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Serpent Houses
I've recently come back to Achaea, but after spending some time in realms, I've rediscovered the reason why I left in the first place: Non-serpent Houses SUCK for Serpents.
While Cyrene was okay when I was a BM and I wanted to be a casual player without really doing anything, I want to get into, you know, actual Serpenty stuff now. Stealing, spying, killing, etc. Which isn't very Cyrenian (and definitely not very Mojushain). And I've been having trouble learning on my own, though it should be easier now that illusions are apparently getting phased out.
Long story short, I'd like to know what are the better Serpent Houses out there these days. Ones where I can actually learn how to be a proper Serpent. I don't really care which city I end up in, none are too bad (though I did try a Naga on alt once and geeeez, was it hard to get used to Mhaldor. I was so freakin intimidated, and everything so quiet and unnerving...), as long as I'm actually going to learn some things.
Diving right into high-level combat might be a problem, because I'm currently specced to Con (14 con, 12 dex Mhun) without a reincarnation. This was mostly because I was hunting instead of doing combat when I left, but as I understand, dex is pretty important. I still want to learn to do as well as I can against other adventurers, as well as develop other Serpent-related skills.
So, which of you Serpent Houses would be a good home for me?
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I would recommend Naga for the best serpenty stuff, but you've already tried that and it sounds like it didn't work out. Shadowsnakes were a good choice once, but I have no idea what they're like now.
Historically inter-House rivalry between the Serpent Houses has been fierce IC and OOC, but hopefully we won't see too much of that in this topic.
It is theoretically possible to be a Serpent in any city, of course, but historically the Shadowsnakes (Ashtan) and the Naga (Mhaldor) are probably the most prominent, and they're quieter now but the Serpentlords (Hashan) is where the original Serpent guild stemmed from. Understand, however, that the playstyle of each House varies very greatly because they are influenced heavily by the cities that they are based in.
Shadowsnakes and Serpentlords seem to have a freer, less intensive roleplaying style than the Naga, from an outsider's perspective, though Naga in turn also have some degree of freedom as opposed to their Mhaldorian counterparts. You know, of course, the ideologies of each city - Freedom/Chaos for Ashtan, Darkness for Hashan, and Evil for Mhaldor. I won't go into detail about those as I assume you have a basic grasp of what they entail.
Being as objective as I can be, I think that in terms of Serpent one-on-one combat, the Shadowsnakes probably have the most active Serpent fighters (though Iocun in the Mojushai, if he's active, is acknowledged as one of the best as well). Others like Jarrod are also well-known for theft and infiltration. From my perspective, however, it seems that most of what the Shadowsnakes do is very self-motivated, in that you steal, fight, and spy largely for your own gains.
In terms of the Naga, the underlying philosophy is that you are the tool of Sartan, the Lord of Evil - just like all the other Houses of Mhaldor. However, you are each separated by your functions - the Naga go where others cannot, and bring Suffering and Oppression where conventional enemies cannot reach. So in this sense, you still spy, rob, and fight - but for a greater cause, at least on the surface. Of course ultimately it can be self-serving as well, but you will be expected to take orders and contribute to a greater whole in this role. I would say overall that the Naga have a stronger group identity, while the Shadowsnakes are better known by prominent individuals.
Most Serpent Houses are fairly proficient in espionage, though if you're creative it's not difficult to learn to do it on your own - you just need a reason to want to spend that time and effort. Unfortunately I don't know much about the current status of the Serpentlords, but I expect @Eiredhel or someone can make a pitch for them.
Mhaldor in general can be a tougher roleplay environment for those looking for a more casual experience, and I'm sorry if it was the silence that drove you away - don't be afraid to go and talk to people or join in hunts and stuff with them. Once you become established, it can be very rewarding but I acknowledge that we lose quite a few in the initial settling-in stages. Ashtan's style is more relaxed and some form of combat is more or less guaranteed there, so that might be more along the lines of what you're looking for.
Bear in mind also, however, that Houses are due for a revamp and it's very likely that they will end up accepting all classes, so choosing an avenue of -roleplay- that you like is also very important as it won't really matter by then what particular House you choose.
Stories by Jurixe and Stories by Jurixe 2
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Hrm, I personally think that any Serpent House is good for learning about the class, at least in comparison to Non-Serpent Houses.
As for which is best, it honestly depends on what you're looking for in terms of character development and roleplay, though I feel like Shadowsnakes are great for learning a lot of technical stuff, and a lot of them are nice, and it's an interesting environment.
Mhaldor isn't too scary as long as you have good IC/OOC separation and remember that all the decapitations and executions are coming from a place of love and understanding.
As for the Serpentlords, I think it really depends on how much you allow ooc opinions to impact your ability to have fun, which is the same with Hashan in general. People are always going to have opinions, and the only way you can enjoy the Cult or Hashan is by being able to ignore all the outside opinions especially those given by people who haven't been in the Houses.
I personally love the Cult, it's the first House I was in, and I learned a lot just based on the amount of time my house mates had to invest in my character. I have had a blast with a lot of the roleplay I've done with Naga like @Jurixe and randomly bumping into @Strata everywhere.
I find the smallness of the Serpent/Serpent House community makes the potential for roleplay much more intimate and the reputation you get and the ethics you display mean a lot, especially when it comes to interacting with other factions in a non-combative manner.
I don't really push people to join the Cult, just cause I honestly have no idea how things are going to go with the upcoming and potential changes. Though I am going to miss only having to deal with Serpents for the most part. If you're just looking for a place to learn combat stuff, then I think the forums are a great place to learn, and personally I found that in game whenever I wanted to develop and get better, I could always roleplay with other serpents, like I tried killing @Iocun a few times for my IC research on the development of Serpent culture in different city-states, which was extremely rewarding for me personally as I got to meet and talk with a lot of serpents I had only read about or seen some of their work.
If you want to get a better feel of what you'll get, I suggest trying to rob another serpent, or challenge them to a duel and see what sort of reaction you get out of them, as that will give you an interesting idea of what to expect by their reaction and the reaction of their Houses.
ANDDDDD I'm rambling. Anyway, I think you'd be in good hands no matter what Serpent-only House you joined, you'd be in for a treat, and I find that all of them have so much amazing story, and lore behind them because of the emphasis Serp houses have on information gathering and the competition between them all. It'll be hard to go from one to another, but with effort and shoving coin in the right hands you can always shift to another House if things don't work out the way you want them to. And I honestly don't think anyone is going to get pissed off OOCly. We usually are more concerned about people enjoying their class since if you're not happy, it'll be pretty obvious.
Best of luck with your House hunt!
(And yes, I am a @Jurixe fan-girl since she slaughtered an innocent stuffed animal in front of me and made Eiredhel flip out ICly in front of @Ellodin and @Ruth.
I was so oocly embarrassed at how much she made me freak out.)
Meow, meow, etc.
Eiredhel's Family Tree
The roleplay and identity of Mhaldor and the Naga is incredibly attractive, if I could get over the nervousness that I get. I'd really like to give it a second chance, actually.
Shadowsnakes would probably be my second choice, going by Houses with good training. And you're right about the House revamp and going for roleplaying, but there aren't many Houses out there that I think would fit, except for the Serpent Houses and the Luminai (if I'm getting their purpose correct).
I agree with Mithridates, to an extent. Make sure you do give the city strong consideration when considering the role you'd like to play, as after House changes go in, there may not even be a Naga any more.
That being said, though the Houses themselves may go, the culture/experience of the existing players is unlikely to disappear. Should the Naga be deleted, for example, undoubtedly clans or paths of some sort would spring up to teach the same things and encourage the same style of roleplay - since espionage et al is far more tied to the class, the Houses simply enhanced it further. The players who perpetuated such a culture will also (I hope) still be around, so you won't lose out there.
I wouldn't worry too much about your nervousness - embrace it
It's a good thing. I had the exact same problem as you when I first started out in the Naga, but you should treat it as a good thing - it means the culture and atmosphere actually has an impact. The easiest way to talk to people is just to get involved - in the course of advancement you'll have to rely on other people or work with them for some things, and that's how you open interactions. It's what makes a community, after all, the idea that you need each other to do things and get somewhere. Don't worry. Mhaldor is undeniably much quieter than the other cities on the surface, but you'll find that most established players will be more than happy to show you the ropes if you show yourself to be genuinely involved and interested.
Stories by Jurixe and Stories by Jurixe 2
Interested in joining a Discord about Achaean RP? Want to comment on RP topics or have RP questions? Check the Achaean RP Resource out here: https://discord.gg/Vbb9Zfs
I wouldn't think that would be entirely true, in that Houses won't matter too much in the long run. Some Houses will have a bigger Serpent base within them and have much more experience in teaching serpents.
Which I hope all three of the Serpent Houses (primary ones) fall into. These being Serpentlords, Shadowsnakes, and Naga.
My main tip: don't pick a house based on "what you can learn there". In order to learn how to use your class skills, it's certainly helpful to join some house, but you don't need to join a house full of combatants to learn to fight, a house of expert theives to learn to steal, a house of expert bashers to become a dragon. You can learn the fundamentals of all such things in any house, if you're a bit patient and look around, and once you get beyond the fundamentals, you'll need personal initiative anyways to advance further, make your own research, and seek out people who can teach you specific things.
Just joining a house because some famous thief is in it and you want to become a thief may not be the best way to go about it, because there's no way of knowing if that person is even capable of teaching, willing to teach, and whether he will stay active/in the house.
Instead, join a house based on its overall appeal to you as a roleplaying environment. If you want to play a thief, join a house that endorses thief RP, even if it doesn't have any famous thieves. Etc. You're quite right that a house like the Mojushai isn't great if you want to play an archetypical serpent (assassin/thief). Such a character should have a place in all of the original serpent guilds (Serpentlords, Shadowsnakes, Naga) though.
→My Mudlet Scripts
I remember this feeling, and it definitely made being Mhaldorian rather stifling. Then I learned that dispute everyone in Mhaldor seeming like scary jerks, a whole bunch of them are really nice players playing scary jerks and would be happy to help you or interact with you so long as you perform the appropriate amount of acting like a slave.
Sentinels best serpent house.
Join a Serpent House for the faction, not the House or what you're looking for, otherwise you won't enjoy your time in the long run.
That being said, Shadowsnakes is probably has the most Serpent combat experience overall right now, and Naga probably has the most theft experience overall. Spying is harder to quantify because if it's being done properly, nobody outside the House knows about it.
I agree with Rangor though, Sentinels is the best Serpent House if you're a forestal. Barely ahead of Druids but definitely ahead
Cascades of quicksilver light streak across the firmament as the celestial voice of Ourania intones, "Oh Jarrod..."
What Jarrod said. Definitely join the Sentinels if you decide to go forestal. They're the best serpent house in all of Eleusis and possibly Achaea. They're so serpenty that I don't know who in Eleusis is serpent? What I don't even.
Our most known serpent Ellodin isn't actually in the sentinels...
we got Chalos though!
Dawnstriders.
Oh.