Pan-aeons: a God Game

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 2 resolution

Opulon (15 AP) - success
By the end of the day, the storm that had been threatening Boa Jungle was completely banished. Just in time for dusk, replacing ominous clouds with peaceful stars. The native pygmies celebrated in the Owl Goddess's honour.

Petr (5 AP) - success
With a roar of displaced water, the floating island of Sanctuary erupted from the ocean, not far from the Stonesthroe Mountains. As of yet it was bare except for three natural stone archways on the single sloping beach, and one very startled fisherwoman, but in time it would support a truly blessed community of mortals and other, stranger beings. They would build great works, learn many things, and live long, prosperous lives. Magic on the island would be stronger, and within its many tunnels and natural moon pools could be found a wealth of valuable minerals. Furthermore, the island would bear a beautiful, thriving ecosystem, completely self sufficient even when out at sea. Already some seagulls were landing on the damp archways, intrigued by their sudden appearance.

Yir (1 AP) - success
The peaks of the Stonesthroe Mountain range were brilliantly illuminated by the sun, becoming blessed in Yir's name. Now they were an extension of the sun's domain, and those attempting to channel solar sorcery would find their greatest success at these blessed summits.

Alatadriel (9 AP) - success
The black coast of Ebonbark Bay was stained red by the conflict between the Al-Sinai and the Crow People. And by the wine that the Al-Sinai pillaged. Which is kind of weird I don't think cavemen would have wine. But hey the action succeeded, so I guess there's wine. Great job.

Ymon-Thal (7 AP) - success
All across the known world, people lived and died. This is of course a fact of reality, but this time it was different. A perfectly healthy Al-Sinai raider dropped dead while doing a keg-stand with plundered caveman wine, while a feverish Crow orphan suddenly found himself recovering from the vicious Hua-Ling burns he'd sustained. A newly blessed Yir Giant misjudged his new centre of mass and fell screaming off the edge of a cliff, while a drowning fisherwoman was absolutely astounded to find herself swept out of the ocean by a landmass that'd just risen up from beneath her. Bron's elderly aunt, thinking that she'd been saved from the storm by the mysterious warrior woman, was struck by an anomalous bolt of lightning in the middle of a sunny afternoon, while an archipelago pygmy, who'd dared to put on the Lucent Crown and thus been shanked, burst gasping and wide eyed from his shallow grave, full recovered. And in the depths of the Boa Jungle, Sia's young mother died clutching her chest in pain, just as the masked stranger had warned.

Grawissen (3 AP) - success
Grawissen's presence at the festival on Ebonbark Bay gave the mortals just as much knowledge as they'd given him. They would use this in coming years to dig deep, build tall, and learn much as they did so.

Timorin (9 AP) - success
At the advice of Timorin, the pygmy cultists set aside the deadly Lucent Crown, and began to wait. People would come, some day. And when they did, the Cult of the Mad God would have quite a welcoming gift for them.

Su'ule (1 AP) - success
The large cavern in the middle of the Gnaw Wastes became supercharged with magic. Neanderthals born near this place would be naturally adept sorcerers, and many would actively seek to live here despite the harsh conditions in the hopes of blessing their descendants.

Nestellbam (9 AP) - success
A great stillness passed over the Harken Steppe, and it seemed like you could almost hear forever across its great planes. Then it passed, but in its wake something felt... Changed. Or rather not changed. The Dragon had locked down the Steppe, sanctifying it to remain his land forever.

Vreyalas (9 AP) - success
The inhabitants of the great Theshana began to tentatively excavate the mountainsides near their fledgling down. The first of the bountiful Theshana Mines.

Avestra (1 AP) - success
From the blood soaked soil of Sunset Forest, a tree emerged - the soon-to-be fabled Perch of Avestra. And with its growth, the forest became sanctified. Hopefully with this protection, the Crow People could live on, free of invasion.

Dulnori (11 AP) - success
The bronze-wielding humans of the Harken Steppe raised their javelins with a triumphant roar, setting out into the wider world with Dulnori's blessing. Though the Steppe may be changeless, they would be sure to enact great change on the rest of the world.

Chern (16 AP) - success
Sia returned home, clutching her favourite club and the mask of Chern in her tiny pygmy hands. She wasn't sure what to make of what she'd learnt in the starry crypt, but she knew one thing; she would show the glowing hollow to the rest of her tribe, and teach them to make the memory masks. Little did she know how soon they'd need them...

Kahar-Djin (5 AP) - success
Bron rose to his feet, the first immortal in human history. He would forever seek to fulfil his promise to the wanderer-warrior who had saved his village (though it was unfortunate what'd befallen his dear aunt, he supposed that he'd have to get used to outliving all his friends and family). Many ambitious sorcerers would learn to fear his coming.

Enheduanna (21 AP) - no action

EDIT: swish! First post of page 3, baby. I'll bump the action/god lists. Feel free to start posting for turn 3. And sadatg is still free to perform a turn 2 action if they wish.

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

[The JoJo]

Avestra, 1/25 AP, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay

In the wake of the attack, a great gathering was called. Being divided into many small communities, the Crow People had no single leader to call such an event. Rather, whispers went out via the trees until the demand for a meeting reached critical mass, and then a time and place was set. On the day preceding the first full moon of winter, in a clearing in the north of Sunset Forest, they began to arrive.

The Crow People did not by nature feel comfortable gathering together in large groups, and so each community took their place in the grand circle, a suitable distance left between them and everyone else. Avestra herself landed on a branch in a tree at the edge of the clearing in the form of a sparrow. The first to speak a young hunter in his prime, his chest still marked with a raw burn.

"The Fox People break the sanctity our forest. They steal our food. They kill our children." As he spoke, he increasingly fell into the more primal hand gestures. "Blood must be repaid with blood! We must make the tallheads bleed, as we have bled!"

This was met by an enthusiastic round of applause. The next few speakers all spoke in similar terms, promising ever more elaborate schemes of revenge as grief and anger poured freely.

"We will burn their huts from the inside!"

"We will offer their innards to the birds!"

"We will pile up their skulls to the roof of the world!"

Finally, it was the turn of an old woman to speak. The Crow People fell silent -- there was a long ingrained respect for those who didn't have long to live, and therefore were unlikely to be acting in self-interest.

"And then what after this great war? To kill them all would be impossible. There are too many of them. What happens when they come back to the forest for revenge with their sharp spears?" She paused. "Then, there would be no more Crow."

The assembled bowed their heads, for in their hearts, they knew her words were right. The old woman raised a single finger in the air.

"Do not give up hope. Justice belongs to the Great Crow."

And with that, Avestra knew what she had to do.

~

Avestra strode through the Al-Sinai settlement, one hand curling her coiled raven hair. It was the first time she had taken the form of a mammal and she wasn't sure she had got the biomechanics exactly right, but from the response of the young men guarding the village gate, the facade seemed effective enough.

There were only a few settlements within a day's march of Sunset Forest, and so overhearing the accounts of survivors at the great gathering, not to mention the whispers of the trees, it didn't take a genius to work out who was responsible. Strictly speaking, there were some who might have had a more direct hand in the atrocities. But Avestra knew that bringing peons to justice wouldn't dissuade their leaders. Only by cutting the head off the snake could she set an example that would be remembered.

"I bring an urgent message for the Khan," Avestra said, holding up her hands to show she was unarmed. The guards looked at her suspiciously, but she could see Khan Ormotag through the doorway, eyeing her with interest.

"Come in, but make it quick," he called. Avestra smiled sweetly at the two guards, before entering and shutting the door behind her.

"So what is..?" the Khan began to say, his voice trailing away as the maiden before him melted away. In her place stood a churning mass of flapping wings and nipping beaks.

"Please, wait! I... I was only following... she told me to!"

"Who?" Avestra asked coldly.

"A... Alat... adriel! The f... fox queen!"

Alatadriel. Avestra would remember that name. She had no particular love of torture, but then nature could be a cruel mistress. This was one of those times.

~

The guards outside the hut heard a fraught exchange, followed by moaning. They glanced at each other and were about to leave their posts for a few minutes, when suddenly a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. The guards hurled themselves at the door, but they found it shut tight. The screaming continued for half a minute or more, the guards still fumbling at the door, when a deathly silence fell again. The door swung open in their hands.

The first thing they saw was Khan Ormotag was splayed across the ground, his face pecked almost beyond recognition. His personal items had been scattered around the hut, as if blown by a small hurricane. On the Khan's corpse lay a single, black feather.

Spoiler: Action

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1 AP/0 DC: Influence a single mortal by bringing divine justice down upon Khan Ormotag.

[Demonjazz]

Alatadriel: 9/25 AP. The Greater Orcishtal Mountains.

It's often said that deserts are harsh places. We have all heard tales of men dropping dead from thirst as the sun simmers all down below. Of Death Valley, and bandits hiding in the outcrops, treacherous mountain trails, getting killed over a gallon of water and of barbarian men attacking all they see.
There had never been a place that had more exemplified these tales than The Greater Orcishtal Mountains. A winding set of mountains that tracked the coast South of Ebonbark. Most would go around the vast mountain range, but those that did not would find themselves in an interconnecting web of valleys, canyons, and gorges between gigantic peaks of wrought sandstone. Barely weathered, the mountains looked like shards of glass jutting into the heavens. When you were not in the steaming sun that baked this land, you were in dark and shadowy passes, where bandits lurked around every corner, and the venomous bites and stings of the wildlife could kill a man within the hour.

These bandits, the people that called the dangerous terrain of Oricshtal home. They are called Orcs. A fierce creed of men and women who value strength above all. Strength of character, strength of will, and strength of arm. "All with all and none with weakness" was the motto of the Orcs. A strange saying to outsiders as were most of their ways. It meant to put your full strength into any task you take. Not many had come to this barren place out of choice, fewer still called it the motherland of their birth. The Orcs are a tribe of outcasts, criminals, and with increasing regularity men and women of magic. For whatever reason, and it was forbidden to speak of the reason, one could not live in the comforting homes of green valleys, tropical bays, and great stretching steppes. They would travel to a place that would take anyone if they could prove their worth.
Coming alone with skin smeared green and bearing tattoos of your totem animal is considered a peace offering to the Orcs. Once you speak to the chieftain, you must wander into the desert for three days without water, upon the end of the third night, someone truly strong would find themselves on the most sacred cave of the orcs. They called it the Cave of The Earthmother, which opened out into a small ravine. Once there, you would bring back a blessed flower which only grew underneath a mighty waterfall. It was only when you brought back the flower unharmed could you become blood brothers with The Orcs, drinking the blood of the one who wished to take you under the roof of their home carved into the mountain.
This one in the Orcish tongue is called your Nak. Translated literally it means 'Protector', but the relationship between the Nascine (The initiate) and their Nak is closer to that of a mentor. It is expected that a Nascine is to learn the ways of the tribe under their Nak, typically taking up the trade of their Nak. In return, The Nak swears an oath to protect them from any harm. Typically relationships between Nascine and Nak often have rough starts as the two live together under the same roof, but most end up developing a close bond and understanding, some even marrying each other later in life. Referred to as Soul Partners or in the Orcish Tongue Naksaline.
Nestled into a narrow canyon with a river running through the Orcs rely mainly on fishing and the plants growing on the banks to sustain them. They guard their lands fiercely as resources are hard to come by in the Orcishtal Mountains. It is not unheard of for lost travelers to be attacked without question when they wander too close to the Orc's land.

Alatadriel sat on a mountain face overlooking the tattooed orcs at work in the valley. She positioned, gauging the view as she aligned in her mind the position of the sun during Summer Solstice. She touched the earth below her sensing the inside of the mountain. Pockets of iron, gold, silver, copper, tin, and all manners of important minerals ran throughout the entire range of the Orcishtal.
Hmm, yes. This would suit would her plans quite nicely.
Alatadriel with the motions of a conductor of an ochestra reached her hands up high. A rumbling came from below as the sands parted, great pillars of stone extending up from underneath the air. As they grew, the stone wrapped around itself, intermixing as it grew taller and taller. Exceeding the highest mountain of the range. With a twist of her foot, the great stone structure rippled as doors, windows, and chimneys manifested themselves onto its sides. Another twist of her foot and two great pits of fire could be seen on opposite ends of the building.
As Alatadriel stopped, the Orcs had already started to gather at the foot of the canyon to look up at the gigantic structure, dwarfing their homes several times over. It two massive domed buildings, meeting in the middle, at the center where they overlapped, a gigantic chimney stood erect, piercing into the sky.
Alatadriel pounded her feet on the ground as the Orcs started to make their way up the mountain face, stone stairs carved themselves into the mountain letting the people of the canyon ascend with ease.

"LISTEN NOW!" The godly voice of Alatadriel boomed. "You, strongest of the strong, outcast and betrayed, The feared Orc Barbarians! You have been told that this land is barren! That it is weak! I will not abide by this insult, the strong deserve a strong land! A hub of mighty civilization which none have seen before! Your land is not weak! It must simply be worked!"
Alatadriel stopped for dramatic effect. "Now stands a god before you ready to deliver a marvel of engineering to your people! The Twin Furnaces! One dome representing the flesh. Possessing the kilns that will be used to make fuel for your fires! The ever-burning pyres of Alatadriel! The other dome representing the Spirit where you will take the metal of your land to be worked, and made into the strongest tools and weapons which the world has seen! Their chimneys intermingling into one. A union between the two. For the bounties of the spirit cannot be reaped without the fuel of the flesh! A union much like the one I propose! A union between my land, and yours!
You do not possess the raw materials you need to run these mighty fires for long! But our land, the land of Al-Sinai lacks the metals that are needed for our forge! The strong made stronger by bringing their strengths together! Travel up your river onto the bay, and two days north of here there will be my people. Rich in lumber. It is only when you make this journey and return with a member of my people will you be able to access this forge."
"And what if we enter your forge before than?!" An Orc is always ready to speak his mind.
"My minions will make short work of you." Gouts of flame erupted from the mouths of the Hua-Ling surrounding the forge. "These creatures are sacred and will tend the fires upon this agreed-upon union. If anyone ever lets these fires run out after their lighting. Great calamity will befall him, and his nation."
And with her announcement made. Alatadriel vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Orc Chieftan turned to his second in command. "Ha, it funny. Powerful woman made very large dong." He said making a series of obscene gestures. Orc humor was not very subtle.

Spoiler: Action

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4 AP/2 DC: influence a large landmark or building.
Creating the Twin Furnaces to unite her now twin nations. She has made one of the largest structures known to man in the backwater nation of Orcishtal. A structure large enough to be seen by anyone in the area.
+2 from fire due to making furnaces. And +2 to foxes for her minons protect her great shrine.

[Godzillarich]

Grawissen: Speaker of the Forgotten, Ebonbark Bay 3/25 AP

The chieftain laid on the ground with a few dozen more bodies, motionless... Graw examined the chieftain... “I am familiar with the disease but this seems so sudden…” he thought to himself. A few of the people in a small village dropped dead. Graw told the others to stay away while he examined, didn’t want anyone else to be infected “...is this the work of my kind?”

“Daddy?” a voice in the distance called out. The Skelton got turned to see the chieftains little girl standing behind him. “Is that it can be all right?”

Graw simply stood there and put his head down. ”Morgana… He is but knowledge now…”

All she could do then was cry. Graw came up to the girl to comfort her. “Why?”

”I don’t not know…” he responded. ”Come on let’s go back to the village…” as they were walking back a tingling pain was in the back of his mind. He lied to Morgana, Ymon-Thal was what they shouted it out, a monster...a monster like him...
___________________________

Back with the Prehist people

All eyes were on Graw when he returned to the village. There was a feeling of uneasiness about the skeleton God again. He came to the village and a few days later a good portion of it died. ”Only a short while ago there was so much happiness here… Now there is only fear…”

“Graw…” Morgana mumbled as she tapped on Graw leg. “I want to show you something” she brought Graw to the chieftains house. “I understand you can’t really fit through the door. Let me bring in outside.” She went into the house and came out with a few pieces of stone rocks. “My father was working on this, he was going to tell you about it once he was finished but now…” Morgana sunk her head down. “... I just thought you would want to know about it, you love finding about new things”

Graw grabs the slabs of rock and examined it, it appeared to be some kind of schedule, a calendar. ”The chieftain was indeed a wise man… I’m having trouble understanding this.” Graw then smiled. ”He may have started this but I will finish this…” he then turned around and started walking away ”I will return little one but first there is much I need to learn.”

[Godzillarich]

Grawissen: Speaker of the Forgotten, Ebonbark Bay 3/25 AP

It has been a few days and Grawissen was still trying to figure it out. Over time he heard tales of the other gods, only bits and pieces but one caught his eye. ”Yir…” stories passed around that he would only answer those who climbed his mountain or caught his eye from the sky. Grawissen thought about going to the mountains but another idea struck his head. He grabbed a rock and then stared at the sky. ”I hope he doesn’t mind the interruption…” he then threw the rock straight at the sun, going for the sky like a bolt of lightning.


The rock that was thrown up high into the sky flew far higher than any bird or cloud, yet it burned before the light of Yir long before it could reach it's form. Yir noted the rock, and looked down onto the world speaking with bemusement in it's voice.

"What creature threw this pebble at me? A godling?"

”A fellow God... Graw yelled out from the ground. ”I need your help with something, to help a dead man to fulfill his life’s work...”

While the sun did not have a face, it's voice was immediately filled with disinterest:
"Why should I care for someone that is already gone? Their life is finished and anything done after is just helping YOURSELF. Why should I care for what YOU want?"

Graw was taken a back by this persons arrogance. ”A mortal has so much to offer even after the deaths... their creations and knowledge can even put ours to shame and can be as everlasting as what we make."

Yir in tern was also taken aback by the other god's words; seeing Grawissen (though Yir knew not it's name) as selfish for using a dead mortal as reason to bid it's plea and incredibly foolish in it's assessment of mortals. In fact, the light around the god began to intensify as Yir focused it's attention more, irritation in it's voice as it stated:

"What foolishness you speak, a godling of all creatures should know that mortals are doomed in any attempt at creation! They know nothing of the world, in-fact, were it not for MY light they would know nothing at all! How can they surpass the light which gives them life and sight?"
”is that so…” Graw yelled out to the raging God in the sky. ”...well if you think mortals cannot measure up to a God... I propose a challenge…” Graw then turned his attention to the shore. ”...there is a mortal that’s extremely intelligence I know… If she can show you something you do not know then you will help me complete the chieftains calendar…” Graw then stared back to the sky again. ”...but if truly know all... then I will be your servant for eternity.”


Such a foolish god, Yir thought, to put itself in such a bet.

A child? Yir saw the tiny girl, and saw nothing noteworthy to it's grand design. How could such a thing know anything about the world that Yir has not seen over for it's eternal watch? The sun's voice calm once more, speaking with bit of amusement:

"That mortal could never uncover any secret I know not by it's own design. So I accept your challenge, speak with the child, and have her show me what knowledge she holds that could elude the light that is ME!"

______________

Later that day Morgana walked out of her hut, carrying something wrapped in cloth. Graw looked at Morgana and nodded. ”are you ready?

Morgana looked up at Graw and did a simple smile. “I got a real surprise for him, I’m ready.”

”She is ready to show you… A thing you have not yet seen.” as Graw said these words Morgana remove the cloth from the object. It glowed in the radiance of Yir sunshine. A pure gold rock.

“My dad found this a long time ago,” Morgana told the sky. “Founded it in a cave, thought it would bring good luck to the village one day.”

Yir looked down upon the world, it's presence made the land seem to glow as more of the sun's light focused down onto the land; however, what glowed most was the pure piece of gold as Yir stared at it.

The sun did not speak for a long while, it's light just covering the rock; the closest thing this could be equated to would be a mouth agape. When it did speak, it's voice was tense holding back frustration:

"Is this trickery? Where did you find this? Did you create this, godling?"

The sun was not really paying attention to the girl, only focused on the gold and god.

”You would be able to sense that this was a creation of mine… Graw looked up and smiled, well as much of the skeleton could smile. ”This is a substance the chieftain showed me when I first came to this village... it is called Gold an extremely rare and valuable material... Graw then patted Morgana on the head ”In all my time below the earth I never found any of this substance... so I assumed you knew nothing about it either... Because you only judge things based on what your light can shine on... not what is hidden beneath the crust... Like deep in the earth or the minds of mortals.”

[Alatadriel should be noted here for saving Morgana's life from Yir accidentally lighting her on fire.]

For a moment the sun's light seemed to overwhelm the stone, with the ground shaking beneath the humans from the Yir's uncontrolled magic.

"UGH, I..."

But as suddenly as this display of emotion came about, it disappeared, replaced with a subtly soft glow over Morgana's home that held the sweet promise of the light of spring.

"...Fine, godling. I now accept that there are things in darkness I need learn."

Speaking to Morgana, Yir said:
"Little one, you did well standing before my gaze."

To Grawissen, Yir said:
"Godling, as agreed I shall help you with your 'calendar'."

”Thank you. Graw then pulled out the components of the calendar. ”Now let us begin."

Spoiler: action

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1 AP/0 DC:influence one mortal, with the influence of the gods Morgana is able to finish her father’s calendar. +2 to knowledge, to give have the secrets of Yir bestowed upon Morgana.

+2 Sun: The sun gave a new perspective on things."

"On that day Yir gave up the secrets of how the world circled around it and how Yir circled around the world, giving what advice it could on keep time using the distance between itself and the world. "

Spoiler: The Grawissen Calendar

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holiday(multiple days)=solstices and equinoxes, holidays happening four times a year celebrating the solstices and equinoxes, along with Kahar-Djin

January=Yirmid, named after him Yir.
holiday= New Year’s, 1rst. The holiday celebrating Yir to mark the new year. The people watch as the sun rises to praise the new year that Yir has given them.

February= Opuloner named after Opulon.
holiday= heaven Festival 20th, a festival honoring Opulon. Every home lights a lantern to get a blessing from the goddess.

March= Avest named after Avestra.
The flight of the birds 19. A celebration of nature by watching the migration of the birds in the sky and worship of Avestra

April= Timorly, named after Timorin.
Fools day 1st= the day of pranks and tricks to honor Timorin

May= Ymhl named after Ymon-Thal.
holiday= the Memorial of life-and-death 15. A day to celebrate life and respecting the dead and honor of Ymon-Thal

June=Alatalin named after Alatadriel
holiday= Day of the Fox 11. A day to appreciate the chosen beings of the goddess Alatadriel by leaving them treats.

July= Vrey named after Vreyalas
holiday= forging day 29, a day of competition between those of the Forge, to show mortal craftsmanship to the God Vreyalas

August= Pely named after Petr
holiday= the day of the sea 7, a day of party at sea, lakes and rivers to show how much we appreciate Petr for water.

September= Nestel named after Nestellbam
holiday= Golden knowledge day 15, a celebration of the Prehist chieftains Morgana’s victory over the sun God Yir with the help of Grawissen. Knowledge is passed around and studied to honor Grawissen.

holiday= the day of preparation 23, an act to show Nestellbam that we are prepared for anything as we get ready for fall and winter.

October=Cherntor named after Chern
holiday= day of fear 31, all fear this day as they say Chern is strongest year on this day. We celebrate the decay to appease him.

November= Su named after Su'ule
holiday= day of sorcery 25, a day to appreciate and celebrate the magic that the goddesses gave us.

December= Dul named after Dulnori
holiday= charity day 25, to spread the fortune to those less fortunate so all may appreciate Dulnori glory.

[Batcathat]

Ymon-Thal, 7/25 AP, Boa Jungle

Mortals had such an odd view of things, Ymon-Thal though as both of him hovered in the air above one of the many small villages in the jungle. As it happened this particular village had been touched twice by his actions. Beneath the Twin God a man who'd been deadly sick for days was eating and chatting with his family. At the other side of the tiny village another family was silently weeping, still shocked at their lover and mother's unexpected death.

Mourning a death. Celebrating a life. Like children celebrating or grieving getting a red marble instead of a blue one. They saw death as an ending and as the opposite of life, when really it was more like pearls on a string. Life following death following life following death.

Well... no, he interrupted himself, not pearls on a string, more like pearls bouncing around at random in a giant bowl. Souls buzzing around like confused bees. Something ought to be done about that chaos and disorder.

“Someone can”, Thal concluded out loud.

“Ooh, can it be me?”, his other self responded.

Thal didn't respond as both of Ymon-Thal knew the answer. A plan was taking shape. It would take a lot of power, much more than he had left after his recent success and the failure before it.

"But I want to do something!", Ymon whined but suddenly perked up as he noticed how some of the villagers below was taking notice. "Ooh! Can I talk to them?"

It was something of a novel concept to Ymon-Thal, having spoken through thousands of mortals but never to a single one. "I suppose."

Ymon-Thal descended until they were flying just above the heads of the mortals gathering beneath them. The crowd eventually grew far larger than the small village's population. It seemed... possible that the villagers had noticed the god flying above them earlier than Ymon-Thal had realized and sent word to their neighbors. Even in a world were miracles seemed to grow as dense as the trees of the Boa Jungle, flying twins were still quite a sight.

"We are Ymon-Thal, God of Life and Death."

"Hi", Ymon added, waving at the villagers and delighted when some of the smaller children waved back.

The rest of the mortals seemed more preoccupied with Thal's introduction. Clearly knowledge of the last words before some died and others stopped dying had spread.

Both of Ymon-Thal smiled. Ymon's wide grin signaled happiness, friendship and joy. Thal's did not.

"You have seen our actions, seen that no one is beyond death, beyond life. You are not alone, from this village you could walk for days and days and still meet mortals who know the name and power of Ymon-Thal."

"No extra babies though", Ymon said with a gloomy expression and shrugged. "Didn't work."

"But you are special. Chosen", Thal said to the people he had randomly encountered flying over the jungle. "Only you have been visited and spoken to like this. You are favored by life itself."

"Yeah! I really like you!"

"In exchange for this honor you are to carry our message to the less fortunate. Go out into the jungle, into the world, and spread word of Ymon-Thal. We have much to tell you..."

Thal lowered himself to the ground, quickly followed by Ymon, and gestured at the mortals to come closer.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Influence a village of mortals (6 AP/3 DC)
+ 2 Life, + 2 Death
Ymon-Thal is attempted to influence a village to act as missionaries, going out into the world and spread his words (if/when the action passes I'll probably go into more detail about what the words are, but he's basically starting his religion). The idea isn't for all the influenced to always be out preaching, it's more along the lines of turning the village (I'm picturing it as more of a collection of neighboring villages, totaling about 1000 people) into a hub for Ymon-Thal worship.

[Maryring]

The sea can be a harsh benefactor. It provides bounties of water and salt. Fish and crustaceans. Bountiful fruits beneath it's sapphire surface. Sigrid was only going to try for one more fish when the ocean turned wild. Waters swirled, wind howled. She was thrown into the churning waters. Air escaped her lungs. Darkness wrapped itself about her like a terrible blanket. There was barely a sliver of consciousness left.

Then a miracle happened.

The human woman feels solid ground beneath her feet. It rises rapidly, carrying her from the cold grave of the ocean to dry land. She coughs violently, emptying herself of all the sea water she involuntarily swallowed.

"Bwuh..." She gazes about herself. Her eyes sting. Her lungs hurt. She has scrapes and bruises on her body. But she is alive. "I'm alive? I'm alive?! Praise Ymon-Thal! Praise..." She blinks and looks about herself. 'Weird. Why...'

"Ahoy!" The question of who Ymon-Thal is, is put aside when a face pokes out from behind one of the many rocks littering the place. He... It might be a he. The chest is flat, but his features are surprisingly soft and rounded. Olive tan skin. Brown hair. Green eyes. He wears a simple robe of a material she doesn't recognize. No shoes. And there is a flower of white petals stuck on his head. "Are you okay? You seem to have suffered quite a rough ride."

"I will live stranger." It hurts to stand up, but she refuses to appear weak before this one. "Who are You? You don't look like anyone from the tribe, and we are the only People around."

"Oh. I have been around a while now. You probably didn't see me because I was too busy with this island... that your boat on the rocks over there yes?"

"The what now?" Sigrid glances about herself, and true enough. Her boat lies nearby. Stuck upon a nearby small hill covered in barnacles and kelp. Fish flop uselessly on the ground, gasping in the thin air. "My boat. How am I going to get it down from There?"

"Allow me. This is my fault after all." The stranger walks over to the hill. In one leap he jumps up to the ship, a jump that has to be at least five People tall. He lifts the ship in one hand, and then flicks it into the ocean as if skipped a stone. Then a thin stream of water flows from the ocean, gathers up the fish, the oars, the baskets... everything. A job that would take at least a half day is done in mere moments. The stranger leaps back down before Sigrid, offering a friendly smile.

"What was. How did... you are a Seidrmann?"

"Not quite." The man smiles as he reaches a hand out. Mist flows from his palm, wrapping itself around her wounded body. There is a soft, gentle tingle as scrapes close and the hoarse rasping in her lungs disappears. "I am... actually, I'll let you guess who I am. Later. For now, walk with me please."

Sigrid is torn. Despite the man's apparent friendliness, she can't help but be afraid of the sheer power he is so casually displaying. At the same time, he did fix her boat. And if he wanted to hurt her, well, following him or not wouldn't stop him. "Very well... where are we going?"

"I'm going to give you a tour of the island." The man says matter of factly, taking a few steps ahead before waiting to let Sigrid catch up. The ground is mostly bare rock, still wet from when it was beneath the ocean. Some places the rock is covered in drying kelp and algae. Other places are covered in sand and mud. Ahead of them, on one side of the island, is even a coral forest that stretches out beneath the surface of the sea.

With just a bit of walking, Sigrid has the chance to look across the new island proper. It is incredibly massive. It could take days to cross the entirety of it. And was she always that far from the mainland? She can see the coast of her home, but only barely. And already a thick mist is starting to appear. Soon the mainland will be invisible to her. "What is this place? Why is it here? And do I understand you right? You made this place?"

"This is a sanctuary." The stranger gestures to a sandy beach further ahead. Soft, pearly white sand stretches out up to stony ground that is being seeded with dirt and sand, carried by wind and water. A seagull stands on a reef just outside the small bay, screeching in confusion at the island. "It's not much yet. But already new life is seeded on the surface. Soon, there shall be trees bearing fruit, and flowers carrying sweet nectar. Insects will come and nest in the trees. Animals will come to dine upon the bounty of the land." The stranger turns towards a nearby cave and walks into it.

"A place for beasts? Why?" The stranger walks ahead in silence, into the dark mouth of the cave. Sigrid follows. The air inside is cool. Small pools of water are everywhere, and a larger pool stretches ahead of them, only to part itself when the stranger approaches. The walls remain parted for him to walk through. Sigrid waits for a moment at the edge, then runs forward. She makes it all the way to the other end and turns around. The water remains parted. Until the stranger snaps his fingers at least, at which the water comes crashing down to create a pool once more. "That was scary and exciting in equal measure. But you're being very tightlipped about things."

"Mmm." The stranger brushes a hand against a nearby wall, before he clutches his hand around a piece of rock. It breaks loose easily, and he throws the rock to Sigrid who catches it on instinct. "That's because I want you to draw your own conclusions where possible."

Sigrid stares blankly at the stranger, then at the stone in her hand. It's crystalline. Faintly azure, but flecked with specs of red, green, yellow and purple. It also glows slightly, which makes Sigrid realize that it must be the rock that's lighting the cave. That's why the place isn't completely dark. "You want me to draw conclusions?"

"For the most part yes. I will tell you that what you hold in your hands is magicite. It's a particular substance that is beneficial to the use of not just seidr, but all kinds of magic."

"But... I can't use any magic." The stranger just walks on without a word, forcing Sigrid to jog just to keep up with him. He continues on in silence, leaving Sigrid to look over the walls. Besides this "magicite", there seems to be many pretty colours within the stone itself. Slight reds, greys, even glimmers that look like gold, running in lines across the walls. The faint glow of magicite eventually yields to proper daylight, and the two exit into an overlook to a large secluded pit of sorts. The stranger bends down, sizing up the steep walls, seeming particularly interested in a small, narrow valley that leads out to the sea.

"This place is going to be full of birds in time." He says without looking up. "They're not to be hunted."

"Hrm? What do you mean?"

"What I said. The birds who are down there, sheltered in this secret place, are not to be hunted. Elsewhere one may do as one pleases, but this place is sacred to Avestra. There shall be no disrespect shown."

Sigrid walks up beside him, kneeling down to watch. Stone, barnacle, drying, saltbaked kelp. It's hard to think that this'll be full of birds. "I've spent most of my life fishing anyway. I don't think I could hunt a bird if I tried."

The stranger merely smiles and stands up once more, continuing to walk up the mountains. There's a rather narrow path, and several of the rocks are unstable. But whenever Sigrid is about to step on one, the stranger warns her and guides her on a safer path. As they continue upwards, Sigrid notices that despite all her exertion, she doesn't feel any fatigue. And when she turns to look behind her she sees that the ocean is far, far, far below. She can only see her boat as a tiny speck, small enough that she could hide it behind a fingernail. Shaking her head in disbelief she hurries after the stranger into another cave. Although this feels quite peculiar. The walls are much smoother, and there are carvings on the wall displaying imposing figures that fill her with a sense of dread and wonder in equal measure. Peculiar engravings have been carved into the walls at certain locations, and though she does not recognize the signs, she instantly gets a feel of what they mean. "Opulon, Grawissen, ... Ymon-Thal?" There's that word again.

When she finally catches up with the Stranger again, it's at the very top of these caverns. Above them is a dome of translucent crystal, giving an unobstructed view of the sky above. Beneath the dome are walls, and on the walls are more carvings that look like stars. And carvings that give her a sense of "Opulon" whatever that means. The Stranger stands at an archway that leads out, where his gaze is upon a large lake. The lake is at the bottom of a crater that marks the top of the island. Around it are smaller peaks. The tallest of which they are in, but there are others, some with much larger cavern entrances than what's here. "This lake, especially, will one day be very important." The Stranger turns to Sigrid, smiling as he offers his hand to her. "Let's get you back home. I've taken enough of your time."

"Hold on. I still don't know why you've taken me here!"

"Hrm... you haven't figured it out yet?" The Stranger rubs his chin, gesturing to the walls. "You don't recognize the names on the walls here?"

"Should I?"

"Yes, I think you should. They are the names of Gods."

Sigrid looks from the walls to the Stranger. "Gods? Then that... hrm. In that case."

"Seems you're getting closer. Good. Now come." The Stranger calmly takes her hand and a thick mist envelops them both. The whole thing takes mere moments, and before she can react they're down near the shore, standing before a narrow land-bridge that connects the island to the mainland. There are three large stone archs on the path, and there seems to be a peculiar shimmer that distorts light passing through the archways. "There is one last thing I want to show you before we leave. These are the gates that protect the island. It is impossible to enter without passing through these gates."

"What's so special about them? They look like just regular archways."

"You're standing inside, gazing out. But from the outside, even the pathway through the archways is impossible to discern without the proper mindset. To enter, you must first know the Path. The Path can only be fully revealed by divine intent. Otherwise it is hidden from the waking world, only visible in the world of dreams."

"I don't understand..."

"In time you will. Once you know the Path, you must pass the three gates. The Gate of Self-Reflection. Only that which actual awareness of itself as a living creature may pass the gate. Second is the gate of Tranquility. To pass that, your heart must be filled with peace. There must be not a shred of malevolent intent in your being. The third is the Gate of Sorcery. The gate may only be opened with the proper Key."

There's a moment of silence as Sigrid takes all of it in, before she looks curiously up at the Stranger. "And this key is?"

"A creation of magic. A sorcerous spell of magic. Magically purified water, infused with restorative mist, and frozen in a particular shape. A shape you will come to know."

"Huh? But... I am incapable of performing Seidr."

The Stranger looks warmly at Sigrid, before gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "No such thing. My gift is meant to be useable to all. You just need a tiny push, and you will find that you and your descendants may become among the greatest masters of ice in the whole world. Because this is what I request of you. Protect the mold of the key, keep it in your family, teach it to your children, and teach their children to teach their children again. Let this blessing flow through your lineage, because you are the very first gatekeeper of this island. In time, pilgrims will arrive from far off. They will have instructions of their own. It will be the duty of your family to grant them the entrance they have made themselves worthy of. Do a good job, and perhaps we shall meet again in another life. But for now... wake up."

---

Sigrid sits up in her boat with a gasp, blinking at the sharp sunlight burning down on her. The boat's stuck on the sandy beach, and rushing towards her is her husband. The poor man looks visibly distraught and he practically throws himself around Sigrid, hugging her tight. "You're back! You're safe! Thank goodness. I thought I'd lost you to the waves! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine." Sigrid looks at her husband, then back out to the sea. Was it all a dream? A large foggy cloud has settled out there on the ocean. That isn't abnormal and yet... she allows her husband to help her out of the ship and guide her back towards their home. As her feet brush against the wet sand, small crystals of ice form in her footsteps.

[Maryring]

All things considered, today could possibly be worse, but Fahraad is hard pressed to think of how. First, his father, his mentor and his girlfriend all perish from some peculiar freak accidents, then a raiding party drives his tribe out onto the savannah, where their only remaining waterskin ends up ruptured in yet another freak accident, and in a foolish attempt to be a brave young lad Fahraad volunteered to scout for water, which has put him in his current predicament.

Beneath the tree he has sequestered himself in are two large canines. They circle about the tree, with deep snarling growls deep in their throat. Occasionally barking up at him. At one point they look like they'll finally leave him be, but Fahraad is only halfway down before something snaps at his heels and he scampers back up. "Shoo." He waves his hands at the multicoloured canine pacing at the foot of his tree. He claps his hands, punches the trees, breaks off a branch that he tries to throw at the dog. But nothing helps. The young pygmy feels like this might be his end. Stuck in a tree until thirst and exhaustion overtakes him and makes him fall down to the tearing jaws of a wild, vicious beast. He's halfway through the thought of just jumping down and making a mad sprint for it, in the faint hope that it'll help him survive, when he is given help from a very unlikely source.

Another pygmy approaches the tree. Fahraad doesn't recognize her, but she seems particularly clean and hearty. Thick limbs, somewhat portly belly, thick and lush hair. Clad in a blue... something that covers her whole body. She might be an unknown stranger, but even so. "Careful!" He shouts out to her. Would she even understand his language? "There are dangerous beasts here! Get to safety!"

"Thank you for your concern." Her voice is melodious. Like water raining upon small rocks. "But I am perfectly safe, and so are you."

"What?"

"These dears aren't here to eat you." She walks up to the rabid canines. Her steps are slow, methodical, yet unfaltering. The two dogs turn their attention from Fahraad and rush towards her, circling her while tentatively barking at her. "Aww, it's okay dears. You were just keeping this strange stranger away from your kill weren't you? Who's a good guard." She reaches out to brush a hand over the head of one of the dogs, who responds with a confused whining bark before visibly calming down to enjoy the earscritches that happen.

"How'd you calm them down like that? That was just..."

"Nature magic?" She looks up at Fahraad, grinning before reaching out to scritch the other painted dog behind the ear as well. "Well, maybe just a bit. Enough to understand what they wanted. The rest is just knowing enough about them to know how to treat them."

"You've... pacified them completely?" Fahraad takes a trying step down, but clutches back onto the branch when one of the dogs growl deeply at him.

"It's okay. They're trying to intimidate you, but they're not going to fight you if they don't have to. That's a pointless waste of energy. Especially since you don't have a kill they can chase you from."

"You speak almost like you think these beasts are intelligent." Fahraad takes a deep breath as he shimmies down a little. The growling continues, but at least they aren't nipping at his feet, so he slowly crawls all the way down. When his feet touch solid ground again he has the tree between himself and the dogs. A chance to run away. Instead, despite every fiber of his being telling him to get away, he takes a very tentative step forward, then a quick step back when the canines start to stand up.

"Shh. Shh..." The girl's finger brushes through their short fur, calming the dogs and coaxing them to relax again. "You're not going to see them sing praises to the gods or practice sorcery, but they're not unpredictable. With time, knowledge, and perhaps a smidge of magic, perhaps your tribe could enter a mutually beneficial relationship with them." The girl cups her hands, and they begin to glow faintly blue for a moment before they fill up with water. She offers the cupped hands to the dogs, who happily drink from her grip. "Why don't you try?"

"Wh? I can't do magic! I... I never learned how. I mean, I wanted to but..." He bites his lips, frowning as he tries to push the dark thoughts from his mind.

"I'm sure you can. Just give it a try. Cup your hands together like I do, concentrate, maybe even close your eyes if that helps, and then whisper the words."

"Oh. Right. The words." Fahraad frowns, cupping his hands as described. "Like all I do is say Water Come Forth and..." He blinks as indeed water springs forth in his hands, filling up to the point of overflowing. He lifts the "cup" to his lips and takes a sip. The water is sweet and fresh, clearer than he has tasted in ages. "... how? I mean..."

"Magic doesn't have to be hard. A good teacher helps a lot... which is why you should find a good teacher who can teach you more about how to perform magic."

"And... and where would I find that?"

"Well, that's the thing isn't it?" The young pygmy girl stands up, which makes the dogs stand up, pushing themselves against her side to demand more cuddles. "You've got an enormous talent for water magic. Your teacher there would be experimentation and experience. But learning other arts, well that'd require others with such talent in other branches of magic. There are currently nine of them after all. One which is particularly dangerous. Think of all you could learn if you had access to mentors outside your tribe."

"What craziness are you talking about? I don't know where you come from with your craziness, but my family was recently ruined by a raiding party. Why would I even want to have anything to do with... with barbarians?!"

"Because that's how the world is... not how the world must be." The pygmy stands up tall, waves goodbye and turns around, walking away from Fahraad with the animals in tow. "You have a gift for water. Use that, let your tribe drink their fill. And when everything has calmed down. When you're ready to take risks again, like you've always had the strength and bravery for before, remember this. Far away from here there is an island. An island bountiful with the blessings of nature and the gods. Go there. Bring your tribe if you can convince them. Bring these ones if you can befriend them." She itches the canines once more. "But know that you won't make the path there on your own. I shall see you in your dreams."

And just like that she's gone. She just walked and... vanished. As if she was never there in the first place. Fahraad looks down at his hands. They're still wet with water.

[AlexanderML]

The Tumera Green-Lands:

Spoiler: Image

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South of the tall Stonethroe Mountains are the ancient temperate forests and creeks of the Tumera Green-Lands. Deep valleys and high hills litter this land, though none could be described as a mountain. Nearly every spring it is afflicted with floods and harsh winds from the north for a period of weeks, clearing the land near the rivers of any shrubbery that had grown there and giving the soil a dark hue. Each winter the land becomes dry, with all but the largest rivers fading away till spring.

Humans have made this place their home for many years, distinguished from other humans for their thinner frames and deathly complexion. Most live in neolithic villages, working the land to the best of their ability. Their warriors use stone knifes and wooden spears.

---

Rigeros the Tall of the Sahgori, Tumera Green-Lands:

Rigeros, like many other Sugradi giants, had traveled to the southern lands during the fall to explore and take claim of the lands of the Small-Folk; they were easy foes to cleanse from the land and many of the tribes of the Stonethroe Mountains wanted or needed more land to gather food and resources. While it was mostly the Tradono who came to these lands this season, many large Grigani had come as well, with a few individuals from the other chiefdoms like Rigeros himself.

This war-band had been raiding and enslaving the pathetic human villages of the region, very few of them having any sort of serious resistance. Rigeros had been acting as one of the advisers to the heads of the tribes, as well as using his miracles to help the war-band take over the Small-Folk. To this end he awoke everyday hours before anyone else to go through the purity rites required for the day.

Dawn came to the immense relief of the Sahgori priest. Rigeros's could feel the power of his god once more, strengthening his body and keeping him awake. Feeling capable once more, he began his duties he had for the Sugradi (giving advise, identifying problems, calling miracles). He had to keep much of his favor (mana) for later use, since scouts had arrived stating another village was nearby.

A few hours later, more information was making it's away around the camp. The village of small-folk were not fleeing, instead getting their warriors ready to face them. While not expected, it did not surprise the priest.

When Rigeros actually laid his eyes upon the small-folk, he was more disappointed than anything else. Since he was the only Sahgori among the war-band, two Tradono volunteered to guard him as he went to give the little men their warning. The tallest giant in the war-band, standing over twice the height of some of the small-folk, Rigeros was able to talk a few villages to give in to the war-band peacefully before and intended to try to do so again.

"Small-men, your brave to try and face the unstoppable force that is the Highest's chosen people, but if you think you can defeat us or even slow our step know that the all-mighty power of our will shall break you. If you submit, you shall live, if you do NOT submit, then we shall kill you and take everything from your home. Decide fast."

---

The human warriors were shaking, looking upon the tall monsters and seeing more behind them. The giants were even worse than they had expected, the tales they had heard were thought to have been exaggerated, but these giants were far too real. The chief and shaman tried to restore some fighting spirit, keeping the warriors standing but unwilling to charge.

---

Not fully grasping what the humans were feeling, Rigeros gave a half-hearted sigh thinking on the foolishness of the small-folk not submitting to the war-band. Signalling the warriors Rigeros laughed openly towards the humans.

"Then die puny men, for the Blessed!"

Another village sacked and it's inhabitants enslaved.

---

Rigeros, A Village in Tumera

The war-band had been very successful over the season, destroying or gaining the support of the nearly everyone they had come across within the lands of the weak small-folk; but summer was nearing and many of the Sugradi wanted to stay and establish themselves here. Some where even speaking on making a new Chiefdom here. Rigeros had found no reason to deny them, though he felt he'd speak of it in his prayers to Yir. He expected a vague feeling on how his god would feel on the matter, what he got was far more. With noon's light, the sun spoke.

"Servant of mine, I see you and I see the cleansing you and my other blessed have given this land. Most of the impure of this land have been cleansed or put beneath their betters. This pleases me. As reward by MY power I grant you the knowledge needed to make sure you keep this land."

The light of Yir touched the mind of Rigeros that day, granting the basic knowledge on construction. Using this, the first hill fort of the giants would be made within a month.

Spoiler: Action

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1/20 AP

-1 AP/DC 0 Influence single mortal

Yir grants the knowledge it has on the properties of surface materials and theory on design to the giant Rigeros the Tall, mainly so they can cement their control over the region of Tumera through hill forts, shrines to Yir, and great halls for the giants. Rigeros if successful will grant his insights to other giants.

Spoiler: The Chiefdom of the Tulmer

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To be done later!

For now, the important parts would probably be that the Tulmer are far more focused on infrastructure than the other chiefdoms, preferring to keep permanent settlements if possible, and are unabashed slavers of the local human tribes. To their fellow giants though they are very welcoming since they themselves come from a diverse background.

[gac3]

Timorin: Maddening Marsh 9AP

Spoiler: Image

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https://www.deviantart.com/insolense...arsh-450638198

Timorin quickly regretted his decision to sail blindly into the ocean with no entertainment. The boring overwhelmed him. He had figured he would hit something interesting fairly quickly but he found himself bored before his island paradise was even out of site. Dispite this, he sailed on. There was adventure to be had and people to entertain and have entertain him.

Luckily the boredom did not drive him mad before his surroundings changed. He had reached a vast Marsh filled with nomadic tribes of Neanderthals. As Timorin drifted, he watched the strange people who differed much from his pigmies back home. One tribe he followed for a while, in the shape of a frog.

On the third day he followed them, they discovered things had gone missing from what little possessions the tribe had. Timorin croaked with excitement as a case was afoot. The tribe investigated and found some of the missing items in the possession of a particularly small and lanky neanderthal. They were prepared to kill him on the spot, even as he proclaimed his innocence.

As Timorin watched, the man demanded a trial by the gods. This seemed particularly interesting to some of the attackers, but none knew how to go about it. In their hesitation, Timorin let out a large croak, the likes of which none present had ever heard from a true frog.

Each member of the tribe turned to face the sound to discover a small frog on sitting on a water lily. As they watched, the lily shifted in color until it's petals were blood red alternated with the black of death. The Lilly with the frog on it drifted to where the young potential thief had fallen. The frog then ate a single red petal off the flower and seemed to fall over into the water. None present saw the frog rise or swim away. They did however notice a strange snake slithering away from the spot the strange frog had disappeared.

Timorin had done all he could. Now they would do as they pleased. He hoped they would feed the lily to the thief to test his claim against what should have been seen as an act of a god. Maybe they would spare him just based on the whole weird performance alone. Maybe they would just go back to slowly pummelling him to death. It was all fine to Timorin. Either way, his lilies would spread

Spoiler: Action

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Create basic living species: Roulette Lily. The roulette Lily can be an excellent healing herb or a excellent poison. The results are random. The colors make no difference. On a single lily, some petals may be deadly while others may be life saving. Who knows? The person willing enough to try it does, I guess.

8 AP, DC 4, +2 Drama

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 17/25 AP, Boa Jungle, with Opulon

As Opulon stretched her hands out to the sky, the storm raging all around, she felt the awareness of other gods. Her plea for help had reached the ears of many others and they also took steps to banish the storm before it could get any worse. One, two, three... Six other gods, one by one, sent their powers to aid her and Boa Jungle. Together, their combined willpower successfully drove the storm away, saving the jungle from any more devastation.

Not all of Boa had escaped the storm's effects, however. Five of the canopy pygmies had fallen, most likely from the storm, and the tribe was in mourning. With the severe circumstances that killed their tribesmen, the pygmies were unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a young girl, Sia, came up to her father and looked up at him, a mask of white wood in her hands.

"Father, father! I met a man down below who told me about the passing of some of our people. I... Where is mother? I don't see her anywhere!", the child said, looking frantically around, tugging at her father's arm. With a sad look in his eye, Tropha looked down at his daughter and guided her towards the five bodies, covered by a few large leaves each, save for their faces. Sia spotted her mother among the dead and fell to her knees, crying as only a child who had never felt anguish before can.

After not too long, Sia straightened back up and held the mask up to her father.

"I was given this by the strange man, he told me to carve masks like this for the... The d- the d-d-dead and to put it over their faces. W-we can bring them to a beautiful, starry hollow to rest after that", she said, still distraught but a hopeful gleam shining in her eyes.

Tropha, hearing this, gave her a wan smile and looked over at the families of the dead, giving a silent nod to them. Together, they worked to carve masks and bring the dead to the starry hollow, following Sia as guide.

Opulon watched this happening, curious, perched on a nearby branch above as an owl, her round eyes following the pygmies as they made their way to the hollow. She felt a presence nearby, one of the gods who had helped her, and looked towards him.

"You are... Chern, yes? Is this starry hollow your doing? I thank you, if so. I was not sure how to guide them through this tragedy."

Up in the canopy above his hollow, Chern observed the pygmies inspecting the hollow. He had taken on the form of a large vulture, eyes a luminous yellow behind his pale beak.

The vulture regarded Opulon.

"They would have managed. Managing is what mortals do best. I sometimes believe that it's we gods, who presume to watch them from above, who are most in need of guidance."

He looked back down at the mortals. One at a time they were carefully lowering the five deceased pygmies into glowing hollow, each member of the tribe contributing a supportive hand to ensure a smooth decent.

"But yes, I am Chern. And yes, I made this crypt. I'm glad it doesn't offend you. When the girl told me that you'd marked these pygmies, I was concerned at what you'd think of my own gift to them."

"There is no need for concern, my dear Chern. These people would have managed on their own, yes, but with our help they are able to cope more easily. I have been intending to take a more passive approach to helping them, but the passing of the storm proves otherwise. I felt your touch in dispelling the storm, thank you for that."

Opulon nodded her head at the vulture.

"So far, these have been my people, but I believe we can work together to help them grow even stronger."

"Yes," agreed the vulture, "that would be good. You care for them in life, when they have the time to gaze up at the night sky. And when their time under the stars is over, they will come to my starry crypt, and I will care for them in death. This is amenable to Chern."

Down in the hollow below them, all five bodies were lain down in the softly illuminated earth. One by one, Sia lowered a memory mask onto each peaceful face. The last to receive their mask was her mother, to whom she gave the mask of the stranger who had shown her the ritual.

Her hands lingered on the pale wood for a little longer than the others. A single teardrop landed below the left eye hole, leaving a glittering stain.

Some of the Boa pygmies spoke a few words to the dead. Respects were paid. Then they left the hollow. Over the years they could continue to place their dead in the starry crypt, for it was a sacred place. And with each fresh corpse, the glowloam would spread, enlarging the crypt to make way for new graves.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Sanctify the Starry Crypt for +2 (14 AP/10 DC)

+4 decay, because it's a crypt.

Following the funeral of the five dearly departed jungle pygmies, Chern led Opulon into the Crypt to show her his subterranean starscape, and to pay their respects to the now and future dead. At this moment he will attempt to sanctify the Starry Crypt.

Spoiler: Help!

Show

+2 Divination, +2 Cosmology to help with sanctifying the Starry Crypt.

Opulon aids Chern in the sanctification process, pouring Divination magic into the spell, causing any further pygmy children to receive dreams of the Crypt upon the first death they experience, as a welcome.

[Maryring]

When the sun rises up between the peaks, sending beams of light that reflect of the snow. The brilliance of sparkling white against the black of stone and soil is beautiful. But also dangerous. Such clear mornings often bring with them mists. And mists can be quite dangerous in a world full of sharp drops and unstable rocks.

One neanderthal is out this cold morning, searching the sparse but nonetheless fertile ground for berries. Food he hopes to bring home to his sick daughter. It's tough going trying to find food for both himself and his child, and since she's still too weak to move he has had to move further and further afield, searching through ever more dangerous crags for food others found too dangerous to harvest. That is why he enters the mist. He can barely see the ground before him. More than once he notices a sharp drop to the rocks below only after almost stepping over the edge. But the haul is worthwhile. His basket is almost full when through the mist he spots a peculiar shape before him. Their form is shimmering, only really visible as a silhouette through the mist. But they're very clearly People nonetheless. "Hey!" He growls out, taking steps towards the shape. "Get outta here. These berries are." As his foot steps down next to the silhouette he suddenly finds that there's nothing there. Crying out in surprise he stumbles forward, downwards. The rocks below approach too quickly.

And then his falls slows. He feels something wrap about his arms, and when he looks up he sees... something. It looks like a person, but their body is made entirely out of water. One arm of it has frozen into ice which is wrapped about his waist. The other clutches hard onto the wall of the mountain, gouging the earth to slow their descent towards the rocks. "Close call. You should be more careful." The voice is a sweet song. For some reason he thinks of raindrops falling on stones when he hears it.

"Oh gods. Oh my gods. What happened. Who."

"Shh." Petr finishes sliding down the cliff wall until they're both safe on the ground. He releases his grip on the neanderthal and nods towards him. "Your name is Bear yes?"

"Yes. How'd."

"I've been watching you closely. Well, your daughter specifically. She has great potential, but that won't help if she can't survive. And though you do a good job taking care of her, food alone won't save her life."

"What?!" Bear blinks, mouth gaping as he clutches his head. "No. She's strong. She'll be fine. Who are you to say this?! What kind of arrogant."

"Shh." Bear finds that his voice dies in his throat. He tries to speak, but the only thing that comes out is a hoarse whisper. "Hrm... let's see... ah. Here's one." The water spirit kneels by a nearby stream. Those icy hands brush through the water before pulling up a beautiful icy bloom with thick petals and a peculiar, slightly acridic smell. "Your daughter has a mark that looks like a cloud on her back yes? You can speak again now."

"I... yes. Yes she does. Did. It's grown larger lately though. And the colour is..."

"The colour of sickness yes." The spirit looks at the flower, then back at Bear. "I will tell you how to save your daughter. In return, you must do some things for me."

"If it saves her life, I'll do anything great spirit!"

"Good. Follow my commands and your lineage will be long and hearty, and your family will be rewarded in time. Find this flower, tear of the petals, and rub the nectar dripping from the petals onto the discoloured skin. It will be painful. Your daughter will shudder, withdraw from the nectar because it will feel like burns upon her flesh. This is proof that it works. In return, as she grows older, you must teach her the rules of the mist, and guide her potential so that she may grow strong in the magical arts."

"What? Why?! And, you say it will hurt her? How do I know that you're not an evil spirit seeking to bring misery to me and my child?"

"You do not. But... I will not force your compliance." The spirit looks upon Bear with eyes of purest ice within a head of flowing water. "But know this. Your child has the potential to become one of the finest mages of this age. Help her to grow, and in time she will guide your lineage to a promised land where fruits are many. She will know the paths in her dreams. Now. Awaken."

The figure snaps their fingers beside Bear's ear and with a start he sits up in his cave. The morning mists wrap thick across the cavern floor, covering almost everything. The one exception is the hides upon which his child sleeps, bundled up in warmth against his body. Around her form are no mists at all.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Influence a large group of mortals! AP4/DC2

Petr travels around the world, seeking people with the greatest potential for utilizing magic, with especial emphasis on Water magic. They will instruct these mages to hone their skills, and to hone the skills of their descendants, as they eventually make their way towards Sanctuary Island. The pilgrim leaders will receive visions in their dreams on how to reach the current docking slot of Sanctuary Island, and of the family line blessed with the sacred task of allowing the worthy to enter the island. All the potential pilgrims will receive only one third of the knowledge needed to forge the key that allows access onto the island proper.

+2 from Water domain.

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 17/25 AP, Starry Crypt with Ymon-Thal

Chern lurked for some time in the Starry Crypt, watching the five masked pygmies grow colder and more rigid as the hours and days passed. Luminous spots began to appear on their exposed skin, glowloam spores setting in. Soon the bugs of the undergrowth would begin to feast, and so death would begin to birth new life. The masks, however, would remain.

Chern thought back to the one who had caused these mortals to perish, and in so doing had fed a thousand smaller creatures. He decided that the twin gods of life and death would appreciate the scene.

"Ymon, Thal,” he called into the silence of the crypt, "come. Come, and look upon the rancid fruits of your labour.”

After Thal's speech to the mortals – what effect it'd had, if any, was hard to tell – Ymon-Thal had been flying around aimlessly. High above the world the Twin God had still sensed the chaos of life and death following each other without order or meaning, souls rushing back and forth without greater purpose or proper plan.
He still had no sollution in sight when he felt the welcome distraction of Chern's call and quickly followed it to it's source.

"Ooh, this is a new place! Sparkly!” Ymon exclaimed as he repeatedly spun around in place, watching the new sights of the Starry Crypt.

Thal looked at the dead pygmies. "Rancid fruit, indeed. What do you want, Chern?”

Chern gestured around the cavern, his movements lethargic approaching disinterested.

"I made this Starry Crypt as a place of death, and the rebirth that comes with death. To accommodate those that I helped you kill. It seems not only fitting, but necessary that you help me bury them.”

"I see.” Thal said, following Chern with his eyes. "I am not usually very interested in what happens to the flesh left behind. I suppose it could be a... learning experience.”

There was some truth to that. Ymon-Thal prefered to stay above the world, literally and metaphorically. For someone who always saw things through two sets of eyes his perspective was rather narrow, he suspected.

"Yes! That sounds fun. Do we get masks? Can I have his mask?” Ymon asked, pointing to one of the masked corpses. "Oh, oh no, they are for the dead ones, aren't they?”

"What do you suggest?” Thal asked Chern.

"I need only your blessing," said Chern. "So that the dead may rest easy. Though...”

Chern reached up to the ceiling and plucked out a glowloam star from the earth. He handed it to Thal. Then, he took off his own pale wooden mask, and handed it to Ymon.

"Should you wish it, you may spread the Starry Crypt to your own people.”

Thal looked at the curious, glowing creature in his hand. "The dead never rest, easy or otherwise. This...” He gestured towards the masked corpses. "...is meat left behind as their souls rush towards the next life.”

Ymon, completely distracted by examining the mask Chern had given him, looked up at the mention of life. "Yes, yes. One is born already, that's a lucky one. The others are... wating, I think. Such chaos.”

"Yes” Thal continued as his other self resumed trying out the mask. "I suppose that those on such an tumultuous journey deserves our blessing, whatever it's worth.”

"Can we go now?” Ymon asked. “We have things, so many things, to do.”

Thal nodded. "Until we meet again, Chern.”

"Bye, bye!” Ymon said as the Twin God vanished from the Starry Crypt, leaving only the glowloam, dead on the ground.

Alone once more with corpses, Chern stooped to pick up the shrivelled speck of fungus. Killing that which eats the dead... The Twins intrigued Chern. Though he couldn't help but feel that rejecting his humble offer had been meant as a slight.

"Indeed. Until next time, Ymon and Thal.” He looked up at the stars, the real ones visible through the entrance to the Crypt. The stars that had aligned and given him material form were seconds of degrees from drifting apart.
"Though next time may not be for quite some time.”

Spoiler: Help

Show

+2 Life, + 2 Death to help sanctifying the Starry Crypt
Ymon-Thal add some of his power to help guide the souls of those buried in the crypt to find their way to their next lives.

[AlexanderML]

Urik the Blister on the Grey Plains

The northern land not too far from the stonethroe mountains are grey plains made up of rolling land that is smothered with chilling winds most of the year, and soil so poor that most of the land can only support a certain grey grass that gives the region it's name. Small tribes of neanderthals had made their home here, hunting what creatures live upon the plains. Their shamans were sorcerers of some skill, channeling the chill of winter itself to aid their tribe. These people have always been both a thorn on the pride of the Sugradi giants and also a place where they found little potential to grow. While Tradano tribes occasionally make their way to the plains to raid the natives, the natives nearly always prevailed due to the vast land concealing where they were and shamanic power turning the giants flesh to ice. That did not mean that no one wanted these lands, indeed the clan of the puny Cavpo seemed to take an interest in the northern land due to it being one of the few places surrounding the holy mountains that none of the other clans held much interest in. Urki was a chief of a Cavpo tribe that held a strange reputation. He was scared with huge unrelenting blisters across his body, known for being cruel for even a Cavpo; yet was also one of the few Cavpo to specialize in a form of magic (the power of water) as well as survive experimenting with the forbidden power of Fire. His title was the Blister. His red form was the one that lead the tribe of Icanda to the north to take the land as his own. Almost as a blessing from Yir, when Urki came to the north he discovered many of the high-ranking shamans had left, and that he actually had magical superiority (a great relief). He gave his people's vengeance to the people of the north by igniting their fields to root them out and then freezing their blood. Urki suffered losses, many lesser shamans of the northerners still remained, and the vast land more than once gave his opponents a way to escape. In the end, he claimed the grey plains as his tribes land, going so far to say he founded a new Clan named after his tribe (the Icanda). This reduced the Ulister some and Cavpo greatly, as many went north to learn from Urki the Blister. Spoiler: Icanda Show The Icanda is a small clan that lives north of the stonethroe mountians among the grey plains. They are larger than their Cavpo forfathers and more powerful magically, yet have lost the talent for crafting the Cavpo have and are specialized almost exclusively in water magic (with the masters sometimes trying to learn Fire magic, it's considered a success if the master is still alive).

[flyinglemur]

Dulnori would continue his wanderings. He traveled far and wide, observing his new nation, until one day he came across the edge of the Harken Steppe. He looked on, with wary eyes, at the terrible wilderness. It was a strange place, filled with creatures terrible and foreign to him and his people. But it also represented potential, it was out there where glory was to be won after all. Who knows what strange treasures might lie there? Dulnori thought it was a fitting place, for a new idea he developed in his travels, and it was far enough from the center of the steppe that the dragon surely wouldn’t mind. He wanted to celebrate the Horizon tribe and their many achievements, and so he got to work.

Dulnori transformed into the great whirlwind and began to spin. The earth, grass, and stone was torn apart by the raging sand and held aloft in the air, where Dulnori used his might to crush them into huge blocks. These blocks fell from the sky with great force, causing the ground itself to shake and shudder. Soon enough, the work was done, and the Eternal Arena was formed, right on the border of the Harken Steppe. It’s here that the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of men are tested, and the Horizon tribe is forever reminded of what it is.

This is the site of the Miracle Games. Every two-years, on the autumnal equinox, the Horizon tribe travel to the Eternal Arena to participate in this event of absolute importance. It’s the single greatest celebration of steppe culture known, hosted by none other then Dulnori himself. For five-days, although extensions are not uncommon, the people participate in a multitude of events in honor of their achievement. It typically begins with contests of drama, as elders and orators compete to recite the greatest tales of steppe heroism taken from the vast oral tradition of the Horizon tribe. Then the races, both on foot and horseback, always a crowd favorite, with many of the fastest racers becoming famous across the nation. Hunters compete in the javelin events, with records for both distance and power being regularly broken. Dulnori runs lotteries and wheel spinnings, with the luckiest audience members coming home with jewels and fine bronze goods. Countless other sports are played and the number increases often, with almost everyone getting a shot at glory and fame. Dulnori caters of course, and his cooking isn’t shabby to say the least. Joy and excitement abound, with the intensity of the games increasing as they progress, culminating in the most grandiose and important event of them all, The Hunt. Dulnori himself steps into the arena, taking the form of the mighty rhinoceros. The greatest hunters in the entire Horizon tribe must battle him, in memory of the day when the god first gave man bronze. This is not a rigged contest however, and victory is never guaranteed. Dulnori always fights savagely and without any hesitation, and the Horizon tribe must bring the absolute limit of their skill and power to bear in order defeat him. It is not a repetitive contest either, Dulnori fights intelligently, changing his tactics in response to past and present techniques, and forcing the warriors to do the same. There are times when Dulnori wins, every man thrown against him crushed and gored. Dulnori doesn’t kill them of course, that would be cruel, and all who spectate and participate in these games are guaranteed to leave with their flesh healed and their minds rejuvenated. However, a loss in The Hunt is a sure sign that the Horizon tribe must improve itself, and all are sure to take that lesson to heart. Luckily those times are few and far between, the people are mighty and courageous, and more than capable of preparing themselves. The Miracle Games allow for everyone to realize their own potential and power.

Spoiler: action

Show

4 AP/2 DC: I’ll use my action to create a large building, that is the Eternal Arena, and its games. +2 ambition, the Miracle Games are a place to earn glory and become greater.

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 3 rolls

Avestra (1 AP) - mercilessly slaughter a single mortal (1 AP/0 DC)
(1d20)[11]

Alatadriel (9 AP) - erect the Twin Furnaces (4 AP/2 DC) +2 fire/+2 foxes
(1d20+4)[13]

Grawissen (3 AP) - inspire Morgana to create the Grawissen Calendar (1 AP/0 DC)
Yir, +2 Sun
(1d20+2)[3]

Ymon-Thal (7 AP) - convert a village of mortals (6 AP/3 DC) +2 Life/+2 Death
(1d20+4)[16]

Yir (1 AP) - teach Rigeros how to build forts (1 AP/0 DC)
(1d20)[11]

Timorin (9 AP) - bloom the Roulette Lily (8 AP/4 DC) +2 Drama
(1d20+2)[5]

Chern (16 AP) - sanctify the Starry Crypt (14 AP/10 DC) +4 decay
Opulon, +2 Divination/+2 Cosmology, Crypt dreams
Ymon-Thal, +2 Life/+2 Death, smooth afterlife
(1d20+12)[30]

Petr(5 AP) - summon a large group of mortals to sanctuary (4 AP/2 DC) +2 Water
(1d20+2)[18]

Dulnori (11 AP) - construct the Eternal Arena (4 AP/2 DC) +2 Ambition
(1d20+2)[19]

Opulon (15 AP) - no action

Su'ule (1 AP) - no action

Nestellbam (9 AP) - no action

Vreyalas (9 AP) - no action

Kahar-Djin (5 AP) - no action

Enheduanna (21 AP) - no action

Anyone who didn't make an action has until tomorrow to make do so, and I will resolve it

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 3 resolution

Avestra (0 AP) - success
The Al-Sinai tribe was shocked at the sudden and brutal death of Khan Ormotag. They burned whatever of his corpse they could scoop together, though the black feather that was found with him was fearfully exempt from the pyre, for it seemed an ill omen.

Alatadriel (5 AP) - success
Alatadriel's Twin Furnace forge towered over the assembled orcs. What they would do with or make of this pantheon of industry was up to them.

Grawissen (2 AP) - success
Morgana completed her father's calendar, recording this valuable knowledge in the primitive, almost pictographic script of her people. It was written thus:

Spoiler: The Grawissen Calendar

Show

holiday(multiple days)=solstices and equinoxes, holidays happening four times a year celebrating the solstices and equinoxes, along with Kahar-Djin

January=Yirmid, named after him Yir.
holiday= New Year’s, 1rst. The holiday celebrating Yir to mark the new year. The people watch as the sun rises to praise the new year that Yir has given them.

February= Opuloner named after Opulon.
holiday= heaven Festival 20th, a festival honoring Opulon. Every home lights a lantern to get a blessing from the goddess.

March= Avest named after Avestra.
The flight of the birds 19. A celebration of nature by watching the migration of the birds in the sky and worship of Avestra

April= Timorly, named after Timorin.
Fools day 1st= the day of pranks and tricks to honor Timorin

May= Ymhl named after Ymon-Thal.
holiday= the Memorial of life-and-death 15. A day to celebrate life and respecting the dead and honor of Ymon-Thal

June=Alatalin named after Alatadriel
holiday= Day of the Fox 11. A day to appreciate the chosen beings of the goddess Alatadriel by leaving them treats.

July= Vrey named after Vreyalas
holiday= forging day 29, a day of competition between those of the Forge, to show mortal craftsmanship to the God Vreyalas

August= Pely named after Petr
holiday= the day of the sea 7, a day of party at sea, lakes and rivers to show how much we appreciate Petr for water.

September= Nestel named after Nestellbam
holiday= Golden knowledge day 15, a celebration of the Prehist chieftains Morgana’s victory over the sun God Yir with the help of Grawissen. Knowledge is passed around and studied to honor Grawissen.

holiday= the day of preparation 23, an act to show Nestellbam that we are prepared for anything as we get ready for fall and winter.

October=Cherntor named after Chern
holiday= day of fear 31, all fear this day as they say Chern is strongest year on this day. We celebrate the decay to appease him.

November= Su named after Su'ule
holiday= day of sorcery 25, a day to appreciate and celebrate the magic that the goddesses gave us.

December= Dul named after Dulnori
holiday= charity day 25, to spread the fortune to those less fortunate so all may appreciate Dulnori glory.

Ymon-Thal (1 AP) - success
The mortals (I'm going to say humans since I don't believe it was specified) of Boa Jungle prostrated themselves before Ymon-Thal, in awe of their power and wisdom. They would spread their word, and their villages would become a hub of their power.

Yir (0 AP) - success
The Sugradi giant Rigeros of Tumera hearkened to the voice of mighty Yir. The already power hungry war lord would now be able to conquer more effectively the surrounding lands, using forts much stronger than anything else known at the time. His knowledge of construction was far ahead of anyone else's at the time, and he gave this knowledge willingly to his kin.

Timorin (1 AP) - success
The marsh neanderthals paused in their beating of the thief, curious about a strange new plant growing among the waterlilies. They decided to feed the lily to the thief, to test it. The thief, upon nervously consuming the plant, said he felt better than ever. In fact he felt so good that he started beating everyone else, and then he really did steal all their stuff. The Roulette Lily would soon catch on as a ritualistic means of testing one's fate.

Chern (2 AP) - success
The Starry Crypt, dug by Chern as a resting place for the dead, twinkled somewhat brighter than before. Now no mortal who entered the place, living or dead, could deny its sanctity.

Petr(1 AP) - success
Sigrid's family would in time meet many people who had also been visited by some facet of Petr. Fahraad, Bear, and many others came in search of the island sanctuary. She granted them entry, careful to obey the ritual of the three gates. The island prospered more with every initiate.

Dulnori (7 AP) - success
Just beyond the Harken Steppe, in the terrible wilderness, a chaotic storm raged and from its tumbling force, the Eternal Arena came to be. This awe inspiring colosseum would prove the perfect place for games and sport, when the Horizon tribe found it. They would call them, the Miracle Games.

Opulon (15 AP) - no action

Su'ule (1 AP) - no action

Nestellbam (9 AP) - no action

Vreyalas (9 AP) - no action

Kahar-Djin (5 AP) - no action

Enheduanna (21 AP) - no action

[Megadraco]

Kahar-Djin, 5 AP, Ebonbark Bay

Action:

Influence a large group of mortals, 4 AP/2 DC Kahar-Djin appears in the dreams of around a hundred members of the village of Día, granting them the gift to form Paths with other people's minds, granting them the ability to understand any language that a nearby person speaks. This gift will be passed down to their descendants. In the same dream, they command them to set out to explore, finding new places and forming paths between the many settlements and civilizations of the world.

+2 Paths: The gift granted, the command to form paths.

[Artemis P]

A loud whirl came bounding across the rocky ground. It was loud, and long, and it echoed for miles; there was sparsely little to interrupt the sound waves call, and the voice who had given life to the sound knew it would carry, even counted on it.

The echoing reply came a few minutes later, slightly shriller and much less audible than the one given before it- in this time, three figures had already made way down the length of the hill, and had begun ascent of the next. For this was the landscape of the plains- occassional hills followed by vast plateaus, with little but a few shrubs and brushes to break the monotomy. During the warmer season, the long grass grew to a knee-high length, and could be used to make food- the locals called it wheat- but for now, in the colder season, they relied upon the meat of the great, shaggy beasts that roamed the plains. On the backs of one of the figures lay rope, which was tied to a long, bone-made board. This board dragged on the ground behind the figure, for he ran as he drug it behind him. And on this board lay the meat of the large, shaggy creature; it was for this reason the figure had left, for he was a hunter- the best hunter in his clan.

When he heard the sound, the hunter whistled long and low to the other figures- they came to him quickly, and frantically, in the manner that dogs always do. He steered them in the direction of the sound; within ten minutes, the figures were loping back into camp.

The hunter was greeted by a woman, arms held low and to her side, but with a warm and inviting smile that showed familiarity, but not the intimacy of husband and wife. The woman's name was Arikara, and she bowed low as she spoke. "Good spirits be with you, Murumasa," came the words, sweet like honey.

And the reply, "And they with you, Arikara. How fares the people?" He gestured to the small band of hunters gathered behind, about 15 or 20.

"The people fare poorly, for Ad Kin Elkhoof forces us again to surrender our beasts to his tribe, and join our shares to his. But, now with your arrival, they will have full bellies and glad hearts. You will share with us your bounty?"

The hunter looks to the load on his shoulder. "Yes, I will," he states, "tough give to me a small portion for my dogs." The hounds in question, are, at the moment, investigating a rogue beetle that tends the ground, and they nip and bark at each other in their play over the beetle. Murumasa gives a whistle, and with speed, they stop and come to him, and few quiet words more have them lying down.

Arikara smiles at him. "You have such a way with them," she says to the hunter. "No one else in the clan has such luck with the dogs. Tell me your secret," she says and smiles again, laying herself down beside him as he plays.

"There is no secret, Ari," the hunter smiles, shortening her name from the formal to the informal, "I've just always known what they were thinking. Like they were part of my clan. Like they were you or I." He ruffles one of the dogs ears, and they roll over, happily wagging their tail.

"What an extraordinary talent," comes the reply. "Would that I could speak to dogs, like you. Or to fly like a bird, or race across the plains like the bison," she whispered, then danced away. "But that is for daydreamers, and idle hands kill the clan. I shall see you later, Murumasa?"

The hunter smiled. "Of course. Good day, Arikara."
---------------------------------------------------------------------

In the largest of the tents, Gravirr, father of Arikara, once again prayed to the spirits. “Spirits,” he pleads, “honored of my ancestors. Show me the way. All of the other tribes have joined Elkhoof’s clan, all of the others submitted to his ways. The buffalo dry up, raids strike at all who oppose the Horizon, war, famine- how can I lead my people to this? If I do, they will lead lives as slaves. If I do not, they will die. Help me, spirits, give me a sign.

At once, the smoke begins to unfurl- it slowly grows thicker, and darker, and swathes of color changing into a sandstorm, and a dragon Gravirr sighs, and slowly releases some smoke out of the tent.

“Thank you, my ancestors. I understand. My people will survive, and they will thrive, even if it means my death.”
He bows low. And as he does, releasing more and more of the smoke, he fails to see the pulsing puff of smoke that refuses to go away…..,

------------------------------------------------------------------
Two dogs began barking, yelping, moments before a great rumbling came from the ground. Murumasa, forewarned, yet not believing, ran off in the direction of Arikara. And as he did, a giant lizard came flying out of the ground, making tunnels in the ground, and rose up, monstrous and dangerous, pure white and instantly dangerous.

Murumasa is the only brave to react before the beast throws himself at the ground, flattening all weapons in the tribe’s armory. Murumasa however, wasn’t going for weapons. His focus was on the one walking next to the pile, and as the lizard dived down, so to did Murumasa. He missed. He screamed.

One mutt, a beast of old, had known Murumasa for a long time. She had been the runt of the litter, cast out of her pack because of her size. The human who also spoke dog knew her, fed her, nursed her back to health, and for that, she returned his favor with the utmost loyalty no man had ever known. Anything that the man needed, she gave. In this moment, that was her life.

The woman who the man adored was in the way of the beast as it came crashing down. She, having sensed the magical, mystical, divine disturbance, did what she knew the man wanted. Normally, she pointed out to him where the beasts of the plains were, and where the poisonous roots where, and which one were safe to eat, places to find shelter and water. Now, she protected his mate.

The dog pounced on Arikara as the dragon slammed down. Pushed out of the way, the mutt breathed deep her last breath as she knew the woman was safe, before the was crushed.
------------------------------------------------------------
The dragon is the smoke spoke as Gravirr knelt in prayer. “Your ancestors prayed to me too that they would be spared, and I granted the great strength in their bones. Now, I offer you a different path.”

The dragon spoke about change, change coming. The change was good, it said, and would lead to great prosperity for all involved. This was called the Horizon tribe, beloved of two gods, and they would roam not just the Steppe, but the world, performing great deeds all over.

Gravirr was encouraged about the Horizon tribe, and spoke earnestly about his hope for a great future. But the same question that caused him to call the spirits, now caused distress again. “But, great spirit,” he said “they are not us. How can we teach our children to hunt, and tend hide, if they are different?”

And the dragon answered him. “You, of all others, have resisted the tribe, despite its benefit. You, of all others, understand the dangers change brings. I will not give you my blessing, but I will bless you in other ways. However, as I give to you, I will also take something of much value to you..”
------------------------------------------------------------
After the crash, Murumasa found Arikara, alive and untouched. He crawled to her. “I am ok,” she said, crying. “I am ok.” He held her as she cried, as the dragon made its offer.

“The time of change is here. But, I am the God of Preservation, and in your faith, I will preserve you, and your ways. I have made a pact with another- all who dwell on the Steppe will join with the Horizon. But, there is another way.

I am constructing tunnels below the surface. From there, all that is, and will be, will be preserved.

I require caretakers. I ask that it be you, and in return, you shall be the first preserved.

Drive some buffalo into the tunnels- I will ensure that they do, and survive. You will live, under the tunnels, and propser exactly as you do now, until such time as other tasks are given of you. You shall be known as Aeons, for you shall surpass time itself. This is my promise.”

There was a great milling about, and each elder, brave, woman, and child, all made the choice. Of the ones there, only 10 braves, and their women and children, refused the dragons offer. The others accepted the offer. Arikara, who would have been sacrificed to the creation of the Aeons, was not allowed, nor was Murumasa.

“You, boy, have been touched by something, something not even I can control. They call it sorcery, and it is what has saved this life. However- because you have been touched, and have interfered with my plans, you shall not be allowed into my kingdom, you nor none of your kind.”

“However- I send you to another, another who shall have use of your skills. Hone your talent with the beasts. It is a unique gift, and one that proper training, will unlock great prosperity for you and your kind.”

And that, my boy, is the story of how the Aeons came to be.

Spoiler: Action

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Influence approximately 100 mortals, +4 Preservation of the society before the Horizon tribe. The Aeons shall live below the surface, and act as caretakers of the tunnels Nestellbam has been creating for his next big project.

Sorry if this was a bit rough, I procrastinated greatly over my holiday. I'll clean it up a bit tommorrow.

[Garjel_blah]

Chapter 1, Turn 3 additional rolls

Kahar-Djin (5 AP) - appear in 100 mortals' dreams (4 AP/2 DC) +2 Paths
(1d20+2)[7]

Nestellbam (9 AP) - create the Aeons tribe from 100 mortals (4 AP/2 DC) +4 Preservation
(1d20+4)[19]


Chapter 1, Turn 3 additional resolution (I know they're going to succeed anyway so I'll just put this in the same post)

Kahar-Djin (5 AP) - success
The next morning, many inhabitants of the village Dia awoke feeling enlightened. Many of them left that same day, saying that Kahar-Djin was calling them to explore.

Nestellbam (9 AP) - success
The struggling tribe took up the title of Aeons, and descended into what natural caves they could find. They eagerly awaited the day that the great Dragon would return to expand their subterranean domain.

[Garjel_blah]

With these final acts of divinity complete, the planets fell out of alignment, and the avatars of the gods waned. It would be hundreds of years before they were to return...

In the meantime, the mortals made do. Using the gifts of their gods they were able to advance and grow, faster and stronger than ever.

Chapter Two: Go forth and prosper...
Bronze Age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMVmW0k9jZI

The world had changed a great deal by the time the stars next aligned, seven hundred years by the Grawissen Calendar. It was one of the Boa pygmies, a devout follower of the Owl and the Vulture, and a skilled Su Sorcerer in the school of astrology, who first noticed it. The Starfolk tribe rejoiced. However, they were just one of many factions eagerly awaiting the return of the gods...

Spoiler: Geopolitics

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Spoiler: Boa Jungle

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The Starfolk: the Boa Jungle pygmies, primarily worshippers of Opulon, but with Chern taking the role of her equal and opposite in their dualistic mythology. Their domain covers most of the Boa Jungle's depths, from the tree tops to the expansive subterranean crypt tunnels. They live a life of basic jungle agriculture, with some advanced technology due to the metals uncovered in their tunnelling. They have the most adept Su astrologers of all mortals apart from the inhabitants of Sanctuary and the Gnaw Wastes, but necromancy is forbidden among them, as the dead belong to the Starry Crypt. Their main rivals are the Yith, due to their opposing dualistic religion, differing race, and their sacrilegious practice of necromancy. They have very little contact with the Missionaries due to the inaccessibility of their deep jungle home, and consider them an unknown element.

The Yith: the Boa Jungle humans, worshippers of Ymon-Thal. Their domain covers most of the less dense forest around Boa Jungle, where they sustain themselves with basic agriculture with little in the way of advanced technology. They have the most adept Su necromancers of all mortals apart from the inhabitants of Sanctuary and the Gnaw Wastes. Their main rivals are the Starfolk, due to their opposing dualistic religion, differing race, and their greater abundance of resources. They have a decent amount of contact with the Missionaries, and consider them neutral trade partners, for now.

The Path Missionaries: a relatively new faction in the jungle, these human missionaries came from the far off lands of the Ebon Basin to spread the word of Kahar-Djin. They're nomadic, with almost no permanent agriculture, but decent technology that they've gathered in their wanderings. Their use of Su Sorcery is heavily regulated, such that no one may attempt to master all schools to become a free-form sorcerer. They have a neutral relationship with the Yith, who allow them to pass through their lands and trade with them, and know very little of the Starfolk beyond the fact that they exist.

Spoiler: The Ebon Basin

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The Al-Sinai: the Ebonbark Bay humans, worshippers of Alatadriel, along with a Kahar-Djin minority. Their domain covers most of Ebonbark Bay and the downstream River Ebon. They maintain very prosperous agriculture, and have attained a high level of technological advancement due to their access to the Twin Furnaces and multiple metal rich factions. Have few Su Sorcerers due to their goddess's misgivings towards magic. They have three main neighbours; the Orcs, the Prehist, and the Crow People. They have an turbulent relationship with the Orcs, helped by sharing a common religion, but hindered by drastic cultural differences, not to mention the pressure of having to share a resource as strategically significant as the Twin Furnaces. The Prehist were long ago subjugated by the Al-Sinai, but due to their advanced technology and resources were able to negotiate a vassal state status instead of being conquered. And lastly, the Al-Sinai have an intense, unending rivalry with the Crow People due to historical enmity, though the hostility of Sunset Forest and insular nature of its inhabitants mean that open conflict is limited to occasional border skirmishes, and attempts at conquest always fail.

The Orcs: the Orcishtal Mountain humans, worshippers of Alatadriel, Goddess of the Big Dong, along with a Kahar-Djin minority. Their domain covers the Orcishtal mountains and upstream River Ebon. Their agriculture is basic, with their livelihoods mostly coming from raiding/trading with the Al-Sinai and just raiding everyone else, but their technology is advanced due to their access to the Big Dong. They have decently powerful Su Sorcerers. Their violent nature makes them rivals to all of their neighbours, with the occasional exception of the Al-Sinai, who they share a religion with despite certain mythological discrepancies.

The Prehist: the Ebonbark Bay humans, worshippers of the whole pantheon, but primarily Alatadriel, Grawissen, and Kahar-Djin. Their domains covers a small part of Ebonbark Bay, where they build a small but highly sophisticated and beautiful city in the shadow of the Al-Sinai territories. Their agriculture and technology are both excellent, with their mines among the most advanced in the world, and their scholars among the wisest. Have very powerful Su Sorcerers due to abundant access to magicite. The Prehist, despite their success, exist as a vassal state to the Al-Sinai due to past conquests.

The Crow People: the Sunset Forest Neanderthals, worshippers of Avestra. Their domain covers the entirety of Sunset Forest, centred around Avestra's Perch, where they live in much the same way they did seven hundred years ago. Their agriculture is basic, technology limited, but their treewhisperers are the most powerful on the planet, giving them a significant advantage against invaders. They rarely make contact with people beyond their forest, but ancient feuds with the Al-Sinai occasionally result in bloody border skirmishes.

The Path Missionaries: the village that Kahar-Djin first made his appearance is, for better or worse, no more. After most of its inhabitants left to act as missionaries, the village itself quickly faded the Al-Sinai. However, their culture is far from lost, for they have seeded themselves among many other communities in the Ebon Basin and beyond.

Spoiler: The Lucent Archipelago

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The Cult of the Mad God: the Lucent Archipelago pygmies, worshippers of Timorin. Their domain covers most of the islands in the archipelago. They live an islander existence, mostly relying on fish and basic agriculture, and their technology is limited but for what they acquire from visiting Missionaries, as well as of course the Lucent Crown. They have decent Su Sorcery, with some of the world's best in the school of the warrior apart from the inhabitants of Sanctuary and the Gnaw Wastes. They have repeatedly encountered Path Missionaries over the centuries, and every time they crown them, kill them, steal their stuff, and drain the mana from their massacred corpses. Recently a new island has appeared on the horizon, which they do not yet know to be Sanctuary, Petr's floating island.

The Path Missionaries: travellers loyal to Kahar-Djin keep finding the Lucent Archipelago. And every time they do, the tiny little people from the Cult of the Mad God kill them. At the time of the gods' return more Missionaries are on the way, unaware of the fate of their predecessors.

Sanctuary: a small population of diverse mortals live on the floating island Petr created centuries ago, dualistic worshippers the Healing Mother and Gentle Father. They are among the most prosperous people on the planet due to the self-sustaining island ecosystem and ever-changing migratory bird populations, giving them a unique and wondrous agriculture, and the abundance of natural resources bestowed at the island's creation has enabled them to develop advanced technologies and beautiful structures for the time. Not to mention the wealth of the sea, even the deep oceans of the Sundered Sea that no other mortal has yet touched. Their entire population is adept at Su Sorcery, and they are among the most powerful on the planet in all schools, with the small exception of Crow Treewhisperers, Stonesthroe Sugradi Radiants, and the Wasteland Mutants. Though their school of water probably bests even them. This combination of natural wealth and magical ability makes Sanctuary scholars the most learned mortals on the planet. They rarely encounter outsiders, as Sanctuary is well guarded by the three gates. They have seen the island pygmies of the approaching Lucent Archipelago from their observatories.

Spoiler: The Stonesthroe Highlands and Lowlands

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The Sugradi Giant Clans: humans and neanderthals, some with the recessive giant trait, worshippers of Yir. Their domain covers a vast stretch of land through most of the Tumera green lands, and through a decent part of the Stonesthroe Mountains, to the Grey Plains and the edges of the Gnaw Wastes. Their infamous fortresses are what earned them this outstandingly large territory, with their walls and temples large enough to qualify as world wonders in the primitive bronze age. Their agriculture and technology is advanced, driven to excel by the civilisation's lust for conquest, but not as much as their great forts. They have decent Su Sorcerers, but their school of radiance sorcerers are known to be the best on the planet, powered by the holy peaks of Yir. The Sugradi have ongoing conflicts on multiple fronts led by the Tradano clan, most notably with the ancient city of Theshana, a war that has been continuing on and off for centuries. There have been minor encounters with question Horizon tribesmen as well, who tend to win the respect of giants with their hunting and combat aptitude. Lastly, the strange neanderthals that occasionally come down from the northern Wastes will sometimes wreak havoc with their bizarrely potent sorcery, leaving the clan leaders gravely concerned for what goes on in those accursed lands.

Spoiler: Clan list

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The Proud Tradano: An extremely warlike clan, they do most of the raiding and expansion work. They take the divine claim over the lands near the stonethroe mountains very seriously.

The Numerous Gragani: Average in most things, they are perhaps the largest clan. They are the clan most often seen dealing with non-giants, for they like to get themselves involved in most things.

The Caring Ulister: These are the kindest giants, not even looking down upon the humans. They are skilled in food production, cloth making, and healing. It’s a shame that they live so deep in Sugradi territory, but they prefer the water there.

The Conniving Cavpo: These small giants (only 8ft tall on average) live in caves, and are the smallest clan. They practice magic that is not that of the sun, indeed they practice all magic, because of this however they are terrible at it, only being effective in rituals. They are also skilled craftsmen, working with the metal of Stonethroe.

The Proud Sahgori: These are the largest of the giants (some standing over 11ft high), they are the wise counselors of the Sugradi. They live upon the blessed peaks of the stonethroe mountains, and help to bring Yir’s light down upon the world through magic and word. If a warband has one of them among them, it’s serious.

The Ever-Building Tulmer: These giants are among the newer additions to the clans, average in most ways they are known for being very good at building infrastructure meant to cement control over their home. Some go back to the mountains to construct rich halls or great shrines.

The Icanda: These giants live upon the grey plains, making due with what little the land can provide. Descended from the Cavpo, they have specialized their magic to that of Water, so that they may one day learn how to master Fire (those that survive using the magic are called a success). They are average in size and have lost the Cavpo’s talent for crafting.

Theshana: human townsfolk, worshippers of Vreyalas. Their domain covers only a single valley of the Stonesthroe Mountains, where their single ancient city is situated. Their early gifts from the god of community gave them good agriculture and highly advanced technology, accelerated by their expert miners and forgers to rival the great Twin Furnace smiths and Prehist miners. Their Su Sorcerers are decently powerful too, specialising in the school of enchantment to push their great works to the cutting edge. It is their technological prowess that has allowed Theshana to persist all these centuries, for the expansionist warmongering Tradano Clan of the Sugradi giants have attempted to conquer the city numerous times. They're enchanters always prove a match for the radiant sorcerers, while their long-established infrastructure holds off the advancing giant forts. However, every war concedes the small, tightly-knit community a little more to the giants' much larger empire. It is likely that only the intervention of their god can get them through another age.

The Horizon Tribe: some from the questing Horizon tribe incur into the Stonesthroe region. They have yet to start any permanent settlements, but they have found many great treasures to bring back to their native Harken Steppe.

The Wasteland Mutants: Gnaw Waste neanderthals, worshipping the monster Su'ule and her angel, Enheduanna. Their domain covers the entire wasteland, but most wastelanders live in the Maw, the enchanted cave that confers magical traits onto those born in its shadow. These magical mutants are the single most powerful Su Sorcerers on the planet, growing at the very epicentre of the great scream that irrevocably ruptured reality. Though any significant sort of agriculture or technological advancement is laughable in the wastes, this sorcery gives the mutants the ability to thrive regardless. Success has made them bolder, sending them south into the upper Stonesthroe Mountains, where they occasionally encounter giants. These encounters always end in bloodshed.

Spoiler: The Harken Steppe

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The Horizon Tribe: steppe humans, worshippers of Dulnori and Nestellbam. Their domain covers most of the Harken Steppe and surrounding wilderness, centred on the great Eternal Arena, a true world wonder. They have a shamanistic agriculture, relying more on hunting and gathering with the aid of nature sorcery as they quest out in search of fortune, while their technology is highly advanced due to their questing and early use of bronze. Horizon javelin throwers are some of the most feared warriors on the continent. This is only strengthened by their mastery of the Su school of nature, giving them command over wild beasts, though due to the lack of sorcery in the steppe it is not as widespread as it could be. They are known far and wide, even among the northern Stonesthroe civilisations, for their Miracle Games, the greatest spectacle in the early world. They only share the steppe with one other people, the Aeons, who they leave to their own devices. With the unchanging nature of the Harken Steppe, the Horizon tribe prefers to look outward rather than inward anyway.

The Aeons: steppe humans, worshippers of Nestellbam. Their domain covers a few natural caverns of the Harken Steppe, where they await the return of their god in an unchanging lifestyle. Agriculture and technology remain just as they were seven hundred years ago, relying on their prosperous bison herds to sustain them, and no Su Sorcerers exist among them due to their home's magical nullification. They maintain good relations with the neighbouring Horizon tribe, who share their worship for the Dragon, but tend to try to keep to themselves. Yet - the return of their god might mean... Change isn't exactly the right word, but the reassertion of the natural order of things.

Spoiler: The Maddening Marsh

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The Marsh Dwellers: marsh neanderthals, worshippers of Timorin. Their domain spans their native marsh, and nothing more. They've progressed in an unremarkable fashion, with basic agriculture and technology, and average Su Sorcery capabilities. However, their lands are known to grow the famed Roulette Lily, providing endless entertainment and twisted justice to the population.

The Path Missionaries: this is the first time that the brave Missionaries have crossed the wide straight between landmasses. Though their vessels were only primitive, they had the immortal Bron to lead them true. Kahar-Djin preserved them, it seemed, for they found successfully reached a mysterious marshland full of strange people. People who Bron and his missionaries will surely steer to the Path, as is clearly their destiny.

Spoiler: Map

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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, +1 Fermentation, +2 Starry Crypt, -2 Downtrodden
Godzillarich	Grawissen	+2 Mining, +2 Knowledge, +1 Writing, +2 Grawissen's Pickaxe of Architecture, -2 Unknown
Megadraco	Kahar-Djin	+2 Paths, +2 Thresholds, +1 Travellers, -2 Unexplored
Demonjazz	Alatadriel	+2 Fire, +2 Foxes, +1 Bees, -2 Arrogance
The Jojo	Avestra	+2 Nature, +2 Birds, +2 Avestra's Perch, -2 Primeval
Batcathat	Ymon-Thal	+2 Life, +2 Death, +1 Balance, -2 Unliving
El-the Ellie	Vreyalas	+2 Community, +2 Forging, -2 Darkness
Artemis P	Nestellbam	+4 Preservation, +1 Treasures, +2 Harken Steppe, -2 Creation
gac3	Timorin	+2 Drama, +2 War, +1 Games, -2 Fear
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, +1 Birth, -2 Willfulness
AlexanderML	Yir	+2 Sun, +2 Majesty, +1 Perfection, +2 Stonesthroe Mountain Peaks, -2 Arrogance

All gods may now choose an additional +1 domain, which I will add to the above pantheon list.

You may now begin posting your actions for turn 1 of chapter 2. Everyone now has 50 AP. The age will last, once again, at least three ages, or until someone depletes their AP. Enjoy!

[Garjel_blah]

Chern, 50/50 AP, Starry Crypt

The crypt was, as crypts usually are, quiet. Particularly at this depth, a good four or five storeys below the cacophonous jungle surface, the air was still and heavy enough to trip over. It had been this way for decades now, especially since the Starfolk started interning their dead in different branch of the expansive crypt. The dead already placed here, so far along their path of decay that they seemed to have melded with the luminous earthen walls, rested peacefully. The eye holes of their masks twinkled with clustered spore.

Then one of the masks blinked. And began to push off from the wall.

Chern emerged from the dirt like a golem of clotted mud, drooping and dripping under his own weight. He collapsed to his knees, the resting dead watching him with interest.

"Bleeeeuurghaaaachuuuurechugh- puh, flegh, urk!" Chern burbled and spat. His body shivered and shook like a dog, flinging aside seven hundred years worth of muck that covered his pallid skin.

"Ugh... Ugh... Puh," he said, rising slowly, naked as the day he was born, which is to say that he was still wearing his rags, "there is nothing more mortal than a good wretch. Is that not so?"

The dead did not respond.

"Hmm, indeed. What would I know?"

He set off up a sloped incline.

"I need a walk. I hope that this tunnel leads to the way out?"

The dead did not respond.

"Hm. Yes. What would you know?"

Chern left. Once more the dead were silent. Though perhaps now their silence was somewhat bemused.

[Batcathat]

Ymon-Thal, 50/50 AP, Boa Jungle

Floating high above the Boa Jungle Ymon-Thal watched the world below. Had he left it just a minute or millennia ago? It all seemed so blurry. A mortal might have compared the centuries that had passed to a dream but the Twin God had never slept.

Ymon-Thal barely recognized the area below them as where they had landed to spread the word of themselves and they sensed the crypt Chern had invited them to was not too far away. Large patches of jungles had been replaced by fields, clearly made by mortals and the crude huts, seemingly tossed out at random in the jungle, had transformed into proper buildings.

“Ooh, look!” Ymon pointed, shifting to point at something else before the words had left his mouth. “There! And there! Ooh, and what about there?”

“Yes. They certainly have been busy.”

The world had changed much and not at all. Ymon-Thal could still sense the chaos of mortals souls dying and being born anew without any order to it. Souls flying about like an anarchic beehive, incorporeal bodies colliding and competing for incarnation like sperms for an egg.

“It makes my head hurt”, Ymon complained, rubbing his forehead.

“You don't actually have a head. Or the ability to feel pain”, Thal replied. “But yes, it is... disturbing.”

The plan had started to form almost as soon as Ymon-Thal had first appeared and now it was clear as day in their mind. There needed to be a place to house the souls and to make order from the chaos of life and death.

“Ooh, is it time?” Ymon suddenly stopped, the mortal world below instantly forgotten. “Is it? Is it? Is it?”

“Yes”, Thal said and grasped his other self's hand. “Let there be order.”

Ymon-Thal gathered as much power as he could within himselves. More than he had ever used before, more than he had thought possible. It was like trying to fill a lake with the ocean and the Twin God felt his hold slipping.

Rather than trying to hold on, Ymon-Thal merely directed it towards a patch of non-reality not too far from the world. The ocean of power followed the riverbed Ymon-Thal had made for it and exploded into the emptiness of the new reality.

“That was... that was...” The exhausted Ymon found no words to finish.

Thal could barely think himself but gathered enough strength to speak. “It's not over. It might not even work.”

“We can get help. From the others.”

Spoiler: Action!

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Create a plane of reality (18 AP/14 DC)
Ymon-Thal is attempting to create an afterlife (and beforelife, since everyone's reincarnating) named The Passing (described below) in order to bring order and balance (+1) to life (+2) and death (+2).
As implied by the end of the post Ymon-Thal is about to contact other gods asking for help, I'll post about that later but since it's a detectable action everyone's free to react before that if you want to.

Spoiler: The Passing

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This is what Ymon-Thal is trying to create, I'll change it accordingly to any reactions or DM-rulings. Assuming the action even succeeds...


The Passing

The Passing is the realm before life and after death, where the souls of those mortals not currently alive gather and where new souls are born before incarnating in their first life.

At a glance, the Passing may not seem that different from the mortal world but that impression is likely fleeting. The very landscape is shaped and changed by the souls within it and as such it is always changing and rarely logical. Someone can stand in a snowstorm, only to take a single step and cross into a scorching desert and then leave it for peaceful meadow with the next.

A soul within the Passing is aware of all its previous lives but rarely concerned about them, almost all emotional attachment to the memories are severed by death. Most spend their time in the Passing, be it minutes or years, simply drifting from one experience to the next, letting their wants and needs shape the world around them. Some of those who've died a particularly traumatizing death get stuck reliving it over and over in the Passing until they've either found a way to move on or at least forget about it.

There are no judgments in the Passing, at least no other than the souls within pass on themselves. A soul who's lived a righteous life — or several of them — might torture itself for some mistake or character flaw while a selfish, greedy soul might have the blessed existence it thinks it deserves.

[AlexanderML]

Yir 50/50 AP - High Above - Restless Dative:

The sun had slept, in and out of an almost dream. When Yir's thoughts grew at times to almost wakefulness, it mumbled in it's sleep. Though only the luckiest of star-gazers or solar priests would notice, taking note that these became less and less frequent for centuries, until around 200 years before the new Age. "It's too dark, why is everything dark?"

One day while overlooking the Stonethroe mountains, Yir awoke fully once more. There was no fan-fair, as no one predicted Yir's full return, or is it that they did not notice it leave? More praised IT'S glorious name than ever before, and the land was filled with more pure-forms as well. Yet it felt as if it's presence was still needed dearly. "Do they remember me?"

The lands of the pure where surrounded by barbaric insanity, the godlings of the world still moved about in their cryptic and malicious ways, and the pure still needed a figure worthy of leading them. "The world needs me."

It'd wait for now, the godlings down below could do a number of annoying things still.

[Batcathat]

Ymon-Thal, 50/50 AP, Boa Jungle

"Yes", Thal agreed with his other self. "The others could help us."

Ymon-Thal felt his strength already returning, at least enough to reach out to his fellow deities. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and went into action.

***

“Remember when we met in the crypt, Chern?” Thal said, pausing a moment before continuing. “You asked me for a blessing to help the dead rest easier. Maybe their bodies rest easier now but their souls still fly aimless in the void and now it is my time to ask you for help to make their journey easier.”

***

“Heya Petr! It's a been a long time. Or has it? I think so. Anyway, it's nice to see you again. You sense what we are doing, right?” Ymon gestured in a random direction, unsure of how to point towards another plane of reality. “We want to make a place for those healing can no longer help, a world to keep them until they are born back into this one. Wouldn't that be nice?”

***

“Hello, Mischief Maker.” Ymon said, waving enthusiastically. “We heard you like chaos. Wanna help make a world where everything is kinda chaotic?”
Thal held out his hand, floating above it was a miniature version of the plane they envisioned, changing by the moment and with little sparks representing mortal souls. “Not to mention a place for all the warriors to go, to rest between your wars. They deserve as much, do they not?”

***

“Kahar-Djin.” Thal said after manifesting, his other self close behind him. “Can you sense them? All the mortal souls drifting around aimless after death, before life, following no paths, respecting no thresholds.”
“Help us — help them — find their path from one life to the next.” Ymon added. “And a... whatstheword... threshold to keep living and dead in the proper worlds.”

***

"Hello Alatadriel, Fox Lady of way too many titles to remember", Ymon greeted the goddess in front of them. "We're making a place for souls to go, foxes too." He paused, clearly trying to remember something. "They have souls, right?"

***

"Great Yir", Thal said, nodding his head in a not-quite-a-bow. "As I am sure you have sensed already, we are creating a place for souls to rest between lives and have come to request your help. Surely the sun should shine over the dead as well?"

***

"Greetings Preserver." Thal said as the Twin God appeared before Nestellbam. "We ask for your help in preserving the very souls of the mortals of this world, to keep them safe between one life and the next."

Spoiler: OOC

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The above are those who either have cooperated with Ymon-Thal before, expressed interest on Discord or, in Kahar-Djin's case, just have really fitting domains. Obviously anyone can get involved with a detectable action but if anyone else wants Ymon-Thal to personally appeal to their god, just get in touch.
Edited to add Ymon-Thal's appeal to Nestellbam.

[Godzillarich]

Grawissen, 50/50 AP, The Ebon Basin

Grawissen mumbled to himself, so much he wanted to see but he was confined beneath the earth, unable to move. For some reason, he cannot remember how he got there, all he knew was he was trapped. His mind became almost like putty as the isolation started to get to him. ”So lonely... so quiet…” a sound than rang out from the darkness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHqQIB5sxSs

Graw’s mind started to focus, ”is that…” A part of his rocky prison fell apart allowing him to see the outside world.

“Yo Boss I think I found something...” A voice rang out. It’s been so long since the fossilized God could see anything but rock so he had trouble focusing his eyesight. “... I think I found some more of those bones.”

Another man walked up into Graw eyesight. “Fantastic more untapped knowledge.” The man then turned to the others in the cave. “All right dig this thing out.”

The sound of pickaxes was soothing, finally something to break up the monotony. It was almost like music. “Sir I think this may be a complete fossil of an unidentified species. We’re going to get a promotion for this. “ one of the men yelled out as they revealed more of Graw.

A voice then ringed down from the cave ”Can I…” Graw arm ripped out of the rock. ”MOVE!” the excavation team jumped back in astonishment.

“What the bloody hell!” one of the men yelled out.

More of skeleton God pulled its body out of the earth. ”I AM FREE!’ he yelled out triumphantly as he shook the rocks off of his body.

All the diggers looked at Graw in astonishment “It can’t be…”

Graw look down upon the workers, ”How long... has it been?”

______________________

Spoiler: Grawpolis

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Spoiler

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A city that is the major trade capital of the The Nation of Al-Sinai. Stone structures are a marvel to behold, built with many rare materials.

Graw looked at the wonders of the city as he walked along its streets. ”I have missed… A lot it seems… So much new knowledge to learn.” Graw thought to himself. As he walked upon the stone streets onlookers looked in amazement. The God of legend was really with them.

Graw came to the center of the city where 14 of the gods statues stood, in the center of the capital the two largest statutes, one of Alatadriel and the other of himself. Both made of gold instead of stone like the other ones. Each of the statues had a plaque under them

(occ: keep in mind none of these are supposed to 100% correct... Or even slightly correct)

Spoiler: what is said on the plaques

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Grawissen: One of the two supreme Gods along with his wife Alatadriel. He came to the village after he slew 1000 foot long Leviathan to say the future chieftain Morgana. He gave the people knowledge and is at the heart of the Prehist.

Alatadriel: one of the two supreme gods along with her husband Grawissen, a noble goddess who gave the people the power fire. Her guidance and will helped to make the glorious Nation of Al-Sinai the power it is today.
(Graw also noticed there were a lot of Foxes around her statue)

Kahar-Djin: Number 2 too Alatadriel and Grawissen. He carves a path for whatever the God step and wherever mortals may need to be.

Yir: a God with great power but also foolish arrogance. He once competed with Grawissen for Alatadriel love but thanks to chieftain Morgana he failed. Because of this failure, he was banished for half a day every day so his presence could not overshadow the glory of Grawissen and Alatadriel. It’s the reason we have nights and days.

Vreyalas: The great forger of the land. He is mainly responsible for forging jewelry for Alatadriel with the metal Grawissen brings him.

Chern: A God of pure evil, his powers are everything against the wishes of the other gods. A destructive painful force. They have fought Grawissen and Alatadriel for millennium trying to destroy all life.
(Graw also noticed the sign also had “throw tomatoes on to him” on it)

Ymon-Thal: the evil servant of Chern, They are responsible for bringing about plagues and destruction to please its evil master. They are also the archenemy of Kahar-Djin

Avestra: the wicked and treacherous, she defiles the great goddesses Alatadriel wisdom and constantly makes a fool of her people and herself. She is the God you pointed laugh at for being pathetic.
( not only was it by far the smallest statue, being about a foot tall but apparently was also a trashcan.)

Nestellbam: A mysterious being deep within the earth, not much is known about him other than his ability to reduce insanity and others. Its mad laughter is said to cause earthquakes

Timorin: The God of war, his voice rings out throughout the battlefield as he seeks glory and honor with his manly build and his thirst for combat. Ready to pile drive anyone who comes near him.

Opulon: The many stars in the sky that makes the sky shine brightly at night. She was made by the glory that is Alatadriel to help light the sky in Yir absence.

Dulnori: The embodiment of greed and gambling. His voice calls out to all looking for riches. Usually drives people monstrous greed or makes the moves everything in a foolish bet for more money. Feeding on their misery

Petr: the embodiment of water that goes through all of us, from the rain to the river to our own piss. She famously punished the orcs for their arrogance for worshiping Alatadriel wrong by turning their land into a desert.

Su'ule: a Beast and servant of Chern who is responsible for the monsters of the earth that rage chaos. Most famously sending the leviathan to kill Grawissen and Morgana.

Graw then shook his head. ”So… This is what time does to knowledge…

______________________________

Graw walked into the capitol building, its walls being painted in gold. When he entered he noticed the skeletons of many extinct animals laying about. The building. In the center, there was a throne where a chieftain or as leaders called now a king sat. “How is this possible?...” the King mumbled as he got out of his seat and did a bow. “... After so many centuries why have you returned to us? Have we proven ourselves worthy of your godly knowledge?”

Graw bowed in return ”it is… Nice to see Morgana’s… lineage has thrived.” Graw then got up and stared at the fossils. ”Before we continue... I’d like to do something… he then touched the skeleton. ”do you mind… If I take one of these off your hands…”

The king simply stared as he tried to get his bearings. “No not at all great Grawissen.”

Spoiler: action

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16 AP/12 DC: create a sentient species:

Species: Ceratopsians, (made from a zuniceratop sskeleton)

Appearance:

Spoiler

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Life spanned; 150 to 200 years

Description: a race of nomadic travelers whose mission is to spread knowledge between the various people around the world. They also help out with trading between different nations as well as communication. In return for the services all they ask is for their eggs and young to be protected in the cities that they travel too. If they refuse these terms or the egg are destroyed they will cut themselves off from those cities, basically cutting off trade with them which could severely handicap said city. They have no allegiance to any countries but they do worship Grawissen and most of them who decide to stop traveling usually settle in Grawpolis but they do also settle in other places.

+2 Mining: They have an extreme knack for materials from beneath the earth, in addition they have a knack for digging tunnels the sleep during the night.

+2 knowledge: They are said to be one of the wisest species on the planet. Having a detailed and accurate knowledge of every culture on earth.

+2 architecture(from the pickax): They have also helping construction of various cities, either repairing damages or helping to establish new trade posts.

+1 writing: they are have a knack for understanding many languages with enough study

Graw then messages the other gods, “to benefit your people and to clear up the misinformation I ask you for your help. No longer will you be haunted by these myths about your greatness.”
.

Spoiler: Help

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“I will assist and in return, you will insist me.”
The Passing.

+2 knowledge: A treasure trove of knowledge, all of the dead passed by this library to give their life knowledge to be stored for eternity
+2 mining: the land has many beautiful mountains that many tired souls can rest on
+2 architecture( pickax): the architecture where the souls wait for their reincarnation are beautiful palaces that are great place the rest.
+ 1 writing: all can communicate with each other no matter what language in the passing.

[gac3]

Note some terms and phrasing may need to be edited to be more era appropriate

Timorin 50/50: The Tainted Land


Timorin stretches out from where he lay in the Tainted Land. It has been a long time since he felt so well rested. How long had he slept? Perhaps a whole eight hours? Those Human women, really knew how to wear a god out.

Looking around he did not spot either of the women he had been with the previous night. Nor any of their wandering tribe. Perhaps more time had passed than he realized. He began to set out to investigate and see what had happened.

Within the hour, he found a small town. Turning into a cat, the most devious of creatures to be accepted by humans, he strolled through the gates and wandered through town, eavesdropping on all those he encountered. One thing he learned for sure during his morning stroll is that somehow while he slept, people had totally become… boring. These people were filled with wants and desires that are all so interesting, but none of them will act on them.

Timorin gathered his strength, this would take far more than just him to fix. This has been the most eventful and terrifying 8 hours he could have slept through if things could get so… mundane. In an instant, there were several forms around him. All in shifting forms, not quite settling in any shape yet. Their eyes gave them away. Some held the wide eyes of fear, others the intent gazes of determination or rage, others were green with envy.

"My children, I have brought you forth for one purpose, go forth and bring out people's true inner selves. Let them live freely, without their walls of obligation holding them in or chains of morality binding them in place. Let us end this inaction." And with that, the beings went forth, with one sole purpose in mind, to cause chaos. All but one small group, those whose eyes were bright with hope. "You. I have a special task for."


Through the small town in the Tainted Land: ((All of course dependent on the success of the action))

The Widower's Grief**: A middle aged man met with a younger woman in the dead of night. "We have to stop meeting like this," he says. "Your father would never approve."

She shook her head. "I don't care. We love each other and I'm already twenty two years of age. If we don't commit to each other soon, I will be nothing but an old maid. We can run off together and start a new life."

The man shakes his head. "You know I could not do that to my wife."

"Your wife has been dead for seven Winters and still you choose her over me." The woman pulls away, tears in her eyes. "Forget it. If she is still more important to you after all this time then her corpse can warm your bed at night." She fled in the night, nearly falling in her haste and distraught state. The man was left standing there in the dark, alone. Tears of his own slowly falling to the ground.

The next morning he visits his wife's grave and sits there, talking to her about his confusion when suddenly a figure appeared before him. At first it looked fuzzy through his tears but after blinking them away, he saw the ghostly image of his wife standing before him.

"Darling, is that really you?" She nods. "What does this mean?" She smiles. "So I should go for it? Is this you giving your blessing?" She nods and he smiles. "Well I suppose it would make everyone happier and solve our problems. Well except that bitter old bastard."

The next morning the young girl came to her lover to grieve over the sudden disappearance of her father. The man consoled her and within a fortnight they had wed. The father's body was found weeks later, partially eaten by wild animals.


The Maid's Fear**: The Mayor's maid had come to town desperate for work and with child years ago. A scandalous woman who had no family or husband to speak of despite being an ancient twenty eight years of age. The Mayor took her in and offered her a job to help her out. She was the talk of the Town. She must be some form of witch or harlet to have wormed her way into the mayor's house, or so the town gossips say. She must be hiding something nefarious.

Then the maid was given the night off, and went out to the town. Now this was a rare occurrence. She was almost never seen outside the Mayor's home. This night however, she decided to celebrate. She went to the bar and drank like a fish. Then suddenly, she noticed a man staring at her from down the bar. No one recognized this man for he was not from town and no one could remember him entering the bar. When the maid saw the mysterious man however, she went pale and stumbled out of the bar, fear in her eyes. The next day she was gone and neither she not the mystery man was ever seen in that town again.


A Child's Jealousy*: There were two children playing in the street in the town small town. They each wear a small sack on their hip with a snack. After a few hours of playing, they sat down on the edge of the town well to eat their snacks. One child, the orphan not who lived at the mayor's house, pulled out an apple to eat. The baker's son, however, pulled out an apple tart. The little orphan boy became sad, looking at his desert and wishing that he had a tart. He asked if the other boy would split the apple and the tart with him but the baker's son refused. The sad little orphan boy put his apple on the wall of the well next to him and let anger well up in him. Then suddenly a cat was on the well next to him. It made long eye contact with him and then knocked the apple into the well. The boy nodded and turned to his friend. Quicker than the other boy could react, the orphan snatched the tart and shoved him into the well.

It wasn't for several days before they found the boy and pulled him out of the well. After the story was told, the orphan was approached. "Is it true that you pushed my son into the well and left him there to starve?"

The orphan shook his head. "He had an apple."


The Teenager's Lust: At the butcher's funeral a pair of teenage girls sat together in the back and cried. "Things have gotten so bad in town. First the butcher gets eaten by bears. Then that whore of a maid ran off, abandoning her demon bastard to terrorize the other my kid brother," one of them said.

"I know said the other girl. But we have each other. We have to promise to watch eachother's back," said the second.

"Let's get out of here." Together the two girls went back to the bakery and hid out in the kitchen. There they sat, enjoying the smell of bread that had been baked that morning before the funeral. Suddenly a rat that neither of them had noticed before knocked over a jug of milk, it spilled onto the girls. They screamed and laughed and tried to leave the kitchen but the door seemed to be locked.

"Well let's light the fire and try to dry off our clothes." So they lit the fire and dressed themselves down to their skivies and hung their formal dresses by the fire. They found some old rags to clean themselves up with and then sat together waiting for everything to dry.

The rat fell from the shelf suddenly and the girls jumped up, grabbing each other for the fear of it. Then when it scurried off, they turned back to each other and realized that this was not proper for two young ladies to be so near and improperly dressed. Then they drew even closer.

Hours later, after the funeral, they were found together naked and asleep in one another's arms.



The Mayor's Apathy: The mayor had seen the shadows in town. He had been watching as they visited and everywhere they visited chaos followed. He saw the boys playing together and the girls sneak out of the funeral. He even watched his maid leave on that strange night. Each time he saw a strange shadowy figure either before or after. Today he was drinking, wondering what was happening to his town. People were dying and fleeing and going about as if they don't have a care for what is decent or proper. He took another long swig. Tomorrow I tell the town about the strange shadows I have been seeing. Then he saw another, right before his orphaned ward came into the room. He had a strange look in his eyes as he stared at the mayor. "Will you finally tell me why you pushed that boy into the well?"

The boy looked at him, that cold expression deepening. "All the town does is want want want. Nobody asks you and me what we want. So I took what I wanted."

"But what about the other poor boy?" The Mayor took another long pull from his tankard.

"He was mean, and he got what he deserved."

"I suppose you have a point there boy. I suppose you have a point." The next day, the mayor was found at the bar having drank his way through an entire keg. When questioned, he said he would pay the tavern back for it if they really insisted. Then he raised taxes on alcohol and used the money to pay back the tavern. When told this was unfair, he looked at his young Ward and then back to the tavern owner. Then the mayor shrugged and took the child back home, not remembering the strange look or shadow he had seen that night.

Spoiler: Action

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Create Lesser amagical Minions. 12 AP, 8 DC
Make the Shadow Walkers. Formless shapeshifters tied to a specific emotion. They are drawn to and can sense their linked emotion and can sense how best to draw it out of people. That is their sole goal, to fuel their emotion and create interesting drama. They are created from powerful concentrations of emotion. Such as a Rage Shadow being born on the battlefield or perhaps a Grief Shadow at a funeral. Stuff like that. No real physical threat but do have physical form.

+2 War, +2 Drama, +1 Games (not sure if it applies. Will justify in my next post), -2 Fear.

+3 total

[DarthArminius]

Su'ule , 50/50 AP

The Monstrous Goddess of the Neanderthal tribes noticed that her kind managed to prosper despite the harsh conditions imposed on them by the Gnawing Wastes. Su'ule smiled, but then came their conflicts with the giants. These incredibly powerful mortals were a threat to her beloved children, the well, kind of Human people that actually worshiped her. These people, who were what the Humans of Earth would describe as Neanderthals, were devout, but also quite formidable and tough to survive such an inhospitable region, even if they were blessed by Su'ule. Su'ule believed that it was time for her people's circumstances to change. Blessing the mightiest and wisest of the whole clan living in the wastes, Su'ule gave this man the power to change into nothing other than a dragon at will.

Spoiler

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-14 AP to create an immortal Human who can change into a dragon at will
+2 Sorcery
+2 Monsters

[Maryring]

Petr: Sanctuary Island. 50/50 AP

It's another beautiful day in paradise. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the crystal blue waves of the ocean lap against the white beach. A pair of young neanderthal siblings are playing at the edge of the water under the careful watch of their older brother. The twins are amusing themselves by practicing their magic. With smooth, playful movements they grab a small part of the ocean, form it into a globe of water and then lob those globes at one another. The dance with water and the waves come so naturally to them, that when the seas suddenly start to churn with life, they sense it and step away before the undercurrent gets a chance to tug on them. As the two rush further up on the beach, their brother rushes down to join them, and the three hug against one another whenthe wave suddenly sweeps against them, knocking them back and further up on the beach, before pulling back to reveal the radiant form of Petr. The brilliant watery form giving a most radiant smile to the kids.

"Good day mortals. It's been ages hasn't it. Oh, you probably don't recognize me, but I gave instructions on how to save the life of your ancestor. I can see the bloodline going strong in you, and it makes me happy to see you all bask in my gifts."

The three blink in stunned surprise. The brother immediately recognizes who he's dealing with and throws himself down on one knee as a sign of respect. The younger kids... don't. "Hey! What are you doing?" The young girl walks right up to Petr to prod the god right in the chest. "We were playing here. Why'd you gotta show off your magic like that?!"

"Yeah." Her brother joins in, scowling angry up at Petr. "We were here first y'." He is silenced as the older brother grabs both, pulling them closer while covering their mouths.

"Please, forgive them Great One. They know not what they're doing."

"Oh?" Petr leans in, staring at the older boy's face. "Are you saying then... that the island is failing in it's role to educate it's young?"

"Ah. I."

"Relax." Petr's face breaks into a smile as they guide the older neanderthal to release his grip on his siblings. "I'm not mad. And I am not vengeful. As for you two." Petr opens his palm, revealing a small, beautiful black pearl, and a piece of orange and pink coral. "Will you accept these gifts of the ocean as way of apology?"

"OOOH!" The two young ones gasp in surprise, snatching the things out of Petr's hand, before they turn around and immediately start running towards the closest settlement. "Momma! Momma! Look what we got you!"

Left behind on the beach are Petr and the older brother. "Your siblings are adorable... Bern, is it not?"

"How'd... no, of course you'd know. The wise ones of the observatory told us that you would soon manifest. Tell me, why here? Why now? Why."

"Shh." Petr smiles. "In due time. I will reveal myself to all soon, and properly. I'm sure there are several making preparations for when they think I will return. And I adore them for it. But... I am afraid that I must ask you to ensure that a few minor things be done, so as to ensure the proper respects are paid."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a plan. And you will help me see it bear fruit. Come. The pearlescent moon is in only a few nights."

---

The task Petr has left for Bern is not a simple one. He has to convince everyone to move the celebrations up to the lake at the top of the mountain peak. He has to make sure the celebration reaches it's zenith as the moon reflects perfectly upon the lake. He has to convince the finest druids and the most skilled starseers to prepare peculiar celebratory designs, and he has to do this without telling everyone that he has actually met with the Great One. He can only hope that the Great One will offer some measure of support.

Spoiler: Action

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14 AP/10 DC: Sanctify an area for +2 Moon.

Petr is going to attempt to sanctify Sanctuary Island, with the Moonlake as the focal point.
+2 from Water as the ritual is performed around the lake itself.
+2 from Healing as the lake itself shall become a wellspring of life.
+0 from Mystery Domain that shall be revealed upon success or failure.

---
Ymon-Thal

"Ymon, dearest... no." Petra shakes her head as she gazes upon the Passing. "This place is a mess. A pointless cruelty giving nothing. A basket to contain the souls, simply to contain them. You have created a place that punishes those who heal, and rewards those who do harm. This place is yours, but if I am to stabilize it, I will not permit it's cruelty to remain unaltered." She raises a hand, calling forth a river of cool, crystalline water, a reflection of Petra's own divine will as an immutable part of the Passing. A cleansing river that washes away sin, pain and memory.

Spoiler: Help!

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Petra offers the domains of Healing +2 and Water +2 to create the river of Absolute Purity. Those who drink of the waters will forget their past lives and be born Tabula Rasa, a completely blank slate that offers a new beginning. Because the Passing is a place enforcing misery upon those who suffered in life, Petra's -2 Pain penalty is also in effect.

With her power so given, Petra turns to Ymon with a frown. "Soon, I shall reveal myself proper to the mortals. You are invited to observe the proceedings, and see how the island thrives beneath your blessings. The lake shall, if my power permits, become a wellspring of life. Perhaps you and your other half may find a use for it with this new world of yours."

---

Opulon

"Greetings Opulon, and my thanks. Your blessing has allowed the people of Sanctuary Island to achieve greatness unthought of. They have navigated the Sanctuary Island all the way across the Sundered Sea and are still hale and hearty. I wish to reveal myself to them and bless them for their great works on this next night of the full moon. For your assistance, you are invited to observe and join in on the festivities."

---

Grawissen

"You wish to create new life? Understandable, admirable even. They will live freely, and their works shall be good. Of that I am sure. I will offer them my blessings. Great vigour and a small touch of Water, so that they may visit Sanctuary freely. But in return, when I create life of my own, you will assist me in bringing my child to life."

Spoiler: Help!

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Assisting Grawissen in the creation of the dinodudes. +2 water and +2 healing to grant them vitality, and enough natural aptitude to pass Sanctuary's third gate.

"With that aside. I am about to offer new blessings upon the Sanctuary. You are invited to observe, and even join in should you so choose."

---

Vreyalas

"Greetings. A new age dawns upon mortalkind, and a new dawn deserves a proper celebration to mark such an auspicious situation. Please, I ask you to join me upon Sanctuary Island when the moon is full, and to spread your influence so that all the mortals of the island may gather to witness this dawn of a new age."

---

Avestra

"Greetings Queen of the Forest. In the age hence you invited me to bless your sacred tree. Now I return the kindness and invite you to join a festival upon the Sanctuary you helped build. When the moon is full, I shall reveal a blessing upon the mortals of the Sanctuary. You have assisted me greatly thus far, and so I invite you to join in on these festivities."

---

Dulnori

"You gave your gifts to Sanctuary Island in an age hence. Now the island thrives, in part from your blessings. Soon, I shall reveal myself to the mortals in a brilliant display. As you assisted the creation of the island, so too do I invite you to partake in these festivities."

---

Kahar-Djin

"I am aware of what you have done. Your efforts to turn Sanctuary into a prison for those who use Su'Sorcery. But the island thrives, and the people there live happy lives. Your gates have served the primary purpose I intended for them, and so, despite this... minor disagreement, I extend to you an invitation. You assisted the creation of Sanctuary, and so you are welcomed to be part of my planned celebration where I shall reveal myself to the people of Sanctuary."

[AlexanderML]

The Empire of Clans:

The clans of the Sugrandi had changed somewhat over the centuries, becoming more interconnected over time while also forming distinct roles for the individual clans.

Giants rule over men and neanderthal with petty kings, warring in campaigns against their eastern and southern neighbors as well as defending against the threats to the north; they are overseen by the theocratic Shining Court as well as the Emperor (who is voted into office by the Shining Court).

Spoiler: Clans and the Petty Kings

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The clans have established kingdoms over the ages, less numerous then the tribes of old there are still many under each of the clans. Each of these kingdoms have a petty king, who swear to serve the shining court and emperor. Kings of the same clan often get together for campaigns, marriages, and trade. Being a petty kind is only sometimes hereditary, as it is seen more as a position for the honorable and pure.

Over the past few hundred years, a few new minor clans had formed, but the important ones to note would be the oldest:

The Mighty Tradano: A warlike clan, they still do most of the raiding and expansion work. They take the divine claim over the lands near the stonethroe mountains very seriously, and are the only clan to still see Yir as a father figure. Tradano make cruel kings, using the ceimmi as living shields and almost always condemning those they conquer to be ceimmi. It is wise to fear the hoplite walls they create and the brutal axes on their sides (they are like spartan vikings).

Being proud, Tradano never mate with humans, even those with strong giant blood, for those that do are condemned to torture and death (neanderthals of exceptional strength have been known to prove themselves).

Tradono are rivals to the mystical Incanda, whom they view as being too reliant on lesser magics (not solar) to save them.

The Numerous Gragani: Average in most things, they are perhaps the largest clan. They make for average kings, giving out what the giants consider fair justice. As a whole the Gragani have embraced trade, their kingdoms becoming the glue that holds the empire's economy together.

Gragani normally only let their males mate with non-giants, though the female giants typically have full control over who (and how many) husbands she will have. Pa'dowon male are the exception to this, allowed to marry a Gragani female as long as he is in line to inherit his father's titles, though whether this is more due to Gragani respecting the giant blood in the Pa'dowon or the wealth they normally hold is up to the individual.

Gragani get along with all the other clans just fine, though the Cavpo do stretch the limits of their hospitality sometimes.

The Caring Ulister: These are the kindest giants, not even looking down upon the humans. Most that rise to power among the Ulister are petty queens, and they are considered so kind and fair that it is said that human cities have surrendered once they realized that an Ulister would rule them. It is a shame they have so few lands, but they prefer to secure the rich lands they have rather than reach for more.

Ulister's live in lands where giants are the majority, and only have laws against their females marrying non-giants unless they are Projecta or Pa'dowon.

The kind nature of the Ulister's make them fear the Tradono and dislike the Cavpo and Icanda.

The Conniving Cavpo: These small giants (only 8ft tall on average) live in underground furnace-forts, and are the smallest clan. Cavpo practice all magics in the name of discovery and personal power, using the title 'Wizard' for those that have become a master in a field of magic; however, most lose their way trying to learn more than one kind of magic at a time and become weak generalists. They are also skilled craftsmen, working with the metal and magicite of Stonethroe to create wonders that still confound the other clans. However, they are prone to intrigue and make poor kings, giving most day-to-day authority to local councils instead.

Cavpo never allow any of their members to mate with non-giants, they distrust the idea that giants born from non-giants could be as pure or strong as 'pure born'. It's one of the reasons they are still the smallest clan.

Cavpo have few friends among the other clans, but the all the clans welcome what they make and the Tulmer at least try to keep friendly ties with them.

The Wise Sahgori: These are the largest of the giants (many over 11ft high), they are the wise counselors of the Sugradi. They live upon the blessed peaks of the stonethroe mountains, and help to bring Yir’s light down upon the world through magic and word. Over the last few hundred years they have established the Shining Court and the seat of Emperor. Only three times have they been denied the seat of Emperor, for few are as worthy as the Sahgori. They rule the heart of the empire and so have few non-giants to rule over, but those that are kings are considered the perfect examples of justice (for giants) in most cases.

Sahgori never allow any of their women to marry or mate with non-giants, death or dishonor is the penalty they face (they get to choose, most choose death). Sahgori males cannot marry non-giants, but they can mate with them.

Sahgori get along with most of the tribes, but the Cavpo's intrigue against the court have put them in a dis-favorable light for centuries.

The Ever-Building Tulmer: These giants are considered one of the oldest clans, average in most ways they are known for having grand fortresses and towns being planed decades before construction begins to insure perfection. Tulmer masons are often consulted by the other clans, and the Tulmer themselves have a rite their kings go through at the start of their reign where they return to the mountains to construct a shrine (it's said the higher quality the shrine, the better the king's reign will be). Tulmer having such a large population of non-giants in their lands (50-1), have over time been forced to treat their people well, with many humans or neanderthals being in high positions of power.

Tulmer are often allowed to marry anyone they wish to, as long as the individual is strong.

Tulmer heavily dislike the Icanda on the other side of the mountains, seeing them as barbaric. The Cavpo are skilled at their trade, and are often sought after by the Tulmer.

The Mystic Icanda: These giants live upon the grey plains, shaping the poor land over the centuries into a place where they can live. They practice the magics of Water, call upon the power of nature to bless their fields, and in times of need unleash the devastating power of Fire. While they live in mud-huts and farm poor fields, they are by far the most talented in sorcery. A tale that Icanda tell is that a Cavpo would steal one of their babes if they had the chance, just to teach it their dark magics (normally implying that the combination would be a bad thing). Icanda have no kingdoms, and only have one king at a time to represent them (more an ambassador role than one with authority).

Icanda let those among them mate and marry whomever the wish, so long as they stay in the grey plains. Some of the Sugrandi have question whether mutant blood runs through their veins.

Icanda don't much care for politics, but dislike the Cavpo and Tulmer somewhat.

Spoiler: Luvti

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The Luvti (Little, aka not a giant) folk unlike the giants of the empire are split among different castes, depending on how close they were to the giants themselves.

Ciemmi: The lowest caste, these humans and neanderthals live the lives of almost-slaves. Those peoples that do not submit to the Sugrandi when they expand their lands are condemned to be ciemmi, though some crimes can have the punishment of becoming ciemmi. They do the work that the giants deem beneath them, such as farm or house chores, for little to no compensation; however, they do have the right to live so long as they serve their betters, including those Luvti of higher classes. The only way they can move up in caste is to become accomplished on the battle-field, which with leather hats and wicker shields being considered standard quality for Ciemmi it is rarely done.

Sirdi: The largest caste, these are the standard non-giants of the empire. They pay high tribute and fear the whims of the petty kings, but are technically free by imperial law and are treated with some level of respect as long as they serve their betters. They occupy most positions in society to some extent, at least where giants are not common.

Projecta: Those sirdi parents that discover that their child is a giant are risen to the caste of Projecta (potential), as well as any of their direct children. Because of their connection to the divine blood of the Sugrandi they are treated almost as an equal to the giants, able to own land and move whenever they please. Projecta can normally afford metal armor when called to war, though rarely more than than a helm and limb guards.

Pa'dowon: Projecta that in some way become notably accomplished may be awarded with the rank of Pra'dowon (proven), which can be passed down once to a direct decedent. This small caste of non-giants are legally treated equally to giants, able to own land, move as they please, vote for local mayors, own businesses, or even have command in the military (sometimes over giants). Over time this has created a small elite caste of non-giants that jealously guard their estates so that they may raise the tribute needed to have the local petty king grant the full Pa'dowon status to their children (or at least an heir). When called to war the Pa'dowon either try to skirt military duty or work as a cavalry force.

Spoiler: The Shining Court and Emperor

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To be finished later, but the gist of it can be put down now.

The Shining Court is made up of the nobility of the Sahgori clan, with petty kings of each of the kingdoms getting a single representative. It deals with many of the day to day decisions that the empire makes, writing law, and having control of the military.

The emperor is elected by the Shining Court for life, having the ability to overrule the court on any matter whenever they wish. The emperor is the only one that may declare war, approve law (and may write it himself), or generally oppose the council.

Spoiler: Religion

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Those within the empire hold Yir as the highest of divines that is both more holy and mighty than all others in the pantheon. Past a few general descriptions of the other gods there are differences between the kingdoms as to the specifics. (Some generalizations below).

Yir: The pure ruler of the world, through it's power did she give life to the world and bless it with good spirit. The Stonethroe Mountains are where the Sahgori state that life first appeared, and that the first thinking creatures were they themselves, born from their Yir's light. Yir still gives life to the world, having to rotate the world around itself so that both sides may be seen.

She acts to keep the lesser godlings from destroying the world and the blessed. The Beast in particular is used as a scapegoat in many tales of the evils of the world, with Yir confronting it and bringing hope to the giants through it's power and care.


Kahar-Djin: Often seen as a fool who over complicates things to the point of uselessness, they are seen as a warrior that at least tries to fight the Beast and it's foul ways. Tulmerian's in particular are fond of setting up small shrines of Kahar-Djin in temples to Yir.

Grawissen: The foolish spawn of the Beast and Vreyalas that dared tried to challenge Yir to a contest of strength, losing so terribly that it was cast into the shadows for an age. However Cavpo deny this recollection of events, stating that Grawissen was more of a thinker and trickster who fooled Yir through exploiting her good nature, and was then cast into the shadows by Yir. Good giants ignore this version of events.

Vreyalas: Diabolical godling that founded the city-sized thorn in the giants glorious expansion long ago. By it's wicked and malicious intelligence, it's found ways to hurt the civilized peoples of the empire for centuries.

The Beast (Su'ule): The most malevolent creature in reality, it's hate for what is right is thinkable and it's instincts are evil pure. With it's vile spawn of mutants it constantly schemes against the goodness of the world. It's the source of all monstrous behaviors, and the foul power of sorcery. Cavpo give sacrifices to the beast in hopes of taming it's nature, saying that Yir did so through taking it's true voice away, but all the other giants can at best tolerate the Beast's religious iconography.