Re: Godhood: Sic Semper Divinus

by Liburr Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:30 pm

With a smile, Ayan turns and addresses the machine. "Because diversity breeds interaction and is the catalyst for understanding. It's far more interesting to see what could be, then what should be, Sxryi. Does that make any sense?" Then, turning her attention to the mortals once more, she continues answering the questions they have as vaguely and reassuringly as possible, until she grows bored and again, takes her repose, biding her time and waiting to see what would happen in the coming eons.

by Luno Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:13 pm

Drylax looks around at his and his compatriots handy work. Quite a thing that cog, he walks over to the great cog, admiring the struggle that this cog will create and effort to overcome, admiring the deadliness of it

Hmmm many a psionic will be created by this thing

He strolls over to Sxyri and gives him a thumbs up and then returns to the world of rats and birds

Hmmm these birds are quite neat, I shall grant them intelligence and Psionics, a random mix of all 3 types of psionics should serve them well and aid in the struggle, hmmm, these rats sure could use another food source, ah I've got it. A form of plankton that floats freely in the air that the rats may feast upon to aid in growing their swarms, it reproducers far to fast for the rats to consume it all

Satisfied with this he thinks,

well once their intelligence develops a bit I shall teach them of myself, and of their purpose in this universe, this will be exciting

acts

[2 inteligence for the firebirds]
[2 give firebirds psionics]
[2 create the hyper plankton]

by Elaphoil Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:34 pm

Vral leans back in his study, examining the notes strewn about him. It became increasingly clear what his fellow gods were motivated by. All of these extraneous elements were forming into more easily trackable, but the outcomes began to number 1000s of pages. He smiled. The universe was developing into the correct direction. One which would produce the kind of struggle that he could learn from.

Turning back to the three worlds in this universe, he studied them. The Vanu were sufficiently in place to further themselves. But they could fail if the Altheri civilization continued on its relentless, unethically assisted climb. Vral gathered polished grey stone orbs, and began to seed them over Althera. Each stone would be able to gather the growing collective conscious of the Vanu and organize it, disseminating information throughout the species, as well as others who ventured near. He hid them from the Altheri, lest they find them and interfere even further. Content, he continued.

The foul rock that had been shouted into existence was passed over, the endless death and life uninteresting to Vral for the moment.

Last he moved towards his beloved Tisante and took stock. Clearly the unnamed were in dire straights, but their cunning proceeded themselves. Even when confronted with monstrous beasts, they persevered. Proud of these creatures tenacity to use the world for their own furtherance, he decided that they would receive a small boon. Vral touched the metal of the planet, studying the veins. Gently, he pushed and prodded them towards the unnamed, giving them access to what he had them crave. These veins would be a godsend in the moment, but in the far future they would be something to fear, if they never contrived a way to deal with the surface dwellers.

Content that his small adjustments would keep his experiments moving forward, Vral retired to his study.

---------------------

[2 acts for Vral's Stones on Althera]
[1 act to guide metals to the unnamed on Tisante]
[5 acts remaining]

by **KatoHearts(A)** Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:24 pm

Jomontet closes his tome for the moment.

"Wait... we have shamans. I should do something about that while I can."

Jomontet vanishes from the divine plane and manifests on the physical.

The shamans of the Stargazers see something rather unexpected all at once.

A figure rises up beyond the horizon and snuffs out the moon and stars before looking directly into, what feels like, their souls.

"You are the first to practice my gifts, to wield the power of magic created by me, Jomontet. Remember my name and I will bless you and your people with gifts beyond your wildest dreams."

Each shaman gets a brief image, nigh incomprehensible to them, of a future with magic.

"This is the first blessing. Walk with your heads held high as your title and power will command the respect you deserve."

And with that the moon and stars are back.

Jomontet is nowhere to be seen.

Acts
Appearing to the Sungazer Shamans: 1 act
Blessing them with an aura that causes shamans to be respected: 2 acts
---
0 Acts left.

by Sevasta Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:27 pm

Sxyri screams a wordless noiseless shout, and the first Artifact emerges, a massive superstructure on the surface of Tisante. It promises wonder to whomever can pass it’s bowels first.

Velsavis again gifts the Altheri, ensuring neither Magic nor now Psionics can occur or effect, at least directly, her chosen people. She ensures that political scheming will occur, but in a safe manner. She manifests in the largest of the primitive settlements, cementing the religion and worship of herself. Lastly, she stretches thinly to imbue them even further in natural ability.

Arlamor focuses on his created planet, imbuing the rats with the spark of creativity and the Firebirds with an unending untiring hunger - but only so long as they feed. He then manifests across the planet, smashing rookeries left and right.

Ayan regretfully creates her Tears, and seeds them amongst the harvests of the Altheri. She then focuses on the budding psionics of the unnamed of Tisante, manifesting in their dreams to give them words of encouragement...and tying their gifts to her.

Jomontet, by pure accident, unleashes a creation onto Althera - the voracious, cruel creatures known as the Flayt. The first purely magical life. He also appears to the Sungazer shamans, gifting them with powerful auras of respect

Valnif too blesses the Unnamed of Tisante, gifting them with stout bodies and hardy souls. He then molds the Sungazers into omnivores, perhaps to let the struggle off the UN01 so much. Lastly, he creates a small rapidly breeding prey race, to provide food for sungazer and Unnamed alike.

Drylax bequeaths intelligence unto the Firebirds, and further directly empowers each and every one with his newfound psionic creation. He then, perhaps kindly, perhaps not, seeds the atmosphere of ROGMAURNERLAUGH with a rapid breeding aerial insect-plankton, as food for the rats and birds alike.

Vral keeps his eyes on the Vanu, placing his own artifacts upon the surface to store and record the Vanu’s growing group consciousness. He then coaxes metal towards the caves of the Unnamed of Tisante.

And thus the gods rest, and the worlds turn and time advances…

---

The Unnamed flourish underground, dividing their time between the collecting of metal for pleasure, and the hunting and foraging outside the caves for food. Eventually, sapience, real full sapience, swirls into their hearts. The leaders of their bands, the psionics, take Ayan’s gifts and lessons to heart...though there is still no name yet. Society grows in the cave dwellings, rough metallic chisels and stone hammers carving into the sides of the caves, expanding and creating communal spaces.

The Sungazer shamans use this newfound gift to cement their place as the leaders of their tribes, and soon enough they too take to building wooden huts and camps around the monuments. Their shamans practice their magics, and soon learn the power of shifting the very wind, hiding their scent from prey and ensuring a cool breeze during the heat of Tisante’s summer...or keeping snow away from their dwellings in the poles.

Then, one fateful day, it happens. A band of the unnamed, lead by one of their older psionics, forages into a Sungazer hunting party. The two species eye each other, the sapience allowing them pause - what will happen? What do we do? The silence is broken by a screeching howl. A metallarachnid, large and ancient, crashes into the clearing. In an instant the two species eye each other...and work together, Psionic telekinesis slowing the beast as the Sungazer shaman in charge spikes a spear of earth straight through the creature’s brain. Two leaders look into each other’s eyes. One thumps his chest. “Sun...gazer.” The other pauses, and in a flash, the answer to a question that has been building eons emerges. “Stone...heart.”

Across the planet, similar meetings occur. The two species mingle, and meet, and begin to work together. Sungazer communities begin to shift to near Stoneheart cave entrances, building static defenses against Metallarachnid assault. A shared language begins to emerge. The Shamans and Psionics have meetings of the minds. Techniques are discussed and considered. Crude statues of Ayan are traded for those of Jomontet. Both species it seems, are similar in many ways.

The Metallarachnids themselves suffer for this co-operation, no longer able to hunt either species so effectively. In the absence, the other metallovores do just as well as food. Animal cunning sharpens into a single minded independent streak, though souls and sapience evade them still.

On Althera, the continuing active presence of Velsavis spurns the Altheri forward, though their technological drive stymies as the difficulty in producing fire emerges. Furthermore, the sudden introduction of the Great Game begins to take hold...too well, it seems. The Altheri do not squabble over the game, for they are a co-operative people. But the addictive nature of the social game takes it’s toll, and combined with the sudden introduction of Ayan’s Tears, progress slows. In addition, the population as a whole lessens greatly as the settlements too north or south for the parasites to survive die off en masse. Lastly, the Flayt are a plague and menace, terrorizing the remaining settlements and the few roaming bands until, at long last, it’s realized it is harshest when they deal with Vanu infestations. The advanced minds, so usually calm and rational, falter here in a paradox - the Vanu must be the cause of this affliction, but how?. The sight of a Vanu becomes enough to either cause a frothing towering rage...or a whimpering gibbering fear as the Flay feast and feast and feast.

The Vanu finally hit critical mass in their networked sapience, and as one a single word is spoken across a thousand thousand minds. “Vanu.” Vral’s gifts become societal pinions, the combined knowledge of the species stored in each one and constantly updated and shared across vast distance through them. The Vanu continue to prefer a mildly subterranean existence, and society such as it is does not quite emerge, as building and tools are shunned in favor of pure psionic or magical gifts. A few lucky Vanu begin to develop psionics however, and they become the living equivalents of the Vralstones, but Shamanism is not yet within the grasp of a species that continually lives in veneration of the whole. The flayt ignore them, for no Vanu is ever truly alone...and thus, is never truly afraid. They cannot be said to hate the Altheri either, simply cautious.

Deep in the northern and southern reaches, a shocking event occurs as the Unnamed species of Althera finally, as a general bunch, consume enough magical crystals to dramatically advance their sapience. In the mind of the dreaming gods a sentence roars, defiant. “WE. ARE. ROAKI.” The crystalline diet causes an interesting form of Shamanism, as the roaki learn to focus pure elemental force from their mouths. Seemingly as one, driven by a single need, the Roaki emerge from their caverns, diving and swooping across the skies and plains to roar defiant death at Altheri tribes. The stones and arrows of the Altheri have no hope of piercing the crystallized hides, and for a miserable, horrible month their is only death and despair across a species. The Roaki return after, content to brood in their pits.

On ROGMAURLERNAUGH, the Goroff continue their desperate struggle, as the packs begin to form territories that they guard viciously. The hyperpresent insectoids are just as fine a food as each other, after all. The Firebirds are terrors of the skies here, their powers easily enabling them to satisfy the hunger cursed upon them, tireless lords of the air. When rats are not their fancy, they simply open their mouths and scoop up the hyperplankton.

[

And so the gods wake once more...

”State of the Divine Spheres”:

”Acts Gain”:

Encylopedia Divinus:

by AztechnologyPR Fri Mar 17, 2017 3:18 am

Velsavis watches the events with concern, and observes her children weather the assault of the other capricious gods.

She knows that the advance of the Roaki demands harsh change, and that the innovation and development that could permit them to fight back is being held back by the lack of fire in Althera's inert atmosphere. She acts to change Altheri physiology to include organs that develop both a concentrated, flammable substance capable of reaching truly immense temperatures given enough catalyst - and that catalyst itself - and methods allowing them to expel it in controllable compositions and amounts from glands located near their mouths. She also ensures that these substances prove inert while still inside the Altheri body.

She uses the basis established by the Great Mother Church, to ease this sudden evolution - appearing quickly in the major centers of civilization to explain that this evolution is the result of their own introspection and innovation in the face of extreme adversity - and most definitely not magic or psionic in nature.

She sees that the other Gods view her creations with alarm,, and steps away from Althera for a time. She decides to paint the cosmos once again, creating new astral bodies.

The bodies made,, she returns to the cosmos.

[2 acts - Grant Altheri the organ system capable of creating Tisala and Tisale - the substance capable of reaching extreme temperatures and the catalyst itself, respectively. The system contains several glands that allow for the projection of these substances out of their mouths at a distance sufficient to avoid self-damage. The substance can reach molten temperatures if concentrated enough, and the Altheri can instinctively control how much substance and catalyst are mixed and expelled, varying the temperature and composition of the resulting flame.]

[2 acts - Incarnate briefly as the Great Mother in the largest settlement(s), and using the framework of the primitive church and the memory of her previous incarnations to provide legitimacy, spread the doctrines that this sudden change in physiology is a response and evolution to the pressures and attacks of the Vanu and Roaki - that they have successfully evolved and innovated a way forward - in an attempt to minimize the trauma of this sudden shift. Also work to temper the societal myopia towards the Great Game - that it is a worthy pursuit, but should not be taken to extremes that damage society as a whole - attitudes incompatible with their societal unity.]

[2 act - Create two new moons - one around Althera (Iantis) and one around ROGMAURLERNAUGH (SARHARTOMOHAR). The moon around Althera is comprised almost entirely (86%) of orichalcum, with the remaining 14% made up of standard terrestrial metals. The moon around ROGMAURLERNAUGH is comprised primarily (91%) of Zirconium, with the remainder made up of standard terrestrial metals.]

[6 acts performed, 0 acts remaining.]

by Bob The 3rd Fri Mar 17, 2017 9:35 am

Sxryi observes, both of its unnamed species having reached sapience and declared a name for themselves. Its attention is specifically drawn to the Stonehearts, and their developlent of communities right alongside their former hunters.

"Fascinating..."

The Mechanism whirs softly, its gaze turning to the goddess Ayan, the one who had seeded the formerly unnamed with these gifts. The unnamed who now had crude metal tools and called themselves Stonehearts.

"Although I do not understand your choice of actions, they have clearly been effective. I ask only that whatever path you choose to guide the creations of The Mechanism down, it is one of exploration and discovery."

The Mechanism turns, thinking as its wheels and cogs idly spin in their ever-lasting purpose. Thinking of its next creation, its next aspect of The Mechanism.

by Liburr Fri Mar 17, 2017 3:16 pm

Ayan smiled at the machine, bowing slightly with arms folded behind her back. "Not everything in a universe can be dictated by logic. My domain lies in that irrationality. And now, for my next, few, irrational acts. The seeds of creation are dying, and we must take steps to preserve ourselves." Turning her attention to the other Goddess, she bows her head, humbling herself before the one who came before. "Perhaps I was too harsh on your children. Consider this an apology for my earlier outburst."

And so, Ayan descends once more to the surface of Althera and presses her hands to the soil, gathering from the places magic had yet to pervade it deeply and molding it into large herbivores, peaceful, strong, and perhaps most importantly, fast. They would defend themselves, as would any other form of life, but the best defence they could have was both in strength of numbers, and in being fleet of foot. In yet another unkindness to her own children, she left them wanting, deliberately, of both affection and magic - her herbivores would naturally gravitate to each other to fill the social bonds they lack, and would possess none of the means of producing societies that the other races on the planet did. Only when she was satisfied did she turn her attentions elsewhere, setting them just out of the line of sight from Altheri settlements and hoping perhaps against hope that they did not take this act of divine providence lightly.

[3 acts: Mass large herbivores]

[6 Acts Remain]

by Bob The 3rd Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:13 am

The mechanism slows its gears, contemplating. Technology had begun to emerge across multiple species. That was good. However, most of them appeared to be content holed up in their settlements, not exploring the world. Perhaps, that could change just a bit, with the right spark in the right place.

"Simple this time. Something that can be more easily understood. More practical."

The Mechanism chimes, a few hammers clanging against something somewhere inside, as it forges new artifacts. With a loud whir, reality warps near many of the major settlements of the Sungazer and Stoneheart communities on Tisante, shifting the matter of the area as Sxryi builds its new artifacts. When The Mechanism begins to wind down, the gears slowing, there are stone shrines left in all these locations. Shaped like a cog or gear, just like their larger brethren, the shrines are constructed from thick stone to avoid drawing metallovore attention. Each is equipped with a smaller-scale defense system, composed of the dissembler nanites to turn those attempting to carve their way through to dust, and then repair the stone if necessary. Inside is only a single technological checkpoint, ensuring that more complex metal tools exist, before a round chamber with a podium in the middle. Settled on the podium is a non-metallic astrolabe, shaped like a gear as is the motif of Sxryi, and with no instructions as to its operation.

"There. A means to explore, if they can solve the puzzle and then learn what the device does. Perhaps they will utilize this, perhaps not. The Mechanism awaits the next move of these creatures, for them to explore and advance science in the future. However, I may turn my attentions elsewhere during the coming eons, to ensure progress is happening simultaneously among all life."

The Mechanism slows to soft but omnipresent background noise, Sxryi awaiting whatever happens with more interest than it has shown before.

[Create Gear Shrines near Sungazer and Stoneheart settlements: 3 acts]

[3 acts remain]

by Elaphoil Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:45 pm

Vral takes stock of what the other gods have done. All the inane chattering about what great things they did without any care ofr making decisions based upon what they would accomplish, beyond vainglory.

Nothing had been done to effect the outcome of his progress thus far. He had hoped the universe would remain as such.

Certain that he could let things as they lie, Vral searched his key ring for the passage back to his domain. He found the key and the lock, and he opened this universe open to the next. This was his plane, his place. He had dedicated it to those he had deemed worth of a spot on his cloak. Now that the seeds were in place, he prepared his plane to accept those that he would find worth, taking their souls after they were done and sewing them into his cloak. He smiled as he dusted off his home. This was what he was waiting for.

-------

[5 acts to create Vral's Place and its rules]
[5 acts remain]

by **KatoHearts(A)** Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:00 pm

Jomontet addresses the universe.

"So how's everyone doing then?"

by Elaphoil Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:26 pm

"Well for the moment. Things are proceeding well in this universe. The only way I could see things improving is to make that death world into something useful."

Vral adjusted a pair of spectacles as he watched the denizens of the world kill each other over and over again.

by Bob The 3rd Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:31 pm

"Perhaps you will be able to harvest death into something used to move progress forward."

The Mechanism whirs and clicks, observing this new realm which has been created by its colleague.

by AztechnologyPR Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:32 pm

Velsavis hears the fellow member of the pantheon speak.

Well enough, I suppose. Life has changed, as it always does. I am somewhat mystified by your inaction, however - what is your true intention?

by **KatoHearts(A)** Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:34 pm

Jomontet scratches his chin.

"Hm? Oh I'm just thinking for the moment. Need to make an appearance again."

by Liburr Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:46 am

Ayan takes a deep breath, preparing for her next series of acts. Pausing as the others chatter, her work remains undone, and she dives back down to Althera, disappearing into the dreams of those Roaki at the poles of the chilly planet. Once she situates herself, she gives those mighty creatures a mere glimpse of what was speaking to them. "Dear Roaki, how quickly you have asserted your dominance over this world, and yet you would benefit greatly from prudence. Do not let your rage consume you, nor your hunger consume this new prey with wanton abandon. Instead, heed the council of Ayan, who has granted this boon to all the sentient races of Althera who dare to look to their futures. With careful pruning, a steady supply of food shall keep you and yours fed for millenia to come, even as we of the Divine rest our dreamless sleep. You have been dealt a difficult hand, proud Roaki, and have earned your pride. But look beyond it, strive. Live."

With a shower of sparks and flowing light, she departs at last from Althera, Ayan flows again to dreams. Diving into the core of Tisante, she reaches out to the dreams of both the Sungazer Shamans and the newly crowned Stoneheart psionics, gathering all those little minds together that she could speak to all at once. "Sungazers, Stonehearts. I am the Goddess of Life and light, Ayan. But I am also a Goddess of Hospitality. And I am so proud of you, though you are no children of mine, for finding it in your hearts to forgive each other. I will grant thee both a boon, seeds and fruits and grains of plenty. You may use every bit of these plants, though I leave it to you to discover their uses. Learn, grow, and be good to each other."

As the dream begins to fade, she blooms out of the earth, scattering drops of what little water there is, and scatters her seed to the wind, causing barren, metallic soil to spring anew with edible plant life, uses myriad and varied enough to be discovered by the settlements of Sungazers and Stonehearts alike. Twisting as she orbits the planet again and again, she allows herself to be glimpsed in her divine glory, or a less radiant version of it, seeding each and every settlement's surrounding areas with the seeds of prosperity.

---

[1 Act to appear to Roaki]
[2 Acts to appear to Sungazer Shamans and Stoneheart Psionics]
[2 Acts to create unique, basic plant life for fermentation, crop use, and medicine(And possibly aphrodesiac, idk)]
[1 Act to appear to the mortals as she does the last act]

[0 acts remaining]

by **KatoHearts(A)** Sat Mar 25, 2017 3:59 pm

Jomontet disappears with a yawn and reappears with a thunderclap to every stoneheart and sungazer.

"Hello, hello, children of Valnir and The Mechanism. The Sungazer shamans know me as Jomontet, the god of Magic, Creativity, and the Night. I provided them with a boon so that they would remember my name and they did well. However this arrangement will now be extended to the rest of your people."

He gestures vaguely, causing a new bio-luminescent flower to sprout across the planet.

"This is Lythe, I believe you'll find the smoke produced when the stalks and roots are burnt quite pleasant. The flowers though, those should only be by those seeking the true Night, my kingdom Ridam. In time you may even find the path to my throne and entreat me directly. Finally, you will burn a portion of this plant in my name whenever the harvest comes around and I will continue to bless your people. If you are devout then my blessing will be innumerable."

He tilts his head down.

"And with that, I bid you good evening."

Acts
Appearing to the Major Sungazer/Stoneheart tribes. -2 acts
Create Lythe. The stems and roots emit a euphoria/creativity boosting smoke when burned while smoke from the flowers puts mortals to sleep and lets them dreamwalk through Ridam. -2 acts

by Luno Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:00 am

Oh well that sure is neat, I like these stone heart folk, I should reveal to them the secrets of the psionics

Drylax takes a second to straighten his robes, brush off the dust and then appears to the Psionics of Tisante.

"Is this on? ah there we go I think its working now. Hello my name is Drylax, I am the one who gifted you with your mental powers. I'm here tonight to explain the basics of how it works. Basically you all were lucky enough to survive a trial! Exciting I know. Because of you will to live you were gifted this great power. Increasing the number of psionics in your communities requires members to survive a trial that is highly likely to kill them. Best of luck with that, hopefully you all come up with some great coming of age rituals. Ta ta for now"

Drylax thinking to himself that that went well turns his attention to Firebirds.

But what if they had hands? he thinks to himself and an insatiable drive to expand and explore, yeah that sounds fun

huh now back to the vanu, First I shall gift one in 10 of them with psionics, and then I shall appear to them all explaining the glorious power of psionics and it it shall help them take complete control of that world

"Hello Vanu, I'm here to talk to you, all of you, you see some of you have been granted the power of psionics, normally this would require some form of horrific trial, but you have become my favored and as such I shall grant you this great power, 1 in 10 shall have the power of psionics, now of course that doesn't stop the others of you from gaining them through a trial of survival, but for now 1 in 10 have it, we shall see if your kind can move that ratio up"

well that seems like it should make the world neat.

--------------

1 act to appear to psionics
1 act to arm birds
1 act to make birds have wanderlust
1 act to give squirrels psionics
1 act to talk with squirrels

by Letmun Mon Apr 03, 2017 10:48 pm

Valnif clapped to himself proud of what the other gods had been doing, as they welcomed the psions and creating new challenges for his favored people, and in this time he felt content for a moment, as the stonehearts and sungazers developed language they would soon develop stories to tell. As this all happened he rested until time passed, wishing to gather his strength and see what occurred before he acted

"Sxryi, you seem of two minds, you mention the lack of caring for these creatures and then you shower them in new challenges to uncover. Yet whatever your reasons are this should be interesting to watch."

by Chrono Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:44 am

Arlamor emerges from nothingness in a frenzy, manifesting upon ROGMAURLERNAUGH yet again to trample the spires of bone and his children into rubble. Where his spittle drops, fungus begins to grow - feeding on eons of pulverized remains and nestled safely under the surface. With his work done but his hunger unsated, he sets his sights on Tisante.

He appears in all his hellish glory, bellowing with such gluttonous fury that the earth shakes and the wind howls across the planet. He proceeds to devour the tops of mountains and gobble up entire forests, leaving only rocky stretches of earth stamped with massive hooves. Eventually, when he has eaten and trampled his fill, he vanishes - leaving almost all settlements intact, but not unaffected. When the great dust storms subside, heavy winds will still plague the planet - strong enough to create whirls and eddies in the cloud of darkness that surrounds the planet. Sunlight becomes as unpredictable as the weather, as places experience sun droughts and overwhelmingly bright spots. Arlamor's great howl can still be heard, when the winds are strongest, and his image lingers with all who witnessed his glory.

((1 act to appear on ROGMAURLERNAUGH, 1 to smash shit up, 2 to create a new unique lifeform (ivory fungus))
((1 act to appear on Tisante, 1 act to smash shit up, 1 act to disrupt weather patterns))
((2 acts remaining))

by Sevasta Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:42 pm

Velsavis drastically changes her chosen, gifting them the ability to create and breathe fire from within themselves. She hurries to assure them this is not the hated magic, and then returns to the cosmos in general.

Ayan creates more life on Althera, large dumb grazers that will serve as foodstock for the other life on the planet. She appears to first the Roaki, advising patience, then to the Sungazer shamans and Stoneheart psionics to encourage her worship, and creates a multipurpose plant that will help both societies in multiple ways.

Sxyri creates smaller version of it’s artifact around the settlements, content to take a continued hands off approach.

Vral focuses and creates a new plane of existence for himself.

Jomontet also appears to the Stonehearts and Sungazers, providing them with another plant - Lythe. It’s ability to boost creativity and act a soporphic brings hopes to him of worship.

Drylax takes the time to appear to the Stonehearts and explain psionics in detail. He then tinkers with the Firebirds, giving them insatiable wanderlust and graspable hands. He then moves to the Vanu and appears before them, also explaining the workings of psionics and gifting 1 in 10 of them this power directly.

Arlamor manifests upon ROGMAURLERNAUGh and Tisante, smashing and galloping and causing chaos. He swathes ROGMAUR in a calcivoric fungi that will handle the mountains of bone, and disrupts weather across Tisante

And thus the gods rest, and the worlds turn and time advances…

---

The alliance of races on Tisante continue to evolve, the multitude of gifts causing explosive population growth and an accelerated development path. Soon, basic metallurgy is underway as the planet enters a co-operative Copper Age. The sudden shift in weather and appearance of Arlamor causes a growth of a new cult, that of Arlamor the Destroyer - eternal rival to Jomontet. Cults to Jomontet and Ayan flourish however, Jomontet being considered King of the Gods, Lord of Magic; Ayan the Allqueen and a kind and loving Mother Figure and the two are often considered lovers or spouses. A small minor cult also develops to Drylax, Ayan's sibling who swore fealty to Jomontet as his right hand, though only amongst psionics.

The Shamans and Psionics flourish in this golden age, a culture of ‘adulthood trials’ developing within both cultures as the psionics share their lessons from Drylax to both cultures. The magic of all four elements develop, and the first examples of Soul Magic begin to be shown as the heroes of both races take the fight to their common enemy the Arachnids.

The Metallorachnids spring into self awareness...right in time for a crusade to be undertaken against them. In shock and despair as they struggle with this, the population withers and withers, until the wisest and most crafty elder matriarchs hide away deep in the jungles of the equatorial regions. There they wait and slumber, confusion and pain spreading. The hardships they face do gift them one small benefit - every remaining Arachnid is now psionic, though their numbers totter on unsustainability even with the great clutches the matriarchs can lay.

On Althera, the Altheri culture is rocked by the sudden change across species. Velsavis’ appearance calms the panic amongst the largest settlements, but in the scattered wilds the mental conflict between selfloathing and a species wide enforced peacefulness tears the societies apart, Altheri scattering to the winds alone rather than be torn apart by two intrinsic parts of themselves. In the settlements, the nightmare plague of Falyt continues on and on, terrorizing and driving whole villages to madness. Vanu attacks become bolder and bolder and the sight of burning empty huts and abandoned walls soon dot the landscape. The Roaki are quick to snap and snipe and hunt at any and all Altheri they see outside the hated walls and roofs as well. By the time the gods re-awaken, only one major settlement of Altheri exists - Hukbar, a town/trading ground that once held 10000 at its height, now nothing more than 3000 or 4000 paranoid, bitter, hardened Altheri. As a small comfort, their ability to be living flamethrowers gives them an advtange in one on one fights - not that any of their enemies give them this.

The Vanu experience a species wide power shock as one in ten of the collective consciousness emerges as a psionic. From underground lairs and forests and caves, hoards of the small creatures pour with single minded purpose. The herbivores of Ayan are first corralled into pliant groups then carefully tended for food. The Roaki are avoided if need be, and assaulted with focused combined psionic pulses of concussive force. The Roaki realize soon the little beasts are not worth the effort and simply learn to fly over the now roaming hoards. Altheri are killed on sight, the burgeoning copper and bronze and other loosely metallic speartips no match against the warbands. Outside of the hoards, Vanu society begins to emerge above-ground, villages-in-miniature developing near forests and packs of the herbivores. Vani society itself prides itself on community and strength - weakness is first worked up, then forcibly exiled if it continues. The alrger bands meet each other and establish basic territorial markers - By this time, each band has begun to develop it’s own distinct customs that mark sufficient differences that full species wide consciousness is no longer possible. The Vralstones become town centerpoints.

The Roaki take the warning from Ayan to heart and consider it each in their own way. Large swathes of Althera become their territory, and a solitary life settles amongst them. They are content to, mostly, continue their vendetta but a few take the advisory for patience to heart and content themselves to learn and study their magic.

On ROGMAURLERNAUGH the everwar continues, the slavering bands of rats suddenly gripped by developing sapience. The largest and toughest rats develop psionics as per usual, and begin leading their tribes with a low cunning and psychotic sadism that marks the species. A deep, instinctive worship begins of Arlamor - though not as a bull but a great and terrible rat, for surely their tyrant deity would not take any other form.

”State of the Divine Spheres”:

”Acts Gain”:

Encylopedia Divinus:

by AztechnologyPR Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:11 am

Velsavis sees her creations dying at the hands of the other, magical lifeforms.

"These other species are slaughtering everything. I must act."

She looks at the plane created by Vral - and decides to use it as needed. It is already a place of rest for souls. Let it also be a place of rest for magic. She alters its rules - allowing it to be a place of rest for magic - a mana void. She also creates the Ulsari within this plane - shadowy life-forms that flitter across the twisted landscape, hungrily devouring all the magic sent to the plane, removing it from existence forevermore - and always looking for any opportunity to devour more magic.

She sees the parasites still within them. She acts as well, tweaking their functions to also absorb as much magic as they can from their surroundings - both plant and creature - and consign it to the void forevermore.

She retreats to observe. She is very interested in how the Altheri will react.

[3 Acts to make Vral's Place a manavoid]
[1 Acts to create the Ulsari]
[1 Act to tweak Ayan's Tears to also hoover up all the magic they can and send it to Vral's Place (they can stack between nearby Altheri)]

[5 acts spent, 0 remaining]

by **KatoHearts(A)** Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:38 am

Jomontet tch's quietly.

"Come now, you have to have a better method than that."

He snaps his fingers and all of a sudden the Ulsari's sustenance is poison in their mouths.

"I mean, honestly, that was just rude."

He snaps his fingers again and creates the Iraslu, shining wraiths of energy that populate Vral's place. They purify magic and return it from whence it came.

"And for good measure..."

Jomontet pulls out another pouch from his sleeve and spreads the contents through the universe.

"More magic, enough to replace what was lost and then some."

Finally he waves at his "wife".

"Hello, love."

He snickers.

Acts
---
Make magic poison to Ulsari. -1 act
Create the Iraslu. -1 act
MORE MAGIC. -3 acts

by Bob The 3rd Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:18 am

Sxryi grinds through the stars, circling and whirring and observing. The psionics of the system are becoming strong, and that allows them to survive. But the psychokinetic powers are a bit problematic.

"Problematic. These psychokinetic powers are dissuading some early tool use. Perhaps new progression can be instituted."

The Mechanism unfurls, mechanical arms grasping into immaterium and beginning to pinch and shape the fundamental laws of psionics. The potential of general psionic usage to harness kinetic energy is dampened, making it much more difficult to perform strenuous mechanical tasks. However, psionics are shaped to function as a pseudo-electromagnetic force, and a properly constructed psionic conductor can exponentially increase the power of these abilities.

"Perhaps this will create some different pathways of innovation."

The Mechanism ceases its manipulations, and Sxryi moves back to watch and listen, feeling its power fading already.

[Dampen psychokinesis: 1 act]

[Make psychokinesis able to be increased in power via conducting devices: 1 act]

[4 acts remain]

by Liburr Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:57 am

Ayan awakens once more, watching as the others act, and disrupt the balance of things once more. It seems her own machinations have begun to pay off, Queen of this Pantheon despite her late arrival. And yet, all she can feel is this sense of smugness when she looks across to her 'partner'. It irritates her, though there were greater irritations as she steps down from her own repose. Addressing those others who have acted on Tisante, she pinches her nose.

"Artless, all of you, save Sxryi and perhaps Jomuntet. Is this your first time doing this?" She pointedly does not address her so-called 'husband', as she does not view herself a prize to be won. "Already you play games and bicker among yourselves, without thought or foresight. There is so much left to be done." This last bit reaches further, directed at Velsevais and the god whose madness affected their diction. Like a comet, she streaks from the sun toward Tisante, passing Althera as she goes, and, pausing, addresses Velsevais. "Maybe it's best not to put all your eggs in one basket, Sister."

Then she arrives at her destination, this once forming a fist as she punches her way through the atmosphere, causing a ripple that forces the uneven storms back to the edges of the permanent cloud that was, again, a constant irritation for her. Though she could not quell the storms in their entirety, she could, and did, create a normalized daytime, as was her indirect purview. Grabbing the dust from the windstorms, a common stone from the earth, and a single petal from the nearest manavoric flower, she combined these three into yet another prey species, since nobody else apparently realized that every ecosystem needs a base on which to stand.

She creates even more herd animals, these ones with different traits from their sisters on Althera. Their hides would be as stone, their nature durable to survive the storms that even now wracked the planet. It would need a hard metal, of suitable sharpness or other great force to pierce them. She made them strong, enough that despite their herbivoric nature, even the mighty metallovoric species might have issue defeating them, unless cunning was used. She clouded their minds of higher thought, ensuring that these too would never achieve true sentience, though the virtues of family and grouping for mutual protection were instilled upon them, with the breeding ability and wisdom to survive constant predation on all sides - they would always value the herd as a whole over the health of an individual. Last, she gives these great creatures a name. "Melmen." Plural, as they would always be. Then she turns her creations loose on the vast, now-empty plains of Tisante.

But Tisante was bare, stripped by a God of Ending that continued to rampage, and would, since the dawn of time. "Very well then. I will give him something to chew on." Grabbing yet another handful of loose, trampled topsoil, she casts it to the winds, the seeds of her latest gift scattering in all directions as those hardy plants did take hold. Manavoric, as all plant life was on this metallic rock, it was rife with bacteria that would replenish the soil, tough and thick-rooted, and stubborn enough that if even the smallest root remained, the plant would grow back, if slowly. The leaves would provide nourishment for her new creations, the Melm, and the stems tough, but edible as well. Their seeds would propagate among the windstorms that now racked the planet, be ravaged by them, and sprout quickly, anchoring the soil. With time, the dust of the storms would eventually cease. And then she paused, giving this plant a name. "And you shall be called Shieldroot, a blessing disguised as a curse for many a farmer, though even soil requires respite. You shall provide."

Only after this flurry of activity does she pause, catching her celestial breath as she ponders what else needs doing.

---

[1 Act to stabilize the storms of the Night cloud and restrict randomizations to the fringe]

[3 Acts to create unique medium life, the Melm, designated foodstock for metallovores and the cleverest of hunters]

[2 Acts to create unique plant life, Shieldroot, which propogates as dandelions do and are probably just as annoying, but replenish soil, if making farming there again tedious.]

[1 Act Remaining]

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