[X] Leave the matter be. You have no obligation to aid the Harsh Mountain and this gives you more time to prepare yourself to slay the Devourer yourself.
It had been a while since you moved this far away from the Sea Peoples villages, and you almost forgot how uncomfortable it was to do so. Had you rationed your power to ease the strain, it would have been no problem, but the Devourer was nothing if not skilled at striking when it was the most vexing for you. So, you bore the strain, drawing heavily on the power of the far away reef to dull the pain of being separated from both the sea and your people. Two things helped though. For one, it seemed that the Travelling Peoples paths were easier to follow for you than to move across just any land. While insufficient in number to fully accommodate your presence, their prayers had been growing more consistent in recent lifetimes and apparently that was at least enough to open their paths to your travels. The other thing was the death you could feel beneath you. Regardless if it was man, beast, or plant, you could feel their remnants slowly decaying in the forests beneath you and while it was only a trickle of familiarity compared to the all-encompassing embrace of the waves, it was something at least.
The Sky Child was leading the way, they too favouring the routes of the Travelling people though you could not tell if for the same reason. The other spirit had not been quite certain that your meeting with the Harsh Mountain would turn out well, and neither were you, but letting the Devourer act with impunity was just courting disaster. Reaching the mountains took longer than you had anticipated and at first you barely noticed as the forest slowly gave way to the foothills. Between them, just a hill away from the first stony mountain, you saw the Mountain Village for the first time. Much like how the Bay Village and the River Village had grown around their name-giving waters, so was the Mountain Village following the shores of a long lake and the brooks that fed it. It was small at first glance, but around it were so many homesteads on the hills that it was hard to judge where village proper ended, though its most defining feature had to be a strange structure made from giant stones on one of the hilltops. But you were not here to learn about the village and the mere idea of lingering to see more of this place was redoubling the aching for your home.
On you flew, towards the tallest mountain near the village, perhaps even in the whole mountains. Its top was crowned with snow and ice, even though it was the midst of summer and while you could make out small homesteads and herds of goats and oxen on its lower slopes, it soon turned into sheer rock rising almost vertically. It was easy to see why the mountain spirit had decided to make this place its home. You carefully stretched your senses, trying to notice the Harsh Mountain without giving unnecessary offense, but the only thing you felt was the mountain itself. For a while you thought it was a place like the coral reef you had claimed, as there was no denying that great potential resided within the stones, yet it did not radiate its power into the world, instead drawing it all inward as if it was a spirit itself. When you reached your destination though, a lifeless slope full of lose stone and debris near the summit of the mountain, it all made sense.
With a mighty rumbling and grinding the stones began to move, first shaking in place and then beginning to flow as if they were aping water. A small mound formed on the slope and once all the moving stones had found their place, it opened its eyes. The mound gazed at you with great purple crystals and when it opened its mouth to speak, it was full of jagged black stone shards arrayed like crooked teeth. "You have finally returned. Your dallying is unacceptable, Child," a voice like an avalanche spoke to the two of you. Unlike the Sky Child though, it spoke not in a voice that was as much felt as heard, but with sounds as a mortal would.
"But I have brought help, as I had promised, have I not?" The Sky Child slowly began to float around you and finally began to drift away to slink back from the Mountains gaze. "The Proud Waters, here to help with Skerhogis the Devourer."
"Yes, I see," the voice boomed from the stones. "Their service will be useful against the defiler."
After all that the Sky Child had said about the mountain spirit, its manners were not entirely unexpected, though they were still rather vexing coming from someone you wished to offer aid. "I have come as an ally," you carefully corrected. "The Devourer is my enemy as much as it is yours and there is strength in numbers."
The Mountain certainly noted your defiance, and you were surprised by how easy it was to read its moods on the stones it had for a face. In the end, they begrudgingly swallowed some no doubt unfriendly words. Instead, they just changed the topic. "My servitor is already on the hunt for, but it is elusive and without the Child, the Wandering Mountain cannot pin it."
Under the other spirits glare, the Sky Child briefly stopped its aimless wanderings. Then it just briefly spoke. "Don't forget the dead who walk," it said and returned to its wanderings.
The stones rumbled dangerously again and this time the voice was even louder, each syllable like thunder, and the amethyst eyes began to glow with a baleful light. "It stole my servants. Took their corpses and has them walk as if they were still living. It made a mockery of my mortals and dared to use them against my will. I will have the creature broken for this." Snow tumbled from the upper parts of the mountain and below you could hear stones smashing down its flanks. "Its bones will be shattered and left to bleach on my slopes until nothing but dust will remain of it."
For once, you could emphasise with the other spirits moods. It was bad enough when the Devourer feasted on the corpses of your people. You gave them a brief moment for their rage to quieten again, idly noting that the Sky Child had yet again wandered around as if it had nothing to do with this talk. "You say it used them against you. What does the Devourer have them do?"
"They roam the mountains and passes, preying on travellers to add to their number. My servitor crushes them wherever it finds them, but they too are elusive, sticking too rarely travelled places and the high mountain slopes whenever they are not hunting." The stones ground and rumbled again, eyes darting around for the Sky Child. "The Child suspects they are searching something as they seem to have spread out instead of gathering to attack my other villages. Which is why they suggested to speak to you. They said you have taken the essence of death and can find these things more easily."
"We are far from the sea though," you noted, while feeling the parched and saltless air of the mountains around you, yet it was the Sky Child you were actually searching. It still hovered near the slope, though it might as well have wandered off completely for how far away it already was. "The Sky Child and the Wandering Mountain will have to do the search, but I can direct them where to look. It would be unwise to spend my strength solely on the search and leaving me drained when the Devourer returns."
You expected a challenge or at least annoyance from the Mountain. Instead, it just looked calculating for a brief moment before speaking calmly. "Acceptable. My servitor will be instructed to take orders from you, within reason." Only then came a slight edge to its voice. "You will ensure its safety," the mountain spirit said in a grim tone.
It was not an unreasonable request though, all things considered. "Acceptable," you said in return and thus the deal was sealed.
Moving into the mountains indeed proved hard. When journeying with a clear goal and along the paths of the Travelling people, it had been manageable, but when flying over mostly empty mountains without a clear goal, it quickly became torturous. Even more so whenever you flared your power to try and find the walking dead and the Devourer, as each time it diminished your reserves ever further. You drew heavily on the might gathered in the reef to sustain your efforts, yet you knew it was only a matter of time until you would have to stop, lest you damage the delicate balance of its ebbs and flows. And success was hard to come by.
The Walking Mountain, a great being made from roughly hewn stone, carved with intricate patterns, was certainly mighty, yet it was also slow and ponderous. It was no wonder that the Devourer could easily evade it. It was also of rather limited intelligence. Obedient, both to the wordless orders of its far-away master and to the gentle nudges you gave it, yet also very dependant on them. Without instructions, it would likely just have stayed wherever it was and waited. Perhaps forever. At least it was an able and fast climber, scaling near vertical slopes as fast as it walked on even ground, though it could still do little more than scare the dead out of its path and destroy the few stragglers left behind.
With the Sky Child, you were less certain how well it took your orders. The wind spirit was prone to wandering off or taking detours wherever it pleased instead of going straight to the places you pointed out them to investigate. The Harsh Mountain was apparently used to this, calling the wind spirit useful but unreliable. At least it seemed not to be malice, as the wind spirit was clearly keen on no longer having to watch out for the Devourer in the skies. None the less, it made the search difficult, as the Sky Child could investigate things much easier than the Walking Mountain, yet its moods meant you were never quite sure how carefully they had looked.
After a few seasons, you were nearly ready to give up on the hunt. You had briefly found gatherings of the living dead time and time again, but even when the Sky Child or the Walking Mountain managed to reach them before they dispersed, their destruction hardly made a difference. There always seemed to be more of them and by now, you had seen not only human dead, but also goats, reindeer, bears, wolves, crows and whatever else might have once been living in the mountains. Nothing you did seemed able to stem the tide and yet the one behind it all, the Devourer, stayed away from its work all this time. A few times you were certain to have senses it, hovering just at the edge of your senses for a brief time and then immediately leaving, but by now you were no longer certain if it was real or just an illusion born from your strained essence.
Until one night, when the full moon turned first blood red and then black as pitch.
AN: I'm not sure if I can finish this today, as there is quite a bit of rolling coming up, and I didn't want to let another day pass without an update, so have a cliffhanger instead.
Before the moon had darkened, you had felt something, though you could not adequately describe it. Most likely it was merely exhaustion, you had thought. But then the fish became skittish, clams slamming shut for no reason and crabs scurrying to the nearest hiding place. Then you had taken note and drawn as much potential from the reef surrounding you to dull the ache of overexerting yourself. The feeling did not disappear and with the haze lifting from your senses, it became ever more oppressive. Up you went and soon after you were near the Bay Village to see if the mortals felt it too. Only when you saw them in uproar and pointing at the sky did you notice. The moon was turning the colour of blood.
Without a conscious thought, you flew towards the mountains as fast as you could, drawing on every scrap of power that you could. The stench of death hung in the air, and it was not your doing. Beneath you, the forests slipped past unnoticed, the paths of the Travelling People forgotten in your rush. It did not matter. Nothing mattered except getting to the source of this before it was too late. You thrusted your senses out, feeling through the haze to find it. It took only moments. On a mountain that you must have passed a dozen times during your searches. Had you missed something? Had the Devourer hidden its efforts yet again? But those were questions for later.
You barely even noticed when the Sky Child joined you silently. Even the other spirits presence felt grim. With a heave of its power it summoned a gale fit for the greatest of storms to carry the two of you forward even faster. The snowy caps of the mountains before you shone in the red light of the moon, dripping over nigh black stone towards the valleys. And then even they dimmed. You were nearly there. In the fading light you saw the mountain from which it all sprung. It looked like a carcass on which the flies feasted, as uncountable birds swarmed its summit. Their cries pierced the silence of the night as a cacophonic wail without start or end. In and out they swarmed, the cloud of dead birds heaving like a beating heart, and ever closer, ever tighter did they move. As the last light died, you saw the bones and parched skins draped on the mountains flanks and you saw the dead, both man and beast alike, tear themselves apart to join the grizzly display. And then there was only the faint light of the stars and the wailing of the damned.
Just before the peak, you let go of the gale you were riding while the Sky Child guided the small storm through the swarms of birds to disperse them. But its winds were not unchallenged. Up the flanks of the mountain blew other storms, carrying bones, skin and feathers to the peak. Into the storm you dove, trying to use the brief opening to reach the heart of the ritual. In one spot it all gathered, all the remnants of the living dead. A mound of feathers and tattered skin draped over broken bones. You reached for it with your power, taking all you had to stop this. To somehow drive apart the might of death gathering in this place. Far away, the Sea People prayed beneath a lightless sky. They prayed for you to end this. To banish the darkness and to restore the moon. To take away the terror gripping their hearts. You took all of it. Each scrap of potential you could wring from their pleas. Into the mound you forced it, tearing apart the threads holding it together fast than they could be woven. The shrieking of the birds grew more frantic as with each new push, you widened the gaps and wounds within the thing beneath you. It would work. You were taking it apart. Already the wind was no longer gathering its grizzly load, but tearing it from the mound and spreading it across the sky.
Then you felt pain. You felt loss. A small part of you was gone in an instant as something great and terrible gazed at you and brushed you aside. You could only watch numbly as a gale of the Sky Child carried you out of the way as the birds dove one final time, ramming themselves into the mound. For one single moment, all was still. Two great misshapen wings rose from the mound and with a single beat they propelled it into the air. There it hung, almost weightless, only the gnarled wings visible against the faint shine of the stars. A tangle of thin and twisted necks rose from the body as it hung in the air, each tipped with a barbed beak. As one they opened and with a deafening, tortured cry, the silence was broken once more.
The creature dove, far too fast and nimbly for something so huge. From its bulk rose smaller birds again, joining the monsters beaks in snapping for the Sky Child. The wind spirit tried to drive them away, but this was no longer a mortal thing. This mockery of a bird, wrought from carrion, was a second Devourer and its acts were more than physical. But it was also a thing of death. Briefly the pain returned as you drew upon that part of you that too was of death, but it faded just as quickly again. You tore on the creature's power, taking from it what you had just lost. The beast did not even seem to notice your attack, but it gave the Sky Child just enough of a distraction to slip away. In that brief moment of respite, it summoned another gale, trying to drive the bird down the flank of the mountain. There, beneath the veil of darkness, you could faintly feel the Walking Mountain climbing the slopes as fast its ponderous bulk allowed.
Carrion Bird - Attack Sky Child with Death: 2 5 = 7 vs 2 (Sky Child) + 5 (Proud Waters) = 7 -> No Damage
Proud Waters - Attack Carrion Bird with Death: 5 vs 61 = 7 -> No Damage
Sky Child - Pin Carrion Bird with Wind: 2 vs 5 -> Failed
Walking Mountain - can not act
With thunderous wing beats did the flying hill of carrion gain altitude again, just to dive for the Sky Child another time. You tore at one of its wings, trying to divert it, but it was not enough. One of the beaks closed on the shapeless Sky Child and you could feel its pain radiate out like a silent wail of anguish. You gathered your power of death again, but then hesitated. It's mastery was greater than yours, said a treacherous part of your mind. You would fail again, it said. In that moment of hesitation, the winds picked up to a storm, pressing down on the birds shape and in a snap decision, you poured your might into the winds instead. One of the creatures wings clipped the mountain and sent it thumbling, just as the winds intensified once more and pushed it down the slope. Somehow the Sky Child had slipped from its grasp in the tangle, though you paid that no mind, instead rushing after the monster to see it grappling with the Walking Mountain.
Carrion Bird - Attack Sky Child with Death: 6 5 = 11 vs 3 (Sky Child) + 3 (Proud Waters) = 6 -> Sky Child takes 5 damage
Proud Waters - Assist Sky Child
Sky Child - Pin Carrion Bird: 5 (Sky Child) + 4 (Proud Waters) = 9 vs 4 -> Carrion Bird on the ground
Walking Mountain - Attack Carrion Bird with Mountain: 2 vs 2 -> No Damage
With thunderous thumps did the beaks close around the Mountains servant and the beast greedily began to draw upon the power animating the stone. Yet you were fast enough, to interrupt its efforts, just as the Sky Child sent winds to pry the beaks off your ally. Granite fists slammed into the unliving things form, sending splinters and feathers flying, ye the beast seemed to barely pay it any mind.
Two of its necks darted forwards, one wrapping around the stone mans arm, the other around the boulder that was its head. You tried your best, but you could not stop it this time. The Wandering Mountains arm went slack as the creature greedily drank every dredge of power from it, boulders falling to the ground lifeless once more. In a rushed choice, you poured your power into one of them and yanked it upwards against the other neck pinning your ally. You only made a small wound, but emboldened by this, the Sky Child raked even more from the mountains flanks and guided them against your foe. It shrieked in pain as bones broke and the thin neck began to fray, right until the Wandering Mountain grabbed it with its remaining arm and snapped it clean off. The severed head twisted and coiled like a serpent for a brief moment before falling apart, its remnants carried of by the storm surrounding the battle.
The bird shrieked and at first it sounded like pain, but it was hatred. As one, each of its beak plunged itself into the Walking Mountains torso, prying into every gap or seam they could find as if searching for something. Once more you tried to protect it, but it was hopeless. You could only watch as the stone mans legs fell apart, its head lolling to the side and barely holding on. Without a word, the Sky Child and you knew what to do and as one you wrestled the storm into another attack, slamming the monster away from your dying ally.
Frantically you rushed to the side of the fallen servant, searching for anything left of it and finding only a faint few sparks left. A flurry of small, twisted birds surrounded you, swarming around the fallen body and looking for an opening. You would not give them one. With one great push you drove them upwards into the maelstrom of wind where they were torn apart. Once more you poured your might into the winds, the Sky Child directing them to the struggling bird and tearing skin and feathers from its form. It was getting weaker. You could feel its shape beginning to waver. But it was not over.
Carrion Bird - Use Death to devour Walking Mountain: 3 6 = 9 vs 6 (Proud Waters) + 3 (Sky Child) = 9 -> Failed
Proud Waters - Assist Sky Child
Sky Child - Attack Carrion Bird with Wind: 4 (Sky Child) + 4 (Proud Waters) = 8 vs 3 -> Carrion Bird takes 5 damage
Its wings beat once more, launching its bulk straight at the Walking Mountain, beaks poised to tear apart the last remaining stones. Far away, you could still hear the Sea Peoples prayers. Just nearby, you could feel the Sky Childs determination. You would not let it. It was of death and so were you. It did not matter if it was stronger than you. It was alone, and you were not. You could feel the Sky Childs power and that of your people flooding you, just as the beaks were about to reach you. And you willed them to stop. And so, they did, screaming in impotent fury just a hairs breadth from you. One last time, the storm slammed into its body, and this time, it was enough. Crashing into the flank of the mountain again, the birds wings snapped and so did many of its necks. It did not screech in pain this time. There was only a faint whimper, carried away by the raging winds.
Carrion Bird - Use Death to devour Walking Mountain: 4 5 = 9 vs 6 (Proud Waters) + 4 (Sky Child) = 10 -> Failed
Proud Waters - Assist Sky Child
Sky Child - Attack Carrion Bird with Wind: 5 (Sky Child) + 3 (Proud Waters) = 8 vs 5 -> Carrion Bird takes 3 damage, Carrion Bird knocked out
The Carrion Bird is defenceless. What will you do with it?
[] Take its power over Death for yourself.
[] Let the Sky Child take its power over the Wind.
[] Kill it and bring its body to the Harsh Mountain.
As you hovered over the fallen form of the bird, you briefly warred what to do with it. The Walking Mountain had nearly been killed in the battle and it would have been a gesture of goodwill to give the spoils to its master, even if they likely stood to gain the least from it. The Sky Child had also fought valiantly, and it would certainly grow in strength from taking the essence of wind that the beast had commanded. But no. In the end, there was no choice to make. The Devourer was still alive and just as strong, if not even stronger, then the unliving carrion beneath you. Your mastery of death had proved inadequate against it. No. Even if the other spirits might disagree, you all would be best served if you took the strength of one beast to better fight the other.
While the Sky Child was still trying to calm the winds back down from the chaotic storm that you battle had caused, you pushed your essence into the bird for one last time. This time, it could not resist and though its own essence sluggishly tried to evade your grasp, it was a futile effort. Piece by piece you tore it out, the carrion becoming lifeless once more as you did so. It had been overwhelming when you took the power of the burial pits, but now it was so much easier. Now it belonged to you nearly as much as your own essence. You had already felt the pain and hunger that it carried. You had already overcome the fear and madness tainting it.
Yet there was something new. Not only did you witness the last moments of all the things that died to bring a semblance of life to the monster, but you also witnessed what occurred after it when dead flesh rose again. How they moved as puppets of the Devourer, seeking to expand their number without knowing why. How they had hidden their presence from your senses by letting go of their power nigh entirely, keeping only a tiny spark that would be kindled by their master when they were needed. It all was so simple, yet so useful. So many servants. So many tireless hands to act upon the world in your name. Greedily you drank it all in, turning your attention to every shard and strand of power until you knew how they all had fitted together, until only one thing was left.
One last glimmer remained deep within the mound of now lifeless bones. Their will. Their mind. The one thing that kept so many dead acting as one. It was a feeble, dying thing that could not even struggle against your grasp. Eagerly you broke it apart, tearing out the last secrets the monster had to offer you. When you had made your herald, you had given more power to a mind that already existed, but now you saw how simple it would have been to make one. Every miracle you worked, every blessing given, they all were your intent made manifest. And this monster had been no different. It had its own will because that was what its creator had willed. Was it any wonder that the Walking Mountain was so simple? Its master had likely wanted something to perfectly adhere to their commands, so this is what their creation had become. Just as the bird had been rage and hunger as its creator had desired. But now its might was yours and you the arbiter of what purpose it would be wielded for. The Devourer would regret giving you this prize. You would make sure of that.
Death Domain rank increased. Death Domain now Tier 1, Rank 2.
Learned to create and imbue simple undead.
Learned to create simple minds.
Gained Punishing Nature +1.
How long you took to fully absorb the creature, you could not tell, but its remnants were covered by a thick layer of winter snow when you were done. Neither the Wandering Mountain, nor the Sky Child were nearby, but instead there was a deep sense of loss aching in every part of your being. You had been away from your people for far too long and even what might you had drawn from beast had been unable to make up for it. The search and the battle had taken much from you, just as the famine had taken much from the Sea People, and so you returned to the sea to rest for a while. It would take time to recover for them and you alike. And to prepare for the battles yet to come.
You have 8 Power to spend.
You can have your Herald perform / assist with one action that has the Sea domain.
Format:
[] Plan Name
-[] name of action – amount of Power to spend / if Herald shall perform or assist this action
-[] next action – Power / Herald
-[] etc.
Blessings
Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.
[] Give Signs.
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: 1 max
[] Bless the goats.
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: 1 max
[] Bless the plants.
Description: The Sea People have taken up the practice of growing nut trees and berry shrubs in the forests to gain more food. Bless their efforts to ensure a good harvest. Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Southern Expedition)
Description: The Travelling People talked of a village in the far south and the explorers are trying to explore the coasts until they find it. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Northern Expedition)
Description: The ice and coldness of the northern waters is troubling the explorers, so they ask for your boons to range ever further. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
Description: The island on the horizon has been taunting the southern explorers for a while and they ask for your aid to survive the journey over the open sea. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the Travelling People.
Description: Having used their travel routes extensively during the hunt for the living dead, you have gained a better understanding of the Travelling People. Offer some blessings to them to see if you can gain more worshippers among them. Domains: None Power: 1 max
Prayers
Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.
[] Inspire the boat makers.
Description: The canoes of the people have greatly improved, but further blessings might yield new inspiration for the boat makers. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the fishers.
Description: Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your sea. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Heal the people.
Description: The healing rites have become a cornerstone of the Bay Villages seasonal cycle and the people pray regularly for you to take away their ailments. Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the bereaved.
Description: With the old forest burials discredited due to the people seeing the burial pits, it would be a good moment to further the acceptance of your burial rites. Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Protect the dead.
Description: You cannot tolerate that the dead given into your care would be devoured by some beast. Spend some of your power to protect their bodies from further attacks. Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Find and slay the Devourer.
Description: The people call upon you to fight the Broken Serpent that lurks in the sea. Answer their prayers and slay the creature. Domains: None Power: 1 max
Punishments
Smite your enemies.
[] Find the Devourers servants.
Description: Some of the Forest People seemed to have worshipped the Devourer in some sense and apparently so did some of the dead who made up the Carrion Bird. Try to find out if there are more of his servants among the Sea People. Domains: None Power: 1 max
Diplomacy
Meet your fellow spirits and see to improve relations to them.
[] Meet another spirit.
-[] Write-In whom to meet with.
-[] Write-In with what goal.
Description: Approach another spirit to make them an offer. Domains: - Power: varies (will be given by GM depending on goal and scope)
[] Aid the Harsh Mountain.
Description: The mountain spirits servant had been quiet grievously wounded during the battle against the Carrion Bird. Meet him again and offer your help to heal the Walking Mountain. Domains: None Power: 1 max
Imbuements
Anchor your power to a thing or creature to change their nature and aid your efforts.
[] Align a location.
-[] Domain
--[] Sea
--[] Death
-[] Location
--[] Bay
--[] River (Warning: will turn river into saltwater if imbued with Sea domain)
--[] Write-In
Description: Imbue your power into a place to align it with one of your domains. Domains: - Power: 4
[] Imbue a shrine.
-[] Shrine
--[] Bay Shrine
--[] River Shrine
-[] Write-In which Blessing / Prayer / Punishment to imbue. (must be a Domain action)
Description: You can mould your power to shape itself to a limited degree and anchor it to a shrine. Thus, you can have that shrine provide some of the same benefits as your own acts. Domains: - Power: 6
[] Create undead.
Description: The dead have served the Devourer, but now you can make them serve you instead. If nothing else they will make a good way to store power for later use. Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Imbue 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: 2 max
Growth
Spend power to change yourself and to increase your might.
[] Obtain the Healing domain.
Description: You have healed many wounds, both of our followers and even your own herald. The power you gain from the healing rites of the people is changing and you can change too. Domains: - Power: 12
[] Meditate on the Sea.
Description: Your recent acts have shown you that your might knows limits, even when commanding the sea. Try to find a way to surpass them. Domains: - Power: 6
[] Deepen your power over Death.
Description: While you learned much from consuming the Carrion Bird, you still feel that you power could grow more. It will take much time and effort to unravel the deeper mysteries of Death though. Domains: - Power: 16
Other
There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.
[] Build a home in the reef.
-[] Write-In Death Power to spend (3 max)
-[] Write-In Sea Power to spend (2 max)
Description: It has now been twice that you became so engrossed in a task that you forgot your surroundings over it. Given that the Devourer is still at large, it was likely not quite safe to do so. The mortals build houses to protect themselves and maybe you should do the same. At the very least it would be a safe place for you to store physical things. Domains: - Power: special
[] Explore the land.
Description: Move further inland and see what you can find there. Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Explore the sea.
Description: While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts. Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Find the other villages in the mountains.
Description: You have seen one of the villages under the Harsh Mountains control, but you know neither the one that was destroyed by the Devourer, nor the remaining settlement. Explore the mountains to change that. Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of your 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: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of the world.
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: 1 max
AN: Voting moratorium of 2 hours will be in effect as usual for turn-votes.
Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Nov 22, 2021 at 9:57 AM, finished with 106 posts and 41 votes.
[X] Plan: Rebuild, React, and Reflect
-[X] Bless the plants. 1
-[X] Bless the fishers. 1 + Herald
-[X] Bless the Travelling People. 1
-[X] Heal the people. 1
-[X] Bless the bereaved. 1
-[X] Find the Devourers servants. 1
-[X] Aid the Harsh Mountain. 1
-[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power. 1
[X] Plan Protector of the People -[X] Bless the fishers. - 1 power (Herald Assist) -[X] Bless the plants. - 1 power -[X] Heal the people. - 1 power -[X] Bless the bereaved. - 1 power -[X] Protect the dead. - 1 power -[X] Imbue power into sea life for later use. - 2 power -[X] Aid the Harsh Mountain. - 1 power
[X] Plan Rest, and Recuperation -[X] Bless the plants. - 1 power
- [X] Bless the goats. - 1 Power
- [X] Bless the fishers. - 1 Power, Herald -[X] Heal the people. - 1 power -[X] Protect the dead. - 1 power
- [X] Create undead. - 1 Power, stick to animals only for now
- [X] Find the Devourers servants. - 1 Power -[X] Aid the Harsh Mountain. - 1 power
[X] Plan: Rebuild, React, and Reflect
-[X] Bless the plants. 1
-[X] Bless the fishers. 1 + Herald
-[X] Bless the Travelling People. 1
-[X] Heal the people. 1
-[X] Bless the bereaved. 2
-[X] Find the Devourers servants. 1
-[X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power. 1
Even moving from the reef at all had become a strain, so much had you overexerted yourself, and there was not much that you felt capable of doing about it. Slowly leeching some power from the mounds and waiting for the worship of the Sea People to restore you seemed the best option by far, and so you sent your Herald to ensure that the sea would be kind to the people while you were waiting the pain to lessen some more. Unlike when you had taken the power of the mountains monster, you could still hear the peoples prayers far away and could give your blessings in return, though it was harder to mould the power with any precision at a distance.
Instead of trying to force your will from afar, you focused your attention on things closer at hand. Having seen through the eyes of the dead how they had been used to create the beast you had fought, you had been left with many questions. How had the Devourer gathered all this power? Was it the act of killing the people and animals, or was it their fear that had created it? It was clear that Skerhogis knew more than you and with the bodies of the dead denied to it, you were left to guess at their next actions if you could not figure out by what other method they were now sustaining themselves.
Observing the fish around you living and dying was not the best comparison to what you had seen happening in the memories you took, but it was enough to determine a few things. When you manifested a form to scare them, there was indeed a tiny trickle of power to take from them. That meant the terror of the people at the living dead likely accounted for quite some of the potential they had gathered. Unfortunately, that also meant that the stories that the Sea People told of the Devourer were empowering it. To see the moon darken and to feel the suffocating feeling of death blanked the world must have had contributed quite tremendously to the ritual too. But there was something more interesting that you noticed.
When the Forest People had offered their own and captured Sea People to the pits, it had greatly empowered them. Likewise, the few who had willingly offered themselves to the unliving had contributed far more to their power than their fear alone. You had thought that it was death itself that empowered these things, yet when you used your power over death to snuff out some living things, there was next to nothing to gained from it. It took almost as much of your might to leech the life out of an animal as you could gain from doing so. No. Much like the goats that the Sea People offered to you, it was that act that gave it meaning. A human life offered to you was likely worth more than on you took yourself and greater yet would be the one given willingly. It was something worth keeping in mind, even though you saw little value in having the Sea People slay each other to empower you.
1
Quite to the contrary, your first act upon feeling well enough to leave the reef was to ensure that they would grow in number again. The famines toll was heavy, but the efforts of your herald had managed to turn the tide. Fish and mussels became more plenty again and the Sea People began to trade smoked and dried fish with the homesteads in the forests again. You added your own blessings to that of the great carp, but he had taken such good care of the sea that you soon switched your attention to the land instead. The people had noticed too and while the fish had long been a motive common in the carvings of the Sea People, especially on the boats, he had slowly begun to attract his own legends in the last few lifetimes. They had begun to call him Hegnevus the Boat Guider, recalling the many times that he had helped fishers, explorers and even the boat makers in their tasks, and of course the first battle against the Devourer in which he had earned his distinct scars.
2 + 4 (Herald) = 6
In the forests, your efforts were met with similar successes. Since you had not blessed a plant in many, many lifetimes, and only kelp at that, the first few bushes and trees you tried to bestow your power upon withered away as your affinity to death crept into your work. Soon enough though, you had gained a feeling for the plants of the forest and the next years, the Sea People found bushes and branches heavy with berries, fruit, and nuts. It also helped greatly that the Sky Child had been blessing the weather and winds at the same time, leading to milder winters and warmer summers, which the plants were just as grateful for as the people. The sudden plenty helped the Forest Villages to grow quite a bit and it spurred some innovation too. In addition to the hearths common to the Sea Peoples longhouses, many in the forests began to add closed clay ovens to their homes to better bake bread from ground nuts. Those same ovens were also useful for drying foods and rendering the fat of animals much more easily than clay vessels over a fire, and so trade between the settlements kept growing as fish and pearls travelled inland while furs, flours and fat was traded to the coasts.
3
Having plenty of food again cut down greatly on the deaths among the people, though that hardly meant that there was no sickness or death. Your efforts to stave off the deaths of the sick and the old were not greatly successful, so you manifested your body a few times to attend the greater rites again to ensure that the people kept believing in them. Instead, you focused your efforts on those left behind and to ease the passing of those whom you know could not be helped. Many of the Sea People had prayed for salvation from their suffering in the past, but with your power over death having grown and so many memories of painful deaths claimed from the Devourers foul kin, you had gained new perspective on the last moments of mortals. Staving off their end had always seemed the most important thing, yet if there was nothing to be done, it was also valuable to let them pass in peace instead of agony. So, when the healing failed, you took their pains away another way and while the people grieved over the loss, the dead were grateful for the mercy you had offered them.
1
3
All this time, you also made sure to keep some attention on the Travelling People too. Their attendance to the healing rites was common by now and they practiced the lesser rites on their own among their number, they still clung to the old burial rites and left their dead in the forests. Some wandering shamans of the Sea People had begun to try and convince them of merit of your rites, yet it was not all that practical for nomads with them to the sea, so it had not caught on all that much. Still though, some did and those you blessed plenty. You also eased the passing of those for whom death was inevitable, though the Sky Child seemed somewhat alarmed by that for a while, following you around whenever they noticed you near their people. They tried to stay hidden while doing so, though their efforts failed quite badly, and the few times you spoke, they only vaguely asked about your actions. Whatever had caused their suspicion though, it lessened with time again, and while your burial rites were still far from common among the Travelling People, they at least had begun to have the rites performed when they were close to Sea People settlements when one of their passed.
3
It was somewhat reassuring that at least none of the Travelling People seemed to object to their old rites being replaced, clinging to them more out of practicality than great conviction. You had made sure to pay close attention to their burials in the forests and likewise if any among the Sea People were doing things they should not, yet you did not witness anything of note. Though if that was because the Devourer had no servants among your people, or because you had failed to find them, that you could not determine with any confidence. At the very least you could not sense any great gatherings of power aligned with death anywhere near the Sea People, so a repeat of the events in the mountains seemed profoundly unlikely.
What you did find though was signs of purely mortal strife. Along the rivers of the River Village, homesteads had been raided in recent lifetimes and their occupants slain. You had long tried to find any sign of a spirits involved with these events, first expecting to find evidence of undead attacking in the name of the Devourer, but not even faintest trace of spent power could be found clinging to the empty longhouses. You then assumed that it might have been a different spirits work, whose followers were raiding for sacrifices, yet the power had not been drained from the dead, so that seemed not to be the reason for the raids either. A few wandering shamans had rounded up some warriors to protect the homesteads and to hunt down the attackers, and while they had no success in apprehending any of them, they did spot unknown groups of people moving through the dense forests now and then. It was strange to see mortals struggle for apparently no reason at all, though with no sign of a spirit attacking the Sea People, you let the matter rest for the time being. You still had to deal with one matter left from your last battle.
When you approached the Harsh Mountain, its home was filled with the sound of rock striking rock in an even rhythm. On the same slope that you had met them last time, the mound of stone had formed again and its eyes were focused on a set of huge stone slabs laying there. Smaller stones were lifting and falling of their own accord, striking the slaps and digging deep gouges forming intricate patterns into them. Some of the gouges were strange though. They were filled with something grey that seemed to shine like the sun, until you noticed that it only reflected the sunlight like the calm sea did on a clear day. "You have come to repay your debt," grumbled a familiar, deep voice. The mounds eyes did not move though and neither did the rocks pause their work.
If it was a debt, you were not sure, and so you did not gainsay the mountain spirit. You had agreed to keep their servitor safe after all and it had come to great harm. "I have come to offer my aid to heal the Walking Mountain," you replied carefully. Causing offense was hardly your intention, but neither was submitting to the Harsh Mountain.
The other spirit said nothing for a while, only the pounding of rocks filling the silence, until small chunks of the silvery material floated into the gouges made in the slabs. "Silver," the spirit said at your curious gaze as the stones began to hammer the material into the gouges. "My people pry it from the mountains for me and I intend to strengthen my servitor with it. You can aid with attaching the new limbs to it when they are done."
From what the Sky Child had told you, this likely was kindest treatment you could expect from the usually quite domineering spirit. "Gladly," you said in return, quietly happy that you had lapsed into some form of workable relationship with the Harsh Mountain. The last thing you needed was another enemy so close to your people, even if the mountain spirit seemed perfectly fine with staying on their summit all the time.
As it seemed that the work would soon be done, you stayed and watched some more. It likely had taken quite a while for the Mountain People to gather this much of this silver substance, as the spirit certainly worked it quiet quickly. When the Sky Child had told you that the Mountain was also worshipped as the patron of the Mountain Peoples craftsmen, you had been surprised at first as it seemed at odds with the impersonal being, though now it made perfect sense why the stone carvers sought the spirits blessings.
When it was all done, the Harsh Mountain slowly floated the slabs into place. Only now did you notice that part of the pile of those already finished was the torso of the fallen Walking Mountain, now reworked with finer carvings and silver inlays. Once all was in place, both of you poured your power into the stones. Healing a set of animated stones was strange at first, though you quickly learned the basic ways that this odd body worked by watching the mountain spirit do their work. Connecting the limbs to the body was beyond you, the odd way in which power and intent aped life too different from all you had seen so far. Once it was made though, you found it easy to strengthen these bonds to become more solid, letting the other spirit move on to make the next connection.
After only a few days of work, the Walking Mountain stood once more, now looking even stronger than before. Its master quickly sent it off though as there were apparently plenty of tasks that had needed the stone beings' hands to be completed. You were just about to take your leave when the Harsh Mountain surprised you. "We should find an agreement," the spirit suddenly spoke, and you knew that the surprise was radiating off you when it continued. "It is clear that you will not submit to my will and the Child is growing in power to the point its servitude is likewise in question. An agreement then. I was told this is the way you favour, and it is acceptable to me."
"That is an unexpected turn," you hedged. "I take it that an alliance against the Devourer will be part of such an agreement?"
The stones ground as the mound's eyes turned to the north, where you all were certain the beasts lair could be found. "That much is a given. Skerhogis is the enemy of us all and it would be folly to not aid another against it now and in the future." Then it focused on your form again. "There are other matters that we can cooperate on though."
What deal do you offer the Harsh Mountain? (Harsh Mountain may decline the offer. The higher the value of the agreement, the more likely they will agree.)
[] Spread Harsh Mountain to the Sea People. (+4)
Allow the Harsh Mountain to send their shamans to the villages of the Sea People and to be worshipped there without your interference.
[] Spread Proud Waters to the Mountain People. (-3)
Have your own shamans move to the mountains to spread your rites there. Harsh Mountain will not interfere with your efforts.
[] Cleanse the Blighted Lands. (+2)
The settlement destroyed by the Devourer is still tainted by the power of Death and occasionally dead things raise as undead there. Offer to cleanse the area within 3 turns.
[] Cleanse the Unliving. (+2)
There are still some undead roaming the mountains and harassing the trade routes there. Offer to spend at least 3 Power on cleansing these undead within 3 turns.
[] Forest Roads. (-3)
One of the things that the Walking Mountain is rather good at is clearing walkable roads for the people through the mountains. It could do the same in the forests.
[] Forest Dams. (-6)
Apparently the long lake in the Mountain Village is not natural, but the result of the Walking Mountain building a dam. You could have similar made in the forests to aid the Forest Villages' growth.
[] Healing for the Mountain People. (+2)
The Mountain People have some persistent troubles with sickness lately. Alleviate the problem by spending at least 1 Power on it for 3 turns.
[] Inspire boat makers. (-2)
Have the Harsh Mountain bless the boat makers to improve your boat designs further. This is equivalent to a 3 Power blessing with a Tier 1 Domain.
[] Teach stone carvers. (-2)
The Mountain People are very skilled at carving stones and building with them. Have Harsh Mountain order some of them to teach their skills to the Sea People.
AN: Take note that you can also make no offer at all. The alliance against the Devourer would still be on in that case.
Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Nov 23, 2021 at 1:30 PM, finished with 62 posts and 31 votes.
[X] The Pact of the Land and Sea -[X] Spread Harsh Mountain to the Sea People. (+4) -[X] Spread Proud Waters to the Mountain People. (-3)
- [X] Cleanse the Blighted Lands. (+2)
- [X] Forest Roads. (-3) -[X] Healing for the Mountain People. (+2)
- [X] Cleanse the Unliving. (+2) -[X] Inspire boat makers. (-2)
You thought for a while about the offers and demands that Harsh Mountain presented you, weighing carefully how much you could trust the domineering spirit with the usefulness of the things that they offered you. Cleansing the remnants of the Devourers attack from the mountains was an easy choice. Even if it these troubles had no impact on the Sea People yet, letting your enemies influence fester sat ill with you. Having the Mountain People share their skills with the Sea People and having a blessing bestowed on the boat makers was likewise an easy choice. The first would mean that the people could learn to raise temples to you like the one in the Mountain Village, the other that they would have an easier time to claim more of the world once their numbers had fully recovered from the famine. Other things were less clear cut though.
Having the Walking Mountain carve paths through the forests to connect the villages would be a boon to the traders, but also make it quite easy for the Harsh Mountain to gain worship from all who witnessed their servant work. It was the matter of trust that outweighed all other considerations. If you could trust the mountain spirit, then you might as well trade the rights to have each other's shamans work in peace. If not, was there even a way to have an agreement at all? After all, the Mountain talked about a promise to not interfere with their work. They had never promised to not send them in the first place. In the end, their worship would likely spread one way or another, much as yours would among the Mountain People, baring the two of you fighting each other openly to stop it.
In the end, the choice was an easy one. It was either to broker peace between the two of you and to trade some favours to solidify that compact, or to prepare to fight each other for control sooner or later. So, peace it was and aid pledged to each other freely for many things. If the people worshipped each of you in equal measure, there would be nothing to be gained by fighting anymore and the sooner it happened the better. The Mountain readily agreed to the pact you offered, having gained everything they wanted from it and not having to offer too onerous blessings in return. To seal the agreement and to inform the mortals about it, he proposed to carve two great stone steles that would depict each term agreed and decorate it with pearls and seashells. One would be left in the Mountain Village, the other brought to the Bay Village, so that all mortals could look upon them and see the will of their gods. It was a good proposal and so you pledged to keep aside some of the offerings of the coming seasons for this purpose, glad about a pact well made.
Gain Mercenary Nature +1.
Returning to your own villages, you took stock of your people once more. They had recovered mostly from the famine, though the River Village and the Bay Village were still a bit smaller than they used to be. Hopefully a few more blessings would see them on the path to proper growth again as there was still plenty of land to claim and to settle. To the south, the Hill Village was growing quite well, though there was some strife growing between the wandering shamans of the hinterlands and the shamans residing in the village proper. Both he fishers of the lake and those of the sea had begun to use slightly different rites to ask for you blessings. The same had happened in the River Village, though here the people had contact often enough that the differences were more noticeable to them, prompting some disagreements about which rites were the proper ones. Oddly enough, this time the differences seemed to have an impact on the power you could draw from their worship. It still came readily enough to your calls, but something about it was slightly different when the lake and river fishers asked for your boons.
Perhaps it was of no consequence. Perhaps it was something to be wary about and to investigate, maybe even push back against, yet there were already so many draws on your time. Worse yet, it became clear that your blessings were not reaching the people equally anymore. There were already so many places to take care of and now even the mountains would demand your attention. You would have no choice but to focus some more in the future, lest you spread yourself even thinner than you already were. At least the recovery of the Sea People and the healing of the Deep Reef had restored your vigour and there would be a decent amount of power at your disposal.
You have 11 Power to spend.
You can have your Herald perform / assist with one action that has the Sea domain.
You agreed to perform the following actions:
- Cleanse the Blighted Lands within 3 turns.
- Cleanse the Undead with 3 Power within 3 turns.
- Heal the people in the Mountain area with at least 1 power for 3 turns.
Important: Many blessings are now restricted to only affect one area. You can perform an action once per area, but the power cap applies to all of them put together.
Format:
[] Plan Name
-[] name of action – area to perform it in – amount of Power to spend / if Herald shall perform or assist this action
-[] next action – area -Power / Herald
-[] etc.
Blessings
Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.
[] Bless the goats.
Description: Your efforts with the fish prove that your power could change an animal. Maybe your would have more impressive results from the goats. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the plants.
Description: The Sea People have taken up the practice of growing nut trees and berry shrubs in the forests to gain more food. Bless their efforts to ensure a good harvest. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Southern Expedition)
Description: The Travelling People talked of a village in the far south and the explorers are trying to explore the coasts until they find it. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Northern Expedition)
Description: The ice and coldness of the northern waters is troubling the explorers, so they ask for your boons to range ever further. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
Description: The island on the horizon has been taunting the southern explorers for a while and they ask for your aid to survive the journey over the open sea. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
Prayers
Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.
[] Inspire the boat makers.
Description: The canoes of the people have greatly improved, but further blessings might yield new inspiration for the boat makers. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the sea fishers.
Description: Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your sea. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the river and lake fishers.
Description: Instead of working against the differences in the rites, you could always try to encourage the heterodoxy and see what becomes of it. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Heal the people.
Description: The healing rites have become a cornerstone of the Bay Villages seasonal cycle and the people pray regularly for you to take away their ailments. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the dying and the bereaved.
Description: Your burial rites are unchallenged in the Shorelands, though in the Mountains, they still practice old rites that likely feed the Devourers power. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Find and slay the Devourer.
Description: The people call upon you to fight the Broken Serpent that lurks in the sea. Answer their prayers and slay the creature. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
Punishments
Smite your enemies.
[] Find the Devourers servants.
Description: Your latest efforts have found no signs of servants of the Devourer in the Shorelands, but that does not mean that there are none. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Compel sacrifices.
Description: Use curses and other means to force the people to make greater sacrifices to you, thus gaining power from them. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: - Power: -4 max
[] Curse the raiders.
Description: Find the people responsible for the raids near the River Village and punish them for their attacks. Area: Shorelands Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Enforce orthodoxy. (Sea)
Description: Some of the people have altered the rites they use to pray to you, and it is beginning to have an impact on the power you gain from it. Curse those who stray to far from established rites to put an end to this. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
Diplomacy
Meet your fellow spirits and see to improve relations to them.
[] Meet another spirit.
-[] Write-In whom to meet with.
-[] Write-In with what goal.
Description: Approach another spirit to make them an offer. Domains: - Power: varies (will be given by GM depending on goal and scope)
Imbuements
Anchor your power to a thing or creature to change their nature and aid your efforts.
[] Align a location. (Write-In Domain)
Description: Imbue your power into a place to align it with one of your domains. Area: Bay (Shorelands), River (Shorelands), Write-In Domains: - Power: 4
[] Cleanse the Blighted Lands.
Description: The attack of the Devourer left the area of the former village drenched with the power of Death. Use your own mastery of this domain to undo that alignment. Area: Blighted Lands (Mountains) Domains: - Power: 8
[] Imbue a shrine.
-[] Shrine
--[] Bay Shrine
--[] River Shrine
-[] Write-In which Blessing / Prayer / Punishment to imbue. (must be a Domain action)
Description: You can mould your power to shape itself to a limited degree and anchor it to a shrine. Thus, you can have that shrine provide some of the same benefits as your own acts. Area: Bay Shrine (Shorelands), River Shrine (Shorelands) Domains: - Power: 6
[] Create undead.
Description: The dead have served the Devourer, but now you can make them serve you instead. If nothing else they will make a good way to store power for later use. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Cleanse the Unliving.
Description: There is still an infestation of the living dead to be found in the mountains. Go and cull their number. Area: Mountains Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Imbue 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. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
Growth
Spend power to change yourself and to increase your might.
[] Obtain the Healing domain.
Description: You have healed many wounds, both of our followers and even your own herald. The power you gain from the healing rites of the people is changing and you can change too. Area: - Domains: - Power: 12
[] Meditate on the Sea.
Description: Your recent acts have shown you that your might knows limits, even when commanding the sea. Try to find a way to surpass them. Area: - Domains: - Power: 6
[] Deepen your power over Death.
Description: While you learned much from consuming the Carrion Bird, you still feel that you power could grow more. It will take much time and effort to unravel the deeper mysteries of Death though. Area: - Domains: - Power: 16
Other
There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.
[] Build a home in the reef.
-[] Write-In Death Power to spend (3 max)
-[] Write-In Sea Power to spend (2 max)
Description: It has now been twice that you became so engrossed in a task that you forgot your surroundings over it. Given that the Devourer is still at large, it was likely not quite safe to do so. The mortals build houses to protect themselves and maybe you should do the same. At the very least it would be a safe place for you to store physical things. Area: - Domains: - Power: special
[] Explore the land.
Description: Move further inland and see what you can find there. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Explore the sea.
Description: While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Try to learn more about the different fishing rites.
Description: You could try to spend some of your power to investigate the matter of the fishing rites more closely. Maybe you can find out what this strangeness means before you have to make a choice on the matter. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of your 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. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of the world.
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. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
AN: As usual, there will be a 2 hour voting moratorium.
Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Nov 26, 2021 at 10:18 AM, finished with 154 posts and 36 votes.
[X] Plan Building a Corpse Foundation -[X] Heal the people (Mountains) -- 1 Power -[X] Bless the dying and the bereaved. (Mountains) -- 1 Power -[X] Cleanse the Unliving. (Mountains) -- 3 Power -[X] Bless the goats. (Shorelands) -- 1 Power -[X] Bless the sea fishers. (Shorelands) -- 1 Power -[X] Try to learn more about the different fishing rites. -- 2 Power
-[X] Imbue power into sea life for later use. -- 1 Power
-[X] Find and slay the Devourer. -- 1 Power -[X] Herald -- Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
[X] Building Foundations -[X] Heal the people (Mountains) -- 1 Power -[X] Bless the dying and the bereaved. (Mountains) -- 1 Power -[X] Cleanse the Unliving. (Mountains) -- 3 Power -[X] Bless the goats. (Shorelands) -- 1 Power -[X] Bless the sea fishers. (Shorelands) -- 1 Power -[X] Try to learn more about the different fishing rites. -- 2 Power -[X] Imbue power into sea life for later use. -- 2 Power -[X] Herald -- Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
Your deal with the Harsh Mountain still fresh, you resolved to get to your part of it with urgency and vigour. It would not do if the other spirit thought you were dallying, lest they regrated making this offer in the first place. Thus, you found yourself mostly in the mountains for a good few seasons, giving blessings of health to all and even more to those who prayed to you under the directions of your shamans, focusing your efforts on the dying and their kin. Here in the mountains, they still brought the dead to the wilderness and while you had never sensed the Devourer coming for these bodies, the lingering undead certainly did. It filled you with a deep revulsion to see this constant desecration. Either the ravens and wolves would tear the bodies of the dead apart, or the unliving would come and raise them as one of their own. Unfortunately, the old rites were hard to break, especially with no river available to carry the dead to the sea. Your blessings did reach a few people and while few yet saw the sense in giving the ashes into your care, they at least began to cremate more of their dead. It would like take much more effort to spread your burial rites into the Mountain Village, let alone the small and even more remote mining village.
The remaining village that Harsh Mountain had his followers found was nestled into a deep valley in the high mountains, where even the mountain spirits control was light at best. In the summer, they were trading the material that had given Silver Cliff its name with the Mountain Village, but in winter, they were cut off entirely from the world. Then they survived on what they had stored away in the fall, and the milk and meat of the goats and oxen they kept. Here, your burial rites were the most ill-fitting, as the only brooks that existed in the valley at all ended in a lake, not the sea, yet here it was that you had the most success with your efforts. In the harsh cold of the deep winter, the few shamans of yours that had come to the village had taken to caring for the sick and the dying as much as they could. Oddly enough, their teachings were greeted with open arms.
The people there had a wisdom that burying the dead in the wrong fashion would risk to turn the dead into unliving that would then lurk in the lake and brooks to turn the water into poison or drag the unwary into the water. Like most of the Mountain People, they tended to bring their dead onto the mountain tops in the summer, but in winter, the mountains were so full of snow that they could barely leave the deepest parts of the valley, let alone bring the dead to the high slopes. Instead, they had taken to burning them in a special oven and to then scatter the ashes on the mountains in the spring. Your shamans immediately made a connection to you, though they were not certain if you would be so vengeful as to poison the waters if your rites were not followed. None the less, you rapidly gained worshippers in Silver Cliff and there was even talk about having the oven that burned the dead sanctified by your shamans in the future.
1
Your efforts to heal the people of the Mountain Village on the other hand were much more successful. As Harsh Mountain had hinted at, his people were commonly beset by a wasting disease that laid them low with bowel cramps and then had them wither away. Even though the frequency with which it happened was strange, the sickness itself was easy enough to cure and the rituals that asked for your assistance spread nearly as fast as the disease itself. Soon enough, a small shrine had been build near the lake of the Mountain Village and the people came regularly, making offerings of food and herbs, but also carved figurines of fish, boats and what they assumed your physical form to look like. The shamans were quite pleased with these offerings and quite a few of them were brough back to the shrine of the Bay Village as decorations. It helped that the Walking Mountain had begun on its task and while the path it had carved had only reached to the Forest Villages so far, it still helped the trade between the Sea People and the Mountain People immensely.
4
But while you tended to the living of the mountains, you also kept a close watch to the unliving. Unlike the last time that you hunted them, they were easy to find as long as you took the time to cast out your senses. Without the Devourer directing them, they wandered aimlessly through the mountains. Sometimes they gathered to larger groups, or formed them when they managed to overwhelm an unwary group of travellers, but by and large they were no great danger to the villages. Yet. If left unchecked, their number would grow and so you hunted them whenever you could and wherever you could find them. You snuffed them out with the lightest movement of your power and each time you did, it became a little bit easier, a little bit more routine. Soon enough, you barely had to pay attention to it anymore. You simply flew over the mountains and tried to sense them and every speck of the power of death you found, you ripped straight from their rotting husks. A few seasons later, they were all gone. A few would emerge now and then from the Blighted Lands, the lifeless hills of dirt where once a village stood, but they preferred to stay within the area that resonated with their nature instead of venturing out and tormenting the living, leaving the mountains safe once more.
166 -> 13
For now, at least. The thought came to you time and time again as you cleansed the land from the unliving. They could return. The Devourer could just make more. Or it could think up another trick, another way of attack. When you had killed the bird made from carrion, what had you truly won? Skerhogis was still out there, likely feasting on the bodies of some unwary people where your protection was not reaching. How much longer until the next attack? Would you be ready to repel the next one too? The people had prayed for you to fight the beast almost from the day it had shown itself to you and so far, you had done little to do so. Were you strong enough to take it on? Your control over the dead had improved by leaps and bounds. And yet. There was this sliver of doubt that it was still not enough. That the beast had grown in power too and you were still to weak to put an end to it. But you had allies and it was alone.
Before you had made a conscious choice about the matter, you had already begun to gather the creatures of the ocean in your reef and to grant slivers of your power to them. It was not much, but maybe it would be enough to tip things in your favour in a crucial moment. You had to find its lair at least. See where the monster was hiding and plotting in between your encounters. To the north you swam through the waters, making sure your presence was concealed in the waters as you moved, casting out your own senses to feel for Skerhogis' essence. You still remember the vision you had received so many lifetimes ago of islands, but you were also certain that they had been close to the land and so you staid close to the shore, waiting for the land to split apart. For a while, there was nothing but normal coast and when you peeked out of the waters, you saw only sparse forests and reindeer filled grasslands. On the sea though, you began to feel a cold creeping over the water and sure enough, entire mountains of ice could be found drifting further out in the sea. The stench of the Devourers mastery of death was absent from them, but there was no question that these were his work. The ice brimmed with power that kept it cold and solid even though the summer sun was beating on it. Was this another attack or just Skerhogis' way of defending its home? You did not intend to tip the creature off that you were approaching and so you took your distance from the ice again, swimming northwards where you could spot more of them on the horizon.
When you reached them though, it became clear that they were not floating blocks of ice. Once this place must have been a set of islands, so close to the western coast that you might have been able to walk to them during low tide. Curiously enough, there was also land to the east, stretching into the distance. Now though, these islands were covered in jagged spikes of ice, which ranged in colour from a clear white to a deep blue that was almost black. Some of them curved oddly like the ribs of a titanic best, others just slabs of ice strewn around with no clear purpose. Of the islands themselves, nearly nothing was still visible, except for a few spots of blackened earth in between the ice. The raw potential bound in all this ice was staggering and you grimly wondered how the Devourer had gathered it all. On its purpose you could only wonder, and yet you coveted it immediately, the essence of death in you calling to the self-same power bound in this place. Another part of you was sickened by it though, the sea around you seeming sluggish and hostile as the essences of ice and death crowded out the sea that usually resonated with your mere presence. It was like the reef, you slowly realized. A place where the Devourer could gather strength and where its control was amplified, while everyone daring to approach it would be weakened. Not a lair, but a stronghold.
How do you proceed?
[] Leave. It is too risky to attack Skerhogis where they prepared the ground for battle.
[] Gather your allies and draw out the Devourer to kill it.
-[] Walking Mountain (slow, landbound)
-[] Sky Child -[] Hegnevus the Boat Guider unavaible; would be unable to fight in hostile environment
AN: Well, you found out what the Devourer has been up to in its spare time.
When you flew back to the lands of the Sea People, you had plenty of time to ponder your choice. What was the point of waiting? While your might had grown since your last battle, so had that of the beast. And now it was preparing another ritual. One much larger than the last and likely for the same purpose. If Skerhogis could just make more servants of equal strength to the creature you fought in the mountains, it was just a matter of time until they had gathered enough to overwhelm you. So, the choice was made and your path led not back to the comfort of the reef, but to the skies above the forests and to the Sky Child roaming them. The wind spirit was troubled by the idea of fighting the Devourer where it was strongest, yet it was clear to both of you that it could not be avoided. The beast had steadfastly denied to give battle, and they agreed with your worry of what the beast would do with the power gathered on the frozen islands.
The Harsh Mountain was not as easy to convince. For them, to agree to this plan meant to risk their servitor yet again and while you would already not risk your herald lightly, the gruff spirit was even more reliant on it. It took some talking from you, and cajoling from the Sky Child, but they relented in the end. There was nothing the three of you could do to protect the village of Silver Cliff, should the Devourer try the same surprise attack as the last time, and losing even more of his mortal servants sat quite ill with the Harsh Mountain. They would have preferred some more time to prepare, though the threat of whatever ritual the Devourer was preparing convinced them that there was nothing that could be worth any further delays. Again, it fell on you to lead the Walking Mountain and while the Harsh Mountain still said nothing on the matter, you took it as confirmation that they truly were unable to leave the mountain that gave them their name.
Only a few days later, everything was in place. You would have preferred to attack even earlier, but the Walking Mountains ponderous pace made that impossible. It had walked without rest the entire time, crossing through the forests and the cold plains north of them, until it arrived at the shore close to the jagged shards of ice rising from the sea. The servitor had waited there for a day, with the Sky Child hiding behind the clouds and you beneath the waves. The Devourer knew you were there, you had felt its presence on the edge of your senses a few times while you had escorted the ponderous stone man on it's way, so by brazenly waiting in front of its lair, you had tried to lure it out. But it did not come. The next day, the Sky Child began to weave insults and taunts into the wind, throwing it at the frozen island to mock Skerhogis. But again, it did not take the bait. And worst of all, you could not even reliably tell where the monster was, as it seemed to appear and disappear to your senses without rhyme or reason.
The next day was a cloudless one, the summer son promising to leave a faint warmth even on the coldest ice. You had no illusions that it would make much of a difference, but if it made even the tiniest one, then it was worth taking even that sliver of an advantage. The enemy was not so kind to come to you to fight on neutral ground and so, with no other choice and committed to this attack, you ordered the Walking Mountain into motion again. It would walk towards the islands, crossing the sea by using the thick sheets of ice, while you would trail it in the sea and the Sky Child in the air. That way, you would see the Devourer approaching no matter which of the two ways it approached. It was as good a plan as the two of you could think of, given the circumstances. The land itself was arrayed against you and you had to draw out a foe that had crafted it to their own whims, while you knew not in the slightest what to expect. You knew full well that the plan might fail. And it did.
It happened as the Walking Mountain was right on the ice connecting the first island to the coast. You could see the great stone mans shape from beneath, a large blotch of grey visible behind the thick curtain of blue ice above you. The sea was shallow here, barely a few mortals high of water between the ice and the seafloor, so you did not expect the massive shape of the Devourer to even fit, let alone that it would try to cram itself into the narrow gap. Your thoughts were more on how to quickly break through the ice and take to the sky when the serpent would show itself in the sky. So, when the sinuous shape appeared above you, wings stretched out, your power urged the waters to strike against the ice without even thinking. The sea was sluggish, reluctant even to obey your call, yet the ice cracked under your onslaught. Part of you already felt for the tiniest rivulets of saltwater that you could follow through the ice to the surface while your thoughts caught up with what you saw. The Devourer was not flying in the sky. It was not swimming through the sea. It was floating through the ice that was solid even to you as if it was not even there, it's massive wings beating almost lazily to propel it forward.
Skerhogis emerged from the ice with a burst, breaking it into slippery rubble right beneath the Walking Mountains feet and thus letting it sink into the ice. All around you, the ice was cracking, the seas waters pressing upwards through the cracks and you with it, just as a rapid wind carried the Sky Child down from the clouds. But while you moved as fast as you could, the Devourer was already there. It had changed since you last saw it. No longer was it a broken thing, cobbled together from rotten fish and shattered bones. Now it was covered and white and blue scales made from purest ice, jutting out of shrivelled flesh the colour for frostbite. Only its wings were devoid of scales. They were only thin, black skin stretched over spindly bones. With a great gulp it sucked in air and when it breathed out again, it had become colder than the darkest winter night, freezing the ice solid once more around the Walking Mountains legs.
Both the Sky Child and you tried to diver the monsters power as it seeped into the ice, while the Harsh Mountains servitor struggled physically, but it was like fighting the turn of day and night. The ice wanted to obey Skerhogis' will and even with the three of you struggling together, you could only barely prevent it from closing around the Walking Mountains legs. Great chunks of ice as solid as the stone clung to its form, as the Devourer flared its wings and slithered around it, circling the prey that was failing to strike at it. From above, the wind slammed into your foes back, tearing its wings and nearly threatening to slam it into the snow covered ice. You reached out as you had done the last time, seeking to add your strength to the wind spirits attacks, but there was nothing to grasp onto. The wind itself felt cold and dead, just like the sea had before and while your essence resonated with the waters, there was not even the most tenuous connection to the air that you could leverage.
There was only death that spoke to you in this blighted land and it did not struggle as you commanded it. The raw potential imbued into the world knew neither friend, nor foe, and it eagerly obeyed one master as the next. You tore and twisted on it, making it flow around the Devourers form and seeking to tear away its own essence as you had done to the bird in the mountain. But the power obeyed one master as readily as the next. The storm that you had conjured, the storm that could have snuffed out even your own herald in an instant. It slipped right off the scales of the Devourer, it's own will and essence far too great for you to overcome. And as the currents of power touched, the essences mingled, you heard it's voice for the first time. "Weak," it called to you.
Proud Waters - Attack Skerhogis with Death: 2 4 4 = 10 vs 6 6 1 8 = 21 -> No Damage
Sky Child - Attack Skerhogis with Wind: 6 vs 1 -> Skerhogis takes 5 Damage
Walking Mountain - Attack Skerhogis with Mountain: 2 vs 4 -> No Damage
"So weak," it spoke again, though you knew not if the others could hear it. Again its form bloated with air. "You are barely more than the things that spawned you." You knew what would come next and so did the Sky Child. It almost felt as if you were fighting on the mountain again. Trying to keep your allies servitor whole just for one more moment, as the few battered it. A struggle mixed with desperation, knowing full well that the fight would turn, should you lose the strength of numbers. Your power flowed over the stones of the Walking Mountains body, forming a crude warding, the best you could offer against what was to come, and so did the Sky Child. The Devourers breath washed it aside as if it was nothing, leaving only frost in its wake. Every nook and cranny of its form filled with new ice and you could feel the servitors essence drawing back into its core once more. It was like fighting on the mountain again, but this time, the foe was not your equal.
With desperation you commanded the storm of essence again, just as the Sky Child whipped the air into another frenzy, but it was no use. Skerhogis did not even deign the few more tears the wind tore into its wings with a reaction, and your attack glanced of its dead hide once more without causing even the slightest discomfort. The Devourers attention was solely on the Walking Mountain as it folded its wings and slithered closer to the frozen form. In a quiet monotone, it spoke again. "The only purpose you have is what can be drawn from your shattered forms." You knew what was to come. You had seen it attempted once before.
Proud Waters - Attack Skerhogis with Death: 2 4 2 = 8 vs 5 5 4 8 = 22 -> No Damage
Sky Child - Attack Skerhogis with Wind: 5 vs 3 -> Skerhogis takes 2 Damage
All the power that you had gathered around it was drawn into the monster as it drew breath once more and a tone of jubilation entered its voice. "Yes," it almost cried. "The Silent Night will come upon this world again." You drew on every scrap of power that you could muster, trying to force a warding on the frozen body of your ally while needling the Devourers efforts to concentrate. "Once more, there shall be nothing," it's voice rang in your mind as a black breath shot from its mouth, engulfing the Walking Mountain. You tried to push it aside. You tried to stop it from creeping into the frozen stones. But bit by bit, Skerhogis was forcings its own essence forward. You could feel the light within the stone man's chest. You could feel as it dimmed. You could feel as it died.
As the Devourers breath snuffed out your ally, you knew that the battle was lost. Above you, a heavy wind began to blow, and it was easy to guess why it was moving southwards and straight away from this place. For you though, the way out was harder to find. Briefly you tried to sense your far away shrines, but in between the ice and the churning essence left by your fight, you could not feel the faint bond that tied you to them. Worse yet, most of the cracks that you had used to come up through the ice had been sealed by the cold again and a solid wall of even more ice divided you from reaching the sea by another way. It was just a moment that it took to find a crack to slip through and into the sea, but that was all that your foe needed.
Skerhogis - Use Death to devour Walking Mountain: 4 5 3 2 = 14 vs 1 (Walking Mountain) + 1 4 3 (Proud Waters) + 4 (Sky Child)= 13 -> Walking Mountain slain
Proud Waters - Use Sea to flee: 1 vs 1 -> Failed
Sky Child - Use Wind to flee: 5 vs 4 -> Success
There was none of the grace of its approach as its massive form slammed into the ice, shattering it in its wake. For a moment you thought it had been careless, but then the ice began to move on its own. The chunks sunk to the bottom at once, then piled on and on to block your path, costing you precious moments as you had to weave and dive around the thrice-cursed ice. And then it was no longer around, but within you. You could hear Skerhogis' mocking voice as the monster's essence was driving itself into yours and froze the water solid all around you. "You won't leave yet, carrion feeder. Not before I have taken what you stole." More and more ice grew around you as frost spread over the sea floor. You could feel the cold. You had never before truly felt the cold, but you remembered. The fear. The sluggish thoughts. The dim acceptance as you sunk beneath the cold waves. The last moments of so many fishermen lost to the winter sea came to your mind, yet this time, it was no mere memory.
Skerhogis - Attack Proud Waters with Cold: 1 4 5 = 10 vs 4 -> Proud Waters takes 6 Damage
Proud Waters - Use Sea to flee: 1 vs 4 -> Failed
Desperately your searched for a way out of the ice. A way away from the cold. Wherever your senses turned, there was more of it. More cold. More ice. Again, the Devourers essence bored into you, taking and taking something of you that you could not truly name. You dove between the ice, no longer sure if you were searching for a way to escape or merely to escape the serpents breath for a short moment. Skerhogis no longer spoke, instead tearing and mending the ice to find you while keeping you trapped. Would this be your end? Frozen in your own waters while hiding from your enemy? No. If nothing else, you would not face your end cowering before the blighted thing. You cast your power out once more, not even knowing if you wanted to find an escape or strike one last time at the Devourer. Nothing but ice around you, you had already half resolved to throw one last, useless strike at the thing that would kill you when you finally felt it.
Just above the seafloor was a tiny gap in the icy, the warm current forcing itself into the rapidly cooling prison made for you. But it was enough. You called upon the waters with all you might, guiding them to rage and twist around the Devourers form. All you needed was a moment. Chunks of ice and half-frozen seafoam slammed into the serpents form as the waters became tumultuous and then you had the chance you needed. Through the gap you slipped, immediately calling up a new current to carry you further away from the frozen isles. Carefully you drew yourself tight, letting no hint of your essence slip from your control. It was only fitting that you used Skerhogis' own trick against it, even if doing so meant blinding yourself to its presence. Yet, in the end, it had been the right thing to do. You were halfway back to the Bay Village before you dared to cast your senses out once more, but when you did, there was no sign that the monster was still pursuing you. You had escaped. Barely. Wounded quiet badly. But you had escaped, and for now, that had to be enough.
Skerhogis - Attack Proud Waters with Cold: 4 2 4 = 10 vs 3 -> Proud Waters takes 7 Damage
Proud Waters - Use Sea to flee: 4 vs 1 ->
The attack ended in defeat. What now?
[] Return to the Deep Reef to heal and rest. Hopefully you are safe there for a while.
[] Try to find the Sky Child. They should have escaped, but you would rather be certain about their fate.
[] Travel to the Harsh Mountain. The other spirit deserves to know what became of its servitor.
AN: Background rolls were pretty average, and the combat rolls were mostly around the mean for the respective pools too. None the less, you were one attack away from learning first hand what happens when spirits die.
The wounds were deep. There was no denying it. No matter how far south you travelled, you could not leave the chill behind. You could not shake of the feeling of being trapped and suffocating in the cold. It was terrifying and you wished nothing more than to retreat to the safety of your reef to tend to whatever damage the Devourer had done to you. And yet, it was not where you were headed. Something else had to come first, as you were not the one who had lost the most in the disastrous fight. You dreaded the Harsh Mountains reaction to the news, as it was your urging that had convinced them to send their servitor to its death, but there was little choice. If it was not from you that they heard what had happened, there would be no salvaging of your still young alliance.
When you came upon the mountain and floated down towards its flank, the Harsh Mountain had already manifested itself and scowled at your approach. They had likely felt the Walking Mountain die. "We failed," you stated flatly, acknowledging the bleak truth of the matter.
"We? No, blighted sea-spawn." Gravel flew from the moving stone piles' mouth. "You failed. I am only left to suffer for the folly of trusting what the Child dragged to me."
"I did not force you to send your servitor along. It was your choice as much as mine."
"My choice?" The Mountains voice grew louder with every word they spoked. "It was you who came to me and all but demanded we strike at once. I told you that preparations could have been made."
You rose into the air once more as anger slowly pushed down the lethargy still clinging to your very essence. "And in the end, you agreed that stopping whatever ritual Skerhogis prepared to be too urgent to do so. I too suffered wounds in this battle, so cease acting as if you are the only one affected by this defeat."
"And yet, wounds or not, here you are, while what remains of my servitor is in the enemies clutches." The Harsh Mountains voice grew colder and somehow that made them sound more dangerous than their loud rage had done. "I have half a mind to finish what the Devourer started, instead of letting you flee these doomed lands and leaving me the only one to suffer the consequences of this folly."
In reflex, you drew upon you power, ready to flee or at least turn back a strike. The Mountain did the same and for one long moment, neither of you did anything but wait for the other to act first. Until you felt something, not all that far away and rapidly approaching. "It seems to have the same idea. The Devourer is coming."
The tension lingered a moment longer until the stone mound serving as the Mountains form slowly settled down again. "It matters little then," they said flatly, casting their amethyst eyes towards the horizon and the vile creature that slowly approached on its massive wings.
"For what it's worth, I regret the loss of your servitor," you said quietly, getting no response in return as the two of you waited for the inevitable. If you stood you ground with the other spirit at your side, there was at least a chance that you could beat Skerhogis back, but alone, it would be hopeless.
The beast was in no hurry in its approach, diverting its path a good long while before reaching the mountain to fly a great circle around it. Most likely, it wished to preen in the terrified gazes of the mortals below. It gave you a chance to carefully cast your senses out some further, looking for any sign of a different monster created by ritual, or of the Sky Child coming to aid you, but you found neither. Had the other spirit maybe been hunted down by Skerhogis after you had slipped away? There should not have been enough time for that, but then again, you had not expected the winged serpent to follow you to the Harsh Mountain either. It circled you twice more, slowly drawing in, before settling itself on the very peak of the mountain, coiling its sinuous body around it, its white scales easily melding into the eternal snow.
It's voice was mocking as it spoke, amused even. "I would have expected you to run away and nurse your wounds, carrion feeder. Perhaps I was too gentle."
"Why are you defiling my mountain with you presence, creature?" The grind of gravel was slow and deliberate as the mountain spirit called up to the peak. "You are sorely mistaken if you have come here expecting another easy victory."
"No," it rasped with a chuckle. "I know your might and where it springs from quite well. Perhaps even better than you, trapped one." It paused briefly, savouring the surprise that could be felt radiating from the Harsh Mountain. "You are not the first whom I have seen ensnared by what they claimed."
"You still have not answered why you are here, Devourer," You almost shouted in response, letting your power swirl around you. It was empty bluster, the cold still lingering in your essence and another strike perhaps your undoing, and yet you could not sit idly as Skerhogis manipulated the mountain spirit. "If all you have come for is to gloat and mock us, you should leave, before the owner of this peak makes you."
"Presume not to speak for me, water-spawn."
"I came here to make an offer in good faith. When I looked upon your servants body, I realized that your aid would be quite helpful in my great working, so I have come to see if you still bear me a grudge over those few mortals."
"You have slain his followers without provocation and now his servitor too. There is no reason why the Mountain would trust you, Skerhogis."
The mound of stone briefly glanced towards you, it's annoyance still quite clear. "Indeed. What could you possibly have to offer me that could outweigh your past attacks? Why should I aid one who has willing made themselves my enemy?"
"I know how to free you from this mountain."
There was a deathly quiet for a while until finally, the almost gentle sound of stones tapping to each other broke it. "Go on," the Mountain said.
"With the body of your servant, I can craft a vessel for your essence, letting you leave this place for good. What are a few scurrying vermin compared to that? You could walk the world again, and all it would cost you would be to aid me."
"Don't fall for its trap," you urgently called to the face of stones. "I have heard them rejoice about the prospect of plunging the world into eternal night and winter. First, it will make you its slave, and then, it will starve you to death as it kills every last of your followers."
"Is that so?" The Mountains amethysts eyes focused on the black ones of the Devourer. "To you truly plan to see all my followers dead?"
"What gives? We are more than them. We don't need mortals, even though I will admit that they can be convenient. Don't let your thoughts be clouded by one who has debased themselves to a mere servant of humans, instead of ruling and commanding them as it is proper for our kind. I have not a single mortal servant, and do I seem starved and powerless to you?"
"Even you draw power from them though. Feasting on their bodies and their fears in equal measure. Why should Harsh Mountain trust you to not turn on them and devour them too, once the mortals are no longer there?"
"Oh, is that it?" Skerhogis chuckled again, though it was edging towards full blown laughter this time. "Are you jealous, carrion feeder? Has feasting on the remnants in the forests and the essence of the Carrion Bird given you an appreciation for the taste of our kind? Maybe you would rather take the Mountains place and join me in their stead."
"What," was the first thing you could think of saying in response, all eloquence beyond that buried under the shock at the implied offer.
"Your powers would not be quite as useful as theirs for my purposes, yet I am curious to see what would become of one such as you in time. That is, if you can prove to me that you truly wish to leave behind you old allies."
What do you say?
[] Give more arguments why the Harsh Mountain should reject the offer.
-[] Write-In arguments
[] Stay silent. There is nothing more to say.
[] Attack at once. Together you can drive the Devourer away.
[] Leave the mountain while you have the chance
-[] Write-In where to
[] Take Skerhogis offer and join them.
-[] Write-In proof of loyalty
[] Something entirely different.
-[] Write-In
AN: Needless to say, you being here had quite an effect on how this particular discussion went. On a personal note, my joyous proclamation that my schedule cleaned up was sadly premature, so expect irregular updates for a while longer.
Scheduled vote count started by Azel on Dec 5, 2021 at 8:49 AM, finished with 63 posts and 20 votes.
[X] Give more arguments why the Harsh Mountain should reject the offer.
-[x] Appeal to the Harsh Mountains pride and point out that he will probably have to be subservient to Skerhogis in such alliance and make a counter offer that if Skerhogis is defeated he will be entitled to the power and fame that comes from it among mortals.
-[X] Give concession of shouldering restoration of his herald and promise further help in regaining his mobility. Make a point that despite everything you are God of your word and will respect the deal opposed to certain snake.
[X] Give more arguments why the Harsh Mountain should reject the offer. -[X] First, we reject the offer. Not only do we not trust Skerhogis, we do not wish to lose ourselves to the madness and hunger that we have seen in him and his actions. -[X] Even if the offer is tempting, the Harsh Mountain can never trust Skerhogis. See how he makes the offer first to the Harsh Mountain, then in the same breath offers us the same deal against him. Such an alliance would be short-lived at best, doomed for inevitable betrayal. -[X] Very pointedly ask what the Great Working that Skerhogis would need the Harsh Mountain for is.
Recovering from the shock of the offer, you dismissed it at once. The thing was mad to even think about you becoming its servant. But the other spirit? The Harsh Mountain clearly yearned to leave the mountain and you could hardly fault them for feeling trapped there. It was probably a good thing you were present to speak some sense to them. If Skerhogis had been free to whisper its poison unopposed, you would likely have had one more foe by the time you even learned of this. But while you could tell that your earlier words had not missed their mark, you could also tell that another push would be needed to make sure the mountain spirit was not blinded by their yearning for freedom.
"Listen to the words the serpent is not speaking. You will trade the bindings on your form to bindings on your self," you spoke quietly. "They will make you nothing more than their meanest servant . One they will most likely discard once they have no more use for you."
"Look upon yourself, carrion feeder." It's neck twisted at it spoke, jaws parting and seeming eager to lunge for you. "Have you not become greater from feasting upon our brethren? What reassurance has the trapped one that you not merely wish to keep then weak and isolated to claim their power for you own when the time is right? You offer nothing but your word. The word of one who led their servant to their doom and their only other ally happens to be lost to the winds they hid within."
There was a pang of fear and worry at those words that you could not help, especially when the Devourers reaction to your distress was a wide and tooth filled grin. The Harsh Mountain looked at you with a questioning gaze and you knew you had to offer something at least. "I pledge to repay you for the loss my rashness caused. Aid in restoring your servitor, or if that can not be done, to craft a new one."
Not an easy burden, not with all the other things you had already pledged, and you felt it was not enough. There was one more thing. "And I pledge all aid that I can offer to see you freed from this mountain. As an ally and a friend. Your equal, not your lord." The words were solemn as you spoke them and you could feel them bind you before the deal was even properly struck.
The pile of stone gazed one long moment at you that felt like eternity and then it turned to cursed beast still watching your every move. "I hear your offer, Skerhogis. I spit on it and I spit on you." Faintly you recalled that wording from the Mountain People. What you did not recall or expect was when a single, tiny pebble flew from the mound of stone and struck Skerhogis on their cheek.
You gathered all the strength you had left, fully expecting the insult to be retaliated against with violence. Yet, no attack came. "Foolish," the Devourer spoke, the amusement in its voice smothered like a fire by the sea. "I shall take joy from your despair when the time comes to end these games." One last time it glared at you, teeth of ice bared, but then it beat its wings and propelled itself towards the valleys beneath.
"Make me not regret this, Proud Waters," the mountain spirit said before the mound of stone turned lifeless once more.
You waited a while longer on the mountain, unsure if the Devourer might come back to try and kill you after all, but when your sense kept failing to find a single trace of it, you left. No ambush came, not even when you briefly stopped in the Mountain Village to aid the people there. From what you could gather from the frantic prayers of the people, Skerhogis had swept done on their way and frozen the long lake of the village solid with a single breath. The ice had done some damage to dam that kept the water back and since the brooks feeding it had no other place to turn to, parts of the village had been flooded. It was no attempt to destroy the village, that much you were certain, just to terrorize the people. It was a sign of things to come.
While you focused on the Sea People once more, the Devourer began to make its presence felt much more than in times past. At least once a season they would pass through the night sky, screaming so loud that every man and beast in the Shorelands would wake from it in terror. The people prayed to you for protection every time it happened, but you could not shake the feeling that much of the power their worship created was not claimed by you. Even more alarming was that the Sky Child was nowhere to be seen during all of this. Perhaps the victory in the battle had merely emboldened Skerhogis and frightened the Sky Child into not interfering with their flights, but then you should have seen some signs of the wind spirits presence at least. The storms certainly were hitting the Sea People harder in these seasons, yet it was not the only oddity in the weather.
Ice sometimes floated down from the north, jagged mountains of cold blue that even the summer heat took forever to melt down. Whenever they passed the villages, the weather turned colder and the nights darker, making the people afraid to brave the seas whenever these bad omens passed. All you could do was bestow your blessings on their boats and to make sure their nets were full whenever they ventured out. While that was enough in the summer months, in winter, even the slightest lapse in your attention would see the ice claim another person. Soon they tried to avoid the waters entirely when the pack ice began to cover the sea, relying on their goats and stored nuts to stay fed instead. Things were stable for now, but there was no telling how much worse things would go without your aid.
5
Your herald Hegnevus had all the while kept his attention on the explorer that still stubbornly tried to reach the island in the south. Before the defeat in the frozen seas, their efforts had nearly born fruit. With the new double-canoes of the Sea People, there was much less of a risk that the waves and currents would capsize their boats, yet the island still proved elusive to their efforts. The currents were just too strong, tiring out even entire groups of rowers long before they could reach the island, even though they had begun to come tantalizingly close. They spoke of a ring of steep hills rising from the middle of the island, almost like the rim of a bowl, and of grey beaches that shone in the sun like pearls.
Between your servants aid and the new boats, there were nearly no losses among the explorers and every failed journey just sparked more stories and more longing for the island. Soon enough, the people no longer spoke of glory that the group to reach it first would gain, but also of the riches. The beaches, they imagined, would be made from nothing but pearls, which was where the sheen came from. What was behind the steep hills was even more wild, depending on who told the story. Some said there would be a lush land where there was no winter, others claimed to have glimpsed a village made entirely from silver. With each retelling, the peoples desires grew and it became clear that they would not stop their efforts until they reached it and found the truth of their tall tales.
3
While a world without winter was beyond your powers, you still took to trying to ease the burdens of the Sea People while they imagined a brighter future. Long ago you had tried to bless the fishes of the Bay Village to make them fatter and more nourishing. There was some success to it, that you could recall, yet not enough to really put more effort into the matter. Now though, a flock of fatter goats could have been quite useful, and so you descended upon the Sea Peoples animals and saw what could be done. The first few attempts were still very cautious, barely a trickle of power fed into living animals and then, when you saw no signs of it doing anything to them, a few yet unborn ones. Outwardly there was no sign of your efforts when they were born and as they grew, all that you noticed was that some of them had developed a fondness for the sea and a hankering for seaweed. So you pushed more power into them.
That next batch caused quite a stir when they were born. Some came out of the womb with seal-like flippers instead of legs. Others had no lungs, but gills in their chests. At least the mothers somehow knew what was to come and unerringly marched to the sea before delivering them, though the sharks found the awkward billys easy prey and none of them lived all that long. Those that the people found were universally seen as signs from you, though for what, nobody could quite agree on. They were all sacrificed to you in short order in the hopes that it was seen as a sign of respect and would forestall any punishment. It was a right mess and you stopped your efforts than and there to ponder what it meant before making more of the goats suffer needlessly.
It seemed that the reason that you had so little influence on the fish was neither a lack of power, nor of your skill. A fish was a thing of the sea, so when you had blessed it with your power, you had inadvertently tried to make them more sea-like in their nature. You might as well have tried to make water more wet. No wonder the effects were so muted, no matter how much power you crammed into their bodies. The goats though? They were things of the land. The mountains even. So, when the power of the sea acted upon them, they would become more like fish and seals than usual. Would it change the effect if you were more precise with your work? Maybe you could make them breath both air and water if you were careful? A thousand ideas swirled in your mind and you had to try just one more time.
A few pregnant goats were quickly found and this time, you left nothing to chance. Instead of just cramming power into their lungs to make them gills, you carefully moulded them so that they would have both. Their front legs you left well enough alone, since two proper legs would be good for them to walk on land, but their hind legs you imbued with so much power that they turned into a strong fish tail. Their coat would be smooth and slick to keep them warm even in the cold winter sea, but on their tails they would have shining scales to better push themselves against the water. It was a fine work. And inspiring work you dared to say. The day of the births came, the mothers gathering on a beach without your directions once more, and then, after you had waited months for your creations to be born, it was over almost in an instant.
All of them were hale and healthy, not a single mother having struggled with their weird offspring. For a few hours, they remained on the beach and then they plunged into the waves for the first time. It was marvellous to behold. They were just as fast as a porpoise and while their hooved front legs looked somewhat awkward as they swam, but they hindered them not the slightest bit. A season later, they had made a home in one of the deep kelp forests near the Bay Village and the Sea People occasionally glimpsed them on sunny days playing in the waters, immediately knowing that they were blessed by you. And a year later, some of them became pregnant and had their own billies, who looked just like their parents. You had meant for them to be a single experiment, but it seemed they would stay around for a long while to come.
Learned to create Domain-Aligned animals.
Created Sea Goats.
4
During the wait for the pregnancies, you had spent some of your time near the River Village, investigating the divergence in the rites of the fishers. At first, it all had seemed benign. The words of the prayers were slightly different, and so were the common offerings, but power had flowed all the same and you cared little about the trappings beyond their utility. Yet the change in the nature of the power was worrisome, especially now that you would need every scrap of it, even if you could still claim it just fine. The same was true for what you gathered from the healing rites after all and yet you were certain that if a spirit aligned with healing came along, they could snatch that power from you easily, just like Skerhogis had stolen from your burial rites.
For a long while, you just watched the mortals, trying to figure out what prompted the change. Was it the small shrines they had built? The different words? None of it seemed of consequence. The lone homesteads around the Forest Villages only had their small shrines too, but their prayers did not turn strange. The Mountain People had different prayers and rites too. They even had begun to call you Merwedor the Proud Waters and it made no difference at all. So, what was it then that made things so strange along the rivers and nowhere else? It was only after the sea goats had been borne that you realized how silly that question was in hindsight.
When you returned to your investigation anew, the signs were hard to miss. The shrines in the forests all showed you dwelling in the sea, while those along the rivers and lakes had you rise from the smaller bodies of water. In their prayers, they spoke not of the final resting of the dead in the deep sea, but of the last journey down the river currents. For them, you were not salt, waves and kelp, but refreshing streams and reeds swaying in the breeze. The power was both familiar and strange at the same time because it began to align itself with the rivers and not the sea. That quieted some of your more paranoid thoughts that had looked for a plot of the Devourer in all of this, but it still left the question if it would be better to embrace this development or to stamp it out.
61
But still, the worries remained. The sea was still chocking with ice every winter. Skerhogis still proudly claimed the skies whenever the blighted serpent pleased. Worse yet, the power from the burial rites was waning again. At first you assumed that you had merely been lax in your work, and it had begun to feast on the dead again, but their bodies were undisturbed. It's presence alone seemed to be enough now to steal a part of the potential resting in them. The newfound faith of the Mountain People made more than up for it, but the question was for how long. You would have to wring as many advantages from every scrap of it as you could.
You have 11 Power to spend.
You have 1 Power stored awayin sealife.
You can have your Herald perform / assist with one action that has the Sea domain.
You agreed to perform the following actions:
- Cleanse the Blighted Lands within 2 turns.
- Heal the people in the Mountain area with at least 1 power for the next 2 turns.
- Aid Harsh Mountain to gain a new servant.
- Aid Harsh Mountain to become mobile again.
Format:
[] Plan Name
-[] name of action – area to perform it in – amount of Power to spend / if Herald shall perform or assist this action
-[] next action – area -Power / Herald
-[] etc.
Blessings
Bestow a boon without expecting something in return.
[] Bless the plants.
Description: The Sea People have taken up the practice of growing nut trees and berry shrubs in the forests to gain more food. Bless their efforts to ensure a good harvest. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Southern Expedition)
Description: The Travelling People talked of a village in the far south and the explorers are trying to explore the coasts until they find it. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Northern Expedition)
Description: The ice and coldness of the northern waters is troubling the explorers, so they ask for your boons to range ever further. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
Description: The island on the horizon has been taunting the southern explorers for a while and they ask for your aid to survive the journey over the open sea. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless an exodus.
Description: These lands are doomed and there is no denying it. You can feel it in the cold waters and so can the people. Give signs and bless those of the Sea People that wish to leave these lands before the frost claims them all. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
Prayers
Answer the requests of the people making sacrifices to you.
[] Inspire the boat makers.
Description: The canoes of the people have greatly improved, but further blessings might yield new inspiration for the boat makers. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the sea fishers.
Description: Steer fish to the fishers and protect them from the dangers of your sea. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Bless the river and lake fishers.
Description: Instead of working against the differences in the rites, you could always try to encourage the heterodoxy and see what becomes of it. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Heal the people.
Description: The healing rites have become a cornerstone of the Bay Villages seasonal cycle and the people pray regularly for you to take away their ailments. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Bless the dying and the bereaved.
Description: Your burial rites are unchallenged in the Shorelands, though in the Mountains, they still practice old rites that likely feed the Devourers power. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: Death Power: 3 max
Punishments
Smite your enemies.
[] Find the Devourers servants.
Description: Your latest efforts have found no signs of servants of the Devourer in the Shorelands, but that does not mean that there are none. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Compel sacrifices.
Description: Use curses and other means to force the people to make greater sacrifices to you, thus gaining power from them. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: - Power: -4 max
[] Curse the raiders.
Description: Find the people responsible for the raids near the River Village and punish them for their attacks. Area: Shorelands Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Enforce orthodoxy. (Sea)
Description: Some of the people have altered the rites they use to pray to you, and it is beginning to have an impact on the power you gain from it. Curse those who stray to far from established rites to put an end to this. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
Diplomacy
Meet your fellow spirits and see to improve relations to them.
[] Meet another spirit.
-[] Write-In whom to meet with.
-[] Write-In with what goal.
Description: Approach another spirit to make them an offer. Domains: - Power: varies (will be given by QM depending on goal and scope)
[] Give Harsh Mountain power to make a new servant.
Description: You have promised to aid the Harsh Mountain to gain a new servant and since it is unlikely that you can reclaim the body of the Walking Mountain any time soon, your only recourse is to offer your own power to help the effort. Domains: - Power: 12 max
Imbuements
Anchor your power to a thing or creature to change their nature and aid your efforts.
[] Align a location. (Write-In Domain)
Description: Imbue your power into a place to align it with one of your domains. Area: Bay (Shorelands), River (Shorelands), Write-In Domains: - Power: 4
[] Cleanse the Blighted Lands.
Description: The attack of the Devourer left the area of the former village drenched with the power of Death. Use your own mastery of this domain to undo that alignment. Area: Blighted Lands (Mountains) Domains: - Power: 8
[] Imbue a shrine.
-[] Shrine
--[] Bay Shrine
--[] River Shrine
-[] Write-In which Blessing / Prayer / Punishment to imbue. (must be a Domain action)
Description: You can mould your power to shape itself to a limited degree and anchor it to a shrine. Thus, you can have that shrine provide some of the same benefits as your own acts. Area: Bay Shrine (Shorelands), River Shrine (Shorelands) Domains: - Power: 6
[] Create undead.
Description: The dead have served the Devourer, but now you can make them serve you instead. If nothing else they will make a good way to store power for later use. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: Death Power: 3 max
[] Imbue 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. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Imbue power into your shamans.
Description: You have shared your power with many mortal things by now, but one kind of being is yet notable absent. Humans. See what happens when you give a bit of your power to your shamans. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Alter animals.
-[] Write-In plan
Description: You have found ways to alter the form of animals through your power. There must be something useful you could do with this. Or you could just create something for the sake of having it. Area: - Domains: Sea / Death Power: varies (will be given by QM depending on goal and scope)
Growth
Spend power to change yourself and to increase your might.
[] Obtain the Healing domain.
Description: You have healed many wounds, both of our followers and even your own herald. The power you gain from the healing rites of the people is changing and you can change too. Area: - Domains: - Power: 12
[] Meditate on the Sea.
Description: Your recent acts have shown you that your might knows limits, even when commanding the sea. Try to find a way to surpass them. Area: - Domains: - Power: 6
[] Deepen your power over Death.
Description: While you learned much from consuming the Carrion Bird, you still feel that you power could grow more. It will take much time and effort to unravel the deeper mysteries of Death though. Area: - Domains: - Power: 16
Other
There are a lot of things you could do with your powers that would not directly involve the lives of the people.
[] Build a home in the reef.
-[] Write-In Death Power to spend (3 max)
-[] Write-In Sea Power to spend (2 max)
Description: It has now been twice that you became so engrossed in a task that you forgot your surroundings over it. Given that the Devourer is still at large, it was likely not quite safe to do so. The mortals build houses to protect themselves and maybe you should do the same. At the very least it would be a safe place for you to store physical things. Area: - Domains: - Power: special
[] Explore the land.
Description: Move further inland and see what you can find there. Area: Shorelands, Mountains Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Explore the sea.
Description: While you know every detail of the bay, you could always explore the wider sea and its coasts. Area: Shorelands Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Explore the southern island.
Description: Given how the Sea People have grown enamoured with that island, you might as well travel there and investigate yourself. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about the different fishing rites.
Description: You could try to spend some of your power to investigate the matter of the fishing rites more closely. Maybe you can find out what this strangeness means before you have to make a choice on the matter. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of your 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. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about the nature of the world.
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. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Try to learn more about Divine Servants.
Description: The Devourer promised that they could make a vessel for the Harsh Mountain out of their servants body. Maybe the secret to make the other spirit mobile again can be unravelled by learning more about your own servant. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
[] Monitor Skerhogis.
Description: The attack was a disaster, and the Devourer can now do as it pleases, but that doesn't mean you can't at least try to find out more about its plans. Hide near its lair and try to learn about its actions. Area: - Domains: Sea Power: 2 max
[] Search the Sky Child.
Description: Since the failed attack, the Wind Spirit has not shown itself. Try to find out where they are hiding or, if the worst has happened, how they found their end. Area: - Domains: None Power: 1 max
Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Dec 8, 2021 at 2:07 PM, finished with 96 posts and 18 votes.
[X] Plan Patching Up
- [X] Heal the people. 1 Power, Mountains
- [X] Bless the dying and the bereaved. 1 Power, Mountains -[X] Bless the river and lake fishers. -- 1 Power, Mountains.
- [X] Imbue power into your shamans. 1 Power -[X] Give Harsh Mountain power to make a new servant. -- 3 Power, with the promise to dedicate a further 9 for an upgrade later.
- [X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power. 1 Power
- [X] Try to learn more about the nature of the world. 1 Power
- [X] Try to learn more about Divine Servants. 1 Power
- [X] Search the Sky Child. 1 Power
- [X] Monitor Skerhogis. 1 Power -[X] (Herald) Bless the explorers. (Island Expedition)
[X] Plan - This is War. -[X] Cleanse the Blighted Lands. - 8 Power -[X] Heal the people. - Mountains - 1 Power -[X] Build a home in the reef. - 1 Sea Power/ Herald Action -[X] Explore the southern island. - 1 Power -[X] Search the Sky Child. - 1 Power (Reserves)
[X] Plan Prepared Withdrawl
- [X] Inspire the boat makers. 2 Power, Herald, Shorelands
- [X] Heal the people. 1 Power, Mountains
- [X] Bless the river and lake fishers. 1 Power, Shorelands. 1 Power, Mountains.
- [X] Bless the dying and the bereaved. 1 Power, Mountains
- [X] Compel sacrifices. -4 Power
- [X] Imbue power into your shamans. 1 Power
- [X] Meet another spirit.
-- [X] Harsh Mountain.
-- [X] We're planning an exodus from the area, and plan on taking all our peoples with us along with him, and the Sky Child. We'd therefore like to renegotiate the deal we made in the past so that he's no longer required to build the forest road, and we're no longer required to cleanse the blighted land as it would be a waste of power due to neither of us staying in the area for very much longer.
- [X] Give Harsh Mountain power to make a new servant. 4 Power, with the promise to dedicate a further 8 for an upgrade later.
- [X] Try to learn more about the nature of your power. 1 Power
- [X] Try to learn more about the nature of the world. 1 Power
- [X] Try to learn more about Divine Servants. 1 Power
- [X] Search the Sky Child. 1 Power
- [X] Monitor Skerhogis. 1 Power
Great promises you had made. Removing the binding of the Harsh Mountain, or Segbherg as the Sea People had started calling them. Rebuilding the Walking Mountain in some fashion. The greatest promise remained unspoken, yet clearest of them all. Defeat Skerhogis. It seemed madness to even challenge the beast after the stunning defeat and the frozen wyrm made sure to remind you of their dominance by taking to the sky whenever they pleased. But for now, it apparently dared not to approach your own stronghold. If you had learned one thing about Skerhogis, then that the monster was cautious. When the creature was certain of its victory, it would strike without hesitation and since it did not attempt to slay you when you were still wounded and retreating, it seemed not to like its chances when battling in the reef. So, you resolved to stay there for a while, until the frost no longer clung to your essence and you were at your strongest again. But that did not mean you had to sit idle.
There were so many things you needed to know. Your foe seemed to know so many secrets, so many ways of using power that yet eluded you. You had to close this gap, somehow, or the Devourer would stay one step ahead and there was no telling how much longer you could scrape by just by reacting to their actions, especially now that stopping them entirely had failed. Instead of focusing solely on healing, you spent the time needed to recuperate with your whole attention to the prayers of your followers. Once you had to be present to grant your blessings. Had to mould the power carefully, bit by bit, until it did what you had intended. With time, you had learned to stay vaguer in your blessings, giving your power more of a direction than clear orders and letting it manifest itself as it deemed fit. Somehow you knew that it would know your intentions even before you had first observed its wilfulness in truth. Now though, now things were different.
While you dwelled in the lightless depths, you could not see or hear your followers. The only thing you knew were their prayers. Some were loud and clear. The well worn rituals performed before your shrines. The last blessings spoken by a shaman to lifeless flesh. The silent calls of fishers braving waves and currents. Others were only whispers, barely reaching you at all. Odd requests from your own followers. Rites performed clumsily by people living on the edges of your people's lands. Prayers spoken haltingly and without faith, expecting no answer at all. Carefully you sifted through them all, listening not just to the words spoken, but taking in the very presence of those that called out to you. And then you understood.
So long had you thought that power was something that the mortals just made. Something they had no claim over and which was for the spirits to take as their due. But as you pried apart the words into meanings and intent, you found them the same as your blessings. Each prayer was an act of power and the greater the prayer, the mightier and more well-formed it was. The botched offerings and faithless calls for aid bore only the slightest trace of intent, most of their power likely lost to finding you at all. But the large rituals, those which invoked you by name at your own shrines for uncounted lifetimes, they were so great and sure of their purpose that they might as well have been sent by a true spirit. Finally you had found what made the humans special. They knew of you. They could form the power, wherever it sprang from in the first place, and send it on to you.
4
At once, you put to practice what you had learned, gathering what the people gave you and returning it to them with new intent. Or not quite. You still had obligations towards the Mountain People to fulfil and now that you could judge the firmness of the belief that a petitioner had, it was plain to see that many of them still were not quite certain in their worship. So, to them you sent it all, showering them in blessings so that they would not doubt your greatness. Not long after, the calls became firmer, the name Merwedor spoken with their proper reverence, even though to be called on with that strange name was odd for the first while. It did not matter though, just their belief did and as you could feel the sick, the bereaved and the hungry to call out for you from the mountains as one, you knew you captured them.
4
4
4
You also investigated other things in the light of your new knowledge, spending your attention on the reef and your own servant in equal measure. With Hegnevus, you found nothing that truly surprised you, merely more evidence to what you had deduced about the nature of prayers. Like you, the carp received prayers in its own right as the Sea People had gotten used to his efforts in guiding their boats, but he could not hold on to it. The essence you had imbued into him long ago marked him your servant and just as he gathered the power, that essence willed it to move on to you. It was a simple working, all things considered, and yet you marvelled for a long while how you had created it without even knowing what you did. It made you wonder though what were to happen if you permitted your herald to gather power in his own right. Would it strengthen him? Or would he become a spirit of his own? It was tempting to pry deeper into the matter, but it was also risky and so you moved on for the time being.
New research actions unlocked.
2
As for the reef, the investigation and ponderings brought you little of true value at first. Tracing back where its power sprung from was a pointless effort, as it seemed to appear from nothing at all and no matter how much you tried to shift and twist the flow to find a source, you never found one. Just tiny currents that seemed to flow in the entire world, too feeble to gain from them more than it took to gather them, suddenly surging into a torrent with no rhyme or reason. But while you kept pondering the matter, something else became apparent to you. When you had claimed this place, you had at first not known what to do and then merely listened to an instinct when you began to mingle your essence with the ebb and flow of the reef. Now though, having taken a close look at what you had crafted in your own servant, the similarities were undeniable. Here too sat a bit of your essence and it too made sure that power of this place was sent to you to do with as you pleased. There seemed to be barely a difference between your herald and the reef in that regard. Was this perhaps why the Harsh Mountain was tied to his mountain? Had his essence gotten so tangled to it that the binding became to tight? It was something to look into at least.
Even more new research actions unlocked.
2
But there was something else that was more urgent. As you had sunk beneath the waves for so long and directed all your blessings to the mountains, the Sea People had fallen on hard times. Their prayers had grown frantic in the winters as ice and snow became ever greater threats. Many boats were lost and with them skilled fishers that were missed dearly in the years to come. The Bay Village was hit the hardest as it relied on the sea the most to stay fed. Both the River Village and the Hill Village could compensate by hunting and foraging for the lack of fish. Yet even there the stockpiles were empty more often than not, especially with the beasts of the forests growing restless and preying on the people who dared to leave the villages. One winter that was especially hard, there was even a wave of prayers for forgiveness, the people begging for you mercy for the defilement of the dead that empty stomaches had driven them to.
For a long while you pondered what to do, but you had already overtaxed yourself. With so many of the people dying, there simply was not enough to reverse their plight without abandoning your efforts against Skerhogis. And with each lean season that passed, it seemed more urgent to keep you attention on the wyrm that kept flying through the coldest nights, mocking the mortals in their darkest hours. Relief came in the end not from your doings, but from mortal hand, though aided by blessings from the Harsh Mountain and some nudging from your herald. The people had found a way to lash planks together into ever larger boats, filling the gaps in between with hide and sealing it all with tar to keep the water out. Instead of oars that would break between the thick ice floes of the deep winter, they had erected a large mast on which they spanned hides which would catch the wind and propel the contraception. Suddenly a dozen people could fish from the same boat, letting the few experienced fishers take along many apprentices that needed only to throw out nets and reel them back in. The damage had been done, but at the very least, the new invention stemmed the bleeding for the time being.
3 (Hegnevus) + 1 4 4 (Segbherg) = 12
Not all of that damage was measured in lives though. It had also cost you a measure of trust. When you finally had regained your full strength, you left the sea at once to survey the diminished Bay Village and found it still larger than expected. While it was good to see fewer dead, it also said that they no longer spoke as many prayers to you as before. Worst of all, they had built a new shrine. Far from the village and not treated with reverence, but fear, yet it was as shrine none the less. To Skerhogis. There, in the throes of winter, the people had begun to offer blood to the wyrm, praying that it would take away the cold and spare them. Some families even brought the dead and dying to it, asking it to take what it must, but to spare those still living. No wonder it's flights had become more common. The beast had to show itself to his faithful after all. Was it betrayal? Or merely your reward for having ignored your own people in favour of the mountains? Wrath and guilt warred for in your mind as you could neither deny that the compact between the people and you had been violated, yet not which side had done so first. This had to end though, that much was certain.
At least your shamans were loyal enough to preach against this blasphemy. A few even had tried to smash the vile shrine one summer, reasoning that the beast of winter could not hurt them then, but when they touched it, they all froze to death on the spot. So, they resorted to trying to steer the people away from prostrating themselves before the monster, no matter how dire their plight. Sometimes they succeeded. Sometimes they did not. They were just too weak. Too mortal. What could a man say that would lessen the fear of winter and cold, let alone that of the giant beast that could slay even spirits? But maybe you could change that. You had planned to try this at some point and this was perhaps the best moment to do so, even though you had not much power to spare. Hegnevus could shape his power to steer the sea. If you gave some to the shamans, they would be able to grant their own blessings in your name and then, you reasoned, none would dare to ignore their words.
The shamans gathered once a year to exchange news from the different villages and meet old friends. The next time they did so, you were waiting for them, floating unseen above your shrine in the bay. Greetings had been exchanged, the first gossip traded and with levity they came to the shrine to offer thanks for the safe travel they had and to ask for your wisdom as they spoke about the troubles of the people and how to address them. This time though, you made things different. Once the rite had begun, you made the waters well up to cut off the island from the shore, which alarmed some of the shamans but did not make them falter in their songs and prayers. But they all stopped and gawked in awe when the sea rose up in earnest, deep, dark water forming into your avatar and bleached corals crowning your head. With a slow wave of your hand, you cast the finest spray of water over all of them and with it showring them with as much power as you dared to cast into a mortal body. No words were needed for them to understand as the purpose of your gift was carved into it for all who bore it to know beyond a doubt.
Bless the people in my name and be blessed in turn, you promised them, and most of them accepted that task. A few thrusted the might right back at you, feeling unworthy of such immense gifts. A few others grew covetous of what you had given them, resolving to abuse the gift for their own ends. But they were mortal still and you a spirit, the power knowing the call of its true master and betraying their intentions to you. So, you took the gift from them again and even though they grasped for it, trying to keep that spark of divinity for themselves, they could not even hope to contest your will. When all was done, you returned your avatar back to the sea, while you kept watching what would happen next, curious if your experiment would work. For a while longer they prayed to you in thanks and supplication, save for those few who were begging for your forgiveness after having the power stripped from them immediately, and when they stopped, they all gathered around the oldest and wisest of the shamans, unsure of what to do. Neither knew hew, that much you felt clearly from him, yet he strode confidently towards the still flooded sandbank connecting the shrine to the shore and raises his arms.
It was a feeble push. Only the barest touch compared to the iron grip with which you held the water in place. Yet it grew firmer and firmer with each moment, the old shaman getting a feeling for what he now wielded. He was no spirit. Even with all that you had loaned him, he could not have forced you to let the water subside again, but you relented none the less once you were content with his efforts. The waters parted at his command and with that, a new kind of shaman came to the land.
4
What do you task your empowered shamans with?
[] Alleviate the still problematic food situation.
[] Finally travel to the island in the sea and claim it in your name.
[] Shatter the shrine of Skerhogis and prevent the further worship of the wyrm.
[] Travel the lands and spread the knowledge that your shamans can perform miracles.
AN: Theorethically you could have laid down some emergency blessings to prevent another famine, but you spent all your power, including the stored point, so you had nothing to react to that emergency.
