Lovejoy

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah @CollectorOfMyst

Will try to have a post for you two tomorrow. This next one is proving a bit tricky to write, but I'll get it done!

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

As a (former?) weirdo goth kid, I have -50 resistance to pompoms. Please don't throw them at me.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Loving all of this discussion about battle tactics!

Sorry for the delay in replies everyone. This week + weekend has been busy. I'll try to get in some replies tomorrow.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah There is a forge where servants work but I don't see an issue with Rodion having his own specilized forge in the compound. The Church isn't really hurting for resources.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah Oh and, I do agree that we should change the age at which pupils are sorted into their different warbands. As it stands, it's during the acolyte phase, six months in (!!!) which yeah, waaay too early. I'm fine with them being in a sort of general studies kind of thing for those first few years, and once they become actual priests and are given the Father/Mother title after surviving the third Milestone they are split into different warbands. It'd make sense to group them much later on, after the faculty has observed their ether abilities for a long period.

So, let's change it so that they're sorted into their warband once they reach the rank of Warpriest, at age 14-ish. I think that could work.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah As far as Rodion and his workshop goes-- each inquisitor is highly individualistic in terms of their ether ability. It's not like there's a 'metalworking class' in the seminary. In fact, I think Rodion is one of the few inquisitors who can do what he does. He showed talent with machines so a curriculum was created specifically for him, just as one was created for Tatiana and her summoning, Astraea and her healing abilities, Ziotea and her ether manipulation, ect.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah The main point I wanted to stress was that individual warbands are honed to operate together. They are encouraged to compete against other warbands during training exercises. It's an iron sharpens iron mentality.

Also, due to them having unique magical abilities, each warband is an individual case and so the curriculum that's taught differs with each group. We can increase the rate at which different groups share the same space (probably during Gregoroth's general combat sessions) but I don't want it to be a daily thing. Maybe some of the senior warbands are tasked with prefect duties and are allowed within the different compounds. This is probably how Magnus was able to do the kind of things he did.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

I should mention that it's not like the compounds are these super closed-in areas where everyone is squished together like a sardine. Every pupil was given their own individual chambers and other amenities, like Rodion had his workshop. So I picture it as kind of like a large college dorm. Only's in an ancient temple so everything is dark and gloomy. Maybe?

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah I disagree about this method not being successful in creating functional fighting groups. It's definitely cruel, but I think it would be successful more often than not. I have a brother in the Navy and two cousins in the USMC (my ex-boyfriend was in the corps as well) and I was really affected when I heard about their experiences-- the isolation they went through, the stripping down during bootcamp and how they basically had no choice but to bond with the people they were grouped with in order to succeed. My cousin, who was kind of a shy loner type before going in, said this to me at his graduation -- "Yeah I'd die for my brothers. Easily." So, I'd say it works.

That's kind of what inspired the Seminary and the warband thing. Only in this case, it's a much longer than 13 weeks and it's literal survival on the line, which is a good motivator. And yes, pupils are forbidden from leaving their compounds, just as military recruits can't leave their barracks of their own free will.

I'm curious though, what did you think the Seminary was supposed to be like?

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah Each warband has their own large compound complete with servants, individual rooms, training halls, ect. Pupils can't leave these compounds except for when they go on the joint training exercises or other important seminary events. And yeah, it's definitely unhealthy to keep kids locked up with each other, but it isn't meant to be comfortable.