Friday, January 29, 2010

Humans, Revenants and Souls

A question came up about a Revenant and holding souls. I thought about it, checked on some BloodLines information, and did some soul counting (as opposed to soul searching!).

First, lets look at BloodLines rules. I know a human or Revenant can actually bite and hold a soul, but as far as I can tell, that soul does not count towards rank, status or the clan. So, a Revenant can collect and hold souls, but, will never get a new rank until they first become vampire. Same with humans.

Now, lets look at how that plays into the clan. I think all the Elders will agree, that when we bite someone and take their soul, that they deserve a good roleplay along with the bite! So, that is important! The Elders, as well as many of our vampires have experience in this and will be more than willing to teach/demonstrate a good biting.

So, what if a Revenant wants to take a soul? Here is what I suggest. If the Revenant is learned int he way of RP'ing a good bite, then why not? And that new person should liege to them and become their minion, but I think the Revenant should then have an upstream Vampire or Elder who has a Forever Amulet hold the soul until the Revenant becomes a vampire and is ready to protect it themselves.

This serves several purposes. First, the souls will count towards the clans total souls. Second, the soul will be protected during the Revenants learning period. And third, it will give motivation to the Revenant to become full Vampire and hold and protect the souls themselves!

As to humans holding souls, even though the game allows it, I don't think it is within the realm of Vampire roleplay.

Just my opinion!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

A new Elder - Kreamy

When Kreamy Ganache first approached me about her small clan merging with ours, I was initially hesitant. We aren't out to have the biggest clan or the highest stats, you can read previous blogs about us to see that. But then I got to talk to her, and found out she had been out looking for a place to call home, a place that wasn't rife with rules and drama. OK, I thought, that fits, but what about Kreamy.

Well, one of the first things I noticed is that she is different than most I have met in Second Life. She lays her agenda out there first, nothing hidden, no secret agendas, plus she is a unique personality, wild and free. And fun!! So, I decided, with some trepidation to recommend to the elders that we accept her and her folks. And we did, unanimously. That was a few weeks ago. So, I held my breath and waited to see was it the right decision.

Now it's a few weeks later, and guess what. Not only was it the right one, but Kreamy has become a trusted member and one of the clan's biggest supporters, with a heart of gold, and willing to help anyone that is willing to help themselves.

Welcome to Kreamy and all her minions and vampires!!! It is a pleasure having you as members of the clan!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Live Singer Grace McDunnough!

We are pleased to announce that GRACE MCDUNNOUGH will be at Dark Draconis on Wednesday, January 20 at 6PM PST.

Grace is the creator and producer of Musimmersion, founder of the Mill Pond Folk Festival, and a virtual world touring singer-songwriter. She has performed on stages large and small across the Second Life grid since 2006; she was the first live musician to perform in Metaplace, and is a member of the ground breaking live music tour called Rocking The Metaverse presented by Koinup - bringing live music into several virtual worlds including Second Life, Reaction Grid, Metaplace, Twinity and Active Worlds - Europe.

Visit Grace McDunnough's website at: http://grace.weebly.com/

And see Grace Live at Draconis!

Dark Draconis Market and Castle, Teista (21, 129, 45)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Dark Draconis Never Sleeps!

There are lots of fun things happening at the castle these days!

A lovely soul came wandering through the castle a few days ago, looking for a new home. She was wearing the most beautiful white gown when i met her and, as it turns out, also had a family to care for. Okay the gown has nothing to do with this, but d*mn she looked great! She was very thorough in her questioning, and i'm pleased to say that she found us to be as welcoming and friendly as we say we are. So, welcome Kreamy Ganache; we welcome you and your family to ours. We embrace you as our own.

But there's more! As it turns out, Kreamy is also a DJ, and this Saturday, January 16, 6 pm SL time, she will be spinning the tunes for the very first Dark Draconis Vampire Mixer! Mark it in your calendars as i'm positive it's going to be a great time.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

In need of a new obsession?

What's a vampire to do when the hunt is over, the feasting is done and they just crave some quiet time? Why, fish, of course. If you've never fished using the 7 Seas Fishing game, then be prepared to become obsessed. I know I did. So where do vampires fish? Why, from a dead ship, of course. Just walk through the marketplace and continue past the Flea Market and walk down the ramps to the dock area. Here's the SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teista/99/119/23

If you don't already have a fishing rod, then get one from the 7 Seas vendor. You can get a demo rod, which expires after 5 casts, and can only catch common fish, or the occasional spare tire. It's good for getting an idea of how fishing works. Casual rods cannot be baited or earn XP (experience points), but can catch common through rare fish and never expire. Good for casual fishing, since you never need to buy bait. Pro rods are fully featured rods. Can take bait or fish without, earn XP, catch anything, and will never expire.

As you begin to fish you start to collect different kinds of fish. And THAT's when you become obsessed. You can get flying fish in the shape of Hot Air Balloons, or catfish that look like a cat doing a back swim. Shrimp cocktails, Ninja Ducks, Mermaids and more. They are all transferable, so you can send fish to your friends. Wear them and they swim around your head. Wear several at a time and surprise your friends. You can even catch bathing suits and hats and boots. And then there are the quests. Collect all the items in a single quest and build a boat or other prizes. How many different fishes are there? I'm not sure, but I know I have each and every one. Because I became obsessed. My favorite is the Ninja Duck.

The dead ship has several pose balls tossed around and more are coming. Check out the skeleton ship in the water and be mesmerized by the crashing waves on the rocks ahead.

Anyone for a flying Tuna Roll?

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Dark Draconis Clan - Hunting Tips

The gathering of souls, blood-dolls and feeders is a major part of the Bloodlines role play. Here I will offer a few tips on how to increase your success when hunting, but from a Dark Draconis point of view. What I mean is that we aren't in the game to just increase our numbers, rather, we are building a clan where people can feel as if they are part of a family, that they can belong, be protected and protect others.First, understand what the status of other players means. You discover their status by scanning them using your HUD.

There are several results you will see. From the game guide:

Limbo
Your soul is in limbo when you've been attacked by a bloodlines vampire or lycan, but you haven't joined Bloodlines yet. If you join, your soul will go to the first person who attacked you. If you'd like it to go to someone else, then you would need to drink The Wormwood Potion, and then your soul will be transferred to the next person to bite you, instead of the first.

Abyss
When the avatar who previously held your soul becomes destroyed, your soul is lost to the abyss. If you drink The Hemlock Potion, then your soul can become rescued, and the next person to bite you will receive your soul.

Possessed
by another avatar If your soul is possessed by another avatar, the best way to move it is to make a deal with that avatar, and have the person who you wish to hold your soul retrieve it using The Soul Reaper. If the soul possessor is unwilling to bargain with you, you can retrieve it by force using The Electrum Potion. However, in order to use the Electrum potion, the avatar that you choose to receive your soul must ransom a soul in return for yours. Also, the Electrum potion may be used only once by each avatar, so choose your soul keeper wisely.by another avatar If your soul is possessed by another avatar, the best way to move it is to make a deal with that avatar, and have the person who you wish to hold your soul retrieve it using The Soul Reaper. If the soul possessor is unwilling to bargain with you, you can retrieve it by force using The Electrum Potion. However, in order to use the Electrum potion, the avatar that you choose to receive your soul must ransom a soul in return for yours. Also, the Electrum potion may be used only once by each avatar, so choose your soul keeper wisely.

What does all this actually mean to the hunter. Lets talk about Limbo first. Most likely the person with a soul in lymbo doesn't remember getting bit, or may have been a victim of a bite spammer. In order to bring this person into the game, they will need both the Wormwood Potion and the Thirst (game HUD). A person who has their soul in the Abyss has played the game at one point, and the keeper of their soul became destroyed, casting the soul into the abyss. This person only needs the Hemlock potion and your bite. The third, possessed, is someone who is an active player most likely, and the least likely to join you, unless to develop a friendship with them. But, getting their soul to you can be challenging to say the least.

Then there is Fresh Victim, someone who has never played nor ever been bitten. If you bite them, you will get some blood and send their soul to Limbo until they get a HUD. When they get a HUD the soul comes to you.Next, decide where you will hunt. Bloodlines got itself a bad name at one time when it encouraged mass spam biting. That is no longer encouraged, but the bad taste remains (pun intended) in may sims. So, you may want to restrict your activities to know vampire friendly places. A good place to start is at Liquid, in and around the maze. There are many non-vampires that go there to explore, and are open minded, since they know they are in a vampire sim. If you go elsewhere, be discreet and determine if they are vampire friendly or not.

Now for the tough part, how do you actually meet someone to bite them? Well, there are lots of ways, but I will relate what I think works best. Just make friends! If you simply ask them if you can bite them, you won't accomplish much, but if you take an interest in them, well, you might find a great minion and better than that, a good friend too. How do you do that you ask? Well, just strike up a conversation, perhaps a compliment of their avatar or something they are wearing, or something about the surroundings. You can even ask them a question, and see if they offer you help. If you are in a vampire RP area, perhaps an offhand comment about how delicious the fragrance of their blood is intoxicating. Be creative and tie it into the area and surroundings.

If the persons soul is in the Abyss or Limbo, perhaps a comment about the terrible thing that you just learned. That their soul is lost. In essence anything to strike up a conversation. Learn about the game, because at this point there may be lots of questions, for example, why would I let you have my soul. Think of our clan when you are answering, and the answer would be based on protection and caring. You might tell them about Dark Draconis and offer to show the castle, or assist them with the recovery of their soul.

Many people have had a bad experience with BloodLines. This is your opportunity to show them a different side, a way to play that can be fun and enjoyable. The key is that if you jump them and just want to bite, you most likely won't succeed. But, if you take a real interest in the person, find out about them, tell them a bit about you and your experience, you will have success.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Your inner vamp-ness

Say the name "Anne Rice" and many people will smile back at you, responding with "... ahh, vampires!"

What is it about the very concept of vampires that makes us (oh lowly mortals that we be) go weak at the knees? Okay so maybe "us" is mostly women - but there must be a few men out there who embrace the fantasy of never-ending undead-ness and hanging out with all those beautiful vampire-ettes. Can we say "Twilight", anyone?

Vampires have hovered around me for years. Yes, i had to seek them out - in books, in movies, in my unrepeatable dreams *blush*. Each new vampire nudged my imagination - touched my mind with sensation. Each gave me an emotional caress, a nibble of fantasy; fed into warm and sensual longings that made for a lovely repast of desire. i could put myself in the story with them - imagine being held, captivated by their ultimate power. i drift with longing now as i recall them - Lestat, Edward, even Dracula.

Vampires - for me - are sexy. Omniscient. Frightening in their power. The ultimate bad boy. And i'm very sure that should i ever meet one in real, that i will not be able to resist tilting my head ever so slowly to expose the pale, fragile length of my neck and then .....

But i digress.

So, given the fascination with vampires that some people share, perhaps it is easy to see why they like to explore their inner vampire in this lovely virtual world that we play in. You can embrace your hidden demons - or your mischievous self - shed your inhibitions and run around in amazing outfits that only a real life barbie could ever wear. You can be the ultimate demon or the sultry vampette, luring all those daring enough to come near you into the comfort of your wiles. And in all of this, you can find a home to welcome you. Not a bad deal.

Are you ready to explore?

Hearts and Souls

Recently we had an issue where second life romance and vampirism seemed to mix the heart and the soul. In real world love, we hope to find a mate where we can give our heart, mind and soul as an expression of our love. In the world of Bloodlines, that is a bit more complicated. While we still can fall in love as a vampire, and give our mate our mind and body (well, pixels anyway), the soul is changed once you have been bitten.

Take for example how Bloodlines looks at this with the Electrum Potion. This potion can be used to switch your soul from one person to another, albeit with an exchange, one for one. But, they have included a limit to this potion, and say "Each potion can only be used once, so use it wisely."

Then there is the Soul Reaper, the tool that allows you to get a soul from another vampire. The catch to this tool is that you can not use it to possess your own soul. There are cases where two vampires who are in love hold each others souls, but that is rare. The more common theme is that the King Or Queen hold most souls in a clan, since they have the Forever Amulet and can protect them. Why? Because the souls make a clan stronger (higher in ranking) in the Bloodlines system. Right or wrong, it is the value of the soul in Bloodlines, not one of showing your heart and love to a person.

In the Dark Draconis Clan, we view the soul as something that must be protected, cared for and treated with respect. Take Talya for example, who was a Bloodlines player before we met. Her soul had been possessed and lost to the Abyss three times. Devastating to her that someone would not value that gift she gave to keep it and protect it. And she gave it not as a token of love, but as her dedication to her liege and clan. I am the keeper of her soul now, and have vowed to cherish it, protect it and keep it safe forever. To that extent I got the Forever Amulet so there is no risk of me becoming destroyed and sending it back to the Abyss. She recognizes that I value that soul, as I do all the souls I hold, and in exchange is a dedicated and loyal member of our clan.

So, if you are thinking of joining our clan, or already are a member, keep in mind that souls are the strength of the clan, and we will not use them for matters of the heart! But, we will protect them, care for them and respect your decision to join our family.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Dragons and Vampires, Oh My!

What do dragons and vampires have in common other than they are mythical creatures? Well, at Dark Draconis they seem to have the elders in common! Three of the four Elders are Dragon Slayers at the role play sim of Avalon Island. Several of the clan members also work on the quest at Avalon. This got me thinking about the merging of two things you typically don't see in role play and the mythical texts, and why I believe it makes Dark Draconis Clan different.

Sometimes role play is done strictly by the book, whether that be the mythical lore, had sets of rules like Dungeons and Dragons, or rules and regulations created by the "dungeon master" or role play sim owner. Which is best? Well, whatever you enjoy is best, but, at Draconis I prefer to do our role play on a set of rules based on some time honored principals, those of Integrity, Loyalty, Trust and Protection.

You don't see many pale vampires at Draconis, and we don't "require" that you be an accurate depiction of one. Heck, you can just do a Google search and see how many different ideas there are of what a vampire looks like, and we don't purport to be experts. We do expect you to be Loyal to the Clan, have honor in your hunting, your treatment Draconis Clan members and in the way you treat other Bloodlines players.

We also expect you to follow our rules. #1 rule is Real Life is more important. #2 is have fun. #3 is do nothing to harm or hurt the clan or its members. #4 is if you are holding a soul of a player, you must protect it with your best efforts. #5 is to follow Bloodlines game rules. That's about it.

So, you may see vampires, lycans, zombies or dragons at Draconis, and, it's all good!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

New Clan Additions!

Good evening everyone, I hope you all had a safe and happy new year! I'd like to take a few minutes and welcome Clan Dark Draconis's newest members. We've had a busy couple of days at the castle and it's been alot of fun meeting and getting to know everyone!



1. RavenShadow Velaystar-1/1
2. Morobereth Mistwood-12/29
3. Chelsea Hilltop-12/26
4. Sardonyx Camino-12/30
5. Shadowed Kenin-1/2
6. Naill Winsmore-1/1
7. Deathgo Sparta-12/30
8. Klepto Blackhart-12/30
9. Zinnia Loire-1/1
10. Teloulah Shippe-1/1
11. Mercedes Sinatra-12/31
12. Trigger MacFanatic- 12/26
13. Claudia Dryke-12/28
14. Bucho Faith- 12/27
15 Adryan Mureaux
16. Ravisher Voom
17.MOOKAR Boa

Once again a huge warm welcome to Clan Dark Draconis! We hope you'll be happy here and truly find a home at our castle. Please feel free to visit us anytime. It's not uncommon to find someone there at all times. Here is our slurl to teleport right in http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teista/28/178/51 Have a wonderful week everyone!

Liz

Clan update

Wow, have we been growing quickly! Check the link to the upper right of this page, under the banner image, to see what i'm talking about.

The castle at Teista is getting well used these days. And we have met so many new and very great people! The dungeon has become a hubbub of activity, with much laughter and well, vampire-ish type activity going on (read biting!). Okay and the occasional whip is seen, with some lovely person sitting in the interrogation chair. Perfect.

Come.