Remove ads

Animus Ex Nihilo - A God Quest

Animus Ex Nihilo

Created
Status
Ongoing
Watchers
256
Recent readers
0
Threadmarks
34
Play as a minor godling of a small tribe that has just become sedentary. Expand your own might and influence, and guide your people to greatness.
Threadmarks Apocrypha Informational Voting
View content
Remove ads
Prologue: Animus Ex Nihil
  • View content
    • Azel

    Azel

    Location
    Germany
    Animus Ex Nihilo​

    You remember not when it began. Not the first thought that echoed between the beams of the sun, nor the first whisper gliding over the water. The people walking through these wild lands though, them you remember, clearer even than yourself. Long ago they watched the sun and the stars moving across the sky and they wondered why they did so. Was there a sense to it? A purpose? Could there be something that had put them there and made them dance to a rhythm the people could not comprehend?

    It made sense to them and so they told the story to each other. And even though no one could say who it was that had put the sun and the stars into the sky or for what reason, they soon all believed that there was a purpose to their movements. And as you pondered this tale of theirs, you ever so faintly could imagine yourself to put the sun in its place, gently guiding it day after day. Or did you remember something you had forgotten?

    There were more tales than that. Something had to make the wind blow and the clouds move after all. If the movements of the heavens had a purpose, then why not the flight and the song of the birds? And water did not appear without a reason either. So, the people talked and spun their tales, each answer more of a new question, but where there once had been "why" there now often only was a "who".

    And then, one day, there you were. A who without a why. A present without a past. For many turns of the sun and the moon did you ponder what it meant and who you were. You looked at the people, wondering if you were one of them. Their children did not remember their own birth either after all, but you were not of them. They had form and you had not. They were born and lived and withered and died, but you could only watch them as they did so, knowing neither hunger, nor thirst, nor age.

    Yet something tied you to them. When they wandered you followed along and even when you tried to roam and explore the world away from them, something always drew you back to them. Sometimes they met other people, for good or ill, and for those strangers, you felt nothing. Not like your people. They were yours and you were theirs, and the yearning in your mind became unbearable at the mere thought of abandoning them.

    One day though, after many lifetimes that you had travelled with them, your people did something curious. From their latest hunt, they put aside some bones and innards and brought them to a flat stone. There the chieftain kneeled and began to speak, thanking the kindly watcher that had given them this bounty. You had done no such thing. Even if you had always felt as if the stories about something moving the heaven and earth referred to you, not even a blad of grass or a gust of wind obeyed your command.

    But as the chieftain knelt there, giving praise and thanks as the people watched, you felt something change in you. Your people believed that you could change the world for them, and so it would be.


    You used your newfound might…

    [] [Nature] … to aid them where you could, ensuring they always had plenty and having a share dedicated to you in turn. (Gain Nurturing +2)

    [] [Nature] … to give what they asked for, bestowing blessings in return for further offerings. (Gain Mercenary +2)

    [] [Nature] … to punish them when they did not show you deference, so that you never again would be powerless. (Gain Punishing +2)

    It was not long afterwards that another big change occurred. In all the time you could remember and in all the tales they told, the people had always been wandering, following the travels of the wild beasts and the changes of the weather. Though for the past few lifetimes, they had spent longer and longer at a single place. There they had food and water, and the game was plenty enough to sustain them. Every time they came there, they lingered a little while longer until finally, the chieftain declared that they would not leave at all. They would build shelters for themselves and end their wanderings for good.


    Their new home was…

    [] [Settlement] … a fertile oasis in the desert, not too far from the great river to be fully isolated, but far enough that few travelling groups would bother the people. (Desert Oasis)

    [] [Settlement] … a lush wetland cut apart by many gentle rivers where the land was so rich that there was plenty for all who wished to live there. (Tropical Wetland)

    [] [Settlement] … a stretch of forested hills where the game was plenty and shelter easy to find among the cliffs. (Mediterranean Hills)

    [] [Settlement] … a warm valley among the mountains, cut through by a small river gently caressing the green hills. (Alpine Mountains)

    [] [Settlement] … a large bay surrounded by deep forests in which plenty of fish could be caught, even when snow and ice come over the world. (Boreal Coast)
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Remove ads
    Stats
  • View content
    • Merwedor the Proud Waters
    Rank: Minor Spirit
    Nature: 1 / 4 / 1
    Special: None

    Domains:
    - Death (Tier 1, Rank 2)
    - Sea (Tier 1, Rank 1)

    Temples:
    - Bay Shrine
    - River Shrine

    Places of Power:
    - Deep Reef (Sea and Death Attunement)

    Divine Servants:
    - Hegnevus the Boat Guider - Giant Carp
    - Sea Domain (Tier 0, Rank 1)​

    Minor Servants:
    - Sea Creatures (1 Power)


    Allies

    Sky Child
    Rank: Minor Spirit
    Nature: ? / ? / ?
    Special: None

    Domains:
    - Wind (Tier 1, Rank 1)
    - Rain (Tier 1, Rank 1)

    Temples:
    - None

    Divine Servants:
    - None

    Segbherg the Harsh Mountain
    Rank: Minor Spirit
    Nature: ? / ? / ?
    Special: ???

    Domains:
    - Mountain (Tier 1, Rank 2)
    - Artisanship (Tier 1, Rank 1)

    Temples:
    - Megalith Temple


    Divine Servants:
    - Walking Mountain
    - Mountain Domain (Tier 0, Rank 2)​


    Enemies

    Skerhogis the Devourer
    Rank: ???
    Nature: ? / ? / ?
    Special: ???

    Domains:
    - Death (Tier 1, Rank 2)?
    - Cold (Tier 1, Rank 1)?

    Temples:
    - ???

    Divine Servants:
    - ???


    The Mortal World

    Bay Village
    Description:     A fairly large village built around a brackish, nearly circular bay. It is surrounded by some isolated homesteads in the light forests nearby.
    Location: Coast of the sea.
    Culture: Sea People
    Special: Natural Harbor

    Known Deities:
    - Proud Waters (Sea, Death, Healing)
    - Sky Child (Wind)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - Shrine of Proud Waters


    River Village
    Description:     A fairly large village built on an island at the mouth of a large river, which serves as a central hub for many small homesteads and villages built along the river and its tributaries.
    Location: South of the Bay Village.
    Culture: Sea People
    Special: Natural Harbor, River

    Known Deities:
    - Proud Waters (Sea, Death, Healing)
    - Sky Child (Wind)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - Shrine of Proud Waters


    Forest Villages
    Description:     A cluster of small villages and singular homesteads along the trade routes through a dense forest. Most are built near small brooks and lakes.
    Location: West of the Bay Village in the forests.
    Culture: Sea People
    Special: Decentralized

    Known Deities:
    - Proud Waters (Death, Healing)
    - Sky Child (Wind)
    - Harsh Mountain (Artisanship)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - None


    Hill Village
    Description:     Built on the top of a few hills that divide the sea from a large freshwater lake.
    Location: South of the River Village.
    Culture: Sea People
    Special: River

    Known Deities:
    - Proud Waters (Sea, Death, Healing)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - None


    Travelling People
    Description:     Merchants and nomads living off the land and trading with those they pass on their travels.
    Location: Entire known world.
    Culture: Travelling People
    Special: Nomads

    Known Deities:
    - Sky Child (Wind, Rain)
    - Proud Waters (Healing, Death)
    - Harsh Mountain (Artisanship)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - None


    Mountain Village
    Description:     Sprawling village erected around a long, narrow lake and spreading onto the surroundings hills.
    Location: West of the Forest Villages.
    Culture: Mountain People
    Special: None

    Known Deities:
    - Harsh Mountain (Mountain, Artisanship)
    - Sky Child (Wind, Rain)
    - Proud Waters (Healing)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - Temple of Harsh Mountain
    - Shrine of Proud Waters


    Silver Cliff
    Description:     A small village nestled into a deep valley in the high mountains. It is an inhospitable place, only kept alive by its silver mine.
    Location: West of the Mountain Village.
    Culture: Mountain People
    Special: Isolated

    Known Deities:
    - Harsh Mountain (Mountain, Artisanship)
    - Sky Child (Wind, Rain)
    - Proud Waters (Death)
    - Skerhogis (Death, Cold)

    Known Temples:
    - None


    Places of Interest

    Deep Reef
    Description:     A reef deep in the sea, consisting of a series of mounds in the near lightless depths.
    Location: South-East of the Bay Village
    Controller: Proud Waters

    The Harsh Mountain
    Description:     A steep mountain, towering over all others nearby.
    Location: West of the Mountain Village
    Controller: Harsh Mountain

    Lone Island
    Description:     An island in the sea, barely visible on the horizon from the coastline.
    Location: East of the Hill Village, South-East of the River Village
    Controller: ???
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Prologue: A God Is Born
  • View content
    • [X] [Nature] … to give what they asked for, bestowing blessings in return for further offerings. (Gain Mercenary +2)
    [X] [Settlement] … a large bay surrounded by deep forests in which plenty of fish could be caught, even when snow and ice come over the world. (Boreal Coast)
    A God Is Born​

    Long did you ponder the best way to interact with the people. It seemed sensible to help them where you could, for if they prospered, so would likely you, but how would you know what they wanted? The gentle nudges that you could give the world were tiring, quickly draining what little of that ephemeral thing the people had bestowed on you, so above all else, you needed to make sure not to squander it. There was no guarantee that they would keep making offerings to you and going back to be only able to observe the world was a horrendous thought.

    Instead, you listened closely whenever they spoke to you. When the fishers offered some of their catch, you made sure to chase the fish towards those that had dedicated the finest ones to you. When the hunters burned a fine stags head for the kindly watcher, you followed them for a few moon turns and pushed the wind and the leaves to keep distract their next quarries. Slowly, the gifts grew larger and more lavish as the people learned that they would be reward in return, and with them slowly grew the power that you drew from their efforts.

    Soon enough, you did far more than just to spook the beasts of forest and bay. Every time they asked for something new, you gave it your best efforts, pushing and stretching your power as far as you were able. You could not make the winter milder for them, but you learned to push against the clouds to keep the worst of snow and wind from the peoples village. You could not stop their bodies from becoming frail and weak with age, but you sooth their fevers and make their wounds heal better. And each time you did such a thing for them, they carefully took note and made another story to tell about it, so that their children and their children's children would know what to offer the kindly watcher to turn a fever away.

    After just a few lifetimes, the people had grown greatly in number. Hide tents had slowly been replaced sturdy wooden huts and as they had learned more about the land, they became ever more skilled at living from it. The hunters of fishers these days were much craftier than the ones you travelled along with so many moons before, even without your aid, and other trades had sprung up too. Some people had begun to do nothing but make tools or sew clothes for others all day. And a few had taken it up to make offerings to you on behalf of others.

    Shamans they called themselves and they said they had collected all the stories of old and knew exactly what the kindly watchers wanted in exchange for their favours. It was amusing at first to see them posture as they did not know or do anything all that different from everyone else, but soon you noticed something strange about their efforts. As they kept telling tales about themselves and repeated the old ones all the people told each other, their offerings became better in some fashion.

    It made no sense at all. Certainly, you had noticed that a finer fish or deer empowered you much more than lesser offerings, but what the shamans gave you was greater than it was supposed to be. When a hand full of people made their offerings all on their own, you gained much less from it than if they all came together and had a shaman make the exact same offerings. Of course, that meant you perform greater acts for them in turn and so it took not long until the practice caught on among the people.

    When the shamans had their next idea a few lifetimes later, you were sceptical yet again. Instead of making offerings wherever it was convenient, they wanted to make a place where they could perform all the great rituals that they had developed. A shrine they called it and while it seemed just as silly an idea as the last one, you were quite curious if this idea would turn out so well too. On the other hand, it might also have meant a great chance for you.

    As time passed, the rituals changed. New ones were made all the time and old ones fell out of use, either because the offerings gave you little and so you gave little in return, or because the people simply forgot about them. Some things they only asked for rarely, while others were constant requests and those began to come easier to you. Maybe the shrine could have helped further with that? The shamans sure seemed to think so, talking endlessly where it should be put so that certain rituals would work better, but thankfully, you were not at their mercy. When they could not settle the matter among themselves, they decided to hold a ritual on each site and to see where the kindly watchers would prefer the shrine, thus leaving the choice to you.



    Your guided them to build your first shrine…

    [] [Shrine] … on a meadow in the forest. It was made of wood and deer antlers to thank you for your aid to the hunters and gatherers. (Gain Forest Domain)

    [] [Shrine] … on a tiny island in the bay. It was made from driftwood and sea shells to commemorate your aid to the fishers. (Gain Sea Domain)

    [] [Shrine] … on a small, windswept hill. It was made from wood and adorned with ribbons of cloth to honour the one who moved the winds and the clouds. (Gain Weather Domain)

    [] [Shrine] … on a high rock near the village. It was made from shiny stones and chalk drawings on the stone to praise you for the warmth of the sun. (Gain Sun Domain)

    [] [Shrine] … on a small hill giving a good view of the snow-covered mountains. It was made from dead wood and moss to show deference to the one who made the winters mild. (Gain Winter Domain)

    [] [Shrine] … in the middle of the village. It was a small hut kept furnished for you to show gratefulness for your healing and other aid to the people. (Gain Hearth Domain)



    The improved rituals of the shamans left you with enough power to do more than just answer their requests. What did you spend it on?

    [] [Power] Keep putting it all toward answering requests. It will strengthen the peoples faith in you.

    [] [Power] Learn more about the nature of your powers and how you gain it.

    [] [Power] Invest the power into your shrine to strengthen it.

    [] [Power] Overcome whatever keeps you near the people for a while and explore the world.
     
  • View discussion
    • Turn 1
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 26, 2021 at 7:18 PM, finished with 57 posts and 37 votes.
    [shrine] [power]
    Click to expand...
    Turn 1​

    When the shamans walked over to the tiny island in the bay during low tide, they seemed not as sure of themselves as usually. You had been wholly silent to their earlier efforts and one or two of them had begun to wonder if this idea of a shrine might have displeased the very spirit they wanted to honour. So, when they began their chants and dances, you made sure to show how pleased you were with this place. A few drops of your might cast into the sea startled the fish, making them jump from wash for all to see and the shamans looked relieved at such a clear sign.

    Over the coming days they returned to the island with tools and wood to build a small and sturdy edifice that would weather even springtides and storms. Onto it they hung the finest seashells they could find, and you made sure that it was indeed the finest the bay had to offer by diving through the waters and dragging them into the gatherer's paths. All the while you made sure that the people knew their efforts were appreciated, putting all the power you gained from their devotion right back into blessing them.

    Soon the shrine was finished and in the moons that followed, you slowly noticed a change in the people's tales and prayers. Fewer and fewer were the calls for aid in the hunt or a warmer summer, instead more and more they asked for calm waters with ample fish and that winters ice would not break beneath the fishers' feet. And in turn, you changed too. At first it seemed as if the land was growing strange to you, it's trees and beasts feeling distant and hard to stir with your powers, yet every time you tried, it came no hard to you than before. What had changed was not the land, but the sea.

    As you drifted through the currents chasing fish day after day, you grew more comfortable in the waters. Have every drop of water in the bay felt familiar, every fish like a friend and it became ever easier to steer currents and shoals. The land felt not dull because it rejected your present, but because the sea became a part of you. The Proud Waters the people had named you, for how you turned your back on those who shunned you, but rewarded gifts and supplication with lavish blessings. It was a fine name and so you took it as yours.

    Gained Sea Domain.
    Gained Nurturing Nature +1.

    With your protection, many of the people saw the sea no longer as quite as great a danger and fishing flourished. Most curiously, they began to hollow out wood logs to float in them on the water. From there they cast their nets to cash large swarms of fish and soon enough these 'canoes' were a common sight on your bay. They had their dangers too though and more than few people died in the cold waters when they sank or were pushed out to the open sea.

    A few times people returned after they were thought lost in the waters for many moons, talking about far away lands where they had been washed ashore and the harrowing tales of their way back to the village. The wider world seemed to be a wilderness devoid of people, baring the few groups of nomads that the people knew from occasionally trading with. Such a waste. So much sea to explore and so many coasts to build fine villages on, and nobody seemed to be doing so. Or at least no one that the people had found yet.

    Maybe in a few lifetimes the people would spread to other villages. The bay had plenty of room and food for it to grow, but maybe other things of worth could be found further away. Like other small island to build shrines on. Having it had gifted you with this new bond to the sea and the sacrifices made at it were much more nourishing than those performed elsewhere. It certainly sounded appealing to see what a second one might do for you. For now, though, you had think where to spent the power you already had. The prayers grew ever more frequent and so it was time to see which to focus on and which to ignore.


    You have 3 Power to spend.


    Blessings
    Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.

    [] Inspire the boat makers by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The canoes of the people are very simple things, and you are fairly certain that they could be improved to be fast and more stable. Use some power to help the people with this.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the nomads by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The wandering nomads passing the village now and then never pray to you, but you could still bestow a few minor blessings on them. Maybe then they will bring you offerings too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Give Signs by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You have quite successfully communicated with the shamans. Maybe you should try to help the people by giving signs to other people too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Prayers
    Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.

    [] Bless the fishers by spending X power.
    Description:     Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your water.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the hunters by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The hunters still use many of the old rituals to ask for your aid. Answer them so that they know you have not forgotten them.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The old healing rituals are still commonly practiced and some have taken to coming to your shrine for healing.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Improve the weather by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The people still often ask you to intervene in storms and cold winters.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Punishments
    Smite your enemies. It is not in your Nature to hurt people.


    Other
    There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.

    [] Bless the bay by spending X power.
    Description:     As the fish and the waters cannot ask for boons, you have never tried to invest your power into them yet. Invest some power to see how else you can manipulate them.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the shrine by spending X power.
    Description:     Your shrine is far more than wood and shells, but almost a part of you. Spend some power to see if you can strengthen this connection or otherwise make use of it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Explore the land by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Move further inland and see what you can find there.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Explore the sea by spending X power.
    Description:     While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You still don't really understand how an offering gives you power and why there are so many things that can make the effect weaker or stronger. Experiment a bit and see if you can find out more.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of the world by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The world is a vast place full of mysteries and you have seen and know little about it yet. Spend some power on trying to understand it better.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    AN: From here onward plan-voting might be advisable.
     
  • View discussion
    • Turn 1 - Results
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 27, 2021 at 12:29 PM, finished with 36 posts and 26 votes.
    • [X] Plan Lord of the Sea
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bay by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Improve the weather by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan Spread the Good Word
      - [X] Bless the nomads by spending 1 power.
      - [X] Bless the bay by spending 2 power.
      [X] Plan: Wouldn't you like to know weatherboy?
      -[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Explore the sea by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Improve the weather by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan: Cleansing Waters
      -[X] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bay by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan Sea Saftey, Land Labours
      -[X] Bless the hunters by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bay by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
      [X] Spreading the Faith
      - [X] Bless the nomads by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Inspire the boat makers by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan: The Fisher King
      -[X] Inspire the boat makers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bay by spending X power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
      [X] Spreading the Faith
    Click to expand...
    Turn 1 - Results​

    It is the bay that sustains the people, even if you certainly slant things in their favour with your efforts, so it would help them greatly if you could make these fishing grounds richer. And better fed people would mean more and greater offerings for you in turn. The prospect alone made it worth investing your power into this and the urge to experiment with your abilities certainly did not hurt either.

    First you turned your attention to the fish. You had already plenty of experience to guide them and since the building of the shrine that had become even easier, but never had you tried to imbue your power into them like you did when healing the people. Sickness was of no great concern, for the predators quickly weeded out those fish from the swarms, so instead you tried to simply have them grow larger. The first few attempts were quite promising, though there were a few short-lived failures that you deeply regretted, and while there seemed to be a limit to how far you could push them, the bay was soon home to great and healthy swarms.

    Instead of tinkering further with the fish, you instead began to reshape the bay itself to give them a better place to grow. With the outgoing tides, you swept out the detritus washed into the bay by the small brooks feeding into it and when the water rushed back in, you made sure it carried seeds for sea grasses, mussels, and limpets to establish large colonies on every rock that they could find. Just a lifetime after you work had begun, the bay was so clear that a man could see all the way to the bottom and the people dined well on shellfish and oysters.

    5

    Besides food, the villagers also found something precious in those mussels. White orbs that shone and shimmered in the light and which they named pearls, the finest of which they brought as an addition to your shrine to increase its splendour. It was a good thing too, since all the time and effort spent on the bay itself left you with less time and power to aid the fishers more directly. The most you could do for them was to guide their boats and protect them from the waves, but their nets were less full than in other times.

    1

    It would have been a lean time for the village had they not the pearls to trade with. The nomads always had brought some food with them to trade for tools and dried fish, but recently they also brought animals that followed them as if they were kin to another. One of these goats even was offered to your shrine in thanks for the pearls that had been used to buy it and some of its brethren. A few times you peered in on these trades, hoping to find our how the nomads had made these beasts so docile, though it turned out they had done no such thing.

    They themselves had bought them from another village in the foothills of the mountains where large flocks grazed all around. By now they had their own few that kept travelling with them, though they still often traded with these mountain people to replenish their herds whenever they had to butcher too many in a harsh winter. The people were quite intrigued by these tales and there was even talk about more trade if the nomads were willing and the mountain people interested in the shells and pearls that the village had to offer.

    Would people living in the mountains even appreciate the treasures the sea had to offer? Would they have use for a spirit living in the spray of the waves and the cold waters of the depths? You pondered these questions every time you saw the mountains in the distance as you herded the clouds hither and yon. Even though it was not as easy to make them do your bidding as it was with the currents, they still obeyed readily enough, leaving you plenty of time to think as you broke up the winter storms and scattered their winds into the empty forests around the village.

    4

    On one of these days in a late fall, something odd startled you from your thoughts. The winds behaved oddly, guests breaking up where they should not and plummeting into the trees and kicking up the dry leaves. Your first thought was that your had gotten distracted and your control had slipped, but then it happened again with the next gust. Now with intent you steered another on there, firmly gripping the air to keep it steady, yet just like the others it broke apart and whirled through the trees, this time hard enough to snap even a few thick branches.

    More startling though was that you had felt something push back against you just before your control slipped. When you sent the next gust flying there, you let yourself get dragged along for a bit, trying to see what the cause for this was. Among the trees you could not so much see it but feel it's presence none the less. Another spirit was twirling through the forest and catching the wind, throwing up leaves and dancing with them through the chill autumn air.



    What did you do?

    [] Approach the other spirit and try to befriend it. It seems to be playful and likely means no harm.

    [] Try to lure it further away from the village. It seems harmless, but you would rather see it gone.

    [] Drive it off. It has no reason to be here and bother your people.
     
  • View discussion
    • Turn 2
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 28, 2021 at 2:04 PM, finished with 48 posts and 32 votes.
    Click to expand...
    Turn 2​

    A small part of you was worried to see another being like yourself so close to the people's village, though excitement and the hope to find an ally quickly won out. It seemed neither dangerous, nor malicious, more like a child playing in the gentle summer waves. And it was another spirit. Kin. In a sense at least. You had always known that you were not alone, that there must have been others like you in the world, but this was the first time you actually met another immortal.

    Slowly you floated closer, catching one of the gusts of wind flying past and sending it at the other spirit. As it caught the gust and threw it to the ground to fill the air with leaves again, it finally noticed your approach. Immediately it rushed away and dove behind a tree, trying to hide itself, and so you froze again to not startle it further. For a while you waited for it to make another move, yet it did not and so you carefully drew up a weak gust of wind and threw it near the spirit. It did not react to that either, instead staying behind the tree like a frightened deer and so you decided to leave before you scared it any further.

    In the coming seasons you kept looking for the skittish spirit, but never found another sign of its presence save for a vague feeling at the edge of your senses whenever you moved too far from the sea. Either it did not want to be found or it was gone. Perhaps both.

    Meanwhile the people in the village hosted their own guests more and more often. The nomads had indeed agreed to the proposed deal and now the meadows and hills near the bay were host to a few small flocks of goat. The hunters seemed somewhat annoyed by that development, as the deer made sure to keep far away from the bleating things. Though that resistance soon faltered as quite a few of them took it up to protect and herd the goats around once it became clear how much easier it was to gain fresh meet from herding than from hunting.

    It was a good time for the people and you. Even if it had struggled for a while, the village had grown yet again, and the rather public displays of your power had spawned many new tales. Stories of the taming of the bay and the storms mingled with older legends and so grew both the offerings and the power you could draw from them.


    You have 4 Power to spend.


    Blessings
    Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.

    [] Inspire the boat makers by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The canoes of the people are very simple things, and you are fairly certain that they could be improved to be fast and more stable. Use some power to help the people with this.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the nomads by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The wandering nomads passing the village now and then never pray to you, but you could still bestow a few minor blessings on them. Maybe then they will bring you offerings too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Give Signs by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You have quite successfully communicated with the shamans. Maybe you should try to help the people by giving signs to other people too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the goats by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Your efforts with the fish prove that your power could change an animal. Maybe your would have more impressive results from the goats.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Prayers
    Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.

    [] Bless the fishers by spending X power.
    Description:     Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your water.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the hunters by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The hunters still use many of the old rituals to ask for your aid. Answer them so that they know you have not forgotten them.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The old healing rituals are still commonly practiced and some have taken to coming to your shrine for healing.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Improve the weather by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The people regularly call on you to tame the storms and the cold winds coming from the mountains.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Punishments
    Smite your enemies. It is not in your Nature to hurt people.


    Other
    There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.

    [] Bless the bay by spending X power.
    Description:     While the bay already has become a great source of food for the people, you still think that you might be able to improve upon your work if you spent some more power on it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless more fish by spending X power.
    Description:     The effects of your power on the fish were undeniable, but your efforts still crude. Spend some more power to experiment and see if you can make greater alterations to their nature.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the shrine by spending X power.
    Description:     Your shrine is far more than wood and shells, but almost a part of you. Spend some power to see if you can strengthen this connection or otherwise make use of it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Explore the land by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Move further inland and see what you can find there.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Explore the sea by spending X power.
    Description:     While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Find the village near the mountains by spending 1 power.
    Description:     While you know decently well where to find the village that your people are trading with from listening in on the nomads, it is too far away to travel there without spending some power on the effort.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to find the skittish spirit by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The other spirit might still be nearby and just trying to hide itself from your presence. You could spend some power to try and find it and then maybe gain it's friendship.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You still don't really understand how an offering gives you power and why there are so many things that can make the effect weaker or stronger. Experiment a bit and see if you can find out more.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of the world by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The world is a vast place full of mysteries and you have seen and know little about it yet. Spend some power on trying to understand it better.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    AN: Rolls weren't really in your favor, so not that much happening in the wrap-up for Turn 1.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Turn 2 - Results
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 29, 2021 at 5:52 PM, finished with 52 posts and 33 votes.
    Click to expand...
    Turn 2 - Results​

    Keeping to your habit, you ascended from the sea to the skies quite regularly to tame wind and clouds as the people asked of you. It was becoming more common a thing, not just in fall when the most destructive storms battered the coast, and the shamans had begun to codify proper ritual for these requests. They argued plenty in this time about the proper offerings with quite a few proclaiming that fish would be inappropriate, yet no one was all that pleased by offering herbs or goats either. There were not all that many other options available to the village though, so the debate kept turning on the spot time and time again. You did not often spend the time to listen in when they argued among each other, but it was endearing to hear the people be so passionate about making pleasing offerings to you.

    3

    The people you wished to entice into doing the same showed much less fervor. You made sure to protect the wandering bands of nomads from the weather as well, or at least as good as you could without a way to know where they would be at a given time. Likewise, you made sure that there would be plenty of fish and clam waves for them whenever they came near the shores of your sea, though the blessings seemed not to have much of an effect. Larger bands of traders had begun to make offerings to your shrine whenever they came to the people's village, but if that was out of honest devotion to you or merely a sign of deference to the ways of their hosts was hard to say. Their offerings certainly seemed lacking in some quality and yielded far less power to you than they should.

    2

    While you knew that the offerings of the people had become more fulfilling once they were brought to your shrine, you had always assumed that it was something caused by the shrine itself. Evidently, this was not true and you spent many days and nights pondering the reasons while flying through the skies or resting in the lazy currents of the bay. Then you spent some more time on the matter, watching the people coming and going as you aimlessly wandered around you shrine, focusing on the smallest details, the tiniest differences between them to find a sign of what made one petitioner different from another. And even more, as you aimlessly began to wander through the waters whenever there was no prayer to answer.

    Only then, when you had all but forgotten about the nomads who had started this, did you remember the other plan you had made. If you could not learn where you drew your might from by observing that act itself closely, maybe you could learn more from seeing how the power acted on the world in turn? To your shock though, you had lost a great amount of it! You knew quite well how much any given task would demand from you and with all the thinking, you had hardly exerted yourself in the past seasons. But the well of potential within yourself was much emptier than it should have been and at least one realization slowly came to you.

    So far, you had always spent whatever power the people had given you so fast that you never noticed it dissipate. As you lay there again at the bottom of your bay, you could feel it seep away, drop by drop. A tiny amount. Forgettable. Ignorable. And yet a loss it was and one you had no means to stop. The harder you tried to cling to the dwindling might, the more of it you consumed in the futile attempt. What would happen to you if it ever ran out? So far, you had assumed that without it, you would merely loss the ability to act upon the world. But once it was all gone, would you begin to consume yourself like a starving mans body did?

    You had outlived so many generations of your people that you always fancied yourself immortal, but in that moment, you knew different. For all your might, you too could die. And that though was terrifying.

    1

    While you reeled from that shocking realization, the people were not idle. Their short lives had to go on and right then they were also changing quite rapidly. Some time ago you had begun to bless some of the most skilled boat makers, hoping that it would prompt them to refine their craft, and while it took a while to bear fruit, they had done so. Instead of canoes made from merely hollowing out large logs, they were now cutting them in much more precise shapes inspired by the forms of the fish in the sea. They even had learned to carefully bend the wood through the use of water and fire. The new boats took not all that much more work than the old ones, but they were much more stable and faster in the water while also offering the occupants more room for cargo.

    The most skilled builders even went so far as to carve images of fish or scenes of fishing into the hulls of their canoes. Others covered them in interlocking patterns of lines that represented the sea. Quite a few of the people firmly believed that the designs brought good luck with them, and so even less skilled craftsmen began to try their hand at carvings or otherwise decorating their creations. It was soon common practice to make a sacrifice for each new canoe and ask for it to be protected by you, with many assuming that an easily recognized decoration would ensure you would know whom to help in the rough sea.

    5

    A side effect was that with the rising prestige of the trade, there were now many more boat builders than before and so another new practice began to establish itself. As if sensing your distress at having found yourself mortal after all, the people of the village likewise had begun to wonder more about the fate of their dead. In the time when the people still wandered, they had taken their farewell from the deceased and left the bodies behind in the forest. When the village had been built, most had kept to that practice, now carrying their dead deep into the forest to leave them there. Some had developed other rites, such as burning the dead and scattering the ashes, or digging deep pits beneath their huts in which they interred the bodies, though so far, no one practice had established itself firmly.

    With so many boat builders available, some families had started to place their dead in boats and float them out to the sea. Preferably it was the canoe that had been used by the deceased in life, otherwise they often had small rafts build for this purpose. They weighed down the bodies with stones so that they would not rise to the surface again and brought them to the mouth of the bay at high tide so that the water would take them far out to sea when the tide went out.

    There was no clear consensus on what they hoped to achieve with this. Some saw it simply as an act of reverence to you, giving back what was left of the life that had been sustained by your gifts, while others hoped that you would take care of whatever might have lingered on after the death of the body. The shamans had not taken a stance on the matter one way or another so far, though now that you had become aware of it they seemed to have been looking for a sign from you for a while, which you missed while sunken in your thoughts. Now though, you could offer them a sign.


    What do you do in regards to the new burial rite?

    [] Encourage the practice by giving blessings to the next of kind of the deceased.

    [] Give no sign one way or another for now.

    [] Discourage the practice by returning the bodies to shore so that they can be buried in another way.

    AN: The bad roll for pondering your powers delivered us kind of a fitting topic for the upcoming Halloween.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Turn 3
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 30, 2021 at 2:33 PM, finished with 43 posts and 36 votes.
    Click to expand...
    Turn 3​

    When you gave the signs that they had been asking for to the shamans, the people were still sceptical of the new rites. The old ways had been tradition for lifetimes beyond count after all and the nomads still practiced the same burials in the forests. So as the next boats came bearing the remains of the deceased, you steer great waves to crash over them, making it clear for all to see that you have accepted them and taken them into your sea. That silenced many doubters of the new rite and the minor blessings of health and plenty you gave to those who had passed their dead to you settled the matter. Still, the old rite persisted alongside the new, both being equally accepted.

    Still, it soon was a common sight that torches burned on the beach near the mouth of the bay. There the bereaved spoke farewells and laid gifts down with the dead for their last journey. To have it done by night was neither a mandate by you, nor one of the shamans, but turned into custom all on its own. Many worried that the boats might drift off or return to shore when they could no longer see them, so they put torches and sent them at night to make sure they knew they were truly gone when you dragged them beneath the waves.

    For you, the new rite was a duty with no great benefit. You could draw some power from the act of reverence, but barely any from the sacrifices made during the rite. You could not fathom why that was, nor find an easy answer when examining the sinking boats, and so the matter was added to the many unsolved questions about how the mortals empowered you. Regardless of the why, the trickle of power gained from the rite as just enough to cover what you needed to claim the bodies and bestow those small blessings in return. At least it was one more connection between the people and you, and maybe one more rite that could be spread to the nomads.

    While the journeys of the dead had been arranged, the living had planned something similar. As the prayers of the fishers remained unanswered for many seasons, the village had fallen on harder times. Between the goats and the riches of the bay, the people did not starve, but it were harder years none the less and so a few of the people had begun to talk about moving elsewhere. Some wanted to spread along the nearby beaches to claim more fishing grounds and meadows, while others wanted to go even further. A whole second village did they wish to erect so that the people could trade food and other things between the two whenever one was threatened by hunger.

    That proposal caused quite a stir. Quite a few thought it might anger you if the people moved too far from the bay and other invoked again that it was simply tradition for seasons uncounted that all the people lived together in the village. But the people proposing it were not deterred. "Then let the sea judge our deeds," one of them proclaimed on the village square. "The Proud Waters will be our final rest, if our journey displeases them." The shamans cautioned them against inviting your wrath in such a public way, and yet again, they were undeterred. One the next day, they began to prepare for an expedition across the sea, both by gathering supplies and making offerings to your shrine while asking for your blessing.


    You have 4 Power to spend.


    Blessings
    Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.

    [] Inspire the boat makers by spending X power.
    Description:     The canoes of the people have greatly improved, but further blessings might yield new inspiration for the boat makers.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the nomads by spending 1 power.
    Description:     A few nomads have begun to make offerings to your shrine, but rarely do they observe your rites on their travels. Bless them again to hopefully convince them of your generosity.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the hunters by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The hunters still use many of the old rituals to ask for your aid. Answer them so that they know you have not forgotten them.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Give Signs by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You have quite successfully communicated with the shamans. Maybe you should try to help the people by giving signs to other people too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the goats by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Your efforts with the fish prove that your power could change an animal. Maybe your would have more impressive results from the goats.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Prayers
    Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.

    [] Bless the fishers by spending X power.
    Description:     Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your sea.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the explorers by spending X power.
    Description:     The explorers wish to find a good place to erect a new settlement and ask for your blessing for their journey.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Curse the explorers by spending X power.
    Description:     The explorers have asked for your judgement and they shall receive. Curse their efforts so that the people learn to not take your name in vain.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The old healing rituals are still commonly practiced, and some have taken to coming to your shrine for healing.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the bereaved by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The new burial rite as not managed to fully supplant the old. Spend some of your power to bestow blessings to those practicing the new rite to discourage the use of the old.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Improve the weather by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The people regularly call on you to tame the storms and the cold winds coming from the mountains.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Punishments
    Smite your enemies. It is not in your Nature to hurt people.


    Other
    There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.

    [] Bless the bay by spending X power.
    Description:     While the bay already has become a great source of food for the people, you still think that you might be able to improve upon your work if you spent some more power on it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless more fish by spending X power.
    Description:     The effects of your power on the fish were undeniable, but your efforts still crude. Spend some more power to experiment and see if you can make greater alterations to their nature.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the shrine by spending X power.
    Description:     Your shrine is far more than wood and shells, but almost a part of you. Spend some power to see if you can strengthen this connection or otherwise make use of it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Explore the land by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Move further inland and see what you can find there.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Explore the sea by spending X power.
    Description:     While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Find the village near the mountains by spending 1 power.
    Description:     While you know decently well where to find the village that your people are trading with from listening in on the nomads, it is too far away to travel there without spending some power on the effort.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to find the skittish spirit by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The other spirit might still be nearby and just trying to hide itself from your presence. You could spend some power to try and find it and then maybe gain it's friendship.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You still don't really understand how an offering gives you power and why there are so many things that can make the effect weaker or stronger. Experiment a bit and see if you can find out more.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of the world by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The world is a vast place full of mysteries and you have seen and know little about it yet. Spend some power on trying to understand it better.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The new burial rite only grants you a trickle of power and the sacrifices made alongside it are meagre in their power too. Try to find out why that might be.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1
     
  • View discussion
    • Turn 3 - Results
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Oct 31, 2021 at 12:35 PM, finished with 43 posts and 33 votes.
    • [X] Plan Let Them Swim
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless more fish by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan Explore and Expand
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 2 power.
      -[X] Bless the bereaved by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan Tall Tide
      -[X] Bless the hunters by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 2 power
      -[X] Explore the land by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan Expand but secure
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bereaved by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan: Expand Friendship
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the bereaved by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Try to find the skittish spirit by spending 1 power.
      [X] Plan: I Am Here
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless more fish by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Give Signs by spending 1 power.
      [x] Plan Give and you shall receive
      [x] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      [x] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
      [x] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      [x] Bless the shrine by spending 1 power.
      [x] Plan Give and you shall receive
      [X] Plan swim and explore
      -[X] Bless the explorers by spending 1 power.
      -[X] Bless the fishers by spending 1 power.
      -[x] Explore the sea by spending 1 power
      -[X] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
    Click to expand...
    Turn 3 - Results​

    When you returned to the waters to focus your blessings on the fishers once more, you made up for lost time. The sea was eerily calm when the peoples boats moved out, only the gentle tug of the currents steering them right to best fishing spots, and they always returned with nets and boats fill to the bursting. The sudden plenty made some question the explorers yet again as they saw it as a sign that they should stay where the sea would provide for them. Others claimed the opposite, that the sea approved of their plans and that this was the way it showed the people.

    Trade flourished too, as smoked fish was carried over the land by the nomads. With goats having spread all over the land, the mountain village had begun to sell other things and now art made from carved stones and baked mud were exchanged against the artful woodcarvings, sea shells and pearls of the people. And in between the two, many small homesteads had begun to spring up. They lived from hunting, goat herding and foraging the sparser regions of the forests. Some of them seemed to be former hunters of the people, others were nomads that had tired of living on the move, but they did not seem to feel as part of either.

    6

    You did not overly concern yourself with the matters on land though, instead tinkering beneath the waves with the creatures of the sea. The first time you did this, you did not spent much thought on the details. All you wanted to do was to make a rich fish ground for the people after all. This time you were much more careful. Instead of merely using your power on them, you instead tried to give it to them and see how they would react. The smaller, simpler creatures like sprats and shrimps merely grew, though much more than the last time. Oddly enough, they seemed to have much less trouble to hold on the power than you did and even managed to pass on some of it to their offspring. Entire seasons passed without them losing much of it and when you touched them, you could just as easily draw the power out of them again, though they withered and died if you took it all.

    On larger fish, the effects were even more pronounced. A few cod that you imbued grew twice their size and developed markings that reminded you of the carvings of the peoples boats on their flanks. Even more surprising was that they could use the power on their own. When a shark tried to take a bite out of one of them, the cod drew on it's might and summoned a current to carry itself away. You trailed that one to see if the event had been a fluke, but it did so again whenever it felt threatened enough. It even managed to replenish the power it had drawn for these acts in some way, though when you took part of it back into yourself, it seemed unable to replenish that loss in the same fashion.

    The more time you spent with them, the more you felt the lingering connection to what was once yours. Finding every last shrimp you had imbued was taxing, but you could tell where the cod had travelled even when they had left the range you could comfortably move in. When you called them, they readily came to whatever place you bade them to and when told where to go, they followed that order too. Sadly, your control went only so far as the cod understood the orders you gave. They had trouble to tell a boat from driftwood and their attempts to herd fish into nets ended more often than not with them swimming at the net themselves and tearing it to ribbons with their bulk.

    Still, there was potential in the idea of having servitors to aid your efforts. Maybe you could try and teach the cod what you wanted them to do? Or would it be better to try another animal? There were seals and porpoises in the sea, though they rarely came near the village, and the few times you had travelled far from the coast, you had seen other, greater creatures. Though it was a question for another time, as you had no doubt that it would take more power than you could spare right then.

    Learned to store Power in sealife.

    Unlocked creation of Divine Servants.

    5

    While you spent your days in the depths of your waters, the preparations for the expeditions had been completed in the village. One group wanted to take their canoes along the coast to the south, the other to the north. There had been a few who originally wanted to brave the open sea, hoping for your protection on the journey, but there were not enough willing to follow on this most dangerous path. When they departed, you followed them as far as you could and sent the cods imbued with your power along as they travelled too far for you to follow. Part of you had hoped that you could have come along all the way, but it seemed the few people in their canoes was not enough for whatever force kept you close to the village.

    Before they fully left your reach, you pushed as much of your power into them as you could and willed that it should keep the waters calms and boats upright. How much it would aid them, you could not tell, and so you returned to the village and your shrine to wait for their return. A season passed and the fate of the northern expedition became apparent first. One day, you felt an icy chill through your very being. For a brief moment, you panicked and thought yourself hurt, something that seemed not so preposterous and idea anymore, but it receded after a short while. When you had calmed down again, you noticed that you could no longer feel the cod that had travelled north and you knew immediately that they and the boats would never return.

    Another season later, the southern group returned and though they had lost half their boats and a third of their number, they still deemed their journey a success. They had travelled the coast and the rivers they had found on their way, making camp in the most promising locales and exploring further on foot. Weather, wolves and sickness had taken their toll on them, but they had found a place that would be well suited to a village. A small island at the mouth of a major river where the fish were plenty and the water would keep dangers at bay. The village was overjoyed to have the explorers back and a feast was arranged in the honour of those who had returned and those who had been lost, including a large sacrifice to you for your aid. There was no rush by the people to settle the new place, but a few families expressed interest in the following days and began to gather provisions to claim it.

    2

    Leaving the living to their business, you returned once more to the matter of the dead, observing the sinking dead, and trying to discern what could be done to draw more power from the rite. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. No matter how often you prodded and poked the bodies, they stubbornly refused to yield more than the trickle you obtained from them. You even went on land and observed the old burial rites and tried to draw power from the bodies there before the scavengers of the forests could get to them, yet you only gained a feeling of cold emptiness whenever you tried. Whatever secret lay beneath this, it kept eluding your efforts.

    1

    It was at the end of one of these investigations that he approached you. That other spirit you had noticed so long ago. It was careful when it approached keeping its distance just like you did on your last encounter and he too threw a gust of wind as if it was a greeting. You caught it, dispersing it among the trees and rustling their leaves.

    'You seem much more approachable than the Mountain', came a voice that sounded much like the breeze moving through the trees.

    It took a moment for you to answer, as you briefly had to ponder how to do so. Your own voice sounded quite unlike his and reminded you of the gentle waves on the beaches near the village. 'I am afraid I know neither you, nor the mountains.'

    'No, no. Not the mountains. The Harsh Mountain. So they call him at least.' The spirit moved around you restlessly, his power calling more wind through the crowns of the oaks and beeches. 'As for me, I would rather call it The Wroth One for how unpleasant it is to be around. Throwing rocks at me every time I visit and such.'

    'Why do you keep visiting if it attacks you?' Being hurt by something as mundane as a rock seemed odd to you, but maybe it made a difference if a spirit was throwing it. Slowly you rose from the ground and floated upward to get away from the trees. Just in case.

    'To annoy it, of course,' came the answer as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'If it had not wanted me to annoy it, it should not have greeted me by throwing rocks the first time I visited.'

    That made some sense to you, but you still felt rather glad that you had not gotten this spirits ire too. 'The people call me Proud Waters, and you would be?'

    'The nomads call me Sky Child. Though we will see for how much longer.' As it spoke, it threw a gust down into the forest below, starling a herd of goats and their herder. 'I reckon there won't be that many nomads left in a few lifetimes and as they settle between the two of you, it seems I have to do the same.'

    'You want to offer an agreement between us.'

    'Ah, you make it sound so formal…' The Sky Child whirled through the air and began to circle you. 'You have the sea and the other one has the mountains, but all that I have is the wind. Not as impressive to most, especially when you are not the only spirit using it.'

    It moved again, drawing your attention along until you noticed the bay and the village in the distance. 'Have I not done good by your people for you? It was me who kept the storms away from your village while you were in the sea. All I ask is that you let me have the sky. Maybe a small shrine in your village once I have the followers for such a thing.'

    'What do you say?'

    [] Agree to the proposal. Leave the sky to the Sky Child.

    [] Reject the proposal. The Sky Child will have to find another niche for itself.
     
  • View discussion
    • Turn 4
  • View content
    • Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Nov 1, 2021 at 6:31 PM, finished with 54 posts and 33 votes.
    Click to expand...
    Turn 4​

    You considered briefly what could be gained from this agreement and what you had to give in turn, though it immediately looked favourable. Having another spirit as a friend, maybe even ally, would be a great help for the same reason that giving up the sky was a low price. You were stretched thin with your efforts already and having the Sky Child calm the storms in your stead was a boon for both of you. Thus, the agreement was reached, and an overjoyed Sky Child rode off on a strong gale to celebrate, while you slowly sunk from the air, leaving what was now no longer your realm to claim. There was a sense of loss when you returned to your bay and gazed up at the clouds, but you were certain that it would be for the best in the end. And either way, an agreement was an agreement, and your word would bind you.

    Gained Mercenary Nature +1

    The first seasons of the new arrangement certainly did not make you regret it. A decent sized storm threatened the village one fall, and while you could have had blunted it, the Sky Child managed to turn it away nigh entirely. There was much more power and vigour in their acts than you had anticipated and even though there were still sacrifices being made to you to calm the storms, you could feel how they were diminishing as another spirit claimed it's due. Soon enough the people would stop if you kept ignoring their pleas and then the split of sky and sea would be truly final.

    Meanwhile, the mortals had been slowly performing a split of their own. With more and more homesteads being erected in the forests, the people settling there had adopted the moniker of Forest People among each other, to delineate themselves from village dwellers and nomads alike. Soon thereafter, the people of the village proclaimed themselves the Sea People and a few of the farmsteads near the sea took this label as theirs too. Even the nomads began calling themselves the Travelling People, though it could also have been that the other groups had bestowed it upon them. You still often struggled to read the finer points of the short-lived affairs of the mortals, and that was when you were not already distracted by your own realm expanding to the south.

    While calling it a village was more than generous, the few scattered homesteads that the Sea People had erected on the island in the river were enough to anchor your presence and while travelling from the Bay Village to the River Village was lightly taxing your power, being present in the new settlement was bearable. You could not travel far from it, the strain increasingly rapidly even for modest distances, but it was enough to get a view of the sea and river. The fish in the sea were not as plenty as around the Bay Village and the waters not as calm, but the river made up for that with its carp and salmon. And on its banks grew plenty of forage and nuts, which the settlers were already taking advantage of.

    It was a promising locale to expand the peoples and thus your influence, but it would be quite a few lifetimes more before it could even be counted a proper village. Of course, you could have helped things along, but there were so many draws on your power and attention already that you had to chose carefully where to use it.


    You have 5 Power to spend.


    Blessings
    Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.

    [] Inspire the boat makers by spending X power.
    Description:     The canoes of the people have greatly improved, but further blessings might yield new inspiration for the boat makers.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Give Signs by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You have quite successfully communicated with the shamans. Maybe you should try to help the people by giving signs to other people too.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the goats by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Your efforts with the fish prove that your power could change an animal. Maybe your would have more impressive results from the goats.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1


    Prayers
    Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.

    [] Bless the fishers by spending X power.
    Description:     Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your sea.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the explorers by spending X power.
    Description:     With the new village slowly being settle, the urge of the Sea People to explore is low, but you could still push them to search for new lands.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Heal the people by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The old healing rituals are barely remembered by the people, but you could try to revitalize them by giving generous blessing to those that still practice them.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the bereaved by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The new burial rite as not managed to fully supplant the old. Spend some of your power to bestow blessings to those practicing the new rite to discourage the use of the old.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Bless the settlers by spending X power.
    Description:     Settling the River Village is a slow process. Help and encourage the people with your blessings to hasten the process.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2


    Punishments
    Smite your enemies. It is not in your Nature to hurt people.


    Other
    There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.

    [] Bless the bay by spending X power.
    Description:     While the bay already has become a great source of food for the people, you still think that you might be able to improve upon your work if you spent some more power on it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Bless the shrine by spending X power.
    Description:     Your shrine is far more than wood and shells, but almost a part of you. Spend some power to see if you can strengthen this connection or otherwise make use of it.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Explore the land by spending 1 power.
    Description:     Move further inland and see what you can find there.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Explore the sea by spending X power.
    Description:     While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Find the village near the mountains by spending 1 power.
    Description:     While you know decently well where to find the village that your people are trading with from listening in on the nomads, it is too far away to travel there without spending some power on the effort.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of your power by spending 1 power.
    Description:     You still don't really understand how an offering gives you power and why there are so many things that can make the effect weaker or stronger. Experiment a bit and see if you can find out more.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the nature of the world by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The world is a vast place full of mysteries and you have seen and know little about it yet. Spend some power on trying to understand it better.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Try to learn more about the burial rite by spending 1 power.
    Description:     The new burial rite only grants you a trickle of power and the sacrifices made alongside it are meagre in their power too. Try to find out why that might be.
    Domains: None
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 1

    [] Imbue X power into sea life for later use.
    Description:     You cannot hold onto your power on your own, but you found a way to sidestep that problem by instead storing it in the creatures of the sea.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: Minimum 1, Maximum 2

    [] Spent 2 power to create a Divine Servant.
    -[] (Optional) Write-In species (must be local sea life)
    Description:     Your experiments have shown that a living thing given a part of your power can both wield and replenish it on their own. See if you can create a servant that will aid you in your work.
    Domains: Sea
    Power: 2
     
  • View discussion
    • View content
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top