The Future of the Zenko

[Ashtyn]

Because the current structure of the Zenko was set in place mostly by Erick and his close group of friends, and with Erick gone and some of his close friends apparently taking the way out as well, we figured this might be a good opportunity to debate the future of the Zenko faction, and what the players expect and would like to see happening to it.

If you are a Zenko player, or have interest in the matter, please post your ideas in this thread and let's discuss them. Just a few rules....

• Keep the ideas simple. No 200 pages of elaborating on your points. Go straight to the point and let's see what develops from there.
  
  
• Don't be hurt/offended if your idea doesn't get applauded. There are plenty of ideas out there and not all of them will work.
  
  
• No hateful arguing or accusations whatsoever, please. We don't need drama.
  
  
• This debate is just to see what the current Zenko players that will be staying with us like and dislike, and what they would and what they wouldn't like to see happening to the Zenko, and to consider new ideas to improve the faction. Nothing discussed here will be implemented until the majority agrees on it.
  
  

Consider this a "townhall meeting" of the Zenko, to discuss things that need to be left as they are, and things that need to be improved.

[Arsen Graff]

It would be interesting to split the Zenko into two sections... a School to learn Magic and the Military Wing of Lismore. This way we can train people without just giving them "books" to learn and give  people solid RP for Magic. And if they wanted to, without obligation, they can join the Military aspect of Lismore. The issue with the former Zenko, training was pretty much solo... That was rough on any new member because they were on their own without RP. That can be changed now.

[LadyUrsa]

It would be interesting to split the Zenko into two sections... a School to learn Magic and the Military Wing of Lismore. This way we can train people without just giving them "books" to learn and give  people solid RP for Magic. And if they wanted to, without obligation, they can join the Military aspect of Lismore. The issue with the former Zenko, training was pretty much solo... That was rough on any new member because they were on their own without RP. That can be changed now.

I actually really like this idea, especially as there is already the alchemist's guild centered there.  I think giving an actual magic user training, with alchemy as a specialty would work well.  And since thhere is a definite player base for the soldier and hero types, having that be able to be it's own rp makes some good sense.

[Icylon Kato]

I second this idea. And as a Lieutenant I'd love to teach about magical things..

[Jannisia]

Different classes are already in progress as well. As soon as I get Amilin back together, she is approved to teach a class on how to work around elemental weaknessess, and I know Lyera teaches people about being mana hunters.

All in all, I don't think it'd be a stretch for that to turn into a school of magic and other variants on that theme that accepts both those within the military and those who apply for it outside of the Zenko. It'd have to evolve into that, but it'd likely happen if that's what everyone wants. And of course, if permitted by the current Lord Zenko.(which I was unaware was a genderless title, but that's cool)

[fawn]

It might be nice if Zenko was a bit more accessible? Ummm.... It has great big walls around it for one thing. It's always been intended as a closed community right from the beginning, and that's an interesting concept - to have a faction that you have to work to get in to.

I mean, maybe it's just because I got banned, I've always felt that Zenko was an intimidating place to approach, physically and culturally. They don't have a public house, they don't have a place where Zenko and outsiders meet and trade, it's walls with warning signs.

Also the whole "You stay here, you eat and drink here, you will get sick and die" message seemed a bit unfriendly towards casual visitors and outsiders, to me anyway. Maybe that theme could be rolled back a bit? Maybe only heavy magic users risk contamination, while people who don't do magic are discovered to have a natural resistance?

I guess part of encouraging RP, not the only part certainly, but part is just maintaining an accessible venue where people can go and can interact without fear that their character will get sick, be just automatically unwelcome, be executed, or be banned for something someone else did when you weren't even present?

I'm not saying Zenko (either old Zenko or newer Zenko) was ever all of those things at the same time, I just think that sometimes the theme and the culture, and the venue, and even just the architecture (castles! walls! gates! guards!) felt unwelcoming to outsiders.

I think you could improve the faction by keeping the exclusivity and strictness, but including a "venue" or "space" that is physically and culturally accessible to everyone.

What do you think?

[Jannisia]

Perhaps, as Fawn says, efforts could be made to remove most of the contaminating mana from around, say, the teahouse. If a way were found to do that, the Zenko would have a reliable area where the public could interact with the Zenko members. Another solution would be to find the least contaminated spot on the wall and build that into a publicly uncontaminated area. Perhaps the broken entry could instead be made into a gatehouse where everyone could interact.

Closed community yes, but if people want to have a school of magic there it'll have to have one open face. Again, I'm just suggesting things here.

[Husky Dragon]

It might be nice if Zenko was a bit more accessible? Ummm.... It has great big walls around it for one thing. It's always been intended as a closed community right from the beginning, and that's an interesting concept - to have a faction that you have to work to get in to.

I mean, maybe it's just because I got banned, I've always felt that Zenko was an intimidating place to approach, physically and culturally. They don't have a public house, they don't have a place where Zenko and outsiders meet and trade, it's walls with warning signs.

Also the whole "You stay here, you eat and drink here, you will get sick and die" message seemed a bit unfriendly towards casual visitors and outsiders, to me anyway. Maybe that theme could be rolled back a bit? Maybe only heavy magic users risk contamination, while people who don't do magic are discovered to have a natural resistance?

I guess part of encouraging RP, not the only part certainly, but part is just maintaining an accessible venue where people can go and can interact without fear that their character will get sick, be just automatically unwelcome, be executed, or be banned for something someone else did when you weren't even present?

I'm not saying Zenko (either old Zenko or newer Zenko) was ever all of those things at the same time, I just think that sometimes the theme and the culture, and the venue, and even just the architecture (castles! walls! gates! guards!) felt unwelcoming to outsiders.

I think you could improve the faction by keeping the exclusivity and strictness, but including a "venue" or "space" that is physically and culturally accessible to everyone.

What do you think?

Perhaps the gulidhouse can be redesigned slightly and officially become Lismore's potion shop? And I do think the magic school would help tons. Making there be very few qualifications to take classes and no qualifications to be present to watch the lessons could help make things feel more open and inviting. It is still supposed to be a military faction's area though so we should be careful about how far we go with that.

[Jay Voncloud]

Looking at what everyone has put here, i think i may have a solution that works off of what the Zenko already has, and create a more interesting RP aspect for those who are the magicy type as well as to bring others to the Zenko grounds itself.

The Zenko's Main role as protectors from the Face is for now, a 2nd priority, Instead, they now have to focus on the Corruption of the land. Tass. Although Tass is known for being a source of Raw magic, it is still poisonous and spreading, but other then that, the Tass is still mostly unknown. So the Zenko now have to focus on Containing and Researching it.
However, for the past however many years, the Zenko has existed as a military faction, focused solely on protecting Zenko and Lismore from the threats of the portal, due to this they are ill equipped to Study the Tass fully, and so the Call for Magi, priests, Scholars, anyone who maybe able to study and help contain and understand the Tass has been made.

(Note: This next part i would like to have done ICly, if this is to be taken on board)
The Current Alchemists of the Zenko, to help make this task easier, have found a way to combat the Atmospheric Tass Poisoning people can contract by being on the grounds. Using the blood from the Already mana corrupted Members of the Zenko, they have made a potion able to immunise those visiting the lands from its effects, despite this, the drinking of Tass Water is still poisonous and not recommended.
If left unchecked the Tass may spread across the island and make it uninhabitable, and so the Task falls onto the Zenko to make sure this doesn't happen.

[Husky Dragon]

Looking at what everyone has put here, i think i may have a solution that works off of what the Zenko already has, and create a more interesting RP aspect for those who are the magicy type as well as to bring others to the Zenko grounds itself.

The Zenko's Main role as protectors from the Face is for now, a 2nd priority, Instead, they now have to focus on the Corruption of the land. Tass. Although Tass is known for being a source of Raw magic, it is still poisonous and spreading, but other then that, the Tass is still mostly unknown. So the Zenko now have to focus on Containing and Researching it.
However, for the past however many years, the Zenko has existed as a military faction, focused solely on protecting Zenko and Lismore from the threats of the portal, due to this they are ill equipped to Study the Tass fully, and so the Call for Magi, priests, Scholars, anyone who maybe able to study and help contain and understand the Tass has been made.

(Note: This next part i would like to have done ICly, if this is to be taken on board)
The Current Alchemists of the Zenko, to help make this task easier, have found a way to combat the Atmospheric Tass Poisoning people can contract by being on the grounds. Using the blood from the Already mana corrupted Members of the Zenko, they have made a potion able to immunise those visiting the lands from its effects, despite this, the drinking of Tass Water is still poisonous and not recommended.
If left unchecked the Tass may spread across the island and make it uninhabitable, and so the Task falls onto the Zenko to make sure this doesn't happen.

That could tie very soundly into the thought of opening up the school of magic more publicly. The Zenko could become the forefront of magical research on the island, with the research and control of tass poisoning being one of it's many projects :3

[Jay Voncloud]

^^

[Xela]

Dont forget Rune! D: She is basicly designed around Tass, with abilities to both remove and create it.

I have been planning for her to begin to learn more about Tass, that could tie into the plans to reduce its spread. Plus with her absorbing, projection and purification abilities related to tass I'm sure she can play a helpfull part in the whole thing.


...plus, tass is basicly her god. Doubt she'd be pleased if people were to try and get rid of it without consulting her first.

[Caex]

i'll be making a "Tass mask" for my shop. price will be discounted to members of the sim, but ICly it could be baught from the zenko to allow for "free movement" around the zenko grounds without worry of becoming infected or poisioned via the air and atmosphere.

the zenko could also create Treatment pills, kinda like we do now for radiation poisioning. helps lower the rad count in the body. but i've got to go to work, ill work on this when i get home.

[Husky Dragon]

Dont forget Rune! D: She is basicly designed around Tass, with abilities to both remove and create it.

I have been planning for her to begin to learn more about Tass, that could tie into the plans to reduce its spread. Plus with her absorbing, projection and purification abilities related to tass I'm sure she can play a helpfull part in the whole thing.


...plus, tass is basicly her god. Doubt she'd be pleased if people were to try and get rid of it without consulting her first.

Nobody's forgetting you, but everyone else should get a chance to be equally involved :3

[Jay Voncloud]

I like the gas mask idea, but make it potion stead of pills, i think potions fit better