E.I.D.O.L.O.N. Files

Personnel File: Danya Scheinberg

2010-06-07T16:51:00.001-05:00

Danya Scheinberg
fae-made spell-Hound
formerly of the Wild Hunt, now unaffiliated
specialty: shape-changing, tracking, gun-less methods of fighting and assassination
familiar: no data/not applicable

Notes: Scheinberg was previously a long-serving Hound of the Wild Hunt before being released from her servitude at the Hunt's most recent defeat. The experience seems to have left her a little mad. She has retained her shape-shifting abilities, and now utilizes her tracking and combat skills as an assassin and body guard. She seems to have latched on to the Portland EIDOLON branch employees as "her" humans.

Personnel File: Samiel

2010-06-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

Samiel
walker dragon
High Cascades Dragon Clan
specialty: shape-change, human interaction, pyrotechnics, art appraisal
familiar: no data/not applicable

Notes: Samiel is one of a very select number of dragons who have been the subject of a ceremony which allows them to take a humanoid form. For more information, see Concerning Dragons. At 200-some years, Samiel is a relatively young dragon and has been his clan's walker for little more than 20 years. His style of dress appears to be of similar age. Samiel is never seen without his weather-worn leather jacket, a bit of clothing he carries for "sentimental reasons."

Personnel File: David Howard Baumann

2009-05-06T23:34:00.000-05:00

David Howard Baumann
E.I.D.O.L.O.N. front employee
SW Minnesota, E South Dakota
specialty: freight stocking, local knowledge
familiar: no data/not applicable

Notes: As the SW-M/E-SD branch is fronted by a general store, it is in need of daytime employees, and David filled that position during the latter years of his high school education. Agent Meyers insists " he's not actually important but I like to keep him around." There is, however, some speculation as to how much he knows about his secondary employers.

Personnel File: Elizabeth Louise Aisley

2009-04-28T15:50:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth Louise Aisley
adjunct E.I.D.O.L.O.N. employee
Oregon regional
specialty: healing
familiar: Eureka, white shorthair feline (second incarnation)

Notes: Elizabeth's early childhood was spent under the jurisdiction of the controversial SW-MN/E-SD branch before she relocated to Washington State regional jurisdiction for the remainder of her years as a minor. Following events which placed her briefly under the care of the Oregon regional agent, she requested employment with that branch.

other common aliases, nicknames: Lizzy Lou, Liz, Eliza, Beth, Betsy

(Tomato Faerie note: Elizabeth was once known as Shin'nen. Obviously, this change was made to maximize confusion.)

Personnel File: Asque

2009-04-28T15:36:00.000-05:00

Asque (full name unavailable)
E.I.D.O.L.O.N. agent
Oregon regional
specialty: warding, shielding, misdirection
familiar: no data

Notes: As a participant in an experimental E.I.D.O.L.O.N. training project, Asque took over the Oregon regional position at an unprecedented young age. The project has since been discontinued, as its trainees were by and large found unable to function in Normal society.

Personnel File: Bernadette Alexis Meyers

2008-02-20T22:26:00.000-06:00

Bernadette Alexis Meyers
E.I.D.O.L.O.N. agent
SW Minnesota, E South Dakota
specialty: folklore diffusion
familiar: Fitzgerald, Pembroke Welsh Corgi; succeeded by Frodo, Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Notes: The SW-MN/E-SD position was an independent governing operation prior to the creation of E.I.D.O.L.O.N. As per the terms of its induction into E.I.D.O.L.O.N., the district maintains certain unique rights, including the right of an Agent to choose his/her successor. This policy has often come under criticism by the council, as they feel it creates the opportunity for a dynastic position and possibly poorly-trained agents.

Meyers obtained her undergraduate degree in technical theater from Minnesota State University, Mankato before apprenticing under her predecessor.

other common aliases, nicknames: Bernie, Bern, Bam Bam

Eidolon Portand, Sims-Style

2007-08-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

So, following the suggestion of Jadey, I tried to lay out the Portland agency using the somewhat dubious architectural tools on my copy of the original Sims. It worked better than I expected, though some things are definitely not portrayed correctly. Until I work up my own architectural drawing skills, though, this is probably as good as it gets.

The View from the Street:

The roof is flat, by the way, and the brick continues up about three feet to create a nice little wall around it.

The Basement:

It's underneath the stairs that all of the regular basement stuff is hidden: hot water heater, furnace, and probably a chest freezer (shown by the two dishwashers. xD)

Pretend that bathtub is a claw-foot. And that the rope is actually a wrap-around curtain hanging from the ceiling.

The Main Floor:

Back here, that door actually opens into a small parking lot.

Those shiny things by the utility sink are meant to represent a washer and dryer.

The Second Story:

That gap in the striped wall is meant to indicate an actual door, but Sims wouldn't let me put one there.

Here you can see the large doorway into Shin'nen's bedroom. It does have doors, but they fold and slide away to open about this wide.

The couch is actually not blue at all; it's a very horrible shade of yellow, but it's covered in a tasteful red quilt. xD

Don't ask me why there's a patch of floor floating in the middle of nowhere. I haven't a clue. Incidentally, the tile is actually cut at an angle, so it doesn't do that blocky zigzag; it's quite smooth.

Concerning Shapeshifting

2007-07-24T16:08:00.000-05:00

Many creatures have limited shapeshifting abilities (most famously notable are were- creatures, specifically werewolves, though many other crosses exist) but nearly all are restricted to a single alternate form. Many shapes can be achieved through exceedingly complicated spells, but in the case of spur of the moment, instantaneous transformations, a very limited number of beings have ever managed more than one alternative shape.

Elves are one of these exceptions, though this is possibly as related to their native land as their magical makeup. Because of the intense magical saturation of Underhill, while in its confines elves have been known to take any number of forms. While outside of Underhill, they retain this ability to disguise themselves, but it is heavily limited, and only the well-practiced are often able to attain more than minor changes to their appearance, much less a different form. Older elves, due to experience and lengthened exposure to Underhill's magic, have far greater abilities in this area.

The true difficulty in shapeshifting, it seems, lies in the fundamental nature of the change. In order to truly take another form, uncountable cells must be rearranged and modified. In many cases, mass must be removed or added. It takes decades and a great deal of energy for an infant to become an adult, or a sapling to become a tree, and for a shapeshifter transformations of this magnitude must occur and reverse in seconds.

It is therefore suspected that those rare beings who can change shape at will have what have been described as magically unstable molecules. Although they are almost consistently sentient, their "self" is not held in any particular pattern or collection of particles. Instead, they "reside" in their magic, such that the molecules that, at that moment, comprise them need not take any specific shape. If necessary, these particles may be left behind, or new particles may be appropriated for the purpose of taking a new form. Because of this instability, however, many of those who are true shapeshifters have no true solid form, and may have difficulty taking a solid shape. Those who do naturally adhere to a natural, solid shape are indeed few and far between.

It must also be noted that much of the theory regarding true shapeshifting is mere speculation, for, due to the impressive rareness of such individuals, modern magical researchers have had no opportunity to study the phenomenon directly, and ancient sources have little useful to say on the subject. Because of this, true shapeshifters generally take to hiding to avoid being appropriated for such research.

Concerning Bardic Magic

2007-07-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

Bardic magic is unique in that its applications are very specific, but highly effective in that category. Unlike most magics, which have easy applications to the physical world, Bardic magic is entirely mentally oriented. (Only in heavily magic-laden locales, such as Underhill, can music magic affect the apparently physical.) Furthering the already considerable effect music can have on emotions and the mind, Bardic magic affects the mental processes of those to whom it is directed. Due to this, it is extremely useful for illusion magic, but also for levels of thought manipulation many have insisted is mind control. Therefore, Bardic practitioners have been very closely monitored for abuse of magic.

Famous Bards of lore seem to hold far more abilities than the study of Bardic magic actually allows. Taliesin, of the Druidic tradition, for example, was a known shapeshifter, as were many shaman druids of his era. These abilities are likely the result of other studies of the time and perhaps, in the case of Taliesin most specifically, the result of the then-more common mixing of human and elven genetics. (More on this rare breed combination shall come in Concerning Elves.)

Where it is limited in scope, music magic makes up for with power. A fully-trained Bard is, through music, capable of affecting hundreds, possibly thousands of individuals with a blanket tune. For the beginning mage, however, the audibility of his/her music is vital, and if the target cannot physically hear the spell, it may have no effect. Advanced practitioners, however, are said to be able to perform such feats without even the aid of audible music; simply by imagining the sound in both their and their targets' minds they can achieve the same effects. A more individualized spell can, in theory, bring the subject to any number of levels of manipulation, even complete control via the musician. It is these cases that have caused Bardic magic to be marked as particularily dangerous by the governing entities of the magical community. There are, of course, numerous helpful applications, including exorcism and therapy.

In the advent of audio/visual broadcasts, the Bardic tradition has greatly diminished in industrialized countries. With the removal of playing/ listening to live music as a pastime for all ranges of individuals, those with talents are rarely recognized, and their abilities therefore are rarely honed to a useable level. Due to the highly controversial nature of Bardic magic, E.I.D.O.L.O.N. seems to be content to let the tradition die out.

Still, a fair number of Bardic mages still practice in less developed countries, and those in industrialized locales have made it a goal to seek out those to continue the study. The elves, as well, have traditionally offered training and succor for those of the Bardic tradition. Like many non-human members of the magical community, the elves generally hold different standards regarding the morality of mind control, and have rarely found wrong in Bardic abilities.

Concerning Familiars

2007-03-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

Most animals who choose to work with practitioners consider the name 'familiar' a bit derogatory due to the servant or domesticated connotations of the word. They would prefer, in general, to be considered merely friends of their respective magic user. The realtionship is, however, a bit more complicated than a mere friendship.

A certain sort of bond exists between a practitioner and animal. There is no formal ceremony or such that creates this relationship; only a mutual acceptance on the part of both parties is necessary. This does not, however, mean that the bond is easily dissolvable; regardless of any falling out the animal and practitioner might have, it is usually active until either of the two dies. (In the case of cats, who, as was earlier explained, have an availible nine incarnations, this usually refers to their final death. Cats, however, seem to have more control over the status of their bond: for more information, see "Concerning Cats".) As a practitioner can only bond with one animal at a time, it is very much desirable to maintain a feeling of mutual affection between user and animal. This is, however, rarely a problem.

The extent and specifics of the bond varies from species to species. In general, however, such a relationship usually benefits the animal in question in two ways: first, the animal receives a significant boost in sentience. The animal's memory is improved, oftentimes beyond that of its partner, and its cognative abilities usually rise to rival that of a human's. Some have linked this increase of intelligence to the added ability of 'speaking' to the bonded practitioner, but this is likely more a matter of the mental relationship rather than any previous inability to reason. Animals are almost always unable to communicate 'verbally' with anyone other than their bonded magic user.

Second, in nearly all cases save for that of cats, the animal's lifespan generally doubles. (Cats, due to their already unusual lifespan tendencies, are unaffected in this matter.) Though it is currently uncertain what causes this, it is suspected that these animals are able to absorb residual magical energies and apply them to their own wellbeing. This has no effect on the magical stores of a practitioner.

Another more debated side-effect is that of animal magic. Although all animals have their own brand of magic, there are few in this age who instinctively remember it. While bonded to a practitioner, however, these abilities quickly return and can be invaluble tools. Generally, these abilities have to do with magically enhancing the dominant senses of the creature. An almost universal ability, however, is 'sliding' (also sometimes called 'phasing' or 'going between'). This refers to the odd ability of animals, particularily felines and rodents, to get into and out of places the should not be able to.

Though much research has been done into this ability, few concrete facts have been discovered; it is suspected that it may involve dimensional manipulation. This ability allows creatures to travel through locked doors and windows, closed wards, walls, etc, without disturbing the state of these barriers. The action leaves almost no reside, making the creature seem to have suddenly appeared where it should not. There are limits to this, of course; a wall is much more difficult to get through than a door, and a locked door moreso than merely a shut door. Mesh barriers are easier to travel through than solid ones. Inexperienced animals should not be expected to move through locked objects until both the animal and the practitioner feels confident with the animal's abilities.

Through different spells, a practitioner can link into the senses of their bonded animal. This, combined with sliding, allows a bonded creature to be a particularily effective spy. Be warned, however, that many serious practitioners may be able to key wards to disallow sliding into an area, and the experience of a rejected sliding can be very unpleasant to both animal and magic user.

Concerning Wartime Magic

2007-03-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, even were all the agents of E.I.D.O.L.O.N. to focus their efforts on a single country, it is unlikely that they would be able to, even through force, bring about peace. Although there are a significant number of practitioners who have joined relief efforts, E.I.D.O.L.O.N. in general warns the magical community away from such areas without special training.

This is for a variety of reasons. Certainly, it is unsafe for anyone to be in a war-torn area. For practitioners, however, the burn-out rate is especially high. Due to the 'belief' aspect of magic, as practitioners realize how little impact their efforts are making, they begin to lose faith in their abilities and finally in magic altogether, which results in the gradual decline and often abrupt cut-off of their magical abilities.

The general atmosphere of the land and people also affects the usability of magic in such areas. As most practitioners are more empathically sensitive than the average human, the strive focused in the country causes intense emotional fatigue. The atmosphere also tends to disrupt magical workings in general, sometimes causing failure in the even most basic of spells. This phenomenon is most noticeable in places where wars have occurred consistently over a great many years. The only magic not hampered, and often, unfortunately, aided, by this is black/dark magic. The best E.I.D.O.L.O.N. has been able to do for these locations is to dampen the usability of black/dark magic.

The final issue in these situations is that, for most wartime purposes, technology has most certainly outstripped magic. When humans still fought their wars with staffs and swords, having a mage on your side was a distinct advantage. Against the weapons of today, however, a practitioner can be very easily defeated if he/she is not constantly vigilant. A shielding spell can only cover so much area for so long, depending on the practitioner's limits. Because of these factors, the lifespan of magic users in warring areas tends to be significantly short, and magical efforts have had little impact on war outcomes.

Names and such

2007-02-18T13:28:00.000-06:00

So it occurs to me that the current draft of E.I.D.O.L.O.N. doesn't have much in the way of normal names. In fact, the only characters with boring names (Kristina and Brian) were named specifically such that their names would be ordinary. Hrrm. So, pumped full of caffeine as I am, I thought I'd expound a few of the odd names, where they came from, and how exactly they're pronounced.

Asque is pronounced "AWWS-kay" (emphasis on the first syllable), not "ask" or "as-kyu". Asque was named by the fabulous Ann during a service trip to Washington D.C. during the summer of . . . sophomore year of high school? We were attempting to come up with characters for a Paranormal Investigations style roleplay, and after sticking Shin'nen into the picture, I doodled this odd blonde-haired man and demanded a name. She gave me "Asque", and the name stuck!

Incidentally, Ann's character was Danya, who was some sort of warrior person with many werewolf connections. I'm tempted to steal her and use her, since neither Asque nor Shin'nen is very physical-battle-inclined.

Shin'nen is pronounced "shin-NEHN" (emphasis on the second syllable), like "shin" as in the part of your leg plus "nen" like the "en" in "friend". At least, this is the way it's pronounced in my brain. In fact, considering the origin of the name, that pronounciation is incorrect--"shin" should be pronounced like "sheen", as in the sheen of a well polished shoe or something, but I'm sticking with how it's pronounced in my head. xD

The reason for the accurate pronounciation is that her name was derived from Japanese. Because Shin'nen began her life in my brain as a Digimon character, I thought I'd be 'cool' and name her in Japanese based on the theme of her crest (if you don't know, don't ask). Due to her optimistic outlook and sunny disposition (which she may or may not have grown out of, hrrm), this was the crest of faith--and, therefore "shinnen" (しんねん） means, basically "faith or belief". (The kanji for this is 信念). Now, however, it makes no sense that she would be named that as caucasian hailing from Minnesota, so I switched over to the second meaning of the word, "new year" (新年）, and finally gave Shin'nen a birthday--January first. The backstory is now that her parents hadn't expected a girl and were forced to make a last minute name decision. Between the painkillers and alcohol, Shin'nen will explain, they somehow decided that naming their kid "new year" in Japanese was pretty awesome, and proceeded to mispronounce it, resulting in the pronounciation that's stuck in my head. Yep.

Samiel is pronounced "SA-mee-ehl", like Sam, the name, plus "eee", the fearful noise, plus "L" like the letter. It's . . . actually pretty easy to pronounce right. So. Anyway, Samiel's name was originally stolen from the name of Tiger's magical Northern sword from Jennifer Robinson's Tiger and Del series (which is awesome, by the way--go read it now). I felt bad about that later, so I was happy to discover that "samiel" is also the name of a scorching, sandy wind of the Sahara and Arabian deserts. His nickname is Sammy, but don't call him that unless you know he won't bite your head off. Seriously.

Rebekka is, erm, pretty obvious to pronounce. Strangely, her name (and a lot about her, for that matter) has changed randomly as I've used her. Since she seems to vanish for large periods of time, not being a very important character (YET!), I, erm, tend to forget stuff about her . . . So she started "life" as Rachel, probably not much older than Shin'nen, but possibly married. I think back then she was sorta short and a little pudgy . . . not sure . . . Then she appeared as Rebecca, and I think she may have somehow become more Hispanic than before, slightly taller in my imagination, still not very old, I think . . . And then, most recently, her name shifted to Rebekka and she currently looks something like a taller, thirties-ish black woman with hair that seems to alternate between either poofy and long/braided. It's weird. We'll see what happens to her next. oo; I'm kinda worried.

Concerning Vampires

2007-01-18T17:32:00.000-06:00

Vampires are magical creatures in that they are undead--their magic sustains their 'life' while they have no heartbeat. They do have circulation, but, powered by magic, it flows continuously rather than in pulses. Their magical also allows them exceptional regenerative abilities; this is what lets vampires maintain the age at which they were turned. It also allows them to heal at an exceptional rate and thereby increases their physical ability, sometimes to phenomenal levels. Although this does not give them the ability to regenerate limbs, vampires have much higher success rates with reattachments and transplants. Because their magic holds them in a near-suspended-animation, vampires are unable to bear or sire children. Also, due to their status as magical creature, vampires are unable to cross threshholds.

The canine teeth of vampires are sharpened compared to those of normal humans. Although they are unretractable, most experienced vampires are able to hide them under simple glamours.

Vampires' bodies are incapable of producing blood; therefore, they are forced to consume the blood of others to survive. A victim need not be drained, and in fact rarely is except out of malice. Newly-turned and the very thirsty, however, have a difficult time controlling their bloodlust, and are therefore more likely to make kills. The blood need not be human, either, as the magic that propels a vampire can adapt any manner of blood. Human blood, however, especially of the vampire's original blood type, is magically far easier to digest, and is therefore a favorite, largely illegal dish of sorcerer vampires.

A human becomes a vampire by exchange of blood. It must be mutual and of significant quantity--the minimum varies around a cup to a pint--by both victim and sire. However, the amount is usually unbalanced in favor of the sire. Oftentimes, the victim will be drained almost to the point of death and is forced to drink of the sire in extreme thirst. This excess of blood on the sire's part gives the sire a hold and power over the newly turned. This will wear off in time as new blood is mixed into the sire's system, but it can also be negated by drinking more of the sire's blood to equalized the exchange of fluids. No matter how traumatic the turning, an affection tends to form between sire and turned, oftentimes to the dismay of both.

Quickly after blood has been exchanged, the newly-turned takes on many of the symptoms of death as certain systems are modified to accommodate for vampiric 'life'. This lack of heartbeat, nearly absent breathing, and unnoticable circulation have, in the past, resulted in many vampiric burials. Also, due to the reduced oxygen as their system switches from physical to magical circulation, it is not uncommon for new vampires to temporarily or permanently lose memories of events prior to their turning.

There are many myths regarding ways to injure and/or kill vampires, many of which are false or exaggerated. Vampires are extremely sensitive to sunlight, such that more than a minute in direct sunlight can cause serious burns, and sunscreen has little to no effect. Indirect sunlight, however, is not overly harmful--the danger is perhaps as much as a human might experience unprotected in direct sunlight.

Silver is also a problem, though it is generally disregarded by popular culture. It can be said that vampires are magically allergic to silver; that is, the magic which fuels their 'life' is disrupted by the presense of silver. In most cases, the symptoms are mild, such that a vampire can wear a silver object for several hours without being overly affected, but situations have occurred where a vampire has been killed by prolonged exposure. This magical allergy is also the origin of the myth that vampires have no reflection, as many old mirrors were made of polished silver or had silver backing. As most reflective surfaces manufactured now are backed with aluminum, this is largely no longer an issue.

The majority of vampires are also physically allergic to garlic, much as any person might be allergic to a food product. Certain medications have been designed to combat this allergy, but they can be otherwise troublesome and only those especially fond of the food tend to take it.

More obvious means of killing are generally effective--decapitation, stake through the heart, death by fire, etc.--but it could be argued that anything might die from such a wound. Holy objects, however, have no specific effect on vampires; in fact, there are many devoutly religious vampires. A vampire, despite its method of 'life', is not inherently evil, just as humans, and it is only the strength of faith magic that inflicts damage through holy symbols. These symbols would be equally effective against other creatures, magical or otherwise, but their effect depends on the faith of the person weilding them.

When a vampires dies, they do not invaribly turn to dust, as some would have you believe. Usually, they leave a corpse, though these corpse tend to vary in resemblence to a human depending on the chronological age of the vampire. Many reported cases of spontanious combustion, however, were in fact vampires who remained far too long in direct sunlight and simply went up in flame and smoke. Oops.

Over the Years

2007-01-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

Almost a year ago I decided I wanted to write the story of how Shin'nen and Asque first met up after realizing that the two seemed to have absolutely nothing in common and, in fact, had such contrasting personalities that I couldn't fathom why they got along. Shin'nen is my oldest continual character, surviving even a genre switch and a few random time periods, but I don't remember her starting out much differently than the character she's come to recently be. Certainly, she's grown older--she was my age in junior high, and in recent years has become a few years my senior. With age, she's grown more confident and stable, and perhaps a little more solid as a character, but overall I see her as a friend I've known closely for years; her changes have come gradually, and I'm far too close to her to see them clearly.

Asque, though . . . Oh, Asque.

Asque appeared as a doodle during the summer of my sophmore year of high school (had to double-check the dates on that--somehow I thought he'd been with me longer!) while visting Washington, D.C. and entirely enamored with the concept of a paranormal detective agency. I knew Shin'nen would be involved, and Ann added her own character, Danya, but a random male character was sketched in for some variety. Ann named him, and thus Asque came into existance.

Ann and I never got very far into our roleplay, but another friend of mine, Sara, and I soon began what has now become our longest-running roleplay yet. I'm not quite sure what happened to Asque over that span of time, but recent searches through my roleplay file archives show that he changed drastically to become the stoic, boring wizard with a pechant for scowling. I noted in one of my more recent roleplays that Asque didn't smile--possibly had never smiled, and I had apparently forgotten about this incident back in late 2003:

"Mmm, let's see . . . " He pretends to ponder for a moment. "Ride in a potentially cooler car, yet risk some sort of high-speed chase, or play it safe while risking being seen in a 'cute car' . . ." He grins. "Sorry, Shin'nen--I'm going with Rei."

So it seems that Asque was originally a character much like Shin'nen herself, or (at least, as Shin'nen would say, like an actual person and not, for example, a robot). I'm beginning to suspect that Asque gained his personality by losing it, and I must say I like him much more as he is than I do this weird joking character. Of course, it's obvious to me now why Shin'nen and Asque originally became friends--originally, Asque was a much different person. But now that he's who he is, I need to figure that all out again. Huzzah!

On a side note, Samiel's personality has changed a bit, too, since I first implimented him, but he settled much more quickly into his present personality. Oddly, he started with a formalness that could be mistaken for Asque's current tendencies, but it didn't take him long to become the casual, obnoxious dragon I know and love.

Concerning Dwarves

2007-01-08T19:10:00.000-06:00

Dwarves (not to be confused with dwarfs, humans with height-stunting genes) do not exist. Or, rather, they do not exist any more--at least as a distinct race. Unlike elves, dwarves have never had difficulties procreating with humans, for although many consider their race 'magical', dwarves are not magical creatures and rarely posess magical abilities stronger than the average human. Therefore, over the centuries, dwarves have interbred with humans such that it is highly doubtful that any 'purebred' dwarves still exist.

Concerning Cats

2007-01-08T16:48:00.000-06:00

Human researchers have often debated the intelligence of cats, manytimes debunking what most cat owners will agree: cats are terribly intelligent creatures. In truth, their intelligence often matches or exceeds that of humans, and it is feline morals that most strongly differentiate their behavior from that of people. The feline heirarchy and system of morals have never been fully documented by a human. It has been suggested, in fact, that a facet of both is an effort toward the utter bafflement of humans.

Cats have often been associated with the practice of magic, whether appearing as familiars, pets, or dieties. Cats, in fact, have their own variety of magic, which allows them to assist with and perform various magic. The main reason, however, is that although cats do not have nine lives, they do have nine incarnations, and retain the memories of all their previous lives. This makes them ideal assistants, for although their 'lives' last an average of 1.5 to 2 decades, their combined nine lives can allow them to help more than a generation of practitioners.

Practitioners who work with a cat are strongly advised to avoid having the cat declawed. This does not foster friendly feline/human relationships. Spaying/neutering should be discussed at length with the individual feline.

The nature of a cat's relationship with its human is not entirely understood, and cats have been largely silent on the subject. However, it is notable that practitioners have been known to understand the 'speech' of 'their' cat, as well as instinctively know its location and easily share energy with it. It is largely believed this connection is a choice entirely of the cat--likely, the rapport occurs when a feline decides that a human has become 'hers/his', as the understanding has been known vanish and appear with a cat's affections.

Possible floor plans

2007-01-07T17:58:00.000-06:00

Here are two possible layouts for the Eidolon agency. The first is my drawing, sketched this summer after I discovered I had a mental vision for each of the floors, and none of the staircases could have possibly matched up. The second is the design of my friend Sara, with whom I roleplayed Shin'nen and Asque the longest. So although the top one is most accurate to what I'm now thinking, some of the elements of the second may appear . . .

Concerning Dragons

2007-01-06T22:29:00.000-06:00

It should be noted that the following remarks apply largely to Western dragons. What are known as Eastern dragons are in fact another species entirely, perhaps more akin to the fae.

Dragons do not have tear ducts. Therefore, most strong emotions are expressed through fire-breathing and are often mistaken for anger.

The dragon physical structure maintains many similarities to large cats. While on land, they move as such, wings folded against their bodies to provide streamlining. Their talons are retractable, as well, to avoid snagging while running.

In modern times, dragons retain their land and fortunes through the acquisition, loan, and sale of antiques and art. They currently possess, though various avenues, 37% of the world's great art.

On Dragon Hearts:
A dragon clan will preserve all the hearts of its deceased members. Through an undisclosed ceremony, the memories of the heart's bearer can be retrieved. Because dragon 'hands' are not well accustomed to writing, this serves as a means to preserve history. All dragons are taught the specifics of the ceremony following their 300th year, but only the Eldest and Lorekeeper are generally permitted to enact it. As the hearts of deceased dragons often resemble gems, the preservation of such helped give rise to the idea of dragons hoarding treasure.

On Dragons' Bane:
Like most "-bane" substances, use is strictly restricted/prohibited by the governing councils and, in theory, the plant only exists in laboratory situations (much as smallpox exists in the human world). It causes, on immediate contact, symptoms akin to hypothermia, and attacks a dragon's ability to regulate body temperature. If contact persists, it can causes an extreme inverse reaction of raised body temperature ultimately resulting in premature pre-death "burn-up".

On the Death of Dragons:
Once circulation has stopped, blood builds up in the heart and elevates it to an incendiary temperature. Within minutes the heat excites the flamelungs and the entire body is engulfed in fire. Following this, naught but the heart, burned dry to a solid, rock-ish form, remains. Only be restarting circulation or quickly removing the heart can "burn-up" be avoided.

On Dragon Walkers:
Because of their distressing size and appearance, it is no wonder that dragons strive to avoid appearing to the general human populace. Despite what stories may have you believe, dragons do not naturally possess the magic necessary to take on another form. Only through a complex ritual involving months' preparation and a ceremony lasting, at times, weeks, can a dragon gain the ability to take on a human shape. Because of this, even large clans are usually unable to maintain more than one "walker", and small clans are often forced to hire non-dragons, such a firemages, to conduct their business.
As dragons are creatures of magic, rather than with magic (that is to say, their bodies require their magic to operate), their magical attempts tend to be clumsy. Therefore, the 'human' forms of walkers are a bit ramshackle--although they bear a strong outward appearance to humans, their internal configuration is anything but similar. Instead, it is a strange conglomeration of human and dragon organs. Due to this awkward configuration, a walker must be cautious to avoid overheating his or her human organs, especially while using the fire-lungs.

Concerning the E.I.D.O.L.O.N. Organization

2007-01-06T22:22:00.000-06:00

As written this summer:

Eidolon was established in the early 18^th century as events brought to light the necessity of a strong international presence to promote the safety of magical entities. Originally formed of the numerous regional magical councils, the organization had a turbulent first few centuries, but has since become a smoothly-running worldly power. It is due to Eidolon's efforts that the world at large is able to work under the assumption of magic's nonexistence, thus protecting magical entities from the persecution they so often face.

Although some species chose not to join Eidolon when it was first established, instead retaining their own government systems, the organization has close relations with the majority of these nonmember species and provides indirect protection to these affiliate. These include, but are not limited to the Dragon Councils, the Elven Courts, the Vampiric Hierarchy, etc. Eidolon also maintains relations with most national governments, whether in their guise as international investigative and relief organization or as their true identity of magical global government.

January addendum:

ei·do·lon (ī-dō'lən) n. 1. a phantom; apparition. 2. an ideal.

There is wizardry attached to the name of the organization--names have power, and definitions, also. The meaning of 'eidolon' allows its members to easily manipulate how much information is presented and remembered to those considered 'normals'. Depending on the person's openmindedness and perceptions, the organization can be seen/remembered as anything from a nonprofit investigation and charity organization to the magical international government that it is. Likewise, the agencies themselves appear more overt than others, depending on setting and the region's populace.

Structure and Heirarchy (as recorded in July, 2006):
Eidolon is directed by the Council of Thirteen. Of the thirteen, twelve are elected from nominees from the regional agents of the world. (Agents are spaced approximately two per state--or equivalent area--dependent mildly on necessity. Whilst elected, they continue to reside in their respective districts, but do not actively patrol; their agency duties are taken over by another individual. Terms are seven years, but a Council of Thirteen member may at any time be removed by vote of the Eidolon agents.

The thirteenth member is chosen on a rotating basis from active Eidolon agents. Oftentimes they will be a voting member for only one meeting, but there have been occasions where an adjunct member remains for several weeks, as circumstances require. The 'leading' member of the council also rotates. At least one Agent from each continent (excluding, on occasion, Antarctica?) must be a member of the Council.

Jonathan Strange

2006-12-05T23:51:00.000-06:00

"Now," Shin'nen said, "why can't you be like this fellow?" She fingered the pages of the book spread on her desk; they rustled in a manner that particularily irritated the wizard at the other desk. "Jonathon Strange. Bottling madness and turning books into ravens and all that."

Asque huffed briefly, insistently intent on the stack of papers upon his desk. "Would you prefer that I go mad, then?"

"Sure." She shrugged, half-laughed through her nose. "If it'd make you more interesting."

He turned his gaze toward her in a long-suffering look, detest marring every speck of his face as though she aught to be quite appreciative that he was taking time from his work to glare at her. "And," he continued, returning his attention to his desk, "you'd prefer to reside in a pillar of continual darkness."

Shin'nen considered. "Well, maybe not that so much--and I suppose you would decide to put off removing it, too--but I'd like to think I'm not so bad that I can't figure out a way around that, anyway."

Asque grunted noncommitally, and Shin'nen caught a barely-visible rolling of his eyes. She countered it with one of her own, returning to her reading of the final chapter--then stopped abruptly. "Wait. Wait a minute. You've actually read this book, haven't you!"

His gaze flitted toward her, expression irked. "If you insist on continually distracting me from my work, I'm sure I can arrange some for you such as to keep you busy."

"You have! Oh my God, you totally have!" Curls bounced as she stood in abrupt amazement. "Oh! Oh! Did you like it? What did you think of it? Really, this is really important!"

"Shin'nen. You will kindly desist."

She was grinning broadly, dancing about the room in a combination triumph-dance and post-book adrenaline rush. "Asque reads novels! I win! Eeee!"