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Midsummer Nights Mod Journal (midsummer_mods) wrote,
@ 2008-08-12 17:34:00

Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
. . . all those little details
jump to...
General FAQ. Character FAQ. Craftland FAQ.
Human & Cursed FAQ. Craft Candidate FAQ. Spell & Familiar FAQ.

If you have additional questions please comment on this post. One of us will get back to you as soon as possible.

GENERAL GAME FAQ
Q. What is Midsummer Nights?
A. Midsummer Nights is a supernatural multi-realm fantasy RPG.

Q. Where does the game take place?
The game has two main settings. One is the town of Eventide, located on the outskirts of the state of New York. Don't bother looking for Eventide on a map of New York. It is a fictional town created solely for the purposes of this game. The other setting of Midsummer Nights is an AU world called The Craftlands.

Q. Who exactly is Matilda?
In Eventide, Matilda Craft was known as the seventy-year-old woman who owned a second hand shop called Imperial. In The Craftlands Matilda's name was Daltima and she was the Craft Queen and absolute ruler of The Craftlands.

Q. So where is Matilda? Is she dead? Is she alive?
That's unknown. In February of 2008 she simply dissapeared and no one in either the Craftlands nor Earth know where she is. Many believe she's still alive in light of the letters being sent out to Craft Candidates as well as the fact that she will have to appoint one of the candidates to Craft King or Queen, eventually.

Q. What is Imperial?
Imperial is a second hand shop that was owned by Matilda. It's located on Main Street in the town of Eventide. Although the main part of the shop is filled with all kinds of knick-knacks, the back of the shop actually contains two of the three Gateways to The Craftlands.

Q. Why are Spells and other creatures getting loose in the town?
Since Matilda's disspaearance there is no Craft User to regulate and control the Spells and creatures and guard the Gateways between Earth and the Craftlands. As a result, all the Spells and creatures that were formerly kept at bay by Matilda are now free to do as they please.

Q. What "other creatures" are loose in Eventide besides Spells?
Not many creatures can cross through the Gateways. Those that can, aside from Spells, include Familiars and Sprites. They may be more later, but for now these are the only ones.

Q. What are the journals to be used for?
Anything! Grocery lists. Diaries. Coasters! Whatever. If your character is on Earth and has computer access they can be regular online journals. Or they can be pen and paper journals. Just be mindful that if they are paper journals that other characters can't respond or read them unless said character gets a hold of the journal.

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CHARACTER FAQ
Q. What kind of characters are playable?
Playable characters include Earth Humans, Craftlands Humans, Craft Candidates, Cursed, Sentient Spells, and Familiars.

Q. How many characters am I allowed to have?
The maximum is currently six, however if you are active with all of them and want to tack on more, then you can talk to us and we can possibly work something out.

Q. Is there an age limit on my character?
The minimum age for primary characters is thirteen. NPC characters can be as young as the player wants them to be. The maximum age is 2000 and this applies mostly to Sentient Spells, whom are immortal unless killed. We don't want to see any Sentient Spells older than 2000.

Q. Can my character be from a place outside of Eventide?
Yes. Not all character have to be native to Eventide or to New York or even to the U.S. They can come from anywhere at all.

Q. Does my character have to live in Eventide?
Yes. Although they can come from anywhere, they must begin the game living-in or at least visitting Eventide, since that's one of the main settings of the game. That is, unless they live in The Craftlands.

Q. Can my character be a hybrid? (i.e. Half Spell / Human. etc)
No. Hybrid characters are currently not allowed.

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FAQS ABOUT THE CRAFTLANDS
Q. What are The Craftlands?
The Craftlands are an alternate realm where Craft Magic comes from. On par with most ideas of fairytale worlds, The Craftlands have no modern technology. Instead, they have a more medieval time period with magic based technology and conveniences.

Q. How large are the Craftlands?
The Craftlands are about the size of Asia. So travelling from one end to the other would take a great deal of time.

Q. How do you get to and from The Craftlands?
There are three Gateways that go between Earth and The Craftlands. The first gateway is a scarlet door in the back of Imperial. This door lets out through another red door in the side of a nondescript building on the streets of the Craftland city of Elohim. The second gateway is a green door in the back of Imperial. This door lets out through another green door located in the side of the Barokai Hills. The third gateway is located in Llanfair Cathedral. This gateway is actually a set of stairs that seem to lead up into a belltower. However, instead of a tower room, the individual will ascend the stairs and open a trap door that opens up out of the forest floor of The Thistlewoods.

Q. How long have the Craftlands been in existence?
The Craftlands have existed for as long as Earth has. They are two sides of the same coin.

Q. What kind of government structure do The Craftlands have?
There are many disjointed clans, villages, towns, et cetera all over the Craftlands. Some of these groups and peoples have their own individuals rulers, some don't. Rulership and organization vary depending on where you are. The Craft King or Queen, however, is the absolute ruler of The Craftlands, and all others defer to them; with the exception of the Cursed Realms, who hate Craft Users and the western realms.

Q. What are The Borderlands?
The borderlands are a narrow stretch of plains that form the border between the Westrealms and the Cursed Realms. The borderlands were neutral territory until Matilda dissapeared. Now they're as dangerous as everywhere else.

Q. What kind of monetary system is used in The Craflands?
The Craftlands operate on a currency of gold, silver, and copper coins.

Q. Can I set my post in the Cursed Realms as well as the Westrealms.
Yes! Characters who have access to the Craftlands can be anywhere at all.

Q. Am I limited to the areas indicated in The Craflands location page?
Not at all. These places are just a rough sketch of the world of The Craftlands.

Q. Who were the previous Craft Kings & Queens?
The first Craft Queen was named Azbetha and ruled The Craftlands for centuries. After Azbetha came King Sune, King Lathias, Queen Naiya, King Zhe, Queen Maeb, and then Qyeen Syran. King Shyam became ruler of The Craftlands in the Earth year 1 AD and his reign lasted until 608 AD. After that King Cho'Hir came into power until 1345. The most recent Craft Queen was Daltima, known as Matilda in Earth, who ruled up until recently in 2008.

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FAQ ABOUT HUMANS & CURSED
Q. So regular, non-magic humans are playable in the game?
Yes! Characters can be non-magic humans from Earth or non-magic humans from The Craftlands.

Q. Can my regular human character known about magic?
All Craftlanders know about Craft Magic, Craft Kings and Queens, et cetera. If your human character is from The Craftlands then they would, of course, know about magic. Earth humans, however, would not have any pre-knowledge about magic. They might find out about it in-game, but they wouldn't know before hand.

Q. Do Craftland humans know about Earth?
A few might, but most don't. It depends on how well educated and studious they are. If they hold a job like scholar or perhaps the owner of a shop that sells rare books, they would probably know about Earth.

Q. What sort of job can my Craftland human have?
There are hundreds! Artisan, farmer, hunter, shop owner, tavern keeper, inn keeper, ranger, trapper, merchant, fisher, sailor, soldier, mercenary, cook, guide, thief, assassin, spy--the list can go on an on. Any job that you can imagine would fit in with the setting can be used!

Q. Can my Craftland human be a princess / prince / king / etc?
Sure. As long as it's reasonable. For example, your character can't be the King of Elohim, since Elohim is an organized, pre-established city. If you want your character to rule a land or region, the best route is to make up your own location. Or maybe they don't rule a land, but just a people. For example, your character could be the princess of a Reedwood Clan. Or a gypsy king. Or a nomad prince.

Q. Can my Earth human come in contact with some of the wild Spells?
Yes yes yes! The effect of wild Spells on Eventide will be one of the major plot devices in the game. Just be aware, however, that close contact with Spells will have an effect on your character, particularly if the Spell binds with THEM rather than with an inanimate object around them.

Q. What are Cursed?
Cursed are humans who have had a dark Insensate Spell bound to them. Depending on the nature of the Spell, the human experiences certain effects. For example, someone cursed with a Bad Luck Spell would have and cause perpetual bad luck.

Q. How do you become a Cursed?
A human becomes a cursed when a dark Insensate spell is bound to them. This can happen if a Craft User performs a cursing deliberately or if an unfortunate human comes in contact with a wild Spell. Cursed can also be born. If a child is born from one or two Cursed parents there is a good chance that the parent will pass his or her curse on to the child.

Q. Do Cursed have to live in the Cursed Realms?
Most do. The curses they are under are often troublesome and disruptive, causing them to be driven out of many places, and thus force into the Cursed Realms. Some Cursed who's spells aren't that bad or obvious can hide the fact that they are cursed and continue living in the Westrealms.

Q. Are all Cursed evil?
Well now, that would require a long discussion about what exactly evil is. After all, it's a rather philosophical question and of course many people disagree on what qualifies someone to be called "evil"....ah...yes. At any rate, it's really a matter of perception. Most Cursed who send or perform attacks against the Westrealms or who are hunting the Candidates see what they're doing as right and fair. Then again there are also those who are doing it just because they can or because they want revenge, et cetera. It's a very personal issue.

Q. If there is no current Craft King or Queen, then how are there Cursed on Earth?
Since Insensate Spells have been escaping into Earth and drifting without limitations, they have been coming in contact with both things and people. An Insensate Spell that isn't controlled by a Craft User will bind itself automatically with whatever it comes across. If it settles on an item it will bind with that, but if it settles on a human or animal then they become Cursed.

Q. Is there a way to break curses?
If the person was a regular human at one point, a Craft User can break the curse by removing the Spell and sealing it. If the person is a born Cursed then it can't be broken.

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FAQ ABOUT CRAFT CANDIDATES
Q. What is a Craft Candidate?
Craft Candidates are the humans chosen by Matilda to compete to be the next Craft King or Queen.

Q. What qualifies someone to be a Craft Candidate?
Unknown. Matilda hand picked all the Craft Candidates herself and so what she saw in them that qualified them to be candidates is known only to Matilda herself.

Q. How are Craft Candidates chosen?
All the Craft Candidates have one thing in common and that's that they all met Matilda at some point, even if it was for only a few seconds. Whether it be someone who lives in Eventide and has known her all their lives, a resident New Yorker on bussiness in Eventide who picked up a quarter she dropped on the street, or someone all the way from Asia who drove through Eventide on a trip and stopped into Imperial for a few minutes. As long as they've encountered Matilda at least once, she was able to find out a great deal about them that made her consider them as candidates. After her dissapearance in February of 2008, all of the Craft Candidates would find a letter in some random place (their windowsill, their bedside table, their desk at work, et cetera) telling them of their candidacy and inviting them to come to Eventide and Imperial.

Q. So what exactly would the letter say?
Each letter would be a little bit different for everyone. In a very broad sense it would provide a brief recount of their meeting with Matilda (or their first meeting if they've met her multiple times), mention their inherant ability, make a few references to The Craftlands and Spells, and provide directions to Eventide and Imperial. The letter would also include the directions and incantations for binding Sentient Spells, Insensate Spells, and Familiars.

Q. But it's just a letter isn't it? Why wouldn't my character just brush it off?
Some may brush it off, but others might be persuaded by the strange abilities that they developed. Exactly a year after they meet Matilda all Candidates would manifest one of the five inherant power listed in the Craft Magic page. The letter they recieve would make reference to this preternatural ability.

Q. So if Matilda disspeared in February when would the letters start being recieved?
The first letter would be sent out around August 2008. Howevr, they're not all sent at the same time. Different people would recieve their letters at different times.

Q. How do Craft Candidates find about about magic, Spells, The Craftlands, etc?
The letter they recieve would tell them a small bit about Craft Magic and The Craftlands, but not very much and it would be very cryptic. Learning more depends on the character and what they do! They might go to Imperial and end up stumbling through the gateway and into The Craftlands. Or they might encounter a Spell. Encountering a Sentient Spell or a Familiar would be the easiest and quickest way for them, since Sentient Spells and Familiars are aware of Craft Magic, The Craftlands, and what is going on. Or they might come across Matilda's books or maybe another Candidate who has information tells them! There are plenty of ways and it's all about character development.

Q. Does my character have to be native to Eventide to be a Craft Candidate?
No! Like we said, as long as they met or encountered Matilda at some point in their lives, no matter how long or how brief, they can be Craft Candidates.

Q. How does the inherent magic work?
Exactly a year after they meet Matilda all Candidates would manifest one of the five inherant power listed in the Craft Magic page. These abilities are sort of like...trial-run powers and are meant to assist them when they begin restoring balace to Eventide and The Craftlands.

Q. Can I capture Spells?
Yes. Plenty of Insensate Spells will be escaping into Eventide and we will announce the loose Spells during Time Update posts. Sentient Spells can also be captured, but since they are a playable race, make sure you work things out with a Sentient Spell's player before capturing them.

Q. Can I cast my own Spells or make potions?
Currently none of the Craft Cadidates would have the kind of knowledge and power to create their own Spells. As for making potions, if you'd like to have your Craft Candidate character brew a potion you should talk to a mod first so we can work out things like the effects it would have, what they'd need for the potion, whether the character would be feasabily knowledgable enough to be able to make it, et cetera.

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FAQ ABOUT SENTIENT SPELLS AND FAMILIARS
Q. What are Sentient Spells?
Sentient Spells are a form of conscious Spells created by past and present Craft Kings and Queens. Sentient Spells usually take a human or human-like form and are distinguishable only by the fact that their eyes are always silver or pale gray. Depending on the type of Spell they are, Sentient Spells have the ability to affect people and/or the natural world.

Q. How do you become a Sentient Spell?
All Sentient Spells were created at some point by a Craft King or Queen.

Q. So how do I know which Craft User created my Sentient Spell?
It depends on how old they are. If they are 1 - 663 years old then they were created by Craft Queen Daltima (Matilda). If they are 664 - 1400 years old then they were created by Craft King Cho'Hir. If they are 1401 - 2000 years old than they were created by Craft King Shyam.

Q. Do Sentient Spells have emotions / feelings?
Yes. Sentient Spells are aware and concious and have complex emotions, feelings, thoughts, opinions, et cetera just like any human does.

Q. What are Familiars?
Familars are Spell-immune shapeshifters that were once black cats. After a Craftland black cat lives for a hundred years they gain the ability to shapeshift and become Familiars.

Q. How do you become a Familiar?
A black cat who has lived for a hundred years becomes a Familiar. There is no clear way to pick out which cat will be a Familar and which won't. It happens randomly. Familiars are barren / sterile and cannot have children.

Q. Do all Familiars have to serve Craft Users?
No! Although serving a Craft User is very beneficial for a Familiar since it makes their lifespan longer than it would be otherwise.

	slushy 2009-05-14 01:23 am UTC (link)
	Hi there. Just to make sure I've got it right: Craft Candidates can't come from the Craftlands, correct? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	midsummer_mods 2009-05-14 01:27 am UTC (link)
	That's correct! All Craft Candidates must be from our realm. (Reply to this) (Parent)