Crinos Quick Summary

Pattern (Dworkin’s/Corwin’s/Finndo) : Crinos is blocked in/out, and these powers are weak.
Logrus : Easy to use, flexible.
Trump : Works normally.
Shapeshifting : Easy to use.
Sorcery : Easier than normal to use. Crinos also has its own native sorcery, which is potent.
Psionics : Easy to use, flexible. Line-of-sight is all that is needed for mental contact.
Tech : Above Bronze Age tech functions poorly, if at all.
Time : 6 days Crinos = 1 day WEB.
Pole : 1 (Close to Chaos)
HAZARDS : Crinos is dangerous. You WILL be attacked here. If you have less than Chaos level Warfare or Strength, you’d best leave. :)
WARNING : Crinos is dangerous territory !

Crinos is full of life, but it is also full of death. Predators stalk the unwary, and do not hesitate to slaughter humans for food. Carnivorous plants would greatly enjoy a meal of you should you wander far from a known path. The climate is unpredictable. Please note that you WILL be attacked, at least once, by a natural predator if you stay in Crinos for longer than a few minutes. The predators have, on the average, just under Chaos-level warfare ; however, due to the violent nature of Crinos, please note the following : A character with less than Chaos rank in Warfare (and the means to apply it - i.e. weapons), or Chaos rank in Strength (for hand-to-hand combat), will not last long in Crinos alone. DO NOT travel in Crinos unless you are prepared to defend yourself, and are able. Otherwise, you will be food.

Disclaimer :
Please understand that Crinos, the shadow, is not based on or derived directly from White Wolf (c) games of any type, including Werewolf : the Apocalypse (c). The term ’Crinos’ is not copyrighted by any party (and has meanings beyond those held in the familiar-to-some game), and the concept of were-beings in general and were-wolves in specific is hardly original, and should not be affiliated with the abovementioned games or companies. The builders of Crinos used mostly folklore, common works of fiction, and other sources as inspirational background material for the shadow’s concept, and not the ideas presented in the game previously mentioned. Thanks for your understanding.

Culture :
The culture in Crinos is based primarily on survival. The survivalists in Crinos are the tribes of Verdimm. Verdimm, literally meaning ’True Folk’, are the dominant form of life in Crinos : the shapeshifters, the were-folk. All Verdimm have three forms : The Dimoh, or human form ; the Khiulnter, or animal form ; and the Dimo-Khu, or battle form. The Dimo-Khu is used rarely, only for major fighting or ritualistic purposes. Other forms of life exist in plentiful amounts in Crinos, both animal and human. Humans in Crinos are primitive and barbaric, barely above the animals in culture. The Verdimm are fewer in number than the animals or humans, but control their own territories mostly unopposed, except by other Verdimm. The Verdimm are arrogant for the most part, and consider humans and animals to be on the same level : far below themselves. Each tribe of Verdimm will have its own traditions and way of life, but there is some shared culture. The worship of Luna, the Moon Goddess, is common to all Verdimm. Luna influences everything in their lives, they believe, and She is the goddess above all. The veneration of ancestors is quite common, and all tribes have a patron goddess or god whom they honor and sometimes worship. Ritual is an important part of everday life for Verdimm.
Thari is the common language, though Crinos produces many local variations and dialects. Thari is written, but rarely, the Verdimm of Crinos having more of an oral tradition than written. The more common and accepted way of storing the written word is with a runic language, known by all Verdimm but little in use by the humans. This language is only written, not spoken, except for purposes of magic or ritual.

Travel :
Crinos is a large, spread out world ; each region, while represented by one MUSH room, is actually quite large. Please reflect this in IC play, and realize that travel from one region to another takes several hours for fast walkers or runners, and days for very slow travellers.

TIME :
The time flow in Crinos is steady and regular, with a ratio of 6:1 WEB time.

Powers :
Pattern Powers (Dworkin’s/Corwin’s/Finndo’s) : The shadow of Crinos and its surrounding shadows are very resistant to Pattern-based powers, meaning that an initiate of any particular Pattern cannot use that power to enter or leave the shadow, and within the shadow, Pattern-based powers will function very weakly.
Logrus : As Crinos is quite close to Chaos, the Logrus functions normally ; in fact, the Logrus is rather easily summoned within Crinos, and is very potent and flexible to use.
Broken Pattern will function normally.
Trumps : Trumps function normally in Crinos, though there are no native Trump Artists, and Trumps are therefore quite rare.
Shapeshifting : Those with an inherent shapeshift power will notice that while within Crinos, shapeshifting becomes much easier, and less taxing. This means that you should be able to get away with 1 less shapeshifting pose, in combat or otherwise. Shadowwalking to or from Crinos via Advanced Shapeshifting ability is also easier than normal.
Sorcery : Sorcery in Crinos is potent and plentiful. The cross-shadow type of sorcery functions well within Crinos, flexibly and easily. The native sorcery is called Sha’Crin. Every native of Crinos is familiar with Sha’Crin, knowing at the very least a few cantrips or spells. Sha’Crin does not function outside of Crinos, though non-natives can learn it and utilize it within Crinos. Luna influences all Sha’Crin. Different types of spells will work better at different phases of Luna. Since the magical currents in Crinos flow so strongly, spells (both Sorcery and Sha’Crin) are much easier and swifter to cast here. Minor Sha’Crin spells may be cast in one pose, while major Sha’Crin spells may take two poses. Sorcery spells may be cast without the normal pause between casting and releasing.
Conjuration : Conjuration works normally on Crinos. An astute person might note that one way to get around the fact that there are so few metal weapons in Crinos is to mass- conjure simple swords and armor. While there is no way to prevent a player from doing so, please keep in mind two things : One, even if you conjured a suit of plate armor, in all likelihood it wouldn’t work too well. The joints would be stiff, it would rust easily, etc. Simple shields and swords, on the other hand, would have little problem functioning. Two, mass-conjuring (or importing) of such items would seriously unbalance the technological ecosystem of Crinos. We ask that you PLEASE talk to Crinos_bldr before planning any such action. Thank you for your understanding.

Technology Technology has not impacted the shadow of Crinos or its residents with much force at all ; in Crinos, the residents have little knowledge of technology above what roughly corresponds to the Bronze Age of our earth. Crinos is a very metal- poor world, which doesn’t help much, and therefore swords are very, very rare, and suits of armor are unheard of. Foreign technology brought into Crinos will not function well above the Bronze Age level ; depending on how far above that level the technology is, the item will produce erratic results when used. For instance, a crossbow would still function, but its aim would be erratic, and bolts would splinter easily. Gunpowder-based weapons would most likely blow up in the hands of the user. An automobile would be hopelessly broken down in a few moments. An energy-based weapon such as a laser might just give the target a slight tan, if it didn’t diffract completely.

Psionics
Minor psionics, especially telepathy, are common nature in Crinos. Psionically-skilled visitors will be able to use their powers quite easily after a bit of practice. Minor psionics, like telepathy, are simple ; while major psionics, such as telekinesis, takes a bit more effort, requiring a Psyche of at least Amber rank. Psychic contact is easy, and can be made simply by looking at the subject, though the farther the physical distance the harder it is to affect the subject. Natives have an inherent empathic connection to each other, and as such may use telepathy amongst themselves more flexibly : while within the boundaries of the shadow, a native may bespeak a native without even viewing the subject. Only telepathy can be done this way ; any deeper mental contact requires line-of- sight. Inter-tribal communication is also common, with the shared tribal empathy allowing members of the same tribe to communicate more easily.

Residents
Crinos is always looking for more PC’s to fill its ranks ! There are many opportunities for good roleplay within Crinos, and we welcome any inquiries into creating a character that will fit into the Crinos concept. Whether you might wish to fit into an already defined and established tribe, or develop your own, Crinos is the place to cultivate it. Please be aware of Crinos’ nature ; it does tend to be violent, and while most of its natives do not considers themselves ’warriors’ per se, they all know how to fight to survive : to defend themselves, and to hunt for food. So a basic Warfare and Strength rankings would be wise, and characters of a more pacifistic bent will be rare indeed within Crinos.

Outsiders
Admittedly, Crinos isn’t exactly the most outsider-friendly shadow. While visitors are not particularly hated, they are certainly marked as non-natives, and easily spotted as such, due to the empathic connections between all natives of Crinos. Consequently, you will find no Inns, no Hotels, no Guest Rooms or Spas. If an outsider decides to set up a residence within Crinos, there is a high probability that she will be encroaching on a tribe’s territory, and they will not take too kindly to that, possibly acting to drive the offender out.