- Location
- United states of america
I'm hoping the next epoch we can deck out the unseen with more stuff since it's pretty empty in there
Gods of Chaos: a Riot God Quest
- Thread starter Photomajig
- Start date
-
- Tags
- god quest riot quest
Npt170
Primordial god of order
so I'm kinda torn between doing something with the sura to try and push them into settling like the omake that I write before or making dragon so I just one a bit of feedback on that. do you guys like the dragon idea? If not then I'm not gonna do it. here it is below if anyone wants to reread it.
[] create dragon powerful, sentient magical creatures, that grow stronger and wiser the older they get.
Dragon has the innate ability of self-actualization which allow them to slowly evolve as they grow over their long life which is influent by their desired and mental state, a dragon who loves to swim might overtime convert their wing into flippers and gain other aquatic ability or a dragon that prefer to hunt underground might develop claw to dig, echolocation and lose their eye or simply keep their original form and grow bigger with more pronounce draconic feature. So while a dragon hatchling will share the same trait with its parent it could look vastly different at maturity or at different points in life.
But there are traits that all dragons share that is their crystal heart which is the source of a dragon's power. For as long as a dragon live this crystal heart will continue to generate and accumulate both magical, elemental power and vigor granting them what is effectively ageless immortality and fueling their endless evolution. The crystal heart pump and circulate the power it generated throughout not only the dragon body but also their mind and soul this explains why they grow stronger with age as opposed to other living beings.
This effect also extends to their surrounding as dragons passively radiated a tiny fraction of their power into the environment much like how animals radiated body heat into the air. Place where dragons stay for a long time most notably their nest will slowly be terraformed into the perfect environment for the dragon to dwell in.
Common material such as rock, dirt, mineral deposit, water, plant,..., etc could be transformed over time into valuable magical resources, and animals living in such environments absorbing a dragon radiating energy could grow to be ferocious monsters and this effect only become more intense depending on how powerful a dragon is.
A mature dragon is a powerful foe to content with capable of fighting entire army by themself not mentioning elder dragon who are more comparable to natural disaster rather than being of flesh and blood. Ancient who has lived for several epochs has the strength to rival lesser deities.
Although slaying a dragon is one of the most challenging and arduous of tasks. The prize one could gain is equally rewarding, in the hand of skilled craftsmen dragons remain could be used to produce all kinds of legendary weapons, armor, artifact, and elixir.
Not to mention the crystal heart itself which is the most valuable thing that a dragon can have. Those who manage to slay a mature dragon and drink all the special blood contained within its crystal heart may gain a crystal heart of their own and all the benefits that it entailed.
But for all their strength dragon breeds very slowly. During the time that they raise newborns, a pair of dragons will choose to not bear more children but instead, focus on raising the ones they already have. Furthermore, the maturation period for a dragon is extremely long, an egg after being laid will take five-decade to hatch and it will take about three hundred years for a hatchling to grow into full adulthood.
After hatching, during the first five decades of life, they are especially vulnerable and need constant protection from their parent in order to survive and will need another four to six decades before they can become independent and able to fend for themself.
So from the moment of birth till the time when they can fend for themself, a dragon will take up on average 150 years of their parent's attention and protection. Those dragons who have just finished raising their children will not be eager to do so again soon. (grand act)
[] create dragon powerful, sentient magical creatures, that grow stronger and wiser the older they get.
Dragon has the innate ability of self-actualization which allow them to slowly evolve as they grow over their long life which is influent by their desired and mental state, a dragon who loves to swim might overtime convert their wing into flippers and gain other aquatic ability or a dragon that prefer to hunt underground might develop claw to dig, echolocation and lose their eye or simply keep their original form and grow bigger with more pronounce draconic feature. So while a dragon hatchling will share the same trait with its parent it could look vastly different at maturity or at different points in life.
But there are traits that all dragons share that is their crystal heart which is the source of a dragon's power. For as long as a dragon live this crystal heart will continue to generate and accumulate both magical, elemental power and vigor granting them what is effectively ageless immortality and fueling their endless evolution. The crystal heart pump and circulate the power it generated throughout not only the dragon body but also their mind and soul this explains why they grow stronger with age as opposed to other living beings.
This effect also extends to their surrounding as dragons passively radiated a tiny fraction of their power into the environment much like how animals radiated body heat into the air. Place where dragons stay for a long time most notably their nest will slowly be terraformed into the perfect environment for the dragon to dwell in.
Common material such as rock, dirt, mineral deposit, water, plant,..., etc could be transformed over time into valuable magical resources, and animals living in such environments absorbing a dragon radiating energy could grow to be ferocious monsters and this effect only become more intense depending on how powerful a dragon is.
A mature dragon is a powerful foe to content with capable of fighting entire army by themself not mentioning elder dragon who are more comparable to natural disaster rather than being of flesh and blood. Ancient who has lived for several epochs has the strength to rival lesser deities.
Although slaying a dragon is one of the most challenging and arduous of tasks. The prize one could gain is equally rewarding, in the hand of skilled craftsmen dragons remain could be used to produce all kinds of legendary weapons, armor, artifact, and elixir.
Not to mention the crystal heart itself which is the most valuable thing that a dragon can have. Those who manage to slay a mature dragon and drink all the special blood contained within its crystal heart may gain a crystal heart of their own and all the benefits that it entailed.
But for all their strength dragon breeds very slowly. During the time that they raise newborns, a pair of dragons will choose to not bear more children but instead, focus on raising the ones they already have. Furthermore, the maturation period for a dragon is extremely long, an egg after being laid will take five-decade to hatch and it will take about three hundred years for a hatchling to grow into full adulthood.
After hatching, during the first five decades of life, they are especially vulnerable and need constant protection from their parent in order to survive and will need another four to six decades before they can become independent and able to fend for themself.
So from the moment of birth till the time when they can fend for themself, a dragon will take up on average 150 years of their parent's attention and protection. Those dragons who have just finished raising their children will not be eager to do so again soon. (grand act)
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Next epoch adding Crystal Plants to the second world
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
Wait, @Npt170, wasn't that basically the lizard of potential? Are you making a potential companion of the lizard? On second read, that's actually distinct.
I had a concept of dragons some time ago whose power and life depended on their self-confidence. Basically, it worked by telling themselves and the rest of the world that they are a dragon and that dragons are powerful... Hmm, maybe this is a much more workable concept than my other thing.
I had a concept of dragons some time ago whose power and life depended on their self-confidence. Basically, it worked by telling themselves and the rest of the world that they are a dragon and that dragons are powerful... Hmm, maybe this is a much more workable concept than my other thing.
[] Teach creatures the arts of Sigaldry
Take a handful of mortal creatures, may they be sapient or feral beast, and teach them the art of sigaldry. They shall be taught as much as their feeble minds could handle. There shall be beasts whose simple minds could only handle the creation of simple sigils, but those with greater faculties may benefit with a fuller Maker-given understanding of sigaldry.
Sigaldry is the application of profound meaning unto a symbol, giving rise to a sigil with magical effects to the inscribed object or its surroundings. It uses the Law of Artistry to produce its magical effects. It will remain effective for as long as its creators are alive or the symbols remain meaningful in the same sense as it was created. It may be painted, carved, or sculpted.
Sigils made by another can be copied, but one must some understanding of it lest the copied sigilry will not function like the original. Some sigils are of such complexity that looking at lesser copies no longer suffice and that one needs to attain Inspiration from examining the original.
Ossification is the sigaldric art of giving flesh to images. With the right sigils, one may be able to turn images of flames into real flames. Elaborate ritual and sigilry may even be able give flesh to an entirely imaginary creature, but the attributes and sentience of the creature is dependent on the focused intent and passion of the creator. The sigils and the images that give and are given flesh act as anchors in the Seen for the conjured, and should they be broken, the things anchored upon them shall dissipate.
Take a handful of mortal creatures, may they be sapient or feral beast, and teach them the art of sigaldry. They shall be taught as much as their feeble minds could handle. There shall be beasts whose simple minds could only handle the creation of simple sigils, but those with greater faculties may benefit with a fuller Maker-given understanding of sigaldry.
Sigaldry is the application of profound meaning unto a symbol, giving rise to a sigil with magical effects to the inscribed object or its surroundings. It uses the Law of Artistry to produce its magical effects. It will remain effective for as long as its creators are alive or the symbols remain meaningful in the same sense as it was created. It may be painted, carved, or sculpted.
Sigils made by another can be copied, but one must some understanding of it lest the copied sigilry will not function like the original. Some sigils are of such complexity that looking at lesser copies no longer suffice and that one needs to attain Inspiration from examining the original.
Ossification is the sigaldric art of giving flesh to images. With the right sigils, one may be able to turn images of flames into real flames. Elaborate ritual and sigilry may even be able give flesh to an entirely imaginary creature, but the attributes and sentience of the creature is dependent on the focused intent and passion of the creator. The sigils and the images that give and are given flesh act as anchors in the Seen for the conjured, and should they be broken, the things anchored upon them shall dissipate.
Npt170
Primordial god of order
Man, I forgot that the Lizzard even existed but no it isn't meant to be the lizard companion but having dragons in our own setting but with a few additions to make them distinct. I was heavily influent by the dragon in FF14 where dragons are sentimental immortal with wisdom beyond age and power to change the course of history.
What will the Crystal Plants do/be useful for?
Primarily the bases for an ecosystem, making the second world more distinct with it's form. Also ah hard but workable material for the races of world two. Though if you have any other ideas I'm up for it.
Npt170
Primordial god of order
Hey @Photomajig are you ok? We haven't heard from you for a while.
Epoch 8: The Age of the Unseen
- Location
- Finland
EPOCH 8
THE AGE OF THE UNSEEN
THE AGE OF THE UNSEEN
Cosmic Acts
The Elemental Forces:
The Makers come together to breathe a new force into the veins of Creation. The Elemental Forces are created, a power of magic consisting of fifteen elemental energies. They echo the natural things and states of the world, being forces of metal, water, ice, wood, fire, earth, wind, lightning, light, dark, life, death, space, time and void. These magical energies may coalesce into strange materials, imbue living beings with their properties and even manifest as elemental entities in the Seen and Unseen. Cosmic Act: Create the Elemental Forces.
The elemental salamanders are transformed with the coming of the greater Elemental Forces. They diversify to embody each new element: soon void salamanders and death salamanders are as common as those of fire and earth. Mortals take note of these developments and soon begin to learn of the new magical power out in the world.
***
Grand Acts
The Worlds of the Tree & the Tenders:
The World-Tree shudders and groans as its functions are greatly expanded to generate new spirit realms above and below. Its fruits explodes in fire and light, radiating out new realms forged out of the Legends of the Stars they represent. Where many lights intersect, greater worlds are made reflecting their merging themes and qualities. In time, the dreams and imaginations of beings living in the light of those stars in the Seen shall develop them further.
In the roots, the Tree offers spirits a chance to forge stable homes and realms of their own, pockets of stability in an everchanging existence. Many spirits leap at the chance to immortalize their works in a way usually beyond them and come together to craft personal realms made of all manner of strange and imaginative things. Grand Act: Expand the functions of the World-Tree.
***
The Law of Unseen Influence:
The spirits of the Unseen are blessed with a new gift. Their ability to influence the Seen is greatly empowered, allowing spirits to touch the Seen and enforce a portion of their imagination onto it. Most spirits prove incapable of making any great changes, but some ambitious and powerful ones eagerly seize the opportunity. Their influence is greatest where the borders of the two realms are weakest, naturally; the World-Song Stones become places of wonder and strangeness as the influence of the spirits warps their surroundings in unexpected ways. Mortals seeking passage through the roots of the Tree are now forced to contend with the assaults of spiritual influence as well where they make their breach. Grand Act: The Law of Unseen Influence.
To maintain the Tree in its new form and help it recover from the gnawing of an increasing number of dangers, the Tenders are created. These beings are made from the spirits of dead trees and plants. They work mostly dutifully to repair damage inflicted upon the Tree and its worlds, providing it with a much-needed protection against harm. Lesser Act: Create the Tenders.
***
The Law of Metamorphosis:
The Law of Constant Evolution is amended with the creation of the Law of Metamorphosis, which allows non-sentient creatures to rapidly evolve into magical and monstrous forms through exceptional accomplishments. The conditions for such transformations are many and difficult to predict, but they lead to a steady trickle of strange beasts appearing around the world.
Creatures that evolve may become Magic Beasts - blessed with innate magical properties and enhanced intellect - or Monsters, larger and stronger warped versions of themselves. Evolutions can be triggered many times, but the conditions become harder to fulfill each time. Grand Act: Create the Law of Metamorphosis.
Mortals soon find themselves baffled and frightened by beings such as the Lightning Dolphin of Pulamate, the Great Hungry Gull of the Chalk Islands and the Wild-Shaping Goat of Efriheimr. Attempts to intentionally trigger Evolutions are not successfully, at least for now.
***
The Machine Race:
A new race awakens on the surface of the Second Planet with the creation of the Me'vel, the Machine Race. They are met by the grand radiance of the Belt high above and come to cherish its reassuring and ever-present light. When the fainter Sun rises hours later, it is marveled at, but it is the stars and the Belt that the Me'vel love then and forevermore.
The Me'vel are a curious species. They are beings of artistry and craft with forms of living metal, living entirely on the works and symbols they produce, with the power to move across time and twist it away from its ordinary linear progression. They live an existence far removed from that experienced by most mortals, yet they are mortals, vulnerable to physical harm and decay as much as any creature. They do not reproduce as most do, but are instead born where time frays and is disrupted, and from acts of great passion and emotion. As the Me'vel age, they incorporate new parts and materials into their forms to become living pieces of art. Grand Act: Create the Machine Race: the Me'vel who reside upon the Second Planet.
The Me'vel cannot boast of great numbers with which to multiply and take over the earth. They have no desire to do so, as all they do is in the pursuit of aesthetic expression and illuminated artistry. Nor do they create large settlements or tribes, for they are naturally given to flit through time alone or in small groups, so that from the perspective of those in linear time they never build anything lasting. To travel far in time is difficult even for them, but they move often and with ease in small leaps to past and future, and craft loops, twists and disruptions of time to adorn their mechanical gardens.
The Yamas find them elusive prey, but the shadow magic of the giants allows them to catch Me'vel unawares every now and then. In the mouth of a Yama, even bodies of metal shift to become crimson bone and flesh.
***
The Lineals:
A strange form of life is cast out into the Void. The Lineals are created as a tool of the Cultivars in fostering new life. These miniscule arthropods evolve and grow rapidly into different shapes and forms and subsist on little more than air, water, light and base chemicals. They possess sparks of Shaping and Vigor which grant them some ability to change themselves and their environment further, laying the foundations for further growth. Yet they are no kinder than nature ever is. The worlds they help develop are places of death, as much as they are places of life and diversity.
The Lineals grow in complexity and sophistication with each generation, spawning greater and greater biodiversity and elaborate ecosystems. In their genetic code is a kill-switch however; any attempt to invade a world not meant for them will neuter their ability to reproduce, ensuring that they cannot disrupt or destroy the delicate environments of other worlds. The most intelligent and evolved Lineals become physical gods, who may be given the role of World Guardian by Cultivars, or even elevated into the Cultivars' ranks. Grand Act: Create the Lineals and give them to the Cultivars, to use appropriately and with caution.
The Cultivars understand the frightening power and marvelous utility of their new gift. They swear to use it with care, and indeed are very cautious in their first plantings of Lineal populations. Soon there are growing swarms of Seed Kinds roaming the surfaces of barren and half-developed worlds, set to steadily evolve into full ecosystems. Most of the Cultivars gradually lose their reserve and begin using them on a greater scale. They are a controlled tool, after all, fully in their grasp... but then again, under the Law of Constant Evolution, even divine designs may in time change...
***
The Art of Dramaturgy:
A divine voice speaks throughout the Unseen, whispering to the spirits of the new Art of Dramaturgy. This strange narrative magic is perfectly suited for spirits: it is the art and science behind the creation of Legends and the twists and turns of Narrative Satisfaction. A wielder of Dramaturgy can build and direct a Legend, serving as an author of someone else's tale and guiding them on the path to narrative immortality far better than they could themselves. To the spirits is given understanding of just how Legends take form and what is required to elevate a mortal above their peers. Grand Act: Gather spirits and teach them the Art of Dramaturgy: The art and a science behind the creation of legends.
With the Law of Unseen Influence allowing the spirits greater power over the Seen, it does not take long for spirits to approach mortals with offers of guidance and direction on the path to Legendhood. Those hoping to make their own Legend come to know that the best means of accomplishing it is to seek out a suitable spirit and join forces to author a fitting story for their future.
***
Lesser Acts
The Seared Spear & the Skrayt Mother's Gift:
The plea of the Skrayt matriarch for aid against the Goliath Bird is heard. The first of the Makers' gifts is the Seared Spear, a weapon of burnt wood and rusted iron that nevertheless withstands almost any harm and possesses a point sharper the greater the difference between the power of its wielder and their opponent. In the hands of one with courage and determination, it offers a chance for the weak to overcome the strong. For a mighty warrior it is of little use and may easily slip from their grasp, ensuring that it is always finding its way to new and worthy wielders. Lesser Act: Create the Seared Spear.
The Skrayt mother, Yshri, accepts the Spear humbly. It is not all, however. The second gift is the Eye of Potential, which allows her to see the hidden potential and concealed weaknesses of those around her. The Maker granting this gift bids her to spread the word of a non-existent deity by the name of Salocin; it is a small price to pay, and she accepts. Demi-Act: Help Skrayt matriarch of the Burned tribe.
***
The Two-Headed Sphinx:
On Stromhiem, guided by a divine hand, a Sphinx and an Umbral form an unlikely attachment. The love of Tsu-Kai and Unthra is a marvel of the young continent. When the Umbral inevitably dies, however, Unthra is tormented by grief. She beseeches the Makers for solace upon the highest peak of Stromhiem, and the Makers answer, resurrecting Tsu-Kai within Unthra to create the Two-Headed Sphinx. The Umbral's head now sits next to Unthra's on a shared body, so that the two lovers may never be apart. Lesser Act: Create the Two-Headed Sphinx.
The Umbrals of Stromhiem had already come to trust and respect the Sphinx during the pair's courtship. They gladly accept the miracle of the Two Heads and migrate in large numbers to live with their new patron and protector. Other Sphinxes, intrigued by the unusual arrangement, begin to frequent the area in the central mountains where they live. They add to the knowledge and learning circulating there, bringing news and ideas from other lands they have witnessed on their flights. The Umbrals learn to utilize their unique knowledge of the Caverns to tease this knowledge out of the Sphinxes without being eaten, always dangling before them another fact or story of the underground to stave off their hunger. The Sphinxes, for their part, become increasingly accustomed to this arrangement and happy with it especially when the Umbrals hunt prey for them as gifts as well.
***
The Change of the Mirror Springs:
A new change comes upon the Mirror Springs. They now provide a variety of potent effects. The Spring of the Seen blesses the surrounding vegetation and trees witha state of perfect vitality and growth. Things and beings submerged in its waters now improve appropriately in body and mind, though those who overstay their welcome and strain themselves too far within risk literally exploding from the accumulated power. The Spring also affects the minds of its users, who grow more detached and coldly logical from extended exposure.
The Spring of the Unseen develops converse effects. It manifests a dark abyss in the space around it. Those submerged are detached from the limits of their being, but like on the other side, staying for too long will see one perish as their essence dissolves into the Unseen. Extended exposure renders the affected more sensitive and emotional. A being in equilibrium between the two states will receive far greater benefits from the Springs than one affected more one way than the other. Lesser Act: The Mirror Springs Phase 2.
***
The Tournament of Life and Death:
The Makers see potential in Vadhu the Imprisoned. They create an arena in the Unseen, where a tournament of life and death is to be held at the end of every year. The contestants will be tested in many skills and challenges. The winner is rewarded with life; rebirth in their prime if they are a dead mortal, a wholly new body of flesh if they are a native spirit. Lesser Act: Create the Tournament of Life and Death.
Vadhu is unaware of his part in the matter until the first Tournament begins and he finds himself controlling the proceedings from afar. He is pleased nevertheless, and the first spirit - a Monument Maker wishing more challenge in their work by living as a mere mortal of limited means and strength - is built a new body and thrust into the Seen to live out their life. Vadhu draws a portion of the Monument Maker's creative potential into itself as they complete their work, for a payment must always be had. The slightly more competently made clayborn built afterwards are grateful for it.
***
Avorrite Crystals:
A divine rain falls upon Avoroth and Avorrite Crystals are spread around the continent with it. These blue, hexagonal crystals grow fast and tap into the dream-matter of the Unseen to sustain themselves. They can store energy and glow according to the charge of energy inside them.
When put under pressure, the energy may be released as electricity; when powdered and dissolved in clear water they will prove vitalizing and invigorating to a consumer; when soaked in water with wood ash they will provide heat; in oil they transform to be burnable like coal; and in more refined forms the crystal can heal wounds, produce magical ink, seed more crystals and be used as a magical component in spells. Lesser Act: Create Avorrite crystals on Avoroth.
There is an unintended consequence to the introduction of the Crystals to Avoroth. With the only creatures on the continent being the Yamas and Me'vel, Avorrite Crystals face very few disruptions to their continued growth. Their rapid growth means that they expand quickly and in exponential numbers from their places of origin, reaching everywhere where stone can be found to root them. Soil, sand and water suffocate their growth, but on bare stone they go into a frenzy. Within the decade, the mountains, cliffsides, caverns and rocky wastes of the continent are absolutely coated in shining Avorrite. Life is driven out from their path. In the Me'vel language, Avoroth becomes known as aKetEteKa, 'the Land of the Mountains of Light'. The Me'vel are entranced by the beauty and utility of the crystals and come to often use Avorrite in their designs and bodies.
***
The Master Dungeon Sigil and the Inspired Ones:
The Makers craft the Master Dungeon Sigil to inspire the creation of dungeons everywhere. The Monument Makers of the Unseen are called en masse to witness the Sigil, with two of their number chosen as its first guardians. The Master Sigil may be replicated, though never perfectly, to enhance any structure with its own Sigil. These Sigils empower their structures to flout the laws of nature when needed and to push beyond what is ordinarily possible; they also feed on the Legend of a dungeon as it is accumulated to grow and shift organically when living beings cannot be relied upon to expand them.
The Monument Makers are tasked with making all manner of obstacle, puzzle and trap to fill the Dungeons, and they accept this holy mission with glee. They are also to keep and create the Sigils. The greater the Sigil, the more valuable the rewards the Dungeons offer in their treasure chests. The Monument Makers are so pleased with their new task that the more usual business of inexplicable monuments is left on the wayside for a while, as strange and elaborate dungeons begin to appear all over Creation.
***
Ünnarae, the Great Collector:
A spirit of the Unseen is bound into a body of shadows and brought to the Seen as Ünnarae the Great Collector and Creator is made. Its new purpose is to trap the souls of sinners in the Seen and Unseen within its dark mirror. Every hundred souls gathered are fused into a new being, which is further placed within an item of power. If defeated and destroyed, Ünnarae will be reborn a decade later and begin its work anew. Lesser Act: Create Ünnarae, the great collector and creator.
Ünnarae's judgement of what is evil is the same as that of ultimate arbitrator of morality in Creation, the Mantle of the Breaker. When there is no holder for the Mantle, Ünnarae bases its judgement on the views of those around it. Mothers everywhere are soon warning their children to be good, lest the Ünnarae come to claim them for its mirror. The first item it creates, after years of snatching souls, is a fishing rod of black ashen wood; strong but simple, it allows one to retrieve lost objects, beings and even thing such as feelings and memories when cast out into the distance. It is found by and binds to a Hollow Man who treasures it for the rest of its long life, the first of many wielders.
***
Demi-Acts
The Prophet's Heir:
The life of Draszi-Jast Ominor is touched throughout by the divine. For decades, he has accepted and sought to fulfill the holy mission set out for him by the Architect's hand. With each passing year, the influence of the Prophet grows among the Druyul; more and more of their race come to him for advice and to dwell at the Ziggurat, clearing the jungle for plantations and taming its beasts as commanded. Since the gift of the Claíomh, there has been no communication by his divine patron.
At last, that changes as the Prophet is decreed to marry and sire offspring with a mate divinely chosen for him. It is to be a fated match, a glorious, destined beginning for a godly bloodline. A secret divine hand sets the stage, pulling the strings for matters to align as it wishes. Demi-Act: An Heir.
There is only one problem. The Claíomh-empowered will of the Prophet is absolute and his vision utterly unclouded. He is entirely beyond manipulation, even by a Maker. Where the divine desires destiny, the Prophet sees compulsion.
To be sure, he is not entirely immune to a Maker's power. The bond pulling closer him and his chosen mate - a formidable and beautiful woman of the Draghai - is undeniable. The bride-to-be is smitten and struggles to understand the coldness of her Prophet and beloved towards her. He feels the same ardor for her, of course. Draszi-Jast, however, locks his feelings away with a mastery of will, rejecting the future laid out for him.
'I beg thee, Great Architect, force me not on this path,' the Prophet speaks to the heavens one night, 'for possessing as I do thy great gift of terrible Will, it would break me to submit to another's. Grant unto me this vanity. Forgive me my pride. I am a solitary being - for who is there to equal my mind? But if it is a bloodline that is asked of me, I will do as thou command.'
A great many matings follow, with dozens of Druyul females blessed by their Prophet's visitation in the days to come. They bear young in time, the children of Draszi-Jast, but the Prophet stands well apart of them. Only at the ending, when he is to pass on his divinity, shall his firstborn be brought to him. It is wisdom, of a sort, for the Prophet perceives that to raise children as emperors-to-be is to invite arrogance, cruelty and entitlement; better for them to grow with the rest of the tribe, ignorant of their birthright. So is the bloodline of the Prophet founded; and in their veins shall run the pure will of he who defied his god.
***
A Small Bud:
A stone-barked sapling is drawn out of the World-Tree and planted in the heart of the Shifting City. Endowed with a terrible Will, those venturing close to it - and in the Shifting City, it can always be behind the corner - are subjugated and subsumed under its power. This Dominion Tree is small and young, its powers limited, but it grows steadily in the hidden places of the City. Demi-Act: A Small Bud.
***
Staff of the Stone Dancer:
The demigoddess Embla is granted the Staff of the Stone Dancer, an artifact allowing a skilled wielder to shape earth, stone and even metal through dance and performance. She is also told to use it for the construction of magical architecture. She takes quickly to the Staff and sees a fine purpose for it indeed... Demi-Act: Create the Staff of the Stone Dancer and deliver it to Embla.
***
The Floatwood Swamp:
In a secluded corner of the Arken Lands, the small Floatwood Swamp is created. This divine bog is dominated by a massive tree connected to many other trees through its roots. Though rooted deep, wood cut off from the main organism can be found to float; with the injection of Vigor - a feat usually managed by repeatedly punching the wood - the buoyancy can be increased or decreased as wished. Demi-Act: Create the Floatwood Swamp on the First World.
The Floatwood Swamp is small and conceals its unusual properties well. It avoids discovery for a long time, but is eventually discovered a mixed group of Suras and humans. One of the Suras fells a tree and soon realizes it responds to use of Vigor. The group agrees to conceal the wetland from others and settle there, taking wood only in moderation and fashioning floating huts and carts with it.
***
The Inspiration of the Muses:
A Maker berates a group of five Muse sisters for relying on mortals art, pointing at Vanti and Vadhu as examples of creators in their own midst. The intention is to inspire them to create art of their own without mortals. The Muses are extremely offended by the insinuation that spiritkind would somehow not be capable of creating art - the Unseen is, after all, realm of constant creation and imagination - but are intrigued enough by the Maker's description of Vadhu's clay that they decide to venture into the Truth of Betrayal to steal some of it for their own use. Demi-Act: Inspire some muses to create their own art.
It does not go according to plan. Vadhu's servants swiftly capture the bold sisters and bring them to their master. Rather than destroying them for their impudence, however, Vadhu is affected as deeply as any mortal by their presence. The once-God demands that the Muses assist him in his clay-shaping; an agreement is reached where each of the five Muses will stay there to attend to Vadhu in turn, gaining their liberty after each hundred works by his hand until the time they are called there again. The Muses are not as displeased by this turn of events as might be imagined. Vadhu's utter inability to create anything of lasting beauty and the self-sabotage inherent in his destructive nature fascinates them. For immortals, brief imprisonments are annoyances at best.
The five do smuggle out some of Vadhu's clay as well and work for a time to make art out of it. They grow tired of it soon enough. The joy of a Muse is to inspire others and to see them realize the dreams they suggest; they can certainly make art on their own, but what pleasure is there in it? Still, the five admit, the Maker's dare was a worthwhile diversion in the end.
***
The Void
The nothing between worlds and stars.
-Being: The Watcher. An immortal entity perceiving all of Creation.
-Being: The Historian. An immortal entity recording all of History.
-Being: The Watcher's Watcher. An immortal entity trying its best. Sometimes in possession of a compass leading to one's heart's desire.
-Being: Custodians. Powerful divine servants tasked with maintaining and continuing the works of the Makers.
-Being: Abraxas. Divine messengers and servants composed of fifteen greater and four hundred and forty lesser beings.
-Being: Cultivars. Divine caretakers and seeders of life tasked with spreading lifeforms across Creation.
-Being: Sun-Whales. Enormous leviathans dwelling in the Sun's chromosphere, empowered by solar magics.
-Being: Star Eater. Small void-dwelling creatures feeding on stars to sustain themselves. Transports others across the Void for a price.
-Being: Lineals. Rapidly evolving terraforming creatures used by Cultivars to seed new worlds.
-Being: The Outer Gods. Godlike, corrupting horrors of the outer Void. Much weakened and in hiding.
-Being: The Void Huntress. The ascended form of Nehu Far-Strider, empowered by the Might of the OutSlayer and hunting the Outer Gods at the ends of Creation.
-Phenomenon: Cosmic Paths. Divine paths of light connecting worlds for travelers.
-Phenomenon: Stars and Star-Trails. Stars marking lives lived by beings of the universe. Characteristics of great beings of the past may be gained in some way from them.
-Phenomenon: The Arising Star and the Triumphant Comet. Cosmic phenomena marking the beginnings and ends of great stories.
-Artifact: The Void Scythe. A divine artifact providing protection from vacuum and instant transportation between the World and the Void.
The Moon
A rocky moon orbiting the World and existing simultaneously in the Seen and the Unseen. A source of powerful lunar magic.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: Moon-Watchers. Beings of spirit and stone in the likeness of the Watcher's Watcher.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
The Fleshless Moon
A moon of obsidian and brass, formed out of the remains of an Outer God. Invisible in sun- and moonlight. A source of powerful hidden magic.
The Cosmic Forge
A cosmic furnace and forge feeding upon planets to create powerful divine artifacts.
-Being: The Forger. A divine entity in the flesh of a massive Sura, master of the Cosmic Forge.
Aebrirea, the First World
The first world and hub of all Creation.
-Being: The Merchant of Hope. A wandering being offering gifts to those in need to be paid through good deeds.
-Being: The Questing Beast. A mysterious monster existing to test those of great destiny and ambition.
-Being: Oech-Rul, the Monster of Many Faces. A servant of the Questing Beast, existing to test its hunters.
-Being: The Elder Rift Serpent. A great sea serpent curious for tales and learning. Can communicate with and create a pathway to its young sibling.
-Being: Ünnarae. A creature of shadow that traps sinners within its magic mirror and forges their souls into items of power.
-Artifact: The Twilight Arc. A legendary weapon channeling both lunar and solar magics.
-Artifact: The Trident of the Ocean. A legendary weapon channeling and augmenting the powers of the Sea-Spirit for those having its blessing.
-Artifact: The Mask of Madness. A cursed mask granting its wearer strength and fortitude but slowly driving them mad with berzerk rage.
-Artifact: The Seared Spear. A spear of burned wood and rusted iron made more powerful the weaker its wielder is.
-Phenomenon: The Sky Sea. A wandering floating sea in the upper atmosphere.
-Phenomenon: Hour-Stones. Time-distorting stones arising in places of change, ruin and warped time, allowing for prophecies of the future.
-Place: The Gate of Trials. An enigmatic gateway which tests those who venture inside for great rewards, appearing at random around the world.
Sea: Unnamed
Saltwater sea, blessed with nutrients and life. Microbial, simple multicellular life, algae, aquatic plants, coral, fish, leviathans, cetaceans, slimes, nymphs, sea serpents. Sentient algae.
-Being: The Spirit of the World-Sea. The awakened genius loci of the World-Sea, possessed of great magical power.
-Being: Vixith the Volcanic Turtle. An island-sized turtle with a volcano on its back. Every 500,000 years, erupts in volcanic fury and is reborn.
-Being: Nahesa, First of the Sea-Serpents. An amphibious serpent roaming the world's seas.
-Place: The City of the First Children. A great coral city by the central island. Settled by the sentient algae of the Bãsn-Shaal-Khlomet.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Horizon. A small, divine fishing boat devoted to the mortal reflection of the Great Vanti of the Unseen.
The Island of Ouroboros
Barren rock. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, nymphs, wyverns, Ixnix, K'orlannsch, Iktai. Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Place: The Memory Pool. A mysterious pool of black liquid. Allows one to view their memories in vivid detail.
-Place: The Comfortable Cave. A sentient and telepathic cave where the temperature is always comfortable.
-Place: The Tree of Evolution. A tree bearing potent fruit evolving and improving the physical qualities of those who eat them.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
Isolated island: Unnamed
A rocky island dominated by a massive tree. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, lichen and fungi, birds, fish, cetaceans, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, nymphs. White Ants.
-Being: Crataegus, the Guardian Tree. A great divine tree covering most of the Island, growing rich fruit of many colors. Awakened as a guardian of the Island.
-Being: Kaileah the Dryad. A guardian and child of the Lonesome Tree with powers over nature.
The Hot Lands
A volcanically active continent in the southwest of the world. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, lichen and fungi, volcanic flora, fish, cetaceans, birds, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, K'orlannsch, Iktai, Hrududu, Nym-Haggis, Sphinxes. Myridna, Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Being: Glacis the Mountain-Carver. An enormous serpent slowly moving around volcanoes in the Hot Lands and pulverizing everything in its path.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Place: Ironmount. A small settlement and royal seat of the highland Myridna, made up of dwellings carved into the mountainside.
-Place: Emblatha. A sanctuary-grove growing with divine plants of the Garden of Men and home of the demigod Embla.
-Artifact: Holystone. A curious divine mineral absorbing energy from its surroundings.
-Artifact: Holystone Crown. A magically potent crown allowing its wearers to enter into a state of emotionless clarity.
-Artifact: Staff of the Stone Dancer. A divine staff allowing its wielder to shape earth, rock and metal through dance and performance.
The Clouded Lands
A landmass of extremes in the southeast of the world, made of high peaks and deep ravines side by side. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, lichen and fungi, Dandreble Fungi, fish, birds, cetaceans, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, K'orlannsch, Iktai. Skrayt, Umbrals, Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Being: The Goliath Bird. A massive avian monster wielding solar magics and consumed by endless greed.
-Being: The Tyrant of Gold. A monster of gold and light ruling over Sol Mountain.
-Being: The Lizard of Potential. A lizard that grows and absorbs qualites after eating living things.
-Being: Melkiades, the First Undead. An unliving creature spreading slow death with their touch.
-Being: The Hollow King. A monstrously ambitious and powerful Hollow seeking dominion over all of the Clouded Lands.
-Place: Field of Floating Stones. A plateau of high cliffs where floating stones grow and drift through the air.
-Place: Lost Swamp. A large wetland area to the north of the continent where it is easy to lose yourself.
-Place: Tamvatra. Or 'Salt-Mound'. A large Sea-Ant colony in the eastern Clouded Lands, home to many species.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Floatstone. A strange divine rock that may be moved and manipulated with lunar magic.
-Artifact: Tamvatra's Shield. A divine shield of animated quicksilver capable of deflecting any attack it faces.
The Skylands
A collection of floating islands of varying size high above the surface world. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs. Hollows, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres, Skrayt.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
The Arken Lands
A great twin continent in the north of the world. Varied terrain. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, Iktai, Horror Birds, K'orlannsch, Sphinxes. Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres, Druyul, Suras.
-Place: The Ziggurat of Ascension. A ziggurat in the western Arken Lands allowing for a mortal to ascend to minor divinity every ten years. Capital of the Draghai Druyul.
-Place: The Temple of Broken Angels. A ruined temple currently in the western Arken Lands and a maker of corrupted angelic creatures.
-Place: The Unreal Lake. A lake reflecting the Unseen and providing a gateway to the spirit realm. Inhabited by spirits.
-Place: The Mirror Spring. A hot spring reversing imperfections and improving those who bathe in its waters. Has a counterpart in the Unseen.
-Place: Floatwood Swamp. A small swamp, home to an interconnected system of floatwood trees.
-Place: Askrheimr. A sanctuary-garden growing with divine plants of the Garden of Men and home of the demigod Askr.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Claíomh, the Orb of Purity. A magical orb focusing the energy and will of its wearer.
-Artifact: Floatwood. A rare and curious kind of wood that floats in the air and may be manipulated further through the use of Vigor.
Stromhiem
An arid continent in the southern hemisphere divided by countless rivers into fertile floodplains and hostile desert. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, Iktai, K'orlannsch, Sphinxes. Baólians, Umbrals.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Being: The Two-Headed Sphinx. A divinely blessed Sphinx with the second head of her Umbral lover.
The Caverns
Elaborate networks of caverns running under the landmasses of the World. Mostly flooded and inhospitable. Microbial and simple multicellular life, some lichen and fungi, some Dandreble Fungi, slimes, nymphs, deep life.
The Northern World-Pillar
A divine pillar in the north pole of the World. Time spent atop it passes faster than in the world below. The World-Fable Stones atop it read of Legends past and future.
The Southern World-Pillar
A divine pillar in the south pole of the World. Time spent atop it passes slower than in the world below. The World-Fable Stones atop it read of Legends past and future.
The Second World
The second world, further from the Sun. Circled by a luminous belt of magically imbued space rock and crystal.
-Being: The Younger Rift Serpent. A great sea serpent curious for tales and learning. Can communicate with and create a pathway to its elder sibling.
-Being: Dien, the Mirage Turtle. A divine turtle feeding on the roots of the World Tree and capable of crossing Realms at will.
Sea: Unnamed
Saltwater sea. Microbial and simple multicellular life, algae, coral, aquatic plants, fish, Yamas. Me'vel.
Avoroth
A large rugged continent with varied terrain and great quantities of Avorrite. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, lichen and fungi, fish, Yamas. Me'vel.
-Artifact: Avorrite Crystal. A potent and rapidly-growing crystal with broad magical properties.
The Unseen
A realm of dreams, imagination and spirits.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: The Outer Gods. Godlike, corrupting horrors of the deep Unseen. Much weakened and in hiding.
-Being: Vanti of the Rainbow Dream. A great spirit ever crafting and destroying her masterworks.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Being: Muses. Embodiments of artistic beauty and achievement inspiring mortals to create great works and performances.
-Being: Monument Makers. Canine spirits devoted to the building of strange and bewildering monuments and dungeons. Capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Artifact: The Master Dungeon Sigil. An arcane crystal sigil from which all Dungeon Sigils are derived.
The World-Tree
A spiritual reflection of Creation. Its roots prevent easy passage between the Seen and the Unseen. Home to myriad spirit realms born of Legend and dreams.
-Being: Tenders. Caretaker spirits of the World-Tree.
The Shifting City
A city of dream-stuff shifting and changing with the imagination of its inhabitants.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Being: The Dominion Tree. A sapling of the World-Tree with a powerful will inevitably subsuming others under its power.
The Truth of Betrayal
A place-phenomenon in the Unseen, once a masterwork of Vanti.
-Being: Vadhu. One of the Outer Gods. Hiding within the Truth of Betrayal with powers of resurrection.
-Being: Clayborn. Spirit-animated scraps of clay serving Vadhu.
The Unreal Lake.
A lake reflecting the Seen and providing a gateway to the material world.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
The Mirror Spring.
A hot spring bringing imperfections to and changing those who bathe in its waters. Has a counterpart in the Seen.
The Arena of Life and Death
A grand arena near the Truth of Betrayal. Within is held the Tournament of Life and Death every year.
Laws of Reality
Law: Narrative Satisfaction. All laws of reality may be broken and bent for the purpose of narratively satisfying outcomes or for the pure of heart and will.
Law: Constant Evolution. All of Creation strives to change and evolve. Mutations in living beings are common, forces of change are more potent, and intelligent creatures tend to oppose stagnation.
Law: Metamorphosis. Non-sentient creatures accomplishing unlikely feats may rapidly evolve into magical or monstrous forms.
Law: Unseen Reawakening. All living beings reflect spiritual counterparts into the Unseen. When they die in the Seen, they awaken in these forms to new lives in the Unseen as new spirits.
Law: Legend Cultivation. Mortals, animals and inanimate things that overcome great challenges are empowered by Legend, granting them powerful and self-correcting narratives. Legends of the glorious dead may be emulated by those who come after them.
Law: Artistry. Magic is empowered by the use of symbols, references, meanings and mystical architecture reflecting its nature or purpose.
The nothing between worlds and stars.
-Being: The Watcher. An immortal entity perceiving all of Creation.
-Being: The Historian. An immortal entity recording all of History.
-Being: The Watcher's Watcher. An immortal entity trying its best. Sometimes in possession of a compass leading to one's heart's desire.
-Being: Custodians. Powerful divine servants tasked with maintaining and continuing the works of the Makers.
-Being: Abraxas. Divine messengers and servants composed of fifteen greater and four hundred and forty lesser beings.
-Being: Cultivars. Divine caretakers and seeders of life tasked with spreading lifeforms across Creation.
-Being: Sun-Whales. Enormous leviathans dwelling in the Sun's chromosphere, empowered by solar magics.
-Being: Star Eater. Small void-dwelling creatures feeding on stars to sustain themselves. Transports others across the Void for a price.
-Being: Lineals. Rapidly evolving terraforming creatures used by Cultivars to seed new worlds.
-Being: The Outer Gods. Godlike, corrupting horrors of the outer Void. Much weakened and in hiding.
-Being: The Void Huntress. The ascended form of Nehu Far-Strider, empowered by the Might of the OutSlayer and hunting the Outer Gods at the ends of Creation.
-Phenomenon: Cosmic Paths. Divine paths of light connecting worlds for travelers.
-Phenomenon: Stars and Star-Trails. Stars marking lives lived by beings of the universe. Characteristics of great beings of the past may be gained in some way from them.
-Phenomenon: The Arising Star and the Triumphant Comet. Cosmic phenomena marking the beginnings and ends of great stories.
-Artifact: The Void Scythe. A divine artifact providing protection from vacuum and instant transportation between the World and the Void.
The Moon
A rocky moon orbiting the World and existing simultaneously in the Seen and the Unseen. A source of powerful lunar magic.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: Moon-Watchers. Beings of spirit and stone in the likeness of the Watcher's Watcher.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
The Fleshless Moon
A moon of obsidian and brass, formed out of the remains of an Outer God. Invisible in sun- and moonlight. A source of powerful hidden magic.
The Cosmic Forge
A cosmic furnace and forge feeding upon planets to create powerful divine artifacts.
-Being: The Forger. A divine entity in the flesh of a massive Sura, master of the Cosmic Forge.
Aebrirea, the First World
The first world and hub of all Creation.
-Being: The Merchant of Hope. A wandering being offering gifts to those in need to be paid through good deeds.
-Being: The Questing Beast. A mysterious monster existing to test those of great destiny and ambition.
-Being: Oech-Rul, the Monster of Many Faces. A servant of the Questing Beast, existing to test its hunters.
-Being: The Elder Rift Serpent. A great sea serpent curious for tales and learning. Can communicate with and create a pathway to its young sibling.
-Being: Ünnarae. A creature of shadow that traps sinners within its magic mirror and forges their souls into items of power.
-Artifact: The Twilight Arc. A legendary weapon channeling both lunar and solar magics.
-Artifact: The Trident of the Ocean. A legendary weapon channeling and augmenting the powers of the Sea-Spirit for those having its blessing.
-Artifact: The Mask of Madness. A cursed mask granting its wearer strength and fortitude but slowly driving them mad with berzerk rage.
-Artifact: The Seared Spear. A spear of burned wood and rusted iron made more powerful the weaker its wielder is.
-Phenomenon: The Sky Sea. A wandering floating sea in the upper atmosphere.
-Phenomenon: Hour-Stones. Time-distorting stones arising in places of change, ruin and warped time, allowing for prophecies of the future.
-Place: The Gate of Trials. An enigmatic gateway which tests those who venture inside for great rewards, appearing at random around the world.
Sea: Unnamed
Saltwater sea, blessed with nutrients and life. Microbial, simple multicellular life, algae, aquatic plants, coral, fish, leviathans, cetaceans, slimes, nymphs, sea serpents. Sentient algae.
-Being: The Spirit of the World-Sea. The awakened genius loci of the World-Sea, possessed of great magical power.
-Being: Vixith the Volcanic Turtle. An island-sized turtle with a volcano on its back. Every 500,000 years, erupts in volcanic fury and is reborn.
-Being: Nahesa, First of the Sea-Serpents. An amphibious serpent roaming the world's seas.
-Place: The City of the First Children. A great coral city by the central island. Settled by the sentient algae of the Bãsn-Shaal-Khlomet.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Horizon. A small, divine fishing boat devoted to the mortal reflection of the Great Vanti of the Unseen.
The Island of Ouroboros
Barren rock. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, nymphs, wyverns, Ixnix, K'orlannsch, Iktai. Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Place: The Memory Pool. A mysterious pool of black liquid. Allows one to view their memories in vivid detail.
-Place: The Comfortable Cave. A sentient and telepathic cave where the temperature is always comfortable.
-Place: The Tree of Evolution. A tree bearing potent fruit evolving and improving the physical qualities of those who eat them.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
Isolated island: Unnamed
A rocky island dominated by a massive tree. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, lichen and fungi, birds, fish, cetaceans, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, nymphs. White Ants.
-Being: Crataegus, the Guardian Tree. A great divine tree covering most of the Island, growing rich fruit of many colors. Awakened as a guardian of the Island.
-Being: Kaileah the Dryad. A guardian and child of the Lonesome Tree with powers over nature.
The Hot Lands
A volcanically active continent in the southwest of the world. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, lichen and fungi, volcanic flora, fish, cetaceans, birds, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, K'orlannsch, Iktai, Hrududu, Nym-Haggis, Sphinxes. Myridna, Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Being: Glacis the Mountain-Carver. An enormous serpent slowly moving around volcanoes in the Hot Lands and pulverizing everything in its path.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Place: Ironmount. A small settlement and royal seat of the highland Myridna, made up of dwellings carved into the mountainside.
-Place: Emblatha. A sanctuary-grove growing with divine plants of the Garden of Men and home of the demigod Embla.
-Artifact: Holystone. A curious divine mineral absorbing energy from its surroundings.
-Artifact: Holystone Crown. A magically potent crown allowing its wearers to enter into a state of emotionless clarity.
-Artifact: Staff of the Stone Dancer. A divine staff allowing its wielder to shape earth, rock and metal through dance and performance.
The Clouded Lands
A landmass of extremes in the southeast of the world, made of high peaks and deep ravines side by side. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, trees, lichen and fungi, Dandreble Fungi, fish, birds, cetaceans, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, K'orlannsch, Iktai. Skrayt, Umbrals, Hollows, Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres.
-Being: The Goliath Bird. A massive avian monster wielding solar magics and consumed by endless greed.
-Being: The Tyrant of Gold. A monster of gold and light ruling over Sol Mountain.
-Being: The Lizard of Potential. A lizard that grows and absorbs qualites after eating living things.
-Being: Melkiades, the First Undead. An unliving creature spreading slow death with their touch.
-Being: The Hollow King. A monstrously ambitious and powerful Hollow seeking dominion over all of the Clouded Lands.
-Place: Field of Floating Stones. A plateau of high cliffs where floating stones grow and drift through the air.
-Place: Lost Swamp. A large wetland area to the north of the continent where it is easy to lose yourself.
-Place: Tamvatra. Or 'Salt-Mound'. A large Sea-Ant colony in the eastern Clouded Lands, home to many species.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Floatstone. A strange divine rock that may be moved and manipulated with lunar magic.
-Artifact: Tamvatra's Shield. A divine shield of animated quicksilver capable of deflecting any attack it faces.
The Skylands
A collection of floating islands of varying size high above the surface world. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs. Hollows, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres, Skrayt.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
The Arken Lands
A great twin continent in the north of the world. Varied terrain. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, Iktai, Horror Birds, K'orlannsch, Sphinxes. Baólians, Dream Canidae, Humans, Ogres, Druyul, Suras.
-Place: The Ziggurat of Ascension. A ziggurat in the western Arken Lands allowing for a mortal to ascend to minor divinity every ten years. Capital of the Draghai Druyul.
-Place: The Temple of Broken Angels. A ruined temple currently in the western Arken Lands and a maker of corrupted angelic creatures.
-Place: The Unreal Lake. A lake reflecting the Unseen and providing a gateway to the spirit realm. Inhabited by spirits.
-Place: The Mirror Spring. A hot spring reversing imperfections and improving those who bathe in its waters. Has a counterpart in the Unseen.
-Place: Floatwood Swamp. A small swamp, home to an interconnected system of floatwood trees.
-Place: Askrheimr. A sanctuary-garden growing with divine plants of the Garden of Men and home of the demigod Askr.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Artifact: Claíomh, the Orb of Purity. A magical orb focusing the energy and will of its wearer.
-Artifact: Floatwood. A rare and curious kind of wood that floats in the air and may be manipulated further through the use of Vigor.
Stromhiem
An arid continent in the southern hemisphere divided by countless rivers into fertile floodplains and hostile desert. Microbial and simple multicellular life, lichen and fungi, plants, trees, birds, fish, cetaceans, ungulates, felines, slimes, elemental salamanders, wyverns, nymphs, Iktai, K'orlannsch, Sphinxes. Baólians, Umbrals.
-Place: World-Song Stones. Stone circles emanating beautiful otherworldly song. Also allow for communication between the Seen and Unseen.
-Being: The Two-Headed Sphinx. A divinely blessed Sphinx with the second head of her Umbral lover.
The Caverns
Elaborate networks of caverns running under the landmasses of the World. Mostly flooded and inhospitable. Microbial and simple multicellular life, some lichen and fungi, some Dandreble Fungi, slimes, nymphs, deep life.
The Northern World-Pillar
A divine pillar in the north pole of the World. Time spent atop it passes faster than in the world below. The World-Fable Stones atop it read of Legends past and future.
The Southern World-Pillar
A divine pillar in the south pole of the World. Time spent atop it passes slower than in the world below. The World-Fable Stones atop it read of Legends past and future.
The Second World
The second world, further from the Sun. Circled by a luminous belt of magically imbued space rock and crystal.
-Being: The Younger Rift Serpent. A great sea serpent curious for tales and learning. Can communicate with and create a pathway to its elder sibling.
-Being: Dien, the Mirage Turtle. A divine turtle feeding on the roots of the World Tree and capable of crossing Realms at will.
Sea: Unnamed
Saltwater sea. Microbial and simple multicellular life, algae, coral, aquatic plants, fish, Yamas. Me'vel.
Avoroth
A large rugged continent with varied terrain and great quantities of Avorrite. Microbial and simple multicellular life, plants, lichen and fungi, fish, Yamas. Me'vel.
-Artifact: Avorrite Crystal. A potent and rapidly-growing crystal with broad magical properties.
The Unseen
A realm of dreams, imagination and spirits.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: The Outer Gods. Godlike, corrupting horrors of the deep Unseen. Much weakened and in hiding.
-Being: Vanti of the Rainbow Dream. A great spirit ever crafting and destroying her masterworks.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Being: Muses. Embodiments of artistic beauty and achievement inspiring mortals to create great works and performances.
-Being: Monument Makers. Canine spirits devoted to the building of strange and bewildering monuments and dungeons. Capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Artifact: The Master Dungeon Sigil. An arcane crystal sigil from which all Dungeon Sigils are derived.
The World-Tree
A spiritual reflection of Creation. Its roots prevent easy passage between the Seen and the Unseen. Home to myriad spirit realms born of Legend and dreams.
-Being: Tenders. Caretaker spirits of the World-Tree.
The Shifting City
A city of dream-stuff shifting and changing with the imagination of its inhabitants.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
-Being: Dream Canidae. Mischievous canine spirits capable of traversing between Seen and Unseen at will.
-Being: The Dominion Tree. A sapling of the World-Tree with a powerful will inevitably subsuming others under its power.
The Truth of Betrayal
A place-phenomenon in the Unseen, once a masterwork of Vanti.
-Being: Vadhu. One of the Outer Gods. Hiding within the Truth of Betrayal with powers of resurrection.
-Being: Clayborn. Spirit-animated scraps of clay serving Vadhu.
The Unreal Lake.
A lake reflecting the Seen and providing a gateway to the material world.
-Being: Spirits. Native entities of the Unseen.
The Mirror Spring.
A hot spring bringing imperfections to and changing those who bathe in its waters. Has a counterpart in the Seen.
The Arena of Life and Death
A grand arena near the Truth of Betrayal. Within is held the Tournament of Life and Death every year.
Laws of Reality
Law: Narrative Satisfaction. All laws of reality may be broken and bent for the purpose of narratively satisfying outcomes or for the pure of heart and will.
Law: Constant Evolution. All of Creation strives to change and evolve. Mutations in living beings are common, forces of change are more potent, and intelligent creatures tend to oppose stagnation.
Law: Metamorphosis. Non-sentient creatures accomplishing unlikely feats may rapidly evolve into magical or monstrous forms.
Law: Unseen Reawakening. All living beings reflect spiritual counterparts into the Unseen. When they die in the Seen, they awaken in these forms to new lives in the Unseen as new spirits.
Law: Legend Cultivation. Mortals, animals and inanimate things that overcome great challenges are empowered by Legend, granting them powerful and self-correcting narratives. Legends of the glorious dead may be emulated by those who come after them.
Law: Artistry. Magic is empowered by the use of symbols, references, meanings and mystical architecture reflecting its nature or purpose.
A moratorium on Acts is now in effect. You may begin Voting for the next Epoch in 12 hours. The following Epoch shall be the Age of Wonder. Acts to create or alter things that evoke wonderment, inspiration, pleasure and happiness in living beings shall receive a free +1 Vote.
Epoch 8: The Age of the Unseen (Part 2)
- Location
- Finland
Developments
The Mother of Cities:
Embla, Mother of Humanity, mourns. In her eyes, the Years of Ash and the First War have no winners. Thousands are dead. Those claimed by violence are only a fraction of those who have perished from the droughts and the famines, and from the new scourge of civilized folk, the wandering plagues. Even blessed Emblatha struggles to feed the hungry at her gates, burned and scarred in the fighting as she is. It is reputed a safe haven even so. The fertile valley draws more and more to it throughout the hard years.
Many in Embla's council plead that she turn away the hungry masses coming to empty their granaries, but Embla refuses. She will not cast anyone out to die a miserable hungry death in the wilds. Instead, she commands her children to work harder to dig plots and carve channels - to come up with new ways of driving things to grow and be fruitful.
In the hot and rainless years that follow, the humans of Emblatha develop means to pull water into fields and shield growth from the heat. With the help of lowland Myridna, domesticated beasts are harnessed to pull ard plows and work in mills. New tools of stone and metal - the latter traded from the highlanders - are crafted to help work the earth and turn its bounty into food. Wild plants are cultivated further for greater yields; even the curious volcanic flora flourishing in the eruption's wake is put on the table for the mouth-burning peppers and warm nutritious sap some bear. Every trick and innovation the people of Emblatha can think of is put into use to coax more out of their fields, to feed more and more people.
The settling ash proves in the end to be valuable fertilizer as well, invigorating the garden-descended seeds of the valley with even greater growth. Tales of Emblatha's great plenty reach ever further across the continent and even beyond, carried by sailors to other lands. In truth the times are lean for those in the valley – but Emblatha endures.
When the ash clouds part and the land begins to recover, those who have come to dwell in Emblatha are reluctant to leave - for where else is there such comfort? The demigoddess, whom many call the Green Lady or the Mother of Plenty, is beloved by those she has saved, even worshipped by some. Yet such prosperity attracts envy and greed. The Mountain Kingdom and the Federation of Horns demand their tribute and call for greater shares of the valley's wealth, for the submission of Emblatha to one or the other. She is happy to trade her produce to the two powers, but she sees the seeds of new war in their hearts. She will not see Emblatha burn for a second time.
It is then that the Staff of the Stone Dancer is given unto her. With the ichor of the World Tree singing in her veins and divine power in her breath, she is swift to grasp its uses. Embla leads her people into a shaping-dance, channeling the power of the Staff as thousands of her followers sing and move in rhythm to her. The Staff alone could not accomplish such monumental construction, but it is joined by the mundane labor of many, many souls. For weeks on end, they work together to shape earth, wood and stone.
At the touch of the Staff, great walls of earth rise to shield every entrance to the valley. Their faces are piled high with stone and their backs run through with reinforcing wood; moats are dug on the other side and water channeled to fill them. But where others might be satisfied with purely utilitarian ends, Embla goes further. She coaxes vines and flowers to adorn the walls, guides roots and thorns to break up the approach. What rises is a Green Wall, a wonder of the world.
Great towers of earth and stone are pushed high to stand guard atop it. These structures incorporate curious, esoteric designs to fuel and channel magical energies. From there she decrees that the inside of the walls is to be built anew as well. New houses and halls are made in the same strange shapes and forms - mystical architecture touches each and every dwelling of Emblatha to make it a city of great magic.
And it is a city, the first true city, one of Legend and the greatest of her age. Vine-wreathed houses with roofs like slender leaves run in rings of orchard-lined streets. Rooftop gardens cast fragrant scents over the rooftops. Under the earth, elaborate warrens house the Myridna. A grand central market in the welcome shade of high date palms is frequented by visitors and traders from all around. The River Graetrán is crossed by bridges of natural shaped stone and its cool waters collected and channeled further for drinking, irrigation and communal baths in the heart of the city. Underneath the city, though few realize it, an enterprising pack of Monument Makers even build a sprawling Dungeon to challenge the city's inhabitants.
The mystical architecture built into the city attracts those versed in the Arts, and so Emblatha becomes the first center of such learning on the continent. The hearts of the Mountain King and the Mihoza are twisted with envy, but they dare not assault Emblatha's high walls, nor move against its mistress and risk losing the aid and guidance of humans for their fields.
Instead, they follow the path Emblatha has blazed. Crude imitations of the Green City rise in the highlands beneath Ironmount as well, and at the heartlands of the Federation to the south; mere towns, but built with purpose and guarded now by palisades against incursion. Everywhere on the continent where the Gift of Men – the art of agriculture – becomes established, tribal camps begin to settle into villages and seasonal dwellings grow into permanent settlements. The sedentary peoples of the Hot Lands now outnumber those still relying on hunting and gathering.
The Tyrant's Fall:
Yshri fears the cruel Goliath Bird - for who would not? - but she makes a stand nevertheless. Many in the tribe refuse to aid her in fear of reprisal when their master inevitably defeats her, including her own sons and daughters. Such is the grip of fear held by the tyrant over the Skrayt that when Yshri strides out to the treasure mound on which the Goliath Bird nests, she goes alone.
The Goliath Bird laughs then, a cruel mocking sound. In the Spear it sees a curiosity well worth adding to its collection, even if it appears a crude and broken thing. Yshri demands his surrender and departure from their lands, marveling at the calm she feels and the certainty of her voice. The Goliath Bird listens with amusement until she is finished and then moves to snuff out her life as it has done to so many others.
A storm of solar fury engulfs the lone Skrayt. A dozen nearby huts catch fire and the feathers of onlookers are singed. But to its astonishment, when the smoke clears, Yshri is still standing. No fire or heat can touch the wielder of the Spear. It is her turn to attack, and she does it with all the unpracticed clumsiness of a old woman. Her first blows are easily avoided, but when the Spear strikes flesh, even on a mere graze, it pierces deep enough to see the Goliath Bird roar in pain and outrage.
They take to the air, the Goliath Bird the pursued for the first time in its existence. The tribe gathers beneath to watch the contest, faint hope stirring in their chests. Yet the tyrant is cunning. The wielder of the Spear may be safe from its solar fire, but it does not shield Yshri's frail bones and mortal flesh from harm. It only takes one mistake, and the Goliath Bird's talons flash past Yshru's defense and plunge into her spine.
The Skrayt mother falls, the Spear rolling from her hands. The Goliath Bird descends, eager to finish his cruel work. The tyrant stops to gloat and to roar to the gathered tribe of the futility of standing against it. All of them can see the deep, bleeding wounds in its flesh, however. All of them can see Rashru, son of Yshri, overcome his fear and dart towards the fallen Spear. He calls his mother's name as he seizes the weapon in his hand; and with her last strength, Yshri opens her Eye of Potential wide and perceives the weak point in the Goliath Bird's vulnerable belly. She calls upon her son to strike there, and he does.
The Seared Spear sinks deep into the Goliath Bird with a spray of black and burning blood. The Tyrant howls and screeches and staggers back, wings failing from underneath it, gore drenching the ground beneath its feet. Again and again Rashru strikes, and the others of the tribe join him with weapons of stone, the fury of the small unleashed against a master revealed to be flesh and blood.
Together they drive the Goliath Bird off their island and cast its crippled form down against the mountainside. Pitiful and surely dying, the grievously wounded creature falls far and deep to crash down upon the jagged rocks of a shadowy chasm belowThe tribe embraces Rashru and Yshri as their saviors, and though the matriarch never walks or flies again, she is saved from death by herbs and magics and elevated as chief of the tribe. The Goliath Bird, they say, is surely dead and will never trouble them again.
Yet immortals cling to their lives far longer than any mortal creature. The Goliath Bird does not die in those depths. Instead, it is found by servants of the Hollow King, who offers it a chance to serve and continue to live...
The Mother of Cities:
Embla, Mother of Humanity, mourns. In her eyes, the Years of Ash and the First War have no winners. Thousands are dead. Those claimed by violence are only a fraction of those who have perished from the droughts and the famines, and from the new scourge of civilized folk, the wandering plagues. Even blessed Emblatha struggles to feed the hungry at her gates, burned and scarred in the fighting as she is. It is reputed a safe haven even so. The fertile valley draws more and more to it throughout the hard years.
Many in Embla's council plead that she turn away the hungry masses coming to empty their granaries, but Embla refuses. She will not cast anyone out to die a miserable hungry death in the wilds. Instead, she commands her children to work harder to dig plots and carve channels - to come up with new ways of driving things to grow and be fruitful.
In the hot and rainless years that follow, the humans of Emblatha develop means to pull water into fields and shield growth from the heat. With the help of lowland Myridna, domesticated beasts are harnessed to pull ard plows and work in mills. New tools of stone and metal - the latter traded from the highlanders - are crafted to help work the earth and turn its bounty into food. Wild plants are cultivated further for greater yields; even the curious volcanic flora flourishing in the eruption's wake is put on the table for the mouth-burning peppers and warm nutritious sap some bear. Every trick and innovation the people of Emblatha can think of is put into use to coax more out of their fields, to feed more and more people.
The settling ash proves in the end to be valuable fertilizer as well, invigorating the garden-descended seeds of the valley with even greater growth. Tales of Emblatha's great plenty reach ever further across the continent and even beyond, carried by sailors to other lands. In truth the times are lean for those in the valley – but Emblatha endures.
When the ash clouds part and the land begins to recover, those who have come to dwell in Emblatha are reluctant to leave - for where else is there such comfort? The demigoddess, whom many call the Green Lady or the Mother of Plenty, is beloved by those she has saved, even worshipped by some. Yet such prosperity attracts envy and greed. The Mountain Kingdom and the Federation of Horns demand their tribute and call for greater shares of the valley's wealth, for the submission of Emblatha to one or the other. She is happy to trade her produce to the two powers, but she sees the seeds of new war in their hearts. She will not see Emblatha burn for a second time.
It is then that the Staff of the Stone Dancer is given unto her. With the ichor of the World Tree singing in her veins and divine power in her breath, she is swift to grasp its uses. Embla leads her people into a shaping-dance, channeling the power of the Staff as thousands of her followers sing and move in rhythm to her. The Staff alone could not accomplish such monumental construction, but it is joined by the mundane labor of many, many souls. For weeks on end, they work together to shape earth, wood and stone.
At the touch of the Staff, great walls of earth rise to shield every entrance to the valley. Their faces are piled high with stone and their backs run through with reinforcing wood; moats are dug on the other side and water channeled to fill them. But where others might be satisfied with purely utilitarian ends, Embla goes further. She coaxes vines and flowers to adorn the walls, guides roots and thorns to break up the approach. What rises is a Green Wall, a wonder of the world.
Great towers of earth and stone are pushed high to stand guard atop it. These structures incorporate curious, esoteric designs to fuel and channel magical energies. From there she decrees that the inside of the walls is to be built anew as well. New houses and halls are made in the same strange shapes and forms - mystical architecture touches each and every dwelling of Emblatha to make it a city of great magic.
And it is a city, the first true city, one of Legend and the greatest of her age. Vine-wreathed houses with roofs like slender leaves run in rings of orchard-lined streets. Rooftop gardens cast fragrant scents over the rooftops. Under the earth, elaborate warrens house the Myridna. A grand central market in the welcome shade of high date palms is frequented by visitors and traders from all around. The River Graetrán is crossed by bridges of natural shaped stone and its cool waters collected and channeled further for drinking, irrigation and communal baths in the heart of the city. Underneath the city, though few realize it, an enterprising pack of Monument Makers even build a sprawling Dungeon to challenge the city's inhabitants.
The mystical architecture built into the city attracts those versed in the Arts, and so Emblatha becomes the first center of such learning on the continent. The hearts of the Mountain King and the Mihoza are twisted with envy, but they dare not assault Emblatha's high walls, nor move against its mistress and risk losing the aid and guidance of humans for their fields.
Instead, they follow the path Emblatha has blazed. Crude imitations of the Green City rise in the highlands beneath Ironmount as well, and at the heartlands of the Federation to the south; mere towns, but built with purpose and guarded now by palisades against incursion. Everywhere on the continent where the Gift of Men – the art of agriculture – becomes established, tribal camps begin to settle into villages and seasonal dwellings grow into permanent settlements. The sedentary peoples of the Hot Lands now outnumber those still relying on hunting and gathering.
***
The Tyrant's Fall:
Yshri fears the cruel Goliath Bird - for who would not? - but she makes a stand nevertheless. Many in the tribe refuse to aid her in fear of reprisal when their master inevitably defeats her, including her own sons and daughters. Such is the grip of fear held by the tyrant over the Skrayt that when Yshri strides out to the treasure mound on which the Goliath Bird nests, she goes alone.
The Goliath Bird laughs then, a cruel mocking sound. In the Spear it sees a curiosity well worth adding to its collection, even if it appears a crude and broken thing. Yshri demands his surrender and departure from their lands, marveling at the calm she feels and the certainty of her voice. The Goliath Bird listens with amusement until she is finished and then moves to snuff out her life as it has done to so many others.
A storm of solar fury engulfs the lone Skrayt. A dozen nearby huts catch fire and the feathers of onlookers are singed. But to its astonishment, when the smoke clears, Yshri is still standing. No fire or heat can touch the wielder of the Spear. It is her turn to attack, and she does it with all the unpracticed clumsiness of a old woman. Her first blows are easily avoided, but when the Spear strikes flesh, even on a mere graze, it pierces deep enough to see the Goliath Bird roar in pain and outrage.
They take to the air, the Goliath Bird the pursued for the first time in its existence. The tribe gathers beneath to watch the contest, faint hope stirring in their chests. Yet the tyrant is cunning. The wielder of the Spear may be safe from its solar fire, but it does not shield Yshri's frail bones and mortal flesh from harm. It only takes one mistake, and the Goliath Bird's talons flash past Yshru's defense and plunge into her spine.
The Skrayt mother falls, the Spear rolling from her hands. The Goliath Bird descends, eager to finish his cruel work. The tyrant stops to gloat and to roar to the gathered tribe of the futility of standing against it. All of them can see the deep, bleeding wounds in its flesh, however. All of them can see Rashru, son of Yshri, overcome his fear and dart towards the fallen Spear. He calls his mother's name as he seizes the weapon in his hand; and with her last strength, Yshri opens her Eye of Potential wide and perceives the weak point in the Goliath Bird's vulnerable belly. She calls upon her son to strike there, and he does.
The Seared Spear sinks deep into the Goliath Bird with a spray of black and burning blood. The Tyrant howls and screeches and staggers back, wings failing from underneath it, gore drenching the ground beneath its feet. Again and again Rashru strikes, and the others of the tribe join him with weapons of stone, the fury of the small unleashed against a master revealed to be flesh and blood.
Together they drive the Goliath Bird off their island and cast its crippled form down against the mountainside. Pitiful and surely dying, the grievously wounded creature falls far and deep to crash down upon the jagged rocks of a shadowy chasm belowThe tribe embraces Rashru and Yshri as their saviors, and though the matriarch never walks or flies again, she is saved from death by herbs and magics and elevated as chief of the tribe. The Goliath Bird, they say, is surely dead and will never trouble them again.
Yet immortals cling to their lives far longer than any mortal creature. The Goliath Bird does not die in those depths. Instead, it is found by servants of the Hollow King, who offers it a chance to serve and continue to live...
***
Scrivener
The Femme In Yellow
- Location
- Don't Leave Me Here You Bastards
- Pronouns
- She/Her/They
Nooo! You're supposed to obey me! I'm a God! My empire must devour this planet whole! You can't defy meeeeee! Nooooooooooo!
Quest
The Great One
- Location
- Everywhere
Pictured above: Scrinever, the first Mad Scientist.
[] Law of Theatrics: Though the Law of Artistry is a strong foundation, one can draw upon a far deeper level of Legend and Narrative Satisfaction. This deeper level is the Law of Theatrics. Through dramatic performances of legendary acts, one can draw upon the power of those Legends to shape magic and the world to an even greater degree. These performances can be greatly enhanced by costumes, masks and body art that evoke the characters and themes of the invoked Legends as well as the attention of any onlookers. The greater the emotions evoked in watchers, the greater an act is strengthened. (Grand Act)
@Photomajig would this gain the epoch bonus?
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Pempelune
Fanfiction Deep State
Great update! Emblatha sounds like an amazing place. Civilization is now well and truly born!
But more wars are sure to follow. Tall walls will not defy armies forever.
Authored Act:
[X] Create the Peaceful Oasis at the heart of Stromhiem's greatest desert, and let it be decreed: all in its bounds shall know peace. In this hallowed place, by the Will of the Makers, violence is forbidden: no living being shall be harmed. Here blades do not cut skin, hammers do not break bones, diseases do not progress, and senescence is stymied. (Lesser Act)
The Peaceful Oasis essentially allows immortality for all that dwell there, and it is of course a great meeting place, where one can trade and discuss with complete strangers with no fear of violence. But this is only true within the bounds of the Oasis, and in time this place will surely draw greed.
This makes for a nice point of interest for Stromheim which is currently devoid of any. And people will eventually hear rumors of the oasis of eternal life in the middle of the desert and will hunt for it like conquistadores for the Fountain of Youth. And one day, once Stromheim become the seat of true civilizations, they will squabble over who can rule this most valuable place...
But more wars are sure to follow. Tall walls will not defy armies forever.
Authored Act:
[X] Create the Peaceful Oasis at the heart of Stromhiem's greatest desert, and let it be decreed: all in its bounds shall know peace. In this hallowed place, by the Will of the Makers, violence is forbidden: no living being shall be harmed. Here blades do not cut skin, hammers do not break bones, diseases do not progress, and senescence is stymied. (Lesser Act)
The Peaceful Oasis essentially allows immortality for all that dwell there, and it is of course a great meeting place, where one can trade and discuss with complete strangers with no fear of violence. But this is only true within the bounds of the Oasis, and in time this place will surely draw greed.
This makes for a nice point of interest for Stromheim which is currently devoid of any. And people will eventually hear rumors of the oasis of eternal life in the middle of the desert and will hunt for it like conquistadores for the Fountain of Youth. And one day, once Stromheim become the seat of true civilizations, they will squabble over who can rule this most valuable place...
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- Location
- A Pit Of My Own Making
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Teller of Tales
A whimsical figure, appearing as a member of any sentient race it approaches, dressed in bright colours and a comical mask. The Teller has knowledge of all legendary deeds and quests, and has the desire to tell others of these stories. With naught but its voice it can weave tales of wonder and glory, of fear and delight.
The Teller also selects its tales for its audience. For those that dwell under tyranny, they speak of the Skrayt Yshri who stood against the Goliath Bird. For those whose spirits ebb, they tell of humorous tales of Ik'Shar the Fluffy and Nix'Shar the Marginally Fluffier. And for those that have lost their past, they tell them tales of the beginning epochs, of the first members of their races and what came to define them.
The Teller stays only at most for a day and a night, and then departs swiftly. Those that attempt to trap it find themselves with only a small bird, which flies away singing it's mocking song.
Still want to add my door, but this seems like a cool idea. Not sure if it would be a lesser or grand act though. Any advice? Potential additions or changes?
A whimsical figure, appearing as a member of any sentient race it approaches, dressed in bright colours and a comical mask. The Teller has knowledge of all legendary deeds and quests, and has the desire to tell others of these stories. With naught but its voice it can weave tales of wonder and glory, of fear and delight.
The Teller also selects its tales for its audience. For those that dwell under tyranny, they speak of the Skrayt Yshri who stood against the Goliath Bird. For those whose spirits ebb, they tell of humorous tales of Ik'Shar the Fluffy and Nix'Shar the Marginally Fluffier. And for those that have lost their past, they tell them tales of the beginning epochs, of the first members of their races and what came to define them.
The Teller stays only at most for a day and a night, and then departs swiftly. Those that attempt to trap it find themselves with only a small bird, which flies away singing it's mocking song.
Still want to add my door, but this seems like a cool idea. Not sure if it would be a lesser or grand act though. Any advice? Potential additions or changes?
Not sure about the crystal plants with the magic crystals doing a good job of that. Hmmm well probably going to get sky squids up then
Ghost in a wall
Just a bit spooky
Ooof, I honestly forgot about the Yama. FUuuuuuu... ah well.
Hm... I was thinking about making a machine city for the Me'vel. Sorta something they can go show their works to one another and act as a shelter from the Yama- and a passive spear to fight them off. Maybe. I've been sitting on this idea since I came up with the Me'vel, so I might as well lean into it and see what happens. Any advice you guys think would be worth adding to this?
[] Create the Clockwork City on the Second Planet (Lesser Act)
Within the dangerous lands of the second planet exists a City for the Me'vel. As a race born to a world of dangers, their creator had crafted a safe haven to their people. Centered around a natrual divergence in time, this city is a massive thing of metal. Pistons pump as clockwork ticks away, each gear moving with the alignments of the stars. The city itself changes it's shape depending on the time, year, and date, each hour shifting it's shape to be different then the previous in a cycle that resets every decade. Streets twist and turn, buildings change height, and the walls move in perfect mechanical percision. At the top of this city is a library for the Me'vel, a small thing at first glance. Within the library, contains books written on the various races of the cosmos, more being added as more races are born or crafted by Makers, as well as brief summaries on the existance of the magics of the world, not to teach the readers, but reather, to provide them insight and inspiration on the given methods other races have found to manipulate reality in hopes of inspiring the crafts people that wander this world and hopefully one day many others across the stars. The library itself is made in hopes of showing wonders to the Me'vel and inspiring them to one day travel to those locations and see them for themselves, for the cosmo's are a bright thing full of wonders to be found and made. This city is both a shelter, and a place for the Me'vel to share their works with one another- for the Yama cannot enter this place, and it always seems to expand just enough to allow any newly arriving Me'vel space to live within it while never quite growing in size. An oddity of space that would hopefully puzzle many in the future.
Cold walls of golden cogs turn in slow motions, silver wheels sparkling in the dark as this machine-city glitters like a star in the sky. The greatest of gifts to the Me'vel would be the Observatory- it is a series of rooms spread around the city, allowing for the Me'vel to gaze upon distant stars and planets as they so desire. However, this city does hold secrets for those who would seek them. For within it's shifting depths is a Divergence in time. The narrowest of fractures made manifest not through a wound in time itself, but rather, through the metal and machinery of the city itself. Within this place, Hour-Stones grow as a material to be used for Me'vel crafting. The eyes of their maker eagerly awaiting to see the Wonders that they might build.
Hm... I was thinking about making a machine city for the Me'vel. Sorta something they can go show their works to one another and act as a shelter from the Yama- and a passive spear to fight them off. Maybe. I've been sitting on this idea since I came up with the Me'vel, so I might as well lean into it and see what happens. Any advice you guys think would be worth adding to this?
[] Create the Clockwork City on the Second Planet (Lesser Act)
Within the dangerous lands of the second planet exists a City for the Me'vel. As a race born to a world of dangers, their creator had crafted a safe haven to their people. Centered around a natrual divergence in time, this city is a massive thing of metal. Pistons pump as clockwork ticks away, each gear moving with the alignments of the stars. The city itself changes it's shape depending on the time, year, and date, each hour shifting it's shape to be different then the previous in a cycle that resets every decade. Streets twist and turn, buildings change height, and the walls move in perfect mechanical percision. At the top of this city is a library for the Me'vel, a small thing at first glance. Within the library, contains books written on the various races of the cosmos, more being added as more races are born or crafted by Makers, as well as brief summaries on the existance of the magics of the world, not to teach the readers, but reather, to provide them insight and inspiration on the given methods other races have found to manipulate reality in hopes of inspiring the crafts people that wander this world and hopefully one day many others across the stars. The library itself is made in hopes of showing wonders to the Me'vel and inspiring them to one day travel to those locations and see them for themselves, for the cosmo's are a bright thing full of wonders to be found and made. This city is both a shelter, and a place for the Me'vel to share their works with one another- for the Yama cannot enter this place, and it always seems to expand just enough to allow any newly arriving Me'vel space to live within it while never quite growing in size. An oddity of space that would hopefully puzzle many in the future.
Cold walls of golden cogs turn in slow motions, silver wheels sparkling in the dark as this machine-city glitters like a star in the sky. The greatest of gifts to the Me'vel would be the Observatory- it is a series of rooms spread around the city, allowing for the Me'vel to gaze upon distant stars and planets as they so desire. However, this city does hold secrets for those who would seek them. For within it's shifting depths is a Divergence in time. The narrowest of fractures made manifest not through a wound in time itself, but rather, through the metal and machinery of the city itself. Within this place, Hour-Stones grow as a material to be used for Me'vel crafting. The eyes of their maker eagerly awaiting to see the Wonders that they might build.
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@Photomajig
Would the following act counts for the theme of the next epoch?
[Z] Expand the Law of Metamorphosis to include sentient beings (Lesser Act)
Sentient beings generally follow two specific paths although some especially bestial or primal individuals may evolve like non-sentient ones and others may follow the more esoteric paths open to both.
-Paragons: Through embodying and transcending a quality of their race, they evolved into a higher form derived from their species, amplifying that quality and their willpower.
-Sages: Forms specialized in a skill or group of related skills, become more obsessive with each evolution.
Would the following act counts for the theme of the next epoch?
[Z] Expand the Law of Metamorphosis to include sentient beings (Lesser Act)
Sentient beings generally follow two specific paths although some especially bestial or primal individuals may evolve like non-sentient ones and others may follow the more esoteric paths open to both.
-Paragons: Through embodying and transcending a quality of their race, they evolved into a higher form derived from their species, amplifying that quality and their willpower.
-Sages: Forms specialized in a skill or group of related skills, become more obsessive with each evolution.
The development of legends already mostly takes care of allowing sentient individuals to evolve, I'm personally not a fan of expanding the law of metamorphosis to sentient beings since it feels a little redundant while also being more limited in options, in my opinion.
Personally I think that this kind of Re:Monster like evolution system affecting sentient beings is cool but I understand why someone would disagree.
- Location
- A Pit Of My Own Making
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Bit iffy about giving them so much knowledge right away.
Ghost in a wall
Just a bit spooky
Hnm, a good point. I meant it more as a way to denote that those magic systems exist, without actually teaching them, but that's not quite as easily read from what I wrote, so I'll be more specific.
- Location
- Finland
Like I said, I have a lot of other work keeping me busy at the moment. Updates are going to come slower for the time being.
Hmm. It can certainly evoke wonder and positive emotion, but also horror and anguish depending on what's being done. I would say no.
Lesser for sure.
Not really, I'm afraid - there's nothing guaranteeing or even suggesting positive reaction to it. Also as pointed out, this seems to have significant overlap with the Law of Legend.
[] Fill in the tree of life (Cosmic Act)
- Create Mollusks (clams, snails/slugs, octopi, squid)
- Create Arthropods (insects, crustaceans, arachnids)
- Create Anilids (worms)
- Create Cnidaria (corals, sea anemones, jelly fish)
- Create Echinoderm (starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers)
I know that we can't use a grand act to create multiple types of creatures but perhaps a cosmic act can.
- Create Mollusks (clams, snails/slugs, octopi, squid)
- Create Arthropods (insects, crustaceans, arachnids)
- Create Anilids (worms)
- Create Cnidaria (corals, sea anemones, jelly fish)
- Create Echinoderm (starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers)
I know that we can't use a grand act to create multiple types of creatures but perhaps a cosmic act can.
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