Giant flower customization and individual City flowers

Silvarien

Hi there.

I am finishing up with a project that'll put 43 custom flowers into a bunch of flower pots, each flower having a SMELL FLOWER reaction. Six are based on the six cities, and I was hoping for the players' help with that part of it. All the flowers will be sold for a small price in a shop that can be reachable by anybody. I tried reaching out to city leadership in-game but I think for an OOC request like this one, the forums may be a better bet. The whole point of the flowers is to make the playerbase happy. There's not a giant return on these, but I think they'll make things fun for a lot of people -- if handled right. That's what I hope for, not a giant gold/credit return.

To make this go optimally, I need each city to come up with a custom flower that it thinks best represents it. As a Cyrenian and Phaestean, who until very recently played Priest, I had very little RP with Ashtan and it would probably be better if Ashtan huddled and decided on a flower they best think represents their City. Because I am doing this to hopefully make all the players happy, I was hoping for each city to look over these, or pick what best represents each city. For Targ, I had an idea, but I talked to @Halos , and I think my idea was pretty far off the mark.

So far I have:

12. Ithmian moss flower (Eleusis)

This rose's thick, vivid and green petals are a soft and luxurious natural moss, rich and velvety. The petals overlap over each other and curve up like a bell from the dark brown stem. At the top of the rose, the petals dip a bit towards the centre. The stem's thorns are small but numerous. The inside of the flower is pitch black, with a short greyish
pistil nearly invisible against the darkness.

SMELL FLOWER: A powerful scent of fresh pine floods the nostrils as the flower is brought near

15. A rose of the Gruu'n chasm (Mhaldor)

The seven petals of this velvety-soft elegant jet-black rose are proud and symmetrical. The inside of the petals is pitch black, a flawless void devoid of any mitigating disturbances. A powerful pheromone wafts freely from the flower, sending off the instinct's alarm bells. Thorns that are sharp as blades line its blackened stem, threatening to cut open the intruding finger that dares touch them.

SMELL FLOWER: The nostrils are filled with the cold scent of freshly-dug
gravesoil as the seven-petalled rose is brought near.

21. A rose of the Vashnars (Cyrene)

Found only on the highest peaks of the Vashnarian mountains, this rose is as flawlessly white as the snowy peaks it grows upon. The surface of the petals sparkles as the eye moves across, like freshly-fallen snow in the sunlight. The petals of the rose are closely shuttered together, as if hiding something within. The symmetrical petals are smooth like silk and overlap each other in an elegant manner like sheets of cloth.

SMELL FLOWER: the nostrils pick up the scent of invigorating air, fresh
and clear like in the high mountains.

23. A moonflower (Suggested to me for Hashan, grows on Meropis)

Long and delicate, countless silver-veined leaves cascade down from the branches of this moonflower cluster. Seven leaves flare out around each of the luminous white moonflower blooms, glistening in the moonlight. The cluster emits a soft, subtle fragrance into the air, filling it with a gentle perfume that soothes the mind."

A delicate, luminous moonflower cluster grows here, filling the air with a subtle fragrance."

///

So, I need one from Ashtan and one from Targossas, and probably one from Hashan. If the ones I have for the cities I did one for are not to their citizens' liking, let me know and I'll try to work with you. If you have nothing that comes to mind, I'll try to create a good one the best I can. Thanks!

Sarapis

Holy crap. Cool project.

Silvarien

Sarapis said:

Holy crap. Cool project.

@Sarapis : you didn't know? o.o

Sarapis

Nope. Other people handle customization requests.

Silvarien

Sarapis said:

Nope. Other people handle customization requests.

@Sarapis : I just want the players themselves to decide on the best flower to represent their city with. I hope I can get something everybody will be happy with.

Kayeil

No pretty wildflower for rogues?

Khaibit

Rainbows are still a good thing for Ashtan, what with the well of chaos. 
However, there are also the swamps, which are totally a thing,  so a swamp rose would be a good sort of flower, pretty pink things that bloom in ugly places

http://mrhyker.tripod.com/floraandfauna/marshrosemallow.jpg

Trilliana

As someone that's been helping him with this project, @Kayeil, there will be TONS of flowers to choose from

Silvarien

Khaibit said:

Rainbows are still a good thing for Ashtan, what with the well of chaos. 
However, there are also the swamps, which are totally a thing,  so a swamp rose would be a good sort of flower, pretty pink things that bloom in ugly places

http://mrhyker.tripod.com/floraandfauna/marshrosemallow.jpg

@Khaibit : what color is the well of chaos?

Silvarien

So, this is what I got so far for Ashtan: (thanks @Khaibit!)

34. A Rainbow Daisy

This daisy looks in many ways like an ordinary daisy: fourteen long, irregular, thin and cheery petals, with a honeycomb circular golden center. However, each two of the fourteen petals are colored in the likeness of an aspect of the rainbow, in the order of the rainbow: two each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. 

SMELL FLOWER: The cheerful daisy smells overwhelmingly of rum.

Ourania

The moonflower one is my own personal flower, usually gifted to special areas, so I would avoid that. Perhaps head towards something more representing the city.

Silvarien

Ourania said:

The moonflower one is my own personal flower, usually gifted to special areas, so I would avoid that. Perhaps head towards something more representing the city.

@Ourania : Sure thing, I'll get it replaced with something else. Thanks for telling me!

Kafziel

a floating underground crystal flower might work for Hashan

Hayte

Mhaldor already has a special flower

Silvarien

Kafziel said:

a floating underground crystal flower might work for Hashan

@Kafziel : Something like this?

23. Crystal lily

Taken from a river deep underground, this lily is a blossom of living clear transparent petals that lie upon a bed of pure-white leaves. The petals soar up and then flow outward, like the waters of a fountain. A pure-white pistil rises from the center like a shooting star ascending -- graceful and delicate.

SMELL FLOWER: A subtle and subdued perfume-like aroma fills the nostrils as the lily is brought near.

Jurixe

I feel like making the daisy smell of rum just makes it sort of gimmicky, you know, and takes away from the representative appeal it should have. At the end of the day, it's still a flower, and flowers don't usually smell of alcohol (I think). It would work far better with a more ''believable'' smell message.

Otherwise, I love the idea! I would suggest a snowdrop instead of a rose for Cyrene, and alternatives for Mhaldor could be the carrion flower or the sumac flower, for something that you can actually wear in case you want more variety than a bunch of different roses. 

Silvarien

Jurixe said:

I feel like making the daisy smell of rum just makes it sort of gimmicky, you know, and takes away from the representative appeal it should have. At the end of the day, it's still a flower, and flowers don't usually smell of alcohol (I think). It would work far better with a more ''believable'' smell message.

Otherwise, I love the idea! I would suggest a snowdrop instead of a rose for Cyrene, and alternatives for Mhaldor could be the carrion flower or the sumac flower, for something that you can actually wear in case you want more variety than a bunch of different roses. 

@Jurixe : @Khaibit thought rum would be appropriate. Since she said Ashtan seems associated with bogs, a ready alternative would be to make the flower smell like the deep swamp. That's not very... delicious, though, and the city might get pissed that its representative flower smells like that. If Ashtan has something else they want, I have no clue about Ashtani culture so I'll change it as you guys see as best. Let me know, and it's done.

For Cyrene, I definitely want to discuss this one further before sending it in. Replacing the rose with a snowdrop or other flower would be fine by me. I DO have a lot of roses in the list, and cutting one out wouldn't be bad at all. I am not even sure so much about the description -- Cyrene is often associated with blue, not white, so I might even have the wrong COLOR.

For Mhaldor, I know I do have a lot of roses, but the seven-petaled black rose seems one of the flower concepts I have that a majority of the people I talked to like. I picked a seven-petaled black rose because it's at once elegant and imposing and grim. The pick of rose was for the elegance. I want Mhaldor to have what it most wants, but with this particular design, I'd like to leave it a rose unless absolutely necessary. If you guys in Mhaldor are SURE you don't want a rose, I'll change it, of course. Please let me know.

Halos

Targossas wants acacia flowers.

Or indigo flowers.

One or the other.

Ruth

Well, the rose is definitely elegant Evil-ish, though I must state that sumac flowers also appeal to me. They are pretty enough to be the 'face' of elegance while still giving off the vibe of 'we're evil and we will poison you' feel.

Jurixe

Well, I am certainly no expert on Ashtani culture, but I don't think you need to have ALL aspects tied too strongly to it - a generic sweet scent would be okay, in my opinion. Otherwise, if you want the alcoholic reference, you could try something like 'A sharp, strong scent wafts from this rainbow daisy, somehow resembling the smokiness of rum.' Try hinting at it, if you get what I mean, rather than implying that it produces rum. That's just my opinion though, feel free to run with it or not.

I do like the rose thing and the thorns for Mhaldor seem very appropriate - I was just offering a few alternatives in case you wanted more variety than them all being roses. Personally, I'd probably wear the rose over the others.

Tahquil

For Cyrene you would have the edelweiss flowers that grow in the Vashnars near Miramar's old temple. You'll have to wait for spring to come around to see the flowers IG because they a nifty and coded to the seasons I think.

Silvarien

Halos said:

Targossas wants acacia flowers.

Or indigo flowers.

One or the other.

@Halos : aye, Aldair just told me, and I remember you did too. I am looking up images on Google, and will get to it as soon as I design the stuffs I am finishing up. Thank you for your help!

Silvarien

Jurixe said:

Well, I am certainly no expert on Ashtani culture, but I don't think you need to have ALL aspects tied too strongly to it - a generic sweet scent would be okay, in my opinion. Otherwise, if you want the alcoholic reference, you could try something like 'A sharp, strong scent wafts from this rainbow daisy, somehow resembling the smokiness of rum.' Try hinting at it, if you get what I mean, rather than implying that it produces rum. That's just my opinion though, feel free to run with it or not.

I do like the rose thing and the thorns for Mhaldor seem very appropriate - I was just offering a few alternatives in case you wanted more variety than them all being roses. Personally, I'd probably wear the rose over the others.

@Jurixe : Something like this, for the Rainbow Daisy? 

SMELL FLOWER: The cheerful daisy emanates a strong, sharp scent that reminds of the smokiness of rum.

Krypton

If the Ashtan flower is based on Chaos, shouldn't it have like a "fluctuating, confusing, unidentifiable" scent?

Silvarien

Ruth said:

Well, the rose is definitely elegant Evil-ish, though I must state that sumac flowers also appeal to me. They are pretty enough to be the 'face' of elegance while still giving off the vibe of 'we're evil and we will poison you' feel.

@Ruth : can you guys in Mhaldor discuss it amongst yourselves and get back to me on what you as a City decide? To be honest, I'd like to keep the rose. But this isn't abuot what I want, it's about what YOU want. If you guys want it to be sumac -- or any other flower -- let me know and it's done. Let me know of your decision as a City, and I'll take care of it. Thank you!

Penwize

Mhaldor should get a Rafflesia.  It's quite apt, take a look. It's best quality, from the wiki page: 

The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower" (see below).

Krypton

Not a corpse flower or skull flower for Mhaldor?

Silvarien

@Penwize and @Krypton : in regards to Mhaldor, I am going for imposing, dark and elegant, there's not much elegance in those. But, again, if that's what they want, that's what they'll get. I got Targ's city decision and am working on it right now. I just want to make sure Mhaldor gets what most/all of them want, rather than a few people. I probably won't be able to redo this later, so I want to make sure we get it right.

Melodie

Definitely have a preference for subtle elegance in Mhaldor, whether that works out to the rose or the camus flower or whatever.

Silvarien

@Halos : I am not sure if it's okay to approach you in game for this, or here. I hope I am not being a pest.

11. An acacia blossom

Rising from a long straight golden stem, the acacia blossom ends in a middle that explodes into countless thin petals, golden as the sun, myriad like countless rays of sunlight. The yellow of the blossom is slightly darker in the middle where the petals meet. Sticky droplets of acacia sap cling to the flower's stem.

I don't know what an acacia blossom smells like, sadly.

Sybilla

Cheerful rainbow daisy just doesn't do it for Ashtan at all, and I'm not sure where the rum comes into it. I'm a bit out of it at the moment but I'll think up a couple of ideas and get back to you later in the day.