmic chain of being, depending on your actions in past lives, particularly the degree to which they were virtuous. This means today's gods were mortals in a past life, which could make things interesting. Truly spiritually enlightened beings would rise above the gods to an exalted state where they are no longer subject to the cycle of death and rebirth. (Obviously, Buddhist and Taoist cosmologies and mythologies are heavy influences here.) Some very powerful beings--wizards, gods, etc.--might be able to twist the cycle of death and rebirth for their own purposes. There can also be ghosts who cling to the world and are temporarily not reborn and a Bardo or Limbo, where dead souls remain for a period of time between rebirths.  (Muskrat)
#YES to secret societies playing a major role in the world's history, manipulating things from behind the scenes for their own purposes. I'm thinking something the Bene Gesserit, only multiplied several times over in terms of the societies (and with widely varied philosophies). This doesn't mean more conventional power players, like kingdoms, empires, republics, religions, etc. aren't important--just that secret societies have an equally important role.  (Muskrat)
#YES to a large diversity of non-human (and non-Tolkienian) intelligences and civilizations, e.g. caravans of intelligent raccoonoids, swamp empires of warrior-beaver tribes, city-states of hadrosaur philosopher kings, etc.  (Glyptodont)
#YES to the gods and pantheons constantly at war with each other directly and indirectly via their mortal proxies.  (Glyptodont)
#YES to magic is created like arts or crafts--anyone can do it given enough time and effort and a bit of talent. Those with lots of money, time, minions and resources can create entire schools of universe-spanning paradigms of sorcery.  (Glyptodont)

'''No to:'''
#NO to societies rooted in the traditional staples of fantasy--medieval and Renaissance Europe, the Norse and the Celts. This doesn't mean no European influences, but it would be more based on the ancient Greeks and Romans--and there would be many other inspirations from world culture and religion.  (Muskrat)


== Foci ==

'''Round Number:
#''Saint Xavata'', revered by the Followers of Lu the Fatherless (Glyptodont)
#''The Argi as a race.''  I chose this one due to a mix of three things. First, trying to portray a society with a single alien feature (significantly greater intelligence than the norm) and see how it affects the race as a whole. Second, the philosophical issue of their superiority of otherwise. Three- explaining in detail what thwarts their intelligence from leading to conquest.  (Yadal)
#''The deity known as the Destroyer.''  The Destroyer is an evil deity that rules over the mostly human populations of the Volugar mountains. His followers are cruel, sadistic, and power hungry. (Tetnak)
#''The City of Mazad.'' We've already established [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Great_Mazadean_Exodus here] that "the city-state of Mazad was long a great center of cosmopolitanism, trade and learning, located at a key point along the confluence of the Jagash and Negregur Rivers, bringing many peoples, races, religions together, where they lived side by side in relative harmony." And [http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_The_Renunciation_of_Yesel here], we established that the patron pantheon of Mazad is the Gods of the Golden Forum, although the Mazadeans also honor the Transcendent Sages. Following the victory of the Pure Thought Crusade against the Invisible Empire, we know that many of the non-humans migrated out of Mazad to escape being massacred at the hands of the Crusade (though they may later have returned--in fact, my Event and Scene assume they did). (Muskrat)

== Legacies ==

'''After Round Number:
#''The Bitter Liberation.'' People have their freedom again, but at the price of renewed strife and bigotry, driven by the Pure Thought Crusade. This is especially bitter for the non-human races being persecuted by the Pure Thought Crusade. (Muskrat)
#''The Land of Olu.''  The swamps of Olu were the sacred birthplace of the Argi where their creator, Yesel, first awakened his children to life. But after the extinction of the Argi, new races settled the land of Olu. In time the swamps were drained, the giant cypress trees cut down, and the land plowed under to build farms for creatures who knew nothing of the ancient race that was first born here. But even though the Argi were forgotten and the land of Olu renamed countless times by countless settlers and warlords, people still had a sense that this land was a holy place of significance. Temples rose and fell, pilgrimages were made to here in the name of many gods and spirits, and sorcerers and alchemists scoured the land of Olu to obtain the some of that ancient magical essence that could still be found here. (Glyptodont)
#''The Brides of the Destroyer.'' Over the ages, the Destroyer has taken the souls of many mortals who have wreaked havoc and gained his favor, making them his brides. Xavata is only one of many to fall to this fate. They are the Destroyer's most trusted lieutenants, acting as his viceroys in his home plane of the Pit and his agents on earth, fostering strife by setting individuals, communities and races at each other's throats. (Muskrat)
#''TBA'' (Tetnak)

== Periods, Events and Scenes ==

*[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Period:_Beginning_Bookend|'''Period:''' ''Beginning Bookend - Lu the Fatherless receives the blessing of the Gods of the Jade Court''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light.</span>
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_Dawn_of_the_Beastmen|'''Event:''' ''Dawn of the Beastmen''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''(none - first pass)'' (Glyptodont)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Destroyer_Corrupts_the_Gods_of_the_Jade_Court|'''Event''' ''The_Destroyer_Corrupts_the_Gods_of_the_Jade_Court'']] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light.</span> (Muskrat)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_Dawn_of_the_Argi|'''Event:''' ''Dawn of the Argi''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''(none - first pass)'' (Yadal)
*[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Period:_The_First_Great_War|'''Period:''' ''The First Great War''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Yadal)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_Creation_of_the_Hierarchy_Doctrine|'''Event:''' ''Creation of the Hierarchy Doctrine''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Yadal)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_The_Renunciation_of_Yesel|'''Scene:''' ''The Renunciation of Yesel''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Muskrat)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Rorgas_Campaign_Begins|'''Event:''' ''The Rorgas Campaign Begins''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Yadal)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_The_Battle_at_Rogras Major|'''Scene:''' ''The Battle at Rogras Major''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light.</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Yadal)
*[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Period:_The_Reign_of_the_Invisible_Empire|'''Period:''' ''The Reign of the Invisible Empire''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''(none - first pass)'' (Muskrat)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Pure_Thought_Crusade|'''Event:''' ''The Pure Thought Crusade''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Glyptodont)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_Followers_of_Lu_the_Fatherless_meet_with_non-humans|'''Scene:''' ''The Followers of Lu the Fatherless meet with non-humans to overthrow the Invisible Empire''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Glyptodont)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_The_Massacre_of_the_Argi|'''Scene:''' ''The Massacre of the Argi''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Muskrat)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Destroyer_Chooses_His_Bride|'''Event:''' ''The Destroyer Chooses His Bride''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''The Destroyer'' (Tetnak)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_Saint_Xavata_invokes_Destroyers_name|'''Scene:''' ''Saint Xavata invokes the Destroyer's name and gives herself to the Dark One as his bride''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark</span> Focus: ''The Destroyer'' (Tetnak)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_Saint_Xavata_captured |'''Event:''' ''Saint Xavata captured by followers of the Invisible Empire''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Yadal)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Great_Mazadean Exodus |'''Event:''' ''The Great Mazadean Exodus''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Legacy: ''The Bitter Liberation'' (Muskrat)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Fall_of_the_Invisible_Empire|'''Event:''' ''The Fall of the Invisible Empire''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Glyptodont)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_Final_defeat_of_the_Order_of_the_Great_Harmonious_Peace|'''Scene:''' ''Final defeat of the Order of the Great Harmonious Peace''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark.</span> Focus: ''Saint Xavata'' (Glyptodont)
*[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Period:_The_Kharmic Wheel_-_An_Age_of_Rebirth|'''Period:''' ''The Kharmic Wheel: An Age of Rebirth''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light.</span> Focus: ''The Argi''  (Tetnak)
**[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Event:_The_Argi_Reborn|'''Event:''' ''The Argi Reborn''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light</span> Focus: ''The Argi'' (Glyptodont)
***[[Microscope_RPG--Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire:_Scene:_The_Second_Renunciation_of_Yesel|'''Scene:''' ''The Second Renunciation of Yesel''.]] <span style="background:#ffff00">Tone: Light.</span> Legacy: ''The Land of Olu'' (Glyptodont)
*[[Microscope_RPG--The_Mural_of_Lu_the_Fatherless:_Period:_Ending_Bookend|'''Period:''' ''Ending Bookend - Unveiling the Mural of Lu the Fatherless''.]] <span style="background:#c0c0c0">Tone: Dark</span>/<span style="background:#ffff00">Light.</span> ??

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=== Color-coded graph of above (no links): ===

[[File:Mural_of_Lu_-_Periods-Events-Scenes.png]]