sarahlin
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Soulcrafting 102
🕑 Added 2021-11-20 18:14:18 +0000 UTCWe have another soulcrafting tutorial, again thanks to the graphical work of Lamsey! Please enjoy this one - I didn't originally plan it, but enough people requested more information on specific rooms types that I decided to do one. I'm not sure when I'll do a public post of this, but you guys get it early. ^-^
I've seen confusion over Patreon's image posts in the past: please note that you should see 16 images, not just one. There should be a slideshow feature.
Finally, I just want to throw in another detail that hasn't made it into the books. There's so much soulcrafting information to be revealed, I sometimes worry that readers will think I'm making it up as I go along. But since I don't want long pages of infodumping, some information gets omitted, and one subject in particular feels lacking to me. It's been implied, but not discussed.
Specifically, what happens to soulhomes after death. Ordinarily they're destroyed, even if the killing blow doesn't cause soulhome damage. The faster and more totally a person dies, the more likely that there's nothing left. Material theft is a practice that will appear eventually, but you can't beat someone and loot their soulhome.
For the first three tiers, that's all there is. But for Authorities and above, their soulhomes have acquired so much spiritual reality that they can persist. A violent death is still likely to destroy all materials, but if an Authority dies of old age, they leave behind spiritual remnants. If they had powerful sublime plants, nearby gardens might blossom more powerfully, new gemstones could form beside the body, and so on. The more a person ascends, the more likely they are to leave a legacy behind.
This has a number of cultural impacts. Elderly soulcrafters are cared for by their organizations even after they've reached their limits, because their sublime legacy could contribute valuable materials. What remains isn't an exact science, but it's reliable enough that legacies are an important part of inheritance law. Legacy materials are generally excellent, but not wholly superior: they tend to make it easier for another person to ascend, sometimes too quickly for their long term growth.
As a result of all this, war tends to cause a net loss of sublime materials, especially when lots of soulcrafters die instantly. This can work for a scorched earth strategy, but it tends to leave the region weaker, so rampant killing is less beneficial for conquerors. Conversely, even mortally wounded soulcrafters are recovered, because if they can attain enough peace before death, they might still be able to leave behind a legacy. Obviously that requires a high degree of discipline and selflessness - plenty of soulcrafters die painfully or even intentionally take down their soulhome with them.
At some point there will be more information about this publicly, and it will definitely be relevant to the books eventually, but for now I hope it's interesting. ^-^
Comments
Sarah Lin
Thanks! Those are all the full tutorials I've done, though there may be an additional thing or two such as the blueprints. Now that the tags are consistent, I should be able to continue with future ones.
Corwin
And slightly funny to see how Theo would try and steal a book or three while traveling and explain why lol
Corwin
I will assume that it's the boundary between Ruler and Authorities than. Since you have already informed us of the Immortal Conduit. And probably why Theo has empty rooms on the first and second floors of his home. Allowing him to craft some of the complexities needed to ascend in Theo's words "perfectly". If crafting and complexity are coming forth though. Wouldn't it make sense for someone to build a greenhouse/chamber if they were going up, or a workshop room/chamber at the lower tiers. Admittedly they could build them on higher floors. But Theo has done a number of things that are considered advance soulcrafting but I am sure others have built and passed on similar blueprints. But back to the library 😂😂😂 I am a little sad that Theo didn't make the paper, ink and books. Since I am sure that the books/journals would be fascinating. Plus it would have been interesting to see him take blueprints that he would have considered substandard and put in the books/journals his thoughts and ideas on improvements. As well as writing out the materials he thought he needed or wanted and where to find them. Maybe filling in various details of his first time around and this time. I did notice that libraries had certain cognitive benefits in the tutorial. Which would have been interesting to watch it grow with him.
Jamarr
I'm not sure if there are more, these are the ones I found: 201 = https://www.patreon.com/posts/soulcrafting-201-53799555 TWC Lore (Theo Blueprint) = https://www.patreon.com/posts/twc-lore-theos-43984057 TWC Lore (Fiyu Blueprint) = https://www.patreon.com/posts/twc-lore-fiyu-44273803 Post that Mentions 101 = https://www.patreon.com/posts/rainhorn-4-6-44707292 Actual 101 on Reddit = https://www.reddit.com/r/TheBrightestShadow/comments/k6vxt8/soulhome_architecture_101_with_theo_nauda_and_fiyu/
Sarah Lin
They should, I just haven't hunted them down yet. I'll do it eventually, or if anyone has links I'll get to it quick.
Sarah Lin
You're definitely going to get your wish about soulcrafting increasing in complexity. Right now the characters are fairly limited in what they can manage, and there's only so much processing you can do in the physical world. But we're going there. ^-^
Jamarr
I like the fact that there is a "Soulcrafting Tutorials" tag now but I think it should also be applied to Soulcrafting: Architecture 101 as well as Soulcrafting 201 and 202.
Camelopardalis
This is an excellent point. If I remember correctly, most soul crafting we’ve seen seems to be from simple, powerful sublime materials roughly hewn, perhaps reinforcing a material artifact, like Nauda’s weapon, but not on a similar level of complexity. The raw, coarse nature of the building gives the story part of its visceral appeal, like early rounds of Minecraft. How cool would it be if crafting increased in complexity, with higher tiers engaged in something more like alchemy, smithing, etc?
Corwin
Not really. Put it in your storage room and craft a book at a time. Bookbinding, and paper making isn't really a big thing to do. You would need lots of room to actually make a ton of books at once. But soulcrafting seems to be more of an individual not mass produce projects. Though if you were really into crafting I would probably think you would build multi-chambers and put them on different floors. Such as 1st floor - One chamber growing ingredients. And one chamber for curing hides 2nd floor- One chamber processing ingredients to make potions, pills, powders, inks and paper. and one chamber for your library, and binding books You are thinking too linear. Every chamber can be used for multiple purposes not just one. Sure a dedicated room to one thing can be strong. But if you are limited to only a few rooms making rooms for multiple effects can be better. Maybe not as strong. But you might be able to enhance multiple things to utilize the strength you have better than if you don't
Han Pol
But wouldn't that force one to make multiple rooms dedicated to book production, or well a single writing and binding room for very slow production? On the other hand with things like immortality granting conduits or the like maybe it is possible to create more books like that.
Corwin
Could you not make sublime books though? Admittedly book making isn't the glamorous thing but it is something doable. And Titian where trees are plentiful enough where you can make paper
Pickle
STORYBETRAYALS
Sarah Lin
1) Theo has a library in his blueprint, but hasn't been able to find the sublime books for it. 2) See my answer to the comment that slipped in just before yours.
Sarah Lin
Haha, this is the #1 most asked question. At early stages it is impossible to dig basement levels, but later on it will be highly relevant. This is true even for cultures that build physical homes underground, which can have widely varying results.
Corwin
Just a couple questions 1) Why has no one built a library yet for their soulhome yet? Especially Theo. Since he has a ton of knowledge. Maybe not all accurate but enough to build something that would help him and the others 2) Why are basements not an option for building? Or are they not common?
Jeff Petkau
Since the ground is (soul) dirt, is it possible to dig basement levels? Especially in a culture that normally builds actual homes that way?
Cameron C
1) really cool. 2) not how I imagined some characters looking. 3) I love how cool soulhome magic system is.
