Time of the Gods: Into the Amber Age

[Powerofmind]

So @Powerofmind can you clarify the Realm terminology and the new versions of the shrine extensions?

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Afterlife components are what they say on the tin, any component that creates or enhances an afterlife. Reward afterlives give you a DP trickle that improves as you add more bits to them, Punishments give you a small reserve of DP that you can use, instead.
Amenities fit a lot of the things you guys were considering for 'let's have scary monsters live here instead of in the real world', but they also make your realm a little safer to venture into for mortals (safer for both the realm AND the mortals).
Controls are things like the trickery fog and such, they exist to give you an advantage against outsiders that breach into the realm.
Skills are obvious.
Component tiers are what they say on the tin. You can't buff a component without having an appropriate trait that supports it.
Gateways are Stability-limited for simplicity and you only get "This is how you cross over" from a gateway; improvements let you add the conditions and restrictions you used to get innately.

The adjustments are basically just small to moderate effect nerfs since Shrine tiers and extensions aren't individualized anymore. They're mostly as good as they used to be, but all extensions have rough parity with each other now.

 

[Omegahugger]

Looks like we have to remove the Bastard the hard way.

... I may not be talking about the literal bastard.

 

[veekie]

Assessing the Temple options first, since they are limited and less interpretation heavy than the Realm

[] Choose from [Water, Sky, Night, or The Bubbling Spring] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] If Water, Sky, or Night, choose an appropriate Trait to grant Inherence to.

Overall, we want to pick T3 Elemental stuff or pick advanced traits.

Bubbling Spring:
-Healing powers at the temple.

Unique location benefit of course.

Water:
- Minor Spirit of the Sea
- Elemental Affinity(Tier 3) - Ice
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 3) - Cold

No good choices(yes, yes my fault) at present.
Ice and Cold intrinsics have serious hazards of course.

Sky:
- Elemental Affinity(Tier 3) - Sky
- Spirit of the Stars
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 2) - Stars
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 3) - Moon

Inherent Sky should make us much faster, and boosts any weather or Moon effects but may add an intrinsic vulnerability to Earth effects.
Spirit of the Stars(along with Premonition) should greatly enhance Shift Stars, as well as Astrology in general, but we'd be more strongly tied to Fate, which would make Doom prophecies potentially more dangerous.
EM - Moon would enhance our Moon powers(or make them cheaper), and possibly weaken our Light weakness, as Moon is Light as well, while choosing Moon as Sky emphasizes it's role as celestial body over it's role as night body. On the other hand Nox Arcana already is Moon.

Night:
- Elemental Affinity(Tier 3) - Night
- Elemental Affinity(Tier 3) - Ice
- Spirit of the Stars
- Spirit of Premonitions
- Spirit of Mysteries
- Spirit of Death
- Elemental Affinity (Tier 2) - Darkness
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 2) - Stars
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 3) - Moon
- Elemental Manifestation (Tier 3) - Cold

Spirit of Mysteries makes us much better at magic and mysticism in general, which I feel is going to meet general thread favor. EA - Darkness and EA - Night would make us even MORE vulnerable to Light.
EM Moon here would emphasize it's darker side, but mostly redundant I suspect.
Spirit of Death would put us in domain friction with our child.

Personally, I'd pick Night(Spirit of Mysteries). Mysticism is one of our heavy focuses, and a boosted affinity for Magics is very very powerful.

More to come. Doing this section by section

 

[mc2rpg]

So on the grand temple extension from I lean towards water, again. Not just because I want more water, but also because I don't want to get super into sky, and having something as an inherent seems like it would give it a bit more weight. I'm not quite sure what else we are going to unlock in the night branch that isn't already inherent and folded into our ascension, but if people had a good argument I could probably be convinced to jump ship over to night on this issue. I definitely have no interest in branching out to bubbly Springs though. It is just going to open up more traits that tear us in even more directions.

As to the situation with the plant spirit, I want to steal it really bad, but I don't want to do it before our visions are dealt with. Having this God deciding to actively meddle in a war with the bloodied man could get pretty nasty if it isn't on our terms and thought through. A plant spirit will be incredibly helpful, but it isn't as valuable in the short term as temporary peace with the neighboring god.

Edit: veekie raises some good points about night, so I would not mind that in theory. I just don't really have much interest in our current night traits for adding to our inherent list. It falls into the water situation we are in honestly, where I'm sure there is stuff out there that would be great for inherents, but we don't have it yet.

 

[Omegahugger]

@Powerofmind, if we choose to make Minor Spirit of the Sea Inherent and we later upgrade it, would it stay Inherent or begin taking up a slot?

Spirit of Death would put us in domain friction with our child.

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Not neccesarily, there's plenty of room for two Death Gods in a Pantheon. I know I pull them out often, but the Norse Pantheon had at least 4 Gods of War. Our own Pantheon already has 2 Humanities.
For example, Owlbear could be the Charon to Gaerig's Hades, for example. Or perhaps the Odin to her Hel, depending on how circumstances turn out.
It could even help us connect with him better, an Inherent Death Spirit to understand an Inherent Death Spirit.

A much better problem is that Death is a pretty dangerous thing to make Inherent, especially since Gaerig needs little help killing her followers as is.
... Despite this I still want it...

 

[veekie]

[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Gaerig's Village] Shrine.
-[] Painted Stars (Adjusted)

Astrology boost, though I've mentioned moving it, since we can't use it with a Realm Astrology boost at present.

-[] Creche (Adjusted)

Currently housing Rashelki. Graduates in 3 years as of previous version. Demolishing the Creche right now would be really bloody hilarious, since Saiga is asleep.

-[] Sacrifice Altar (Grants DP semi-regularly)

DP is DP after all, but relatively boring.

[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saiga's Fishing Village] Shrine.
-[] Creche (Adjusted)

Currently housing Gaelte. He will graduate in another 5 years or so.
He already has a role in the village, so losing it won't hurt that much.

-[] Pool of Bounty (Grants Population Points semi-regularly)

Extremely useful I think. We ding our population on a pretty regular basis.
Though I think Gaelte is mostly using the pool for his pets.

-[] Sacrifice Altar

DP is DP

[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saitev's Home Village] Shrine.
-[] Chamber of Change (Adjusted)

This enhances the propagation of our Bloodlines and Broods when we're running at least two Moons that turn.
Which is to say we should commit to using Moon effects regularly.
@Powerofmind
Now that Moonlight can no longer generate Weirds, does it count as a color for Chamber of Change purposes?

-[] Mystic Den (Improves Ritual success chances slightly)

Useful for the various trait rituals we're working with, and culturally creates a Mystic caste. On the other hand for rituals we're generally going to stack the odds heavily, and it provides no benefits on turns we're researching a ritual or not conducting one.

-[] Sacrifice Altar

DP is DP

Current personal vote for the Shrines and Temples is going to be:

[] Choose from [Water, Sky, Night, or The Bubbling Spring] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] If Water, Sky, or Night, choose an appropriate Trait to grant Inherence to.
[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Gaerig's Village] Shrine.
-[] Creche (Adjusted)
[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saiga's Fishing Village] Shrine.
-[] Pool of Bounty (Grants Population Points semi-regularly)
[] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saitev's Home Village] Shrine.
-[] Chamber of Change (Adjusted)

Now to do the much more time consuming thing of plotting out Realm options.

 

[Crabs]

Will getting inherent EA Sky give Gaerig flight?

 

[veekie]

@Powerofmind, if we choose to make Minor Spirit of the Sea Inherent and we later upgrade it, would it stay Inherent or begin taking up a slot?

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Stays Inherent. Inherent traits will 'blob' to the biggest scope. We asked this before.

If for instance, we had Inherent Aspect of Humanity, then gained Chimera, it'd become Inherent Chimera(Human), and every animal trait will blob into it, with hilarious consequences.

On the other hand, Inherent Ocean would probably be a more powerful water trait to make Inherent, once our second temple is built. Would take a whole however. But personal preferences.

A much better problem is that Death is a pretty dangerous thing to make Inherent, especially since Gaerig needs little help killing her followers as is.
... Despite this I still want it...

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Definitely an element. I dread to see what a Fear God with Inherent Death would do to her own people.

Will getting inherent EA Sky give Gaerig flight?

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She already has Flight via Sky + Silver Moon + Night. She's not very fast though. EA Sky would help there

 

[mc2rpg]

On the other hand, Inherent Ocean would probably be a more powerful water trait to make Inherent, once our second temple is built. Would take a whole however. But personal preferences.

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Oh is this a replacement for the original water wing vote? Awww that sucks. Pushing a bunch of ritual work to get ocean asap was my main goal for the next turn, and I think people would have gone for it with an inherent trait slot open. On the other hand I really don't want to waste it on minor spirit of the sea.

Will getting inherent EA Sky give Gaerig flight?

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Gaerig already has flight.

 

[chocolote12]

Definitely an element. I dread to see what a Fear God with Inherent Death would do to her own people.

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What she already does? Sometimes we just go out and murder folks for no reason, or drop Tsunamis on them, or just start scooping them up like potato chips. We'd fulfill all of our compels in the normal course of things.

 

[veekie]

[] Choose Improvement 1
[] Choose Improvement 2
[] Choose Improvement 3

So options:
Afterlife - T2+ available

Currently we're incentivized to make an Afterlife, especially if we intend to despise Spirit of Death later and lose the capability to make it good.

Amenity - Double cost.

We should install Amenities after losing Spirit of Death.
Not worth it at present.

Control - T2+

Essential if we make a generalized access point

Skill - Astrology, Trickery, Leadership, Innovation, Hunting, Fishing, Navigation, Omen Reading, Discovery, Mysticism, First Magic, Second Magic, Melee

Relatively poor investment at present, as we need Amenities for our mortals and spirits to use them.

[] Choose Primary Gateway
[] Choose Gateway Improvement

I'd suggest making the primary gateway our temples and shrines if we wanted accessibility.

So Realm plan sketches:

[] Plan Paradise of the Lost
-[] Improvement 1 - Afterlife(Reward) - Basic afterlife
-[] Improvement 2 - Afterlife(Reward) - Afterlife allows the dead to take the form of their preference within it.
-[] Improvement 3 - Afterlife(Reward) - The dead will revive if slain within the afterlife.
-[] Primary Gateway - Diving deeply into pools within major temples and shrines of Gaerig, then navigating the sea of stars within to find the Moon will take you to the Divine Realm. The same applies to leaving
-[] Gateway Improvement - Afterlife - The souls of her people whose bodies are lost to mortal man are claimed by Gaerig. This includes bodily destruction, those lost to sea or wilderness, but not if other people have the bodies in a recognizable form.

This well, gives us an afterlife. Basically Einherjar style, they turn to animals, hunt and trick each other, and then do it again and again forever.
Intends to pick up other stuff when we lose Death and can pick up Amenities for a non-ruinous cost

[] Plan Gaerig's Trippy Research Grounds
-[] Improvement 1 - Skill(Mysticism) - The realm makes the mystic significance of things visible and material, which makes it easier to interact and interpret them.
-[] Improvement 2 - Skill(Innovation) - The realm enriches the potential within everything, expanding the possibilities when trying new things within it.
-[] Improvement 3 - Control - Appearances within the realm are deceptive and misleading. Those within the realm without Gaerig's permission must puzzle through the layers of true and false meaning, or be endlessly lost.
-[] Primary Gateway - Diving deeply into pools within major temples and shrines of Gaerig, then navigating the sea of stars within to find the Moon will take you to the Divine Realm. The same applies to leaving
-[] Gateway Improvement - Gateway - Ritual. Conducting a specific, secret ritual allows spiritual passage into Gaerig's divine realm for the one doing so.

This is basically a magic weapon R&D lab, which our mortal worshippers can use with some difficulty. Find new things, enchant them. Also ritual site and all that. It's all going to look symbolic and LSD-trip like inside


I believe the whole dematerialized thing should count as an Amenity, so we can't do that anymore.
@Powerofmind
Are these about right?

What she already does? Sometimes we just go out and murder folks for no reason, or drop Tsunamis on them, or just start scooping them up like potato chips. We'd fulfill all of our compels in the normal course of things.

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Inherent Death makes creating life(i.e. broods, ur beasts and children) as well as our Growth blessings MUCH weaker, but is going to be unsurpassed for killing shit.

 

[Powerofmind]

@Powerofmind, if we choose to make Minor Spirit of the Sea Inherent and we later upgrade it, would it stay Inherent or begin taking up a slot?

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Stays.

Now that Moonlight can no longer generate Weirds, does it count as a color for Chamber of Change purposes?

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Yes.

Oh is this a replacement for the original water wing vote? Awww that sucks. Pushing a bunch of ritual work to get ocean asap was my main goal for the next turn, and I think people would have gone for it with an inherent trait slot open. On the other hand I really don't want to waste it on minor spirit of the sea.

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Yes. You may still choose to hold the Inherent pickup.

Are these about right?

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The Realm is mostly accurate, but the following will be adjusted:

[] Plan Paradise of the Lost
-[] Improvement 1 - Afterlife(Reward) - Basic afterlife
-[] Improvement 2 - Afterlife(Reward) - The dead may take physical form and interact with others who enter.
-[] Improvement 3 - Afterlife(Reward) - The souls of the dead are not destroyed with their physical forms within your realm.
-[] Primary Gateway - Diving deeply into pools within major temples and shrines of Gaerig leads to her divine realm. Finding these pools in the divine realm is also a means of returning.
-[] Gateway Improvement - Afterlife - The souls of Gaerig's followers are taken to her afterlife, provided their bodies are destroyed shortly after death.

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You can expand on the Afterlife Gateway in the future, but the former style doesn't match up with the new mechanic.

Adjustments as seen below.

[] Plan Gaerig's Trippy Research Grounds
-[] Improvement 1 - Skill(Mysticism) - The realm makes the mystic significance of things visible and material, which makes it easier to interact and interpret them. Adds one 'Tier' to Mysticism actions performed in the realm.
-[] Improvement 2 - Skill(Innovation) - The realm enriches the potential within everything, expanding the possibilities when trying new things within it. Adds one 'Tier' to Mysticism actions performed in the realm.
-[] Improvement 3 - Control - Appearances within the realm are deceptive and misleading. Those within the realm without Gaerig's permission must puzzle through the layers of true and false meaning, or be endlessly lost. Outsiders must pass a Trickery test to approach the realm. Mortals who fail will eventually die without divine intervention.
-[] Primary Gateway - Diving deeply into pools within major temples and shrines of Gaerig leads to her divine realm. Finding these pools in the divine realm is also a means of returning.
-[] Gateway Improvement - Gateway - Ritual. Conducting a specific, secret ritual allows spiritual passage into Gaerig's divine realm for the one doing so.

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You still have most of the same degree of flexibility, it's just... more organized, now.

 

[veekie]

Okay.
More questions!

@Powerofmind
What category does Pantheon meeting grounds count under or is it something that happens if we just leave an entrance they can use?
What about allowing subordinate gods to create a realm linked to ours or within ours?
EDIT: For the matter, does the Material/Immaterial thing count as an Amenity?

 

[Powerofmind]

What category does Pantheon meeting grounds count under or is it something that happens if we just leave an entrance they can use?
What about allowing subordinate gods to create a realm linked to ours or within ours?

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You can leave them the entrance regardless, but there are certain amenities required to allow more frequent divine communions.
Eventually, but you'd actually need one first.

 

[veekie]

You can leave them the entrance regardless, but there are certain amenities required to allow more frequent divine communions.
Eventually, but you'd actually need one first.

Click to shrink...

Cool.

Last two questions:
Does the Material/Immaterial thing count as an Amenity?
Our child is an Inherent Death God, are there any advantages to letting him/her create a pantheon wide afterlife for us? I mean, unless we're completely control freak about it, it seems they'd be FAR FAR better at it than us for expanding and updating it.

 

[Powerofmind]

Does the Material/Immaterial thing count as an Amenity?
Our child is an Inherent Death God, are there any advantages to letting him/her create a pantheon wide afterlife for us? I mean, unless we're completely control freak about it, it seems they'd be FAR FAR better at it than us for expanding and updating it.

Click to shrink...

No. That's just a weird thingie.
Who knows~

 

[veekie]

[X] Plan Gaerig's Trippy Research Grounds
-[X] Improvement 1 - Skill(Mysticism) - The realm makes the mystic significance of things visible and material, which makes it easier to interact and interpret them. Adds one 'Tier' to Mysticism actions performed in the realm.
-[X] Improvement 2 - Skill(Innovation) - The realm enriches the potential within everything, expanding the possibilities when trying new things within it. Adds one 'Tier' to Mysticism actions performed in the realm.
-[X] Improvement 3 - Control - Appearances within the realm are deceptive and misleading. Those within the realm without Gaerig's permission must puzzle through the layers of true and false meaning, or be endlessly lost. Outsiders must pass a Trickery test to approach the realm. Mortals who fail will eventually die without divine intervention.
-[X] Primary Gateway - Diving deeply into pools within major temples and shrines of Gaerig leads to her divine realm. Finding these pools in the divine realm is also a means of returning.
-[X] Gateway Improvement - Gateway - Ritual. Conducting a specific, secret ritual allows spiritual passage into Gaerig's divine realm for the one doing so.

[X] Choose from [Night] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[X] Spirit of Mysteries

[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Gaerig's Village] Shrine.
-[X] Creche (Adjusted)
[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saiga's Fishing Village] Shrine.
-[X] Pool of Bounty (Grants Population Points semi-regularly)
[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saitev's Home Village] Shrine.
-[X] Chamber of Change (Adjusted)

Alright, while we can make an Afterlife right now...we're not a good source to keep enhancing an afterlife compared to the literal death god we just made. So no need for that unless we have a practical use for the dead. We can put in the Menagerie and other options more easily once we drop Death. Let the one who's innately Death and Faith make the happy place in the sky.
Focus on stuff we can use. Enhanced Mysticism for Study World, researching materials, conducting rituals, and enhanced Innovation to make new and cool stuff productively.

Plus a bit of a security code. Anyone who learns the ritual still has to beat our Trickery if they're not allowed. It means our people can spirit journey inside to do scrying and inventing, then bring out the magic shit.
Most other reasoning in previous posts

For the Temple I have the following recommendations:

[] Choose from [Night] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] Spirit of Mysteries

Focus in on magic, rituals and all that. Something which shouldn't add major weaknesses that I can identify, though it'd probably compel us to do more magic...which we already do every time anyways.

[] Choose from [Water] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] Reserve the Trait slot.

This is for people who want a Water trait for elemental power. Leaves it open for Ocean, when we rotate it in again in the future. It should greatly expand our range across the water and grant us major boosts to creating waves on the open water or going deep down.
Note that it may weaken us on land away from the ocean.

[] Choose from [Water] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] Minor Spirit of the Sea

This is for people who want an Inherent Water trait right now.
Spirit of the Sea will level up more quickly, and this trait is more focused on sealife rather than elemental water. It allows us to command, copulate and communicate with everything that lives in the sea.
It should make it easier for us to acquire aquatic animal aspects, as we can do more specific things than summon random fish.

[] Choose from [Sky] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] Elemental Affinity(Tier 3) - Sky

This is to counterbalance picking Inherent Ocean, since we'd be still strong anywhere with open sky(and be completely absurd if in the sky above the ocean at night). It also means we can move much faster, but we would still need Classical Affinity - Air to take full advantage of the weather features(though it already buffs our Moon and aerial water manipulation), so it does not give us a trait slot advantage.

[] Choose from [Sky] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[] Elemental Manifestation (Tier 3) - Moon

This is to reduce our weakness to Light from Nox Arcana, as it emphasizes our inherent link to a luminous body.
It should also reduce the cost of color Moon effects or boost their power.

 

[Powerofmind]

Plus a bit of a security code. Anyone who learns the ritual still has to beat our Trickery if they're not allowed. It means our people can spirit journey inside to do scrying and inventing, then bring out the magic shit.

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You don't contest invaders personally. You'd need a divine creature specifically tasked with guarding the way to do that. As is, that particular control just forces a fairly tough check (for your average mortal) if you aren't aware and welcoming.

 

[veekie]

You don't contest invaders personally. You'd need a divine creature specifically tasked with guarding the way to do that. As is, that particular control just forces a fairly tough check (for your average mortal) if you aren't aware and welcoming.

Click to shrink...

Ah, noted. Still good security against most. Trickery isn't a particularly common skill, even if most pantheons are liable to have one.

*Takes notes on making a guardian creature later*

 

[wingstrike96]

[X] Plan Gaerig's Trippy Research Grounds

[X] Choose from [Night] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[X] Spirit of Mysteries

[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Gaerig's Village] Shrine.
-[X] Creche (Adjusted)
[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saiga's Fishing Village] Shrine.
-[X] Pool of Bounty (Grants Population Points semi-regularly)
[X] Choose from among the following three Extensions at [Saitev's Home Village] Shrine.
-[X] Chamber of Change (Adjusted)

 

[Athas]

[X] Veekie

I like it.
Seems like we'll have a different theme in each shrine/temple as well. Magic in the caldera, Motherhood in Gaerig's fishing village, Sea in Saiga's fishing village, and sky in Saitev's village (some of them even fit the place and it's main spirit)

 

[Sivantic]

[X] Choose from [Water] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[X] Reserve the Trait slot.

I'm okay with everything else, but I definitely don't want to lose Gaerig's roots as a Water Spirit. Making it inherent means it won't ever be despised again.

 

[Omegahugger]

I'm okay with everything else, but I definitely don't want to lose Gaerig's roots as a Water Spirit. Making it inherent means it won't ever be despised again.

Click to shrink...

Gaerig will never lose her ties as a Water Spirit. Well, not unless something extremely traumatic happens at least. Like, I don't know if it's even possible mechanics-wise.

What this will do is cement Gaerig as an Ocean/Sea Goddess instead of just a general Water Spirit.

[X] Choose from [Water] as a Grand Extension to the Temple.
-[X] Reserve the Trait slot.

Which is also something I can get behind.

 

[sidestory]

Due to possessing Spirit of Death, you may enhance Afterlife Components beyond the first tier.
Due to possessing Spirit of Death, you may include Amenity Components for TWO improvement slots instead of one.
Due to possessing Spirit of Mischief, you may enhance Control Components beyond the first tier.
You may include Afterlife Components of any tier (and must also use a Gateway Improvement to define your afterlife's criteria). The basic types of afterlife are Reward and Punishment.
You may include Amenity Components of tier one (Simulated life, hospitable environments for sustained life, realm resists mortal affectations).
You may include Control Components of any tier (Defensive measures against outsider interference).
You may include Skill Components of tier one if at least one trait you possess grants that skill, or any tier if you possess a Mastery of that skill.
You may include components that do not fit the previous categories on a case-by-case basis, by tagged request only.
[] Choose Improvement 1
[] Choose Improvement 2
[] Choose Improvement 3
[] Choose Primary Gateway
[] Choose Gateway Improvement

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@Powerofmind
This vote is way to openended and ambiguous for me,
I don't know how to craft my own plan with it, since I don't know what counts as 'Control components of any tier' or 'Amenity Components of tier one'

Can you please give me an example so that I can try to make my own, since I don't want to vote for veekie

 

[Powerofmind]

@Powerofmind
This vote is way to openended and ambiguous for me,
I don't know how to craft my own plan with it, since I don't know what counts as 'Control components of any tier' or 'Amenity Components of tier one'

Can you please give me an example so that I can try to make my own, since I don't want to vote for veekie

Click to shrink...

You may include Amenity Components of tier one (Simulated life, hospitable environments for sustained life, realm resists mortal affectations).
You may include Control Components of any tier (Defensive measures against outsider interference).

Click to shrink...

Like all realm picks, you can make them yourself. A higher tier just means it does better stuff than the tier below it.