ORIGIN - Member Central

2026 Ad Contest!

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:49:25 -0500

Wow, it's been quite a while since Origin ran an old-fashioned ad contest! We could use with some fresh blood around here, so now it is up to YOU (you, dear viewers) to get out there and advertise our wonderful forum and grow the Hive - uh, I mean. Player count.

Each advertisement will, as usual, score you ʡ5 for each link you supply, but there will be a small addition - for each place you advertise that is not another roleplay forum, you will get ʡ10 instead. Please make sure you are advertising somewhere that allows ads, as any ads that are taken down/reported will not get you any rewards. Please link as usual, or supply screenshots if advertising somewhere less publicly accessible, such as a discord server. In the latter case, we are trusting that you are posting responsibly in a place that allows advertisements and will only count one per site or, the case of larger spaces, one per community. Please do not abuse this trust!

Each advertisement will get you an entry into a raffle, the prizes of which will be listed below. You must post at least 5 ads to qualify. Three separate raffle winners will be chosen, once you win a prize your name will be removed from the pool. Winners will be pulled August 31st!

ADDITIONALLY, if your contest advertisement leads to a new player on Origin, if they mark one of your characters as a referrer or points back to an advertisement that you linked as their source, you will receive an additional 200 magicka! Every time!

So get out there and advertise! Please post all links to advertisements in this thread and seperate by forum ads and non-forum ads.

First Place Prizes
Choose one from the following:
RCS, 1000 magicka, Specialty Spell, Enchanted Blacksmith Item (player choice), Gemini Rift item (GM chosen)

Second Place Prizes
Choose one from the following:
Major Mutation Slot, HSB, 500 magicka, UCS, GM-designed lost stone, Enchanted Blacksmith Item (random roll), Gemini Rift item (random roll)

Third Place Prizes
Choose one from the following:
Minor Mutation Slot, MSB, 250 magicka, random alien lost stone, Hound-O-Mancer design (can hatch immediately)

Anyone that enters and does not win anything above, or posted fewer then 5 ads, may choose one from the following prizes:
150 magicka, randomly rolled lost stone, LSB

Code:





Visit Origin!

Code:

[center][url=https://origin.boreal-nights.space][img]https://origin.boreal-nights.space/images/origin-ad.png[/img][/url]

[url=https://origin.boreal-nights.space][b]Visit Origin![/b][/url][/center]

Additional write-up for places where more information may need to be given

Hive/Order Enchantment

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:50:59 -0500

It's time to decide what Enchantment will result from Enchanting an object with Ordered magic!

For context and comparison, Corrupted magic (from any spell) results in one result: an Offensive-only ability as follows.

"Weapons may be imbued with Corruption spells to inflict one point of corruption on impact (limit one per fight). These weapons will gain a slightly black or oily appearance, and give off constant, quiet whispers. They may become hot to the touch. These items may only be safely wielded by Converted characters, and will inflict one Corruption point per hour to non-Corrupted characters, becoming therefore fatal after five hours."

Ordered magic will follow this theme by having only one effect regardless of spell; it will likewise benefit Hive and/or Order characters specifically while having a drawback for those who are not of the Hive and/or Order; and unlike Corrupted's thematically aggressive nature creating a Offensive enchantment, the Hive is more likely to be Defensive or utilitarian (Other).

The Ordered Enchantment will have an additional effect, already decided, as follows: "The enchant will also serve as a backup Hive link: anyone with an Order-enchanted object will be linked (more weakly) to anyone else carrying another Order-enchanted object. Anyone who is NOT Order-element or already Hive will only have a one-way link, broadcasting weakly their thoughts/emotions/senses in a way that Hive members with enchantments can then spy on." (This will be rephrased for the Enchantment table to be more concise).

However, the main enchantment effect has yet to be decided! Please feel free to suggest alternatives in this thread, or simply vote if you find one more attractive than the others.

For better visibility, the options are as follows:

Covers the item in a glassy, chitinous web, increasing its defense (Defensive/armor enchantment)

Repairs damaged armor over hours, replacing the damaged portions with a lightweight, powerful lattice of glassy, chitinous webbing (Defensive/armor enchantment)

Absorbs Ordered magic from its bearer over time, and can be used to Empower a Hive ally or oneself if Hive, allowing them to boost the threshold of one nearby Ordered or Hive character's roll (of any kind). Must then be recharged for one day, and can only be used once per thread; these boosted rolls do not count toward advancement. (Other enchantment, ex. on jewelry or trinkets)

Once per day/thread can be used to rapidly form a piece of chitinous, glassy looking armor of the user's choice. This piece can be destroyed in combat but otherwise deteriorates over a few hours' time. It has the strength and flexibility of ex. hardened resin. (Other enchantment, ex. on jewelry or trinkets)

You may choose multiple options.

Magicka Earning & Transcendence Cost Poll!

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:52:29 -0500

Hello!

When Origin was initially launched, it went through periods of intense activity. While the site is currently fairly active, the active playerlist is notably lower than what it was at its peak. With that in mind, a few folks have made the suggestion that a. magicka gains should remain at the doubled amount (for new threads & posts) that we normally reserve for special events, and that b. the cost of a successful Transcendence should be lowered. (A failed attempt costs nothing.)

As a Game Master note, do bear in mind that Transcendence was always intended as an end-game goal rather than part of everyday progression. Still, lowering the cost to reflect lesser activity is fine, if players prefer it. Note that for now, this is just a gauge of opinion. The Collector isn't signing anything just yet... because I have to consult CJ just to be sure!

Please read the poll options carefully and let us know what you think!

Update Me

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:46:18 -0500

This thread is for all-around user updating that needs to be done! You can post here for the following:

- Claim or remove Magicka (see Magicka Market)
- Change usergroups
- Moving threads
- Archiving threads
- Establish a new group
- Exchange Spell Borrows for Spells
- Character reacceptance
- Earning Achievements
- General account updating
- Request the password to the Lesser Gembounds account

Please note:

To request a GM or add an attempt roll, use the Request GM function on posts.
To claim or spend Magicka outside of contest prizes, administrative errors, etc, go to the Magicka Market

To have your character marked Deceased, please link to the IC thread or post where they died. We will no longer mark an Inactive character Deceased without cause or reason. The Gembound must have died in-character to match the setting and lore of Origin Cave; on this note, it is perfectly acceptable for characters to remain perpetually Inactive and to be assumed living in the Cave somewhere or hibernating.

Code:

Update: Character, thread, usergroup? etc

Links: Provide links or proof as necessary.

Other: Include required information if creating a group, or other information if necessary.

Advancing Magic Levels
Magic Levels are important in determining the success of spell casting. All characters begin at the Fledgling level and are capable of advancing to higher levels following various different level paths, provided they meet the following requirements:

→ Pupil (Magic Level Path)
- Learn minimum 4 elemental spells (including 1 Medium Intensity spell)
- Roll a minimum of Barely Successful on 5 spell cast attempts

→ Master (Magic Level Path)
- Learn minimum 7 elemental spells (including 1 High Intensity spell)
- Roll a minimum of Successful on 20 spell cast attempts (excluding those made at the Fledgling level)

Corrupted Characters (click to view):

Contest Contest - Voting!

Mon, 13 May 2024 03:01:34 -0500

CONTEST CONTEST

Vote here for which contest you'd like to see put on Origin! It's possible we'll eventually use them all, but the winner will definitely be an event, and will come first! Please only vote with one character! The descriptions, without the submitters named for this poll, are as follows:

Contest Name: The Art of Memories
Description: IC and OOC contests running simultaneously. The OOC contest would involve players drawing a defining scene of their characters' lives. The IC contest would be an art lesson where Gembounds can become cultured artists (or possibly fingerpaint their way to success!).
Possible Rewards: Participation rewards, possible poll to vote for OOC favorites.
GM Notes: Likely, a contest of some form would be added to the IC event as well, ex. art judging at the end.

Contest Name: Origin's Got Talent!
Description: Like the Origin Olympics, but on a smaller scale. Characters can join IC and show off their unique talents and skills, whether it's creative uses of magic, crafting, or something else they've picked up in their lives. The winners would be decided by a combination of who got the best dice rolls and how impressive/unique it turned out. There should also be a "joke" reward maybe for who had the most ridiculous performance so that we can get some funny troll participation too.
Possible Rewards: Magicka for the winners, maybe. Or (or additionally) IC prizes like magical stones/enchanted item/unique spell to the top winners.
GM Notes: IC judges and fairness criteria would be picked for the IC contest.

Contest Name: Pocket Lessers! (Or the Cavewide Lesser Showcase, etc.)
Description: A not-at-all serious contest, perhaps with Nemean's involvement, that involves pitting Familiar Forged lessers against each other in "combat" or silly challenges to prove who is the best of the best when it comes to familiar bonding! Or familiar control, depending on the character. Could be run as a funny silly Pokemon knock-off, and could maybe allow Familiar Forge to be on sale. Or it could be a chance to gain Conjure Familiar, where the gembounds try to summon and 'control' the summons (which of course can't understand language) in dance contests or races for some fun little prizes! Dance battles, Mazes, Races, Fights (until 'fainting' of course), even trivia with magic rock buttons, there are all sorts of options!
Possible Rewards: Could be Conjure Familiar, magicka, maybe just a fancy blue ribbon?
GM Notes: We can definitely spitball punny names, and tweak the rewards. A Conjure Familiar spell for top three placements is definitely possible!

Details of the winning event will be refined and then finalized with the input of the player who submitted it.

Origin's CONTEST CONTEST!

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 02:34:30 -0600

THE CONTEST CONTEST

Welcome to the 2024 CONTEST CONTEST! Now in COMIC SANS!

What is the Contest Contest?

It's where you--our players!--submit your concepts for future contests here on Origin. You tell us what you'd like to see! Want more art contests? A competitive IC event of some kind? Want to flesh out our existing contests with new rewards (ex. our advertising, achievement art or lesser art threads)? Post your ideas here!

What are the rewards for submitting our ideas?!

A one-time magicka incentive will be offered to everyone who submits one or more ideas. (ʡ100--that's a Long Thread reward!)

What if we WIN?

Winning contests will be implemented on-site! This is mostly just for fun, but we really would like to see what you guys want more of on Origin. And on that note...

How are winners decided?

After one month's time, a poll will be put up. The top three winners will be implemented in future contests, staggered out over time.

How do we submit our ideas?

Make one post replying to this thread. Use the form below. If you come up with more ideas, feel free to add them by editing them into your initial post! When it comes time to vote, we'll format everything for a poll.

What information should we include?

First, come up with your concept! Do you want to flesh out an existing contest, or create an entirely new one? Give us the relevant information in a summary--this can be a single sentence, bullet points or a whole paragraph. Some points to consider: is it IC or OOC? Do you have rewards in mind, and if so, what are they? Is it related to a specific holiday or time of year? How long should the contest last? How will winners be decided? ...And anything else that might be relevant!

Code:

Player Name:

Contest Name:

Contest Concept: (include IC or OOC!)

Rewards (if decided):

Have fun!

[EVENT] [Sign-Ups - CLOSED] FATE CALLS TO YOU

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:18:41 -0600

ALRIGHT YOU TWERPS IF YOU LEFT ME ON READ AND DIDN'T REPLY TO MY CARD YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY OUT, HOW DARE YOU— oh, uh huh,—HANG ON THEY'RE IN MY EARPIECE TELLING ME—yes i understand, yes, understood yes i get it I GET IT—OKAY WE ARE ACCEPTING ENTRIES BUT ONLY UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH!!! AFTER THAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH ON THE BIG SCREEN WITH THE REST OF THE LOS—EERRRRUHHH THE REST OF THEM!

FATE [REDACTED] [REDACTED] is an upcoming event for ORDERED and CORRUPTED characters only, although any character may watch the event as a live audience. If you have an ORDERED or CORRUPTED character and they are not on the list below, and you'd like them to participate, please reply to this thread letting us know! If possible, try to keep the lists even, if you have multiple characters in each group :3

SIGN-UPS CLOSED

ORDERED

1. Ace
2. Juggernaut
3. Alcina
4. Halcyon
5. Lamia
6. Ananke
7. Jinyi
8. Siren
9. Orthus
10. Catalyst
11. Vindicator

CORRUPTED

1. The Sentinel
2. Rue
3. V-Ruby-One
4. Mirac
5. Edric
6. Vjira
7. Esther
8. Ultraviolet
9. Elayne
10. The Warden
11. Draconua

[CONTEST] Who Are You..?

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 17:22:28 -0500

[ September 1st - October 1st ]

Spooky things are afoot. Mysteries abound. Ahh--look there, in the shadows! A contest!

ORIGIN is giving our players a chance to help shape the wildlife of [REDACTED]. This means that you can submit your designs for a new set of Lesser Gembounds! What we're looking for can be summed up (mix and match as you wish) with these aesthetic notes:

• Ethereal
• Evasive
• Elusive
• Magic
• Dim pinks and purples, charcoal greys, blues (but feel free to experiment or go wild)
• Mystical
• Mythical
• Echoes and whispers

Please note that additional themed behaviors and abilities will be designed by GMs, and then rolled randomly to apply to various chosen Lessers, so you will mainly only need a description, niche, behaviors, etc. For an additional design aid, these creatures will still exist within Origin Cave, in (relatively) dimly lit, specific areas of high magic concentration.

Submit your concepts using the form below; you may include art if you want, but it is not required. You can give us a mental image using words, instead. In a couple weeks, we'll gather up all the submissions and--depending on how many there are--likely start a voting process to see which make it into [REDACTED].

Rewards

You may submit as many Lesser concepts as you like. Every submission, up to three, will be awarded 50 Magicka--just claim that in Magicka Market with a link to your submission. That means you can earn 150 Magicka by submitting at least three, but you can submit as many as you like--it's just that the reward caps at the third.

Those that wind up chosen to exist on-site will garner additional rewards! Depending on how many submissions we get, competition may be tight...

Please use the following form, and make your submissions here. You may make separate posts for each, or edit existing posts to add more concepts. (Just make sure images don't stretch the board!)

Code:

OOC Name:

Creature Name:

Creature Size:

Creature Diet:

Creature Description: (include any art, physical description, along with info about the creature's danger level, behavior and quirks here!)

ENTRIES close October 1st and then VOTING begins.

Trial of Hydra: Reclamation - Signups!

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:03:39 -0500

The Trial of Hydra - Reclamation will begin in two weeks' time, on August 20th, unless otherwise noted/updated. Until then, you have time to prepare your chosen characters: up to any three of your choice.

Some points of the trial will be tweaked based on attendance numbers. Therefore, we have a signup sheet in advance so we can get an idea of how many attendees we'll be DMing for!

For further Trial information including theme, rewards, round durations and more, click here. There may be a new Specialty Spell awarded to those who survive! Just bear in mind the Trials are deadly.

If anyone enters three characters, and all three die, the GMs will roll at thread's end to determine a miraculous survivor. It's no fun for all three to die!

Sign your characters up with the simple form below:

Code:

OOC Name:

Characters Entering:

Next Trial of Hydra - Round Length Poll!

Fri, 26 May 2023 18:30:34 -0500

The next Trial of Hydra is in its planning stages, and will begin in late July/early August. I'd like to know what people prefer in terms of round length. To note, each player will be limited to a maximum of three characters in the Trial.

There will likely be four to six rolling rounds. (Not yet decided for sure.) In the past, various Hydra trials and other events have allowed either seven days, or three days, per posting round. Failing to post in a round runs the risk of death (after we contact the player to try to find alternative solutions!).

A seven day limit posting round allows more leeway to get your posts in, but results in an overall much longer Trial duration OOC.

A three day limit posting round allows less leeway to get posts in, but significantly lowers the overall Trial duration OOC.

Please let us know which you prefer!

The Great History Race....THREE!

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:42:57 -0500

The Great History Race...THREE!

Uh-oh, the Lorekeeper fell asleep. Again! She's gone and missed (quickly checking notes) almost three whole years of Origin history! Well, that won't do - we need to help her update her books so that new Gembound know what's been going on since we all started Awakening! Will you help us out?

What she's looking for:
Please post with links to threads containing events that are crucial to Origin's history. These should be:

- Quest relevant threads
- Group relevant threads (formations, meetings, leadership changes, events)
- Deaths
- Important events affecting a large number of Gembound

She's only looking for events that occurred after September 2020.

When you post, please use the following form:

Thread Name & Link: link us to the thread!
Date: the date the thread was made
Month & Year: the month and year this thread occurred
Brief Summary: give us a brief summary of the thread's events!

Code:

Thread Name & Link: 

Date: 

Month & Year: 

Brief Summary:

Of course, we'll definitely be offering rewards to the people that can bring us the most stories! The player that submits the most threads by the end of the race will receive ʡ500! The player that brings in the second and third most submissions will receive ʡ200 and ʡ100 magicka respectively. We will only be counting stories that will be added to the Site History portion of the Guidebook - make sure you're not including repeats and are only adding threads you think are a significant part of Origin History!

Thanks for the help and may the best storyteller win!

The deadline for this contest is April 21st.

The Cave Stories - A Vote!

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 02:15:22 -0500

Choose Your Own Adventure!

For those who've been keeping track, we've now completed (or are completing) two of the five Cave Stories event threads! An achievement will be added soon for all participants, but we figured we'd ask you which Cave Story you'd all like to take part in next! Your options are listed below (please note these aren't the actual thread names... probably). You may choose two options, and this poll will run for one week!

FOR SCIENCE! - Initially designed for now-~~dead~~ defunct 'The Laboratory' group in Monoceros, this event consists of performing Science™ to puzzle out a mystery and complete a task. It will unlock four(!) skills related to medicine and... Science!

CHAOS REIGNS! - Absolute havoc in Draco. Combat, corruption and violence! This short but eventful... event... will unlock a single, but very unique, Non-elemental spell, linked a bit to Origin's lore!

OLD BONES! - A more story-oriented thread in Canis, with sad tales and old dreams. Gembounds will be called upon to aid, and perhaps to make a choice. Unlocks: a Fungal-element spell.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! - The guardians of Orion "Kingdom of the Seven" and any allies and completely innocent bystanders will be challenged in a completely unprovoked attack. Rewards: an Energy spell!

WE BUILD STUFF! - For those dwelling and developing villages in Pegasus, there will be a Cave Story focused around exactly that: building! The reward will help Gembound in... building!

DEATHMATCH - Information and Signups

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 17:30:12 -0500

DEATHMATCH - Information and Signups

General Information
DEATHMATCH, as discussed here, is going to be a future event for Physical Combat-oriented characters. This event is intended mostly for fun, and for neat rewards, rather than serious competition--and will have a strong element of randomness to it. It will be LOUD, it will be FUN, it will be BLOODY! This event is a throwback to the days of merciless Valkhound arena-testing, and so the rewards will be given by Master Vargas and the NPCs attending, and be Chaos and Corruption in theme.

Timeframe
Currently, this event is set tentatively for mid-July. It is likely to go on for two or so cycles (to give all participants time to finish their fights). This may turn out to be more or less depending on how many participants sign up. Players signing up should commit to posting minimally every three days to keep the event moving smoothly.

Mechanics
This is an elimination-style tournament. All initial participants will be randomly paired up for battles. Winners will be patched up and pitted against one another, again at random, for the next bouts. The last man standing will be considered the Deathmatch winner, and first place. The loser of the final match will be considered Second place, and the losers of the two finalist rounds will be pitted against one another to draw Third. (Note: bracket mechanics are subject to adjustment if the number of participants is higher or lower than expected.)

IC Rules
1. No magic is allowed. (If characters attempt to use 'invisible' magic, the NPCs may have detection rolled for them; it's possible to slip it past them! -but a failure to do so will result in elimination.) This includes the audience; those throwing magic into the ring will likely be ejected (unless it's really funny). Enchanted items are allowed.
2. The fights continue until death (see Deaths below), chrysalis, or surrender. (OOC, if characters have not hit this point by the end of Round 5, this will be solved on a case-by-case basis; some may be decided by the judges, or players may decide who surrenders, or a sixth "sudden death" round may be introduced with a deadly hazard, etc.)

Scoring and Winners
Deathmatch will include special scoring rules. To reflect this difference, the Activity Logs of involved characters will not read the typical "won/lost a fight against Name," but instead "won/lost a Deathmatch against Name."

• Matches are five rounds long.
• Age bonuses will be capped at +5.
• ONLY successful (barely+) attacks will be tallied into the score.
• Fights end early upon KO, submission, chrysalis, or death. In these cases, the match will go to the last combatant standing, and they will be declared a victor, with the other by forfeit.
• If no serious damage has been inflicted by rounds 4 or 5, arena hazards may be introduced to determine a winner.
• Arena hazards may also be introduced at other times, depending on how Nemean's feeling right then.
• The Audience members may also choose at any time to roll to introduce hazards by way of throwing objects into the ring and so forth. In these cases, the GM may request for double-posts by fighters to address these (these will be clarified on a case-by-case basis).
• GM-played NPCs and characters will serve as fight judges. If there's a situation where there's no clear winner, or where the numerical winner should not win the fight, they will also serve as OOC mediators.
• In cases where the numerical winner is judged the IC loser (ex. by forfeit or early defeat), the IC winner will be considered the victor for purposes of progression and Activity Logs.
• In the event that a combatant doesn't turn up, or for odd numbers, Vakornol may step in as an opponent.

Deaths
Character Death will not be forced. However, it's welcomed, and characters dying in DEATHMATCH! will receive an additional achievement for their horribly Deceased account. That being said, characters may aim IC to bring about the deaths of their opponents! This can be solved by simply having the victim enter a chrysalis, to be dragged away, if the player doesn't want that character to die. (The dead body and gemstone will go to the winner of the fight unless characters/players involved choose otherwise!)

Rewards and Achievements
All participants (including audience and medics) will receive a DEATHMATCH! attendance achievement. All COMBAT participants will receive a special, unique Technique.

First, second and third place will be given additional rewards as follows:

1. First place will be invited to Draco to be forced into a chrysalis beneath the Black Spire and reformed. The character will receive a free Mutation Slot they can design as they see fit, and will awaken fully Corrupted. (First place winners can also turn this down, and choose instead a duplicate of second or third place prizes.)

2. An immediate Corruption-themed mutation with features like spines, extra eyes, acidic/toxic glowing blood/eyes/mucus membranes, and ram's horns. (Players may design these and get them approved by GM.)

3. A GM-designed Valkhound's Oilstone to revive.

Signup Sheet

You do not need to sign up to turn up to the event, or even to fight. However, if you can sign up, please do so: it'll allow us to plan for character numbers and ready the brackets in advance. We can use:

• Fight participants
• Medics (for between matches--the healing can also be done offscreen if everyone involved prefers)
• Audience (sign up here if you'd like to be tagged to attend!)

Code:

OOC Name:

Character(s) Joining: (please include the roles for each--ex. fighter, medic)

Any Notes:

Poll: Stabilization (Converted Characters)

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 03:46:05 -0600

Converted Chrysalises & Stabilization

We're having a quick discussion among staff about a suggestion fielded regarding Corrupted characters. The concern was that chrysalizing as a fully Converted character can be fatal if the character is not near a Corruption source.

We have a few potential solutions, but we'd like to pass them by you first, and gather more opinions and ideas. However, I think it's important to clarify why there need to be consequences, regardless of what they are.

___________

The Corruption mechanic is intended to be chaotic and unforgiving. It grants a great deal of power for specific drawbacks. Characters cannot really be forced into corruption without player consent: so if you're entering Corruption, you are always choosing to do so. One concern was that "extremely violent characters won't be able to enter life-threatening situations without risk of death." This is certainly intended. You should not be ABLE to have an "extremely violent character" entering "life-threatening situations" WITHOUT the risk of death, and we want to clarify that very clearly: character actions on Origin should always come with consequences, or at least the risk of them. I mention this purely to note that there MUST be consequences of some form for engaging in potentially fatal behavior (which is the only time a chrysalis would 'forcibly' kick in). To lead in from this, then, "chrysalis consequences" in their normal form would not be a severe enough response to these behaviors and results.

As another consideration, stabilization itself is intended to be a consequence for being Corrupted. Origin's characters were not designed with this magic in mind, canonically. It is chaotic. It overwhelms their stones. It provides power that can barely be harnessed or controlled. If characters are capable of moving in and out of chrysalises while ignoring whether they are stabilized, then stabilization itself as a mechanic would be redundant: it would be wholly consequence-free, to the point that it could theoretically be nearly ignored, and stated to take place off-screen--virtually forgotten about. It should need to be taken into account.

___________

However, we also understand that accidents happen; that the character may be the target of violent actions; that a character with a lot of time, history and spell investment might be one the player isn't ready to give up, yet. To that end we're opening a poll to see what players think of this, and whether anyone has any creative alternatives to the ideas we're thus far tossing around!

We will also add that we already have plans in place that would somewhat mitigate the need for stabilization, but those are not yet ready to be revealed.

[POLL] Ursa Raid Pacing

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 18:37:19 -0600

Hey all!

As it stands, the Ursa Raid is receiving an update once a week. At this rate, the Raid may take a month or more to complete or to get to a point where characters' fates are pretty determined. Seeing as characters will be threadlocked until then, we on staff were curious: Would you like to pick up the pace a little?

Here are the above poll's options explained:
— Winter Trial-style. Rather than there being a week in-between updates, there will be a new GM post every three or four days, with ample warning for the last 24 hours.
— Cut a few days out. Rather than waiting a week in-between updates, there will be a new GM post every five days, with ample warning for the last 24 hours.
— Other. If you have alternative ideas, leave them down below!
— Leave it as-is. What it says on the label. :]
(If you have no real opinion on the matter, worry not - you can abstain from voting!)

Please vote only once!

If any of these options win by an overwhelming majority, it will be implemented! Something that skims over the others won't be applied.

Let us know what you think!

Achievement Icontest

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:55:23 -0600

Achievement Icons Round-up!
Calling all pixel artists! It's been a long time since we dropped a big round of Achievements for characters to collect. Between elemental combo achievements and ones that you guys have suggested, there's quite the queue of them. What better way to blow through this queue than to ~~hire everyone for menial labor~~ incentivize some art with magicka?

All of the achievements we'd like to have icons done for are listed below. Italics mean that they are currently claimed; ~~strikethroughs~~ mean that they have been completed!

General Achievements

Characters
This One's With Me - Form a group with other Gembound
A Line That Can Never Be Uncrossed - Take another Gembound's life
Bad Luck Brian - In one thread, roll three consecutive Critical Failures
Triple 7 - In one thread, roll three consecutive Critical Successes
Pop Rocks - Eat a piece of the Spire...
Unconventional Reformation - Mutate by means other than injury or emotional duress
~~Back to the Roots~~ - Fully convert to the Corrupted Element
Mommy's Little Host - Become irreversibly infected by Mother

Cave Interactions
Grabby Hands - Survive a golem encounter
Fission Frenzy - Survive an encounter with a fissioned creature
Apex Predator - Kill a Lesser marked as Dangerous
Splinter Cell - Successfully fission
Painting Pioneer - Discover a new special dye
This Hole Is Me-Shaped - Establish a sub-area
~~Trial by Combat~~ - Use the Forum in Orion for its intended purpose
Snooping As Usual, I See - Find out what's in the Palace's locked rooms
Around the Caves in Thirty Days - Complete a thread in every Room and Tunnel of the Caves

Reproduction
Took Too Many Chances - Shatter a Master-level Lost Stone
Perfect Resurrection - Roll a Critical Success to revive a stone
Flawed Design - Roll a Critical Failure on a guaranteed revive
Prey Promotion - Successfully give life to a Lesser's stone
A Nostalgic Design - Successfully give life to an Oilstone
That's A Lot Of Spawn... - Make six or more children

NPCs
Graduation Day - Succeed in Emuh's transcendence trial
Failed My Finals - Fail in Emuh's transcendence trial
Say Your Vows - Have Momma Bolormaa arrange a binding ceremony at the Union Pillars
Deal With the Devil - Complete a contract with the Collector
Hired Hitman - Hire Venari for a bounty
Phoenix Tears - Be healed by Tenzin's magic
Life's All a Big Show - Get pranked by Nemean
Mastercraft - Commission the Blacksmith for something

Critical Successes and Failures

Heartburn?! It Burns! - Roll 1 on Torchlight
~~Definitely Not A Wizard~~ - Roll 1 on Lightning Storm
And My Crystal Ball Says... - Roll 1 on Future Shift
~~Are Those Gills!?~~ - Roll 20 on Water Breathing
Meet My Twin - Roll 20 on Drift
Burnt Alive - Roll 1 on Combust
His Burning Effigy - Roll 20 on Combust
Nature Said No - Roll 1 on Plantcharm
One With Nature - Roll 20 on Plantcharm
Critical Mistake - Roll 1 on Incubate
~~Warning: Biohazard~~ - Roll 20 on Incubate
Forever Alone - Roll 1 on Lesser Empathy
One With You - Roll 20 on Lesser Empathy
~~DON'T LOOK~~ - Roll 1 on Camouflage
Can't See Me - Roll 20 on Camouflage
Mushroom For Improvement - Roll 1 on Fungal Wake
Mushroom Fiesta! - Roll 20 on Fungal Wake
Those Were Shiitake - Roll 1 on Hallucinate
Dude, Is That Giant Stingray Flying? - Roll 20 on Hallucinate
I Tripped - Roll 1 on Pickup
Can't Touch This - Roll 20 on Pickup
Try Velcro - Roll 1 on Magnet
Opposites Attract - Roll 20 on Magnet
It's Pretty Bright In Here... - Roll 1 on Summon Void
O Eyes, We See Nothing! - Roll 20 on Summon Void
Tainted - Roll 1 on Purify
Divine Essence - Roll 20 on Purify

Elemental Combos (5 Spells from Home Element + 5 Spells from Borrowed Element)

Blast Caps - Fungi + Fire
Algae Blooms - Plant + Water
Fish Spoiler - Fungi + Water
Dysentery Estuary - Prokaryote + Water
Extreme Aerobics - Animal + Energy
Truffle Shuffle - Fungi + Energy
~~Cell Powerhouse~~ - Prokaryote + Energy
Feed Me Seymour - Prokaryote + Plant
~~Enchanted Garden~~ - Arcane + Plant
Long Winded Caller - Pressure + Animal
~~It Came From Below~~ - Earth + Fungi
~~Petri Soil~~ - Earth + Prokaryote
Flight of the Pathogen - Pressure + Prokaryote
Tesla Spires - Electricity + Light
4-D Kaleidoscope - Arcane + Light
Brainstorm - Arcane + Electricity

If you're interested in lending a helping hand, here's a few things to note:

— Completed icons may be claimed in the Magicka Market for ʡ 25 a piece.
— You may claim up to five icons at any given time.
— Claims last for three weeks, at which point someone else can pick up your request.
— All icons must be centered on a 25x25 canvas with a transparent background.
— We're accepting all skill levels for pixel art, and feel free to ask for ideas for what icons should/could look like.

Post below what icons you're claiming. Once they are complete, make another post so that we can keep track of them! :]

Power Quote Compilation

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 15:40:27 -0600

Here's a place for people to publicly put in some raw quotes from other (or your own) Origin posts. They don't have to be actual spoken dialogue bits, but probably putting in who said it and/or where would be good! Or just post it with no context, I dunno, I'm not your boss.

I'm going to put all of my favorites in one post, but feel free to add in as many posts as you want! :0

From navey: In case y'all want to make your quotes fancy...

Code:

[style] .gmpost {width:650px; background:none; text-align:justify; font-size: 20px; font-style:italic; font-family: raleway; letter-spacing: 1px;} .gmpost txt {display:block; margin-top:15px; text-align:right; font-family: arial !important; font-style:normal; font-size:13px; letter-spacing:0;} .gmpost txt a {font-weight:bold; font-style:italic;} [/style]



Quote!

— Character, threadname

There was no thought, and the fight had started, and Desert's teeth flashed in a grin. "Aure! Grab its dick and TWIST IT!!"
— Vander, Fire in her heart, dumbass in her veins

A hesitant pause, and he glanced away, and back. "It is a strange and admittedly very personal request I wish to make of you. The caves have been chaotic, of late. I think it is in those like our children that we may place our hope, and I wished to further join our families. To get to know you, as allies, perhaps as friends. And to add another good life to the caves, one like Vivilene. If I were to offer a piece of my stone, would you consider bringing it to life? I understand it's an abrupt question, so of course if you are not comfortable with that, please do refuse; I will take no offense. But..." Another pause, hesitation, and Pride glanced around, at a loss for words, for a moment. "But I think more Vivilenes in the world can only be a good thing," he settled on, at last, looking to the father of his granddaughter.
— Pride, Shine Bright

"I'll live." Tiredly, it sighed, "I've survived worse. Agate Two-Three-Six set me on fire." Shambling forward, catching its chin harshly on a glass spike, it mumbled, "but I goaded it and - and the betrayal hurt worse."

"It's always the betrayal that fucking hurts," Hemlocke confessed, "isn't it?"
— Hemlocke, we're standing alone

At length, Desert Rose had asked his question, and Tenzin looked up sadly. Is there anything I can do? he'd asked. "You have already been asked to do so much," Tenzin murmured. "Live; as well as you can."
— Tenzin, They're Not All Bad

THE RAMBLING

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:00:24 -0500

HEY NERDS WHATS UP

ok so heres the gist of what this is. after the announcement for what i'd like to call the Community-Made Origin National Pokedex, people were finding it hard to squeeze their excited ramblings about these animals, and how ridiculous some of them were, into the microscopic 100 word limit. so, this thread is here to act as a dumping ground, a lawless landscape of interesting and hilarious animal facts, a dry river for you to waterfall your ramblings in.

so step right up to THE RAMBLING and share with us, and also specifically me, your long 8 page essays about how weird and complex the smell of a wolverine is.

p.s nobody is getting paid for this one. any cash prize offered is a scam crafted by the government to make you buy more national geographic magazines.

Species Database Compilation Quest

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:46:13 -0500

Species Database Compilation Quest

In order to build more funky tools to improve QOL on Origin, the staff team have decided to undergo a quest to build a database of species that are playable onsite. We encourage you, the players, to go forth and collect data for these species!

Your Mission
First, prepare a list of the species you would like to work on. Cross-reference with any species that might already be listed by searching for your species names in the Google Sheet or by using CTRL+F in this thread. Take care not to compile an entry that somebody has already done!

Then you will fill out the following form:

Code:

[b]Common Name:[/b] (one primary common name)

[b]Alternative Names:[/b] (other common names)

[b]Genus & Species:[/b] 

[b]Family:[/b] 

[b]Order:[/b] 

[b]Class:[/b] 

[b]Phylum:[/b] 

[b]Kingdom:[/b] 

[b]Known Subspecies:[/b] list as: Subspecies (Genus species subspecies)

[b]Brief Description:[/b] (no more than 100 words, can include physical and behavioral info)

[b]Size:[/b] (height, length, weight - please provide in inches+cm and lbs+kg/g)

[b]Source:[/b] (urls for wikipedia or whatever page(s) you got your info from)

[b]Image:[/b] (url to a cc friendly image AND/OR a cropped image - ensure the url ends in .png/.jpg)

[b]Availability:[/b] (Basic, UCS, or RCS)

With all of your data collected, you will then:

- Add the information to the GOOGLE SHEETS page
- Add the information in the code provided to a post within this thread
- Collect a magicka reward for all your hard work!

Note:
- Each entry will yield a base reward of ʡ5
- Increase your reward to ʡ10 by providing an image that is cropped to 500x500px, centered on the animal in question! This can be uploaded to any image hosting site. Please no borders, text, or alterations.

- If you provide a cropped image, please include the URL to the original image in the Source field.
- All images must be sourced from CC BY licensed photos! (ie. they must be free to use!)

- In addition to finding photos for a species, you can also create artwork for them! You will be awarded ʡ200 magicka in addition to the base reward for providing artwork for an entry under the following conditions:
--- Consult with Madison regarding layer formatting
--- Artwork template is free for Origin members to use with credit, and for staff to use in future tools
--- Quality approval (must be rendered with at least Lines and Flat Colour)
--- If your artwork is approved, upload the .psd offsite and include the link in the "Brief Description" field!

Remember: we're collecting entries at the Species level, so there's no need to create entries for subspecies! If you would like to claim species, feel free to make a post in this thread first, and edit your post as you add your entries. However - if you claim a species but don't add an entry within 1 week, somebody else may claim your species.

All species on Earth are valid to be added to the database. All species listed in the Guidebook as Acceptable can be labeled as "Basic" under Availability. Any other Earth species can be listed as "UCS", and any non-Earth species can be listed as "RCS". If you have an RCS species that you have created, you are welcome to add them! However, try to limit species like dragons to a single umbrella entry (ie. "Dragon"). If you are uncertain of how to classify the availability of a species, please ask a Game Master!

- When you're ready to collect your magicka reward, please post your claim in the Magicka Market
- Include all entries that you are claiming for in 1 POST in this thread, and link to the post in your claim
- Any new entries after claiming magicka must be added to a NEW POST in this thread (this helps us keep track easier!)
- Only entries with ALL fields filled out, and posted in BOTH the Google Sheet and this thread, will be valid. Special exceptions may be made for species with no CC-friendly photos available.

This event has no end date. You can continue to compile species for as long as there are species to compile!

GOOGLE SHEETS LINK
Please respect other peoples' hard work and don't edit any entries that don't belong to you! We will backup the sheet regularly.

Who Does What II : The Character Game

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 11:39:52 -0500

Rules!

It's simple! Just choose who of your active / favorite characters would do what, out of a series of reactions! Or, if you suddenly think of something that isn't on the list, feel free to add it to your own! Flavor text is appreciated! Not every character needs their own answer, and not every answer needs a character.

This week's question is:

There's a pile of leaves - what now?

Reactions:

- Made The Pile, Defends it!
- Made The Pile, Jumps in First!
- Throw a friend in!
- The one to be thrown!
- Push the pile- maker out of the way, it's my turn to jump!
- Doesn't jump in, that's gross!

My characters, for fun!

Electrum : Pretends it's gross until he's alone, and then proceeds to scatter the pile in joy.
Cryogen : Made the pile, lays on it.
Anemoi : Made the pile, invited whoever is nearby!
Garnet-Epsilon : MINE! I'LL BITE YOUR TOES- Oh since you asked nicely, sure why not?
Nemo : Yeet the tiny child into the leaves!
Mephisto : Accidentally plows through whoever is in his way, sorry!