Pan-aeons: a God Game

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 44/50 AP, the Passing

Chern had forgotten about Ymon-Thal's actions all those weeks ago. So when he died back at the No Name Dunes, he was surprised to find his divine soul reappeared in the Passing. Immediately the land around him wilted and died. He looked around. Even his shadow seemed to crumble into shadowy dust beside him.

"Even in the land of the decayed, my presence portends still more decay," Chern mourned. He began to slowly trudge through the amorphous land, rotting everything around him as he went. He missed Mila, but supposed that her absence meant that his oasis had successfully nourished her dying body. That was good for her at least.

He hadn't gone far before he spied Ymon-Thal standing with the dragon Nestellbam, and a woman who's voice he recognised as the one that had spoken the prophecy of Theshana. She was being deified. Gifts were bestowed upon her, as well as some curses. Chern waited, watching from between a pair of rapidly blackening hedges. She was to be a guardian and shepherd to the souls of the dead through the Passing. At some point, Thal-Verys was left alone beside the River of Absolute Purity, and Chern took his chance to approach.

"Your crown and cloak and lantern do justice to your noble station," he said by way of greeting as the grass dried and snapped beneath her feet, "but death is tiring, thankless work. There is nothing noble about death."

"No, nothing noble about death", she agreed. "But what about that which comes before and after it?"

Chern leaned down to the river and submerging a simplistic glass flask beneath the water's surface, causing it to gurgle softly as it filled.

"You are astute, and optimistic. That's good. Ymon-Thal and Nestellbam chose you well. Indeed, the before and after is why your work is so important. I want to help you maintain your optimism while you go about your important work."

Chern sprinkled a few powdery spores of glowloam into the flask and sealed it. He gave it a vigourous shake, suffusing a rich, luminous brown hue throughout the liquid. He handed the flask to Thal-Verys.

"Here, try some. Share it with the souls who struggle. It will take the edge off."

Spoiler: Help!

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Help Ymon-Thal create a demigod

+1 Fermentation, Chern will give Thal-Verys a flask and the knowledge to brew a glowloam-based spirit called chum. She can carry this with her, sharing it with souls in need of consolation, or perhaps even celebration.

Thal-Verys eyed the flask suspiciously, holding it up towards the light. Then her eyes shifted to Chern, equally suspicious. Mysterious drink? Made from glowloams? Created by him?

Then again, she wasn't exactly the frail mortal she once had been. With a final glare at Chern she unsealed the bottle and swallowed a mouthful.

It wasn't bad. Certainly wasn't good either. But still... She slipped the bottle into her clothes and nodded at Chern. "Thank you for your gift, Wiltwatcher."

Chern inclined his masked head respectfully.

"You're most welcome. Now if you'd excuse me, I believe the exit is this way."

He then walked right past the demigod, and into the River of Absolute Purity, floating away like a drowned corpse.

---

Sanctuary Island

A splash caused ripples in the Moonpool, as something limp dropped into it from another plane of reality. Festival goers looked on from the bank, concerned. A few bubbles appeared, drawing closer and closer, until a man emerged from the water. No one present would've believed that man to be the god of decay, for it seemed even Chern could be cleansed by the River of Absolute Purity. The emaciated god looked healthier, stood straighter. His rags had been stitched together into an elegant tan-and-red toga, and his mask etched into the stylish affectation of a masquerade item. For the first time his hair was clean and luscious enough for him to see that it was salt-and-pepper grey in the pool's reflective surface.

"Oh..." he said to himself, in a voice far less raspy and foreboding than usual, running a finger through his hair. "This is new."

Chern mingled among the guests for a while, tasting the wines and the food, dodging Alatadriel as she stumbled drunkenly past to throw up in the Moonpool, and eventually found himself in the presence of the god Petr.

"Ah," he said with a dashing grin, bowing, "it is a pleasure to finally make the acquaintance of your avatar. I am Chern, the god of decay."

Petr is watching mortals performing a dance when Chern makes his appearance. The water being inclines her head politely and offers Chern a welcoming smile. "Chern! It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I must say, I wasn't sure you would come. I hope you will enjoy yourself."

"Why, I already am!" said Chern, toasting her with his goblet of wine. "You have a wonderful society here on Sanctuary. You are to be commended for it. Though I understand further congratulations are in order, for your child. Remember not to drink too much!"

"My thanks. But this is truly the efforts of mortals. I merely made them a place to call home. They were the ones who built a society in our absence." Petr accepts an opened coconut filled with pineapple juice from one of the mortals, and she uses the nut to toast back to Chern. "And indeed. I am hoping he will grow up strong and hearty, and able to spread the boons of this society. And I should thank you for your efforts. Without the understanding of decay some of the pygmies here brought with them, we wouldn't have such tasty drinks." Petr smiles, one hand resting on their own form.

Chern chuckled.

"They're not bad are they? Nothing like a swig of Starfolk chum to scald the innards. Indeed, mortals are the gift that keeps on giving. However, I want to bestow a gift of my own upon the child, if I may. So that nothing may impede his justice."

Spoiler: Help!

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Help Petr create a demigod

+4 decay, blessing Nerassus with the ability to weaken those more powerful than himself.
-2 downtrodden, because he's giving more power to one who is already powerful, and because he's mingling in high society, which is very not-Chern.