The Mystics

[Taleroth]

Just my wondering. I had been thinking if the Mystics are making a comeback with the end of creating Fell and Abyssals? It will be interesting to see the old timers coming back.

[Allie]

The fell storyline was the way to get rid of a ridiculously worthless cabal. So.... no.

[Vertas]

I raided their cabal once, one of them remebered my name and then started ordering me to do stuff, I think that was their cabal skill you know like order sleep and the person goes to sleep but they can just wake up when they want so...

[Kalist19]

Jesus vertas do us a favor already and stop posting outside of the training ground. We are getting dumber for reading your uninformed bullshit.

[Phostan]

Amen Kalist. Amen. I want to start a group called SAVB. Society Against Vertas Breathing. Can I get a hallelujah?

[Quiet Wanderer]

How about a cry of blasphemy, and a stoning? Idiots.... For christ sake...

[Dark Elf]

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!

[Dhampiri]

You got my damn vote..stone the fuck to death!

[Nydilig]

Allie is right. The old Mystics were flawed because they didn't have a purpose or do anything. But with the destruction of the Cabal there is a hole in the Realms that is missed by many players. A new Mystic cabal would need to be much different from the one of old. Not to mention that Heralds took up the lost cause of the old Mystics.
My suggestion is that Mystics actually be very similiar to the Warlord cabal but with Magic as their weapon. In addition, I wouldn't kill the Fell/Abyssal story but make it a permenant part of the Realms.
New Mystics would not be allowed to group in battle except for ranking. At all. Period. This, like Warlords, shows the might and power of magic.
New Mystics would engage in magical duels to hone their skills and prove thier ability, much like Warlords do with their weapons. They would be the War Wizards of Thera. Capable of fighting and PKing, but with magic, not just running away like they did in the past.
New Mystics long term goal would be to end the fells/abyssals. Of course, with Fells/Abyssals being permenant instead of ending there would always be a fight. The New Mystics would be the sworn enemy of the otherworlders (fell/abyssals) and MUST fight to destroy them at all times to keep them at bay. This makes sense as the original Mystics were brought low by their armies and would prevent stagnation. This is not a battle between good/evil. This represents them as the Guardians to otherworldly portals and as a reminder of the Mystics past failures. This continues the story and keeps things active.
An ongoing storyline, a twist, and a cabal of Magi itching for a fight. What's everyone think?

[Quiet Wanderer]

Not bad... If I didn't hate Fells and Abyssals so Much I would be in favor of it. But as it is, I bear no love to the current Fells and abyssals staying here, maybe something similair to defenders of the portals, but have the whole 'fell/abyssal' thing turned into a prestige class, like vampires?That way there would be no niche PK'ing ::glowers at Tamrala:: (I know she may have had other reasons, but it seemed like niche PK to me). I am not sure what races would be played, but it would allow the Magi classes to have a cabal, that plays a good role, and allow those who enjoy playing fells and abyssal type roles to continue doing so. This could solve the trashiness of fells and abyssals you sometimes see, and revive a Cabal for mages. I like the idea, sounds good. I originally was going to go for mystics with one of my invokers... But right as I got close to the thirties, they died... Lets bring 'em back, mages need a cabal!

[The Lemming]

It is my opinion that the mystics should come back. However, I also believe that they need a serious overhaul. It should also be understood that I have never been in the cabal before, and have no understanding of how it worked or its skills before being destroyed. This is being written with no knowledge whatsoever and probably should be more of a suggestion for a new cabal as opposed to the updating of an old one, but here it goes any way. First ditch the story of the fell and abyssal. Let a new mortal character step up as a “big hero” kill that damned lich once and for all and restart the cabal with the intent of restoring the honor of the cabal and such and eventually make them the new immortal leader of the mystics (just to shoot down the incoming accusations of do you suggest your self as the immortal, no I do not, I in fact have no suggestions at this time). It has always been my belief that the “pursuit of knowledge” should be left to Thera’s historians anyway so it should stay with the heralds for now. The point of the mystics then would be what…not to fill a hole in the ground. A pure magic cabal is nice ideally but it has no real propose other that to give mage classes another choice in goals in life. I like the suggestion of dueling with magic and being like the warlords, but I also don’t want just a mock up of their cabal. I propose a cabal like the mystics with the exception that they will accept only those whose power comes from the member’s mental strength. This would include invokers, illusionists, necromancers and psyconisists with monks and dark knights HIGHLY and CAREFULLY screened. Monks should be allowed in because it is because of there mental control of their body that they are able to perform the feats that they do. Dark knight should be allowed in because there magical abilities are as important to them as their physical ones. Communers should not be allowed in because they do not heal, curse, do whatever, they ask their gods to do it. Rangers can cast few spells however, their spells are not their being and dabbling in magic is not enough to get in, same with ninjas. Applicants should be between the ranks of 20 and 30 and should have to prove there knowledge of usefulness of the skills they are already bestowed with. For example saying that locate object is an useless skill would be negative points. Role-play the use of mind over matter but at the same time should have the wisdom to understand the importance of physical force. Skills should include,
-Focus- some form of higher mental generation not a meditation or a trance, but something that enhances trance or meditation. A monk should not be able to gain back his mana without meditating.
-resistance to magical attacks-however attacks that attack the mind should hinder the member ie. A mental attack would damage there mana as well-for a monk possibly nock off some of his concentrations, chii, stance, even empowerment.
-confine-possibly a skill that will prevent a foe and the member from fleeing from combat. A raging berserker would not be able to attack a person after combat, and no one would be able to see the actual battle except those involved and other “mystics”
-double cast would be really cool but way over powerful so, no
-possibly a skill that would increase mana output by 50% and raise the effectiveness by say 10%

I would like to hear your opinions, suggestions, flames (those are always a riot), and will try to come up with answers the best I can.

[Allie]

Poor guy, he wrote an essay on them...

[Rozzy]

Haha, Vertas. That's amusing. Anyhow, the Mystics coming back would be really cool. I had a crappy traitor necromancer that was let in a little while after the Mystics became traitors. But yeah, them duelling people like Warlords would be pretty neat. Them coming back would be neat enough, though.

[Davairus]

Whats with all the idiot signatures anyway. Allie's sounds like she just escaped from a mental home.

[Sebryn]

Personally I kinda like my signature... it definitely hits home more often than not with this crowd...

[Nydilig]

Lemming, It sounds like what your looking for is a mental cabal of some sort. The idea of Mystics was, from my understanding, that they were the masters of magic, divine or otherwise. If we are looking to not stray from that basis, Mystics of Arcana, then what direction should a New Mystic be presented? The old way was stagnant and Heralds have taken up being the Historians. Which, truthfully, should be their responsibility.

If the Mystics were to be reformed it should be with the understanding that they are the Magi of the realm. Supposedly, the most powerful wielders of magics in Thera. On that note, they should prove it, a la the dueling.

As far as my other suggestion concerning the Fells/Abyssals. That really falls on the Imps. If Dav really wants them to go, then they go. But by keeping them in some way we keep an ongoing struggle and storyline as well as additional options for players we want to play that type of outcasted character.

[Davairus]

I dont really want to kill them off yet, fells that is, I just disabled creation because I think people have had ample time now to make a fell character if they wanted. They aren't so replaceable anymore.

[Graves]

lets see here...I tried my best to bring back the Mystics. Couple of discussions with Burzuk, Davarius, etc. etc. But the way I see it is this, sometimes you get a really good idea, get it working, and once you think its stable, you leave only to come back and have it all twisted again. I have plenty of ideas for the Mystics. Wrote a couple of essays, blueprints, whatever, but Burzuk had the last word for the Mystics cabal, and its Goodbye. No matter how I see it though, Heralds can never replace a cabal like the Mystics.

Of course when held by an incompetent immortal/leader, the Mystics would seem like it has no purpose besides creating countless of mushrooms/springs/scripts and writing bullcrap stories. But I remember a time when the Mystics were the main output for newbie FAQs, explorers, mortal guides and teachers, and sometimes a deciding factor in a theran war. For those who think its pointless, you've never been in an active Mystic cabal. When I look at the Heralds now, I think of gossip mongers and permanent newbies.

Seriously now, what are the Heralds doing? Their grasp of history is sadly lacking, their "objective" news is from word of mouth, not to mention they're basically a post board for any group out there that wants to gain a reputation, like the four horsemen crap, or how about that gnome affiliation thing. Think back to the origins of Heralds, and you'll see that Zandar was basically the main influence behind such a worthless cabal. Zandar was a mystic, gained immortality, sought a plot of the game for himself, decided to go for ether (basically the same shit as mana), had Carain become his lackey (Carain being his RP soul mate), who with Zephyrus founded a cabal based on stories. Yes, legends and stories was the main for Herald to begin with.

But Davarius has done more with History/Legend publishing than any Herald I've seen so far. Don't mention Eldorian, he did run the Heralds, but he did more for the Mud than the Heralds. The way I see it, when something lacks body, or presence, you're bound to find something else more "significant" to take up your time.

So I'll keep on saying it in game, and on the forum, bringing back the Mystics would only help the mud. My two cents.

[Enskel]

[Nydilig]

Glad to see you Graves. Mystics could have a positive effect on the game. Of course, any mortal leader could run there cabal into the ground. It has happened in the past with all the Cabals at one time or another and that is the reason why the New Mystics would need to be more defined with a purpose.