Pan-aeons: a God Game

[sadatg]

Enheduannas' feet crunched upon the snow. Behind her, the wall of the ravine rose sheer and impassible, riddled with caves bored into its face. In those caves, stocky neanderthals huddled in fear. In front of her, a glowing river of lava flowed, waves of heat distorting the air above it.

It wasn't her the neanderthals huddled from, rather the imposing figure stood waist-deep in the lava itself, screaming. It was a mighty yell, shaking the bones of all present. Enheduanna watched the neanderthals of the cave, it wasn't enough that they cower in the face of such might. She stood to the side and gestured boldly to the screaming figure. Understanding her meaning the first of the neanderthals cautiously walked forward, into the biting cold. They approached until the heat of the lava started searing their flesh, looking to Enheduanna for guidance she simply nods and the neanderthal falls to their knees and bows deeply.

"Yes, this is right" intones Enheduanna and the rest of the neanderthals follow.

Spoiler: action

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4 AP/2 DC: influence a large group of mortals (~100), influence a large landmark or building, scry a large landmark or building.

Influence the neanderthals of the pits of the maw to openly worship Su'ule. +2 devotion

Spoiler: Reaction to the creation of sorcery

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Aiding the creation of sorcery: +2 Devotion:

Attempting to use sorcery may include a prayer to the gods. By default, the prayer is for Su'ule, but the devotee may dedicate the prayer to another god(s). The god(s) so beseeched are granted knowledge of the devotee's life and can choose to lend a portion of their own power to the devotee to complete the spell. If they find the devotee sufficiently worthy.

As the goddess of devotion Enheduanna hears all prayers intended for the non-divine and grants her power to any sufficiently devoted to their "god".

[Garjel_blah]

OOC

Just testing if rolls work outside of the roll thread: (1d20)[14]

EDIT: woo it works! Probably won't make a rolling thread then.

Also might as well bump some of the resources from the first post:

Spoiler: Divine Actions List

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Undetectable actions

Free/Instant: manifest avatar, teleport avatar, shapeshift avatar, interact with the world, perform inconsequential/non-divine magic, attempt to remotely contact other gods - general fluff and flavour basically.

1 AP/0 DC: influence one mortal (significantly alter the course of their life by compelling them to action, altering their body, killing them, etc.), scry one object or living creature (allows you to detect undetectable actions that happen within your scry, lasts until your next action or the end of the age).

2 AP/1 DC: influence a small group of mortals (~10), influence a small landmark or room, scry a small landmark or room, change the weather in a village-sized area.

4 AP/2 DC: influence a large group of mortals (~100), influence a large landmark or building, scry a large landmark or building.

6 AP/3 DC: influence a village of mortals (~1000), influence a village-sized area, scry a village-sized area, change the weather in a city-sized area.

8 AP/4 DC: change the weather in a state-sized area, create a basic living species (plant, fungus, micro-organisms), create a basic non-living substance.

10 AP/6 DC: influence a town of mortals (~10k), influence a town-sized area, scry a town-sized area, create an animal species, create one or a collection of lesser magical items (easy to both use and destroy, such as a magic carpet, health potion, invisibility cloak, etc.).

12 AP/8 DC: influence a city of mortals (~100k), influence a city-sized area, scry a city-sized area, create a collection of lesser magical minions (should be a reasonable match for most mortals, such as hellhounds, cherubs, horse-mounted Nazgul, etc.), immortalise a living creature or mortal, create a pocket dimension (must be bounded and unable to hold a population), reincarnate a mortal demigod.

14 AP/10 DC: influence one immortal, scry a state-sized area, create a single greater magical monster (should be challenging for even the best mortals to slay, such as a dragon, gorgon, fell beast-mounted Witch King, etc.), create a greater magical item (requires understanding of magic to use or destroy, such as a phylactery, enchanted weapons and armour, crystal ball, etc.), sanctify an area for +2 (max 4 per god).

Detectable actions

16 AP/12 DC: influence a state of mortals (~1M) or a small group of immortals (~10), influence a state-sized area, scry a country-sized area, induce a celestial phenomenon (comet, eclipse, aurora, etc.), create a sentient species, create a +2 domain religious artefact (max 3 per god).

18 AP/14 DC: influence a country of mortals (~10M), influence a country-sized area, scry a continent-sized area, create a plane of reality (can be unbounded and capable of sustaining a population), create a +2 domain/-2 weakness demigod (max 2 per god).

20 AP/16 DC: influence a continent of mortals (~100M), influence a continent-sized area, scry the entire planet, create a law of reality (such as a system of magic for mortals to use, or an objective morality), create a supernaturally gifted sentient species, assign a chosen people for +2 (1 per god).

22 AP/18 DC: influence every mortal on the planet, influence the entire planet, despoil a +2 sanctified area.

24 AP/20 DC: destroy a +2 artefact, confer a -2 weakness to a demigod, banish a god for a turn, announce a prophesy.

30 AP/24 DC: destroy a demigod, confer a -2 weakness to another god.

40 AP/30 DC: destroy a god.

Spoiler: The Pantheon

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Player	Deity	Domains/Weaknesses
Garjel_blah	Chern	+4 Decay, -2 Downtrodden
Godzillarich	Grawissen	+2 Mining, +2 Knowledge, -2 Unknown
Megadraco	Kahar-Djin	+2 Paths, +2 Thresholds, -2 Unexplored
Demonjazz	Alatadriel	+2 Fire, +2 Foxes, -2 Arrogance
The Jojo	Avestra	+2 Nature, +2 Birds, -2 Primeval
Batcathat	Ymon-Thal	+2 Life, +2 Death, -2 Unliving
El-the Ellie	Vreyalas	+2 Community, +2 Forging, -2 Darkness
Artemis P	Nestellbam	+4 Preservation, -2 Sanity
gac3	Timorin	+2 Drama, +2 War, -2 Fear
sadatg	Enheduanna	+2 Devotion, +2 Subjugation, -2 Autonomy
Mira_124	Opulon	+2 Cosmology, +2 Divination, -2 Focus
flyinglemur	Dulnori	+2 Fortune, +2 Ambition, -2 Stability
Maryring	Petr	+2 Water, +2 Healing, -2 Pain
DarthArminius	Su'ule	+2 Sorcery, +2 Monsters, -2 Willfulness
AlexanderML	Yir	+2 Sun, +2 Majesty, -2 Arrogance

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 1 rolls

Chern (25 AP) - create glowloam (8 AP/4 DC), +4 Decay
(1d20+4)[22]

Nestellbam (25 AP) - protect a small group of mortals (2 AP/1 DC), +4 Preservation
(1d20+4)[6]

Opulon (25 AP) - mark a small group of mortals (2 AP/1 DC)
(1d20)[3]

Su'ule (25 AP) - create sorcery (20 AP/16 DC), +2 Sorcery
Chern, -4 Decay, mana limits
Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining/-2 Unknown, magicite (notice I added Grawissen's -2 unknown weakness, I judged that since a new law of reality is being created it should be unknown for mortals)
Opulon, +2 Diviniation/+2 Cosmology, school of astrology
Petr, +2 Water/+2 Healing, school of water
Dulnori, +2 Ambition/+2 Fortune, school of nature
Kahar-Djin, -2 Thresholds, enforced spell structure
Alatadriel, -2 Fire, unstable school of fire
Timorin, +2 War, school of the warrior
Avestra, +2 Nature/+2 Birds, school of treewhispering
Ymon-Thal, +2 Life/+2 Death, school of necromancy
Yir, +2 Sun/+2 Majesty, school of radiance
Vreyalas, +2 Community/+2 Forging, group magic and school of enchantment
Nestellbam, -4 Preservation, weaken magic in the Harken Steppe
Enheduanna, +2 Devotion, boost magic with faith
(1d20+24)[35]

Ymon-Thal (25 AP) - bless 100k mortals with twins (12 AP/8 DC), +2 Life
Petr, +2 Healing, gentle births
(1d20+4)[5]

Avestra (25 AP) - protect a town of mortals (10 AP/6 DC), +2 Nature/+2 Birds
(1d20+4)[7]

Petr (25 AP) - create icewater lily (8 AP/4 DC), +2 Healing/+2 Water
(1d20+4)[9]

Timorin (25 AP) - create the Lucent Crown (10 AP/6 DC), +2 Drama/+2 War
You rolled a 22 in your post, which I will allow you to keep, but in the future I would prefer to do all the rolling

Alatadriel (25 AP) - create the Hua-Ling (10 AP/6 DC), +2 Fire/+2 Fox
Grawissen, +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining, burrowing foxes
(1d20+8)[24]

Grawissen (25 AP) - create Grawissen's Pickaxe +2 Architecture (16 AP/12 DC), +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining
Alatadriel, +2 Fire/+2 Foxes, furnace and foxes (although these foxes have technically not been create yet so really this shouldn't be applicable, but I'll let it pass for now)
Timorin, +2 Drama, quirky buildings
Kahar-Djin, +2 Paths, direction sense
(1d20+12)[20]

Kahar-Djin (25 AP) - protect a village (6 AP/3 DC), +2 Thresholds
(1d20+2)[15]

Yir (25 AP) - bless 10k mortals (10 AP/6 DC), +2 Sun/+2 Majesty
(1d20+4)[18]

Dulnori (25 AP) - give bronze to a small group of mortals (2 AP/1 DC), +2 Fortune
(1d20+2)[17]

Vreyalas (25 AP) - compel a town of mortals (10 AP/6 DC), +2 Community
(1d20+2)[16]

Enheduanna (25 AP) - compel a large group of mortals (4 AP/2 DC), +2 Devotion
(1d20+2)[6]

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 1 resolution

Chern (17 AP) - success
Chern's maddening dig through the undergrowth of Boa Jungle successfully infected it with glowloam, a bioluminescent fungus that can grow in the deepest caves and overtime bore their own tunnels.

Nestellbam (23 AP) - success
The small village of humans was successfully preserved from wild beasts of the Harken Steppe. They give praise to the Dragon for this blessing.

Opulon (23 AP) - success
The hands of the ten pygmies glowed, and all other who they met were astonished. They heard tell of this cosmic force called Opulon, and were awed.

Su'ule (5 AP) - success
Oh boy...
Su'ule's cry reverberated through reality, creating what would soon become known as Su Sorcery, or simply shout sorcery. All mortals were imbued with the potential to channel this magic, and deposits of a magical mineral known as magicite crystalised deep beneath the earth. This magic is in theory restricted only by what one's voice can shout, though true free-form sorcery would be attainable for only the most powerful mortal sorcerers, who could master the nine schools of sorcery:
The school of astrology, which allows for divination by communing with the stars.
The school of water, which may manipulate water and use it to heal.
The school of nature, which enable nature to be commanded, and has a more advanced sub-school called the school of treewhispering, which allows for communication with nature and is best learned at a young age.
The school of fire, which is notoriously dangerous and will destroy most who try to use it. Most will never even attempt it, and those who do attain some mastery of it will emerge burnt by the fury of the fox.
The school of the warrior, which allows one to channel magic into their physique, and can result in supercharging battle fields with the excess mana of the fallen.
The school of necromancy, giving command over the boundary between life and death.
The school of radiance, which allows the limited free-form sorcery by channelling the sun, and can only be performed with the blessing of a god.
The school of enchantment, which allows objects to be imbued with magic.
Additional restrictions were imposed on the raw power of Su'ule's shout. All prospective sorcerers would be limited by their mana pool, and overuse of sorcery would exhaust them both physically and spiritually. Furthermore, due to the influence of the Dragon, any form of Su Sorcery is incredibly difficult to perform in the region known then as the Harken Steppe, and creatures from the Steppe are inherently resilient to and poor at performing magic. However there are ways to overcome such barriers. Performing ritual sorcery with groups could extend the capabilities of magic, while prayer to one of the gods could bolster magical ability still further for the faithful.

Ymon-Thal (19 AP) - failure
Many pregnant mortals around the Boa Jungle found themselves unusually heavy with child in the months following Ymon and Thal's blessing. The more learned of the primitive would have guessed that they'd bear twins. However, in most cases one or both of the twins would be miscarried or stillborn, and in the end only the regular number of twins were born. Death had rectified the influx of life, it seemed.

Avestra (15 AP) - success
The Ebonbark neanderthals, once known as the Forest People, were saved from rapacious humans by the avatar of Avestra. Henceforth they would be known as the Crow People, and would devote themselves utterly to the Avian Goddess.

Petr (17 AP) - success
The first icewater lily budded in the frosty ravines of Stonesthroe. Mortals would learn to use it as a herbal remedy, and would every time feel grateful to Petr for her gift.

Timorin (15 AP) - success
Timorin's cursed crown fell into the hands of the unwitting pygmies native to Lucent Archipelago. Quickly the Lucent Crown would begin to disrupt their peaceful existence, kicking off a cycle of murderous intrigue that payed homage to the Mischief Maker with each passing day it persisted.

Alatadriel (15 AP) - success
With a twitch of their adorable little noses, the Hua-Ling burst into existence. They sat down on the black sands of Ebonbark Bay, looking up at their vulpine deity expectantly. For some reason the humans watching this were unimpressed, and resolved to forget about it once it was all over.

Grawissen (9 AP) - success
With a shower of spark and hiss of cooling iron, Grawissen's pickaxe emerged from the forge of Alatadriel in all its quirky glory. Any who grasped its banded metal shaft would know their way, and could build wonders to awe mortals everywhere.

Kahar-Djin (19 AP) - success
The mortal village of Ebonbark Bay was preserved from the storm by the encircling shield of light. Bron and the other villagers would be eternally grateful to the strange, otherworldly warrior woman who intervened on their behalf.

Yir (15 AP) - success
That day on the peak of Stonesthroe Mountain, the first of the Blessed of Yir were created. Averaging up to 9 feet tall, these giant humans and neanderthals grew tougher than average, and had golden eyes, as long as they were raised with plenty of nurturing sunlight. This blessing would be passed down to future generations as a recessive trait.

Dulnori (23 AP) - success
The small group of humans accepted the javelin from Dulnori, and used it to slay him in his rhino form. With this knowledge they would become some of the best hunters in the Harken Steppe, and would always remember the rhino man who gave them the means to excel.

Vreyalas (15 AP) - success
The town of Theshana prospered beyond any mortal's wildest hopes and dreams. At its time, it must've been the most cohesive community in the Stonesthroe Mountains, perhaps even the world. Shana, Thess, and the many other mortals who lived there prayed to Vreyalas for their continued prosperity.

Enheduanna (21 AP) - success
The Gnaw Waste neanderthals saw Su'ule give her epic shout, and heard the endorsement of Enheduanna, they fell down in worship. The hardy wastelanders would develop a dualistic religion around the two goddesses, the Monster Mother and her Priestess Queen.

You may all now begin posting your turn 2 actions.

[Godzillarich]

Grawissen emerges from the ground again with his brand-new pickax, ”It works really well… This should make my mission much easier. Grawissen thought to himself, ”but knowledge does not just come from the ground… Much of it is made on the surface. he searched around the jungle, documenting the plants, the animals the soil and the sky. ”So fascinating... he stopped himself on the beach and looked out to the ocean. ” If there are so many wonderful things here, what does the rest the world have to offer?” suddenly something caught his eyes. A group of familiar-looking bipeds walked upon the shores. ”Those strange beings who were with Alatadriel...

”AH! A monster!” one of the humans yelled out. The humans pointed their spears at Grawissen.

”Monster…? Grawissen ”is that what I am?

Suddenly a voice rang out from the ocean. “AAAAAAAH” a few yards from the shore, there seem to be another one of these strange creatures swimming in the ocean, it looks smaller than the rest of them. Judging by the elephant he saw earlier he theorized that it was an infant. “Daddy hel...!” before she could finish they were pulled beneath the waves.

Grawissen eyes widened. “Cara!” one of the humans yelled out in fear. NOOOOOOOOOO!”

Without even a second thought Grawissen slammed his pickax onto the beach into the direction to where the small human was swimming. The humans besides the one crying out for the kid pointed their spears back at Grawissen. ”Stay back two feeted ones...their story does not end here.” suddenly a massive rock path emerged starting from the beach and heading out to the ocean, suddenly a massive rock spire emerge from the ocean. Two creatures were wrapped up in stone, one was the little kid and the other one was a giant seven armed red big-eyed creature.

The humans were taken aback from this ”How!” one of them simply asked.

”Knowledge is a powerful thing...remember to cherish it... Grawissen slowly walked on the rocky path he made until he came up to the Rockies spire. ”Don’t worry little one...I have you…” he said to the little one as he removed the rocks around her and grabbed her. He then turns his attention to the seven-armed creature. ”We do what we do to survive... he told the giant squid. ”You may go now... and with that, the rocks disappeared around the squid as it fell back into the ocean. The creature was smart enough to take the hint and swam away.

Grawissen walked up to the man on the beach and handed him the child. They both simply stared at each other. Grawissen broke the silence. ”The sea is an unknown place...Best tread lightly when you enter it.” he then turned around and started to walk away.

“Wait!” the man yelled out. “You must be rewarded. Come to our village there surely is something we can give you.”

Grawissen turned back around. ”I require only knowledge… And I assume your village has plenty of that… I will follow.

And with that, they headed off.

[The JoJo]

Avestra, 15/25 AP, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay

Avestra swept down on a westerly wind, taking the form of a jackdaw as she landed on the nearest convenient branch. After some time transversing the sparse regions of the world, she was keen to see how her new followers were getting on.

It didn't take long to find a small group of Crow People gathering supplies at the edge of a clearing. On average, they were a little shorter than their cousins in the Stonesthroe Mountains and wore nothing except a handful of feathers in their hair, the number and size of which seemed to vary according to rank. Their skin was bronzed and rough from years of constant exposure to the elements. In the distance lay their temporary shelters, pyramids of sticks strung together with flexible branches and then covered with a layer of freshly cut ferns.

The men were armed with flint spears and carrying their prize of the day between them, a juvenile deer trussed to a stick. The women carried their babies in one arm and grass baskets of roots and berries in the other, while the children played in a stream nearby. The youngsters used a mixture of hand gestures and speech, and the more perceptive among them seemed to have already noticed the change among the trees.

Avestra took the sky once more, content for the time being. With her eagle eyes, she saw that a small group of Crow hunters had wandered beyond the confines of the forest, apparently in pursuit of large game. It was an unusually bold move for the timid Crow People, but then if they had made that decision, it wasn't Avestra's place to intervene.

[Mira_124]

Opulon, 23/25 AP, Boa Jungle

After successfully speaking to her small group of pygmies, Opulon changes back from the massive, ethereal form. She catches onto a nearby branch as she falls from the air and swings herself up onto it, looking over the trunk of the tree.
'Hm, this will do nicely'.
She places a hand on the tree trunk, feeling the bark against her skin, and wills the small hole she spotted in the wood to open further. Some of the smaller branches and their foliage began to bend towards her, creating a sheltered area half inside and half outside the tree for her to rest in. It was nighttime, finally, and she sorely missed gazing up at the sky. She had been preoccupied with her new surroundings and the people she'd found and had forgotten to commune with the stars for far too long.

With glee, she climbed and teleported herself up through the branches of the tree. In her rush to reach the canopy, Opulon almost lost her footing a few times but quickly she made her way up and threw her head back, a wild laugh escaping her. She spread her arms, which were in the process of becoming massive wings that extended 20 feet from her in either direction. With a whoop of joy, she pushed herself up into the air, her feet shaping themselves into razor-sharp talons longer than a grown man's leg. Her body sprouted feathers as she soared through the air, shaping itself into that of an black owl, dotted with pinpricks of light that let Opulon blend in with the night sky. Gracefully she glides through the sky, feeling the light of the stars on her back, letting their voices wash over her once again. The tidbits of information fill her brain and she revels in the sheer amount of knowledge she is being exposed to.

"...the men are angry..."
"...new magic..."
"...people of the crow..."
"...the miner will never lose his way..."
"...something is beginning..."
"...a storm approaches... the jungle..."
The whispering grows louder at this, all other conversations dying out, only focusing on the news of the oncoming storm. The stars sense a change in the relatively peaceful weather of the jungle. Their whispering turns to chattering and below, animals begin to feel the star's apprehension.

Jolted from her reverie, Opulon lands on the nearest branch in a hurry. Frantically she searches the thousands of thoughts in her mind to find the single thread that mentioned the jungle. Finally finding it, she seizes it and pulls her consciousness towards the flow of information.
"... not just a storm ... something dark brews at its heart ... a greater storm than the jungle has seen ... many creatures will be destroyed ... Boa will be scarred for many ages ... it approaches soon ...

Taking to the skies yet again, Opulon reaches out her mind to the other deities, asking for their help in saving as much as possible.
'The stars tell me of a fast-approaching storm that threatens our jungle. We must act to save it, do I have your help? I dread what might happen to the people and creatures should we fail.'

She lands at the outskirts of the treetop village, appearing as a human in a cloak of stars. With the hood over her face, she looks to the horizon and feels a harsh wind begin to blow, signifying the arrival of the edge of the storm. She calls out in a loud voice, alarming her followers to the danger, and she hears the commotion of the pygmy village preparing for the worst. The sun should be rising, shedding its early morning light on all it touches, but the dark, almost black, storm clouds cover the sky for as far as the eye can see. A sprinkling of rain begins, following the harsh wind, and lightning strikes can be seen in the distance. From behind Opulon comes one of the men who were blessed by Su'ule's magic - N'kolé. He was older, his hair gray, his stance tall but his body was starting to betray him.

"Lady of the Skies, we do not fear the oncoming storm while we are under your protection. We will show our devotion by standing at your side as the rain falls. We are faithful and confident that we will not be harmed", N'kolé speaks, as a handful of other members of the village fan out around him and Opulon.

"I was one of the first ten you showed yourself to and I knew from that instant that you were the blessing we had been asking for for many days. Years ago, a village shaman predicted an oncoming storm that would destroy our home and that its coming would be signalled by an owl in the sky that blocked out the moon. He never told us if there was a way to survive the storm, but now, with you? Our people have no fear".

With the support of her followers all around her, Opulon raises her hands to the sky. She lets out a cry as the ground shakes, a bolt of lightning striking a nearby tree. The pygmies standing with her struggle to keep their footing but right themselves, their eyes affixed on Opulon. The rain begins to fall in full force, quickly soaking everyone through. The small group of men and women scatter for a moment and return with large leaves twined together with vines. They work quickly together to hang the cover in a higher branch, shielding themselves and Opulon from the worst of the rain. Nodding her thanks to them, Opulon sends her awareness out to the storm directly above, willing it to disippate before it succeeds in destroying more of the jungle.

Spoiler: Divine Action

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8 AP/4 DC, change the weather in a state-sized area. +2 Divination, as the stars warned her about the oncoming danger.
15/25 AP left.

For clarification, Opulon is making this purposefully detectable by all other deities. She is trying to change the weather across the jungle, to get rid of the storm. (OOC: Tom, I'm not sure where I was going with "something dark brews at its heart" but feel free to take that where you will. I'll probably expand on it later if possible because that sounds like a fun challenge eventually.)

[The JoJo]

Avestra, 15/25 AP, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay

Avestra had been about to roost in a tree for the night when she heard Opulon's plea, carried by the sea breeze. Though she hadn't had a chance to fully explore Boa Jungle yet, any forest was as good as the one she had chosen to make her home in, and so she decided to lend a little of her power to her fellow deity.

Spoiler: Help

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Avestra helps Opulon avert the storm with +2 nature by calming the winds and scattering the rainclouds to parts of the world where more moisture is needed.

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 17/25 AP, Boa Jungle

Spoiler: Divine Action

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8 AP/4 DC, change the weather in a state-sized area. +2 Divination, as the stars warned her about the oncoming danger.
15/25 AP left.

For clarification, Opulon is making this purposefully detectable by all other deities. She is trying to change the weather across the jungle, to get rid of the storm. (OOC: Tom, I'm not sure where I was going with "something dark brews at its heart" but feel free to take that where you will. I'll probably expand on it later if possible because that sounds like a fun challenge eventually.)

Not many of the jungle pygmies noticed this, what with the prophetic owl circling overhead, but in the dim light of dawn a foreboding silhouette could be distinguished. A great vulture, perched on a distant branch in the emergent treeline. One child in particular became frightened, claiming that she had seen the scavenger's hunched, bulbous head swivel her way, glaring at her with yellow eyes.

Opulon felt the gale of the storm stagnate abruptly, as though some hungry force had sapped the life out if it.

Spoiler: Help!

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Help Opulon banish the storm

+4 Decay, causing the storm to dissipate more rapidly than usual.

Taking the form of a vulture, because apparently birds are in at the moment, Chern will personally yet discretely assist with the banishing of this storm.

[Maryring]

Life is such a fragile thing. Especially at the very beginning. Ymon's blessing has become a curse for all the sadness it ended up causing. If only Petr's domain of healing had been stronger, then perhaps... but such thoughts are pointless. Perhaps the twins of Life and Death will try again. If so, Petr will be there to support. For now, she drifts upon the water. Following the flow from the Stonesthroe Mountains, they watch as the mountains give way to a deep gorge, separating the rocky mountains from lifeless deserts. Extreme temperatures. Sparse vegetation. Even here though, life finds a way to thrive. It's a beautiful thought.

Petra's mind continues to drift with the water. Slowly tall cliffsides and sunscorched ground give way to floodplains and deltas through mud and sand. Life and plants are far more abundant here, and Petra flows across small tidepools, across crabs and tiny fish, where water goes from sweet to brackish as it flows out into the ocean. This far, and no further, the Icewater Lily grows. The ocean is too warm and salty. She takes a seat upon the beach, gazing out at the vast, wonderful blue that covers most of the world. It's a wonderful world, full of life. And it seems such a shame that those who can perceive and appreciate the world around them should be locked only to land...

Nearby a large half-island rests. It is connected to the mainland by a narrow island bridge. In a couple thousand years, the land bridge will have eroded. But for now. it is tied to more solid ground. As if the land itself is taking a tentative step into the ocean. Perhaps... perhaps indeed. It will require assistance, but there are many Gods like Petr around. With their help...

But first there is an urgent cry for aid. Another god requests help to dissipate a storm. And help shall be provided. In the treetops of the jungle can be seen a small, monkeylike creature the brilliant white of pale moonstone. It leaps from treetop to treetop, dragging clouds towards drier lands.

Spoiler: Help

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Providing +2 Water domain assistance to Opulon to stop the storm. Peter will return the water to the earth in a controlled manner.

Spoiler: Opulon

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Once the storm has passed, Peter manifests himself before Opulon, a soft smile on his face as he offers a slight incline of his head in recognition of the fellow immortal's power. "Greetings. I am Peter, the one who grants Healing and Growth, and it is a pleasure to finally meet You proper. I sensed Your touch upon the creation of a new natural law, and in that touch I sensed potential and power both. I wish to request Your assistance in the creation of a sanctuary upon the ocean. An island that can travel the seas, navigating by the stars in the sky."

Spoiler: Grawissen

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Petra approaches Grawissen at night, when all mortals are asleep. She steps out of the moon's reflection upon the ocean, with the seafoam rising up to wrap about her form like a royal gown upon her white frame. "Greetings. I am Petra, the Ocean and the Rivers are My domain. And I come here seeking Your assistance. By Your will, mortals have been gifted the precious potential of magicite. It is that mastery of the earth that I now request of You. Will You please assist me in the creation of a sanctuary upon the ocean?"

Spoiler: Dulnori

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Coalescing out of pearlescent mist, Peter appears by Dulnori. In his hands are a small sample of various pearls gathered from the ocean, offered to the God of Fortune. "Greetings Forger of Fortune. For You I have a prospect which I think You might like. A method for mortals to make masters of this wondrous world. It is My desire to create an island sanctuary upon the waves of the ocean. Will You help My ambitions become reality?"

Spoiler: Avestra

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Petra approaches in the silence of night, when the Crow People sleep, and when Avestra herself is available. Creeping in as the rising morning fog. "Greetings. I am Petra, who brings Water to man and beast alike. I come bearing a request. I wish to create a sanctuary upon the waves. But any proper sanctuary must be able to support life, and there is no life without Nature. Can I count on your benevolence in this endeavour?"

Spoiler: Ymon-Thal

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Before Ymon and Thal, Petr is like water itself. He offers to Ymon a gentle, supporting touch of empathy. And to Thal she offers a proud yet polite nod of acknowledgement. "My apologies dear Ymon, that My aid was not enough. Know that I shall support You again if I am capable. But until such time, I come here with a proposition, and a request for help that... You may perhaps find peculiar." The words linger in the air for a moment. "Would You assist Me and awaken Life to an island sanctuary I wish to create?"

Spoiler: Su'ule

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Petr's meeting with the mother of monsters is brief, and mostly cordial. An introduction of the self, their titles and their domain, and a mention of interest in the law of sorcery, as well as excitement at how it'll develop. As Petr leaves, they let slip mention of their plan to create a sanctuary island.

Spoiler: Action

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12 AP/8 DC: influence a city-sized area:

Petr is going to create a floating island, capable of sustaining life for tens of thousands of mortals. In this task, Petr is hoping to get support from other gods, and is willing to let them have a small say in the end result. The ultimate description of the island will be written when I know who supports, what they want, and if it succeeds.

[Mira_124]

Opulon blinks in surprise as Peter appears in front of her, but she nods in greeting, a smile on her face.
"I felt the touch of your magic on the creation of a new law for mortals as well, I am honored to see you here in front of me. A sanctuary sounds like an interesting proposition, especially if it is able to serve as a lifesaver for those who are lost at sea. I will lend my power to your cause, the stars speaking through me to guide the island. I will allow it to divine the location of any lost mortals, on the waters, who may need aid as well".

Spoiler: Help

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+2 Cosmology, +2 Divination to help Peter create a floating island that can sustain life.
Opulon will use the whispers and magic of the stars to allow the island to navigate by them, her knowledge of the birth of the universe and its parts helping with the actual formation/changes of/to the island, and through divination she allows the island and its inhabitants to know if there is someone on the waters nearby who needs help.

[AlexanderML]

Yir 15/25 AP, Above All, Gazing Below on the Stonesthroe Mountains

The weakling mortals that came to accept it's blessing were able to handle the Highest of Gods gift, their bodies become closer to the purity of IT'S light. They leaped with joy and gave their eternal oaths of fealty to it's benevolence, as both expected and required of those that feel it's glorious light. Pleased, Yir spoke down to them the following message:

"These lands are the closest to MY light, and so are the most holy of lands. By MY will you shall have right over these lands and all lands where you can see these peaks, no other mortal has claim over these lands greater than yours, for you hold an innate MAJESTY that they cannot match. Go out into the world and continue to show me your worthiness, and know that through service in my name, you shall find purity and NOBLE purpose."

The now-less-pathetic mortals seemed to take it's words to heart. As they began talking among themselves, Yir began to think of more on the future.

Spoiler: Divine Action

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Yir's light is naturally closest to the tops of Stonesthroe Mountain, and is so sacred to Yir and it's followers. Sanctifying it seems the appropriate action, though if it fails it doesn't really change that much on how Yir feels about the place. To clarify, I'm aiming to get more than one top of the Stonesthroe Mountain range. On these peaks solar magic is faster to use, though the requirements to use the magic are the same.

Sanctify Area
14 AP/10 DC

---

Yir, Above Boa Jungle and It's Brewing Storm

Yir looked down upon this green land that devours it's light, to the point that only a small portion of it's light reaches the bottom, and even then Yir's own glorious vestige would almost never be seen. The sun felt a mixture of appreciation and... something not right. Leaving that aside, the sun noticed a storm of some sort was destroying this green land, it's dark visage almost balking at Yir's light. This would not stand.

Yir spoke down onto the jungle, though only those near the storm would actually be able to hear what the sun spoke:

"I am Yir, the light above all that gives this land life. And by MY will, darkness shall not consume the life of this land."

The light of the sun shined down in a bright column for a moment, cutting through the brewing mass of the storm and violently disrupting it.

Spoiler: Reaction

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Yir will add it's +2 Sun modifier to aid the eradication of the storm, through proto-sun beams (version 1.0 is still in the making...) used to disrupt the storm's gathering current. Whether this single thrust is actually majorly helping is a little debatable.

[Demonjazz]

Alatadriel:15/25AP

There was a hum on Ebonbark Bay. An unmistakable taste to the air as the unnamed tribes hunted and foraged the bay. Many were discontent with their new ruler; used to the old ways of owing only yourself and the community. Now there was a need to appease the gods and goddesses. No one had dared to question these powerful beings and the old guard said that it was only just that they follow this fox god but despite her beauty.
Alatadriel sat carefully grooming her tails, surrounded by a small assembly of foxes and Hua-Ling surrounding her. As she conversed with the creatures, others worked tirelessly.
It was often hard to see the reason behind this particular arrangement.

It was the end of the season and the cold was starting to settle in harshly, the hides of deer adorning the bodies of the Al-Sinai people. A brave and courageous fisherman brought in a mighty bounty from the sea, but still, some wondered if they would be losing members this winter. Most of their harvest was flown away in a flood that had washed throughout the plain. All hurried around the camp to gather the last they could forage before the end of the season.

Leader of the Tribe, Khan Ormotag was the first to approach the fox leader. He kneeled. "Beautiful, and Iridescent Leader. May I humbly request your assistance?"
Alatadriel uncrossed her legs as she looked down at Ormotag. "It is the food situation, correct?"
"Yes, we were wondering if your foxes would be of help in gathering the fruits, and nuts of the area."
She rested her hand on her cheek. "Sadly, I don't think it would help all that much. You can't gather what isn't there. Not that it would help all that much either. I will tell them to gather what root vegetables they can. I fear that we may not have enough for the harvest festival this year, Ormotag. Certainly not enough for Winter Solstice, Shame. I do love a good Winter Solstice, almost as good as Summer Solstice."
"I do not mean to insult, milady. But I believe there are more pressing matters at hand. If the game is not good this year. I doubt our elderly and young will be able to make it to spring, my goddess."
"I typically would not use my-" Alatadriel stopped as a fox approached. A series of yips and barks were conversed between the two before Alatadriel turned back to Khan Ormotag. "Ready your warriors! My scouts have spotted armed barbarians approaching from the South!" Alatadriel hurried around the camp barking orders.

The generals of Al-Sinai and Alatadriel had filled each other on the situation. The Forest People had not been seen for many seasons on their land, but there was a rumor that since a great fire in the South that they had started to take back some of their old lands and hunt once more on the lands that they once ruled. Now fifteen broad and built Neanderthals had been on a direct path towards the waters of their tribe all armed with flint spears. Alatadriel led her troops to the crest of a hill.
Her troops with spear and shield in hand waited expectantly. "Careful, The Southern Brutes are a fierce lot. They have no fear, they fight completely naked." The Captain said.
"Bah! I doubt the savages even know how to make clothes! They know of nothing but instinct and the hunt. We're doing a favor by killing them!" The lieutenant spat.
"Don't underestimate your opponent," Alatadriel said, standing tall on the hill. The Hua-Ling sat at her beck and call. She gave a hand sign and her fox brethren sped off into the forest. Within minutes fire could be seen at the bottom of the hill. "Steel yourselves!" Alatadriel shouted. The soldiers could see the neanderthals run towards them as they were encircled with flames. "READY YOUR WEAPONS!" The rehearsed sound of shields being raised and spears bared high. The neanderthals were only thirty feet away now. "RELEASE!" A volley of spears zipped through the sky, in the tight battlefield of the forest many were taken by the trees but the small vanguard fell to the obsidian spears of The Sinalese. They were quickly replaced by the six hulking hairbacks of the rear that crashed into the shields of the Al-Sinai tribe.
The superior strength of the hairbacks sent a shock through the line, knocking over several men, but they were quickly replaced with those behind them spears ready to strike. The skirmish ended quickly as the Neanderthals were overwhelmed by the superior numbers and weapons of their enemy.

Alatadriel had waved her hand and the flames of the forest vanished. She took stock of the dead. Two dead on her side, and one hua-ling. All dead on their side except one unlucky man whose leg was simply broken. They had propped him up against the tree as Alatadriel questioned him. The Al-Sinai could not understand the tongue of the Southern Brutes but a god may understand anyone.
"Do you mind explaining why you were trespassing on Al-Sinai land?"
"It isn't your land! It belonged to The Crow People before you brought fires into the valley!"
"Please, don't test my patience. It was trespassing nonetheless."
The soldier sat in silence before answering. "We were a hunting party. We tracked a big game into this area. Real Big game. Winter is coming soon, and we did not think you would see us. When you attacked us we had no choice but to fight."
"Is that so? You wished to take from our lands as we are in famine?"
"We starve worse than you! You push us towards nothing! You take and take until there is nothing left!"
"And here you lie, accusing starving masses of stealing. My people will not be blamed for your failures. Would you like to say any more lies before we are finished?"
"Avestra will protect our people. She will not stand for this."
Alatadriel's eye twitched as she brought forth flames for her hand. "Who is Avestra?"
"The protector of our people. The great bird which takes to the skies. Protector of nature. She will stop your tallheads from devouring the land."
"Hmmph. An upstart challenging me. We will see how your god protects you in the next life." Alatadriel brought the fire closer. "How would you like to die?"
"Cut off my head and leave my body to the birds." The man braced himself saying prayers to his avian goddess as Alatadriel formed a blade of fire. "As you wish." Were the last words that he heard as the blade tore through his neck. Alatadriel took his body into her hands and jumped high into the trees, resting the body on the branches. "Earth to Earth, Dust to Dust, Ashes to Ashes. I offer your soul to the birds so that it may find release. Ka take you."

Alatadriel dropped down to see her people mourning over the loss of their warriors. "The prisoner said they were hunters. Poaching our lands."
"The Hairbacks lie! That is all they have ever done! They were planning an invasion! That was just a scouting party! They plan an invasion of our lands!" The Lieutenant shouted.
Alatadriel set her hand on the man's shoulder. "I think they are telling the truth. The Hua-Ling have reported no fires near the camps and," She pointed not far from the bodies of the hairbacks. "Tracks of an elephant. The brutes were either desperate or had never fought such a creature before, but there was large game here."
The Captain calmed his soldiers as they started to make rebukes. He squared his shoulders as he approached the goddess. "The Southern Brutes could never handle such a creature, but that does not fill our bellies or revive our soldiers! Why have you not helped our tribe with your mighty power, yet! You could have stopped these deaths"
Alatadriel face grew into a frown. "I don't like being accused."
"I did not mean to speak out of tu-"
"No, it is fine soldier. Because even a woman of my great power cannot be everywhere at once. Cannot save you from every fight and save your harvests. Metal must be worked to create tools. Adversity must be used to work men. A student learns nothing if they are given the answers."
Alatadriel caressed the Captain's cheek. "Now tell me student. What must be done to reprimand the Southern Brutes?"
"We must... Take from them which they wished to take from us."
"Ah, see. You are learning. Sanya, and Yifrum's deaths will not be in vain. For we will feast greatly tonight. But first, we mourn."

Alatadriel approached the bodies and clapped her hands together. The fallen of the Al-Sinai burst into flames as she started a prayer. "The flame is the soul's breath. The black smoke is the soul's release. Ashes as thou wert and art. May your souls return to the great flame of fire. You will be remembered. Al take you." As she finished the flames petered out, the embers being blown into the wind; catching against the bright lights of the night sky.

The village of the Crow People was primitive in comparison to that of the Al-Sinai with only temporary dwellings. Yet still their primitive defenses would prove a fortress to an army of the stone age. "I offer my foxes to you, Captain. I trust that you will be able to pull this off. " To the south were the food stores, and to the north was the distractionary target. A raised dais of rocks, a large effigy of a crow hanging over that of an offering. A small pile of polished rocks of many different colors. Flanked on both sides by dry straw huts.
A single hua-ling approached as everyone slept. Carefully, the creature gathered small pieces of straw in from the huts and piled them near the effigy of crow. Footsteps were heard as he piled more on. A man stumbled his way past the boundaries of the tribe mumbling to himself in his own tongue. They did not seem to notice the straw as the hua-ling got back to it's work. A small hole being made in the primitive stick huts. The fox breathed a small flame onto the kindling as they dashed off into the jungle.

Elsewhere, five men sat crouched not far from the communal storage of food. Two guards stood watch over the food to protect it from any scavengers that may wish to prey on the tribe. It took for what seemed to the five men an eternity for The Southern Brutes to notice the fire as the effigy started to lick at the huts. But it was not long until the two guardsmen had left their posts when the tribe started to panic. gathering clay jugs they ran to the river to quench the flame. The five men moved in quick, two gathering the remains of a large elk between themselves. The third and fourth soldiers carrying baskets of foraged fruits and vegetables, the fifth dual-handing two large clay jugs as they exited the path.
The men were almost disappearing into the trees as a woman going to the stores to gather more clay vessels shouted out to the rest of her tribe. Three burly hunters gathering spears ran towards the thieves as they ventured further and further into the jungle in the distance.
The pursuit was on as the hunters threw their spears into the forest of the bay as the thieves ran wildly further and further in, being slowed down by their large rewards the hunters were inevitable to catch up to their prey, but they were not going to make that easy.
As the prey journeyed further into the forest, they jumped over a dip in the ground. The two carrying the remains of an elk fell to the ground, but just as their pursurers neared, a holler went out. The rest of the soldiers came forth from the ditch chucking their spears into the hunters of the Southern Brutes.

As the soldiers who were sent out in the mid of day had come back bearing great prizes on their backs, the fires were lit as they settled down tired from the day's worth of work. One thief who poured the contents of a clay pitcher into a wooden bowl seemed happier than the others. "A caper like that requires a real celebration." The young soldier drank a long draught from the bowl. "But lucky for you, I nabbed their wine while I was at it!"

A lapse of judgement, i figure, can be pretty fun. And so the party goes on and on.

Spoiler: Action

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Influence a village of mortals. 6AP/3DC.
Alatadriel renews the faith of her people by proving their military might, and the wisdom of her leadership. In the process she has killed numerous Crow People.
+2 for the many uses of fire, and another +2 for the many uses of foxes.

[Batcathat]

Ymon-Thal, 19/25 AP, Boa Jungle

His attempted miracle – and, honestly, demonstration of power – having fallen to pieces around him both of Ymon-Thal was upset. Time had passed but the sense of loss and failure lingered.

"Aww", Ymon said, doing some aerial acrobatics high above the jungle but without his usual energy. "It would have been so fun... "

Thal hovered in the air, next to his livelier self. "Indeed. While death was always their destination I had another journey in mind."

Still, it was a valuable lesson. Even with the help of another, Ymon-Thal acting with only half of his power had been unwise. His next attempt would...

Their thought was interrupted by Petr manifesting in front of them. In response to the kind words Ymon – never one for suitable responses or personal spaces – patted Petr on the head.

"A peculiar request indeed", Thal responded, despite the question clearly being directed at Ymon.

"Yes, yeah, that sounds like a good idea", Ymon added. "I can help. A long life for all on the island!"

"We are one and we act as one", Thal said. "A long life – and a swift death."

Spoiler: Help

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Ymon-Thal adds the power of both life and death to Petr's attempted creation. +4
If it suceeds the inhabitants of the island will live unsually long lives (not supernaturally so, just a little longer than average) but there will also be a slightly higher amount of premature deaths.

As the Twin God both added their will to Petr's, the thought from earlier finished forming in their shared mind.

Ymon spoke first. "Now we need your help again, great healer. A grand miracle! A big surprise! Healing the unhealable!"

As Ymon explained to Petr what they had in mind Thal stayed in the background, distracted by something. A sense of... rot? Decay?

He followed the feeling through the storming sky. Even before the masked man came into view Thal knew it was yet another god, having felt an echo of his power through the creation of sorcery.

"Greetings", Thal said, while Ymon appeared next to him, curiously eyeing the unknown deity. "We are Ymon-Thal, Twin God of Life and Death."

Thal paused a moment before continuing. "I have a proposal I suspect would suit your... character. To show the world that no one is safe from death and decay."

Shortly thereafter Ymon-Thal once more let his power flow out to touch every mortal within his reach. No pregnancies this time – just a grand display of the unexpectedness of both life and death. He could sense thousands of people on their death bed for a hundred different reasons. Whether from wounds or sickness Ymon gave them each a spark of life. Not enough to completely cure or heal, but to keep them alive long enough to get better on their own.

Ymon tried to speak through the lips of the hopefully no longer dying: "Ymon-Thal is life. No one is beyond his reach."

As life flew in one direction, death flew in the other. Thousands of humans, pygmies and Neanderthals at the peak of health and life. Thal sensed them and like a myriad of candles with much left to burn he attempted to blow them out.

With their hopefully final breath, they echoed Thal's words: "Ymon-Thal is death. No one is beyond his reach."

Spoiler: Action!

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Influence a city of mortals (12 AP/8 DC)
+ 2 from Life, + 2 from Death
Ymon-Thal is attempting to stop about 50 000 deaths from happening as well as end 50 000 lives prematurely. As with my previous (attempted) action I'm not targetting any group in particular, just as many as Ymon-Thal can reach. If someone want a life-save or sudden death to happen to one of "their" mortals feel free to do so (assuming the action suceeds) but if not it can happen to off screen mortals.
If someone else is interested in helping I'm sure we can work something out.

[Godzillarich]

Grawissen: Speaker of the Forgotten, Ebonbark Bay

9/25 AP

It had been about a week since the incident at the shore, there apparently was a celebration going on around the village. Grawissen looked on curiously, while he had a pretty good basic understanding of these humans they still had many secrets. ”Why are you humans moving weirdly...?”

The chieftain simply smiled, “they are celebrating, It is harvest season. a time where we can gather food so we can eat later.” beside the chieftain was the little girl that Grawissen saved about a week ago.

Grawissen listen with fascination ”seasons...? How can you tell when the seasons change...?”

“Simple” the chief said as he pointed to the sky. “We look at the sky, we feel the weather. When the dates become shorter and it becomes colder we are able to harvest our food.

”I see…”Grawissen thought to himself, pulling metal out of his rib cage. ”I must make a mental note of this fact... he then placed the metal into the chieftains hand. ”Here is my payment…. I am sorry to pester you weeks on end....”

The chieftain put the large metal chunk onto the ground. “You’re not being a bother, I oh you so much the thing for you already and this material is great for our jewelry.” he continued to walk with Grawissen. “How long are you staying by the way?”

” until was nothing left alone here...” Grawissen told the chieftain.

The the chieftain smiled, “We have plenty of that around here, not you excuse me I got a ritual to do.” and with that, he walked into the crowd of dancing people.

Grawissen watch the festival go on for hours, gaining much knowledge from their exploits. ”I must pay them back… a better way than just metal…”

Spoiler: action

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6 AP/3 DC: influence a village of mortals (~1000), +2 knowledge, this village will develop a love of knowledge and gain the skill of writing to pass down that knowledge. +2 mining, they will gain the skills to excavate those shiny rocks that they like so much. +2 architecture, they will develop impressive building skills of the generations to build fantastic structures.

______________

Spoiler: Grawissen

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Petra approaches Grawissen at night, when all mortals are asleep. She steps out of the moon's reflection upon the ocean, with the seafoam rising up to wrap about her form like a royal gown upon her white frame. "Greetings. I am Petra, the Ocean and the Rivers are My domain. And I come here seeking Your assistance. By Your will, mortals have been gifted the precious potential of magicite. It is that mastery of the earth that I now request of You. Will You please assist me in the creation of a sanctuary upon the ocean?"

Another one of the said gods, like him. Like most of his actions he thought about it for a bit. ”I will help, but I will make sure that the island is a place of sanctuary and knowledge and not destruction.”

Spoiler: help

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+ 2 Mining, the island will have an expansive cave system with much new knowledge and materials, +2 structures the island will be a wonderful architecture, from its mountains to its forests, +2 knowledge, the place will contain much knowledge and will attract people far and wide to gain that knowledge.”

__________________

[DarthArminius]

Life is such a fragile thing. Especially at the very beginning. Ymon's blessing has become a curse for all the sadness it ended up causing. If only Petr's domain of healing had been stronger, then perhaps... but such thoughts are pointless. Perhaps the twins of Life and Death will try again. If so, Petr will be there to support. For now, she drifts upon the water. Following the flow from the Stonesthroe Mountains, they watch as the mountains give way to a deep gorge, separating the rocky mountains from lifeless deserts. Extreme temperatures. Sparse vegetation. Even here though, life finds a way to thrive. It's a beautiful thought.

Petra's mind continues to drift with the water. Slowly tall cliffsides and sunscorched ground give way to floodplains and deltas through mud and sand. Life and plants are far more abundant here, and Petra flows across small tidepools, across crabs and tiny fish, where water goes from sweet to brackish as it flows out into the ocean. This far, and no further, the Icewater Lily grows. The ocean is too warm and salty. She takes a seat upon the beach, gazing out at the vast, wonderful blue that covers most of the world. It's a wonderful world, full of life. And it seems such a shame that those who can perceive and appreciate the world around them should be locked only to land...

Nearby a large half-island rests. It is connected to the mainland by a narrow island bridge. In a couple thousand years, the land bridge will have eroded. But for now. it is tied to more solid ground. As if the land itself is taking a tentative step into the ocean. Perhaps... perhaps indeed. It will require assistance, but there are many Gods like Petr around. With their help...

But first there is an urgent cry for aid. Another god requests help to dissipate a storm. And help shall be provided. In the treetops of the jungle can be seen a small, monkeylike creature the brilliant white of pale moonstone. It leaps from treetop to treetop, dragging clouds towards drier lands.

Spoiler: Help

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Providing +2 Water domain assistance to Opulon to stop the storm. Peter will return the water to the earth in a controlled manner.

Spoiler: Opulon

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Once the storm has passed, Peter manifests himself before Opulon, a soft smile on his face as he offers a slight incline of his head in recognition of the fellow immortal's power. "Greetings. I am Peter, the one who grants Healing and Growth, and it is a pleasure to finally meet You proper. I sensed Your touch upon the creation of a new natural law, and in that touch I sensed potential and power both. I wish to request Your assistance in the creation of a sanctuary upon the ocean. An island that can travel the seas, navigating by the stars in the sky."

Spoiler: Grawissen

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Petra approaches Grawissen at night, when all mortals are asleep. She steps out of the moon's reflection upon the ocean, with the seafoam rising up to wrap about her form like a royal gown upon her white frame. "Greetings. I am Petra, the Ocean and the Rivers are My domain. And I come here seeking Your assistance. By Your will, mortals have been gifted the precious potential of magicite. It is that mastery of the earth that I now request of You. Will You please assist me in the creation of a sanctuary upon the ocean?"

Spoiler: Dulnori

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Coalescing out of pearlescent mist, Peter appears by Dulnori. In his hands are a small sample of various pearls gathered from the ocean, offered to the God of Fortune. "Greetings Forger of Fortune. For You I have a prospect which I think You might like. A method for mortals to make masters of this wondrous world. It is My desire to create an island sanctuary upon the waves of the ocean. Will You help My ambitions become reality?"

Spoiler: Avestra

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Petra approaches in the silence of night, when the Crow People sleep, and when Avestra herself is available. Creeping in as the rising morning fog. "Greetings. I am Petra, who brings Water to man and beast alike. I come bearing a request. I wish to create a sanctuary upon the waves. But any proper sanctuary must be able to support life, and there is no life without Nature. Can I count on your benevolence in this endeavour?"

Spoiler: Ymon-Thal

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Before Ymon and Thal, Petr is like water itself. He offers to Ymon a gentle, supporting touch of empathy. And to Thal she offers a proud yet polite nod of acknowledgement. "My apologies dear Ymon, that My aid was not enough. Know that I shall support You again if I am capable. But until such time, I come here with a proposition, and a request for help that... You may perhaps find peculiar." The words linger in the air for a moment. "Would You assist Me and awaken Life to an island sanctuary I wish to create?"

Spoiler: Action

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Petr is going to create a floating island, capable of sustaining life for thousands of mortals. In this task, Petr is hoping to get support from other gods, and is willing to let them have a small say in the end result. The ultimate description of the island will be written when I know who supports, what they want, and if it succeeds.

Su'ule noticed that one of her siblings, as she saw them, requested help. . . Dictating the laws of reality were part of what the gods can do. Su'ule was one of them. Thus, she would see to it that the other god's plan to create a large island capable of sustaining life to a great degree would succeed. With her eyes, a magical energy began to glow as she swam in the waves of the seas where the island would grow. Su'ule cut herself as she swam in the waters, with a simple cutting motion of her right clawed hand, and within the waters of the island, some of her monstrous kind would flock. As the island stood, when Su'ule created monsters, they would sometimes be attracted to the island, and wish to live there in greater numbers than elsewhere. In addition, her magical blood suffused the land, making sorcery of Su'ule easier to use.

Help

Spoiler

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+2 Monsters, +2 Sorcery, she magically combines her blood with the water the island raises out of, which enchants the land to both attract her peculiar creatures, and acts as an empowering reagent for her spells.

[Maryring]

Spoiler: Ymon-Thal + Help

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"Of course. I will be more than happy to offer you my assistance in this. A renewed lease upon life. May they use this blessing well." Offering +2 Healing domain support to Ymon's attempt to revitalize those at death's door. They shall find that any medicine used will be quite a bit more potent than they expect it to be.

Spoiler: Grawissen

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"Then We are of one mind. When mortalkind is granted access to step upon the island, it shall be with peace in heart, and wisdom in mind."

As Petr works on the creation of the sanctuary, they notice an unknown, but not entirely unwelcome, presence drift closer to the island. From where Petr directs towering waves to deposit mud and sand upon the island, they feel a powerful presence within the waves. They taste the bleeding essence shed that will make the land sweet with magic. A blessing, but also a curse. The presence of monster may pose a threat to mortalkind to live upon the island. A problem, but all problems do have solutions.

Spoiler: Kahar-Djin

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"Kahar-Djin. You who gave the cry of Su'ule shape and structure. I am Petra, the one who brings sweet rain to parched grounds. It is a pleasure to make Your acquaintance. I come to You pleading assistance." With permission, Petra guides Kahar-Djin's perception to her project. A steadily growing island sanctuary which reeks with the power of Sorcery. "This I hope to make a gift to mortalkind. A sanctuary for them to thrive within. Alas, our fellow divine, Su'ule, has blessed the island with Her essence. It has become a beacon, one that will draw worthy and unworthy alike. So I ask You. Help Me create a Threshold around the island to separate and shield it. Let only those who know the Path and hold the Key pass Your Treshold. Will you please give me this support?"

Spoiler: Vreyalas

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"Vreyalas. You who gave Sorcery direction of power and enhancement. I am Peter, the Flowermaker, who gifted the Stonesthroe rivers with the icewater lily. I have watched mortals use the flower as a remedy, and I have found it especially well utilized by a community who owe their existence as thanks to You. Your gift of community is inspiring, and so I come to You with a challenge and a request both." The sanctuary island is shown. It's air thick with Su'ule's essence. A beacon to lure in monsters. "This I hoped would be a sanctuary for mortalkind. As it is, it may become the opposite. A battleground between monster and man. But Your blessing may help stagger this fate. I ask You. Give the Sanctuary a sense of Community. If monsters are to seek this out as a home, make this a place where mortal and monster may live together."

[Godzillarich]

Spoiler: Vreyalas

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Ebonbark Bay

Vreyalas appeared before Grawissen as a silvered woman.

"Speaker of the Forgotten! I am called Vreyalas. It seems we may be able to work together.

Under my guidance, mortals on the Stonesthroe Mountains have formed a society, where together they prosper more than any of them could have alone. And yet... it rests upon wood. A concept so... temporary. I've seen the holes you have dug and metals you pulled from the earth, and that you showed mortals to do the same. I wish that my humans learn this, so that their houses be stronger, and last longer, and so that they do not fear the biting wind and blowing snow.

But I do not come empty handed. I have seen that you seek understanding of this world: a noble goal. A greater understanding leads to prosperity. The mortals in my domain, my... society, can grow old. And before they die, they can pass what they know on to their children. And them onto their children. Because each needn't focus on surviving, mortals can preserve knowledge from one generation to the next. Not only this, but they may share what they know with each other. A hundred, a thousand people working together to understand. And though some may die, the collective does not forget.

I propose that exchange: I show your people to form collectives, and you show mine to reap the metals and stones of the earth."

He was quite frankly a little bit annoyed he knew so little about this world yet this strange being would know so much about him, but at the same time Grawissen was always excited to meet a new face, ”It depends, this will only be used to help the creatures of this world and preserve knowledge?”

Vreyalas steepled her fingers for a moment in thought.
"The motivations of the creatures of this world are many: I cannot say how they will use this skill. But I can say this: I have watched them build Theshana against adversity. I have seen them grow to care and love one another. The arts of stone and metal will only raise this up.
"Moreover, metal and stone remember where wood and oral histories forget. They seek to preserve what they have for longer than it takes the trees that comprise their homes to rot."

Grawissen then let out his hand, ”Fine but I’ll be watching…

Vreyalas smiles and shakes the offered hand. "I expect no less. I, and these mortals, are in your debt. I will teach them to pay you some homage as well."

With a flash of light, Vreyalas left the God's forge, eager with plans for the future

[Garjel_blah]

Ymon-Thal, 19/25 AP, Boa Jungle

As Ymon explained to Petr what they had in mind Thal stayed in the background, distracted by something. A sense of... rot? Decay?

He followed the feeling through the storming sky. Even before the masked man came into view Thal knew it was yet another god, having felt an echo of his power through the creation of sorcery.

"Greetings", Thal said, while Ymon appeared next to him, curiously eyeing the unknown deity. "We are Ymon-Thal, Twin God of Life and Death."

Thal paused a moment before continuing. "I have a proposal I suspect would suit your... character. To show the world that no one is safe from death and decay."

Spoiler: Action!

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Influence a city of mortals (12 AP/8 DC)
+ 2 from Life, + 2 from Death
Ymon-Thal is attempting to stop about 50 000 deaths from happening as well as end 50 000 lives prematurely. As with my previous (attempted) action I'm not targetting any group in particular, just as many as Ymon-Thal can reach. If someone want a life-save or sudden death to happen to one of "their" mortals feel free to do so (assuming the action suceeds) but if not it can happen to off screen mortals.
If someone else is interested in helping I'm sure we can work something out.

Chern gazed up at Thal from his faintly luminous hole. He bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, half-god. I am grateful that you would seek me out, for you are the first to do so! No one wants to visit Chern or his humble hole..."

Chern scrambled out of the hole, moving like a cockroach. He stood at Thal's level

"However, you are mistaken if you think my character to be that of a death god. Decay is not simply a facet of death. If anything, life and death are facets of decay, for life needs the decaying dead to grow, and when it dies, it's decay feeds the next life, and the cycle perpetuates! A beautiful cycle, forever and ever."

The Wiltwatcher appeared wistful for a moment.

"But I see that Ymon is ensuring this balance. Together you are creating life as well as death. This is Chern's wisdom, and so I shall humbly offer what help I can."

Spoiler: Help!

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Help Ymon-Thal kill and save 100k mortals

+4 decay, to momentarily push the cycle of life and death into overdrive.

[gac3]

Timorin 15 AP/Lucent Arppeggio

Timorin spends time enjoying watching his pigmies embrace the madness of the crowns spell. It quickly became apparent however that his toys would soon all be broken and the fun would end.

So after one particularly brutal conflict he once again revealed himself to the pigmies after having snatched up the crown when it was sent flying.

In the form of an ancient pigmie, the same form he originally showed himself as, he began to speak.

"I see you have not understood my gift that I have given you. I am quite disappointed. This crown is not for you. It is for the chosen one who shall rule over you one day. Do not lay a hand upon the crown for it's magics are unstable in the wrong hands. But one day a being from a far off land shall arrive and take the crown upon their head and no one shall be compelled to serve them or to kill them. That is the one who shall be chosen to rule over you and lead you to the greatness you all strive for. So invite all you can to this island and gift them with this crown. Those who are unworthy of its power shall perish the way all before them have. Do not disappoint me again."

He placed the crown on a rock at the center of the island and walked away. They would listen. They would likely build their whole society around his words. If all goes according to plan, they will grow and their war prowess will grow. People will come who are more powerful and more numerous but they will be saved by the crown. The leader of anny attacking force will be gifted the crown and within days, he will be slain by all those loyal servants he brought with him. Then the Pigmies would inherit the weapons and technology brought to the island.

Not sure that the pigmies would still manage to thrive, he shrugged and set sail across the water to new lands. He would check in on these pigmies often but for now, he felt the makings of a storm brewing.

Spoiler: Action

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Action: Influence 1000 mortals. 6AP, DC3 (Autosuccess should be?): Create "Cult of the Mad God"
+2 Drama/+2 War for the strategies he gifted them as he left. Should they maintain his goals in mind, they will become fierce warriors and every visit to their island will be filled with drama.

[DarthArminius]

Su'ule
5/25 AP

Su'ule, after helping to raise the island of Petr, returned to the Maw. . .
Inside Neanderthal caves, whoever was born in a certain location, located inside an abnormally large clearing inside the naturally occurring rock formations, Su'ule enchanted it. Whomever would be born inside and near that location would be born a natural born magic user. Over a hundred Neanderthals, part of a certain tribe, all found themselves setting near the area, and using the locally enchanted caverns as shelter, and as a sort of make shift temple.

Spoiler

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-4 AP Influence a somewhat large area. Only one spell or magical trait is usable by each person born under the influenced location.

[Artemis P]

Nestellbam, Harken Steppe, AP 23/25

As the wave crashed over, leaving drops like dew across the world, Nestellbam awoke slowly. It was an agonizing process, as the fibers of his being seemed frayed, each edge just a little less him, a little more other. The world seemed different, smelled different, than he remembered. As if something had changed, as of he had changed- he worriedly checked himself, and his surroundings, fearfully discovering that the echoes of power had indeed warped and twisted the world, though it seemed as if his instinctive reaction had lessened the impact on him, and his people. He was frayed- not whole, not complete- changed!

Changed! Changed! the deity thought! I am different! And with that, it let out a shout of its own, an echo of the one before, an echo of mourning and sadness, for what once was, was no longer, and could never be again.

While checking itself, it had detected a presence, one who had meddled with it's affairs, showing a divinity not unlike his own, talking to the people who rightfully worshipped him. In his barrier, he had neglected his faithful, and now they gave respects to another. Now, in his rage, in his jealousy, he flew to that presence, that being, in his territory, who had talked to his people. And as he flew, he observed the mighty metal that had been given to his people, and the strange device cured from buffalo hide, that allowed the spear to be thrown farther. And he saw that it was good.

He approached the deity, and yelled in his anger "Who are you, to have beseeched my people this way?"

And the being, taking the shape of a twisting, horridly changing, windswept being of chaos and sand, replied "I am Dulnori. They answered the challenge, and received my blessing."

"I am Nestellbam. I am the god of the eternal, the undending, the rememberance, the peacekeeper. These people, whom you have given much too, they were my people. I am their protector. I take them under my responsibility. He speaks in a serious tone, channeling all of his anger and ferocity into these words, but also the strength of the immovable.

And then, all of a sudden, his voice changes. "And I thank you. You have given them a gift, and made their lives better- though, I am admittedly concerned for how this technology may change them." With that, he bows his head in humility, and thanks.

"However, that is not why I have come," he adds, after a moment. "This magic, that is here now, was not there before. It has changed things, and what was, will never be again. Gone, and destroyed. I seek to prevent this from happening again. This land is mostly untainted. I will claim it for my own. This is my warning to you."

Without waiting for a reply, Nestellbam dives deep into the Earth, and, without warning, begins the process of imbuing the Earth with his power, with divine might and authority, packing it in deeper and slowing the process of the decay of the soil, till it echoes of something solid and unending.

Spoiler: Action

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Nestellbam has begun the process of sanctifying the Harken Steppe in his name, hallowing it to forever be the same as it is now. +4 Preservation, DC 10.

Spoiler: Opulon

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Nestellbam heard the cry of the divinity, and added his own might to the forest, making it stronger and more rigid, so as not to blow over in the storm.
Help: +4 Action

[El'the Ellie]

With the assistance of Grawissen's knowledge, Vreyalas returns to the Stonesthroe Mountains. Touching the ground around Theshana, she feels for the presence of metals and stone deposits that normally formed readily in her hand. The mountainous terrain was rich in resources for her people. Yes, this would work.

She returned to the town, once again taking on the golem form. Theshana had grown in her absence. "Mortals of Theshana, your devotion and work has been rewarded, as promised! Theshana is strong in its people, but the city itself is fragile. These walls and houses of wood rot, in time. They do not protect you from the biting wind. I have seen when bears and other beasts of the valley smell your food, and how they knock down the storehouses. I bring to you a solution, but as with all things, it requires great cooperation. This skill I teach you will be demanding, and dangerous. It comes from another god: Grawissen. Just as you pray to me, so too should you hold that name holy when mining.

Go forth to the valley west of here, where the grass is marked by my symbol, and dig in the ground. Past the loose dirt in which you plant your crops, you will find the hard stone of the mountains. Pray to me and Grawissen there, and you will see how to break this stone and shape it into tools, blocks for walls, and whatever your minds can create. The earth holds many secrets: in time you shall reveal them all."

Spoiler: Action

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Spending 6 AP to influence a town of mortals. A smaller group from Theshana will understand the skill of mining, and will teach it to their descendants. Theshana will have proper crafting of stone tools and buildings.

From Grawissen: + 2 Mining, they will become skilled in mining raw materials from the earth +2 structures they will be able to use those materials to build amazing structures, +2 knowledge, they will have keen knowledge of of the world around them and pass that knowledge down through the generations.

No sooner had the god left his people, then a new divine found him.

"Vreyalas. You who gave Sorcery direction of power and enhancement. I am Peter, the Flowermaker, who gifted the Stonesthroe rivers with the icewater lily. I have watched mortals use the flower as a remedy, and I have found it especially well utilized by a community who owe their existence as thanks to You. Your gift of community is inspiring, and so I come to You with a challenge and a request both." The sanctuary island is shown. It's air thick with Su'ule's essence. A beacon to lure in monsters. "This I hoped would be a sanctuary for mortalkind. As it is, it may become the opposite. A battleground between monster and man. But Your blessing may help stagger this fate. I ask You. Give the Sanctuary a sense of Community. If monsters are to seek this out as a home, make this a place where mortal and monster may live together."

"Peter, is it? It seems this land is rife with other divinity. I've seen these lilies, and I must say I admire the way they bring peace to the mortals here."

He listens to the healing god as they walk through the snowy woods of the mountains. Vreyalas admires a colony of ants crawling along a tree while deep in thought.

"Mortals and monsters living together? It is... against their nature. These monstrous beings serve to test and raise up people. In turn the people keep in check the power and pride of monsters.

But... why should that be the case everywhere? We are the architects of this world, are we not? Yes... it will be an experiment. I will see what I can do!" He claps his hands, the wheels in his golem mind turning.

"I will ask for your help in the future, in exchange. For now, lead me to this sanctuary."

Once at the island, Vreyalas ponders his task. How to turn natural enemies into allies? He studied the area, and gradually began to forge a spell. Into the stones of the island he worked the seeds of society, that world grow in the minds of the creatures that gathered here. The longer one spent on the island, the more they would see those that live beside them as allies, despite whatever inclinations they might have in other parts of the world.

Spoiler

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Lending Community domain to add +2 to the check.

[The JoJo]

Avestra, 15/25 AP, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay

Avestra opened a single eye and stared at Petra from her perch, as if considering her. Finally she spoke.

"I am Avestra. It is a pleasure to finally meet another one of our kind in person." She tilted her head in thought. "I will help you build this sanctuary, provided that it will not take more than is necessary from the seas around it. I can provide for that."

~

The next morning, Avestra took a long journey across the ocean, considering each island in turn as a potential home, but none quite struck her fancy. The first was too barren, the second too prone to flooding, and the third contained a large number of pygmies all fighting over a sculpted band of wood, which seemed entertaining but not a place to make her nest.

That evening, as she flew back over Sunset Forest, she saw to her dismay that smoke was rising from deep within the forest. She took the form of a small falcon and dived down, unprepared for what she would find next.

The Crow settlement had been almost entirely gutted by fire. Her shrine had long since turned to ash, as had most of the temporary shelters. Many of the charred bodies which remained were pierced with spear points which were far more sophisticated than the Crow People's own rough flint tools. Outsiders. The survivors had gathered some distance away, still attending to the wounded and ensuring that the flames spread no further.

Avestra let out a cry of anguish, reverberating through the entire forest. Loss was nothing new to her -- nature, after all, was red in tooth and claw -- but the strength of these beings' feelings was like nothing she had ever felt before. The agony of a burned hunter who had tried in vain to put out the flames. The sorrow of a young widow, still nursing a spear wound herself. The fright of a toddler suddenly alone in the world. Avestra felt it all as if were her own. She could watch no longer and tore back up into the sky, the trees bowing beneath the force of her furious wing beats.

She shrieked again, this time the ground shaking beneath her. Something began to emerge from the dry earth, the shape of a tree with a multitude of snaking branches. One for each victim. Avestra let their spirits find their way into the branches, imbuing the newly born tree with what little remained of their life energy. There would be time to find out who was responsible for this. But for now, the living had to be her priority.

Avestra let her consciousness reach out to the two deities she had already communed with, Opulon and Petra, sharing with them a small part of her pain so they understood what had happened.

"Please, help me become the guardian of this forest."

Spoiler: Action

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14 AP/10 DC: Sanctify an area for +2 - sanctify Sunset Forest for +2 nature, with +2 nature and +2 birds. Sends message to Opulon and Petra, asking for assistance.

The Crow People's most sacred ritual, forbidden to even be spoken of aloud, is to visit a particular tree deep in Sunset Forest. It might not be the oldest or largest tree in the forest, but it has a certain grandeur among its tangled branches. This is said to be Avestra's Perch, the place where the avian goddess will rest unseen after her long trips around the world. The Crow People customarily leave offerings of food before the tree, which always vanish by the next time they visit.

Spoiler: Assist

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Help Petra form her floating island with +2 nature and +2 birds. The island will have its own self nutrient and waste system, so that it does not require resources from the outside world to survive, and will have a number of habitats providing space for endangered creatures and plants from across the world, particularly migratory birds.

[Maryring]

Spoiler: Assist Avestra

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"You aided me in creation of my own sanctuary. Permit me to aid you in turn."

Petr offers healing to ensure the sacred tree is sheltered from disease, and water to ensure the tree is always nourished. +2 Water and +2 healing support.

[Mira_124]

Avestra let her consciousness reach out to the two deities she had already communed with, Opulon and Petra, sharing with them a small part of her pain so they understood what had happened.

"Please, help me become the guardian of this forest."

Spoiler: Action

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14 AP/10 DC: Sanctify an area for +2 - sanctify Sunset Forest for +2 nature, with +2 nature and +2 birds. Sends message to Opulon and Petra, asking for assistance.

The Crow People's most sacred ritual, forbidden to even be spoken of aloud, is to visit a particular tree deep in Sunset Forest. It might not be the oldest or largest tree in the forest, but it has a certain grandeur among its tangled branches. This is said to be Avestra's Perch, the place where the avian goddess will rest unseen after her long trips around the world. The Crow People customarily leave offerings of food before the tree, which always vanish by the next time they visit.

"You aided me in saving the jungle, so in return I will do what I can to help you protect this land.
From one forest dwelling god to another, right?"

Spoiler: Help!

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+2 Divination, +2 Cosmology for Avestra's sanctification of the Sunset Forest. The Crow People will be able to always know where the tree is, no matter where they are in the forest. They will be able to look to the sky if ever they get lost while doing the ritual and approaching the tree, and they will be guided by the stars. Blessed with Opulon's understanding of the formation of the universe and all its parts, the Crow People will also understand the specific needs of the forest and how it changes and grows over time.

[flyinglemur]

Dulnori and Peter

Coalescing out of pearlescent mist, Peter appears by Dulnori. In his hands are a small sample of various pearls gathered from the ocean, offered to the God of Fortune. "Greetings Forger of Fortune. For You I have a prospect which I think You might like. A method for mortals to make masters of this wondrous world. It is My desire to create an island sanctuary upon the waves of the ocean. Will You help My ambitions become reality?"

Dulnori was greatly surprised. He received the pearls, and answered, “Greetings and nice to meet you. You feel familiar, though I’m sure I’ve never seen you before. Anyhow, I’d be happy to help anyone achieve their dreams.” Dulnori enriched the earth of this fabled island, making it bountiful with gold, jewels, and metal. This way the dreams of the islanders would never be limited by the small size of their home.

Spoiler: Reaction

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+2 fortune, seeding the island with riches, and +2 ambition, because this way the islanders won’t run out of stuff to mine any time soon, thus prolonging the time they can recklessly dig deeper into the earth.

Dulnori, 23/25 AP, Harken Steppe

"I am Nestellbam. I am the god of the eternal, the undending, the rememberance, the peacekeeper. These people, whom you have given much too, they were my people. I am their protector. I take them under my responsibility. He speaks in a serious tone, channeling all of his anger and ferocity into these words, but also the strength of the immovable.

And then, all of a sudden, his voice changes. "And I thank you. You have given them a gift, and made their lives better- though, I am admittedly concerned for how this technology may change them." With that, he bows his head in humility, and thanks.

"However, that is not why I have come," he adds, after a moment. "This magic, that is here now, was not there before. It has changed things, and what was, will never be again. Gone, and destroyed. I seek to prevent this from happening again. This land is mostly untainted. I will claim it for my own. This is my warning to you."

The surprises would continue that day, for soon after Dulnori met Nestellbam. Throughout his life Dulnori had sometimes felt a strange presence winding its way through the steppe, a force like ice and wind, the cold fury of the dragon. He could never tell what it was, only that it churned through the steppe bringing stagnancy wherever it went. Now he finally understood. He saw the dragon plunge into the earth, and felt that presence run through the steppe once again. Though Nestellbam had been harsh in his rebuke, Dulnori saw that he was not cruel. He wished to see the steppe people’s thrive, and it pained him to feel the loss of what once was. This dragon was tenacious in his own right, and had a dream worth pursuing. Dulnori felt a kinship with him, he was no enemy, he was the other part of the steppe. The earth to the sky, the winter to the summer. Nestellbam was Dulnori’s equal and opposite.

Dulnori spoke,"I am pleased to meet you Nestellbam. I’ve long suspected something else lived in these lands, and now I see you face to face. Don’t get the wrong impression. I am not your enemy. I am a being born from the steppe, just as you were. That makes us blood brothers. We are both an inherent part of these lands, and conflict between us would only leave it in ruins. We can compromise, for we share much more in common than you may realize. Though I do wish for change, my priority is that the people survive and thrive. They deserve the chance to dream and see those dreams become reality. You love them too, and I can tell you only wish the best for them. However, keeping them exactly the way they are will not ensure their survival, rather it will surely bring about their doom.

When the great roar washed over the steppe I pulled on it, and felt others do the same. Other beings are out there just as strong as us, but twisted and alien. I sensed their intent and will, some are kind enough and seek what we seek, but others are cruel beyond measure. I felt demons of fire and wood, monsters of death and chaos, all trying to twist the roar to their own ends. You felt them too, do they not worry you? They lie in wait in foreign lands, content for now, but what happens when they come to the steppe? Do you think they will respect this land, and its people? I don’t think so, they shall try to devour the land, and crush the dreams of the people? We must prepare for such events now. A little change must occur, in order to prevent the greatest change of all, our extinction.

In order to end our troubles, I propose we divide the world in two. On the surface, I will unite the tribes under one banner. They shall wield bronze, and tame the wild beasts. Alone, the tribes will never be able to stand against the forces of extinction, but together they will thrive. They shall travel far and wide, defending the land, and searching for relics and treasures. They will return them here, so they may be stored beneath the surface, in your domain. Thus we shall keep beautiful things from being forgotten and tossed away. With this, we can balance both of our desires, and protect our land from the demons afar. If you aid me in preserving this nations existence, I shall apply my power to help you preserve the earth as well. I will strengthen your will, and protect the riches of the steppe beneath the soil, for I have a great connection with them. Anything you wish to preserve underground will be preserved. The nation shall defend your hoard with their lives, and I will employ all my strength to doing so as well. I want to see your dreams come true as well."

Nestellbam considers these words, and replied. "What you propose is a dangerous slope, deity. Slow, subtle changes are sometimes far more insidious than anything else- but I accept your proposal. Help me, and I shall help you." He pauses. "But hear me, Dulnori of the Steppe. I shall not allow my people to come to harm. Change brings chaos, and war, and this is unacceptable. Break our agreement, or bring our people to harm, and I shall bring down my wrath upon you." Now..... he says as the words fade away "who shall rule?"

Dulnori answered, “You don't have to worry about that. I don't break my word. The first rulers, should be these villagers here. They have seen both of thus, and know already how to wield my inventions. Mortal lives are short however, and in time someone else shall have to replace them. Hopefully, the greatest shall rule. They shall have twin symbols, the dragon and the whirlwind. I’ll call this new nation the horizon tribe, for they seek to comprehend the boundary of earth and sky.”

Spoiler: Action and Reaction

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I’ll use my action to influence 100,000 mortals. I’ll bring them together as the horizon tribe, and teach them the ways of bronze and herding. They’ll travel the steppe and the world at large, seeking to perform great acts and collect treasures, to bring them back for preservation.
12 AP/8 DC +2 ambition since they are expanding dramatically, +2 fortune because they seek wealth and treasure.

I’ll use a reaction to help Nestellbam sanctify the steppe. +2 ambition, because Nestellbam has a dream and the tenacity to accomplish it. Dulnori loves to help with exactly that kind of thing. +2 fortune, because Dulnori can act on the underground jewels and metals, making them invulnerable to tarnish and rust. -2 stability for obvious reasons

I have 11 AP left

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 17/25 AP, Boa Jungle

A pygmy girl ambled through the dense jungle, walking up tree trunks and across branches and down corded vines. The winds seemed to be diminishing, and the wise grown-ups had said that the stars foretold a peaceful end to the storm. Ever since the arrival of the star goddess, these wise grown-ups had been getting more accurate with predictions of this kind. So with the jungle now safer, the girl had set out in search of a mysterious bird that she'd seen watching her from a far off in the canopy. She'd never seen one of its kind before, much like the great owl that'd fought against the storm. The two birds both gave her a sense of great power, but unlike the owl, it wasn't clear whether this vulture meant her tribe good or ill. She'd brought along her favourite stick, just in case she had to fight it off.

She hadn't walked far from her village when she stumbled upon something strange. A rotten log embedded in the tightly knit undergrowth was glowing a soft yellow light. It was quite obvious in the dim, overcast jungle depths. Curious, the girl approached, and almost stepped straight into a deep hollow in the soft wood.

"Careful now!"

A thin hand caught the child by the arm, keeping her from falling in. She turned around, surprised more by the sudden appearance of a masked stranger than the sudden drop.

"Where did you come from?" she asked, suspicious. "Were you following me?"

"No no no, not at all," said the stranger, "I live here, in this little burrow."

"Oh." The girl looked back down into the glowing hollow, frowning incredulously. "You live down there?"

"I do. Though..." the stranger peered up at the canopy, as though trying to make out something in the sky above, "maybe not for much longer."

"Why is it glowing?"

"It's those mushrooms," he explained, crouching down to about the child's level and pointing at one of the glowing fungi, "they're called glowloam, and they like to grow in dark places so that they can brighten them up."

"Like the mark of Opulon?" the child asked excitedly. "The Farseer came to us and made our hands glow, like the stars. It was so pretty!"

The stranger nodded, somewhat more subdued. "Yes. A bit like that. The stars are indeed very pretty. Though it's hard to see them right now with all this cloud in the way isn't it?"

"Yeah, sorta."

"Here, let me show you something. Follow me." The masked man stood, and began to scramble down into the hollow. The pygmy girl watched him sceptically. "Come on, it's quite safe," he assured her, "not even too deep yet."

She followed at a careful pace, using the freshly dug scars in the wood as hand holds. The hollow turned out to be quite small, barely larger than the interior of a hut. On the floor grew a handful of large capped glowloam stalks, while the walls and ceiling were festooned with a dazzling array of glowing yellow buds and spores in the process of propagating. At first she thought that the stranger had disappeared, then two of the glowing buds shifted, and she realised that his glowing yellow eyes had blended perfectly into the background.

"Ah very good. Now stand here and look up."

The girl stood next to the tall stranger, and looked up. The matte black, earthy roof of the hollow appeared strangely blank and fathomless, but for the hundreds of pinpricks of yellow light that stood out almost like...

"What do you see?"

"It looks like... Stars."

"It does, it does! I'm glad you think so." Chern knelt down once more, putting an arm around the kid's shoulder and gesturing dramatically up at the glowloam spores.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Just like the real thing. But if you ask me, the stars in the sky have always seemed a bit distant. Cold. They may speak to you, but do they know you? No, and they never truly will. Because they're up there, and we're down here. But the stars here, beneath the earth? They come from the same place you do. And some day, you'll join them here. You can't say the same for the real stars can you?"

"I guess not," the girl said noncommittally.

"You may of course think what you like, this is just my opinion. But I do wish that more people would look down at what's below them, with the same wonder that they look at what's above them."

"Yeah..." the girl tilted her head, staring quizzically at the glowloam starscape, "I never really thought about it like that."

"Not many people do."

The two of them looked up in silence for a moment. Then Chern stood, his eyes joining the constellation above the pygmy child.

"What's your name?"

"Sia," said the girl.

"Sia. There's a reason you're here, Sia. I have something important that I need to warn you about. Are you listening?"

"What is it? Is it the storm? Opulon will save us from that."

"Your people may weather this storm, but just as storms must pass, storms will always return. No one can weather them all. There is another danger that may afflict your tribe. Some people will miraculously recover from wounds and illnesses, but others may unexpectedly perish. No god or goddess will save you."

Sia's eyes grew bright with tears. "I'm scared... Why are you saying this?"

"I know it's sad," said the masked stranger, with genuine sympathy, "but I do not wish to hide you from this reality. All things must come to an end, but it's important to remember that one person's ending, is another person's beginning. You can give your people a new beginning, amongst the stars. I can teach you, and you can pass on this knowledge to others. Do you wish to learn this, Sia?"

The child sniffled, clutching her favourite club tight in her arms. She was scared, but the masked man made a strange sort of sense. Sia nodded.

"I would like to learn. So I can teach the rest of my tribe."

"Good. To start with, I will have to teach you how to make..." Chern removed his bone-white wooden mask, passing it down to the pygmy girl, "...one of these."

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Influence one mortal (1 AP/0 DC)

+4 decay, as Chern will teach Sia a burial ritual, which is concerned with decomposition.

"Carve some wood to fit the deceased's face. It need not be complicated, just a thin plate with two holes for the eyes is enough. Then - and pay attention because this is important - you must treat the mask in the residue of a glowloam growth. When glowloam spreads it decays everything that it can, so the residue that it leaves behind is only the strongest, most resistant material. If you treat your mask in this way, then it will be spared decay, and so the memory of your dead shall persist. This is what matters most."

"Then, with the mask complete, place it on the deceased's face and take them to this place, this starry crypt. Leave their masked body here. You may bury them in the ground if you wish, or place them in a coffin, or even burn them and scatter their ashes throughout the hollow, it doesn't matter. As long as the mask is with them. Then, say your goodbyes, and leave them. Their body shall decay, joining the glowloam constellation, but the mask will stay. It will be absorbed into the walls and floor and ceiling, and spend eternity basking in the illumination that their bodies helped to feed. So the memory of your dead shall persist. This is what matters most."

"Now go. Show your people this place. Instruct them on the creation of the memory mask. If you do as I have instructed, and your people learn this way and pass it down through the generations, then the memory of your dead shall persist. This is, after all, what matters most."

[Megadraco]

Kahar-Djin, 19 AP, Ebonbark Bay

Kahar-Djin heard the resonating cry for help of the Owl Goddess, and extended their domain towards its origin. There, they found a jungle, threatened by a great, dark storm. Not only that, it seemed to be the same terrible storm that had almost destroyed the village. In their efforts to protect the people, they’d neglected to thin of where the storm would go next, or how much it would grow. They couldn’t stand by this, and let innocents suffer their neglect. They reached out, and spoke to Opulon,

“Oh, Farseer, I grant you my aid in protecting the jungle, so that no creature shall be harmed by the storm.”

They extended their domains around the jungle, but found them… Lacking. The jungle had sapient mortals, yes, but they had not explored their living place in its entirety. There were blind spots, places they’d have to work around, or work with blindly, with limited information from their surroundings. Regardless, eventually they built a threshold around the jungle, that would hopefully prevent the storm from striking. Further, they split the storm’s path into two, dividing it and sending the weakened storms in opposite directions. They hoped that would be enough.

Spoiler: Help

Show

+2 Thresholds, shielding the jungle from the storm. +2 Paths, sending the storm in different directions. -2 Unexplored, as there are parts of the jungle that are still unknown to mortals.

---

Kahar-Djin continued to visit the village, which he soon learned was named Día, but in his cloaked, masked form, which had not yet been identified as divine. Instead, they’d come to be known as a wandering sage, and the villagers showed them great hospitality. They enjoyed spending time with the villagers, dining with them and learning about them. They once told him about the shining goddess that had come to their aid during a terrible storm, carving that border around their town and saving them from certain destruction, before disappearing again, with a promise to return. They showed the sage a shrine they had built in her honour, and they was moved at the villagers’ devotion. They were, however, also slightly dismayed to see that some of them had been touched by the scream, and were developing the ability to practice sorcery. Of course, there was nothing they could do: Su Sorcery was already part of the world, and any attempt to “purge” sorcerers would be an unthinkable atrocity. No, they would not seek to do that. Their sole worry lay in the future, when some being may, perhaps, harness the full power of that chaotic roar. When that time came, they’d have to do something, but of course, they’d much rather prepare in advance…

---

One day, Kahar-Djin heard a summons. Another divinity had called for their aid, one by the name of Petr. They were creating an island, and apparently Su’ule, another god, who was the source of the sorcerous roar, had interfered, turning the island into a beacon for monsters. The divinity asked Kahar-Djin to place a Threshold around the island, one that could only be bypassed by travelling a specific Path, and holding a certain Key. Kahar-Djin agreed, and extended their domains over the island. But there was a problem. They couldn’t see. The area was completely unexplored, and so their domains were blind, unfeeling. They’d have to go there themselves.

The divinity pinpointed Petr’s location, then, using their own location as reference, created a temporary Path that bent space around itself, allowing them to quickly travel to the other god’s location. They stepped through, and the world twisted and turned around them, becoming a blur, until suddenly it settled in front of an island pulsing with the power of gods. Kahar-Djin floated up into the air, to have the whole island within their sight, and began to work.

The work was slow and clumsy, the god unused to controlling their dulled domain through sight alone. However, eventually they managed to draw a Threshold around the island, one that would make any traveller who could not cross the Path that was to come to be lost in mist, and eventually find themselves back where they started. Then, they began to work on the Path. This was, again, clumsy, but it was a simpler task. The path would, currently, be on the bridge that connected the island to the mainland. Even if that bridge sunk under the waves, the Path would remain. The hardest part were the Gates.

First came the Gate of Sapience. Any creature that walked through that Gate would need to have an awareness of themselves as thinking beings, a capacity for thought and reason. Thinking more closely, they introduced an exception for plants, and for small or herbivore animals. This would apply tom all the Gates.

Second was the Gate of Will. Any who walked the through the Gate would have to show no murderous intentions. They must walk through the Gate without desiring to cause chaos or destruction, nor to harm anyone within the island.

The Third Gate was left blank. Kahar-Djin decided to grant Petr a further measure of control, and let them decide what this final Gate would entail. They were sure the other god knew his own intentions better than they did.

However, thinking back towards their earlier determination, they did quietly, secretly introduce one small, reverse Key to that final Gate. Any one who possessed the power of freeform magic, that terrible, chaotic scream, would be able to walk inside the island, but would never be able to leave. And, with a new idea, they added a single further exception to the gates…

Spoiler: Help!

Show

+2 Paths, creating the path that must be used to enter the island. +2 Thresholds, creating the border of mist around the island, and the Gates that must be crossed to enter, as well as the exceptions for plants, small and herbivore animals, and Bron. -2 Unexplored, as the island is currently uninhabited.

---

Kahar-Djin particularly enjoyed the time spent with Bron. The young man was brilliant, a deep thinker who got into some surprisingly deep debates with them (though, of course, sometimes the divinity had to play dumb not to give themselves away. They were also a skilled warrior, if not a match to Kahar-Djin’s skill with his staff. Bron had taken a liking to the old sage, too, seeing them as a mentor. He was always the one to receive them when they arrived, and the one to send them off when they left. That was why, when Kahar-Djin asked to speak to Bron in private, no one was really surprised. They assumed it was some more mentor-student conversation, which, in a way, it was.

Once Kahar-Djin ensured the two were alone, they manifested her armour, and Bron’s eyes opened wide.

“You-you are… But… How-”

The armour vanished just as quickly and the god took a finger to his mask, signalling Bron to quiet down.

“You must not speak of this to anyone. Listen to me, young man, I have a mission for you.”

Bron slowly regained control of his breathing, and then stood straight and attentive. Kahar-Djin continued.

“By now you have almost certainly seen the magic that has suffused the world. This “Su Sorcery”, I believe it is called. This power comes from the roar of a god of monsters, a terrible, chaotic being. Now, I have no issue with the simple spells you have seen used. I have personally made certain that those are harmless. However, there is a more… Worrying possibility. There is a potential for individuals to harness the full power of the scream, to control magic freely and without constraint. I call them Su Speakers. This power, the nature of its source, will bring instability and chaos to the world… Unless they are stopped.”

Bron’s eyes were wide again.

“So… That is my mission?”

“Well,” continued Kahar-Djin. “There are two inconveniences. The first is your ability to detect and differentiate regular sorcery from Su Speech. For that, I will grant you my first gift. You will now be able to hear magic. Not just the words people speak, but the underlying sounds of magic. Regular spells should sound like short words or phrases with some sounds attached. As for Su Speech… When you hear it, you will know.”

“The second inconvenience is that, to put it simply, any who masters Su Speech must be immortal. It could take over a century for the first Su Speaker to appear. For that, I shall grant you my second gift. The gift of immortality. I will grant you a Path and a Threshold. A mission to follow and a ban you must not cross. Your mission you already know. You must hunt down any Su Speaker you come across, and either kill or imprison them.”

“Imprison them? H-How?”

“There is an island, near the Stonesthroe Mountains. It shall serve you well for that purpose. Now, as for your ban: You must never practice Su Sorcery. I tolerate from the mortals, but not from you. As long as you follow this Path and do not cross this Threshold, you will not die. Do you accept these terms?”

Bron stood even straighter for a moment, then fell to his knees, and bowed deeply.

“I do, our saviour.”

Spoiler: Action

Show

12 AP / 8 DC, Immortalise a mortal

+2 Paths, by giving Bron a mission, or path, that he must follow.

+2 Thresholds, for creating a line Bron must not cross.

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 2 rolls

Opulon (23 AP) - banish a state-sized storm (8 AP/4 DC) +2 Divination
Avestra, +2 Nature
Chern, +4 Decay
Petr, +2 Water
Yir, +2 Sun
Nestellbam, +4 Preservation
Kahar-Djin, +2 Thresholds+2 Paths, sending the storm in different directions. -2 Unexplored
(1d20+18)[23]

Petr(17 AP) - create a city-sized floating island sanctuary (12 AP/8 DC), +2 Water
Opulon, +2 Cosmology/+2 Divination, navigation and radar
Ymon-Thal, +2 Life/+2 Death, longer life-span and premature death
Grawissen, +2 Mining/+2 Architecture/+2 Knowledge, cave systems, beautiful buildings, and wealth of knowledge
Su'ule, +2 Sorcery/+2 Monsters, magical enhancement and monster population
Vreyalas, +2 Community, strong island community
Avestra, +2 Nature/+2 Birds, self sustaining island and migrating bird population
Dulnori, +2 Fortune/+2 Ambition, sow island with riches
Kahar-Djin, +2 Paths/+2 Thresholds/-2 Unexplored, three entrance Gates
(1d20+32)[46]

Yir (15 AP) - sanctify Stonesthroe Mountain peaks (14 AP/10 DC), +2 Sun/+2 Majesty
(1d20+4)[17]

Alatadriel (15 AP) - cause pointless carnage amongst 1000 mortals (6 AP/3 DC), +2 Fire/+2 Foxes
(1d20+4)[24]

Ymon-Thal (19 AP) - kill/save 100k mortals (12 AP/8 DC), +2 Life/+2 Death
Petr, +2 Healing
Chern, +4 Decay
(1d20+10)[26]

Grawissen (9 AP) - teach a village of mortals how to live in a society (6 AP/3 DC), +2 Knowledge/+2 Mining/+2 Architecture
(1d20+6)[23]

Timorin (15 AP) - convert 1000 mortals to the Cult of the Mad God (6 AP/3 DC), +2 Drama/+2 War
(1d20+4)[19]

Su'ule (5 AP) - enchant a large area with magic (4 AP/2 DC), +2 Sorcery
(1d20+2)[13]

Nestellbam (23 AP) - sanctify the Harken Steppe (14 AP/10 DC), +4 Preservation
Dulnori, +2 Ambition/+2 Fortune/-2 Stability, superior minerals
(1d20+6)[21]

Vreyalas (15 AP) - teach Theshana how to live in a society (6 AP/3 DC), +2 Community/+2 Forging
Grawissen, +2 Mining/+2 Architecture/+2 Knowledge
(1d20+10)[17]

Avestra (15 AP) - sanctify Sunset Forest with Avestra's Perch (14 AP/10 DC), +2 Nature/+2 Birds
Petr, +2 Water/+2 Healing, healthy tree
Opulon, +2 Cosmology/+2 Divination, tree sense
(1d20+12)[31]

Dulnori (23 AP) - teach 100k mortals to raid and pillage preserve a society (12 AP/8 DC), +2 Fortune/+2 Ambition
(1d20+4)[9]

Chern (17 AP) - terrify a child into burying her dead in his hole (1 AP/0 DC), +4 Decay
(1d20+4)[17]

Kahar-Djin (17 AP) - immortalise Bron into a witch hunter (12 AP/8 DC), +2 Paths/+2 Thresholds
(1d20+4)[12]

Enheduanna (21 AP) - no action