Story/Lore

Basics/Existence

 * The dungeons exist on a demiplane
 * [name TBD]
 * Arxsec's Rift
 * Hermit's? Recluse's? Arxsec's? Cult's? Dungeon's? [leader TBD]'s?
 * Empowered by Arxsec, through the worship from [leader TBD] and his followers
 * Suffuses the plane itself and the cult members with supernatural power
 * in the form of: 
 * for the purpose of:
 * creating and operating their dungeons
 * other quarters/functions necessary for operation


 * (Druid? Necromancer? Sorcer[er,ess]? Wizard?) created the dungeons
 * (Elf? Gnome?)
 * Other followers of Arxsec
 * "own" different kinds of dungeons (different personalities, similar to Organization XIII in KH)
 *  is much more reclusive, really doesn't want to be bothered
 * Still a respectable person
 * Some domains don't exist (though they could) due to the difficulty of honing one domain
 * Example: Infection happens everywhere (above-ground, underground, underwater, in forests, etc.)
 * Therefore, some cultists (like Putra) don't have their own, singular domain (a pure "domain of infection", as would be for Putra)
 * That doesn't mean it's impossible to make it though (maybe one day, Putra.)

Purpose

 * Why?
 * Spread the ways of:
 * Arxsec
 * The cult; both its manner of operation and the essence of their domains
 * Invite new members, both:
 * for their god
 * to add new dungeons (expand the variety & complexity)
 * Practice; Improve / add to their existing dungeons
 * Avoid stagnation
 * To do what?
 * Run through the dungeons (remember, they're also dwellings) created by the cult members
 * Sometimes run into members of the cult
 * What's it like when they do?
 * Earning favor with certain members: a mark is given
 * type:
 * (?) Arcane signature on the skin
 * (?) Badge, sash / single sleeve, or necklace
 * (?) Or, each member does something different
 * (?) assists in traversing dungeons under that member's influence

Conflict

 * Forces disrupting the dungeons
 * Collateral upkeep
 * Hidden elemental leaks
 * Known recurring elementals/plants/monsters, that are intended to be regularly dispatched (metaphorically akin to "mowing the lawn")
 * "Manifest" (pseudo-) dungeons occasionally manifest on their own
 * [TBD] Nefarious threats

Inhabitants

 * The cult and its leader
 * Apprentices
 * Other people who are poofed into the dungeons
 * Leaks of elemental forces / entities
 * [TBD] A threat to the cult

Features

 * Nexus - Central room for travel between dungeons (though there are also other means for such travel)
 * Commons area (multiple rooms - almost a dungeon in itself) for discussion
 * ["potentials"?]' Quarters
 * Forum - Shopping area for trading artifacts & services between Arxsec's Rift and the Prime Material Plane (PMP)

Technical operation

 * ["potentials"?]
 * [TBD] Arrival
 * (?) (partly?) The rift pulls people in on its own
 * (?) The cult members pull people in from other planes
 * (?) not exclusive to PMP
 * Non-["potentials"?] / unintended hazards: some entities find their way here
 * Usually attracted to the domain they end up in
 * Examples:
 * Waterways made Water Elemental appear, due to strong connection with the Plane Of Water
 * Slithering Trackers find their way to the domains of Infection, due to their toxic nature and thirst for blood/revenge
 * Between dungeons
 * Cultists have a lot of ["potentials"?] (players) to manage
 * Cultists usually volunteer to host certain groups
 * The players are incapacitated in the current dungeon
 * The players are cared for while the next cultist(s) volunteer
 * The players are teleported from the current dungeon to the next


 * Supernatural Power
 * more numerous spell slots
 * more varied / more powerful spells
 * shared energy with their domains (similar to how a god is linked to their domain)
 * the complete ability to create, populate, and morph their domains
 * Travel within the demiplane
 * [TBD]

The Cult As A People

 * Appearance
 * Garb:
 * Cultist Robe
 * [TBD] Physical features
 * Interactions
 * Internal
 * Strong synergies with other members (that's often how multi-element dungeons are made)
 * Generally strong respect and understanding for other members
 * Encouraging / persuading other members on how to improve or be more satisfied with their dungeons
 * [more TBD]
 * External
 * Handling Forum access (from outside the demiplane)
 * Activities/Duties
 * Paperwooooorrrrk ,_,
 * Monitoring the dungeons & campus
 * Communicating w/ other cultists
 * Managing personal areas (like Flumé's water habitat)
 * Reshaping their dungeons
 * Studying/training
 * Managing their apprentices
 * Managing their apprentices

Expanding the world

 * Maybe Arxsec's Rift operates in multiple locations (branches), and the players will be asked to contract or transfer there!
 * Then they can "leave the rift" and enter Emil's world (or my own, if I create a new continent) and travel to it
 * Or teleport to it? Less fun though
 * Maybe the Rift needs materials or artifacts that can't be created by the Rift
 * Maybe manifest dungeons occasionally leak or fall into the PMP and need to be cleansed
 * Maybe monsters stop magically appearing in the dungeon when this happens, as they [the dungeons I mean, not the monsters] are no longer a part of the Rift
 * But... how do the cultists know when this happens?

[TBD] Technical Operation

 * ["potentials"?]
 * [TBD] Arrival
 * How are people brought here?
 * How are they selected?
 * Travel within the demiplane
 * [TBD] How do the cultists get around?
 * Supernatural Power
 * [TBD] domain creation
 * How much effort does it take?
 * On what scales can they do this?
 * What influence are they able to make on each others' dungeons?
 * How much do they know about each others' dungeons, and how prepared are they to traverse them?
 * How much do they know about each others' dungeons, and how prepared are they to traverse them?

[TBD] Conflict

 * Forces disrupting the dungeons
 * [TBD] Nefarious threats
 * (?) Uses cunning to create conflict within or to cause mis-guidance/-communication within the cult
 * (may need to better understand the nature of the dungeons and how to traverse them)
 * Forces disrupting the home Rift ("main area")
 * * Must be something the denizens, for whatever reason, are unable/hard-pressed to effectively deal with.

[TBD] Mysteries within the Rift

 * Simul's shortcuts
 * Planted scavenger hunts/mysteries
 * by
 * Residents? Denizens? Merchants?
 * (?) Marked books in the Library
 * (?) Hints at Xan'Ko's minions
 * (?) Hints at Xan'Ko's minions
 * (?) Hints at Xan'Ko's minions