The Fragile Gods of Nowhere [CYOA/Multiplayer Godgame]

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Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

Book of Tales Volume 2 posted:

>"With the changes to ink, the great seal keeping the old lord sealed grows thin..."

>"A Krakink decides to leave home and see what has become of their kin; little Squilb, yes, but the elder beyond the great door as well.

>"The Dolmen gate is still open."

# ? Nov 12, 2022 20:20

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# ? Jun 2, 2024 09:17

Swedish Thaumocracy: Jul 11, 2006; Strength of >800 Men
Honor of 0; Grimey Drawer

In a maraquet village, an artist working with Invisible Ink raises more questions than they can answer.

On the Proper Application of Ghost Peppers - a guide to invisible cooking

With the aspect of destruction gone, the new phenomena of Invisible Walls will have to be dealt with.

# ? Nov 12, 2022 21:19

Zybourne Clock: Oct 25, 2011; Poke me.

"What joker put this cookbook in the library? Follow all the instructions of this recipe, and all you'll cook up is an explosion!"

"The Bardiche conquered our lands and enslaved our people, but we of the revolutionary underground fight back from the shadows."

"The gods may be dead, but, what if I can convice everyone else I speak on behalf of the gods who are to come next?"

# ? Nov 12, 2022 22:06

Lux Anima: Apr 17, 2016; Dinosaur Gum

Dog Kisser posted:

The coming years promise to be very strange on Oneder. Strange and bloody.
...
Axe is damaged. Destruction is Broken.

Three Prompts, based off of the disappearance of Destruction:

"Why have all my boxed axeberry-crunch snacks lost their sharp bite?" prayed the veteran Plungerboa turned Snackriculturist to the deaf-eared gods. "They used to cut up the roof of my mouth in such a pleasant way!"

With all the fighting against the Aardiche slowing down, the resourceful librarian hero Cera helps her recruits in disarming all the traps and wartime defenses they'd built to protect the Great Library.

An Aardiche, a long-necked Assaurted, and a Plungerboa walk into a box store together and they each order one BOX. The shopkeep says, I only have enough BOX for one of you. After some discussion, the three of them play a competitive game to sort out who gets to take the BOX home.

# ? Nov 13, 2022 01:09

Chaosfeather: Nov 4, 2008

A new librarian attends their first day, helping to care for, share and expand the knowledge contained within the grand building.

With Destruction gone, could it truly be said that the gods are destroyed? Or do they linger and watch the worlds they built and broke? Or do they matter at all? Students of all sorts join the debate for this lecture.

Sometimes, a plant is a good companion, and can teach someone how to survive the winter and begin anew.

# ? Nov 13, 2022 04:58

BraveLittleToaster: May 5, 2019

In the throes of Winter on Oneder, two Plungerboa decide to exchange gifts to each other every day it lasts for.

"If I can reshape my environment, why not reshape people, too?"

# ? Nov 13, 2022 07:30

Mithross: Apr 27, 2011; Intelligent and bright, they explored a world that was new and strange to them. They liked it, they thought - a whole world just for them! They were dimly aware that a God had created them, was watching them; they called out to him, thanking him in a chittering language, before running off.

The library is well guarded against assault, but... what happens to books that aren't returned, and the people who kept them?

As the war continues, some Aardiche wonder if maybe it isn't time to settle down and buy a... farm? (or the closest cultural equivalent)

The first Squilid to learn of invisibility was a child� who immediately found ways to cause mischief.

Mithross fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Nov 13, 2022

# ? Nov 13, 2022 10:12

Scribbleykins: Apr 29, 2010; Any scientist with the right background can brew his own booze.

...

What do you mean electrolytes aren't used for brewing booze? That's silly!

...

Well when all you have are chunks of TNE and an overly large water ration, all the world looks like a still!; Grimey Drawer

The last of the first Heroes spends their final days trying to raise another generation on Twomb - readying them for yet another age of Gods. But with all Patience gone for their lessons how can they figure out a way to keep the younglings' interest? Maybe... some razzle-dazzle is needed to spice these lessons up?

The descendants of the Toothpicker tribe are in an uproar. The [IKEƎA] has been stolen! They beg the Librarians to recover and safeguard this sacred item of the First Age from future theft. Also, maybe solve its final mysteries while they're at it? Those are some real tooth-scratchers left!

Not every Plungerboa has been discouraged by Baxie's defeat. The Aardiche might be big, powerful and hungry, and have killed two Plungerboa Heroes... but that was because their Heroes always faced them with disadvantages; alone or old, and face-to-face! That was dumb! Hit and run tactics should be the mainstay of a pinball people! And if worst come to worst and you're pressed up a valley of the Mattockhorn with not a single flipperbranch to bound off of and escape... well, some clever soul can always unleash a ballvalanche on the stupid beak-faces massing down below!

# ? Nov 13, 2022 19:56

The Wandering Mage: Jul 22, 2010

Cera contends with the unenviable task of not only protecting the library but also settling displaced war refugees in far-flung locations.

An Aardiche skirmisher considers the fate of her prey for the first time.

A generation of Squild is raised for the first time free of the burden of the Fractal Garden. They begin to build a new seat for their civilization with hope in mind.

# ? Nov 13, 2022 21:36

Chatrapati: Nov 6, 2012

A lone brighthouse keeper looks out over the ink, waiting for their lost love from across the sea.

In a fight to the death, a plungerboa and aardiche recognise each other's prowess and feel a peculiar stirring in their hearts.

In a bitter, Wintery storm, an elderly assaurted looks out over a broken, war-struck land and wonders if they are living in the end times.

# ? Nov 25, 2022 23:57

Dog Kisser: Mar 30, 2005; But People have fears that beasts do not. Questions, too.

The Second Godless Age. Two lands, with turmoil and confusion on the horizon. The People lived and died, fought and warred and scrabble as the foundation of their world slowly eroded away. Listen, Wisps, to their stories.

Cera contends with the unenviable task of not only protecting the library but also settling displaced war refugees in far-flung locations. posted:

Being a Hero, Cera mused, was more work than expected. Cera Twice-Blessed, Hero of Libraries and Doors, felt herself pulled in many directions. This damned war was just filling her desk with paperwork, forget all the other actual moving around and doing stuff she needed to do. Thesauri was, at least for now, a neutral territory between the Scars and Bigbox. There were other skirmishes here and there, as part of the larger war between the People of Pinball and People of Axe, but it was beneath the shadow of Labrys where the great battles were fought, and the Library was far too close to the great mountain for comfort. And so, after thoroughly drubbing a few scouting parties (and turning away some indignant Asaurted - neutral, guys!) they were mostly left alone. Only�

Only it wasn't that easy. The library still let people in - to read, to learn - and then there was her position as Doorkeeper, destined to expand the Vestibule and ease travel across the world. She couldn't keep everyone out, and while she kept the immediate environs of Thesauri safe and empty outside her perimeter there were refugees and deserters aplenty skulking around, waiting for a chance. And so she had to pick and choose who to allow in and who to turn away. Who to whisk to safety and who couldn't be trusted� Or who would cause too much trouble should they be sent through the holy Doors to the Vestibule.

Such a matter lay before her now. Things were heating up again out there as the Winter abated and the press of refugees eager to flee before the fighting started again in earnest was becoming intense. She could accept perhaps one group, route them through the Doors, before she needed to lock things up again until a lull. The various petitioners had sent her letters, and she considered them now.

DECIDE posted:
1A. A group of Plungerboa, seeking transport to �Haft-Upon-Mattockhorn or further�. These comprised many non-combattants and their families, but she suspected a goodly deal of deserters. This could relieve some of the pressure on the Bigbox defenders, but could also reduce their overall forces. This also risked creating another front in the war, as Haft was far enough north to avoid the worst of the conflict.
1B. A group of Aardiche deserters, claiming to want to flee from the conflict for their own reason, seeking transport to �anywhere but here�. Frankly, there�s no way of knowing they�re actually deserters, and not just seeking to just start a fight somewhere else.
1C. A group of Asaurted Bigbox traders seeking transport to outlying outposts to ply their wares. They offer to pay very handsomely, an ongoing contract that would fund work on the Library and Vestibule for quite a long time (though not all that long as a Hero reckons time).

The People keep away from the Craveyard, filled with toxic berries. Until one brave Squild had a thought: perhaps it is the dose that makes the poison? posted:

The Craveyard of Patience was a no-go zone. It was known. You ate the fruit and died shortly afterwards, so you didn�t actually go in there. That was stupid. You could, however, just go to� look at it. It was a hell of a thing, the Craveyard, overgrown with strange plants that only existed there, bursting with gleaming yellow fruit the colour of the fallen God�s aura. Lots of God stuff had been all mingled up here, actually, and while it was a monumental inkblot of a clusterplink it was sort of cool in its own right. Who knows, maybe the Gods had wanted to make a giant poisonous swamp?

Skritch didn't much know or care about Their reasoning, he just needed to investigate. They said back in the day that Squild were content to let mysteries lie, to allow secrets to remain in secrecy, but something had changed since then - he'd read about it in Rinkjet. Something about �Foundational Element Weakening Syndrome�, though it was �all just theory�. But he believed it. The Squild were changing - and for the better, he thought.

And so that's why he was here tonight, passing through the security barriers and investigating. The world needed to be plumbed, investigated, and the truth brought to light! So what if People died when they tasted these fruit - there were plenty of poisonous things on Twomb! Hell, there were plenty of Snacks that made you sick if you ate too many. Logically, there was an amount of the stuff that wouldn't kill you - so he'd work up from there! Armed with a bunch of probably relevant books on Snackriculture (and some strange text on something called �Snackreation�?) he decided to do some experiments.

DECIDE posted:
4A. Skritch experimented on himself
4B. Skritch experimented on animals
4C. Skritch experimented on willing People
4D. Skritch experimented on less-than-Willing People

In a Maraqueet Village, an artist working with Invisible Ink raised more questions than they can answer. posted:

So. Some Ink was Invisible now. That much Noble could grasp. The ancient Hero of Neon was growing slow and geriatric, and in his heart of hearts he knew his end was approaching. He'd had more time than most - more time than any, really, ha! - and he was just about ready to step out of the rimelight. All he wanted now was to crack the secret of the Ink! Just one more check in the grand tally of his Saga!

Which led to this moment, in his workshop, staring at Invisible Ink. Or, rather, not staring at it. So, see, as far as he understood, Ink - that is, Ink the foundational concept of the world - was Broken. He gleaned that from his studies and observations over the Ages, as well as tidbits from the Gods. What he didn't know, exactly, was what that meant. It was still there a big Lake of it just outside his house. But it was different, somehow. Clearer? He wracked his fuzzy memory. Was it truly so hard to recall, or was the Break� affecting his perception somehow? For the average Person, it would be all they ever knew�

Except then it had changed again. Some Godly power had affixed something else to it. To Ink itself, somehow. Maybe that was a thing Gods could do. Only, not really, because it hadn't really worked. There were� patches of the stuff. Invisible blobs of it, mixed in with the rest. You could collect it, distill it, and use it. He dipped a quill in and scratched a uselessly invisible poem into his desk. Yeah, that was the problem - use it for what?

He rubbed his temples and stared at his countless vials of the stuff. There was something here, something he was too old or dim to grasp. What did it mean to replace the fractured essence of a thing? In what ways did that change Ink as a whole? Why was the effect limited in scope? And what was it for! He sloshed a mixed Ink/Invisible Ink vial before his eyes, backlighting it with Neon and just glaring at it. He needed an edge.

DECIDE posted:
5A. Noble gathered a team of researchers
5B. Noble worked on it himself

An Aardiche skirmisher considers the fate of her prey for the first time. posted:

Lochaber felt strange, had felt strange for weeks now. The war against the Plungerboa and Asaurted had been going on for ages and ages, long before her birth, and it was all she�d ever known. The Pinball creatures were clever, canny prey, and she relished the chance to seek them out, to devour them and destroy their works. It wasn�t� personal, really. It was just how things went, how they�d always been. Watching them flit around, glinting in the Wisplight as they rebounded to and fro in their efforts to flee or fight her was a delight - almost delightful as crunching them in her beak, to feel them suddenly go slack as their silvery viscera sprayed her tongue.

But recently the shine had dulled somewhat. Something had changed. She�d sensed it in the others, too, but they�d mostly shaken it off. Her, though, she felt it like a notch in her edge. She was just� going through the motions. The hunting, the killing, the raids, everything that had driven her blood to pump in razor-edged glory, now felt� meaningless. Logically, she could derive the reasons that she fought and killed, MUST continue fighting and killing, but her killer instinct had been snuffed out like Neon doused in Ink.

And so it came to be that Lochaber found herself holding a squirming Plungerboa pinned to the floor, claws splayed to hold it down, beak poised to strike� and she hesitated. The thing squirmed and bit, and she looked at it. It was afraid of her. It was afraid she would devour it, like she had the others. And why not? She could. She should. But suddenly she wasn�t hungry. She had to do something before the others saw and wondered.

DECIDE posted:
2A. Kill it anyhow.
2B. Let it go free.
2C. Talk to it.
2D. Bring it back to the Scars, alive.

I�ve been thinking, why is it that some Gods seem mighty and powerful, but others just feel incompetent and weak? Is there a reason behind it? posted:

�Seriously, what gives? Like, hell, look at the Flickerfare! Snap of his fingers and bam, the great monstrous thing is twice as big! Now THAT guy was a God! But then there�s that, what�s it called, that Ice-cursed poison swamp way over there. All that weird stuff going on under the Ink - sorry Stylo, you know you guys have some weird crap down there. It�s just� inconsistent, you know? Like� why?�

Here in the Fossil, Twomb People of all stripe could relax, unwind, and partake in a variety of� recreational beverages and comestibles. Rextasy, Tobaccold, Pachinkoke, you name it - the Fossil helped the People unwind after the long, interminable days of building the Great Bridge. And People were getting pretty bored with it. Not much Patience to go around! And so business was booming, and loud arguments like this one were part of the charm.

�The Gods made the world, man! Who knows why they do stuff like this? They�re just inextricable.�
�Ineffable.�
�Whatever. Point is, no sense trying to figure it out.�
�No, that�s not good enough. Everything makes some kind of sense - you can�t spend your entire drat life building this Gods damned tower and not realize that everything just-�

(And here our nameless here interlocks his feathery fingers, as if to convey complicated mechanisms clicking together to form a larger whole)

�-you know? There�s got to be a reason.�
�So, what, you think that some Gods are just� screw ups?�
�Well, maybe? Or maybe they�re just trying to do too much and just can�t take the heat.�
�But some of them just cack out trying to make a big rock or something and others put giant glowing green targets in the sky that hang there for eons and promise to teleport us into an alien world.�
�...Yeah, the way I figure it, there�s got to be some outside force that�s messing with them the way they mess with us.�
�Woah. Like, what, an even BIGGER God on top of the Gods!?�
�Or some sort of weird force field, like air pressure or buoyancy?�
�Or maybe we�re just wayyy too drunk off this fine knapps.�

DECIDE posted:
6A.The philosophers decide that there is an Over-God
6B. The philosophers decide there is a metaphysical force limiting Gods
6C. The philosophers decide they haven�t had enough yet.

The Gods may be dead, but, what if I can convince everyone else I speak on behalf of the Gods to come? posted:

Plink�s family had come north long ago. Haft-Upon-Mattockhorn was far from the war, they�d said. Things were different there - there the People lived in harmony, united under O�Steely�s Trial. He hadn�t been surprised to see that was as false as the rest of this damned world. Axefaces weren�t slaughtering his folk in the streets, perhaps - no, here in cosmopolitan Haft they were too �civilized� for that - but that didn�t mean a drat thing. They watched him and his People. They loomed, throwing the weight of their power over the smaller People. You exist here at our whim, they seemed to say, and should we decide to gobble you up, there�s not a drat thing you can do about it..

Plink had lived in Haft all his life, and now worked as a guide up the mountain. While the Trial remained dangerous, and the prize at the top had been claimed, there were those who wanted to climb it just for its own sake. Being a Topseeker was matter of prestige, and there was a living to be made off bringing People to the top. Er, easing their path, rather. People got annoyed if you made it seem too easy. But you also had to differentiate yourself from all the others that were trying to corner the same market� so Plink had come up with a trick. A bit of a cynical trick, but it was a bit of a cynical world.

It went like this: Plink told People climbing with him that he spoke to the Gods to Come. This bold claim, delivered flatly from his dichotomously cherubic, cynical face was already enough to give the listener pause. Who would dare to claim such a thing? �Me,� said Plink, �because it�s true.� It was not true, but he�d look them dead in the eye and they�d say �Oh�? Well, what do they say?� And then he�d patter. He�d tell them the plans of the Gods to come.

The orb in the sky? Another world! With People on it! A paradise that the People of this world could reach if only all the fighting would stop. (Yeah, right.)

The Gods to Come would punish the Aardiche for their crimes, would drive them low and destroy them. Or, er, would have them mend their ways and repent. (Depended on the audience - Aardiche Topseekers really didn�t like to hear that!)

The Gods to Come would make everything better for everyone - and particularly for those who climbed with Plink to the top. Because Plink alone could speak to them, could contact those divine creatures playing up in the Wisplight. And, hey, People believed it!

DECIDE posted:
3A. Plink uses his clout to political ends!
3B. Plink uses his gimmick to con a bunch of People!!
3C. Plink uses his divine revelation to discern Deeper Truths about the future!!!

Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 19:54 on Mar 15, 2024

# ? Nov 29, 2022 07:53

BraveLittleToaster: May 5, 2019

1C
4C
5A
2C
6C
3B

# ? Nov 29, 2022 08:19

Slaan: Mar 16, 2009; ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH

1B
4D
5B
2D
6A
3B

# ? Nov 29, 2022 08:28

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

[1B]"Let's send some Aardiche elsewhere."
[4D]"Now this is going to be hilarious"
[5A]"Go on mortals, have your fun. Maybe you'll even learn something."
[2A]"Let's keep this war going a while longer."
[6B]"Sad, but true. Time devours all in the end. At least, until it begins again."
[3C]"That's adorable. Imagine if they knew who was living on Twomb, the surviving Myriad could teach them a thing or two."

# ? Nov 29, 2022 08:48

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

1B Everybody could use some more Aardiche
2A What's funnier than instinctive animal murder? Cold dispassionate rote murder!
3B Sometimes a con is just a con
4B By the book, so that the research does not get canned when the first subjects inevitably die
5A Results over legacy
6C Philosophers never have enough. That's sort of their thing, and it would be cruel of us to take it away.

# ? Nov 29, 2022 11:12

Lux Anima: Apr 17, 2016; Dinosaur Gum

B x6

# ? Nov 29, 2022 12:45

The Wandering Mage: Jul 22, 2010

1. A
4. B
5. A
2. D
6. A
3. C

# ? Nov 29, 2022 18:40

Chaosfeather: Nov 4, 2008

1B
4C
5A
2B
6B
3C

# ? Nov 29, 2022 19:19

Scribbleykins: Apr 29, 2010; Any scientist with the right background can brew his own booze.

...

What do you mean electrolytes aren't used for brewing booze? That's silly!

...

Well when all you have are chunks of TNE and an overly large water ration, all the world looks like a still!; Grimey Drawer

1B
2D
3B
4A
5A
6A

# ? Nov 29, 2022 19:22

PepperedMoth: Apr 8, 2022; Less salt, more pepper.

1A: Save the wee chrome rodents!

4A: All the best mad scientists know that you are your own best experimental subject.

5A: All the best non-mad scientists know that there�s no I in research.

2D: Kidnapping is a step up from killing, probably?

6B: Not even the gods are immune to the fundamental rules of Nowhere.

3C: Let�s see how deep this Plungerboa hole goes.

(Or, if it�s easier to have things in numeric order rather than order-in-the-post: 1A, 2D, 3C, 4A, 5A, 6B.)

PepperedMoth fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Nov 29, 2022

# ? Nov 29, 2022 20:27

Chatrapati: Nov 6, 2012

1A. A Hero knows that knowledge, not wealth isn't the goal of a library. Can the aardiche even read?
4D. Skritch will test on orphans and the homeless, like any good scientist.
5A. If a scientistis too old or dim, they should let the young and reckless involve themselves.
2D. Maybe her comrades will understand if it's treated like a joke? Keeping it close will allow for some introspection.
6A. Let's get religious!
3B. And with religion, comes predatory and exploitative cults!

# ? Nov 29, 2022 22:13

Zybourne Clock: Oct 25, 2011; Poke me.

1B
4D
5A
2D
6A
3C

# ? Nov 29, 2022 23:03

Dog Kisser: Mar 30, 2005; But People have fears that beasts do not. Questions, too.

PepperedMoth posted:

(Or, if it�s easier to have things in numeric order rather than order-in-the-post: 1A, 2D, 3C, 4A, 5A, 6B.)

(as the, er, more astute among you have noticed there's some weird numbering going on. I wrote them in normal order then rearranged them on a whim without changing the numeration. Not fixing it now, lol, so however you want to list your votes is fine by me)

# ? Nov 29, 2022 23:21

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

1A
4A
5A
2C
6B
3C

# ? Nov 30, 2022 05:06

Infinity Gaia: Feb 27, 2011; a storm is coming...

1B
4D
5B
2D
6C
3B

# ? Nov 30, 2022 05:09

Gothic Rite: Dec 22, 2020; The visions of the elders were oracular, though in their terror they kenned not what they saw. When I triumph in this new combat, this unseen and still place beyond reason and closed eyes, what wonders of knowledge will be my plunder?

Divine Axkashic Records of the Second Age

Divine Axkashic Records of the Combined Ages (1st & 2nd)

Axkashic Legend posted:

Luck (highest natural rolls)
Might (highest rolls after wispings)
Support (most posiwisps)
Opposition (most negawisps)
Engagement (most wispings)
Adoration (best posiwisp to negawisp ratio)

Gothic Rite fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Dec 9, 2022

# ? Dec 9, 2022 16:52

Dog Kisser: Mar 30, 2005; But People have fears that beasts do not. Questions, too.

B. A group of Aardiche deserters, claiming to want to flee from the conflict for their own reason, seeking transport to �anywhere but here�. posted:

Cera Twice-Blessed considered the pilgrims, deserters, whatever. Of the many petitioners, she�d brought them into her sanctum. Over two dozen of them, a family or clan or something, all cringing and wringing their hands beneath her Heroic gaze. �Please, blessed one� we�re tired of this. All of this. It just seems, pointless. Dull and horrible. The blood and the fighting� and for what? We tear and rend the Prey, we devour them, but it does not fill the emptiness. Our lord Wedge is Neon-bright with fervour for the conquest, but there is no glory in this anymore. If there ever was��

Cera forced his head up, stared into his four eyes even as he strained to look away. The uncanny light in her own eyes was unnerving at the best of times, and now she knew they blazed brighter still. Was he lying? It was hard to tell. Damned hard. She�d heard rumours of deserters, of People sick of the fight. Aardiche going into Snackriculture, for Gods� sakes. But she�d heard all sorts of rumours over the generations of war she alone had witnessed. She and damned Wedge. Could she trust him, trust herself, to send this powerful band of warriors to another part of the world, to spread the infection of their violence?

In the end, Wedge made the choice for her. He came against Thesauri in force, demanding the return of the traitors. Another gambit? Damned Axefaces! She seized the leader of the petitioners, held him off the floor and shook him next to her broad face. �Coward or saint, I care not. I will send you through the blessed Door to somewhere your lord will neither find you nor hear of your story. I promise you this - I had better not hear it either. If I get the merest sniff of a further betrayal of you, I will find you and stuff you into the IILL box and send you to that Other Place. In pieces!�

Roaring in frustration, she opened the way to the Vestibule, ushered them through, then went to go drive Wedge off.

quote:
A contingent of Aardiche withdraw from the fighting and pass into a mysterious land far from the fighting, far from anything else, in fact. Wedge attacks and grievously damages the Library Thesauri, but is driven off before he can perform any further mischief. The Library and its people suffer periodic raids by Wedge-loyal forces for the rest of the Age. Cera and Wedge gain a Rivalry.

D. Skritch experimented on less-than-Willing People posted:

Skritch spent a few weeks in the Craveyard, studying and identifying dozens of varieties of plants and fruit sprouting from the corpse of the God. He didn�t taste any of the enticing-looking berries, however. He was a little cracked, not fully crazy. Instead he dissected them, inscribed them with Warpweft and manipulated them, tested them out in a variety of recipes. He was inching towards something, towards a boundary he was leery about crossing.

Leery, but by no means hardset against. The fact of the matter was he needed test subjects. And not mere animals, either. He�d seen some strange creatures scuttling around here, saw others hanging nearly immobile from the trees, watching him with tired eyes. This and his tests made it clear this wasn�t just a deathzone - there was something here, something he needed to pry open. And he needed subjects to do that.

It wasn�t hard. People were generally trusting, and if you told them you�d seen something interesting over by the Craveyard? Curiosity drove all Peoples, and the grim swamp had perenially been a source of the curious. The first one he killed made him wonder if he�d gone too far, and he�d nearly gone mad with grief and shame� but then the vines had slowly coiled out of their gullet, fascinating and gruesome. He needed more data!

He brought them in singly, binding them in a prepared Warpweft pattern and injecting, feeding, and spraying them with his concoctions. He killed a few more before he perfected it. Before he was sure he had Pendure dosed correctly. The poison, the drug he�d concocted, tapped into the essence of the fallen God, pulled something from it, aspected to its former self. Pendure, correctly dosed, would put a Person in status� indefinitely. He had three of them in his little laboratory for several weeks now, with no signs of wear or decay. They were alive, though little evidence of that could be seen until the antidote was deployed. Then, and only then, would they wake, slowly. Things got complicated then, but sometimes you did what you had to.

That settled, Skritch took his notes, a goodly stock of his prepared drug, and found himself a place to settle in. If all went well, he�d awake when the Gods returned to the world. How fun!

quote:
Through ghoulish experimentation, Skritch has created Pendure, a poisonous drug that invokes the Patience inherent to the seed of Kaeir in order to put a Person to sleep indefinitely, preserving them with the power of Ice. However, Patience, Aspect of Ice, is Broken - as such, Pendure can only be created at the Craveyard, where the God of Patience was buried, and where a Miracle was used to sprout the seed of its corpse. It�s very complicated.

Skritch will awaken when the Gods return. The spate of missing People near the Craveyard will give it an even more fearsome reputation.

A. Noble gathered a team of researchers posted:

Noble was a Hero, and he was pretty great. But he was, first and foremost, an Artist! He wanted to use this new medium, and he was getting frankly pretty bored trying to dig into its deeper mysteries. So he called a few friends, and they called a few friends - and when you got to be as old as him, you had a lot of heavy-duty friends. They poured into his workshop, looked at his notes, then spun off instantly in all sorts of directions. Had he tried to drink it? (No) Had he tried making a solution of it with other materials? (Yes, but not thoroughly?) Had he tried to make it un-invisible? (Nnno?) And so on and so forth.

And then they were off! Over the course of a few years of study, his workshop was expanded several times, and they massively improved their ability to gather and manipulate Invisible Ink. For instance, they could change baseline Ink to it with a minor tweak, and vice versa. This could be used in conjunction with Warpweft patterning in a holding vessel to cause it to blink between Ink-black and transparent. Some enterprising soul had conceived of a grid of the vials and some fancy runework to make a display that could change colours, revealing or hiding the Neon behind the shifting Ink. Pretty neat, though not very useful.

What was useful was using the same technique on a Squild in Person. Since whatever had caused the Invisibilification, some Squild had been born� odd. Translucent, like whatever was affecting the Ink had harmed them in some way. It didn�t seem to do much to affect their health or whatever, but they got some weird looks, some unpleasant treatment. This was largely hearsay, Noble himself had never witnessed it. Anyhow, according to some tests, this could also be flicked on and off, curing the Albiro almost before it could become an issue - and giving the Squild a neat party trick!

Noble watched his crew over the years, feeling an almost paternal fondness. Due to his nature, he hadn�t children of his own, but to work so closely with such a talented team� it was one of the happiest times of his long life. How delightful.

quote:
Invisible Ink is pretty thoroughly investigated. While it remains comparatively rare in the wild, transmuting regular Ink into it is perfectly feasible. Side effects related to the Installation of Invisibility to Ink on Squild are fully mitigated - some People may be born clear, but it can be cured easily - or not, should they decide otherwise. Noble�s workshop grows to become the Atelueur, a kind of informal arts and sciences collective where People can drop in and make use of the Hero�s vast collection of equipment and resources even long after he�s gone.

D. Bring it back to the Scars, alive. posted:

Lochaber dashed it against the ground, stunning it, then held it aloft. �I will take this creature for later! A gift, for my children!� The others grumbled something in acceptance, already bored by the scene. Lochaber for her part wasn�t certain why she�d done that. She stuffed it in a box and sealed it shut, piercing the roof with some holes, then brought it with her as she left.

Why had she done that? For a moment, she�d seen� herself, in its eyes. Not just her fearsome reflection in its uncanny skin, but imagined herself in its position. What would she do if her family was being hunted, eaten by creatures bigger than they? She shivered. Some of the Asaurted were significantly larger than an Aardiche, though they largely preferred their Snacks. What if they decided to move against the People of the Axe, to rip and devour them? The Aardiche would fight back and kill them, certainly! But�

She hemmed and hawed until it was too late, until they were back to the Scars in earnest. Wedge bellowed his pride at yet another successful raid, and the others roared in thanks. Was it her imagination, or did it feel� forced? She couldn�t tell. She returned to her Stump, slid through the gap, and was overcome with delight to see her little ones. Notch, Handle, tiny Chip. Their father had perished in a raid long ago, and now it was just her and they. Suddenly, she had a vision of a bestial Asaurted tearing their home apart, rending her children in its�

She squashed it down, holding them close and tentatively opening the box. Inside, a terrified but angry Plungerboa glared up at her. Her face twisted into a grimace, then she held it close to her jaws. �Little thing, I have spared you for� I would have you� you must entertain my offspring.� It flicked its eyes at the children in almost comical disbelief, then attempted to summon its magics. She squeezed it almost to bursting, and it calmed. �Do this, and� do this, and I will let you live. Attempt to escape or to harm them� and I will KEEP you alive, though you will wish otherwise.�

And so began a very, very strange time in the Plungerboa�s life.

quote:
Aardiche occasionally kidnap Plungerboa and return them to the Scars to entertain their youth and to perform certain menial tasks they are suited for. They are kept alive but in bondage, and generally away from Wedge (who largely kills any such creatures he sees). This is having a very strange effect on the relationship between the two Peoples�

A.The philosophers decide that there is an Over-God posted:

�Yeah, there�s a bigger God at the very top.�
�And one above that, and above that?�
�No? What? No, that�s stupid. There�s just the one guy.�
�Why does it have to be a guy?�
�It doesn�t� look, they don�t have to be a guy or whatever, I just mean there�s just the one boss God above everyone.�

The table fell silent. It made a sort of sense. Someone coordinated all the divine madness, they must. They had foremen at work, and probably the foremen had bosses and up and up until the top guy (Noble, maybe? The Hero was pretty old, he�d have seniority at least). The Gods probably had a boss too.

�So� maybe the �screw ups� aren�t screw ups? Maybe that�s just, like, the job they got assigned?�
�I mean, yeah, or maybe they had a job that they just messed up.�
�I don�t like the idea of Gods who can mess up!�
�So you prefer the idea of an Over-God who orders the Gods to mess things up on purpose, deliberately making our lives harder as part of some ineffable plan!?�
�I mean� yeah, I guess so.�
�... Okay, yeah, I can buy that.�

And so, as the night gave way to the glowing Wisplight of the day, the philosophers blearily passed from the Fossil to their everyday lives, bearing with them a perfectly plausible new philosophy.

quote:
Conventional wisdom on Twomb holds that the Gods answer to some sort of Over-God, and that things that appear to be mistakes are in fact planned out in advance. The highly educated and religious authorities say that there is no evidence for this and significant evidence to the contrary� but given that much of that evidence if from observation and hearsay from the Gods, who may have their own reasons for obscuring their motives, the philosophy of Over-Goddism has a firm hold over the populace.

C. Plink uses his divine revelation to discern Deeper Truths about the future!!! posted:

Plink got really popular, really fast. People from all over the world came to him for advice, for words of wisdom, for blessings. Very, very quickly, Plink�s own cynicism began to wear away. He set up shop at a picturesque outcropping of the Mattockhorn, starting his own little temple. No need to guide People up here - they were coming in droves. Somewhere over the days and weeks and months, Plink began to believe his own hype.

And so Plink the Prophet began to speak upon the Holy Mount, the one that O�Steely Himself had set to challenge the faithful. And lo, those who would come to visit His Prophet were truly faithful, loyal to the God and His tenets even long after His death. Only� was He truly dead, if Plink could speak to him? The mythology got murky, and the cult grew.

There were those who disbelieved, but they were shunned. Even down in Haft-Upon-Mattockhorn, the merchants swore up and down by the Prophet (who had revolutionized tourism in their town over the last several years) whatever they thought privately. Soon the tiny temple upon the mountain grew in stature and fame, and petitioners flocked to hear his words.

When the Prophet perished and ascended to be inscribed upon the holy blade of O�Steely, the temple was kept up by his disciples. They were unable to hear the words of the Gods, much to their private shame, but still they took the prayers and hopes, and still they gave out their blessings. They scowled in their cloister as they heard the rumours of another Prophet to the south, speaking blasphemous lies. The audacity!

quote:
Prophets, People who claim to speak to the Gods in the Godless Ages, are now a thing. They are largely harmless, but spread a bunch of misinformation to serve their own ends. Many of them believe that they speak truth, but the People of Oneder lack the magic or technology to breach the Barrier and truly speak to the Wisps. They hear only the echoes of their own hearts.

The Gods watched for an eon, but eventually the Barrier began to weaken once more. Soon, they began to push and clamour for entrance, that they may enter the world and remake it in their own image. But only five may claim the honour� Contest among yourselves, O Gods!

ENGODDENING posted:

Alright, I�ll need five new Gods. Same as before, roll 1d100, only now you add you Wisp totals. Gods who joined last time may not roll (because you�re dead), and Gods that have played previously take a -10 to their roll to play again. Be aware that if you do get back in, it�s as a wholly new and unrelated God!

Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Mar 15, 2024

# ? Dec 10, 2022 08:06

BraveLittleToaster: May 5, 2019

Felice, Goddess of the Fae

Another attempt, why not? 1d100+8=102 Godhood, maybe?!

# ? Dec 10, 2022 08:38

Slaan: Mar 16, 2009; ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH

Docbarongrav, God of Twombstone

Goddify twombstone: 1d100+8 104
thought full poimts was 12, not 8. corrected it to just +8 on post, but link will show +12

# ? Dec 10, 2022 08:47

SerSpook: Feb 13, 2012

Nihil, God of Nothing

https://orokos.com/roll/962395

18 lmao

# ? Dec 10, 2022 08:53

Scribbleykins: Apr 29, 2010; Any scientist with the right background can brew his own booze.

...

What do you mean electrolytes aren't used for brewing booze? That's silly!

...

Well when all you have are chunks of TNE and an overly large water ration, all the world looks like a still!; Grimey Drawer

Quick roll:

Godding: 1d100-6 61

# ? Dec 10, 2022 09:30

Swedish Thaumocracy: Jul 11, 2006; Strength of >800 Men
Honor of 0; Grimey Drawer

Apotheosis: 1d100+5 23

it is not time :|

# ? Dec 10, 2022 09:57

Zybourne Clock: Oct 25, 2011; Poke me.

Apotheosis=1d100+8=82

# ? Dec 10, 2022 10:12

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

Am I on my nonsense again?

1d100-6 = 22

Not with that kind of rolling.

# ? Dec 10, 2022 10:15

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Rightrite, God of Monasticism

Engoddening: 1d100+8 36

# ? Dec 10, 2022 10:18

Astus: Nov 11, 2008

The God of Narcissism, God of Narcissism
Pouting at being skipped over in the first age: 1d100+6 17

# ? Dec 10, 2022 10:40

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

Roll2Godify: 1d100-10 -2
Forgot to add my 4 wisp points, but uh. not happening regardless.

# ? Dec 10, 2022 11:20

SerSpook: Feb 13, 2012

Astus posted:

The God of Narcissism, God of Narcissism
Pouting at being skipped over in the first age: 1d100+6 17

at least i beat one roll :enkidel:

2 actually :enkidel:

# ? Dec 10, 2022 11:21

Jvie: Aug 10, 2012

rolling a hundred: 1d100+7 56

# ? Dec 10, 2022 13:28

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 2, 2024 09:17

Magnusth: Sep 25, 2014; _{Hello, Creature! Do You Despise Goat Hating Fascists? So Do We! Join Us at Paradise Lost!}

Engoddening: 1d100-6 -4

Lol

# ? Dec 10, 2022 14:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > The Fragile Gods of Nowhere [CYOA/Multiplayer Godgame]

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