Lore: Ability Guild, Custom Dimension, Anomalies (Shrines)

July 6, 2025

@Sp3cialK

@rachaelrose1212

@galactic_15

@moomarmouse

Ability Concepts

Explored three primary frameworks for ability creation:
- Hall: focused on personal growth, with sub-guilds branching into specific ability styles such as movement or teleportation
- Academy: envisioned as a structured teaching environment
- Arena: a gladiatorial arena where participants hone abilities by fighting monsters or each other
Discussion on whether other groups like Ladies of the Line, Felt, and Threadwrights should be included as part of lore vote of this task.
- Emphasis placed on ensuring those who designed the groups approve their inclusion before putting them up for voting

Introduced a new dimension concept to address early-game progression problems similar to those in Vault Hunters, where players feel underpowered.
Designed as a non-instanced world like the Overworld or Nether, structured in progressive rings:
- Eclipse Grove: A dense forest with towering ashwood trees, leaning toward a dark, twilight aesthetic. Could contain ruins throughout or be limited to this area.
- Withering Mire: Swampy terrain with rocky outcroppings, possibly hinting at underground regions.
- Glacial Expanse: An icy biome, described as a “freezing hellscape,” with ideas for a deep frost underground layer and potential freezing mechanics.
Intended to serve as a tutorial/resource/mining area where players can explore and prepare for Rifts.

To prevent overshadowing actual Rift gameplay:
- Possible limitations on item levels or quality in this dimension.
- Periodic resets, either on a timer (like an extended day/night cycle) or through announcements, to curb excessive resource accumulation.
- Could support building small bases if desired, striking a balance between permanence and resource farming.

Discussed multiple traversal aids for this dimension:
- Early game elytra availability.
- Ashwood trees that enable short-range teleportation.
- Mythic mounts, including four themed creatures such as a pegasus, flying snake, and a whimsical “pigasis” (a pig with wings and horse legs), plus one more to round out the set each with a pun-based name.

Proposed renaming Shrines to Anomalies, shifting the focus from being static reward stations to curious, mysterious features found within Rifts.
Aim is to provide meaningful side objectives beyond primary goals.
Draft prompt for design exploration:
- What anomalies exist in the Rift?
- How did they get there?
- What happens when you interact with them, and why?
Rewards or buffs shouldn’t be the main design driver, though general categories can be suggested.
Plan to introduce three or four types of anomalies with possible expansion in future
Once consensus is reached add 'Anomalies' to glossary

Rift Sickness: Canonical reason most inhabitants don’t delve into Rifts; likened to motion sickness but more intense, leading to dizziness and unconsciousness if exposure is prolonged. Specialized charms might mitigate this.
Being able to traverse Rifts is framed as:
- A rare natural trait, much like being born with blue eyes.
- Or potentially the result of blessings, genetic mutations, or simply fate.
Established that NPCs (non-player characters) have existed as Rift Wanderers long before players arrive, anchoring the concept in the world’s history.
Rifts themselves are unstable spaces, reinforcing the danger and rarity of traversing them.
Counterpoint brought up as this frames any wanderer as being special in someway as opposed to just a brave or curious individual who set out on an adventure
This could lead to a distinct path for the direction of lore and world

Attention called to materials topic (like metals, cloth, wood, and stone) intended to enrich the crafting and narrative ecosystem.

Repository for documentation was recently overhauled to address technical constraints, resulting in a new look.
While some links broke in the process, all prior data remains intact.
The upgrade bypasses previous technical limitation and hopeful to encourage more contributions, especially from newer docs team members.

Awaiting outcomes on several upcoming votes, especially the hub world, to guide next phases.
Ended with open floor for final comments and mutual encouragement.