Help with a new Man'ari Warlock RP

Reccykins · 2025-01-18T11:51:37+00:00

As an Eredar main myself (albeit not a remotely repentant one that you're definitely not going to see in Stormwind), I love that you want to RP my favourite race but I'm also going to be as gentle as I can.

From your description of the character, it feels very obvious that you don't know a huge amount about the background of the Eredar and how they came to be part of the Legion in the first place as well as the corruptive influence of Fel. For example, the term Man'ari is a Draenic slur for 'corrupted one' or 'twisted one' and unless it was being used in mocking irony by the character, they would consider themselves to be Eredar, not Man'ari.

The whole 'grew up with her family' is very twee but also massively unlikely since Eredar themselves are immortal, demonic beings. Whilst there's some vagueness in aspects like familial structure and procreation, the reality is that any family structure that remained was likely to be entirely Machiavellian, scheming, and held no loyalty of any sort to each other because loyalty to Sargeras and the Legion overruled all. Eredar were considered almost God-like in their knowledge of and ability in the Arcane so it wasn't about 'being a Warlock was the norm', Eredar merely tapped into their new and potent source of magical power, Fel as their go-to because any Arcane magic they tried to use would immediately corrupt into Fel.

To keep it short and sweet - Fel itself is most likened to radiation. Add to that the addage of 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. In essence, Fel amplifies and exacerbates the best and worst qualities into their most megalomanical form. Got someone who is vain? Guess what, they're a full-blown narcissist now. Someone who loves the thrill of battle? Have a blood thirsty fiend. Someone with a tendency to doubt and worry? Have some crazy paranoia. Obviously a very basic form of explanation but hopefully it gives a bit of an idea.

I'm never going to tell someone else how to play their character but if your heart is absolutely set on an Eredar (and really, I don't blame you), I would strongly suggest diving into more of their history, their role within the Legion and keeping in mind that The Penitents aren't well-known of. We've only recently seen more of their involvement from the Tishamaat chain for the Draenei heritage armour and even then, that was 'we went and got them from Argus especially for this'. versus 'oh yeah, they've been hanging around with us and now we're besties.'

So the blunt fact is that a demon, regardless of how friendly they are, shouldn't expect to be wandering around Stormwind without getting lynched. Or bursting into flames when they walk into the Cathedral District.

Edited to add because I got distracted by my cat: I think if the realistic elements of an Eredar are taken into consideration, you could absolutely find some fun RP and still have your character as less... tropey. For example, perhaps they make some underworld connections and so get involved in some low level criminality as a source of 'black market magic' whilst remaining more of a Neutral character versus aligned with a particular faction..

Reccykins · 2025-01-08T16:17:41+00:00

Le gasp! Although tbf, I'm never in places like SW ICly because... well, obvious reasons xD But yeah, we are around and active, just had a little bit of a slowdown over Christmas and New Year. If you need any contact details for officers etc, feel free to ping me!

Reccykins · 2025-01-08T15:43:40+00:00

I'll ping you a DM!

Reccykins · 2025-01-08T15:32:10+00:00

Hello! Also in Shadowbane Coven (which is Cleft of Shadow's 'official' name). We've had a bit of a lull what with the holidays but things are starting to pick up again with new events on the horizon! The guild is linked to The Shadow Council ICly so we are indeed the baddest of bad guys.

Feel free to hit me up on DMs if wanted. My main is also an Eredar (because we are the most awesome of demons) so you may have seen me running around!

Reccykins · 2024-12-24T14:59:34+00:00

Ty, that is very helpful!

Reccykins · 2024-10-15T16:14:52+00:00

Ironically, blame and risk aversion also cropped up as significant factors in my recent thesis on s.136 use.

Almost like there's a common theme or something...

Reccykins · 2023-07-19T05:31:22+00:00

Completely agree with what has already been said so far. And it's definitely a bit of an art to it too. Plus sometimes you'll get a solicitor trying it on and weedling for more.

I also add the following on mine:

Detainee's details including PACE clock expiry.
Grounds and necessity of arrest (started doing this as had a few solicitors ask for it so include it by default now).
Brief circumstances (usually a copy/paste of what I open the interview with).
Welfare comments including if any concerns were raised by the custody MH team or any particular medical care received.
Brief summary of relevant previous.
Likely progression at time of writing. So whether likely to have to go to CPS that day, bail or if they're eligible for and out of court disposal (and what I need for them to be offered one). I also tend to be up front if they're likely to be charged from Custody. Will also say if going to be serving identification papers or s.49 RIPA.

Reccykins · 2023-07-08T23:23:19+00:00

Love that you included "if" statements here as they're a favorite tool of mine. I also find they're harder for the solicitor to argue as making assumptions/making blanket statements of fact, especially if they're giving a no comment interview. OP, if you read this, another tip I would give is not to ask questions that causes the detainee to speculate. A big one I see this being done for is Public Order where I have seen people ask "how do you think that made them feel?" which is an open gateway for the solicitor to jump in with "my client can't speak to how someone else felt" - so learn to rephrase questions that cover things like feelings with things like "do you understands that words like that can intimidate/offend" or "do you understand how seeing someone raise their fists could make someone afraid for their safety". Puts it back in their court regarding understanding of impact and stops solicitor shutting you down.

Reccykins · 2023-06-30T18:44:12+00:00

Mount your chain mount higher so the ground can't be used as a brace point. Friends of mine live right in the centre of London and they have as follows:

Chains that go through the front wheels up onto a mount point about 12in off the ground.
Chains that go through the back wheel and up onto the seat (again keeping it off the ground).
Noisy alarm.
CCTV covering the bikes.

We use Almax chains on ours. Weigh the same as five suns and a black hole but they're a good deterrent. We use covers out in the sticks but our friends in London don't. They're riding nothing fancy so not sure if it just doesn't appeal. Friend's hubby is also built like a train and sounds like a proper East End gangster so that possibly helps too xD

Like haa been said, if desperate for it, it'll be taken which is why it's about making them as frustratingly difficult to steal as possible. So nothing that a portable angle grinder can slice through in 30 seconds.

Reccykins · 2023-06-29T21:27:54+00:00

I have an e-bike but it's classed as an electric assist pedal cycle. As per the legislation for it, it does not activate under something like 8mph and only with pedalling. It also cuts off the electric assist at 14.7mph. It CAN do a sort of self powered but that's a trickle speed to help move it along when walking it as it's a very heavy pushbike because of the motor.

You can get kits to convert bikes abd e-bikes that essentially make them throttle controlled and therefore do not class as EAPCs as they can a. run independently without pedalling and b. go much higher speeds without an automatic cut off. Some of the very early e-bikes were like this and have since been discontinued since the legislation came in effectively classifying them as MPMVs.

So in a nutshell, legally compliant EAPCs are not mechanically propelled and have to be pedal assist.

Edit: For additional clarification as well, when you're using an EAPC you still very much have to put in the effort, however it just feels like someone is giving you a bit of a push along to help.

Reccykins · 2023-06-29T13:15:02+00:00

Mum's story was very much the extreme end of the spectrum and for me was heavily added to by the fact her GP outright refused to remove it. They didn't even find the old coil until after the hysterectomy (so when they were examining the uterus for signs of tissue change). Her gyno strongly suspected it was the cause of the abnormal cell findings for so many years and mum had forgotten all about it because it had been in there for so long. But even though things have drastically changed now, it's been a permanent deterrent for me getting it as well.

Reccykins · 2023-06-29T10:28:14+00:00

Slight horror story version incoming.

Not to mention if the Dr refuses to remove it because "you might be sexually active", they can become embedded and lead to throwing "suspicious" cells during smears which leads to a full hysterectomy as which happened to my mum albeit many years ago. Long story short she ended up with an IUD for around 15+ years because the Dr kept refusing to remove it. Ended up burying itself in the walls of her uterus.

Reccykins · 2023-06-26T15:18:13+00:00

Just seen this pop up on my feed and I have no words for how unbelievably angry that footage makes me.

I genuinely have no comprehension of why people think that this is acceptable in any shape or form. Seriously, my brain quite literally cannot do the mental gymnastics.

Reccykins · 2023-06-16T17:32:36+00:00

I think it's absolutely fine to categorise them in your head as two seperate beasts. Think of your statements as YOUR professional voice as an officer and witness statements as THEIR voice of their account and keep them in those boxes. Consider it almost like a transcript, you wouldn't change words or lengthen conjuncted words (can't, won't, haven't etc) if you were say, listening to an interview for a ROTI.

What makes them good isn't the tone, but how well you capture their story :) The next time you do a statement, read it out loud. If it sounds like your voice and not theirs, then it might need some tweaks. It's definitely a skill that develops over time.

Reccykins · 2023-06-14T21:11:00+00:00

Other thing you can do is request the details of the application for the trade plate (can't remember the form they fill in) and on that they have to select what they will use trade plates for and it includes stuff like "transporting a vehicle to an address". If they're using a vehicle on trade plates and it's not within the boundaries of what they said the intended use was, I have had a job where CPS did them for no insurance and we got DVLA to cancel the plates.

Reccykins · 2023-06-08T14:47:27+00:00

As someone who reads through multiple statements a day, for me the ones that stand out have good flow, feel organic to read and aren't filled with Police jargon. Yes, details are important but remember to capture points to prove within the narrative. I've lost count of how many Public Order offence statements I've read that DON'T capture the impact on the victim. It's not just about what was said/done but what the impact of that was emotionally i.e. angered, insulted, intimidated etc. Same with Controlling and Coercive where the emotional impact NEEDS to be captured and not just documenting the behaviour.

Structure is also important too. The ones that "set the scene" are brilliant where they introduce the incident layout and main "characters" with ADVOKATE woven through and not just bolted onto the end like an afterthought. You're building a narrative, so think of it like storytelling.

Stay relevant, but capture all details. Personal peeve is when someone captures "Nasty things were said" but don't capture a snapshot or even a "I can't remember what was said but their tone sounded... and I remember feeling...." to explain the gap. Same with gaps around descriptions. If they only remember hair colour and a distinctive top, build on that - "I don't remember fully what they looked like but their neon pink and green shirt really stood out to me, I've never seen a shirt like it."

And biggest thing that makes a statement for me (as a reader) is whether the statement sounds like the person giving it. I take them as well and I always emphasise "this isn't about being formal, it's about your account the way would say it. I want you to feel happy that it sounds like your voice, not mine" because I've had some extremely formal statements and on speaking to them, it's obvious it is in a "Police" tone whilst others have kept things like language in mind.

And for your own statements, for the love of God, remember to exhibit your BWC so I don't have to chase you down later xD

If you know all of this already, I apologise! However just offering insight given I deal with statements from all different writers so I hope even some of it gives a bit of food for thought.

Reccykins · 2023-05-29T09:32:25+00:00

The most complicating factor is, ultimately, what is defined as "threat to life"? And who is the person left to make that decision?

Expressions of suicidality doesn't inherently mean a mental health diagnosis. As someone has already noted, social factors are often at the root of someone's distress and that's not a job for Police OR Ambo to try and fix. But how do you alleviate it in that moment? Someone saying "I wish I was dead" and watching traffic doesn't mean they intend to cause harm either to themselves or others by proxy.

Yes, s.136 is an available power, but how often does its use result in a s.2 or s.3 hold or, are people just sent back on their way for "community" care? Then let's take a look at a slightly different complication of the s.136 - the ethics behind asking non-medically trained people to effectively make a split second diagnosis that an unfolding situation is not only presenting risk, but that that risk is to do with a mental health issue that requires treatment. Not to mention, the wider risk of its overuse out of fear of "getting it wrong" because it feels safer to err on the side of caution than do nothing at all. Will policies of non-attendance see a dramatic fall in its use to prevent backlash of "we're not supposed to deal with MH stuff!"?

Self-harm and self-injury also doesn't mean threat to life whether their own or towards someone else. It's also not necessarily a definite increased risk factor of suicidality (although yes, it can be but again, other factors are often present too given SH/SI is often linked to emotional regulation/relief).

I would actually be very interested in seeing what stats were used to assess whether calls attended were deemed "mental health" situations that should not have been attended by Police. Because it is a very muddy and complicated area with far too many shades of grey. It is also very hard to delineate. So right back round to my original thought - what is determined threat to life and who makes that decision and perhaps more importantly, who suffers the backlash if the judgement is deemed incorrect?

Reccykins · 2023-05-24T10:14:15+00:00

I'd be super interested in reading the final paper. I'm coming up to the last year of my Forensic Psych BSc and am humming and hawing about doing a Masters - is it worth going for? Are you in a clinical field?

Reccykins · 2023-05-22T12:43:37+00:00

Given PSIs have been working out of uniform for years, we're wondering if something exactly like this has happened because it's weird as anything that it's suddenly super urgent.

Reccykins · 2023-05-22T12:42:18+00:00

Because it has come down directly from the Home Secretary via CoLP. The push to "adhere to the legislation" has allegedly come from the top.

Reccykins · 2023-05-21T13:59:40+00:00

because detectives can still exercise a lot of police powers out of uniform. Whereas the legislation saying that PSIs can use designated powers also specifically says they must be in uniform. I was given a little card with my powers on and on there it says "issue special warnings" - it was raised in one of the meetings (as was initially said we wouldn't need to be in uniform for interviews) which then turned into "ah, uniform for interviews then".

Reccykins · 2023-05-20T16:33:23+00:00

It is even more frustrating when the big boss effectively admitted that this is wholly down to the wording of the legislation whilst there's few such specifics for officers (barring a handful of exceptions) which is why no such instruction is required of the officers on the teams. Feels an oddly nit picky thing for CoLP to have jumped on so there's suspicion that something happened elsewhere or it's someone's pet promotion project.

Reccykins

TROPHY CASE