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THE BEST-LAID PLANS OF GODS AND MEN OFTEN GO AWRY OOC discord The Ages Age 1 – The Age of Comings and Goings Age 2 – The Age of Giving and Taking Age 3 – The Age of Recompense and Revenge Age 4 – The Age of Secrets and Revolutions The Day The World Died Epilogue THE WORLD The Lay of the Land The world is a colossal mountain and nothing else, like a spinning top floating in a starry void. It tapers toward the edge, creating vast fertile lowlands of every form and colour. These sustain diverse and mighty city-states that gaze up to the peak, beside at one another, and down off the edge into the cosmic abyss. Further up the mountainside are nomads, rugged yak-herders wandering hidden paths between the crags to find what little vegetation they can in the harsh, yet liveable band of ground bordering the death zone. Beyond the nomads is the territory of the gods—one god in particular. Brother Yak, in solitude at the peak. The cultures and species in the mountain are just as varied as those living on it. The rock is riven with tunnels, caverns, and other hollows. This network is largely cut off from the outside world except for busy trade at a few openings around the mountain. Here lies and lives the common wealth of the Enricher, Patron of the Dwellers Within. Beneath the mountain is its inverse, like a stalactite of cosmic proportions. Here is the home of the sun and the moon. Here is where they rest between their daily antipodal journeys around the world, all-seeing, forever separated. Here is the hall of the Astral Guides, twin givers of light, life, and guidance to the mortals of the mountain. Go too far from this lump of rock and its little sun and moon and the air turns perishingly thin and cold. No—not cold. Even Brother Yak would tremble at this, whatever it is. A nothing that burns, gnaws, whispers. Utterly inhospitable. And yet, from beyond comes a curious stranger: a god of death, the Grand Psychopomp, sent here to investigate the mountain and, perhaps, to end it. Five Ages—five centuries—remain. The Mysteries of the World What else lies without? What lies within? Why is the world the way it is? The Gods, Old and New Four gods call this strange land their home. Bosyak, the lonely god of snow and respite, sits in solitude at the peak. Mezidec, magnanimous master of common wealth, makes his home within the mountain. Solene and Mona, disunited twin goddesses of sun and moon, see and guide the world floating between them. A fifth divinity has arrived from parts unknown: Sharon, the good-natured but lazy grim reaper, sent here by her Celestial Bureaucracy, perhaps to end this little world. Setting Summary The world has the following general properties:
PLAYING THE GAME Acting in the World This game is pretty standard. Post with your character name and location in bold at the top of your post, preferably with location. Describe their actions. If they do anything particularly divine, add an OOC section at the bottom explaining their actions. Keep track of your current DP and Wounds. Here's a template: code:On a regular basis, I'll check the thread for actions, roll for the results, and narrate them in a new post. Your updates will have your Icon above them. Full rules can be found a few posts down (or click here). Your Haven In your first post, your god starts out in their Haven – their home, their fortress, the place that best embodies them or their Domain and Hunger, much as they themselves embody their Domain and Hunger. Some factors to consider:
Remember, the world is your canvas too. A lot of the real lay of the land will be decided by your posts this Age. Starting DP You get 7DP for the first Age. The Age 1 free action costs nothing. UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Dec 23, 2021 |
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Nov 16, 2021 22:47
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THE GODS AND SUNDRY OTHERS This post contains spoilers! Go to the next post if you want to avoid them.Once again, this post contains spoilers! Go to the next post if you want to avoid them.The Mountain Gods Tyrannosaurus posted:
AJ_Impy posted:
Fathis Munk posted:
Fathis Munk posted:
Other Known Powers of the Mountain UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
Scribbleykins posted:
UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
Outsiders Theantero posted:
UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
UnCO3 posted:
Shogeton posted:
UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Dec 23, 2021 |
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Nov 16, 2021 22:47
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RULES OF THE GAME If you're not playing a god, but you're still interested in the game, check the ‘Prayers’ heading in the ‘Other Aspects of Godhood’ section if you wanna see how the Prayers mechanic works. You can join the discord linked at the top of the thread if you have any questions about that (you can also PM me). PRINCIPLES Here are some important principles for playing (and some also for reading and understanding) this game:
CHARACTER CREATION
 For instance, you might draw something like this:  I’ll redraw the icons like this:  Finally, tell me something about the world. To begin with, the world is focused around a single colossal mountain, and any travel too far from its base is inhospitable, then lethal for mortals and dangerous even for gods. You could tell me something about :
DIVINE ACTION Success and Failure When your god takes a non-trivial action, I’ll roll some dice and compare them to a target number to see whether they succeed or fail. Either way, I’ll show the result and describe what happens next. Each roll includes two pools of d6s: a pool of Domain dice and another pool of Hunger dice. To get the overall result, I’ll pick the highest die in each pool and add them together. Each pool has one free die by default, but you can add more of each type:
Consequences: Domain vs Hunger If Hunger’s free, why not go all-in on every action? This is where Consequences come in. If the sum of all your Domain dice is less than the sum of all your Hunger dice, your action causes an unforeseen Consequence of some kind. This will usually be somewhere between neutral and kinda bad, and might affect you, another god, the wider world, or a combination.
Consequences: Refusing Failure If your roll fails at the target I set, but would’ve succeeded at the target below (5 for 7, 7 for 9, 9 for 11), then after I describe your god’s initial failure I’ll give you the opportunity to force a success with a Consequence. Here’s the order of events:
Cooperation Multiple gods can cooperate on the same action. Each god can add up to 5 Domain dice and 5 Hunger dice, but the pools only include one ‘free’ Domain die and Hunger die no matter how many people are involved. OPPOSITION Opposed rolls If you want to fight or challenge someone, or interfere with what they’re doing, then you can make a roll against their roll. Instead of, or as well as, rolling against a target, you roll against each other. Ties are resolved by comparing the highest die from your combined pools against theirs, then the second-highest die if the highest dice tie, and so on.
Interference If you want to directly meddle in another god’s action, then you can say how your god tries to change the outcome and roll to interfere. If they succeed, and your result beats theirs, then their outcome is radically changed by your interference. If they succeed, and your result equals or beats the target, but doesn’t beat their result, then their outcome is marginally changed by your interference. Conflicts If you want to directly and freely injure or kill another god, roll to attack. The defender must then roll to defend. If your roll beats the defender’s roll, then they suffer a Wound; otherwise, they become the attacker and you become the defender. A Conflict ends in one of three ways:
Challenges Where Conflicts are free fire, Challenges are formalised and strictly-defined. Anyone can offer, propose, or call for a Challenge, including mortals. All you need to do is state the method, wager, and participants:
You can also propose violent Challenges, or duels. In that case, the method is combat and the wager is any number of Wounds inflicted on the loser. A Challenge is only set in stone when all participants agree to the terms. Until that point, you can negotiate for different ones. Wounds If your god takes 1 Wound, you get a -1 penalty on your next roll (this applies to the total of the highest results from each pool). If your god takes 2 Wounds, you get a -1 penalty to all rolls for the next Age (the real-time week following the post in which they suffered the second Wound). If your god takes 3 Wounds, they die. Gods with 1 or 2 Wounds heal them between Ages. OTHER ASPECTS OF GODHOOD The Flow of Time The game will be split into Ages, with each Age being a week, on average (there’s some flexibility if it feels like a better stopping point would be a little shorter or a little longer). At the start of each Age, each god:
Prayers If you’re not playing a god, you can still affect the course of the game by contributing mortal Prayers to the gods and demigods. You can create the characters and their problems as long as it doesn’t contradict the world so far (factually-incorrect speculation by mortals is also fine). A good prayer is usually (but not always) one that sheds some light on the average or not-so-average lives and worries of mortal worshippers. To submit a Prayer, send me the following info by PM here or DM on discord (see the link at the start of the thread):
One Prayer per PC god will be posted at the start of each Age (if there’s no available Prayer for a character, I’ll write one myself). I may also post Prayers during Ages if there’s a lull in the divine action. When a god or demigod responds to a prayer, they gain 1DP. Some Prayers may be small-scale enough that no roll is needed to properly respond, while others may need a more in-depth resolution. However, the response doesn’t have to be what a mortal wants. Demigods In this game, ‘Demigod’ means ‘a being less powerful than a god, but much more powerful than an ordinary mortal’. That includes actual demigods, elevated mortals, constructs, or beings summoned from elsewhere. Demigods generally work on finer scales of time, space, and power than gods do, and will generally try to fulfil the mission or intent or spirit in which you create them. In other words, a demigod is a way to deal with an issue or advance a smaller-scale goal over time, via creating an NPC cast member. Your god can create a demigod as a normal action with a target of 11. Add the following info to the OOC section at the bottom of your post (or in a PM here or DM on discord):
Havens Your god’s Haven is their home, place of rest, meeting-ground for visitors, workshop, afterlife, before-life, or whatever else makes sense to you (and is probably, but not always the place where they hear or otherwise receive Prayers). This is a place that metaphorically, and maybe literally, embodies their Domain and Hunger just like your god themselves does. Some things to consider:
UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Nov 16, 2021 22:48
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(post your full character sheets at the bottom of your first post)
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Nov 16, 2021 22:50
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Ahem, not a recruitment post  still cool though Dog Kisser fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Nov 17, 2021 |
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Nov 17, 2021 01:00
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 Sharon – The River (Aboard The Wave Rake) DP: 7/7, Wounds: None If you were to ask a Celestial, they would describe Rivers as highly empathically responsive metaphysical scaffolding structures within planar subspace maintained by thanatophilic divine aspect to facilitate frictionless relocation of the mortal eidolon with minimal risk of undue hamartial diffusion. If you would ask Sharon, she would describe them as the final ride that would suit you best. The River was never the same for anyone. It could be a furious rapid, or calm as a mirror. It could be muddy and full of all manner of creatures, or clear and pure as ice. It could be twisting with flowering shores on every side, or so impossibly wide that you might as well mistake it for an ocean. The only constants were the dead, and their assigned Reaper chaperon leading them on this final journey. Yes indeed, the Rivers were a great success story of the Celestial Bureaucracy, but in order for them to perform their task, first there had to be one. Now, generally this was no issue: the Havens of the Yama would naturally serve as a hub and fulcrum for a River network upon their assigned planes, but this time there was no Yama present. Meaning that a River had to be cleaved through all the way from the central Halls to this demi-plane in these largely unknown regions. That was a lot of chaotic space one had to push aside. Thankfully, the Bureaucracy had a solution.  The Wave Rake Sharon laughed with a resonant timbre as she steered the massive realmbreaker towards their destination. Sure, the ride was bumpy, and the vessel would certainly fall apart when they got to their destination (as much was expected), but it was also a great and unique experience to get to crash through Creation on something so large. She honestly did not believe she'd ever get to be on board of one of these, let alone pilot one, as they were generally reserved for usage on larger scale planar engineering projects and for the hallowed overseers of stabler, more established planes. "Aight", she yelled to the Reaper contingent that she was assigned as the planar chaos started to dissipate and the mountain appeared on their metaphorical horizon, "Where we dropping, boys?" ------------- Sharon – Shores of ??? Sharon spat out a spout of salt water and opened her eyes, coming face to face with a man who, despite his magnificently bushy beard hiding a lot of his facial features, was clearly quite concerned. The reason for this quickly became apparent as she winked and sat upright, for they were currently on some unsophisticated fishing boat (Sharon made a mental note of the apparent tech level of the locals) quite a distance from the shore whilst there was a storm going on. There was also quite a bit of flotsam (oops?), and Sharon fished out a box with a variety of wines and spirits in it (score!). "There's a storm", she said unhelpfully, "And not to be a bummer and all, but this boat does not really seem storm proof, you get me?" The man shrugged, eyeing the box. "Saw a lot of debris, though by the amount I reckon it could not be a boat. Too big by far. Still thought to be lookin' for survivors." "...In a storm?" "Aye." "Isn't that horribly dangerous?" "Aye." "And the likelihood to find anyone in a storm like this is pretty tiny, isn't it?" "All the more reason ta be lookin', girlie. Besides, ye stick out", he nodded at her robes, bright blue with gilded embroideries. Sharon, for her part, blinked a few times, and then laughed. "Well, you can stop looking. I can guarantee nobody was hurt here, Anton", "How'd ye know my-", "Oh, I have a bunch of uncommon skills. Take a looksie~", Sharon manifested an ornate scythe in her hand (to a shriek from the fisherman), and pointed towards the fjord in the distance. "Oh, take it easy now", she spoke in soothing tones at the newly terrified sailor, "It's not your time yet, and you seem like a decent guy. More than decent, in fact. I can appreciate that in a person. More than appreciate, perhaps~" she winked, then laughed, "Now, I'm just joking, but take it easy, alright?" "Alright", the fisherman sat down as the boat cut through the waves, still a bit cautious, "...be ye some sort of ocean devil?" Sharon burst out laughing again, "Ocean devil? Oh, my hair must look absolutely terrible", she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and composed herself, "No no, I'm not an ocean devil." "...Then what be ye." "A God." "A God?" "A God." The fisherman blinked a few times, "Aye, I suppose that makes sense." For a bit, the two traveled in silence, until Sharon broke it once again. "Say, Anton, have you ever thought about being a Prophet?" "...I be a fisherman." Sharon shrugged, "Well, Julia never told me that Prophets aren't allowed to have side gigs? I suppose you can still be a fisherman, too?" she started digging in her robes for something "What's a prophet do?" "Oh, you'd mostly be telling people that there's a new God in town. It would be awkward and kind of annoying to have to do The Talk with every new person, so better if there's somebody around who's already spread the news, yeah?" she finally found what she was looking for: a beautifully engraved ivory and jade scroll case with waxen seals. She handed it over, "There's a scroll there describing the uh... 'core ontological facets of reality' you're supposed to know? Honestly, even I don't know most of that stuff, but it's mostly about what happens after you die and how to not be judged harshly after you finally do." "I dinnae know what those words mean. And I cannae read." "Oh don't worry about it! The scroll will teach you after you open the case", they touched ground, and Sharon hopped off with the crate she was still holding, "But ultimately, it's your decision to open that or not. I would appreciate it if you did, but this is your life. Spend it how you want, says I", she smiled warmly, and set her eyes towards the looming Mountain, "But now, if you'll excuse me, I've got new neighbors to go meet and greet. We'll meet again later." With a mock salute, Sharon hopped far away, out of sight, into the foothills of the Mountain, leaving Anton staring at the case with a furrowed brow. OOC: [For now, just using my free action to make a Prophet to start informing people about Sharon and the Judgment that awaits at the hands of the Bureaucracy] quote:Sharon Theantero fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Nov 17, 2021 |
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Nov 17, 2021 15:28
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 Mezidec – Mezidec's haven, The Heart of the Mountain DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Let us take a journey to The Heart of the Mountain, the place where the Generosity of the Depths is said to reside. It is on no map and no guide can take you there, but every tunnel in the Mountain has the potential to reach it should The Light at the End of the Tunnel illuminate the way. Conversely, leaving the Heart of the Mountain via tunnel will lead you anywhere within, subject to the will of The Enricher. Beseech Mezidec and he may permit ingress and egress, offend him badly enough beneath the surface and it may be the only destination you can reach. As with its master, the Heart of the Mountain is mutable. Sometimes it is made of treasures, precious metals or gemstones, dazzling refractions from bioluminescent light. Those who pass through emerge richer more often than not. Other times it is a maze, twisted passages all alike, wherein people may need to find themselves, individually or collectively. Another form is that of a vast library, communal wisdom carved into the walls and on portable tablets. It meets the true needs of those who enter, as best Mezidec can discern them. Mezidec hears all prayers within the mountain, or those that invoke him directly, or those where as much effort has been made to surround the entreater with the mountain as is locally possible, be it finding a cave, digging a ditch or in extremis laying upon the impenetrable ground. He also draws supplicants to the Heart on occasion to make their case before him, opening up the tunnels for them. Very rarely, he may call upon the faithful to draw those willing in to service, as he has done on this day. The Heart of the mountain is a gleaming, natural storehouse today, laden with glittering riches. Animate at the centre of it, a manifestation of Mezidec, addressing a substantial gathering of ambitious, devout merchants and travellers. "My faithful ones, the time has come. I call upon you to bless others, as I have blessed you. You will go forth in my name, as envoys and traders, your task being to improve the connections between the Dwellers Within amongst themselves, and also reaching out to those upon the surface. Put special value on learning new knowledge, new advancements, and disseminating them far and wide. Be profitable in your trading, but do not leave others at a disadvantage by doing so. Thus do I ordain you all in this new order, the Mezidecine Merchants!" OOC: Free success: Establish the Mezidecine Merchants, Trader-envoys with a mandate to increase links between communities and disseminate useful knowledge between them, all while turning a profit. quote:Mezidec
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Nov 17, 2021 17:03
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 Mona - The Palace of Dusk and Dawn DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Far, far below the mountain, at the peak of the antimountain, lies a singular palace. One half is always bathed in golden light, while the other is plunged into eternal darkness. Twice a day the palace lifts off the antimountain, sinking into the void to meet one of its mistresses, back from her long daily journey. It then settles back down on the jagged root of the mountain, topsy-turvy at the bottom of the world  As soon as she felt Solene enter the palace, Mona rushed out. She had waited a long time for this moment, eons actually. She had planned this, squirrelled away as much of her power as she dared, her light dim in the night sky as she made her journey. Night after night spent creeping along the firmament, peering down on the mountain below, watching mortals as they lay down the burdens of the workday and go home, home to their lover, their family or their friends. They sing, they feast, they revel and sometimes they just sit together in silent companionship. It all seemed grand to Mona as she walked alone. But tonight was the night. Solene would be mad at her Mona knew. Solene was the older twin, born an eternity before Mona, who herself was born an eternity before mortals set foot on the mountain. Two lonely eternities. For the first time in an age, Mona skipped along her celestial path, barely able to contain her anticipation. Last night she had finally decided where it would happen. In Ur-Shushan, in the small valley between the two hills the city was perched on, a puddle appeared. Slowly the water started rising, becoming a pond, then a small lake. The water was dark, and filled with stars. The moon vanished from the night sky and at the same time, a small moon drifted to the surface of the placid lake. Then the moon opened, becoming a pale violet eye. The eye started rising out of the water, struggling to break the surface. Mona strained against the forces holding her back and slowly but surely the eye broke away from the water and turned first into a face, then into a body. Her very own body. With a final gasp she broke through, scattering star-filled water around. She had done it. Mona could not believe it, but here she was on the surface of the mountain. She slowly waded to the shore, unsteady on her new feet. She bent down to pick up a pebble, held her hand out and, anxiously, released it. It fell to the ground with a dull clicking noise. This was it, this was the mountain. She breathed in, revelling in the new and strange smells of human life. She opened her new ears and suddenly she could hear. There was life all around her and soon she was hurrying away into the night, as quickly as her unfamiliar legs would carry her. Over the next days, Mona would spend as much time as she dared on the mountain, though she could feel her strength fading. Night after night more of her had to stay back in the sky, first she left behind a sliver, then a crescent and before long most of Mona’s awareness was back on her endless journey. She walked and watched and longed to be back, longed for the next moonless night she would be able to spend among the mortals. The mortals were very afraid that first night, when the moon suddenly vanished from the sky. It took them a while to get used to the new cycle of waxing and waning, but mortals are nothing if not adaptable. Before long they realised that the lakes that had appeared in most great cities were somehow tied to this cycle. These moon basins dried up as the sun rose, but water always returned during the night. A puddle when the moon was full, but a lake when the moon disappeared, the water followed the moon’s cycle. People started tending to the lakes, cleaning them, some built temples around them, other surrounded them with benches and trees so that people could come and marvel at their star-filled depths. I didn’t get around to adding flavour text to my app so I’m folding it into this post, using my free action to create moon basins in the major mortal settlements. Mona and Solene can use these to watch, communicated and appear to mortals, though Solene doesn’t much care for that for now. quote:Solene and Mona Fathis Munk fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Nov 17, 2021 |
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Nov 17, 2021 23:31
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 Bosyak - The Peak Bosyak sat alone. Frigid winds rustled through his thick fur but he was otherwise still. Only the occasional blink to bat away a wild snowflake showed that he was alive. Scattered around him were various small cairns, tokens and totems, strips of colorful cloth, offerings all, left by the few mortals who were able to climb this far to the top. His head didn't move but his eyes slowly moved to focus on a dot lower down the mountain. A man! An old man. His body hunched over and crooked. Tufts of white hair escaped his tightly bound hood. Hobbling forward, one weak step at a time. Each footfall a struggle to push through the thick snow. And Bosyak thought, That man will die before he makes it to my peak. But he didn't know for sure. He wasn't omniscient, after all, God that he was. He did know that the man was dying. He could feel the black touch of frostbite eating away at the man's fingers, toes, nose, cheeks, hands, feet. He could feel the man's wheezing gasps of freezing air. He could hear the pulsing of the man's ancient heart, so close to it's breaking point. Bosyak wouldn't intervene. It wasn't his place. The man continued. Falling at times. Crawling on his hands and knees a while before regaining his feet once more. Always regaining his feet. Until a hundred yards away, his legs failed him for good. So he dragged himself by his fingers. Conviction of purpose driving him past his limits. Inch by inch. When the man crossed over the threshold and into Bosyak's Haven, the God stood and clapped his hands and created a small fire. It's size belied it's warmth, radiating a pleasant heat, expelling for a time the deathly chill. "Warn yourself... mmmm... pilgrim," Bosyak was a slow speaker and had a tendency to interject pauses with low rumbles that sounded like thunderstorms. "Welcome." "Gracious host," the man said. He was unable to stand and bow. All he could do was lower his head. "I thank you for your generous gift of warmth." Respectful. Honors the Old Ways. Bosyak nodded, pleased with the man's deference to laws of Hearth & Hospitality. "Freely given." "Brother Yak," the man said, how head still down. "I am Sonam. I bring an offering for your great hearth." "I see no... mmmm... prayer ribbons. No stones. No totems. Do you mean to gift me your clothes?" "My life!" the man gasped. "I offer you my life!" Bosyak paused. He knew the man would not survive his journey. Outside of this fire, he would likely die within the hour. But it would be poor form to mention this, to insult a giftgiver. "Generous," Bosyak replied. "But I am not sure I am... mmmm... worthy to receive it. "Oh, it is a pitiful gift," Sonam said. "This I know. But I have nothing else! There was a storm. It... it ate my animals, my tools, my yurt, my... wife. Ceba. My beautiful Ceba. Sixty years, married we've been. And now? Hidden in the snow. Unknown to me. Please, I just want to lay my bones next to hers. I want us together in death as we were for so long in life. I humbly ask, beg for your assistance. I offer my life to you." Bosyak snorted. "Bad manners. To gift and... mmmm... set terms." "I know, Brother. I am rude because I am desperate. Forgive me." Was there any other being that understood a lonely heart better than the God on the Peak? He was called Herd-of-One, after all. It was meant to be a compliment to his might, his independence, that he needed no others to survive. But surviving is quite different than living and that was a thought more frigid than any storm he could muster. "I accept your gift," Bosyak said. "And terms." The fire disappeared and howling winds immediately swept through as Sonam gasped as the cold blasted his body. Bosyak slowly leaned down, scooped the man in his arm, and cradled him like a babe, pressed him into his fur for warmth. The God leapt from the peak and disappeared into a passing cloud. A moment later, far off, further down the mountain, at the place of Ceba's storm-burial, lightning struck a patch of heavy snow. "She's here," Bosyak said. Sonam shivered. Murmured a thanks. Bosyak reached out with his free and made a fist. Several tons of snow lifted up off the ground and into a floating ball. With a flick of his wrist, Bosyak sent it cascading down a cliff face. He carried Sonam towards the frozen body of his wife. He laid him down next to her. "She went peaceful... mmmm... No time for pain. Quick." "That's good," Sonam said. "Would you like me to make it quick for you?" "No, thank you, Brother. Let the cold take me. As it took my father. As it took my love." "Very well." Bosyak waited, still as a statue until the man passed away, holding his wife's hands. Bosyak leaned down and pressed his hands against them. "You should always be together," he said. "You shall always be together." Ice began forming around their bodies. OOC: Free action: accidently creating a shrine, called So-Ceba or the Lovers. The nomadic tribes will begin using it as a place of pilgrimage, where they marry, swear oaths, make alliances. A sacred space where violence is outlawed. Also creating an avalanche if that matters. quote:Bosyak
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Nov 18, 2021 01:53
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The only shore the people who fish this lowland ocean were familiar with was their own, beyond which the little sea rushes over the edge of the world, showering whatever lay an infinity below in the abyss. It was therefore quite a surprise for Anton to learn of some kind of foreign celestial shore someone could sail in from. And, you know, it’s not every day you met an ocean devil—err, god, as the case may be—who crossed seven leagues in a single step and conjured scythes from thin air and all that. It was a testament to Anton’s grounded nature that he took the encounter with the strange god more-or-less in stride and simply took the box home and opened it in the privacy of his little hut. And then— —things all sort of made sense. The tidy little letters, like no other he’d seen, just sort of fell into place. A few hours of celestial speed-reading later and he had a workable grasp of the mortal-facing tenets, practices, and expectations of the most august Celestial Bureaucracy. From there, it proved not too difficult to get the ideas across to his fellow villagers, aside from some disagreements over what, exactly, counted as a River. The scroll, the story, and the sight of a figure leaping across the sky helped somewhat, and the practices advised in the scroll were all fairly practical. The village of Cladach Cúil was on its way to being the focal point of a new and comparatively laid-back religious renaissance. Sharon succeeds in convincing a mortal to become her prophet in a lowland fishing village. He’s taking it fairly well and getting the word out to his village, Cladach Cúil, and the surroundings. At some point it’s gonna get the attention of the learned scholars of the city that holds dominion over this place. News will spread further around the lowlands over the rest of this century, both as a genuine belief and a scholarly curiosity. - The veins of the mountain opened wide and clean for Mezidec’s emissaries of ambition. Their word—his word—spread from cavern to crevasse, along subterrene trade rivers and through the winding sepulchres of stone where people mourned and prayed for mercy. Any language gulfs between the cultures who’d adapted to life in the dark were smoothed over by the diversity and ingenuity of the Merchant corps and their righteous devotion to their mission. In fact, translation proved to be their most valuable technology, permitting the spread of all kinds of ideas between once-disparate communities: practical, intellectual, social, artistic, emotional... All while making a tidy profit, of course. Bioluminescent fungi from the fissure-cities proved valuable for the river-nomads navigating tunnel rapids; the sightless fish harvested by the nomads proved to be a delicacy in the hanging commonwealth of the geode colossus; lenses and jewellery of geode amethyst proved aesthetically appealing to the polis of the white maw-like limestone caverns. It would take decades to spread, but the god and his words and ways would empirically demonstrate their worth to both his emissaries and their customers. There was friction, of course. Every mechanism, celestial and mundane, suffers this problem. In its own way, that just showed that the plan was working. The Mezidecine Merchants spread the good word of Mezidec and the tenets of mortal progress, technological power, scholarly wisdom, and community. This causes a dramatic spread of ideas through the underground, which may or may not cause greater friction later... but for now, in this century, the good word spreads. -  It wasn’t long before word spread to the neighbouring villages, then Ur-Shushan’s few trading partners. A miraculous growing and shrinking lake? A starry mirror that reflected what was missing from the sky? For a people starved of wonder, this was the food of dreams. All manner of tales sprung up about the mirror-moon pool: romantic ballads of star-crossed lovers; sinister stories of the call of the void; furtive speculations about the alternately panacean or oracular effects of drinking the lake-water, and more besides. Mona creates a lake-portal that fills and drains with the newly-created cycle of the moon, allowing the celestial bodies to descend to the mountain and communicate with mortals. Word begins to spread to the neighbouring communities; in time, Ur-Shushan will become the centre of pilgrimage by mystery-seekers, miracle-worshippers, and both the sick and those bereft of purpose. - The tonnes of avalanche Bosyak silently and carelessly tossed down the mountain that day picked up speed until they thundered through a terraced farming village a ways down the slope, turning hard lives into cold corpses. The hunters and traders who passed through the area in the wake of destruction simply acknowledged the fair yet horrible judgement of the mountain and its god. By chance, a few shell-shocked children drifted into nearby villages over the following days, unwilling or unable to speak of what drove them from their home. Meanwhile, the icon of peace and promises accumulated oaths like snow, piling higher every year and decade. So it comes to pass. So-Ceba becomes a place of oaths and peace on the nomads’ path round the mountain. It’s a place only they know, and they’re not talking to anyone else, but over the years it will accumulate the weight of promises made there. The avalanche wipes out a small village, leaving (almost) no survivors. Those who pass through in the aftermath chalk it up to the will of the mountain’s god, or the ice itself.
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Nov 18, 2021 03:23
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Sharon – The Peak (or thereabouts, Sharon's not the type of gal to just break in without knocking) DP: 7/7, Wounds: None It wasn't really an outfit proper for the milieu, sandals and long flowing robes on a snow-covered mountainside, but Sharon's step was light as a feather, leaving only the faintest hint of a trail behind, that too soon hidden by the whipping winds. She had been paying attention, and picked on Divine activity in the plane. Seemed like basic stuff, mostly well-meaning, though in one case rather... clumsy? On purpose or design? Well, she was here to find out! She leaped across a ravine, and skittered over countless banks of ice and snow, paused to grill some meat near a beautiful frozen lake (sharing some with a slightly confused hunter who hadn't tasted soy sauce in his life), and continued her journey, up and up, all the way to the top, until she was where she presumed the Peak to be. She definitely felt a Divine presence, but further forcing a confrontation would've been bad manners, so instead she just made herself known and let the other party answer as they may. "Hoi!", she hollered. "Anyone home? I'm new here and thought to meet the neighbors!" She set down the box she was still carrying, opened the lid, and took out a few bottles: wines and distilled alcohols that she'd taken with her from the Bureaucracy's pantries. She gave them a little shake towards the general direction of the presence and winked. "I brought drinks~" OOC: [It be fluff] Theantero fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Nov 18, 2021 |
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Nov 18, 2021 14:42
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Mezidec – Near the Palace of Dusk and Dawn, also in the celestial orbit DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Two tunnels, one probable, one utterly improbable, heralded a single manifestation of Mezidec, a lacuna breaching the roots of the mountain near to the Palace of Dusk and Dawn, and a metaphoric portal beside the presently skybound orb, not interfering with the duty but in proximity enough for the purpose. From within each, the Light at the End of the Tunnel spake in godly outreach. "Eternal Watchers, I, Mezidec the Uniter of Kin bid you greetings. I come bearing a concern and an idea, one that touches if not upon your demesne, then upon your property, through proximity. The Undermountain, the Antimountain upon which your palace rests, lies fallow save for predations digging deep from above. My proposal is this, the creation of a Warden of the Antimountain, one alike us but lesser in power, to safeguard the region and bear responsibility for it, to catch those who would dig too deep and fall, weakening the whole. I do not ask for your contribution to this unless you so desire, or wish to impose your own influence upon them in equal or proportionate measure. But it would be impolite of me and the action of a boorish neighbour to go straight ahead with such an undertaking without speaking to you who reside down here. May I ask your thoughts?" OOC: Hi, Solene and Mona. Do you wanna build a demigod of the antimountain?.
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Nov 19, 2021 15:04
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One of the Reapers brought news of a prayer to their commander: quote:"Sharon, please... please... Just a few months more. Please grant me a few months. Let me see my child be born before I go. I beg of you!" - A prayer echoed through the Heart of the Mountain: quote:"Great Uniter, I do not know how to say this. But the truth is... I do not love my husband any more. He doesn't mistreat me. He is a kind man. A good father to our children? And our bond has brought our families together. But I feel that every moment with him, I am putting up a show, deceiving him, deceiving everyone. I feel more isolated than ever. Should I admit to this? Should I hold on for the sake of keeping our family together? Could you rekindle the love in my heart? Or am I like pyrite, shiny and pretty, but unlike gold, worthless and fake?"
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Nov 19, 2021 19:05
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Bosyak - The Peak, with Sharon DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Feeling quite pleased with himself, Bosyak returned to the peak. He sat down on his rock and summoned a some flurry. As the snow covered him completely he thought, This feels like a hug… He knew, in the way that Gods know, that Sharon approached but he gave it no thoughts. Buried under the snow, he let his mind go completely blank. Completely blank. Until he was no longer on the peak but on a vasty icy plane, flat nothingness stretching out towards infinity. And in this state void of thinking, the snow really did feel like a hug. And then he heard Sharon's voice. He stood up, emerging from the pile. He peered over her, snow still sitting on his head and horns. He peered behind her at the trail she took. "I like the way you walk. Like a… mmmm… rabbit." He snorted. "God of Rabbits." It was unclear if he meant it as a joke. "I would offer you fire," he said. "But is that a gift for one who does not need it? Mmmm… Beautiful, though." He made a small gesture at the various tokens and prayer ribbons adorning the peak. "I… like beautiful things." Sharon raised a knowing eyebrow at the remark, but for now, said nothing. He clapped his hands and up sprung a glorious fire. He then summoned a second rock next to his. "Sit and be welcome." “A rabbit, huh”, Sharon snorted. It was a good-natured snort, “You know what, I kinda like it! There’s similarities to be found for sure”, she took a seat next to the flame, as offered, “In more ways than one, if you know what I mean”, she wiggled her eyebrows in a rather over-exaggerated manner, “Ha ha ha.” Her laughter died down as she sat down, staring into the flame. She looked almost wistful. “Thanks for the fire, by the way. As gods, we might not exactly need it, but it’s not like we need to drink either”, she offered her selection of bottles. Wines from grapes and rice, and a selection of whiskeys, “But it’s still a good time, no? The atmosphere is enough of a gift for me”, she shifted into a more comfortable position on her seat, “Seriously though, didn’t think a mountaintop could be this cozy, but somehow you’ve managed it.” Bosyak straightened his back. His ears twitched. It was one thing to be complimented by mortals but by another God? If he was the smiling sort, he would have had one from ear to ear. But he wasn't. He gave her a small nod. "Humbled, I am by you… mmmm… kindness. Kind words. Kind gift." He nodded again. Nomads were unaware of alcohol and so he was unaware of it, too. In utter ignorance, he picked a bottle at random. He took a small sip. Then a another. His eyes narrowed. "This is…" He took another. "Very good. Do mortals know of this Divinity?" He let out a deep rumbling sigh. "Again, I am humbled. I have so little to share but my company, miserable as it is." His voice became tight, distraught over his inability to show proper hospitality. He yanked three whiskers from his snout and held them out. "But if company is… acceptable… take these. Hold one and say my name and I will come." “Aww now, there’s no reason to be humbled”, Sharon said with a wink, as she accepted the whiskers. She tied them into a cute little bow around one of her fingers, “It’s you who took me in as a guest after all”, she took a swig from one of the bottles too. She is honorable of the Old Ways, he thought. “As per the alcohol”, she peered at the bottle, “Huh, actually they probably don’t? Maybe the lowland people know about the basics of fermenting beers and stuff, but some of this is pretty advanced.” She looked back at Bosyak with a smile, “You know what, maybe we could teach them? I’m no expert on that, but it sounds like a fun side project we two could do together.” "Yes," Bosyak said quickly. He settled into his rock. A brief moment of silence followed, and Sharon took her gaze back to the flame. She took another swig. “And… speaking of expertise, I should probably mention why I’m here. Not like, here on the Peak, I’d be happy to come by anytime just to hang out”, she winked, “But here in this World, in general. You might’ve noticed that I came from outside and kind of crashed my boat on the side of this dimension.” "I did." Sharon nodded. “I’m a Death goddess, mostly, you see, and my bosses thought that I should come here and take care of the dead. I’ll have to start shipping their souls to the afterlife. That’s my… main task. You alright with that?” Bosyak gave her a small tilt of his head. Perhaps a gift of souls then? He could do that. He could end many lives in her honor. But… would that be seen as stepping on her toes? He wasn't sure. He spoke cautiously. "Let me… mmmm... know how I can be of assistance. And I will assist." “Assistance…?” Sharon spoke slowly, almost incredulously, and then laughed a clear, sonorous laugh, “Ahhh, you’re a real sweetheart, aren’t you? I’ll ask for help if I need it, but this is a job for me and my colleagues. I was mostly afraid of you being opposed to the operation in principle.” That might have been the case, once, but Bosyak wouldn't dream of it now. She looked at her bottle. It was empty now. “There’s more I’d like to tell you, too, but we’re starting to run out of drinks. And besides, no reason to go through every topic on the first date, right?” she wiggled the finger with the little whisker ring on it, “How about I invite you to the River next time around? I’d like to see what yours looks like. There’s a bunch of things I want, and honestly kind of am obligated to go through with you.” She looked into the fire. She seemed content. Happy. “For now, though, I think we should just relax for a while. That alright with you?” "It is acceptable," Bosyak replied. The faintest hint of a smile on his lips. Overwhelmed with emotions, he was at a loss for anything else to say. So he said nothing and simply enjoyed sitting there with the Death God. OOC: Spending 1 point via Hearth & Hospitality and 1 free point via the Hunger for Companionship to create another nomadic shrine. It a place of revelry, joy, and the restitution of grudges. Here, Yak's milk is fermented into an alcoholic beverage called Sharys -- named in honor of Sharon. A fitting name for a drink that can bring danger and death. In time, the shrine will take on the same name of the drink. If Sharon adds to the roll, the shrine may become more of a hidden temple. Tyrannosaurus fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Nov 19, 2021 |
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Nov 19, 2021 19:20
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Mezidec – Responding to a supplicant DP: 7/7, Wounds: None From the Heart of the Mountain, a small tunnel, sufficient for a burrowing rodent at best, established a direct line of connection to the supplicant. From it fell a shiny tablet of precious metal faced with clear gemstone, such that it formed a perfect mirror. With it, the words of the Kindly Shelter, for her ears alone. "Look upon yourself, you who have put the bonds of family and community ahead of your own feelings. Know that you are not in any way false or fake, and that you have immense worth in many ways, intrinsic to you as yourself but also expressed in your desire to do the right thing, your concern to be truthful to your family. In this regard you are more precious than any amount of gold could ever be. Love is not a condition, a state to be in. Love is an action, and love takes work. I will not demand you put the work in, nor will I demand you cease trying." "Talk to him, reveal your struggles. See how he responds, and how your own heart responds to him. It may be that you find a way forward together, in such a way that your needs are met and your love rekindled. It may be that there is a parting of the ways, and that each element of your family seeks their fortune separately. There may be acrimony and discord, tears and grief. I do not promise a gilded future for all in this situation. But through communication, you will end your isolation. Through the truth, you will know the truth, about yourself, about him and about your union. I will listen for your prayers and those of your family, that my gaze may bring comfort whatever the outcome may be." AJ_Impy fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Nov 19, 2021 |
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Nov 19, 2021 19:33
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Sharon – The River DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Sharon was lounging on her boat, hands crossed behind her head as she basked in the sun, one leg overboard and submerged in the cool waves. She was like this for an indeterminate amount of time, until she felt something solid bump into her ankle. She rose up to sit, and picked a bottled message floating down the river. She uncorked it, and read the letter within. ------------- A family gathered around a mother and her newborn child within a curious scene: the bed standing on an isolated piece of wooden floor, next to a piece of wall that was seemingly floating in air. The people and the pieces of furniture were all illuminated by soft, flickering hearthlight from a source that did not exist, standing within a light drizzle raining from an overcast sky, but all remained dry. None of them seemed the slightest bit perturbed by the bizarre scene, as if they did not truly belong, or even know they were there. They were smiling, but a certain forlorn air was also present. The child was crying. Sharon was there too, standing off to the side. "We are fundamentally not givers of life", she spoke softly, but firmly, "Extending one's stay is not something we ever do. We merely watch over the departure. It is a necessary part of existence, and nothing to fear. Think of it as a waystation on the journey of our existence", there was a kindness there, in her words. For a few minutes(?) she said nothing more, merely letting the scene play out. One of the figures present placed his hand on the child's head. The limb was translucent, and nobody else seemed to actually see it. Regardless, the child soon stopped crying, a faint, content smile spreading on his tiny face. "But our schedules are somewhat malleable. The ebb and flow of time and space is different within the waves of the River. We can usually fit in one last goodbye." The mother's hand soon came to rest where the translucent hand was, passing straight through it. One after the other, the other members of the family set their hands on top of hers. The changes were faint, but everyone seemed slightly more relaxed, the forlorn aura of the proceedings resolving into a sad, yet contented one. After a while, the strange furniture, flickering light, and every person sans Sharon and a single man faded away. The two were standing on the sandy shores of a gray, somewhat wavy river. The drizzle had stopped, and the clouds were parting ever so slightly. Sharon nodded towards her boat, and the two sailed away. OOC: As an answer to the prayer, Sharon is creating and teaching mortal communities the Rites of Parting, a simple, empathetic rite, where the living and the fairly recently deceased can share one last moment together. The living may not see or hear the dead, but they will know they are present. Using an action and bidding an extra DP from the combination of all of Sharon's domains (since this is a little bit of all of them), and tagging an extra Hunger die from Happy Endings for a total dice pool of 2DP and 2HP. Also, helping with Bosyak's action by bidding a DP from Transitions (to strengthen the community-building and grudge-settling aspects of Sharys drinking, helping make it symbolic of leaving the past behind and taking a new step in life), and bidding also a Hunger die from Merrymaking because BOOOZE Theantero fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Nov 19, 2021 |
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Nov 19, 2021 20:55
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 Solene - The Celestial Path Mona - The Palace of Dusk and Dawn DP: 5/7, Wounds: None As soon as the portal opens to the side of the Celestial Path, an inconceivable amount of light and heat fills the tunnel. Without interrupting her journey, Solene looks up, a warm smile on her lips. She listens attentively while looking down at her feet, picking her path carefully across the firmament. "Welcome god of the Depths, to the crest of the world." Solene replies to Mezidec's question. "This is an interesting proposal, very tempting. The Antimountain is a peaceful place and I wish it to remain so, I sometimes try and stand guard from my solar, but I can never resist the palace's siren song of tranquility and repose for long. And Mona, well I doubt she even tries." Solene carefully steps over a cluster of stars laying on the firmament. "She can't even keep the road tidy." The goddess says, seeming to flare up a bit, a bright lock shooting out from under her veil before she quickly tucks it back. "Yes I think it 's a grand idea, both for us and the mortals, none of them deserves the bleakness of the void below. I will not only give you my blessing, but I shall assist you in your endeavor." The response at the other end takes a bit longer. After a time a pale figure appears behind the palace's crenellations. Mona yawns and stretches. "I am sorry to have kept you waiting Mezidec." Mona yawns again and passes her hand through her tangled night sky hair, stars gently float down the wall and wink out. "I am just so... So drat tired. If you can find someone willing to stand guard in this dreadfully boring place, be my guest, I don't care. It'll make Solene happy I think, and that's always a good thing." With that said, Mona slowly wanders back into the labyrinthine palace, almost tripping on the threshold. Let's do this, Solene is assisting, using the Guidance domain to shepherd the mortals away from a dreadful fate and the Solitude hunger to keep the dreadful mortals away from her home. Spending 2 points for 3 domain dice and adding 2 hunger.
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Nov 19, 2021 21:40
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Mezidec – In the Heart of the mountain, Channelling Solene's contribution from the celestial orbit via metaphoric tunnel DP: 7/7 > 3/7, Wounds: None With the consent of the moon and the aid of the sun, Mezidec got to work. He opened a tunnel down, all the way into the roots of the mountain far below, gathering forth the material to shape into a divine form. He infused it with his mastery of tunnels and community, that they may travel in their demesne and work to safeguard those who would imperil themselves alone. An echo of the brightness and warmth of the sun, suffusing the new creation with the power of guidance to lead those who would intrude back to their rightful paths. Deep within their soul, a hunger for magnanimity and the desire to be generous coupled with the hunger for solitude, to preserve the pristine antimountain and safeguard the privacy of the divine castle below. It was exhausting work, painstaking, but deific powers were not an easy thing to grant, nor should they be. The difficulty meant it was worth the striving, but it would be an age before Mezidec would recover after this. Still, it was thoroughly rewarding. "Arise, Warden of the Antimountain. Arise, Tectamus. Arise, our child." OOC: Putting forward 4 DP and 2 hunger towards the creation of Tectamus, Warden of the Antimountain, in addition to Solene's 2 domain and 2 hunger for a total of 7 domain, 4 hunger.
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Nov 19, 2021 22:45
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From oaths made to troubles forgotten, the nomadic cycle of life grew shrine by shrine. Where So-Ceba was a place of gravity and looking ahead, Sharys was a place of lightness and not looking back. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it proved more popular than the first shrine of that Age. The first brewers were taught by the gods themselves, in scattered dreams. They swiftly set up a special tent to both protect the fermenting milk and to keep the drinkers from causing trouble or wandering off a cliff, as one or two of them did. Their tribe was slowed down enough by the buzz and the relaxed conversation that Sharys brought out that another caught up with them wandering the mountain paths, then another, and another... By the end of the year, to keep everyone moving, the flimsy tent became a permanent outpost ten times larger, with three small tree-trunks holding it up. The tribes could return to it whenever they completed another circuit of the mountain. A few years later and stouter trunks were brought up the mountainside, via trade with some farming villages below the tree-line. A few more years and the entire thing was shattered in a storm, then rebuilt into the mountainside, tougher than ever before: a warm and welcoming brewery temple, maintained by a skeleton crew of caretakers in a secret off-shoot of the paths only the nomads knew. A place to take things easy, to laugh, and to forget. OOC: Creating Sharys, drink and shrine: 3d6k1+3d6k1 10 vs target 9. Domain: 14, Hunger: 10. No Consequence. Bosyak and Sharon succeed in creating (per OOC chat) an alcoholic beverage of fermented yak milk, at a secret wayside shrine that slowly grows into a temple along the nomads’ path. - A word in your ear, a moment of your time, a pebble of advice. Mezidec was subtle, but firm, on the matters of the heart, and so the principle that through the truth, you will know the truth slowly, slowly began to spread. The faithful started to take honesty as a greater virtue, white lies be damned. A strong community could only be built of truly happy people, and a lesser joy felt by a greater number was superior to a greater joy felt by some at the expense of others. The one who prayed to him that night, in crystal-clear desperation tinted with self-loathing? He heard from them once more. A sad, but resolute prayer. Not all stories end happily, but the end of a story is not the end of a life. OOC: Marriage counsellor Mezidec gains 1DP from responding to the Prayer. - The royally-ordained task of all too many scholars of all too many of the lowland cities was to discover immortality. How vexing for those kings and emperors, then, that the new god of death kindly, but firmly put her foot down on that sort of thing. Everyone else was just glad to have one last chance to say goodbye, in a way. To be able to gather and straighten up their feelings enough to send off the dead with a smile. OOC: Teaching the Rite of Parting: 2d6k1+2d6k1 10 vs target 7. Domain: 8, Hunger: 7. No Consequence. Sharon succeeds in spreading the Rite of Parting, which soothes grieving hearts by giving a little time to be with the dead before they become the departed. Funeral counsellor Sharon gains 1DP from responding to the Prayer. -  The golem’s hollow eyes flickered to life. At first with a glow less than light, less then fire, then the warmth of candles just beyond sight around some stony corner. They looked at their makers, then at their hands, then left. No need for words. Their mission was their heart. From then on, it was almost impossible for mortals to do the unthinkable—yet unfortunately not unknown—and dig ‘too deep’ to fall through the bottom of the world. Any time feet threatened to sully the sanctity of the roots of the mountain, or mineshafts veered to near to the void, it would be there: the child of stone and guiding sun, cthonic guardian angel, warning against the dreaded Fall. When miners and explorers were lost behind cave-ins or found themselves wandering, lanternless, in darkness thicker than tar, the glow of Tectamus’ eyes would trace a path home. Their duty left them with an awful lot of time on its hands, and nobody close who knew how they spent their days, and that suited them fine. OOC: Creating the demigod Tectamus: 7d6k1+5d6k1 12 vs target 11. Domain: 26, Hunger: 18. No Consequence. Mezidec and Solene succeed in creating Tectamus, Warden of the Antimountain, a guide to those who dig too deep. See the god list for further info. - DP status: Bosyak: 6/7 ----- (-1 for drink) Mezidec: 4/7 ----- (+1 for prayer, -4 for demigod) Solene/Mona: 5/7 ----- (-2 for demigod) Sharon: 6/7 ----- (+1 for prayer, -1 for drink, -1 for rite) Tectamus: 4/7 ----- (for time left in Age) UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Nov 20, 2021 |
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Nov 20, 2021 00:01
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Sharon – The Heart of the Mountain with Mezidec DP: 6/7, Wounds: None Sharon traipsed through the deep tunnels, carrying a large, intricately carved jade statue against her shoulder. She did not truly know where to go, not yet, the locals had been a bit cryptic about all this, but she kept walking in directions that felt right, guided by shining gemstones and bioluminescent glimmers. She stalked the halls and caverns like a specter, usually silent, but occasionally whistling an echoing tune. She made good progress, though was somewhat slowed down due to stopping for the occasional feast of mushrooms, cave wheat and cave beetle (tasted remarkably like lobster, opined Sharon) or admiring the local architecture. Some choice monuments there, within the mountain. Eventually though, she made her way to a chamber, not quite within the heart, but the lingering divine presence told her that if she were to be going any further, she would be intruding. “Hello”, she spoke with an echo, “I’m Sharon, a new God in these parts. I thought to make myself known and meet my new neighbors.” “May I enter?” A tunnel, brightly lit by bioluminescence, paved in precious metals, opened up before her. From the far end a short distance away, the voice of Mezidec echoed forth. “You are welcome here, Sharon the new, Sharon from outside, Sharon the unbalancer. Come on in to the Heart of the Mountain, and make yourself comfortable. I have followed your progress through the ways of the mountain with interest, I look forward to learning what you have to say.” “Thanks!” Sharon hollered in response, and made her way in. The chamber she entered was… not exactly what she expected? It was not as opulent as she thought it would be. Oh sure, it had a good amount of richness to it, but there wasn’t any of the tackiness she’d often seen with local Wealth gods. The furniture was fancy, but not in a way that made you afraid to touch any of it. It looked lived-in, in a way, the perfect sort of place to have a chat with someone. “Nice digs”, she answered, legitimate approval clear in her voice, giving the mountain God a polite bow “…No pun intended, hah, uhmm”, she looked around, “Can I set this thing down somewhere?” She nodded towards the statue she was carrying around, “I didn’t really travel with many things I felt appropriate to give to a chthonic God of Wealth, but this statue was the fanciest object that survived the crash.” She scratched her head awkwardly, “Sorry about that. Hopefully you will at least accept it as a fun little curio from another World, was my thought?” Mezidec manifested from the matter of the mountain, opting for a fine powdery gravel for maximum detail and expressiveness. He nodded in response to the bow, a recognition that they were peers albeit in his place of strength. He gestured, and a tasteful plinth of marble banded with jade arose, a suitable place to unburden the reaper of her gift. “Your offer is appreciated, as is the generosity of spirit in which it was made. Wealth is indeed my purview, but it would seem boorish to focus that inward to demand self-enrichment. So, make yourself comfortable, and speak freely.” Mezidec moved to occupy one of the chairs, their humanoid motion almost perfect, considering. “Oh, a generous God, then? That is always nice to hear”, Sharon spoke as she set the statue down on the plinth. It looked quite nice, “Always been a bigger fan of giving than taking, myself, too”, Sharon sat down on an opposing seat, wiggled a bit to find the comfiest possible position, and then began talking. “Right, so, as I told you, and you already knew, I’m Sharon, a Goddess of Death, and I came from the outside. Or was sent, rather. See, what you might not know, is that I am actually involved with a Divine…. faction, I guess you could call it, known as the Celestial Bureaucracy. We tend to the dead in realms like these, mainly, and there was some concern over planar stability due to none of us being present here. They were supposed to send a friend of mine with me to be the one in charge of our whole thing, but she has Domain-related trouble currently, so I’m here all by myself.” “I suppose you’ve already felt my River, yeah? My main task here is to start ferrying the souls of the dead through that to their final destination in the Bureaucracy’s halls. And the reason I’m here is because, well, it would be really rude to just start doing that without saying anything, I think you agree? These kinds of things always work better if you work it out amicably first.” She scratched her cheek, as if in thought. “I guess that goes for most things, actually.” “So that’s basically it. I was wondering about what your take on all this would be.” Mezidec listened patiently, occasionally nodding, as Sharon outlined the reasons for her presence and the nature of her mission. After a brief time to consider, he spake, “There is a school of thought in which no-one is truly dead while their name is still spoken, their ideas still espoused. Legacy, both of wealth and of community, through lessons learned and traditions passed down, is close enough to my purview to warrant my due diligence in this matter. So, what is the nature of this final destination to which you wish to take the post-life remnants? I can see the advantages to community in bringing together to send off, and in having knowledge of a fate beyond this realm. But it would not behoove me to send off souls into eternal slavery, or to be vilely consumed, or used in a manner out of keeping with the lives lived, the traditions of each culture. So, I would hear more of the nature of the destination.” Sharon smiled, “That’s more than fair, of course. So let me explain to the best of my ability.” “See, generally how this works is that the Celestial Bureaucracy sends in a Yama, like that one friend I mentioned. The Yama then utilizes their Domain of Judgment to render verdicts upon the dead based on uhh, their accumulation of Sin.” Sharon frowned. The topic was clearly somewhat uncomfortable for her. “You’d have to ask a Celestial or some other such highly learned being what Sin even really is, and I doubt even they really know, but the Yamas can perceive it, and it mostly increases based on criteria such as what is deemed improper behavior. Some acts seem to increase it regardless of local customs, some seem to be more relative, and it’s all just excessively complicated. That’s why you need the Yama to measure it.” “The main take-away here is that the Bureaucracy is extremely concerned with Sin and cleansing it, due to it causing all sorts of… existential trouble if it accumulates. So if a soul has too much, it is sent to an afterlife where various… punitive measures are utilized to cleanse the Sin until the soul is clean enough to reincarnate. If the soul is in relatively good shape, they will be led to a nice afterlife to enjoy as long as they like. Generally, the assigned Yama works with the local Gods to craft afterlives other than our base template ones to better fit with local sensibilities, but, well…” she shrugged sadly, “I can assure you that nobody is consumed or enslaved or anything like that, though. This is the main thing we do, and we are very serious about it.” “Now, our situation is very nonstandard, I honestly don’t think it’s happened before, so there’s not a whole lot of former procedure”, not that she’d know it even if there was, “So we will likely have to invent some new ways of doing things. The one thing that I can’t budge on is the souls leaving for judgment, but in almost any other way I’d be happy to accommodate.” “I will take your assurances at your word,” affirmed Mezidec, “And I yield to you in the matters of your domain, of death and what comes after. Let them be judged, though it is my preference that they be judged kindly and with lenience, I notice even you seem to be discomforted on the topic of ‘sin’. I am not averse to the solution you propose. So, how may we best help one another, for the good of all?” Sharon exhaled, as if she had been holding her breath the whole time, “Thank you for being understanding. As per how we might help each other, well”, Sharon tapped the armrest of her chair, deep in thought, “Well, the system of ferries has not actually been set up yet. Carrying the souls all the way from here to the Bureaucracy’s central sanctums is a very big project. The reapers who carry the dead will be the one touching point between us and them, other than any direct missives we try to send.” “So, if we were to make an effort to integrate the reapers to local Domain structure from the very beginning, they might be able to help the Yama on the other side construct afterlives more in line with what people here were expecting. Basically, instead of going top down like we usually do due to the top not being present, we’d be going bottom up.” “I’d basically do most of the groundwork, but I’d hand over some threads and tributaries of the River to the rest of you here to more organically integrate into your ways of life, so that the reapers can learn.” “Make sense? It would likely help the dead, maybe give you some peace of mind, and help me feel better about the quality of my work. It would require some power from the lot of you, of course, but well, once that is done, I can pay it back later on projects that are important to you”, she winked, some of her usual pep clearly returning, “I’m a pretty accomplished fixer in all kinds of matters, as it happens.” Mezidec nodded his assent, held out a hand and focused as a brilliant jewel came to being in his hand. With a gesture, it floated over to Sharon. “Here, a metaphor for a share of my deific power. When the time comes, use it and invoke me, and I will see to it that I do my part for your river project. Now, you mention you are an accomplished fixer. Let me draw your eyes to a potential problem, that we may consider what may happen. Behold, the mountain.” With a gesture, an outline in shimmering diamond dust, a map of the entirety of what was known in this realm. “At the pinnacle, where all concentrates to a point, the demesne of the Herd-of-One.” An exquisite cone of white marble positioned itself in the diamond dust design. “At the nadir, in correspondence, the palace of Dusk and Dawn, abode of the Celestial Sisters.” A beautiful miniature fashioned from iridescent sunstone and moonstone moved into place. “Equidistant between them, here in the centre, the Heart of the Mountain.” A geode, its crystalline interior a perfect cameo of the room around them. A gentle stream of light linked the three divine abodes, continuing beyond them above and below. “Now we add in the point of your arrival. I do not wish to give offence by calling it a crash site or otherwise mislabeling it.” “None taken”, Sharon interjected with a wink. A tiny version of an intricately carved jade statue served as a marker. The line of light bent as if gravity were exerted upon it towards the fourth stone. “You see the concern. Hopefully, it means nothing, and your presence here is a welcome addition to this place. But where there was balance, there is now imbalance. It may be that we collectively need to redress that somehow. It may be that the cosmos will do so of its own accord. It may be it has no impact. Nonetheless, fixer, I would ask you bear this in mind and stay alert to anything that may result from it.” Sharon furrowed her brow, as if in thought, as her eyes were brought to the Map. In truth, she did not really have much insight to give on planar dynamics. As far as she had been told, the plane was unstable even before she arrived. The Bureaucracy would not have engineered the issue it purported to investigate in the first place (surely not..?), but there was space for potential concern there. drat. A lot of questions posed that a Celestial would be really helpful in answering. “I see what you mean”, she spoke as she pocketed the gem with a respectful nod, “I must admit, I am no great knower of the secrets of the planes on any theoretical scale, but I do have lots of practical experience and that is a bit spooky, just on the level of my gut.” “I’ll keep an eye on it, we’ll see if it self-corrects via means of a fifth point of focus, but if it becomes an issue, you can count on me. This world already exists in a pretty precarious spot, and the last thing it needs is more trouble.” For a few more moments she stared at it, and then shrugged. “Regardless, I don’t believe I’ll come up with any greater insight just by looking at it”, she gave an apologetic chuckle, “Anyway, I think that’s enough for today. Thanks for having me, and feel free to visit whenever!” She waved goodbye, and turned on her heels to leave the Heart. Lots there, for her to think about. OOC: It's all fluff, believe it or not
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Nov 20, 2021 01:22
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Mezidec – In the Heart of the Mountain DP: 4/7 > 2/7, Wounds: None Mezidec watched his guest depart, providing a choice of exits between a swift return to the surface or a subterranean scenic route as a final gesture of goodwill, then turned his attention back to the diamond dust map thoughtfully, as the Heart adjusted itself back to match his present needs alone. Rather than the interior, domain of his patronage, he regarded the surface, the highlands and the low. So much life, so much potential, and yet unguided, save by the light of the celestial bodies. Kingdoms and principalities, a patchwork of ungenerous rulers hoarding knowledge until it was lost. So, let's see. Mezidec picked out a few strategic locations, easily accessible, presently uninhabited. There, he grew conditional tunnels, open for trade but not for warfare, and at the point where each surfaced, he built up large embassy-monastery complexes, adorned by his symbol, enshrining his wisdom, a beacon to the faithful to take up life within. Whilst his Mezidecine Merchants were motile makers of connections, these loci would be nexuses, places where knowledge could be stored and shared, places of trade and communal gathering where all may mingle and seek their own fortune, yet able to withstand the depredations of hostile kings. ooc: Expending 2 DP and 2 Hunger to create and populate with faithful volunteers a series of Embassy-Monasteries upon the surface, linked to the interior by conditional tunnels that permit peaceful commerce but not warfare, set up with a similar mission to the Mezidecine Merchants but sessile rather than motile, nexus loci rather than connection formers.
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Nov 20, 2021 17:17
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What better way to spread the ideology of mortal progress than to have mortals demonstrate it themselves? Yes, Mezidec built the embassies, but the mighty stone walls were just that—empty walls. The mortals who lived within were the ones who chose exactly how to use them. Some created temples of learning, others built marketplaces under Mezidec’s sigil, yet more developed spartan, self-sufficient communities more in line with what the surface-dwellers imagined when they heard the word ‘monastery’. The diversity of his followers was fully on display, and no two embassies were quite alike. In most cases, they did exactly what they were meant to, fomenting all manner of ideas and demonstrating the strength and wisdom mortals could have for themselves, with a divine helping hand. Some proved less than popular: they threw a wrench in some king’s plans for conquest, or a village’s hopes for agricultural expansion, or simply spoilt the view. A few of them were rarely, if ever, found by outsiders. But, yes, in most cases, these kinds of problems were smoothed over and those on the surface took a greater interest in the mountain god and his worshippers’ strange cultures than they had when the only relations between the inside and outside were occasional trade agreements. The spread of knowledge across and within the world continued to accelerate under Mezidec’s watchful eye. Creating the embassy-monasteries: 3d6k1+3d6k1 12 vs target 11. Domain: 15, Hunger: 12. No Consequence. Mezidec succeeds in forming embassy-monasteries at new tunnel mouths: fortresses of peace and learning. - A prayer rode the winds to Bosyak’s ears: quote:A ragged, frozen young woman, exiled from her community for brazen opinions and attitudes, is forced to attempt a dangerous winter crossing of a pass. She cries out with the last of her strength before she falls: «Brother Cold grant me succor... or revenge!» - A geode cracked open in the Heart of the Mountain and sharp words of prayer spilt out: quote:"Kindly Shelter. I live near one of the entrances to the surface! A place where the outsiders in the snow often trade! They have lured my son to join them on their travels around the top. Now they have returned, and told me my son is dead. Frozen under their damned open sky! Close this tunnel! Let our Union be among us, and let these outsiders be united among them!" - DP status: Bosyak: 6/7 ----- (no change) Mezidec: 2/7 ----- (-2 for embassy-monasteries) Solene/Mona: 5/7 ----- (no change) Sharon: 6/7 ----- (no change) Tectamus: 2/3 ----- (rejigged how demigods worked, see rules for more info)
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Nov 20, 2021 18:22
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Mezidec – Before a grieving supplicant DP: 4/7 > 2/7, Wounds: None Mezidec created a tunnel from the heart to where this bereaved parent was praying, and manifested with a warming but not scalding magmatic core and a skin of yielding clay. Wordlessly, he embraced his worshipper, head bowed, grieving with them and sharing in their pain and loss. After some time had passed, he gave them room and spake, "You have suffered greatly, and your prayer is laden with that suffering. Come with me, and I will seek to grant you the closure that you need. Let us honour your son together, the choices he made in life as he sought his fortune, and let us respect the connections he made upon his journey." Another short tunnel, this leading to the very edge of the domain of the Herd-of-One. "Bosyak, Guest-Watcher. I stand at the border of your demesne and seek your hospitality. I bring with me one who has lost a child, dead within your domain. This family is faithful to me, and it is on their behalf I reach out to you. Let us honour the one who had fallen, and let us grieve with those who feel most keenly the absence of the lost one by their hearthfires. I bring within me warmth from within the mountain, to safeguard and to share with them as we pay our respects." ooc: Answering the prayer by directly manifesting and seeking closure through unity rather than division. Also, Hi Bosyak, may we come in?
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Nov 20, 2021 19:50
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Sharon – Midnight at a Moon Basin with Mona and Solene DP: 6/7, Wounds: None The Moon was high in the sky as Sharon peered into the Moon Basin, a scroll-rack slung over her back as she eyed the thing curiously. “Psst”, she spoke, whispered even, as if afraid she might wake some sleeping woodland animal, “I know these things are for mortals, but I really wanted to have a chat and have sort of gotten the impression that you don’t like to be bothered at your house?” “And besides, I heard it’s upside down, and I’m not that great when it comes to vertigo”, she laughed, “So, how about it? My name’s Sharon, and I’m the new Death Goddess in these parts.” “I brought books”, she bounced her shoulders, giving the scroll rack a bit of a shake, “Had to fish these from the bottom of the sea. Be glad we wax all the cases waterproof.” “Also brought snacks”, she showcased a Yak sausage she had gotten from a herder up on the mountain, “Though a fair warning, these are an acquired taste.” Having made her entrance, she waited for an answer. A small moon drifted up from the starry depths of the basin and before long Mona’s head emerged from the still water. “A snack? You mean food?” She enquired, curious. “I have never tried mortal food, or any food for that matter. I have seen the mortals eat and they seemed to enjoy it, but never dared to take their food, for some reason they grow weak and die if they don’t eat.” Mona rises to the surface and climbs out of the basin. She sits down on its rim and picks up the sausage, turning it round and round in her hands, testing its firmness with her grip and, cautiously, smelling it. “This must look ridiculous to you.” She looks up with a chuckle. “My sister and I have spent eons watching over these people, but always from afar. Everything looks so different from down here, even my stars.” She gazes back up at the night sky. “Sorry Sharon, it is easy to get distracted. Thank you for these nice gifts, I am afraid I do not have anything to offer in return, unless you want to see the Palace or the Celestial Path, I could take you there someday, a favour for a favour. But for now,” Mona puts the sausage down on the rim of the basin next to her. “I get the feeling there was something you wished to discuss.” “A Reaper’s job is pretty mortal-centric, as is a lot of what we do”, Sharon spoke with some good-natured amusement as she watched Mona fiddle with the sausage, “No shame if you haven’t assimilated their mannerisms like we have.” “Oh, and don’t worry about the gifts”, she smiled, “Honestly, that was just something I thought of after having some drinks with Bosyak. Good for breaking the ice, and you’ll honestly probably have a better time with these than me. Do note that the scrolls are mostly on, uh, planar mechanics and other kinds of highly academic subjects since they were from the Wave Rake’s mechanical library, but maybe you’ll find some of that interesting. Personally I don’t get most of it.” She laughed. “Though I’d love for you to show me around one day, or is that night, if you’ll have me. So I’ll keep that offer in mind~” “Now…” For a moment, Sharon trailed into silence. She scratched her head and brought her gaze to the reflection on the basin’s surface, and then back to Mona. “But yes, the business side of things. To put things succinctly, I’m here as a Death Goddess, my job being the ferrying of souls into their judgment and resultant afterlives. Simple enough, right? However, there is an issue, in that generally we also bring a more administrative God to handle all that afterlife business on-site, here in the World we’re at.” “Buuut the God who was supposed to do that sort of… sacrificed a good part of her Domain to help the people of a doomed World escape, and she hasn’t been given it back yet, so I have to do this all by myself. And I could do it myself, but I fear that if I just jam the River up there, it might feel sort of… alien, you know?” “Now, the plan I came up with Mezidec was for me to give all of you some tributaries of the River to weave into your own Domain structures, so that we can better account for local sensibilities when it comes to the departure of the dead. It would cost you all a bit of power, but I’ll pay you back”, she winked, “Trust me, I’m good for it.” “But yes, that’s basically it, when it comes to the dry stuff.” “I see.” Mona replied dryly. “I think Solene should be here for this discussion. No need to catch her up on what has been said so far-” An instant later the water in the moon basin burst into scalding steam and light. Solene hurried to her sister’s side and Mona threw her arm over Solene’s shoulder, covering her with her mantle and dimming the light somewhat. “- my sister is aware of everything I do.” Both Mona and Solene said simultaneously, with a single voice. The two sisters exchanged a quick glance and Mona gave a brief nod. “Sorry, I know this can be a bit off-putting to some, I am not usually in the same place twice.” Solene said apologetically. “But I felt like this might be more natural for someone used to working with mortals, talking figurative face to figurative face.” “I will be blunt Sharon,” Solene said and Mona winced a little, “I do not not trust you, not yet. You have come out of the hated void and now want to take the souls of the dead back into the void. Our little ecosystem did fine before you arrived. Why is it suddenly necessary to carry souls away from the mountain, away from our watchful gaze and through the black nothingness? How can we be sure that more souls will return to take their place, that we will not become watchers of a silent place, a dead grey piece of rock.” Sharon smiled softly as Solene spoke, “Now, that’s all perfectly reasonable. Honestly, I’ve been mostly surprised by how little suspicion I’ve faced thus far. You all have been almost eerily accommodating”, she laughed, “Not that I dislike it. I tend to prefer it when things go smoothly and everyone gets along.” “As per why we’re here just now… well, it’s due to manpower restraints. The Celestial Bureaucracy is a giant entity when it comes to Divine endeavor, but even its manpower is finite, in the sense that there are far more realms than there are gods. Small worlds like this one usually tend to sit on the queue for a long while until somebody gets sent, unless something pushes them up in the lists of priority. So basically, it’s not that it’s suddenly become necessary, it always was, we’ve just only now gotten to it.” Sharon gave an apologetic grin. “The higher ups, Grand Celestials and the Court of Ten mostly, are very concerned about no realm being too long without assignment, though. Unprocessed souls are bad for planar stability, they say, and this Mountain has been raising some eyebrows on our end for a while. I’ve heard it said that it already ought to have eroded to nothing, even, and me looking into the peculiarities of this place is a sort of secondary task of mine. To learn if it is, indeed, in danger, and if so, to what degree.” She exhaled. “Don’t worry about the souls, though. They are not a closed cycle, a new one will be created if there is no returning one to be born, so you won’t run out as long as people remain. In fact, without our processing, the souls of the dead mostly dissipate into the neighboring void.” “Any more questions? I’ll answer what I can, even though I’m more a doer than a thinker.” Mona and Solene looked at Sharon for a while, thinking. “You have given me much to think about and much to read Sharon.” Solene said finally. “I will read these and maybe I will find some of the answers I am looking for.” Mona continued, patting the scrolls. “For now, I want to trust you. If you had come here with ill intent, you would not have sought out the gods of this “small world” as you put it.” “I cannot at this time assist you in your endeavor.” Both said at once. “I do not understand all it entails and therefore cannot guide my charges towards it. However, I will not oppose it either. I will watch and learn and think.” “And now I will have to take my leave.” Solene said, shrugging out of her sister’s embrace, her light flaring up again. “I have already been away from the Palace for far too long. Tomorrow will be a dark and dreary day.” With that said, Solene stepped back into the moon basin and for the briefest instant, much too short for mortal senses, the sun raced across the Celestial Path, hurrying home, shadows shifting at the speed of light. “I don’t think this is the outcome you wanted, but I hope it is still acceptable to you.” Mona said as she sat back down on the rim of the basin. “Wanted? Perhaps not, no”, Sharon sat by Mona’s side next to the basin, “But that’s a ‘wanted’ in a total best case scenario sense, you know? It’s not an answer I have any right to complain about. It’s fair and reasonable, and I’ve gotten support from elsewhere already and am confident we can get the project running smoothly. What I was afraid of was hostility and opposition. I don’t know if you’ve had fights between gods here on this World, but those can get really nasty.” Sharon’s smile seemed slightly bittersweet as she stared into her reflection. It was not a topic she really wanted to delve into. “Regardless, I have faith that trust will grow after we get used to each other for a bit. All in all, it’s a pretty good start.” She laid on her back on the grass next to the basin, her arms behind her head as she gazed towards the sky. For a while, she just watched, marveling at the alien stars. “Hey”, she finally said, her voice soft “I haven’t really taken a good look before, but the night is really pretty here. That your work? These aren’t standard constellations.” “It is.” Mona said proudly, leaning back and looking at the shining patterns. “Mortals fear the dark night sky, I like to think that it helps them.” “And,” she said with a smirk,”it looks drat nice.” OOC: I can't believe it's fluff
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Nov 20, 2021 20:58
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AJ_Impy posted:ooc: Answering the prayer by directly manifesting and seeking closure through unity rather than division. Also, Hi Bosyak, may we come in? Bosyak - Nomadland, with Mezidec DP: 6/7, Wounds: None "Uniter of Kin..." Bosyak's rumble was heard before he was seen. "Well named." He appeared beside them, sitting on a rock. He looked over the distraught, grieving mortal. He watched her with curious eyes. She was brave, standing before two Gods, her heart strong. He glanced at Mezidec, who carried a heat from the mountain that even Bosyak could appreciate. "I thank you for your generous gift of warmth," he said. "You are welcome. As are you, little guest." His ears twitched. "In... mmmm... friendship, I bring an offering to match your gift. And to honor your domain." He tossed a a small yakskin pouch at the woman's feet. With trembling hands, she opened it only to find the skull of her son. A few other bones were inside, as well. Not many but they were all that remained after the animals got to her son's body. She let out a pained howl. She knew it was her boy. Bosyak spoke again. "This place is not kind to the... mmmm... weak. Brave, though, he was. Never feared what was coming. In death, his body fed many. Leopard. Bird. Mouse and worm." It was meant as comfort but his work only caused the woman to scream louder, keening in nigh hopeless sorrow. She sobbed and clutched the remains to her chest. The Herd-Of-One shifted uncomfortably on his rock. The more she wailed, the more flustered, the more frustrated he became. Was this not what was requested? What this not what was desired? What more could be wanted? Bosyak let out bullish snort and leaned towards her. "Right now, out in the cold, there is a... mmmm... woman. Strong. Different than your boy. Cast out by her kin. Wandering alone. I can bring her to you. Family. He nodded, half to himself but fully proud of his generosity. OOC: Potentially answering prayers?
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Nov 20, 2021 22:55
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Mezidec – In the Nomadlands with Bosyak and a grieving supplicant DP: 2/7, Wounds: None Mezidec inclined his head to his peer, acknowledging that this was their place of power, and interjecting to try and ameliorate the situation, "We should treat the lost one honourably, Brother Yak. To be taken by wild beasts is as much a tragedy within the mountain as it is upon the peak, let us memorialise him in the place he chose to be, make it a place of warmth and safety that beasts would fear to approach. A waystation for nomads and traders alike. As for the woman wandering alone, I would gladly share this warmth with her as well." ooc: Offering a potential solution and kind words.
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Nov 21, 2021 01:33
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Wailing turns to choking sobs turns to frozen silence as the mountain and the snow discuss common matters around the grieving woman. She looks up, from one god to the other, and in a voice colder than the ice forces a decision through gritted teeth into the dead air. “I was wrong. When I asked you to close the tunnels. If someone hungers, I’ll feed them. If someone’s cold, I’ll warm them. But don’t for one second—for one second—think they’re a substitute for the one I’ve lost. Don’t think this can soothe your, your guilt or regret—I don’t know why I said that. Do you even feel these things? Well, if you feel any offence at what I said, then feel free to tear me in two, bury one half here in the ice and the other half under rock. Do you hear me!?” She struggles to her feet, gathering the bones of her son and cradling them against the wind: “I swear, one day my children’s children, or their children, however long it takes, will be free from this cold, and this cruelty, and this, this... condescension.” OOC: The grieving mother is willing to take in the outcast nomad woman, and no longer wants the tunnels closed. Bosyak and Mezidec each gain 1DP from responding to their Prayers. You can proceed in this situation however you wish, or not at all! - DP status: Bosyak: 7/7 ----- (+1 for prayer) Mezidec: 3/7 ----- (+1 for prayer) Solene/Mona: 5/7 Sharon: 6/7 Tectamus: 2/3
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Nov 21, 2021 02:01
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Solene - The Celestial Path DP: 5/7, Wounds: None From atop her orbital perch, Solene watches Bosyak, Mezidec and the mortal woman. She silently shakes her head, this is why you never interact with the mortals directly. There has been a lot of death on the mountain recently. There has always been a lot of death on the mountain, but somehow Solene feels more concerned with the lives of mortals recently. "Oh Mona, what are you doing to me." She mumbles to herself. As she walks she bends down and scoops up a handful of stars Mona has left behind. Compared to her own light, they are as dim as pebbles. She pauses for a moment, wondering if this is a good idea, but then thinks about the horrible fate of these mortals, trapped in the ice, drowned in the snow, separated from their tribes, their loved ones, the air they need to live. She breathes in, cups her hands with the stars to her mouth and insufflates them with some of her light. She opens up her hands and lets the shining stars drift down towards the mountain slopes below. "You are the first of your kind little guide stars." She tells them. "Watch over the snowy slopes of the mountain, and help the mortals find their way. Help the lost find the way shrines and help the rescuers find the way to their lost." Trying to help the mortals by creating guide stars, little pinpricks of light leading the mortals to safety or helping them find people in need of rescuing. Using Light and Guidance domains and the Unity hunger to add 2 DP and 1 hunger.
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Nov 21, 2021 10:29
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Sharon – The River DP: 6/7, Wounds: None Sharon was taking in some sun under a palm tree. Notable bits of decor: sunglasses, swimsuit, coconut with a straw and a tiny umbrella, and an exasperated underling standing slightly to the side. "Mortimerrrr...", Sharon said. It sounded almost like a lamentation. "Yes?", answered the young (it was only his second assignment), bespectacled reaper in his Eminently Sensible black robes. "I'm melting, Mortimerrr..." Sharon slouched even deeper on her beach lounge chair. "Sha- Boss", the man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Morti-" "Boss"", the man interjected, "It has been literally MONTHS." Sharon suckled on the straw a bit, furrowing her brow, before she finally sat upright with a sigh and summoned her normal robes to replace the swimsuit. "You're right, of course", for a moment she took in the gentle lapping of the River's waves, extending to the horizon, "I don't know how she does it, you know? Julia. I've been running around, doing my best to try and channel her attitude since this thing is actually really important, and I'm already dead after this one tour." "It's not like you needed to make that tour, boss", Mortimer spoke, his tone matter of fact as it always was, "You chose to make it." "Forcing your will on the locals is generally a good way to make them all hate you, Mortimer." "Frankly, boss, you are a GOD. Asserting your domain is not something you should ask others for permission. You are the boss now. All of... this", he swung his arm in an arc, as if to encapsulate the whole World, "is your responsibility." Another sigh. Sharon had not taken her eyes off from the waves. "Right you are", she jumped up to her feet with what Mortimer surmised was probably forced pep, "So, better get back to work! Thanks for the chat, Mortimer~" The man nodded, and disappeared in a black puff. Sharon, for her part, removed one of Bosyak's whiskers still tied on her finger, and fished Mezidec's gem from her pocket. She placed both on her palm, and gently squeezed. [[Hello, Gents]], a message was attached to both summons, [[Hate to bother you both, but could you drop by at the River? Could use your help in properly rooting it on this World when I get started.]] [[Local weather: sunny. Coconuts and fruits unseen on this World on the house.]] OOC: Calling Bosyak and Mezidec to help out with the River project Theantero fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Nov 21, 2021 |
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Nov 21, 2021 15:13
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Mezidec – Invoked and called to the River by Sharon DP: 3/7, Wounds: None Time had passed since the awkward conclusion at the summit with Bosyak, words spoken in anger sowing bitter seeds. Regardless, the gift given to Sharon served its purpose, a tunnel breaching the beach, a manifestation of Mezidec emerging, this one more of solid, faceted grey stone, save for the hands where fine pebbles tailed into ever smaller fragments for fine detail work. "You have called, and I have answered, Sharon. I will admit to having expected the call somewhat earlier, but I can imagine you've kept your hands full. A question before we begin: Has there been any provision made for those who died prior to your arrival, or indeed those who have died since, given we have not yet firmly established the connection?" rumbled the voice of the Kindly Shelter. ooc: Summoning button pressed.
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Nov 21, 2021 16:38
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Sharon – The River with Mezidec DP: 6/7, Wounds: None "Yeah, yeah, I've been keeping busy, haha", Sharon laughed somewhat awkwardly, "Anyways, thanks for coming!" "As for those who came before, well, we've been picking up the stragglers. Without processing, it generally takes a hundred or a couple hundred years for souls to dissolve into the surrounding chaotic space. The people we found, and the ones dead since, we've been sailing on this sort of a loop until the connection is ready." She scratched her chin. "Don't worry about that, though. The trip through the River never feels too long, nor too short. It's always tailored to the person on board. And that works even though they are currently going in circles, so from their perspective, nothing is wrong", she smiled, "We are a professional outfit, and have been doing this on many Worlds before. We are pretty careful about not leaving people in some unintended limbo of suffering." "Now, I'll be waiting for Bosyak before I start putting all this together with my crew, but until then, we might as well get started with your bit, if you're still on board?" OOC: Ideally trying to get a total of 7 DP and 5 HP for this project. Sharon will be contributing 5 DP (a mix from all her domains, concerning the base functionality of the River system and facilitating the transfer of the dead off-plane into the halls of the Bureaucracy) and 3 HP (from Lazing About, as Sharon delegates more of the work to her underlings and servitors than is probably wise). I am asking for 1 DP and 1 HP from the aiding Gods, the way in which they integrate the River into their Domain/Cultural spheres being left to them. Theantero fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Nov 21, 2021 |
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Nov 21, 2021 17:33
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Mezidec – At the River with Sharon DP: 3/7 > 2/7, Wounds: None "I said I would be, and I am true to my word." Answered the stone-faced form as if slightly vexed by the question. He got to work straight away, reaching deep into conceptual space. A metaphoric tunnel to each within his demesne, below the scale of comprehension, woven into the extremities of the tributaries of the River, a route for the inflow. The silt of lives lived building up upon the banks, ties to family and community, the imprint left upon the world, there for memory and consolation. ooc: The domain of community, for remembrance and legacy. The hunger for progress, the soul seeking its fortune in the next phase of existence and traversing the river. 1D 1H as requested.
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Nov 21, 2021 17:51
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Bosyak - The Peak DP: 7/7, Wounds: None Bosyak felt the workings Solene above. He liked his peak. It was the highest point of the mountain and when he was on it, he was above everything and that made him, in his mind, the best. Except, twice a day, Solene or her sister soared over him. It was a repeated source of discontent. He watched the Sister of Light, growing more and more uncomfortable with her fiddling of the night sky. What was she doing anyway? Mocking him? Reminding him that she was above him? Was this some kind of subtle aggression? A claim that everything under the sky belonged to her and her sister? Bosyak shook his great shaggy head and snorted. Unacceptable! he thought. OOC: Using 2 DP and 1 HP (Storms, Hearth & Hospitality, and the Hunger of Revenge) to turn the guiding light star into the tip of a constellation in the shape of a Yak's Horn. So that when guidance is needed most, when mortals are threatened by dangerous storms, they can follow the guiding light, see the horn, and be grateful to the Guest-Watcher. Bosyak - The River, with Sharon, Mezidec DP: 7/7, Wounds: None The whisker disappeared in Sharon's hand and Bosyak was suddenly before her, sitting on a rock. He glanced warily at his surroundings, at odds with the strange weather, food. His ears twitched as he shifted in his seat. He was grateful, happy to be called by his... Friend? (She seemed like she might be?) Yet he was unsure of what to say so he said nothing. He felt the moving energies of the Gods and weighed what to add in. Mezidec was present. Mezidec was contributed. With a huff, Bosyak decided that his contribution would be greater. Needed to be greater. In that moment, nothing was more important. "Mmmm," he rumbled. "My hand, you'll have to help. Yes. Happily." OOC: Adding 3DP. Two from Snow as... Well... It's a river. One from Hearth & Hospitality so that the dead are treated well on their crossing. And then as many HP from the Hunger for Companionship as is allowed.
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Nov 21, 2021 20:26
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Sharon – The River with Mezidec and Bosyak DP: 6/7, Wounds: None Sharon was still working with Mezidec when Bosyak arrived, assigning lesser reapers to their stations, mapping routes, and threading together the tributaries to a central stream. The later arrival soon got to work on his own. Sharon sauntered over to him, as he was channeling his power with... unexpected (or perhaps not) gusto. She could tell the god was really pushing himself, the prospective River broadening in bulk and substance as Divine powers over water and ice were pumped into it. It ought to be far easier to navigate and push through encroaching space with all that mass on their side. For a while, she just watched the God work, but eventually walked to his side, and lightly touched the God's arm. "I think that's enough", her voice was soft, even though ever so slightly amused, "Any more than this, and I fear we might have flooding issues", she laughed. She removed her hand, and turned around to face both the gods. "Regardless, thank you both", she gave a slight, polite bow, "This all would've been far harder without the both of you. If you need me for anything later on, do not hesitate to ask. I do owe you." Mezidec was first to leave, and Sharon said nothing until the chthonic God was gone. "I've woven in the tributaries", she spoke to Bosyak, "Both his and yours. All that remains is for me to navigate the route back to the Halls." "Want to come with?" she smiled, "I can't take you inside, but they're quite impressive even if you just get to see the gates." OOC: Alright, let's add everything together. Base 1 DP and 1 HP from making an action, plus 1 DP and 1 HP from Mez, plus 3 DP and 5 HP from Bosyak makes for 5 DP and 7 HP before Sharon's contribution. I will be adding 4 DP (probably for the best to have the largest contribution on your own project, still) and no extra HP (no reason to delegate after all since Bosyak is shouldering so much of the burden). Final pool is 9 DP and 7 HP.
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Nov 21, 2021 21:01
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The stars seemed to have a will of their own as of late. At first, lost travellers just thought they’d been lucky and seen a fellow traveller’s lantern guiding the way to a wayside shrine. Likewise, rescuers thought they were seeing the distant lights of the refuges and shrines where they finally found their lost family or friend who’d been caught outside in a whiteout blizzard. With the nomads and peakward villages being relatively isolated, it took a few winters for the truth to be widely recognised: little stars signalling the way to safety like phantom lamplighters. It didn’t take much longer for those living in the harsh highlands to heap praise upon the sun and moon for their kindness. Some said they even saw two stars on occasion, and the silhouette of a yak whose horns carried the little lights at their tips. This was a rare occurrence, however. The nomads considered it auspicious, the villagers an ill omen, but neither gave it greater importance than the celestial sisters. If you saw the yak, well, good/bad for you. OOC: Creating the guiding lights: 3d6k1+2d6k1 11 vs target 7. Domain: 10, Hunger: 9. No Consequence. Interfering with the guiding lights: 3d6k1+2d6k1 8 vs target 7 and roll 11. Domain: 13, Hunger: 4. No Consequence. Solene successfully creates guide stars, like inverted will-o-the-wisps that guide lost mortals to safety (and guide rescuers to the lost). Bosyak has minor success in interfering (I tweaked the results since I think there was some confusion about the original action!). - And it was done. A thousand thousand streams, unravelling from the River. From the right azimuth, it almost looked like the branching of an enormous tree. From the wrong one, like the unravelling of a once-mighty rope, a dismal entanglement of fraying lives. The tributaries bound every mortal soul to the Bureaucracy—not irreversibly, not implacably, but deeply, working its way to the core. The two gods of the mountain both know the power and the danger of the freeze and the thaw. A little water could go a long way. OOC: Linking the River: 9d6k1+7d6k1 12 vs target 11. Domain: 26, Hunger: 25. No Consequence, barely. Sharon and co. succeed in linking the world of the mountain to the Halls of Judgment via the River. Mortal souls will now face the judgment of the Yama, a hierarchy of beings still largely unknown to them (this is slowly changing as Anton spreads the good word). - DP status: Bosyak: 2/7 ----- (-2 for the Yak’s Horn, -3 for River aid) Mezidec: 2/7 ----- (-1 for River aid) Solene/Mona: 3/7 ----- (-2 for guide stars) Sharon: 2/7 ----- (-4 for the River) Tectamus: 2/3
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Nov 21, 2021 23:40
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Sharon – The Heart of the Mountain with Mezidec DP: 2/7, Wounds: None Once more, Sharon was in the chamber she had inspired within the Heart of the Mountain, having made her entrance earlier on with the proper niceties. She was sitting in her usual chair, just about to get to the point of the meeting after the usual niceties. "So, for, like, the actual reason I'm here", she spoke as she lounged, "We were talking about the Mountain's stability the last time I was here, yeah? And to be honest, it's kind of been bugging me the whole time since. So when you take into account what you said, the fact that the Bureaucracy thinks that this World's planar dynamics are impossibly wonky to begin with, and the fact that it's usually sort of concerning when a Goddess of Death and Passage has an ominous gut feeling about something as grand as a whole World, I really think we should give this place a good look-over to see if there's something we've missed? Like, a diagnostics check, except on a whole World." She tapped her fingers on the armrest. "The Bureaucracy believes that there is some strange artifact or enchantment of Divine origin or similar hidden inside the Mountain that helps the World keep its stability in a region where something this solid should have evaporated a long time ago, at least based on conventional wisdom. So, whilst it seems highly unlikely to me that you would have missed something, and more likely that they are just mistaken with their pet theory, it might still be prudent for you to take a pass around here to look for such things. Myself, well, I'll be taking a tour of the border regions where this World fades away into the surrounding chaotic space, to see if there's anything out of the ordinary in there." "So. You in?" OOC: Project: Do some heavy-duty diagnostics work on the Mountain to ascertain if it's unstable, doomed, or both, and to what degree. Idea is for Mezidec to check the Mountain's interior for anomalies (as the Bureaucracy believes there to be such a thing), whilst Sharon does work on the plane's border with the surrounding chaotic space. 1 DP and HP as base, and investing my remaining 2 DP into this (from Borders due to, well, investigating planar borders, and Transitions to see if the plane is sublimating to the surrounding chaos and if so in what sort of speed. Death too, perhaps, to get a more existential sense of whether this place is doomed.) Also investing 1 DP from Lazing About because this is some delicate, highly boring and mindnumbing work, and taking shortcuts is a constant temptation.
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Nov 22, 2021 13:21
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Solene/Mona - The Celestial Path DP 3/7, Wounds: None From high up on the celestial ridge, Solene peers down at the mountain and its newest feature. Her eyes trace the path of the river as it runs off the world, dissipating into the void beyond. It makes her feel ill, not being able to see where it leads, not being able to watch over its whole length. She is glad that she did not participate in its creation, but regrets more and more that she just let it happen. The mountain had alway been its own little world, safe and sound and wholly self-contained, now there is a metaphysical highway coming out of the void. Solene had told Sharon that she would be watching, but the more she thinks about it, the more she feels like this should be watched by more than just her. Solene walks on across the sky, lost in thought. As dusk looms before here, she makes a spur of the moment decision. This can’t wait, the river needs watchers, standing guard at the edge of the world. She considers sending some more stars, but feels like that might be seen as too intrusive by Sharon. Her gaze falls on some herons, down below. Well, there you go. Just as she steps off the path and onto the other side of the world, Solene imparts some of her power and mission to the birds, fellow travellers of the sky. An instant later, Mona begins her journey across the dark firmament. Mona likes Solene’s idea, but she feels like there is some untapped potential left. The souls of the dead leave the mountain, full of knowledge and secrets they took to their grave, never to be come back. So Mona whispers to the herons, telling them to keep their eyes and ears wide open and report any secrets they witness back to her. OOC Solene/Mona feels uncomfortable about the newly created river. Deputising some thematically appropriate birds to wade through the river and keep an eye on what enters/leaves the mountain. Basically installing a godly wiretap. This is not really in their purview and more born from their fear, so I’m going to add a single domain dice via Secrets and 2 hunger dice from Solitude and Curiosity.
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Nov 22, 2021 21:45
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Bosyak - The River, with Sharon DP: 2/7, Wounds: None Bosyak's ears twitched. "Yes," he said. "I want. To come with. Yes." He stood up. If the drain was affecting him he wasn't letting it show. But, then again, he was the kind to rarely show emotion of any kind. Sharon smiled softly, and gestured towards her boat, “Excellent! Come, then. Honestly, I’ve been wondering what your version of the river would look like. I’ve been forcefully maintaining this beach when you were both here to keep interference to a minimum… ” for a moment, she trailed off. “But now it’s just the two of us, making that unnecessary”, she winked, and stepped onto the boat. “Let us get going." The tropic setting slowly faded away, the bright colors and sands and greenery morphing into a wide expanse of endless white. Snowfall fell. And fell. And fell. Until the distance was clouded by white flurries, blocking everything from view. The edges of the river frosted over. Pops and cracks echoed as the waters iced. Only a tiny moving trail remained, dead in the middle, barely large enough for the boat to slide through. Bosyak gave a small nod. This made more sense to him. This felt right. He broke the silence unexpectedly. "Do you… mmmm… like it?" “It feels isolated”, Sharon spoke up after a while, as she tried to peer into the impenetrable snowfall, “But not in a bad way. It feels regal, and has a dignified, if rugged charm to it. The beauty of untouched snow. I would have to say it is a very you sort of River.” “So I guess that means I like it”, she laughed. “But I am Reaper”, she soon continued, “I see all kinds of Rivers, and my opinions are merely those of an observer.” Another pause, as Sharon had to carefully navigate the boat past some errant ice. “The more important question is, how do you feel about it?” Bosyak thought for a moment. How did he feel about it? It was, perhaps, the first time he'd actively considered how he felt about anything. Things simply were or they weren't. "Mmmm… fine," he said, slowly, carefully. "It is fine." Sharon squinted her eyes as she waited for the ‘mmmm’ to pay off, only to burst out laughing as the answer finally came. “That’s great”, she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, “Ah, I needed that.” As they entered a slightly wider area of open water, and Sharon no longer needed to navigate by the bow, she sauntered over to where Bosyak was, and sat next to him. “You know, the gods of the Mountain, you’re alright, all of you. But with you specifically, I don’t feel the need to try and pretend to be Julia all the time. Thanks for that.” "I don't know Julia," he said. "Fine, you are. As you are. That's all you need to be." For a moment, they just sat. “You know, there is one thing that would probably get to me if I had to spend too much time here.” "What?" “It’s an awfully cold place to be, if you’re by yourself.” He stared out into the white abyss. "It's being… mmmm… alone," he said, "that is hard." He blinked, surprising himself with his candor. He let out a snort, attempting to show his disinterest in the subject. "I like the cold. Snow. Ice. Simple, it is. Being alone is simple, too." He paused. "Are the souls alone? When they cross?" “That is so, and trust me, I am somebody who knows how to appreciate the simple things”, Sharon smiled, “But you see, warmth is a perfectly simple thing, too. Let me demonstrate.” She placed her hand on top of Bosyak’s, and gazed into the distance. Bosyak went totally and completely still. He didn't even blink, worried that even the slightest movement might end the moment. And he felt, very strongly, that he did not want that. “No-one crosses alone, we do not allow it. There is always a soul, and their Reaper. But I have a feeling that is not what you mean.” "It is not," he said. But he didn't elaborate further. He tried to put himself in the place of a mortal. An impossible task for one of eternity. Still. He imagined that doing such a crossing, even with a Reaper, would be… difficult. Could he make it easier? Deep in his thoughts, he was barely aware that they were reaching the great gates to the Halls. “We are here”, Sharon simply said, and so they were. Somehow, almost imperceptibly, they had arrived, the snowy wasteland having been replaced with… something. What was it? They were afloat, within calm waters, with rainbow-colored carp under the surface. Around them… a maze of pillars, of jade and gilded marble, of an alien scale, all around them though none quite near where they were, in such a way that it was impossible to say if they were relatively nearby and of relatively modest size, or hundreds of miles away and incomprehensibly giant. Regardless, they extended so far above that it was impossible to see to the very top, though the space was clearly enclosed. Giant arches ran between the pillars, giving the place a hollowed-out, comb-like feel, despite its massive scale. What even was it, a harbor, water reservoir, or art installation? The Halls gave no indication that they felt it necessary to explain their function or presence. They simply were. And then there was the wall. Or was it the façade of a building so giant it might as well have been one? Regardless, they were swiftly approaching. “There shall be a door, there”, Sharon nodded towards the wall, “I will enter, for a moment, and you may not follow. But until then: What do you think?” "It is large," he said with a nod. Larger than the mountain, certainly. And that carried significance. He could appreciate size. Give respect to it. "I'll wait for you. Here." He paused. "If you…mmmm... need me, call. I will tear down that door. Yes." It didn't occur, or matter, to Bosyak if that was even possible. Gingerly, he reached over with his free hand gently, oh-so-gently, gave her's the absolute softest of tender pats. “Oh I’m sure you would”, Sharon’s smile was now more of a mischievous grin as the boat came to a stop, “So I suppose I will have to be extra careful, or the Court Bailiffs will be extra crass with me later on. The door was actually… rather modest. It was an intricate construction of lacquered wood, yes, that was connected to a pier lined with paper lanterns by a marble stair, but next to the enormity of the Wall it seemed almost comical. As if the person in charge of the architecture there had no idea what scale they actually wanted to work in. “Don’t be worried though. Despite all its faults, this place is my home”, Sharon craned her neck, peering into the heights above, a slight forlorn look dancing on her features for just a moment, “I know the people here. I just need to give a report that the project is done.” Gently, she removed her hand, “So, be good while I’m gone, alright”, she winked as she skittered up the steps, “Take in the sights. Gods not of the Halls almost never get to see them for themselves. "Good. Yes." Bosyak settled into his seat. Another God might have left the boat, might have explored the walls or the gate itself, possibly even attempted to sneak a look or sneak inside. Bosyak was very good at sitting. And that is what he did. Sharon returned to find him in the exact same position. With a smile, she sat next to him and rested her hand once more on his. And for Bosyak, it was a fine way to travel home. OOC: Inspired by their conversation, Bosyak has decided that the souls of the nomads shouldn't cross over alone. Spending 2DP with Hearth & Hospitality and 2 HP from the Hunger for Companionship to create another secretive mountain shrine on the edge of a sheer cliff face. This one for grieving. Should someone chip into a rock the name of a departed loved one, tie a strand of yak hair tightly around it, and toss it off the edge… their loved one's soul will stay in a state of limbo. Once both have passed, they will be able to cross over together.
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Nov 22, 2021 22:48
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Mezidec – In the Heart of the Mountain with Sharon and invoking Tectamus DP:2/7 > 0/7, Wounds: None Mezidec listened to his guest, presently formed from the glittering dust of precious metals and crystals as he was in something of a reflective mood. Visits from other gods had been exceedingly rare before her arrival, though relations with Bosyak and the Sisters were generally cordial. "I'm on board, and I'm glad you're taking this seriously. An audit of reality, a structural inspection of the underpinnings of the firmament would likely either set both of our minds at ease or give us something to focus upon going forward. A question, if you will, on the theories of your Bureaucracy. Something divine, in the Heart of the Mountain, trying to keep all this together. Is it possible that you're speaking to him?" After a pause, Mezidec beckoned towards the floor, a tunnel opening up, down, down, below the ostensible surface and into the roots of the mountain, seeking out... "Tectamus, my child. A matter has arisen, the stability of the mountain called into question, which includes that of the roots, the Antimountain. Thus do I call upon you, Warden of the Antimountain, to seek for something anomalous, of divine-tier power, within your demesne. I will be checking the mountain above, Sharon here will be inspecting the void around the mountain. You have full autonomy in this matter, but it would be useful to pool our efforts so that if one of us finds something, we are all aware." ooc: Putting in 2 DP, for Community and the common Wealth are under threat, and Tunnels will empower the search. One HP for progress to discover the unknown. Tapping up Tectamus to help within their area as this potentially impacts their domain as well, asking politely for 1D 1H.
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Nov 23, 2021 00:01
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Sharon – The Heart of the Mountain with Mezidec DP: 2/7, Wounds: None Sharon shook her head. "No, I don't think so? Their theory was on an artifact or enchantment, not a living God, at least as far as they told me", she trailed off for a moment, before resuming her talk, "And if it was you, then the implication would be that it's you who holds the underpinnings of this World in place. But again, if they thought that a chthonic god was a possibility, that seems like a strange thing to omit from their explanation, right? They're not exactly unheard of." Sharon sighed. "Sorry, can't give you a more detailed explanation than that. The deeper theoretical underpinnings of planar stability aren't really in my Domain." OOC: Just a quick fluff addition.
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Nov 23, 2021 00:24
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