June 28, 2015 - 6:36pm — Narina
Do you have random, personal beliefs about TEF? I'm very bad at explaining, but I find these very fun to think of. I don't know when I've started to think this way and it feels like it has been in my head forever. Here's my own examples:
- Nameless deer talk different language, that's why we often have hard time understanding them.
- Time works differently on every character.
- Some characters are forever bound to forest or they need to find some kind of portal, for some the forest is just one part of the world and they can walk right out of it.
- The more set pieces you're cast on, the heavier your heart feels.
- Pictogram never blinds you with brightness, and it doesn't create light.
- Deer with skull masks have issues gaping their jaws.
- Walking on water feels like being very light and walking on gelatin sheet.
- New players' fawns (or fawns that don't have storyline or parents) are born on sunny spots and they're always sassy and guarded by higher powers.
Narina these are so cute! I
- The Endless Forest itself
- Antlers bloom like flowers when enchanted. I imagine Quad's gazelle antlers blooming out to his zombie antlers
- Zombie antlers are also incredibly heavy and headtilting with them can cause the deer to lose their balance and fall over
- The Twin Gods have put magical circles within the ground (think Alchemy circles) that are marked by the mushrooms that surround them.
- The Twin Gods can either choose to 'reside' within their idols or check on their deer as animal from the Forest. So you may never know if a frog or dove or so on is one of the Twin Gods
The pond is CRAZY DEEP. Like
The sky above the forest is weird and not earthly. Probably has stars but no planets or a clear sun.
I also have this mental image of any clouds being REALLY low over the forest- like, to where the camera is limited, so that clouds sometimes go through the tops of trees. So it wouldn't be unusual to have the entire world essentially 'lidded' with just cloud overhead. Either all this or there's literally nothing above where the camera sits at all.
The oak probably has something really impressive/beautiful at the top even if its just a wide amount of foliage or something else. Also maybe a real exit to the forest. I'm thinking like this from Korra or something else entirely
like the final bossI also think that characters would be used to others literally fading out when players log out. Like, no character is physically in the forest 24/7. Completely normal to see another deer poof
No character in TEF speaks
I wrote down some of these
I like to keep my characters natural, not by deer or human standards, but by both along with some magic that agrees well with the overall game concept. I take pride in that. Since not all people abide to these, I compromise by adapting my characters to different situations that regards others, but this is their ultimate way of being and acting.
- The deer don't die from aging per say, but age more akin to Ghibli Gods, affected by their mentality.
- The deer live in their own world, so naturally, they wouldn't know what a vacuum machine is etc.
- The deer may however know what graves are, considering that long ago TEF deer were used to convert Pagan souls into Christian souls, by turning idols into graves.
- The deer may take for granted that sometimes other deer simply disappear for no apparent reason, as they do.
- The deer treat ABIOS as festivities and tradition.
- The deer may be vain and consider themselves above critters due to the fact that the Gods favor them.
- The deer have no need to procreate, as fawns are all Godmade.
- The fawns wouldn't wonder where their mothers are for they were not naturally conceived and so have no mothers to begin with, unless maybe the Gods.
- The fawns(new players) would instead seek parental figures in other deer(old players).
- The fawns(new players) would then have to learn some of the language by observing others(old players) though some of it is instinctual.
- The deer have their own unique language, a mixture of words and gestures, and roleplayed speech is merely a translation of it.
- The deer wear masks as a form of self expression.
- Velocity(BZD) is their God of death, and he gets celebrated every Halloween/Samhain.
- What generation a pictogram is can tell of a deer's general age.
- The deer don't typically know what siblings are.
- The deer may assume that stars are just pictograms for lack of knowing better.
- The food is plentiful due to the grace of their Gods, as shown when they choose to grow things with magic etc.
- The evil creatures are born from the negativity bred by the consciousness bestowed upon deer, and the Gods are today unable to fully repent it.
- The demons we see don't have to eat, they just fill their bellies for the sake of it.
- The nameless are wandering souls or ghosts, they may either stay or go.
- The pictograms act as flashlights in my opinion.
- The deer holding spells feel the need to cast or cough it, it's an excitement that can get uncomfortable, or potentially it creates a sort of high.
- The deer wearing spells are fine, though.
- The fawns carrying spells feel urges to sneeze/cough.
Might add more later.
Quote:No character in TEF
Yes this. Also:
- On deer poofing when they log out. They are still in forest, I think, but it's a representation of the deer entering some sort of dream realm or perhaps the realm of the Twins. It's a special kind of trance that all TEF's inhabitants know about, and it's revered so highly that nobody dares to disturb a deer in that state.
- First-generation characters (not the pictos but usually people's first characters) are created by the Twins from elements of the forest, and a number of them have a distinct purpose in their lives. These deer also age differently from second generation characters or those from the Outside.
- The Outside refers to anything other than the lands of TEF. Human worlds, dragon worlds, whatever. How they are accessed varies on the character and the world.
- There is more Forest outside the game map, and it truly is endless. The main map of the game is regarded as a hub where most deer choose to stay.
- A deer's pictogram is their true name, but it's in a language untranslateable to us. Deer can say each other's pictograms, but chosen or given names are most often used instead. It's extremely personal to call a deer by their pictogram.
- Deermuda is the equivalent of sleep paralysis. Deer who fall asleep in Deermuda and enter 'the deer dream' are aware of entering the logout trance described above. The Twins do not appear, and the world is empty. Many deer regard this as a nightmare, as they are powerless to move or speak in this strange and desolate realm.
Ive never actually thought of
But these concepts are amazing, so here's a track for more.
I'm with Ravynn - definitely
~
Following suit behind Ravyn
I often wanted to stick to
* Blasphemy of the Twins can inflict a curse, be it madness or anything else.
* The Old Oak is a portal.
* The birds found in the Birch Forest can talk, of sorts, to the deer they perch upon. Some whisper rumours.
* Death is merely part of a rebirth cycle, and this especially applies to those born before Velocity.
* All deer are born with a plan/destiny already pre-determined by the Gods. Whether it is to be good, or evil, it adds to the balance of the Forest.
* Pictograms are visible in a sensory manner like scent. Blind deer are able to sense them easily.
* You cannot see the sky in the Forest - the canopy is so thick that it's impossible to view.
There are, of course, more views I have which would come across as elitist so I will not list them. Interested to see other people's views though.
track for later
Guys these are so interesting
i like these ideas. tracking.
-- Before the Fawns and Deers
-- When the newbie players {Fawns} enter for the first time the Forest, they actually feel like they've woken up (You can see this by when joining the game, your deer is sleeping. This also supports other theories.).
-- The deer can have problems like humans (aka blindness, deafness, not able to speak, memory problems etc.)
-- The deer accidentally discover their masks in their journeys. They see a fallen mask near to them, and feel attracted to the mask. Many can also leave the mask, but if they do so fall into a terrible fate.
-- There can exist other creatures such as deer but it is rare (Wolves, Dragons, Beasts etc..)
That's all.. for now.
Very intrigued! I want to
Hmm, the game itself has
- the masks are a part of the culture and the local deer wouldn't be at all surprised if an outsider came with one different from their own. In fact, they might even compliment the exotic design and exchange tips on which trees make best set getting spots.
-the floor around mushroom trees is littered with a thick layer of discarded masks.
-the deer are a bit vain. Looking pretty makes them feel nice so they put much thought into their choice of set and appearance. Spell spamming is wildly fun too, of course, and some deer are more relaxed about their sets than others, but you just can't be too careful around the Pond.
-the Crying Idol is in fact made of a sort of soft, easy to crumble red stone that only looks dark because of the moisture and moss that grew on it. If you rub against it the mud sticks to your pelt and bright red pigment appears as it dries.
-local deer are cuddlebugs. Some may be in denial about it, but snuggling up with others and sitting in piles of deerloavesis THE MOST BESTEST form of socialising around here. Weather changes just make being placid more exciting. uh. yeah.
-the Twins are adored, and being around the white stones makes the deer feel very loved and cared for.
-the deer LOVE surprises. Weather changes are awesome, but even showing new tricks (aka emote combinations or fun glitches) is appreciated.
-the Twins are... scatterbrains. Time flows oddly because they are so invested in their godly business and making the forest what it is that sometimes they simply forget to make it day or night. Therefore it is permanently day until they come around to changing it and vice versa, either a bit apologetically or when they're feeling enthusiastic and want to share it with the deer. Other weather changes are regarded as festivals
since they'll take anything as a good excuse to party- there are no portals in or out of the forest. Sorrypleasedon'tmurderme :/
-the deer language consists mostly of gestures with precious few vocalizations. Bowing is a form of showing respect but also of displaying pictograms, which are the primary means of identification.
- you can catch glimpses of the sky, but no matter how high you fly under a transformation spell you'll never be able to reach it. The trees are just that darn tall, taller even than the Oak (which is pretty short and stubby for a giant tree, but don't let it hear you).
-the Oak's humming makes its trunk and the ground around it vibrate noticeably.
-every deer is precious. The forest is endless because nothing with borders could hold the Twins' love for their creations.
-there was something before the deer, but no one knows what it was nor why it's not here anymore. It's a mystery that is somehow also tied to why the Idol cries.
-birds make nests in the Ruins, so tread carefully.
-the pinecones tastes sweet and crumble like sugar.
Reading these has been fantastic guys, would love to see more. <3
Can I bump this? I want to
A few of mine:
• pictograms carry both light and scent, and are very powerful, solid objects in the same way that daemons are people's souls outside of their body, a pictogram is the deer's name, possession, and soul (I also agree that bowing is both a respectful greeting and a way of showing your name to another deer instead of saying their name out loud since it's such a respected and sacred thing to say)
• the sky has no sun and no stars, hence there always being light during the day and the fact that the gods hung fake stars at night to give the illusion of a sky, when really there is nothing...in a way, giving more to imagine
• the pictogram halo when you get close to other deer is like a supernova; a very intimate and powerful connection between two (or more) deer, causing the bright holy light and the scent of their names resonating around them
• the deer did not need to eat or drink before there were outsiders - deer that came to the forest from other means than being born into it - and now it has become traditional to do as outsiders do and drink the pond water, eat pinecones and mushrooms, etc., even though it's a learned behavior and not a necessary one
• family members etch the names of their dead loved ones into the gravestones at the ruins -- the likeness of the pictogram itself is powerful enough to emit a faint light when carved into objects; a reminder that the dead live on in memories
I'll think of more later. o:
Yes actually 8D It's so fun
It's so fun to come up with these ideas.
- The forest is a dream-like place. it is a relief for those who once lived lives of strife and trouble, a sort of heaven for them. It is a place that creatures wander into when they sleep. And it is where dream-like creatures are made.
- The Old Oak is the forest's heart.
- Leaving the forest means waking up, accepting the death of your past life, or temporarily being brought back to your 'reality'.
- Deer with human faces or intelligence were either human at one point, or are the collective memories of people or one person who no longer exists. That is why they will recognize certain words or phrases that they would not otherwise know, having lived in the forest their entire lives.
- Predators are also born of a past life unfinished, but through the grace of the Twin gods have been given deer like traits so they no longer must rely on eating meat. They do not realize this, however, and continue to resort to eating it. Originally meant as a way for them to partially keep their original form while still being able to live without harming others.
- Creatures of violence, madness, and misery are spawned from the negative collective consciousness and feelings of others, or horrible events in a past life. Though the gods may repell them, the forest is seen as their second chance- to see if these feelings can be expelled through redemption, or if that person's heart and soul can still be saved. Whether or not they choose to be evil within the forest is up to them, and will not receive divine intervention. They must accept the consequences of their actions upon death, or awakening.
- Nameless deer are a collective conciousness that has not completely formed an existence within the forest. They stay and go just as quickly- the forest is only a slight dream for them to wander in until they find what they are looking for, or come back to it later.
- the existence of deer who have faded out of the forest or are there, but unseen, can be felt. It's as if there are several mirrors of the forest that one can enter at any time, on accident or on purpose.
Image © Alhnna
I made a whole thread about
- The stars are actually the
- The Deer are actually dead angels.
- The Forest is Heaven.
- The Forest is Purgatory.
- The water that pours from the eyes of the Crying Idol is actually from an underground stream that runs for miles under the Forest. It actually forms part of De Drinkplaats.
- The reason the Drinkplaats water is enchanted and the Pond water is not is because the mushroom ring is like a net of magic (like quad's theory *fangirls at FMA reference*) and the magic enchants the water as it leaves the tap.
- The Oak is haunted and the noise coming from it is the singing of ghosts. This is also where Velocity comes from and was originally created.
- The Playground is a fallen Stonehenge-esque structure.
- When you play in-forest, you're actually watching a livestream. It's filmed by a dove with a video camera.
-When a player logs out, the
-In time, with each log out a player leaves for longer and longer, before leaving and never returning, and is then considered 'dead'.
-Each Halloween all the dust from dead deer and deer who disappeared is collected in the sky to create a dense fog, and is collected by the undead deer. The dust is used to create new fawns to replace those who left us forever.
-The old oak tree is so tall that not even the birds know of the top.
-The blue dust that leaves a tree when you run into it sinks into the ground and feeds the old oak.
-If the undead deer earns extra dust then he/she sends some to the graves in remembrance to those who were once active and lively in the community.
-Deer are constantly dreading the time of when one disappears, knowing that it may be the last time they'd ever see them.
-Deer never age to grow old or weakly, and would be practically immortal if not for them becoming inactive.
-The only life in the forest that has the ability to grow old or eat is the old oak.
-Deer do not need to eat and mushrooms and pinecones replenish instantly, therefor they do not harm the ecosystem.
- It is impossible for new plant life to grow without the gods consent.
- I don't believe in portals going in and out of the forest.
-The old oak is the first tree planted by the gods.
-Fairies inhabit the forest.
Never gave much thought to
One of the stories Lem tells the forest orphans is of the Oak being the God's smoking pipe.
And the howling you hear in the fog is simply from demons that burn inside.
Some of them roll out and escape "with their eyes molten for the rest of their miserable lives".
this is some of my opinions
-The twin gods knows all sees all.
-a place on top of the great oak is where the gods watch us.
-no one can see the top of the great oak.
-every deer has a soul.
-there is a sky! and magic
-pictograms are a constellation that a god chose when we name our deer, the older the constellation the older the deer must be. it ties with which gen the picto is.
-a new constellation is added when a new named deer enters the forest
-some constellations are dimmer then others, its because the named deer isnt that active.
-weather changes shows the gods mood.
-fawns are chosen by the gods to be in the forest
-nameless deers are visitors happen to cross by the land
-mini deers dont have enough strength to sneeze off their pelt
-a entity leaves the body when you sleep, thats why you can ahem... "stalk" other deers and see what they are doing.
-they way of communicating varies from deer to deer.
-you go invisible if you log out, if it lags, your deer limps or spas out.
-with enough practice you can fly for a certian amout of distance
-fawns should learn from the elder deers
-the pond water is very cold
and lots lots more, i can go on about this for days.
I know this is an older post
- I've always imagined The Forest as a sort of limbo where unsettled souls from other worlds come to heal and repent for past wrongdoings before moving on to another life.
- I've always seen Nameless deer as direct creations and possibly experiments from the Twin Gods. New souls, if you will. They either vanish or "pass away" on their first day or continue on to spark their own pictogram to live a longer life. I've always imagined that it is common knowledge that Nameless (adult or fawn forms) are like children and treated delicately and affectionately as such.
- I read one of these that said something about when deer poof they're in a trance/another place? I guess my thoughts were similar, sort of. Though more along the lines that they actually vanish from the forest and are in some "in between space" where they float and sleep. Hard to explain.
Some of what others said that I too felt:
I was just thinking not long ago about this.
That when I first joined the forest, no character knew how to leave the forest and many didn't even know other worlds excited. When a few finally found out how to pass between worlds many deer were shocked and triggered more to attempt to leave and explore.
Today, however, it seems common place to exist in both TEF and other worlds, passing between worlds with ease.
In a way I am kinda sad that it is so easy to pass between worlds now. To me it feels like it's killed the mystery of "what is the outside" or "why can I be in two places at once" for some characters while making it less angst ridden for human transformed to deer characters that got trapped. I don't know, kinda felt a sort of charm with the idea that the forest was some kind of a limbo (which was kinda how I've seen it for a long time now) that only the Twin Gods could allow (though secretly) a character to pass in and out of.
Not that I'm against characters passing between worlds (I have a few myself) but it's kinda nostalgic, I guess? It's like The Forest (or rather the community) has changed, grown and that's just one thing that's transformed over the course of many roleplays from the community that has also kinda changed my personal views/beliefs of The Forest?
Just a thought that passed through my mind the other day.
The Forest is sentient.
Wow. I haven't had time,
For me, really, the only thing I can say are these:
*not all new characters start out as a child of the Gods' creations. I'm thinking NPC-type scenario, where the family exists but doesn't truly. Take Acacia. She had parents and two siblings when she was first born, but they are gone shortly after her birth due to circumstance. Other deer exists outside our knowledge of them. there are more out there than we see.
*Species. This might be a difficult one for people to grasp the concept of. Fantasy species are just as much a breed as mule deer, whitetail, elk, red deer, fallow, etc. Therefore, there can be others with similar body forms due to being the same "breed". Or even the same markings. Naturally we discourage this because everyone wants to be the ONLY one like themselves, but those with a realistic base and pattern structure aren't so unique, because the species exists already.
I might come up with a few species with either similar colors and patterns and/or the same body type for others to make their own of and become a herded species, see how that goes.
*The forest is both a separate world of it's own as well as a non-existant one at the same time. It works as an after-life for those who died in another life, a second chance at life for some. But at the same time, deer can grow and be native to this otherworld.
*There are portals everywhere, you just can't access them all if you don't know how.
Is it alright if I adapt some believes of all you others who posted before me? I love several of your ideas concerning things I haven't thought about yet.