Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

[Modus_Tollens]

It would be interesting, but we have two unconscious mortal friends with us. Which is why I favor appearing in a private bedroom in the palace, where we can leave them to recuperate, and then go sit in the big chair.

Click to shrink...

It would be more hilarious if we immediately took them to an infernal IHOP, however.

Welcome to our city of dudes daringly doing dudely things. You get to be a dude in it.

 

[Anaja]

I'm all for us showing up in the seat of power, or just a place with the best view. Either a throne room equivalent, or a balcony overlooking everything.

"Dad. Harry. Everything that the light touches belongs to me. The shadows too. It's all mine."

 

[Goldfish]

I suspect we'll be expected.

Click to shrink...

Given the retroactive creation of the Hell, its contents, denizens, history, etc., I'm half expecting a massive welcoming party to be waiting for us, our arrival having been foretold "millennia" prior to the great event.

 

[DragonParadox]

Vote closed, Michael interlude incoming and then the Hell Vote

Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Aug 10, 2023 at 2:08 AM, finished with 180 posts and 25 votes.

• ---

  23 people have voted

  [X] Both

  • T_of_A
  • zxzx24
  • BronzeTongue
  • Yog
  • Vanguard_D
  • F0lkL0re
  • Yzarc
  • Goldfish
  • Aeondrac
  • Nemonowan
  • the DragonBard
  • Negentropy
  • uju32
  • Azais
  • Dheer
  • gale
  • Cavalar
  • Vaalintine
  • tenchifew
  • Anaja
  • BoredMan
  • Thief of Words
  • myrix

  1 people have voted

  [X] Michael

  • KonradC

  1 people have voted

  [X] Neither

  • Angelazreal1

 

[BronzeTongue]

Presumably they warred before they united. Given they probably weren't all that advanced. For visiting why can't we just do that later and actually you know learn about our hell first from the palace?

Click to shrink...

Tech timelines; were they advanced enough at the right times for nukes to make sense, and did their history actually have that sort of condition in it when they were? It's not like they have to be realistic about much of this stuff.

As to the other bit; this is the first time we see it all, the point where it makes an impression.

Getting a taste of it all seems more meaningful than popping in for 20 minutes to get a look at the seat of power and acquire hot towels for our friends.

 

[Yog]

Tech timelines; were they advanced enough at the right times for nukes to make sense, and did their history actually have that sort of condition in it when they were? It's not like they have to be realistic about much of this stuff.

Click to shrink...

Regarding this, I think I would say the following: The Courts have a lot of knowledge about nuclear physics and, in practical terms, radiation and radiation effects, especially on biological tissue and on how radiation interacts with different materials. This stems from Gurvel incorporating radioactive elements into their bodies, and relative abundance of radioactive materials in the world in general.

Nukes, if they have them, would be used primarily, and in the modern eras exclusively, for demolition and excavation, if at all. The military capabilities of the courts have been mostly optimized towards urban warfare, obviously, and on police work since the courts have united (which happened in a a relatively distant past already). That is not to say that they don't have ability to war outside of the cities, and in the wastes - the very nature of harvesting materials from the wastes requires military-grade equipment.

One also has to remember that flight is... very complicated outside of the cities themselves, so stuff like ballistic missiles and bombers (i.e. primary delivery mechanisms) would be... I don't want to say impossible, but hard to make.

To be honest, I haven't thought about nukes too much, when making the Courts, but what I just wrote makes sense to me.

At least that's my take.

 

[DragonParadox]

A Parting and a Finding ​

18th of November 2006 A.D.

As he looked upon the scene before him, the figure of Molly shimmering as though with the heat of midsummer in the middle of November Michael followed Harry out of the van, he did not know what his friend saw, but it was probably a lot more impressive. He was used to that. Some knights had been scholars, some warrior poets, but Michael Carpenter was just a warrior, and a man of his hands. Not for the first time in the last five months he wished that was not the case, that he could that he could understand what was going on with his little girl. In three steps he had passed Harry.

"Molly, what's going on?" he called, but the words came out strange, compressed and stretched as though the source of them was racing towards and then racing away from his own ears.

Stepping over the edge of the sidewalk Michael closed his eyes and tried to use the one skill he had picked up from Shiro in his misguided youthful attempt to 'learn martial arts', that is pretend he was in a Bruce Lee film: focus on the position of his own body in space, the kinesthetic sense to centre himself.

What he was not expecting was to hear a voice like silver bells and ringing steel behind his temples and know that it was Amoracchius. "Apologies for startling you, I know this is unusual, but you are about to step into another realm, one in which I am not permitted to follow for reasons that are too complex to explain. Explaining things to the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve isn't my strong suit I am afraid."

"Molly. I have to..." Michael could not keep the dread out of his tone.

"Oh you are perfectly fine to follow," the voice said in an awkward rush. "Just set me down on the ground here. I'll be fine, Others will be keeping an eye on me." The word had other words nestled inside of it, ones that were not sounds but concepts symphonic painful to contemplate.

"Sorry, I've only done this three other times, four if you count that time in Antioch where poor Claudius had been drugged to delirium and he did not remember after the fact." Michael was already unhooking the sheath from his belt, feeling more than a little guilty for leaving a Sword literally in the middle of the road, but having faith that it would be watched over while he went wherever Molly was going.

What have you gotten yourself involved in sweetheart? Michael wondered. Even as he heard, faint and far away the voice of Amoracchius explaining how it really was too complex to get across in three point three seconds remaining the pavement swept up and the sky swirled down swallowing him up falling, or maybe flying towards a single point of light that was Molly in some way he could not put a name to.

In a place at once new and unspeakably ancient the serpent has devoured its tail, the pattern stands complete. What lies within? What voices speak? What have the dreams of man in shadow of lost ages conjured, the Great Work of the Smith who alone among His kind fell under the shadow of death and thus alone could forge a vessel of rebirth?

Hail to the Queen of the Thousand and First Hell

Building the Kingdom
The Infernal has 5 points with which to construct her Kingdom. Some options may give her more points to work with, but most will consume them. In some categories, it's possible to select multiple options so long as they're not mutually contradictory.

Due to its nature as the Thousandth and First Hell granted by the Exaltation's long stay among the palaces of the Yama Kings the Hell is able to automatically raise those who escape its bounds as Jade Court Vampire. The escape must be genuine test in order to forge the Po into the instrument of power which elevates the Vampire above common wraiths and spectres. Added paragraph to make the implication explicit in case you wish to use the function

Size
Select the option that best describes the Hell's size.
• Tiny (Cost: None; gain 2 points): Welcome to Hell House. The Hell is no larger than a rambling manor house.
• Small (Cost: None; gain 1 point): The farmstead from Hell. The Realm covers a mere handful of acres.
• Average (Cost: None): Welcome to the Demon City. The Realm is about the size of a major city.
• Large (Cost: 1 point): Your own private Idaho. The Realm is about the size of a mid-sized American state or European nation.
• Huge (Cost: 2 points): Your own demon empire. The Realm is about the size of Australia.
• Vast (Cost: 3 points): Welcome to Hell World. The Realm is its own small world, complete with biosphere, diverse regions, seasons, and so on.

Geography
Select the option that best describes the general character of the Hell's geography.
• Difficult Terrain (Cost: None): The Realm is dominated by some manner of imposing and dangerous terrain that makes travel difficult, such as jagged mountains, poisonous swamps, lakes of fire, and so on. On average, the terrain is far harsher than that of Earth.
• Mundane (Cost: None): The Hell mostly has an Earthlike, albeit exotic, landscape.
• Accessible Terrain (Cost: None): The Realm has easily navigable geography, and moving about is convenient thanks to features such as teleportation networks, magical cyclones that carry people from place to place safely, high-speed automated rail systems, and the like.

Climate
Select the option that best describes the prevailing climate of the Hell.
• Unsurvivable (Cost: None; gain 3 points): The Realm will kill anyone not adapted to it or protected against it in short order. It could be a barren icy wasteland, or entirely underwater, or it might have a toxic atmosphere.
• Pockets of Safety (Cost: None; gain 2 points): As Unsurvivable, but with certain limited areas (such as domed cities, seabases, or warded buildings) which offer protection from the Realm's otherwise hostile environment.
• Harsh Climate (Cost: None; gain 1 point): Frequent Survival rolls are necessary to avoid the Hell's dangerous climate. There might be ever-present and incredibly violent storms, roving swarms of flesh-devouring locusts, or eyes which periodically open in the clouds and burn whatever they happen to glimpse.
• Harsh Wilderness (Cost: None): As Harsh Climate, but the Realm has large regions of comparable safety, such as tamed cities or large fortified outposts. Only the wilderness is dangerous.
• Earthly Climate (Cost: None): The Hell has a fairly unthreatening and earthlike (if strange) climate. The clouds may be utterly bizarre in color and shape, but they don't regularly pour down rains of flesh-eating spiders.
• Heavenly (Cost: 2 point): The Kingdom is utopian, with abundant pleasures to be enjoyed simply for being there. The trees are heavy with sweet fruits, and the air revivifies those who breathe it.

Population
Select as many options as apply to describe what sort of native life inhabits the Realm.
• Uninhabited (Cost: None; gain 1 point): The Realm is lifeless.
• Barren (Cost: None): What little life the Realm possesses is sparsely scattered across its surface.
• Balanced Ecosystem (Cost: None): The Realm has a reasonable balance of space, population, and resources.
• Overpopulated (Cost: None; gain 1 point): The Hell has too many inhabitants for its ecosystem to support. Space is at a premium, privacy is nonexistent, and violence is probably common.
• Earthly Fauna (Cost: None): The Realm has animals, which may or may not be rather different than Earthly beasts. A few may be dangerous, but most aren't.
• Deadly Beasts (Cost None gain : 1 point): The Realm has animals, most of which are extremely deadly. Changed for Consistency with the Flora
• Earthly Flora (Cost: None): The Realm has plant life, which may or may not be rather different than Earthly flora, but which are generally no more dangerous than mundane plants – that is to say, it may not always be safe to eat them, but the flowers won't generally explode like a land mine if you step on them.
• Deadly Flora (Cost: None; gain 1 point): The Realm has plant life, most of which is very dangerous to interact with – carnivorous, poisonous, both of the above, or even worse things are all possible and likely.
• Human Populace (Cost: None): The Realm has a native human population, with their own culture and a history that, strangely, significantly predates the creation of the Kingdom.
• Resident Devils (Cost: 1 point): The Realm has a significant population of superhuman beings such as Spirit Invested Mortals and dark animistic spirits. Changed to use more generic language

Social Structures
Ignore this category if the Kingdom possesses no sentient inhabitants. Otherwise, select the option that best describes the social structures of the Realm's inhabitants.
• Chaos (Cost: None): The Realm's operates by the "law" of might makes right.
• Archaic (Cost: None): The Realm's inhabitants have simple laws, social taboos, and rudimentary politics.
• Modern (Cost: None): The Realm's inhabitants have a highly developed social system, with intricate
politics and a robust body of law.
• Advanced (Cost: None): The inhabitants of the Kingdom have highly intricate and well-developed art, philosophy, social infrastructure, and possibly also technology.

Technology
Select the option that best describes the Realm's level of technological development.
• Savage (Cost: None): The Realm is entirely wild and untamed. At most, there may be simple tools of stone and bone.
• Archaic (Cost: None): The Realm is pre-modern, which might mean it occupies anything from the Bronze Age to the early Renaissance, or perhaps an anachronistic mix of various time periods.
• Modern (Cost: 1 point): The Realm may or may not have any industry to speak of, but its general development
level is roughly Earth-contemporary.
• Advanced (Cost: 2 points): The Realm runs on either advanced technology or highly-developed magic. It's possible for a Hell to be both heavily technological and uninhabited, in the case of machine-Realms.

Loyalty
Ignore this category if the Kingdom possesses no sentient inhabitants. Otherwise, select the options that best describe the Realm's relationship with the Infernal.
• Hostile (Cost: None; gain 2 points): The inhabitants of your Hell despise you, and would strike you
down if they could.
• Indifferent (Cost: None): The inhabitants of your Realm don't recognize you as anyone special, and will treat you as circumstances dictate.
• Loyal (Cost: 1 point): The majority of the inhabitants of the Realm recognize you as their ruler and serve you as they would any sovereign – that is to say, dutifully but without any particular enthusiasm for the most part, in the hopes of avoiding censure.
• Committed (Cost: 2 points): The inhabitants of the Realm treat you as an object of worship and will endure great hardship on your behalf.
• Fanatical (Cost: 3 points): The inhabitants of the Realm will die for you.
• Resistance Movement (Cost: None; gain 1 point): A minority of the Realm's inhabitants fervently hate and resent you, and seek your overthrow or demise. You may only select this option if your Hell is Loyal, Committed, or Fanatical.

Features
Select as many of these features for your Realm as you like. The Cauls have been removed due to not really fitting the world-building of the setting (and probably not being something you guys want anyway)
• Bottleneck (Cost: 1 point): Your Hell doesn't have natural boundaries which can be used to leave the Realm. Perhaps it's a sphere, or perhaps it is an island floating in a sea of infinite flames. The Realm has only one exit, in the form of a fairly obvious and prominent portal of some sort.
• Dangerously Alien (Cost: None): The Hell has certain earthly features, but it definitely isn't Earth. Visitors without a guide will need to make Survival rolls to avoid endangering themselves in some way. Those familiar with the Realm have no such difficulties.
• Endless Suffering (Cost: 1 point): Those who meet their ends according to certain criteria (such as being devoured by the Realm's native devils, or being melted in its acid seas, or even perishing for any reason at all – very simple and very complicated rules are both possible) are eventually reconstituted by the Realm that they might be tormented to destruction again.
• Eternal Night (Cost: 1 point): The Hell has no sun, and is near-lightless. Any being that needs light to see by must bring or create its own.
• Exclusive Transportation (Cost: 1 point): The Realm contains speedy transportation of some kind, such as high-speed vehicles or magical portals, and these are only accessible by you and your most favored servants.
• Fruits of Hell (Cost: 2 point): The food within your Hell contains some mystical property which affects those who partake of it. Chose one:
∘ Every three Hellish meals eaten builds a growing loyalty to the Infernal, exactly as with a vampiric blood bond. Nine meals in total creates an artificial but abiding love.
∘ Each Hellish meal eaten corrupts the flesh and spirit. A week spent dining on the fruits of Hell transforms the one who partakes into a bakemono.
• Gaols (Cost: 1 point): The Hell contains prison facilities whose wardens (or whose very architecture) are cooperative with your wishes, or otherwise has daunting Hell-wide security.
• Grand Grimoire (Cost: 1 point): The Hell contains a great repository of mystical lore, as well as extensive ritual spaces. The difficulty of all ancient sorcery rolls within these spaces is reduced by two, and the Essence cost by 1. Other ritual magic in line with the style and theme of the Hell also enjoys a –1 difficulty reduction.
• Indoors (Cost: None): The entire Hell is located under one roof. There's no weather or cycle of day and night.
• Lord of the Land (Cost: 1 point): The Hell's natural phenomena obey your will. You can make the winds blow as you wish, calm boiling seas or bid them part, and call down lightning during a raging storm. This can obviously be used to harm invaders should the hell ever suffer such as well as any escaped prisoners
• Narcotics (Cost: 1 point): The suffering of sinners within the Realm can be refined into a number of strange and powerfully addictive drugs.
• Non-Euclidean (Cost: 1 point): The Hell doesn't conform to the normal rules of three-dimensional space. It may be structured like a vast Escher painting, or may be even more confusing yet. Newcomers must make an extended Intelligence + Occult roll against difficulty 8 each day they spend trying to navigate the Realm. Once they accumulate 20 successes, they have acclimated to the Hell's strange laws. Until then, all attempts at getting much of anything done are hopeless without a guide.
• Slave-Realm (Cost: 1 point): The majority of the Hell's population exists as an oppressed (or outright tortured) underclass with no power to call their own, ruled over by an elite and favored few, who are likely monstrous beings if your Hell has Resident Devils, and which are likely loyal to you and carry out their torments on your behalf if your Realm is Loyal.
• Time Differential (Cost: 2 points): Time passes at a different rate within the Realm than outside – up to either twice as quickly or at half speed.

OOC: And we are off to the races. Good luck guys

 

[Yzarc]

[X] MU – THE WORLD THAT WASN'T

The World of Mu. This World is a Continuation of how Molly's Shintai is built, in that it makes references to the first and second age. It draws references to Creation as it was and the Yozis themselves, if in VERY abstract terms. It also implies that a fragment of the precursor of Creation survived and has now come out of the Wyld. It has themes of hope, rebirth and new beginings, of reclaiming lost birthrights.

BUILD:
Charm -0 - 5
Vast - 3 - 2
Pockets of Safety - 0 - 4
Accessible Terrain - 0 - 4
Overpopulated - 0 - 5
Earthly Fauna - 0 - 5
Deadly Beasts - 0 - 6
Earthly Flora - 0 - 6
Deadly Flora - 0 - 7
Human Populace - 0 - 7
Resident Devils - 1 - 6
Social - Advanced - 0 - 6
Tech - Advanced - 2 - 4
Loyalty - Committed - 2 - 2
Feature - Dangerously Alien - 0 - 2
Endless Suffering - 1 - 1
Those who follow the spirit, if not the letter of the law, shall come back to life if they die from anything but old age.
Lord of the Land - 1 - 0

Points earned: 10
Points spent: 10

Click to shrink...

So features:
1. Vast: We have only one shot at the size of the place and this is a must have. We either take it now or never. Here? The realm is roughly the size of Mars, if Mars was flat.
2. Pockets of Safety: Only certain parts of the world is normally colonizable, but that is where Lord of the Land and endless suffering comes in. The harshness is due to climate and animals. The first allows Molly to control the weather and ensure that more areas open up for colonization and the second ensures that the people become immortal and can this come back to life from mistakes and disasters. It also
acts as a natural hazard to any invaders.
3. Accessible Terrain: One word? TELEPORTATION NETWORK. If we want a VAST chunk of land, we need some way to move around fast and this is it.
4. Overpopulated: This is a negative but it is offset by Lord of the Land and endless suffering. Both ensures that new lands are open to colonies and this also gives us a good population to start with.
5. Deadly beasts: Offset by Lord of the Land, Endless Suffering and also acts as a natural hazard to any invaders.
6. Human Population & Resident Devils: What is there to say, Humans can be found anywhere and we have a endless supply of devils to summon and boss around.
7. Social and Tech - Advanced: An advanced Techno Magical Society with a society capable of handling this and more? That is there not to like? I mean they have highly intricate and well-developed art, philosophy, social infrastructure, and also technology that is advanced technology and highly-developed magic combined.
8. Loyalty- Committed: The people worship Molly like a Goddess and as an Infernal, that means prayer eating has gotten a massive boost.
9. Alien Space: The world has certain earthly features, but it definitely isn't Earth. Any invading army or enemy will have a high chance of getting lost.
10. Endless Suffering: Those who follow the spirit, if not the letter of the law, shall come back to life if they die from anything but old age.
11. Lord of the Land: The World's natural phenomena obey Molly's will. She can make the winds blow as she wishes, calm boiling seas or bid them part, and call down lightning during a raging storm. What this practically means is that Molly can offset the Pockets of Safety to create more places to colonies and whipe out hordes of beasts and armies of invaders.
12. Customization: The world is filled up but more akin to a Sandbox type than a book. It has some interesting places and people but very specifically does not go too into detail to allow DragonParadox and others to fill in the gaps. You want to add something to the world? You absolutely can.
13. New Magic System: We potentially unlock a new magic system or old functions of Ancient Sorcery that has been lost to time. Things like Workings may be available. Even otherwise, we have access to an entire WORLD filled with people who can sell or donate us magic potions, reagents, etc. Alchemical ingredients? We have them.

MU – THE WORLD THAT WASN'T
When the Yozis crafted the Infernal exaltation, they granted on to them, the power to shape worlds—worlds made from their own heart, soul and Essence. A newly formed Realm but one that comes with a native human population, with their own culture and a history that harkens to an era that predates the creation of the Kingdom.

The world of Mu is a place vastly unlike Earth. Mu has no poles to structure and define its substance. Instead, Mu is flat, a port cityscape of black stone and brass that lays at the centre of the world on the shores of an acidic sea, an endless desert that circles the world and a metallic silver forest to the west. The world is set upon by weather that composes of storms of liquid dreams and silent crimson winds that all have learned to fear.

The strangeness of Mu goes beyond the geography as well. Demons and spirits walk freely among the mortal inhabitants leading to much strife as they do not think quite as mortals do. They live in ways as alien as the world they live in.

Mu did not exist until it was dredged forth from realms of possibility, the Infernals' will shaking reality, forcing it to accede to the Infernal's wishes.

Click to shrink...

LIFE BEFORE THE GODDESS
The inhabitants of Mu call themselves the children of Zen-Mu, for their goal is to achieve enlightenment, man and devil alike. The Humans are bog standard while the devils come in a variety of forms. Devils are varied in breath and scope and to give a summary of the types, they come in three categories.

There are the beast-men, who's forms mirror that of beasts and men to various degrees, with some being humans with animal features to animals with human features. Though called beast-men, the term also includes fish-men and bird-men and other hybrids.

The next are the spirits. They who have no physical form and exist as pure data. They once were limited to haunting the metallic walls and technologies of Avalon but as technology progressed, they were given metal bodies of their own. The most powerful of them can manifest directly without needing a body to inhabit.

Finally, there are the elementals. They who are the incarnation of an element. They are the opposite of the spirits, existing as a physical being and not an emphatical one.

Regardless of their power however, theirs's was a cursed existence. Their land filled with dangerous beasts, plants and climate. There were the ever-present and incredibly violent storms, roving swarms of flesh-devouring fauna and the highly dangerous flora. Thus, were they forced to seek shelter behind sturdy walls, forced into cramped conditions and suffer famines and disease.

The people were inventive and advanced technology and magic but it was never enough. Despite the great strides they made in transportation, too many lives were lost in the frequent forays into the world at large. For not even the ability to teleport men and material would bring back the dead.

The walled cities, with Avalon at the centre of the world, acted as the main outposts of civilization in Mu. For these could be defended and reinforced with ease, and should the worst happen, the people could be evacuated with little difficulty.

These havens are safe from the threat of the monsters and the hostile world that exists outside of their borders. The majority of Humans and devils live within the safety of the Cities with many Kingdoms forming but most falling either due to the attacks by the fauna.

Click to shrink...

THE COMING OF THE GODDESS
Ivan worked the fields, growing crops to feed his family. He had worked the same lands that his father did before him, as did his grand da before that and so on. Generations of his family members have tilled the soil of these harsh and cruel lands and generations more to come would do so.

Yet, there was a difference. Many things had changed since the coming of the new Goddess.

Before, the question of worship had never truly been a thing. The false Gods had never truly answered any of his family's prayers. You could scream at the sky till your face turned blue and still nothing would happen. The false Gods might as well as been a bunch of deaf mutes for all Ivan cared.

Thus for generations, his family had largely followed the false Gods of whatever Cleric came by and quickly converted when the next came. This way, generations had passed until the Goddess came into their lives.

At first, they had thought that the Goddess was just another false God. One whose clerics demanded worship and stood by uncaring about the fate of the other worshipers. Then Ivan and his family had personally experienced the miracle of the Goddess. Thus at that moment, they had found their Goddess and everything had changed.

In many ways, things remained the same. The Goddess still had not granted them their wishes. No, the Goddess was a smart and instead protected them from death itself so that they may learn from their experiences. Instead of miracles, she granted them knowledge and capacity to aide themselves. That is not to say that she had not granted them blessings or such. Ivan still marveled at how clear his mind had become after coming back from the dead and at how strong he had become. So many things had become easier for him and his family since that day.

They still worked their farms but now things had changed. Now people returned from the dead, healed, if not in mind, then in body. This ensured that the knowledge and experience they gained would not be forgotten and instead would be spread and passed on.

The knowledge of even if they would get sick, they would not die or rather would return from the dead did wonders to morale. Ivan smiled at the main reason why he had stayed loyal to the Goddess. Before only one out of four children made it to adulthood. Ivan still remembered with pain about his brothers and sisters, none of whom were alive. Dead to the cold, hunger, disease, and wild animals.

The worst was perhaps dying to disease. Ivan still shuddered at how his father had taken one of his brothers who had fallen ill into the woods during winter. Hours had gone by and his father had returned with blood stains on his jacket, grim faced and did not even look at them as he entered his bedroom.

It was only later that Ivan understood what had happened. To prevent the sickness from spreading, his father had taken his dying brother and given him a quick death. Ivan wanted to hate his father for this but could not. It was far more humane than what others did. At least his father had not left his brother to die slowly in the forest either to the elements or the animals.

But now? No sons and daughters of his would suffer such a fate. For the first time, there was hope. Hope for a better future and not one dependent on the whims of a fickle being but one built on their own two hands. The Goddess had given them a great gift leaving it up to them to use it and Ivan swore that he would do so.

Many prayed to the Goddess for granting them power, glory and honor, but Ivan and his family prayed to the Goddess for granting them the knowledge to live a good life.

Click to shrink...

AVALON – THE EVER-DISTANT UTOPIA
Avalon is a city unlike no other, for it is the size of a continent and is located at the Centre of Mu. Avalon was the seed around which the Mu accreted. The city is a nightmare of brass, lights and darkness. Where the sun sets, it is lit by vast coruscating arcs of electricity, or the roaring flames of the Furnaces, or the weird glow of luminous minerals.

The walls of the city are brass and steel, hard-edged and unforgiving. The city comprises of countless miles of tunnels and corridors and crawlspaces, dotted with recessed chambers and foundries and maintenance docks in areas where it borders the acidic sea.

Sometimes catwalks and open floors make travel easy, but more often braided cables sprawl across the ground, conduits are stapled to walls and ceilings in thick bundles, brass plugs protrude from the floor to knee-height and valves from the ceiling at eye level, all at irregular intervals.

Where it is not dangerously cramped, Avalon may open up to reveal cyclopean vistas—iron canyons which stretch for hundreds of miles, vanishing into darkness even under exposure to the most powerful lamps or anima flares. Open wells may run for leagues, traversable only by narrow stairs built into the walls, or by ladders, or by no obvious means at all, forcing explorers to climb or seek another route.

The city is never silent, forever marked by the sounds of industry. For technology forms the hardened shell and magic flowing in the wind, forms the power.

The city at the Centre of the world acts as the teleportation hub that facilitates the existence of all other cities and kingdoms in Mu.

Before the creation of the teleportation network, communication between separate Kingdoms and cities was difficult due to the constant threat of the monsters, as messages had to be delivered through physical means, such as railroad couriers.

Click to shrink...

HISTORY OF AVALON
Avalon is a city that has seemingly come into existence since the very beginning. The oldest records show that Avalon existed long before the first man or devil took their first breath.

Avalon is the first and last bastion of Mu. It is from Avalon that the colonists venture out to claim the four directions and it is to Avalon that they return, if they survive.

It is a land of steel and is endless in its supply, the metals seemingly just growing out of the walls. The mines of Avalon, first dug millennia ago have yet to run out. Even the oldest mines are still operational.

However, this abundance of metals has resulted in a scarcity of arid land. Indeed, the continental sized Avalon has a severe lack of crop growing lands. Though effort has been made to create green houses, throughout its history, Avalon has had numerous famines, riots and dissent.

Avalon has always been ruled by a counsel and will always be ruled by a counsel. Home to the only people whose technological capacity stands not only comparable to Modern earth but noticeably advanced, the inhabitants of Avalon are also unique among the people of Mu in that they do not sail the seas, they do not hunt or raid, for conquest is not in their nature. As laid down in the Ancient Pact Citizens of Avalon are the sole source of metalwork to the people of the four directions baring the few Mountain halls in the North that are still colonized.

Before the advent of teleportation, every season vast fleets of landships will risk the torturous and nearly suicidal journeys to the various settlements. Though crude in the extreme compared to Avalon's military technology, these landships and weapons are nevertheless more than powerful enough to deter even the most hot-headed raider or monster from trying to steal the goods contained within.

Once the Landship arrived, the tribesmen of the four directions trade furs, salted meats and other goods for precious steel axe and spear blades, far superior weapons to the stone and bone the tribes are otherwise forced to use.

Click to shrink...

CULTURE OF AVALON
The people of Avalon believe on the concepts of dharma and karma. Ahimsa, the philosophy of nonviolence, is an important aspect of their faiths. However, non-violence does not equate to pacificism. For while they do not strike the first blow, they have no problems striking the final blow. As such they frequently employ civil disobedience in a truly massive scale to fight back against corrupt officials. But sadly, this is not followed universally or as often as would be preferred.

Avalon has 25 states and territories with different culture. The Avalonian culture is an amalgamation of several various cultures, spans across the Avalon continent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is several Millenia. Throughout its history, their culture has been heavily influenced by Dharmic religions.

Avalon is the most religiously and ethnically diverse nations in Mu, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Although Avalon is secular, religion plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people.

Because of the diversity of religious groups in Avalon, there has been a history of turmoil and violence between them. Avalon has been a theatre for violent religious clashes between members of different religions. Several groups have founded various national-religious political parties, and in spite of government policies minority religious groups are being subjected to prejudice from more dominant groups in order to maintain and control resources in particular regions of Avalon.

This has all changed with the coming of the Goddess, as for the first time, the answer of "Is there a God" has been answered, irrecusably and unconditionally. Now, the various religions are re-orienting themselves around the new Goddess.

Click to shrink...

THE NORTH
The North has always been a land of survival rather than grace. Summers are short; winters are long and cruel. The land stretches from the walls of Avalon all the way to the very edges of Mu. They above all the regions cannot rely solely on Avalon's protection.

And so, they must be resourceful and hardy to survive, which is what gives them their identity and strength. They're strong from the fact that they have to survive on their own, which makes them a force to be reckoned with.

They may not have the same luxuries as Avalon, but they make up for that by being hard workers, being tough, and always ready to fight.

The mildest areas lie around the borders of the various Mountain ranges, where numerous small kingdoms and city-states have risen in pockets of areas that are shielded from the harsh land and its numerous dangers. It is not unusual for a city to burrow into one of the peaks of the various mountains.

They have long been home to some of the most interesting and diverse cultures. Those areas, which lie at the borders of the various mountain ranges, are known for their mild climates and unique cultural characteristics. Here, numerous small kingdoms and city-states have developed in these pockets of land, creating a vibrant mix of cultures and traditions. These areas provide an interesting backdrop for exploration as each kingdom or city-state has its own unique history, customs and beliefs.

The north mountains are a place of mystery and wonder. It is a place where mortals and devils alike can find solace in the seemingly barren wasteland. Despite its harsh conditions, this area has become home to many creatures who have adapted to the extreme temperatures and environment. From the Dire bears who hunt for food in the icy waters to the Alpha reindeer that roam across the tundra, this region offers a unique opportunity for exploration and discovery. For adventurers brave enough to venture into these frozen lands, they will be rewarded with breath-taking landscapes, fascinating wildlife, and an unforgettable experience.

To the extreme north, the ever-white fields cap the boundary of what most would consider the habitable areas of the North. The Great Ice stretches farther beyond that, all howling snow and glaciers, to the edge of the world itself.

The Great Ice is a vast, ever-white expanse that stretches far to the extreme north. It is a boundary for what most people consider the habitable areas of the North. This icy landscape is home to some of the world's most extreme and inhospitable conditions. From snowstorms and frostbite to greater polar bears and elemental walruses, this area is full of unique experiences that few people will ever get to experience in person or survive. The Great Ice is an incredible place with its own unique beauty, but it also poses many dangers and challenges for those who dare venture out into its depths.

Click to shrink...

HISTORY OF THE NORTH
The first settlers found the surface too inhospitable to properly colonize. Instead, the colonists built expansive cave cities deep beneath the various mountains of the continental mountain range. For many years the settlers sheltered beneath the rock, kept safe as the realm above was sundered in violent storms and set upon by great beasts and monsters. Though these cities were safe from the predators and harsh elements, they were ultimately abandoned.

Only contradictory legends and rumors now remain to explain why these great shelters were forsaken. Some legends tell that some malevolent force was present in the rock that led to mutation and madness, while other stories tell of the creating of dangerous and forbidden weaponry that made the cities unsafe to inhabit.

Those who have survived in the caves have over time devolved into foul creatures and horrible monsters with misshapen limbs, pale and diseased skin and massive milky orbs for eyes.

All that is left of the first failed settlements are ancient ruins and serve as important reminders of their shared history and the kingdoms that have gone before them and the artifacts and magics developed by them in a desperate and usually futile bid to stay alive. From the grandeur of Truin to the mysteriousness of Et-Ram, these ancient ruins give glimpses as to how people lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

They allow an insight into the North's collective pasts, offering invaluable knowledge about the world they live in. By visiting ancient ruins, the people of the north not only gain a better understanding of their own heritage but also become aware of the invaluable treasures that lie hidden away beneath layers of dust, ice and ruins as well as the chance restore the ruins and to expand upon what was built before.

They often contain strange architectures, powerful artifacts and very rarely survivors or mysterious inhabitants that can interact with courageous travelers. Filled with secrets that have yet to be unlocked by brave adventurers, these ruins remain shrouded in mystery due to their magical powers. By engaging in a journey through these majestic locations the people of the North will be able to uncover new settlements to rebuild while discovering powerful ancient artifacts along their way.

Click to shrink...

CULTURE OF THE NORTH
For eons, the vast frozen wastelands of the north have been home to a unique Barbarian culture that has been enriched by powerful magical traditions due to the mixing of human and devil alike. Although the barbarians live in harsh conditions and difficult terrain, they find comfort and strength in the knowledge that their culture has survived despite extreme conditions.

The Barbarians are a fierce people who believe strongly in honor and self-reliance. This is also reflected in their reliance on magic as a source of power. Magic is used by Barbarians both in times of peace and war, enabling them to survive and thrive in even the harshest environments.

Magic is an integral part of this culture - it provides a means for the Barbarians to escape danger and seek protection from the harsh cold environment. It shapes their way of life, allowing them to endure and flourish in the hostile climate. Just as importantly, it gives them a chance at an adventure beyond what can be seen and experienced in daily life.

Long-forgotten secrets remain hidden deep within these northern lands, secrets of forgotten magic and ancient knowledge. Through their own strength of will and adherence to their culture, these barbarians wield strange magics and conquer near-mythical creatures and Monsters in order to survive. In an ever-changing landscape filled with icy forests, snowstorms and deep rivers, they remain a powerful source of strength for countless generations since times past. With legends of powerful warriors that battle strange creatures marauding through their villages; magic remains one of the Barbarians' strongest weapons in this unrelenting war against nature itself.

The people of the North have taken their new found immortality with gusto and a new generation of adventurers have emerged that are attempting to and succeeding in pushing back the hordes of beasts that plague the North.

Click to shrink...

THE EAST
The grasslands of Mu are home to massive herds of huge, bovine creatures that are as tall as a man and sometimes as large as a house. Their lack of intelligence and violent tempers make them very dangerous to the herdsmen, but the huge amount of meat and leather that can be harvested from them is worth the effort. These fields can sustain entire tribes for years, and there are even tribes that dedicate themselves to this practice.

The largest herds of these beasts are in the cold reaches of the North-East, grazing on the grass that grows on the hills and mountains. The paths to these fields are narrow, winding, and dangerous, but the herds are vast enough to sustain entire villages of herding tribes.

Fertile fields can be found in the protected valleys between the mountains, offering a respite from the various monsters and weather that are so prevalent in Mu. These fields act as the breadbasket for the people living in the East and as a safety net. But these fields are not enough, for there are highly fertile but vastly more dangerous fields in which the people brave the dangers to drive vast herds of cattle across the treacherous planes.

It is here in the far reaches of the continent, sheltered from the dangers in the shadow of mountains that the herders acquire the majority of their food. It is not common for one to be able to have both a quality harvest and a quality cattle herd. It is common to have only one or the other. The fields are dangerous indeed, but are equally rewarding on the other side.

The land is littered with great magical stones that are revered by the people. These stones, though seemingly unrelated, give the people essential abilities to survive the monsters and weather. The history of the stones is lost to time, only the legends remain. Any who pass these stones are expected to take off their shoes and bow in respect, for the stones are seen as the foundation of the people.

It is said those who dare to disrespect the stones may never return. It has been said that the beasts of the plane frequently hunt the herd and are often slain by the beasts as they are used to the rigors of such a place.

The east is known as the home to the creatures of change, the beings that can warp their form, change into other beings and even create themselves out of nothing but their own will. It is a place of mystery, and danger, but also of great opportunity.

For the east is home to the creatures of knowledge, and the beings that seek to become more than what they are. It is the place of advancement, and learning, but also of great risk for the unwise.

It is also a home to creatures of creation, the beings that give life to others, heal the ailing and bring warmth and life to others. The pockets where these creatures live are a place of compassion, and giving, but also of great sorrow as many perish in the attempt to reach them, trying and failing to get healing for their loved ones.

As the plants of the east have adapted to a world without stability, so too have the animals of the East adapted to the changing conditions and the predators and native diseases that plague the roaming herds.

There is a great deal of variety in the creatures that make the east their home. To the herd animals that roam the plains, the crag gorillas who roam the shifting forests, the cannibalistic tribe of ogres that live in the mountains, and the wide array of animals and plants that once roamed throughout the vast forests, few creatures have yet to be catalogued or encountered.

Click to shrink...

HISTORY OF THE EAST
A land which has as its sole purpose seems to be as a dumping ground for special creatures and beings. The East is a vast continuous plain of nothing but land, water and air in which everything is constantly in a state of flux and nothing ever seems to stay put for more than a brief moment. Forests spring up only to up root themselves and walk away.

The only reason that these plains themselves are a constant is because of the intervention of a group of powerful, benevolent spirits known as the Celestials which are made of the same spiritual energy as the magic stones. These beings have raised mighty mountains that dot the land and which provide shelter for the people. Civilization only ever exists in these pockets of sanity.

There was once healthy trade that once existed between the mountain settlers and the tribes of the lowlands but that has since dwindled with the decline of settlers and the attacks by the beasts. The once bustling trade routes and the guarded and fortified settlements have gone silent and now are being lost to the history of the east.

Not much else is known of the history of the east, lost to the ever-shifting landscape.

Click to shrink...

CULTURE OF THE EAST
The hill tribes that live in the east are a superstitious lot. They believe in forces beyond the natural and although they have begun to adopt and understand magic, they still fear it greatly.

To the plain tribes of the east, all things have a soul, or an essence, or a spirit. This is not limited to beast and man. A rock has an essence, a tree has a spirit and to an elder, even a pebble has a soul. Of course, the tribes do not have the words to describe these unseen forces that pervade the natural world and so they call them by other terms.

These unseen forces are responsible for all things that happen that cannot be explained by the natural world. They are what brought the glaciers to the north and the dust storms to the south. They explain why one man is blessed by the gods with great strength and another cursed to be born a weakling. They are the reason why the stars move in the sky and why the sun does rises. They are the cause of the thunder and the lightning and the rain and the snow. They are the reason for all that happens that cannot be explained by the natural world. So the elders say.

The spirits are what keeps the world going and keep the tribes of the east safe from the beasts that roam the ever-shifting dark forests. They are the reason the tribes are safer in their homes than they are in the pursuit of food. It is the spirits who are responsible for setting the herds of animals that provide food for both the tribes and the beasts. The spirits keep the land from wandering and the weather from being too cold or too hot. The elders say that there are enough spirits for everyone and that the good will always prevail. Some are just stronger than others and the right offerings can cause them to look favorably upon you.

With their superstitious outlook, the tribesmen have long since given up the precious metals and gems that once stood for their wealth. To the plain's tribes, gold was once an object of value. Once, they believed that the more gold a person has the richer they are in the foods and animals they can acquire and the longer they will live. If a person was wealthy, they must be blessed.

They have since abandoned the metals they once relied on for comfort and instead have begun to dress in the hides of the animals that roam the ice fields. This can be seen as a testament to their respect for the animals and their apprehension to take the life of another. Money, food, and other goods are exchanged for goods and services as is widely practiced in civilized realms.

Click to shrink...

THE WEST
The west is a land composed of silver metallic forests. It is an endless forest that begins from the walls of Avalon all the way to the edge of the world. It is a forest of death as no settlement has ever been established and no one has survived to tell the tale.

For the people of Avalon, this is a lush land where there is much to be gained. The west itself is only accessible through ruins in the border between the west and the South and has a large amount of water to traverse while being blasted by the powers of the storms.

The west is not a barren land. Far from it. The west is a land of wealth. Over the millennia, however, the lands of the west bordering Avalon, as well as the South, have been constantly attacked by hordes of beasts and monsters that surge forth from the forests. These areas are filled with the remains of battlefields where human and devil alike have attempted to fight back against the beast tides. But the beast tides are killing machines, devouring the bodies of those who fight back and leaving nothing behind them.

For the people of the bordering the west, this is a land of horror as they have witnessed the carnage that has been left behind. It is also a land of refinement. It is a land of study. It is a land that is red in tooth and claw.

Click to shrink...

HISTORY OF THE WEST
The West has no history. Those who went in never came out, not even rumors survived. Not even devils. The deaths are so complete that not even whispers are left, only profound silence.

The west was some alien and unknowable land that devoured all those who entered, wholly and completely……that is until the advent of the Goddess. Now, immortal adventures are braving the Silver metallic jungles and are returning with knowledge, wisdom and sometimes, even with their lives.

Click to shrink...

CULTURE OF THE WEST – THOSE WHO BORDER THE METAL FORESTS
Of the resources available, the most valuable is the knowledge of the land itself. No man knows how much the forests will change with each beast tide. Sometimes old paths survive and good fortune may preserve a tribe's territory on the border of the forest for many years, but it is more likely that they will be broken and destroyed.

When this happens there will be vicious wars between the tribes and only those who succeed in finding new land and establishing themselves on it will survive. Once the Beast tide has passed, the tribes must settle the new lands quickly, for soon their supplies will run out. If they can find no new land, they must resume their wars for the territories of other tribes. So it is that the life of a tribesman is one of constant seaborne migration and warfare.

Thus, the South-western lands are a land of battles. The people are bloodthirsty and brutal by necessity and live within the bowels of the world, in swamps and in the mud, spending their lives killing their enemies. It is a world where the biggest threat to your life comes to you every day.

These lands are extremely fertile and have kept the tribes fed since the time immoral. Rice is the food of the Gods here and it is a land that will turn green and green quickly. For this reason, they are hotly contested, the people find themselves surrounded by enemies as often as they are surrounded by allies.

This fierce competition in a dog-eat-dog world has led to the people getting their weapons and equipment by looting corpses.

Click to shrink...

THE SOUTH
A great ocean of acidic waters lays to the south of Mu, bordering the southern ends of Avalon where great docks churn out vast fleets of ships. The ocean borders the silver forests in the west, a land so dangerous that no settlement has yet to be established there, despite the people's new found immortality. But it is not just the west, because as tranquil as the acidic ocean occasionally seems, it is an undoubtedly a violent place.

The skies of the South are highly dangerous. Titans and rocs often patrol the skies looking for prey. The lands near the mountains are totally uninhabitable due to the effect of the Titans due to their nesting habits.

Most of the titans of Mu live within Mu's single global ocean that Avalon must live by and fight if they are to survive. It is not an easy life at the best of times. Many gigantic creatures inhabit the acidic sea, ancient and scaly reptilian behemoths that are as large as small islands and can swallow a warship in a single gulp. Others are long and serpentine, with boiling acidic blood and scales that glint like pearls in the sun.

Storms raged across the entire Ocean; even as uncountable hordes of watery horrors fight in the oceans to devour each other. Chitinous horrors clad in amber resin clashed with pods of tentacled horrors.

These sea monsters will sometimes pluck a sailor from the deck of a ship and drag him down to his death in the deep, acidic waters. Still others are too uncertain in form to describe, as they are many-tentacled monstrosities with razored beaks and cold black eyes that hide in the depths until they rise to the surface to feed.

It is a sea that is constantly in motion and although it is not impossible to find land plane it is almost never ever stable. With explosive violence, the lands are often torn asunder. Blazing volcanic islands rise from the steaming acidic ocean spewing flames, with lava pouring down their slopes. Below the surface, the waters boil into steam that engulfs the world with its sulphureous fumes. Great tidal waves scour the coastlines of Avalon as new islands are birthed.

However, Islands created in the upheavals of preceding years are cast into turmoil by this annual eruption. Some endure, but many are broken apart or swallowed by the seas, engulfed in the churning waters and casting their unlucky inhabitants into the deeps.

Click to shrink...

HISTORY OF THE SOUTH
The waters are treacherous, but the seemingly infinite bounty of fish, coral and pearls is worth the risk. In the deep recesses of the ocean is rumored to be a land of wonders, everything one could want, but no one has travelled that deep.

The South has often been fished for the vast bounties that can be found within and is the sole reason why Avalon can exist for the continental sized docks berth countless fishing ships that exist solely to feed Avalon's endless hunger.

For as long as it has existed, Avalon has had a love hate relationship with the South, as unlike the West and despite the dangers, the South provides an endless supply of food.

Regarding the people who have braved the waters, there existed only tribesman who sail the seas for nothing lasting could be built on the few lands that are available and any land is too hotly contested and small for civilization.

The sole exception are the colonists from Avalon. It is also in these oceans that warships made of special sorcerous metals, escorts Arks containing colonists from Avalon, thousands of miles to the nearest archipelagos. Avalon's newest armies accompany the colonists, there to protect them from hostile life forms.

The colonists comprise of volunteers hoping to make better lives far from their current homes; some simply hoping to escape the crowded and famine prone Avalon.

These islands, devoid of any land creatures and away from most weather conditions, are ideal spots to convert into vast farming lands. Most pay tribute in the form of crops and received the Avalon's protections from the tribes who have to be forced into submission and policed.

The docks on these islands also act as ideal spots to drop off vast quantities of fish and other aquatic food that are to be teleported to the ever-hungry Avalon.

Click to shrink...

CULTURE OF THE SOUTH
It is against the creatures of the seas that the warriors of the tribes match themselves and those that emerge triumphant live forever in the oral legends of their tribe.

The extreme geography and the creation and destruction of islands has resulted in the human population becoming one composed largely of primitive, nomadic, barbarian tribes who barely approximate an Iron Age level of development. The tribes constantly seek secure territory, and as a result skirmishes and feuds over islands between rival tribes are common. The people are hardened to the changes in temperature and environmental extremes, and so is the native fauna.

Though extremely dangerous, the island tribes make a living from hunting the great beasts of the seas, creatures that often greatly outweigh and outsize the largest of their ships. Yet to slay even one such beast is a rich bounty indeed, providing skin, scales, fat, meat and bones that can last a tribe for months. The hide is cured and turned into clothes, ship hulls and shelters, while the meat is salted and preserved. Such hunts are necessary practice, for with the turn of every season comes the chance that a tribe's home island will be torn asunder and sink beneath the wave, sending the entire tribe out onto the seas in a mass exodus.

The tribe must find a new home if they are to survive, for no matter how skilled the sailors, no tribe can survive on the seas alone for any length of time. Yet any new land is likely to be already inhabited or at the very least will be claimed by multiple tribes who will have to fight for dominance and ownership.

Click to shrink...

THE EDGE OF MU
For in the ends of Mu lies the endless desert. A barren and lifeless land filled to the brim with only death and horrors. A crimson silent wind guards the skies of the endless desert and occasionally blows inward, to the terror of all.

There is nothing to be found here, only death and misery. Yet, if one was to brave the desert for seven days and seven nights, a miracle would happen that they would enter paradise, or so is the saying. In truth, no one in Mu is aware of what happens to those who survive in the endless desert on the eight days. That is until the arrival of the Goddess.

Click to shrink...

 

[Yog]

[X] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate v. 1.3

I worked hard at it, let's see if it wins.

And it seems I was right - our Kingdom is Outside Creation and doesn't fall under angelic jurisdiction. I wonder if we are going to be able to grant permission (diplomatic visas?) to angels? Lash getting to visit is going to be even more important now (if the rules don't apply, she might be allowed to manifest herself bodily).

 

[Murks74]

[X] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate v. 1.3

 

[thepsyborg]

[X] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate v. 1.3

 

[DragonParadox]

Poor Amoracchius is having a very weird day for the record, he is really not meant to talk to humans and he is quite bad at it as shown by literally slipping angel names into Michael's head because he forgot how mortal brain-meats work for a moment.

 

[BeepSmile]

I admit I dislike the rebillion aspect of Fi efold somewhat.

Netural loyalty overall appeals more than an active resistance.

 

[Yzarc]

Yeah. The resistance movement is the only thing I Really dislike in Yog's build.

 

[DragonParadox]

For anyone who wants to take resistance movement out of the Fivefold Courts Lord of the Land is probably the thing that is easiest removed without harming the narrative synergy it has going, since it is not a thing the world can do or is, it is a thing Molly can do within her world soul

 

[myrix]

[X] Yog

For those who would like a preliminary taste of Yog's Fivefold Courts, consider checking out my omake Godsworn if you haven't seen it already. It's not 100% canonical, but it is partially endorsed both by @DragonParadox and @Yog, with some features making into Yog's Fivefold Courts 1.3 writeup.

Very nice @myrix I might well borrow some of that history if you guys go with the Fivefold Courts of Fate

Click to shrink...

I can say now that I greatly enjoyed your take on this world, and I would definitely would like to incorporate at least some (probably most) of it into the "canon" as it was.

Click to shrink...

A super great omake set in this world by @myrix

Click to shrink...

---

I admit I dislike the rebillion aspect of Fi efold somewhat.

Netural loyalty overall appeals more than an active resistance.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. The resistance movement is the only thing I Really dislike in Yog's build.

Click to shrink...

It's made easier to swallow by firm geographical separation, as it's described in the fluff. Hostile population is segregated in one place and is firmly contained, both by loyal forces and by the hostiles' refusal to venture out. It won't affect our ability to freely use Kingdom's resources and loyalty to help us.

 

[Yog]

For anyone who wants to take resistance movement out of the Fivefold Courts Lord of the Land is probably the thing that is easiest removed without harming the narrative synergy it has going, since it is not a thing the world can do or is, it is a thing Molly can do within her world soul

Click to shrink...

The issue is point cost. I would have to sacrifice something, and there's not much "give" in the build at all. Or did you mean that it's the easiest thing to correct post-creation? In that case yeah, it should be. Molly is a social-oriented exalt with great Leadership score. And there's a firm separation established between the rebellious parts and the loyal parts, with the rebels firmly isolated, and providing a possibility for exploration and conquest.

If nothing else, conquering dark corners of our mind is a good practice for future hell conquests.

I admit I dislike the rebillion aspect of Fi efold somewhat.

Netural loyalty overall appeals more than an active resistance.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. The resistance movement is the only thing I Really dislike in Yog's build.

Click to shrink...

Sorry, at the end i had to use something to get one more point, or drop Lord of the Land or some other feature. And I firmly oppose overpoulation.

Yog we gain points for deadly flora and fauna so you have two extra points which you can use to take the resistance movements.

Click to shrink...

Fairly sure that's accounted for in the build already. Here's the mechanics of the build:

Spoiler: build

Vast size – 3 points, 2 points remaining
Difficult Terrain, 2 points remaining
Accessible Terrain, 2 points remaining
Pockets of Safety +2 points, 4 points remaining
Balanced Ecosystem, 4 points remaining
Earthly Fauna, 4 points remaining
Deadly Beasts, +1 point, 5 points remaining
Earthly Flora, 5 points remaining
Deadly Flora, +1 point, 6 points remaining
Human Populace, 6 points remaining
Resident Devils, -1 point, 5 points remaining
Advanced Social structures, 5 points remaining
Archaic Technology, 0 points, 5 points remaining
Advanced Technology, -2 points, 3 points remaining
Loyalty: Committed, -2 points, 1 points remaining
Resistance Movement, +1 point, 2 points
Dangerously Alien, 2 points remaining
Endless Suffering, -1 point, 1 point remaining
Lord of the Land, -1 point, 0 points remaining

The courts have both mundane and exotic flora and fauna.

 

[DragonParadox]

The issue is point cost. I would have to sacrifice something, and there's not much "give" in the build at all. Or did you mean that it's the easiest thing to correct post-creation? In that case yeah, it should be. Molly is a social-oriented exalt with great Leadership score. And there's a firm separation established between the rebellious parts and the loyal parts, with the rebels firmly isolated, and providing a possibility for exploration and conquest.

Click to shrink...

I meant specifically for people who would be willing to sacrifice something Lord of the Land would be the thing that could be sacrificed without affecting the narrative. The plan itself is fine as is, just offering a suggestion for anyone who might want to make a version without Resistance Movement since most of the other stuff is synergistic and fits into the wider fluff of the Hell.

 

[KonradC]

[X] Yzarc

 

[Yog]

I meant specifically for people who would be willing to sacrifice something Lord of the Land would be the thing that could be sacrificed without affecting the narrative. The plan itself is fine as is, just offering a suggestion for anyone who might want to make a version without Resistance Movement since most of the other stuff is synergistic and fits into the wider fluff of the Hell.

Click to shrink...

Oh, yeah. That's totally an option. I am also perfectly fine with it. Probably something like

[] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate no Rebels no Lord of the Land

Vote or something like that. If that option wins, I'll edit the description of the tribes in the Great Labyrinth (I have a pre-made version where they are waiting for "the Warden" to come, meaning they would still be distinct from the courts pre-creation, but would welcome Molly).

 

[myrix]

[X] Yog
[X] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate no Rebels no Lord of the Land

I'm actually indifferent to the Lord of the Land, so I'll start the ball rolling. @BeepSmile, @Yzarc, if you would like to, the option of Fivefold Courts without Rebels is now available.

 

[Yzarc]

Thing is, part of countering Pockets of Safty is Lord of the Land.

Lord of the Land is essentially terraforming powers.

So that is not avoidable if pockets are choosen.

 

[TheGrape]

[jk] The Crab Bucket

Size:
- Tiny (+2 = 7)
--- Literally just a house

Geography:
- Mundane
--- A mundane house

Climate:
- Heavenly (-2 = 5)
--- With AC and heating, Molly isn't a savage

Population:
- Overpopulated (+1 = 6)
- Deadly Beasts (+1 = 7)
- Deadly Flora (+1 = 8)
- Human Populace
- Resident Devils (-1 = 7)
--- There's too many people, be it human or beast or plant or devil, crammed inside this one small house (one-story, no basement or attic, > 500 hostile entities minimum)

Social Structures:
- Chaos
--- Ever been stuck with your family in a small enclosed space for long periods of time? Ever wondered what would happen if you had to spend that one extra day in the car for that one aggravating road trip? Ever thought of what centuries of time to annoy one another and an inability to die would do to your relationships with other people? This is the result: pure anarchy

Technology:
- Advanced (-2 = 5)
--- The exit door is a work of supremely advanced technology that will automatically open once only a single living entity remains in the house, and automatically close should more than one living entity exist.

Loyalty:
- Hostile (+2 = 7)
--- Being stuck inside an overcrowded house with a bunch of hostile entities willing to kill one another for the smallest provocation does not endear one to the owner of the house; if Molly doesn't reveal who she is she'll just be another unfortunate soul, but if she does she might be the only one to unite the inhabitants of this house for one purpose: her death

Features:
- Bottleneck (-1 = 6)
- Dangerously Alien
- Endless Suffering (-1 = 5)
- Eternal Night (-1 = 4)
- Gaols (-1 = 3)
- Indoors
- Non-Euclidean (-1 = 2)
- Time Differential (-2 = 0)
--- There's only one door out that only opens when one person is left alive, everyone respawns in a bed 10 seconds after dying (no, there aren't enough beds, better get out of the bed quick), someone smashed all the lights, some rooms are escape rooms whose answers rely on earth pop culture trivial that none of the inhabitants know about, did I mention this is all one house, the hallways seem to warp to the point you can never tell how to find the one door out, and oh yeah one day on Earth is two days here.

The basic idea here is a cage match of unrestrained violence and betrayal in which everybody in the house that is Molly's soul wants to get out but can't until they kill everyone else, simultaneously, and also find a way through the maze-like hallways to the one exit, in the 10 seconds before anyone respawns and automatically locks the door. Theoretically speaking leaving Molly's soul should be extremely easy, given a little cooperation amongst the, let's face it, prisoners. Practically speaking no one's ever left (no one's sure how they even got in, just that their earliest memories are of this Hell of a house), which speaks to the degree of hatred and sheer petty spite that each and every entity in this abode holds for every single other entity. No one's sure how long they've been at it, 'cause any records that might've existed have been used as fuel to try and set each other/the house on fire. It's literally just an empty house full of insane and desperate humans/beasts/plants/devils that would do anything to leave, except let anyone else leave ('cause screw those guys). The amount of backstabbing and treachery is matched only by the constant and ceaseless violence that takes place as the residents express their candid opinions regarding their eternal roommates/inmates. Literally just one giant unending brawl, the cage match to end all cage matches.

Should be a fun place for Michael and Dresden to explore!

 

[Goldfish]

I like Yog's and Yzarc's Hell builds enough that I wouldn't mind either of them winning. I may narrow my vote down later, depending on how things are tallying up.

I'm not a fan of Overpopulated in Yzarc's build or Resistance Movement in Yog's, but the rest of the build's are appealing enough to offset that and there is now the option not to have Resistance Movement in Yog's alternate Fivefold Courts vote.

[X] Yzarc

[X] Yog

[X] Fivefold Courts of Frozen Fate no Rebels no Lord of the Land

 

[Cavalar]

Poor Amoracchius is having a very weird day for the record, he is really not meant to talk to humans and he is quite bad at it as shown by literally slipping angel names into Michael's head because he forgot how mortal brain-meats work for a moment.

Click to shrink...

Probably, Amoracchius after the last time he couldn't follow the Knight somewhere:
A: "Alright, we are fine, I received all the relevant visas, wherever he needs I go"
Thousand and the First Hell emerges
A: "Wot? Not again, this is so boring, and literally in the centre of the street!"