The Role of the Otherworldly in Emory Haven.
WHAT IS A "MASQUERADE"?
Magic Exists...in secret.
Emory Haven is set in a world that is much like the real world we know, but magic exists beyond the veil of the masquerade. Mystical beings and magic users operate surreptitiously, and have an innate instinct to protect magic by keeping it's existence a closely kept secret .
On the surface, you would never expect what otherworldly truths exist disguised alongside the mundane. The local coven's meetings are never listed overtly on the chamber of commerce website, the local newspaper wouldn't know to report magical headlines with the daily news. But hidden below it all; something obscure and mysterious exists out of the eyes of the unenlightened consensus reality, the veiled world, the mundane non-magical world, the Leity. Without the masquerade the very fabric of existence could unravel and it's how it has always been. The mundane world is not ready to know the truth, they probably never will be, and the risk of being found out is a danger that unites the magical world with the common need to remain shrouded. It is a world within the world, covertly existing side by side.
A modern fantasy masquerade is a fun and popular story trope that can be found in a lot of books, movies and shows. Each has it's own flavor and manifestations. Here are a few of our favorites.
The goal of our rp setting is to find a unique symmetry between what it might be like for mystical beings to interact with the mundane parts of the world and what a slice of their lives as such might be. Therefor our characters' stories travel well in and out of their mundane layman lives and back into the fabric of our well kept magical world, hidden shrouded behind the veil of the Mysterium. We also see the other side, mundane beings veiled from the truth of magic's existence, living their varied lives among the supernatural they know nothing about.
Emory Haven is set in a world that is much like the real world we know, but magic exists beyond the veil of the masquerade. Mystical beings and magic users operate surreptitiously, and have an innate instinct to protect magic by keeping it's existence a closely kept secret .
On the surface, you would never expect what otherworldly truths exist disguised alongside the mundane. The local coven's meetings are never listed overtly on the chamber of commerce website, the local newspaper wouldn't know to report magical headlines with the daily news. But hidden below it all; something obscure and mysterious exists out of the eyes of the unenlightened consensus reality, the veiled world, the mundane non-magical world, the Leity. Without the masquerade the very fabric of existence could unravel and it's how it has always been. The mundane world is not ready to know the truth, they probably never will be, and the risk of being found out is a danger that unites the magical world with the common need to remain shrouded. It is a world within the world, covertly existing side by side.
A modern fantasy masquerade is a fun and popular story trope that can be found in a lot of books, movies and shows. Each has it's own flavor and manifestations. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Sherrilyn Kenyon's Nick Chronicles series & Dark Hunter series
- J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series (Muggles anyone?)
- Rachel Vincent's Alpha series
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel)
- Supernatural
- The Librarians
- The Spiderwick Chronicles
- and more...
The goal of our rp setting is to find a unique symmetry between what it might be like for mystical beings to interact with the mundane parts of the world and what a slice of their lives as such might be. Therefor our characters' stories travel well in and out of their mundane layman lives and back into the fabric of our well kept magical world, hidden shrouded behind the veil of the Mysterium. We also see the other side, mundane beings veiled from the truth of magic's existence, living their varied lives among the supernatural they know nothing about.
The Basics of Magic & Mysticism (The stuff everyone needs to know)
Playing magic in the SL experience of Emory Haven is relatively freeform, but a few important things should be remembered.
- There are two "Essential Fundamentals of Magic" that should always be included: Magic can not change the laws of nature without grave consequences, and Magic requires a balance of energy
- It should always feel believable. Even though we play in a world of magic, keep in mind that we are still held to a plausible believably. If something seems too far fetched to be able to do, you probably can't. First and foremost, it should always feel like the real world, where magic just happens to exist.
- Magic always comes at a price. The mystical always requires an exchange, a cost to be paid. Balance is a very important requisite to interacting with the mystical, and to neglect that priority could come with grave consequences.
- Magic is a type of natural energy. It is an energy source that flows around and through the entirety of the world. Anyone has access to it as long as they are able to clue into it being there. For some that just takes knowledge, for others it takes having a sensitivity to magic, the veil, or the supernatural. Like harnessing gravity or inertia, it takes know-how, practice, and aptitude to use magic.
- Magic is privledge. Magic has it's own checks and balances system, and should be used with reason. Let it add to the story rather than overtake or detract from it. Players are urged to remember to use restraint and to be sensible about how they add mysticism to their roleplay. It is not to be used to make mega-powerful, unbalanced characters, and it is also shrouded in a cloak of secrecy.