The Highlord Meeting Place
Speak to the Skies...
Your Ballator breathes a sigh of relief – it has climbed the Mount of the Three and found itself at the base of a long trail. Now, there is only a choice; which path to follow, and which gifts, or curses, will they obtain?
Somehow, Hannibal has been able to avoid the set rotational schedule Aether has put in place. Aether, however, seems not to notice. What dark magic could be blinding the eyes of the Highlord? Stay tuned to find out…
Table of Contents
Patronages
Tyndariai’s Followers: 08
Aether’s Warriors: 72
Ares’ Hunters: 72
Hannibal’s Legion: 33
Wayfarers: Uncountable
Piety
-Piety not Counted for Tyndariai-
Aether’s Warriors: 143
Ares’ Hunters: 76
Hannibal’s Legion: 59
Wayfarers: Uncountable
Pledging to a Patron
Your Ballator’s sides are heaving after their climb up The Mount of the Three. They see three altars – one dedicated to each deity. Before plunging deeper into the temple before them, your Ballator has the option of choosing to pledge themselves to a Highlord Patron or remain an unpledged Wayfarer.
If your Ballator pledges themselves to one Highlord, but then attempts to obtain a gift from another, they may find it more difficult, or impossible, to obtain that gift. Your Patron, depending on who it is, may even shun your Ballator for a time for going to another Highlord. Only Benedicto Varitate and/or the Highlord’s Wish are permitted to be added to a horse while pledged to a different Highlord.
You Ballator can only pledge to one Highlord at a time, and if they decide to Abandon that Patron, they will be unable to return to them without use of the Penitent Sacrifice. If a pledged Ballator is sold, the horse will remain with whatever Patron it had when it had been previously owned.
The Basics of Pledging
Pledging to one Highlord will automatically:
- Remove all gifts given by an opposing Highlord from your Ballator. They may keep one opposing Highlord gift of your choosing, as a reminder of their past. The following gifts will not be removed unless you wish them to be:
- Benedicto Varitate
- Gifts obtained via Cornelius in Stellis PRIOR to pledging
- Highlord’s Wish
- Gifts will be removed automatically once your Pledge is complete and will be marked on your Ballator’s plaque.
- Upon pledging, if your Ballator has gifts from any other Highlord (not including the ones detailed above), you must supply a plaque image of your horse without any of the opposing Highlord’s gifts except for the one of your choosing + any of the allowed gifts where applicable. Your horse will be unable to obtain removed gifts in the future, so be sure that Pledging is the path you wish to take!
- Your horse will be unable to gain gifts from any other Highlord other than it’s Pledged Highlord while under Patronage (with exception of Benedicto Varitate and the Highlord’s Wish).
- Place your horse in that particular Patronage until you remove it. The Patronages are simply the followings of the Highlords, like teams!
- Those who are not pledged to any Highlord are welcome to do so, and are called Wayfarers. Wayfarers do not need to pledge to the Patronage of Wayfarer to become one, rather they may come and go as they please.
- Allow you access to the special areas of the Altars which only Pledged horses can enter.
- Allow you the opportunity to obtain future gifts only available to Pledged horses.
Abandoning Your Patron
Abandoning your chosen Highlord currently cannot be done – however, the Wheel of the Year turns ever onward and rumors are spreading through Ballator kind that, when The Red Star has reached it’s zenith at the death of the old year and birth of another, that accommodations may be made.
Please stay tuned…
Approach an Altar or the Wayfarer Hoard
You may only pledge one horse at a time, per comment.
Pledge to Deathlord Tyndariai
The First, the Highlord of Life and Death
Your Ballator approaches the altar – they suddenly feel a presence all around them, in their head, in their ears, in their eyes. They see Them – but at the same time, they don’t. Tyndariai are there, but their presence is all at once comforting and horrifying.
Click HERE to Pledge to Tyndariai. Click HERE to read the cost.
Pledge to Highlord Aether
The Allfather, Highlord of Peace, Light, Variety and Justice
Your Ballator approaches the altar – it somehow radiates both warmth and light without anything visibly giving off either. The statue of Aether above them looms, but it’s presence does not oppress or frighten them, rather it gives them an overwhelming sense of peace.
Click HERE to Pledge to Aether
Pledge to Highlordess Ares
The Queen of the Hunt, Highlordess of War, Wildness, Fire, and Passion
Your Ballator approaches the altar – it radiates heat, but this time it is hot, burning, wild. Something savage and untamed floats menacingly, unseen, in the air, and while they feel slightly uneasy, they also feel that power filling their chest.
Click HERE to Pledge to Ares
Pledge to Lowlord Hannibal
The Fallen God, Lowlord of Strength, Violence, Vengeance, and Plagues
Your Ballator approaches the altar – they suddenly feel deathly cold, and the plants around the altar are black and charred. Absolute silence surrounds them; all at once eerie and enticing, like the woods under a moonlit sky. As they draw closer, they feel themselves being drawn in by the peace of the silence, and the mayhem it may bring.
Click HERE to Pledge to Hannibal
The Wayfarer’s Hoard
Your Ballator approaches The Hoard – it is a massive pile of items, food, and tokens of appreciation compiled by the other unpledged Wayfarer Ballators who do not expressly follow any High or Lowlord. The pile is allowed to be approached once per month by each member who owns a Wayfarer Ballator to take an item from the pile. Piety is not added for Wayfarers.
Total Items Available in the Hoard:
24 Items | 261 Denarii
[ Click HERE to Offer to the Hoard | Click HERE to Approach the Hoard ]
Make an Offering to your Patron
Having declared a Patron, including the unpledged Wayfarer, your Ballator now stands before an altar of either their beloved Highlord or in front of a hoard of items tucked not-so-discreetly behind the carved statues. There must be something they can do to show their Patron that they appreciate them…
You can offer any Highlord, whether you are pledged to them or not. Doing so may result in a reward – or not, depending on who you are and who you may be pledged to. Remember, the Highlords are very protective of their pledges and take these oaths seriously; piety shows love to your Ballator’s chosen God and may face the wrath of their Highlord if they offer piety to another highlord.
Offering to a Highlord gives Piety to that Lord’s Patronage. Each month, every member of the faction with the most Piety will receive a small gift. Piety is logged at the top of this journal.
- Offering to a Highlord as an Unpledged Wayfarer only allows you to offer Minor and Monetary offerings. It will not add Piety to the counters.
- Offering to the Wayfarer’s Hoard and Approaching the Hoard can only be done by Wayfarers.
- Approaching the Hoard more than once a month will result in a six (6) month ban from The Highlord’s Temple for that member and all of their Ballators.
- Offering to your Pledged Highlord allows you to offer any kind of offering, including Exclusive Offerings. Piety will be added for each offering.
- Offering to a Highlord while you are Pledged to another causes a penalty wherein your Ballator may not be able to offer to your Pledged Highlord for some time, and it will also remove Piety from your Faction’s counter. The amount of Piety removed is dependent on the offering.
- A Ballator pledged to Aether or Ares who attempts to play in the Cannibal’s Raffle will not be able to offer to their Highlord for one month after playing the raffle, and 5 piety will be removed from their counter. 1 Piety is added to Hannibal’s counter for those Ballators pledged to himself who play his game.
- Piety is also gained and lost when applying gifts. +2 Piety is gained when gifts are added to a Ballator that is pledged to the Highlord that the gifts belong to, 5 Piety is lost from your pledged Highlords’ piety counter when you apply a gift from another Highlord or Lowlord. In many cases you may not be able to apply a Highlord gift to a horse that is pledged to another Highlord. The exceptions to this are Benedicto Varitate and The Highlords’ Wish, which can be added to any Pledged Ballator.
Types of Offerings:
- Minor Offerings are any Hunting-Related Item that is found while hunting.
- Monetary Offerings are any offering composed of Denarii, from 10 D up to 1,000 D.
- Handmade Offerings are any item that is able to be made in The Crafting Hub aside from Crowns; you must provide a link to prove that you crafted the item.
- Exclusive Offerings are any offering made expressly for that chosen Highlord. You must be Pledged to craft and give these offerings.
- Event or One-Time-Consumable, non-Crafted items are not permitted to be offered at this time!
Click Here for a list of all possible prizes or events that occur when you make an offering.
The Highlord Meeting Place
If your horse has gained a gift, whether from being Pledged, through Stats, or other means, it must be applied here at The Meetingplace!
Aether and Hannibal await your approach; Ares, still jealous of her gifts and prizes, hoards them away from the Ballator kind. One may only obtain Ares’ gifts through the Stat System, or if Hannibal successfully steals one for you.
Approaching a Highlord to receive your gift may bring you some rewards, as shown below!
Each Highlord has the slight possibility to drop items to the Ballators who approach them for gifts; each successful interaction (for example, successfully claiming a gift, or participating in Hannibal’s Raffle) will grant the possibility for a small item to be added to your bank account.
Possible Drops from Highlord Aether
AETHER’S kind, generous, benevolent nature offers the Ballators who approach him the opportunity to gain either Aether’s Tail Hair, a Random Low-Level Shop item, a Cosmic Crown, or any Albino Pelt.
Possible Drops from Highlordess Ares
ARES’ wild, unnameable nature, coupled with her rule over all things related to war and hunt, allow Ballators to approach her the opportunity to gain wither a Broken Horn, a Ballator Fang, or any Hunting-Related Item.
Possible Drops from Lowlord Hannibal
HANNIBAL’S cruel, trickster personality coupled with the knowledge of his vice-like grip on the hearts of so many Ballators, offer those who approach him the change to obtain either a Bone Crown, Poop, any Melanistic Pelt. or Uvam Ros.
Rules for Approaching the Meetingplace for Gift Application
Your Ballator has come so far; legs weak and heart full of awe, your Ballator plunges deeper into The Highlord Temple and down a winding tunnel decorated with paintings and carvings of Gods both living and dead. The many designs are swirling– adorning the walls, ceiling, and floor of the tunnel. Just when the noise of colors seems to overwhelmed your Ballator, the tunnel opens up to a large room. The skylight high in it’s ceiling illuminates the grouped statues, all arranged in a circle, and makes a natural spotlight.
Shaking from excitement, your Ballator stands in the center of the light, unsure if it’s sun or moon, and stares at the carved faces of the gods around them. Gathering their courage, your Ballator shouts for the God’s attention, asking for their claimed gift to be magically applied to their body…
- To avoid Upsetting the Lords and Lady, one must only request one gift per comment. Keep in mind that if you post multiple comments in a row of the same horse, all your comments may be denied if one needs a correction.
- The form provided must be filled out correctly.
- Any curse received by Hannibal is permanent unless you use the Cleansing Elixir, which can only be used twice per Ballator.
- Once a Ballator earns a gift, it must have have the gift on it’s reference and plaque image (or ‘appearance’ section of the plaque) before you can apply for a new one.
Obtaining and Applying Gifts and Curses
Comment HERE to play the raffle and get a Gift or Curse via Hannibal.
This is Hannibal’s Raffle. The Lowlord is tricky, and always on the prowl to curse as much as grant gifts. Ballators may use the Red Star Pendant, if they have one, to protect themselves from The Fallen God’s curses.
A Ballator pledged to Aether or Ares who attempts to play in the Cannibal’s Raffle will not be able to offer to their Highlord for one month after playing the raffle, and 5 piety will be removed from their counter.
Comment HERE to confirm the application of a Gift or Curse.
To apply an already received gift to a Ballator, use this link. This includes gifts confirmed via The Stat System. Ares’ Guardian must also be applied here to be unlocked.