The Gem

[nauta]

Hi,

How visible is the gem that a magicker wears?  The reason I ask: You can't codedly wear anything over it, so I assumed it was quite visible -- hence, I used to change tdesc in order to hide the one on my magicker (if I was going into the field).  However, I looked at one the other day, and they are described as quite small, and dangling off the end of a necklace.

So, question: would the gem be something we notice first on a magicker and usually only missed if covered up -- as in it is there, in your face, obvious?  Or is the gem something more subtle that could be missed, when e.g., a gorget is being worn, or a scarf?

[Jihelu]

I imagine hiding a gem would be rather easy though I've been told by staff before that touching it just causes instant pain.(Atleast I think I recall this)

Which I find hard to believe, otherwise you'd walk, stop, the gem would bump into your chest, then you'd be filled with pain.
Take off shirt. Pain.
Etc.



I feel like codedly you should be wear things over it but I imagine that maybe doing that might make you codedly ungemmed? Because of some weird 'out of sight out of mind' thing.
Idk

[Synthesis]

Realistically, it's something that could be concealed easily enough.  If you tdesc that in Allanak, prepare for consequences.  If you tdesc it outside of Allanak, everyone's going to ignore it.

As a matter of practicality for game play, you might as well assume it's as obvious as a fruit-basket headdress, because that's how basically everyone is going to respond to it.

[LauraMars]

I always pictured it as a choker, not a long dangling thing that could easily be hidden by the folds of your robe or abaya or dishdashah or thobe or whatever the kids are wearing these days.

You can still hide a choker though. 

I don't think it causes pain if you touch it. That doesn't make sense.

[Jingo]

It's visible to anyone that uses the look command. Most 'nakkis likely check for a gem as a necessary habit too.

Generally people check equipment lists before tdescs though. So it can lead to some awkward situations where the gem is covered in the tdesc but the viewer doesn't notice. I'm usually fine with retconning that interaction once the the gemmer player corrects in an emote or something.

[nauta]

Here's one thought, if you want to make it realistic but also fit in with the coded reality of the thing:

1. If tdesc hidden, obey tdesc.
2. If not tdesc hidden, and in city: duh, it's obvious.  Has to be.
3. If not tdesc hidden, and out in the field: then its that weird blackness (it's described as absorbing all light or something) draws the eye to the gem, so it's noticeable even if they are wearing gorgets and things like this.  Plus the choker -- I think the string is described as being fairly short, so it would be a bit more like a choker, so up under the chin.

[Large Hero]

Some of my personal gem RP habits:

- my PCs usually will not notice it if the gemmed is making some effort to conceal it, such as a scarf

- even if it is unconcealed, my PCs will tend not to notice the gem unless they're speaking to or otherwise paying attention to the gemmed character. If my PC just glances at a gemmed in the street, I won't mentally file the character as gemmed

- My patriotic/fearful Allanaki commoners may report to the AoD a gemmed who is being too friendly with decent people, or who is making an effort to conceal the gem and is discovered

- if I'm playing a gemmed, and I've tried to conceal it, I don't get bent out of shape if another PC chooses to notice it.  That'd be trying to force the other player to conform to my opinion/ideas, since the gem remains visible according to the code.

[manipura]

Realistically, it's something that could be concealed easily enough.  If you tdesc that in Allanak, prepare for consequences.  If you tdesc it outside of Allanak, everyone's going to ignore it.

As a matter of practicality for game play, you might as well assume it's as obvious as a fruit-basket headdress, because that's how basically everyone is going to respond to it.

I vote that we change the gems to elaborate fruit-baskets, worn on the head and too big to be covered by any sort of hood.

[Riev]

Realistically, it's something that could be concealed easily enough.  If you tdesc that in Allanak, prepare for consequences.  If you tdesc it outside of Allanak, everyone's going to ignore it.

As a matter of practicality for game play, you might as well assume it's as obvious as a fruit-basket headdress, because that's how basically everyone is going to respond to it.

I vote that we change the gems to elaborate fruit-baskets, worn on the head and too big to be covered by any sort of hood.

I vote it gets turned into a circlet that magickally clamps down when it senses magicker blood. Sure you could wear a hood to 'hide' it but it will always be visible. Sucking the light from any clothing or hat you try to wear over it.

Put it right in the middle of the forehead, like some twisted inverse-bindi.

[Marauder Moe]

I once made a thread asking if it was illegal for gemmed to grow long beards.  I did not receive an answer before it was locked.

[Delirium]

I once made a thread asking if it was illegal for gemmed to grow long beards.  I did not receive an answer before it was locked.

[nauta]

This might work?  Although I like to imagine that the light-absorbing properties absorbing up all light so it creates a black hole in any beard.

[LauraMars]

I once made a thread asking if it was illegal for gemmed to grow long beards.  I did not receive an answer before it was locked.

[whitt]

I vote that we change the gems to elaborate fruit-baskets, worn on the head and too big to be covered by any sort of hood.

Lol.

[Lizzie]

Put it this way: In Allanak, attempting to obscure the gem is subject to arrest, death, fines, or whatever the current Templar feels like imposing on the violator. It's against the rules, ICly. So ICly, people have a reason to gripe if they see you're doing that. And it's not hard to say "yes Lord Templar, when she raised her arm to wave at Amos coming in from the road, her gem moved on her throat and I was able to notice it for a moment. She's definitely trying to hide that thing, and I saw it, for absolute positive."

Outside the city, there's nothing stopping you from trying, no IC rules against it. The same problem can crop up though - ICly, people might tell other people that they ran across a gemmer who was intentionally trying to hide his gem. And then, since there's no laws protecting the Gemmed outside the city - you'd be subject to being hunted down JUST because you tried to hide your gem.

Some people will RP not seeing it. Some will RP catching a glimpse of it. Some people won't even bother to read your mdesc and tdesc, and focus only on your "wearing" - and see the gem and respond to it.

You can't dictate what other people will respond to. You can only dictate your own actions.

[Armaddict]

I have roleplayed seeing the gem instantly.  I have also roleplayed not seeing it all and feeling very conflicted when it was noticed, regardless of whether they were actively hiding it or not.

I think actively trying to hide it within the city would be a no-no.  Not necessarily by law, but one of those things that would get twisted into a villainous act by someone more powerful than you because it was convenient.  And I don't find that particularly bad.  Wear 'em proud, boys and girls, you're a templar-tool!

[nauta]

I guess related to the question:

What does something that 'completely absorbs any light directed at it' look like?  (Might've gone in the What does ... look like thread? I guess.)

In researching this with google, I found this hilarious video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt7v_ZAGEYk

The drop at 1:13(ish) is just perfect.

[Narana]

I always just took it to mean it looked 'dull' as in, without any reflected light or shimmer, no matter how hard Sun-krath's rays might be shinning on it.

[Jihelu]

I always just took it to mean it looked 'dull' as in, without any reflected light or shimmer, no matter how hard Sun-krath's rays might be shinning on it.

It mentions that it straight absorbs light.

[Raptor_Dan]

I've had many opportunities to RP hiding my gem, and reacting to others doing it.

- I've tdesced hiding it, and have had people ignore it, as if it was hidden, others have spotted it and reacted, some spotted it, then ooc'ed 'oops, ignore that reaction'.

-I've been around gemmed who have hidden it and I've played along, almost every time. There was one time that my char 'saw it', responded, we interacted, and only later did I see the tdesc, but the RP was already there, and (seemingly) fun for both of us, so I pretended I just saw it when they moved or shifted, instead of retconning the whole scene.



Goes literally any way that it could, depending on people involved.

[gotdamnmiracle]

Lol So good. That video is priceless.

[The Lonely Hunter]

While I think that the gem in the currently described state should be able to be hidden somehow, I don't think believe that using a tdesc to get around the fact that it can't be is appropriate.

That sort of reminds me of when people drop items to put symbolic messages in the sand (a bone length is here next to a drawing of a circle in the dust) instead of using "scribble".

[Jihelu]

While I think that the gem in the currently described state should be able to be hidden somehow, I don't think believe that using a tdesc to get around the fact that it can't be is appropriate.

That sort of reminds me of when people drop items to put symbolic messages in the sand (a bone length is here next to a drawing of a circle in the dust) instead of using "scribble".

Well.
Scribble is kind of crappy.
Same with being unable to hide the gem.

[Narana]

Out of curiosity, are there things that hide what you are wearing about the throat that fail to hide the gem in specific, or is it that nothing worn about the throat can be hidden by anything else?

[650Booger]

going to make a Wheel of Time reference here, bare with me.  If you have not read it, stop reading this and go read it now.

I think of the gem like the A'dam used by the Seanchan.  A magical collar that once put on, can never be taken off.  the gemmed can touch it, play with it, even cover it up.  but the very -thought- of trying to remove it would cause agonizing pain throughout the entire body.