drakul's heart... it's not just for dragons anymore...

[Deth]

Yes which forces us that do care to have to deal with it. But oh well.

[Salis]

Now if those that do care to not having bipeds roaming around on Drakul, are provide with an option to destroy said portal I would be all for it. Cause that is politics in game at work.
But I'm pretty sure that no such option will be given to the players. So those saying no cannot block those that built the portal in the first place.

It would be perfect if all the Ancient Lunus dragons would have been given an ingame voting booth wether or not to make a portal to Drakul in the Dralk lair. That would really mean player involvement and player actions affecting there game world, and the lore is created by the players themselves on a per server basis.

Salis

[Death-knell]

Well the one thing I was reminded of in re-reading lore.
This really has nothing to do with faction. Istarian dragons as a race are insular. Remember the lore of the sleeper incident, it was our policy to let the biped kill each other and not really care. We watched them as the battle approached the sleeper and did nothing. Thus the resulting destruction is also our fault; but do you think that would endear the bipeds to us? Now we did learn a valuable lesson that has led us into the peace accord and joining of battle against the WA. Now the last bastion of peaceful remembrance is on the verge of being overrun. Drakuls Heart is not just the name of the island, Drakul was not some hero. This is Drakul's Heart!

[Steele]

Now if those that do care to not having bipeds roaming around on Drakul, are provide with an option to destroy said portal I would be all for it. Cause that is politics in game at work.
But I'm pretty sure that no such option will be given to the players. So those saying no cannot block those that built the portal in the first place.

It would be perfect if all the Ancient Lunus dragons would have been given an ingame voting booth wether or not to make a portal to Drakul in the Dralk lair. That would really mean player involvement and player actions affecting there game world, and the lore is created by the players themselves on a per server basis.

Salis

...I agree that this doesn't make a whole helluvalotta sense from a lore perspective - right now - and I hope a lore line is revealed to us. However, from a practical perspective, having Dragon-only and Biped-only areas would only breed jealousy between the factions.

Personally speaking... if dragons did get to affect something like the destruction of that portal, then bipeds should be allowed to construct SAM missle batteries to create no-fly zones where dragons aren't allowed. Tit-for-tat.

Sounds silly, doesn't it? That's because it is - this whole issue is.

Horizons, stripping away the lore, the playstyles, the roleplay, and everything else, isn't just a community-based game; it's a community-driven game. It will live and die by it's player community, and right now that community is in a tatters from years of subscriber attrition. The way I see it (and I know folks will disagree with me on this but so be it) ANY move that increases overall access to beautiful areas of the game world, AND simultaneously ensures availability of high-level resources so that players can improve the world around them, can only help.

Post-reclamation, which will happen sooner or later, there will likely be a LOT of empty space in the world. We're going to lose a LOT of aesthetic player-built areas, and a LOT of Expert and JMan shops, vaults, etc., will be gone as well. We're going to need to be able to readily rebuild as subscribers (old and new) filter back into the world.

Also... when the devs launch a new WA Event and high level mats are once again needed for coordinated lore-driven construction, we'll need to work together on that as well. I'm assuming that dragon-specific crafting will be involved, so dragons will likely not have time to play the role of Hercules aerial transport; from what I remember, many dragons dislike that menial task anyhow. Allowing biped access to Drakul's Heart lessens the dependence on that and might allow them to do something a little more, I dunno, fun? Maybe even join the battle?

Heh... "access to the Heart"; it's as poetic as it is ironic, is it not?

Take a step back and look at the big picture; that's all I hope my draconian colleagues in the Community will do.

The most imperative thing the devs can and should do regarding this issue, imo, is get some Lore in place for an explanation of granting biped access to the area.

Just my 2cp, for what it's worth.

[LaughingOtter]

In lore, the only location specifically mentioned as being hidden and protected from incursion is the Academy of Draak, and it stayed hidden from bipeds for over 4,000 years. Drakul's Heart was not protected in the same manner; what has been keeping bipeds from it has been Umbelroth's very Lunus refusal to grant bipeds the Rite of Attunement.

Drakul's Heart is not a more sacred location than Dralk itself. Drakul is a gift from Drulkar, yes, but it's a housing development. Drulkar made it so that his children could have homes, just as Istara made Saritova for the bipeds.

If Drakul's Heart is supposed to be sacred land, it pales next to Dralk. Dralk is where Drulkar settled. It was Dralk that he proclaimed his children's home, and it was in the walls of Dralk that Drulkar dug his lair. How can Drakul's Heart be more sacred than that? Yet, bipeds may come to Dralk and gaze upon what was once the home of a deity.

The Academy of Draak was the site of an act of genocide against the draconic race. The land there was consecrated by the slaughter of an entire generation of innocent hatchlings by the Withered Aegis. How can Drakul's Heart be called sacred ground compared to that? Yet, bipeds travel to Draak to fight alongside their friends during the Rite of Passage.

The Peak of Storms, once the site of the Sleeper, has been considered sacred for ages. Yet, bipeds may come and celebrate as those friends become adults and take to the skies.

Let bipeds go to Drakul's Heart. Let them marvel at it. It is not more sacred than Dralk, or the Academy of Draak, or the Peak of Storms, and it is wrong to treat it so. Doing so diminishes the lands that are sacred, and that is a thing which should not be done.

[Peaches]

In lore, the only location specifically mentioned as being hidden and protected from incursion is the Academy of Draak, and it stayed hidden from bipeds for over 4,000 years. Drakul's Heart was not protected in the same manner; what has been keeping bipeds from it has been Umbelroth's very Lunus refusal to grant bipeds the Rite of Attunement.

Drakul's Heart is not a more sacred location than Dralk itself. Drakul is a gift from Drulkar, yes, but it's a housing development. Drulkar made it so that his children could have homes, just as Istara made Saritova for the bipeds.

If Drakul's Heart is supposed to be sacred land, it pales next to Dralk. Dralk is where Drulkar settled. It was Dralk that he proclaimed his children's home, and it was in the walls of Dralk that Drulkar dug his lair. How can Drakul's Heart be more sacred than that? Yet, bipeds may come to Dralk and gaze upon what was once the home of a deity.

The Academy of Draak was the site of an act of genocide against the draconic race. The land there was consecrated by the slaughter of an entire generation of innocent hatchlings by the Withered Aegis. How can Drakul's Heart be called sacred ground compared to that? Yet, bipeds travel to Draak to fight alongside their friends during the Rite of Passage.

The Peak of Storms, once the site of the Sleeper, has been considered sacred for ages. Yet, bipeds may come and celebrate as those friends become adults and take to the skies.

Let bipeds go to Drakul's Heart. Let them marvel at it. It is not more sacred than Dralk, or the Academy of Draak, or the Peak of Storms, and it is wrong to treat it so. Doing so diminishes the lands that are sacred, and that is a thing which should not be done.

Wow, excellent post. I wish I had that gift of words as you do. I am really really impressed with the logic and the thought that went into this post, it is also very very very true and you honestly hit the nail on the head. Thank you !

[Death-knell]

In lore, the only location specifically mentioned as being hidden and protected from incursion is the Academy of Draak, and it stayed hidden from bipeds for over 4,000 years. Drakul's Heart was not protected in the same manner; what has been keeping bipeds from it has been Umbelroth's very Lunus refusal to grant bipeds the Rite of Attunement.

Drakul's Heart is not a more sacred location than Dralk itself. Drakul is a gift from Drulkar, yes, but it's a housing development. Drulkar made it so that his children could have homes, just as Istara made Saritova for the bipeds.

If Drakul's Heart is supposed to be sacred land, it pales next to Dralk. Dralk is where Drulkar settled. It was Dralk that he proclaimed his children's home, and it was in the walls of Dralk that Drulkar dug his lair. How can Drakul's Heart be more sacred than that? Yet, bipeds may come to Dralk and gaze upon what was once the home of a deity.

The Academy of Draak was the site of an act of genocide against the draconic race. The land there was consecrated by the slaughter of an entire generation of innocent hatchlings by the Withered Aegis. How can Drakul's Heart be called sacred ground compared to that? Yet, bipeds travel to Draak to fight alongside their friends during the Rite of Passage.

The Peak of Storms, once the site of the Sleeper, has been considered sacred for ages. Yet, bipeds may come and celebrate as those friends become adults and take to the skies.

Let bipeds go to Drakul's Heart. Let them marvel at it. It is not more sacred than Dralk, or the Academy of Draak, or the Peak of Storms, and it is wrong to treat it so. Doing so diminishes the lands that are sacred, and that is a thing which should not be done.

Thats pretty much the whole point. All the sacred places have been overrun. Dralk can no longer be considered anything but a biped travel destination. Drakuls heart is the last place that has any meaning to dragonkind that is still pristine.

[Peaches]

Thats pretty much the whole point. All the sacred places have been overrun. Dralk can no longer be considered anything but a biped travel destination. Drakuls heart is the last place that has any meaning to dragonkind that is still pristine.

But see, according to some other players, they have already been over to Drakul, bipeds that is. So is it not tainted now, in your eyes?

[Deth]

Discalimer: Most of the following is under RP reasons and lore as I understand it.

In lore, the only location specifically mentioned as being hidden and protected from incursion is the Academy of Draak, and it stayed hidden from bipeds for over 4,000 years. Drakul's Heart was not protected in the same manner; what has been keeping bipeds from it has been Umbelroth's very Lunus refusal to grant bipeds the Rite of Attunement.

Thats because Drakul's Heart was just given to us. It is not over 4,000 years old.

Drakul's Heart is not a more sacred location than Dralk itself. Drakul is a gift from Drulkar, yes, but it's a housing development. Drulkar made it so that his children could have homes, just as Istara made Saritova for the bipeds.

If Drakul's Heart is supposed to be sacred land, it pales next to Dralk. Dralk is where Drulkar settled. It was Dralk that he proclaimed his children's home, and it was in the walls of Dralk that Drulkar dug his lair. How can Drakul's Heart be more sacred than that? Yet, bipeds may come to Dralk and gaze upon what was once the home of a deity.

I went back to the new to see what "lore" was posted with the appearance of Drakul, but it does not go back that far. I wanted to say the island was given to us as a place for dragons to live in peace away from bipeds. It is more scared because Drakul touched the world, something no other *** is, can do?, to give us a place to live in peace away from the Naka. (baring I am miss remembering the lore as stated 2 years ago or so.

The Academy of Draak was the site of an act of genocide against the draconic race. The land there was consecrated by the slaughter of an entire generation of innocent hatchlings by the Withered Aegis. How can Drakul's Heart be called sacred ground compared to that? Yet, bipeds travel to Draak to fight alongside their friends during the Rite of Passage.

I am sorry a blighted site of a atrocity is not a scared site. I do not know about you but I would never remember a nuked school with anything more then sadness and hate of who did it. Which per lore, the WA was started by a human messing with something he should not have. So to me at least no that is not a sacred site.

The Peak of Storms, once the site of the Sleeper, has been considered sacred for ages. Yet, bipeds may come and celebrate as those friends become adults and take to the skies.

Again another pilaged blighted site. That can be laid at the feet of humans. Who cares if they walk the grounds now. What more damage can be done to our once scared site? Now do not get me wrong, if humans want to walk these sites they helped damage to help repair that is find and I will gladly accept their help. But I do not want to take the chance and let them damage another.

Let bipeds go to Drakul's Heart. Let them marvel at it. It is not more sacred than Dralk, or the Academy of Draak, or the Peak of Storms, and it is wrong to treat it so. Doing so diminishes the lands that are sacred, and that is a thing which should not be done.

Yes it is, as it is a gift to us from Drakul after all we have lost at the hands of the Naka and their meddling. They do not have the right in this dragons eyes to lay one paw there.

But see, according to some other players, they have already been over to Drakul, bipeds that is. So is it not tainted now, in your eyes?

I do not know about others but bugs and hacks are different from lore in my eyes, that and devs creating ways to let them go there freely. You know people are going to exploit stuff they find, that is not something I can change. But stating my oppotion to a lore change like this I can.

[Death-knell]

But see, according to some other players, they have already been over to Drakul, bipeds that is. So is it not tainted now, in your eyes?

I know of no such transgression nor have I seen evidence such has occured.

[CallakDW]

So at this point, why can't it mabe some sort of token system? Similar to the tokens of esteem needed to get through the dragon ROP island portals, accept after they are used to go though once, the tokens dissapear from invantory? That would allow naka in, but only with permission from a dragon. Or even better only dragons with lairs on drakul can aquire such tokens to hand out?

I also agree with the idea of only letting fiends pass through the portal.

[Guaran]

Discalimer: Most of the following is under RP reasons and lore as I understand it.

Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
In lore, the only location specifically mentioned as being hidden and protected from incursion is the Academy of Draak, and it stayed hidden from bipeds for over 4,000 years. Drakul's Heart was not protected in the same manner; what has been keeping bipeds from it has been Umbelroth's very Lunus refusal to grant bipeds the Rite of Attunement.

Thats because Drakul's Heart was just given to us. It is not over 4,000 years old.

Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
Drakul's Heart is not a more sacred location than Dralk itself. Drakul is a gift from Drulkar, yes, but it's a housing development. Drulkar made it so that his children could have homes, just as Istara made Saritova for the bipeds.

If Drakul's Heart is supposed to be sacred land, it pales next to Dralk. Dralk is where Drulkar settled. It was Dralk that he proclaimed his children's home, and it was in the walls of Dralk that Drulkar dug his lair. How can Drakul's Heart be more sacred than that? Yet, bipeds may come to Dralk and gaze upon what was once the home of a deity.

I went back to the new to see what "lore" was posted with the appearance of Drakul, but it does not go back that far. I wanted to say the island was given to us as a place for dragons to live in peace away from bipeds. It is more scared because Drakul touched the world, something no other *** is, can do?, to give us a place to live in peace away from the Naka. (baring I am miss remembering the lore as stated 2 years ago or so.

Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
The Academy of Draak was the site of an act of genocide against the draconic race. The land there was consecrated by the slaughter of an entire generation of innocent hatchlings by the Withered Aegis. How can Drakul's Heart be called sacred ground compared to that? Yet, bipeds travel to Draak to fight alongside their friends during the Rite of Passage.

I am sorry a blighted site of a atrocity is not a scared site. I do not know about you but I would never remember a nuked school with anything more then sadness and hate of who did it. Which per lore, the WA was started by a human messing with something he should not have. So to me at least no that is not a sacred site.

Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
The Peak of Storms, once the site of the Sleeper, has been considered sacred for ages. Yet, bipeds may come and celebrate as those friends become adults and take to the skies.

Again another pilaged blighted site. That can be laid at the feet of humans. Who cares if they walk the grounds now. What more damage can be done to our once scared site? Now do not get me wrong, if humans want to walk these sites they helped damage to help repair that is find and I will gladly accept their help. But I do not want to take the chance and let them damage another.

Originally Posted by LaughingOtter
Let bipeds go to Drakul's Heart. Let them marvel at it. It is not more sacred than Dralk, or the Academy of Draak, or the Peak of Storms, and it is wrong to treat it so. Doing so diminishes the lands that are sacred, and that is a thing which should not be done.

Yes it is, as it is a gift to us from Drakul after all we have lost at the hands of the Naka and their meddling. They do not have the right in this dragons eyes to lay one paw there.

Originally Posted by Peaches
But see, according to some other players, they have already been over to Drakul, bipeds that is. So is it not tainted now, in your eyes?

I do not know about others but bugs and hacks are different from lore in my eyes, that and devs creating ways to let them go there freely. You know people are going to exploit stuff they find, that is not something I can change. But stating my oppotion to a lore change like this I can.

Excellent points by Klaus, but also excellent counter-points by Deth.

I have to agree, bipeds do not need to be granted access to Drakul. Even once they get there, they are not going to be able to get to the majority of lairs anyway (It has been reasoned earlier in the thread that biped alts need access to storage). If you bought a lair on Drakul, you knew when you bought it that access would be limited to dragons, flying dragons at that.. There's even some of the very topmost lairs that were designed to be only accessible to ANCIENT dragons. The altitude ceiling of adults is just below those lairs.

It's just an island... not any more remarkable than lesser aradoth, less-so I would even warrant. The "Beautiful places" to explore arugment I feel is a bit weak.... Drakul is mostly ugly mono-color lava. Think Fire Island, except less-exciting. I wish it was more exciting... Or perhaps in some way prettier.

[CallakDW]

But see, according to some other players, they have already been over to Drakul, bipeds that is. So is it not tainted now, in your eyes?

In my eyes, exploits that were used to get there don't count. In rollplay, the ocean didn't misteriously vanish to allow a naka to walk the ocean. It wasn't intended, and as far as my "charactors" know, no one besides dragons have walked the isle. No, it's not tainted.

[LaughingOtter]

I am sorry a blighted site of a atrocity is not a scared site. I do not know about you but I would never remember a nuked school with anything more then sadness and hate of who did it.

That sadness and hate is normal. I never said that it was sacred in a good or happy way. The sites of great atrocity cannot be considered anything other than sacred; the ground itself remembers what was done there.

As an OOC and OT aside, having walked along the Trail of Tears in Oklahoma and Baba Yar outside Kiev, I can attest that consecration by atrocity is very real, and that sadness, hate, and rage are all perfectly normal responses to such environments. However, even though every individual experiences the sacredness of such places in their own way, the quality of sacredness is universally recognized. I would challenge anyone to walk in such a place and hold that it had not been made sacred by what was done there.

[LaughingOtter]

Now do not get me wrong, if humans want to walk these sites they helped damage to help repair that is find and I will gladly accept their help...

<SNIP>

it is a gift to us from Drakul after all we have lost at the hands of the Naka and their meddling. They do not have the right in this dragons eyes to lay one paw there.

You allow that Naka may walk in sacred places if their hearts are right and they seek to behave in the right way; can you not allow that such a Naka could come to Drakul and still be right in thought and action? What of those Draku who, for reasons of their own, call a Naka 'friend' and wish to walk the roads of Drakul with that biped?

Is it not possible to make room for those Naka who, by deed and Quest, show themselves to have a good heart, and to be able to speak and act in a good and proper manner?

[Deth]

I will give you that. I look at sacred differently I think. To me sacred is holy, and once it is discreted until it is cleansed it is no longer sacred. I am not sure the term I would used for such a place as the Trail of Tears. For me the old wounds of the trail of tears are closed and some effort has been made to cleanse them. Draak and the Isle of Storms are still open wounds that no effect has been made by those that did it.

(dang work. LOL interfering with my posting.)

[Aamer Khan]

There is a far more practical reason why dragons should not care about this portal or if it is ever activated...

Bipeds will never use it for gathering resources. And there is nothing else for them to got there for.

I say they will never use it because it takes almost 4 min. to reach it from the Dralk landing pad. I can already gather the two resources I could gain access to, much faster and easier at Harro.

With disks that can port but not recall, I assure you ANYONE that claims they will be gathering at Drakul's Heart is selling you something.

And are we really wanting to be exclusive in Horizons or Inclusive?

[Peaches]

There is a far more practical reason why dragons should not care about this portal or if it is ever activated...

Bipeds will never use it for gathering resources. And there is nothing else for them to got there for.

I say they will never use it because it takes almost 4 min. to reach it from the Dralk landing pad. I can already gather the two resources I could gain access to, much faster and easier at Harro.

With disks that can port but not recall, I assure you ANYONE that claims they will be gathering at Drakul's Heart is selling you something.

And are we really wanting to be exclusive in Horizons or Inclusive?

Ok, I would go there in a heartbeat. I dont need to gate myself out. And I do the same thing with my dragon. And no, I am not trying to sell anyone anything.

[Death-knell]

There's that exclusive again. That and "this is tearing the community apart".

This is a community of players, every player can make a hatchling and go check out drakuls heart. You'll miss some because some of the island is flight dependant but then a biped would miss that also.

As to beauty, I think the area connected by the rainbow bridge is a lot nicer.

[C`gan]

I'll argue that, Death-knell. Drakul is NOT flight dependent.

Both Tagath and Mercurius AS HATCHLINGS were able to get almost to the crater itself simply by climbing. You may ask Dranslin and the others at the Drakul portal opening about Tagath talking them through where to climb and such.

The only spot hatchlings have problems getting into the crater is the stretch guarded by emerald and peridot golems on the eastern side in the snow.