Lore: Old Vailian Ciphers?

[LoreofLegion]

Hey you guys,

 

actually I really haven't even started playing pillars because I'm quite pinned to the character creation screen. xD Now I'm some kind of picky - I know. But in order to finally decide on my character I have some Lore concerning questions:

 

After hours of consideration I finally decided to play as a cipher (eventhough rogue seems appealing to me). First I though rolling for a druid, but then, since Baldur's Gate I know that these games tend to be heavy in city related plots so druids kinda feel like the third wheel being all for nature.

But ok I decided to go for a cipher since I want a unique pillars of eternity experience and because I always play humans I wanted to go with one of them. Now old Vailia seems a cool origin for this character I wanna play and I already found a great portrait for him.

But (!): Ciphers origin from an Aedyr colony named Eír Glanfath and the phenomenon seems solely to be found among orlan and elves. Ok now there are some animancers from Dyrwood that researched the topic, but Dyrwood too is no possible home country for your character (like Eír Glanfath). Does this mean Aedyr would be best suited for human ciphers?

 

This leads me to my initial questions:

Is it possible for humans to obtain this ability?

If yes: Can they be born with it or do they have to learn it?

If they can only be learned: How is it possible for an old valian citizen to hear from this abilities and learn them?

 

Obvious is obvious: you can choose to play a old vailian cipher, so there must be an explanation. But I wanted to know if this combination is good in terms of game experience (like how NPCs react to this race/class combination or if they never wonder at all). Because if it's totally uncommon for humans or old vailians to obtain these abilities and nobody notices during the game it's kind of lame. I ask because my first companions "Heodan" and "Calisca" thought it pretty normal that a guy from old vailia had a purple glowing sword. :D

 

Ok ok I know this is no pen and paper and the game can't react to every decision I make, but I just wondered, and since I felt so excited about pillars I really want to dive into this world. So I want to create my character according to the lore of the world. As an pen and paper veteran for me that's highly important for my gaming experience. I would love to hear from your points of view! Many thanks in advance!

 

May the gods be on your side!

[draek]

There are Human Ciphers in the game.

It is a learned ability which can be acquired by anyone with the  mental prowess to do so. It was just first developed by the Tribal People. 

Edited April 7, 2015 by draek

[Xylus]

Animancers can be trained to be a cipher. There was a culture exchange program where Dyrwood animancers go to Engwithan ruins and train under the tribal ciphers

[LoreofLegion]

So an old vailian cipher is most likely an animancer? Will the game see it that way?

[Kal Adan]

There is a whole lot of reasons how Old Vailian can end up being a cipher:

 

- Vailian Republics is "one of the two leading nations in animancy research",

- Nation has strong mercantile/mercenary background,

- Ciphers' abilities are closely related to animancy (study of the souls).

 

I can easily see ciphers being seen as coming into the package with the animancy. Or being used as mercenaries (especially as spies or detectives, although I could imagine one being an assassin or scout too). After all "vailian culture is concerned with practical matter of the world".

 

Mixed up Old Vailia with Vailian Republics.

 

I am going to look into the lore of Old Vailia in game...

Edited April 7, 2015 by Kal Adan

[LoreofLegion]

Great thanks for your answers! They really helped

[LoreofLegion]

Yeah I wanted to ask about that. Since the galfathans invented it how could it occur in old vailia? Even if merchants brought it there, you said it needs intensive training. So as it seems to be impossible for humans to be randomly born with the gift there has to be a teacher in some way. Merchants are no teachers. For my taste the game gives me too few infos about the lore to create a belivable human non aedyr cipher. I cant even imagine how he has learned the skill and why. Just because I dont know enough about them.

[Katarack21]

When the Glanfathan mindhunters were first encountered, there was a period of time where the mindhunters worked along with animancers to understand exactly what they were doing and how they were doing it. Eventually the techniques spread. The island nation of Old Vaila has just as much access to it as anywhere else, although it is still somewhat rare outside of Eir Glanfath.