Lords of Creation

**WindStruck** · 2023-12-13, 06:48 PM (ISO 8601)

A Tiny Bit of Retconning

Penia could feel an inquisitive sensation the moment she formed within the Pocket, as if something was wishing to speak with her, mind to mind. As she broke through the brush into the clearing, she would find the face of the Great Tree already facing her direction, as if waiting to see if Penia would agree to the conversation medium. Relloc knew to be polite about this; the last time he spoke directly into a creature's mind, it panicked greatly and flew off into the distance beyond the Pocket.

The inquisitive sensation drove Penia even more assuredly toward the great tree. Even as she was already being swarmed by concerned Hiplings, her eyes briefly locked with the tree's, and she could sense the divinity in it as well. And yet the other little ones were distracting. So distracting with their questions and murmuring among themselves. It was a short while after accepting some food, that she asked if she could simply have a quiet place to rest. It was all she asked or wanted of them. They at least respected her wishes, and then she was finally alone. Alone with just her own thoughts. And perhaps the thoughts of another. "Who are you?" she asked. "And where am I?"

A Mental Correspondence

In her mind, she would hear Relloc's low-timbred voice. "I am Relloc, protector of the Pocket and avatar of Rel. You are on a tropical island colloquially known as 'The Pocket' but its inhabitants have no official name for it, so they use the name given by Rel." Relloc's face swiveled on its trunk, looking at the Hiplings, to address them aloud. "Be easy, Hopeful. One of Rel's siblings has come to pay us a visit and seems to have not had a kind travel before now. Give them space for now and let them speak to you before you speak to them; also, only one voice at a time so as not to overwhelm." Turning its gaze back to Penia, the avatar smiled softly. "Please excuse them. They are friendly enough and perhaps overly excited; you are the first visitor we've had. To what do we owe this visit and how should we address your divinity?"

"I see," Penia thought to the first explanation. Something about this "Rel" seemed familiar. At least something she felt she should know, but probably could not place the reason for at the time. Even now her acumen and understanding was still growing, blooming to its full potential. She had experienced many lives before, apparently, but never had she been a Hipling. Still, the thought of being considered this Rel's sister made her smile inwardly.

"I am.. Penia," she thought, a soft and hollow mental voice, unsure of itself. It was a name she simply knew, but also didn't know why or who gave it to her. But the more she thought about it, the more the identity asserted itself. "As for why I am here.. I would not say I chose to come here, not at first. And yet here I am. And I sense there is work to do."

"I assume you provide for these ones and keep them safe from harm. You perpetually keep them in their blissful state, do you not? Tell me, Relloc, protector of the Pocket," Penia asks, "Do you consider these people virtuous?"

"I provide those that ask for it; there are many that still wish to gather and hunt for themselves. As for safety, I try to only intervene when absolutely needed; otherwise, how would they know when to be cautious? Do I keep them in their blissful state? No, they do that themselves by accepting the nature of things, what Rel calls 'Is-ness'. You can't stop something from happening, you can only redirect its course, hopefully into something useful. As Rel has said, 'Go with the flow, enjoy the ride while it lasts. Sometimes the journey changes you, forms you into something more beneficial for the world around you, letting it grow from your journey too.' To others, it may seem that life here on the pocket is idyllic, but there are dangers to ones so small that larger creatures would not notice. As for virtuous, how do you mean? By whose set of virtues"

Penia listened to the explanation about this 'Is-ness' and thought about it. It seemed, on one hand, a way to maintain inner peace and accept things as they were. Particularly, that which is beyond your control. On the other hand, taken too far, it leads to idleness and helplessness.

When Relloc questioned what she meant, however, this gave Penia pause. "I suppose, for whatever it is worth, it can simply be your set of virtues. But perhaps we can be a bit more specific. What good qualities would you say they have? Do you love them? Why?"

Relloc chuckled gently and with good nature. "Ah. As their genius loci, a collection of their drives and will, I will likely be somewhat biased. They care for and love each other. They have accepted Kami as 'Hiplings' within that sphere of family, even if they are not actual Hiplings. They care for the land and did so before they knew what the Kami were, careful to only take what they needed and nothing more. Before Rel granted me this body, they would build their shelters in ways as to not be detrimental to their surroundings. I believe, once they begin exploring this world and encountering others, they will try to help improve things. Not without taking the time to learn if the new creatures or people are actively hostile, mind you. They prefer to avoid conflict until absolutely necessary or in defense of themselves or those they consider family, 'Hiplings'; they do tend to view other life rather simply at times, as 'Hipling' or 'Not-Hipling'. If one is kind, shares food, seeks to help and protect others, those are qualities that can make one a Hipling in their eyes. As I've alluded to though, they are cautious, and have a heightened sense of danger. Observe, mistress Penia." She could feel Relloc reach out into the wilds with its will; shortly after a large boar broke from the brush, but as the leaves trembled before its appearance, Penia saw the Hiplings disappear or quickly take to the trees to stay out of sight. "They have learned how to access their Inner Worlds, or 'Dream Pockets' as they call them, the moment they sense danger. Some still try to remain hidden within their surroundings." The Great Tree shook free some fruit for the beast, which ate its fill and left. Looking at the Hiplings in the branches above Penia with rocks in their hands, Relloc smiled softly. "Be at ease, little ones. Rel's sister, Penia, is safe." "They are also protective of those they consider family."

More concepts, old yet new, that were spoke (or thought) of. Genius Loci.. Kami.. Penia grew to understand these thoughts, if at least vaguely. As Relloc explained the good qualities of the Hiplings, Penia herself felt undecided. Caring for each other and making a minimal impact on the environment is what animals did. Not all animals, mind you, but we were speaking of a bare minimum of decency even an animal was capable of. Avoiding conflict was again what many animals did, but even a rat when cornered might bare its teeth and fight.

There was then a display involving a large boar, and once again the Hiplings hid and fled like field mice. However, the ability to outright disappear from reality and into their own 'Inner Worlds' was intriguing. Penia felt that even she was capable of this, though she had never considered the idea of it until now. Looking above her, in her weary state, she noticed some of the Hiplings holding rocks and ready to throw them. Considering where she had just been before, it seemed laughably primitive, when one compared stones found on the ground to blades crafted of sharpened steel. Overall their stone flinging would have been a quaint gesture. But throwing stones from up high in relative safety was hardly a sacrifice - which ultimately, was the crux of the issue.

"Perhaps you should not have fed the boar and observed what happened next," Penia suggested, all too nonchalantly. "I am curious what the Hiplings would have done if their stones were ineffective. What if they only enraged the beast and didn't drive it away? What would have happened when they ran out of stones, atop the safety of their branches? Would they come down to fight the beast, or distract it and lure it away? Would they take any risk, or make any real sacrifices?"

"I fed the boar as it came at my beckon since it was only a demonstration; it was only fair. As for what they would do if the rocks proved ineffective and you were still in danger? That depends on their capabilities. If they are Kami-bonded, they may have worked together with their Kami to drive the animal away through non-lethal methods; blasts of water or air to drive it away, dust or leaf debris to temporarily blind it long enough to either bring one to safety or until it decided to move on to easier prey, build walls of stone or wood between you and the creature. An Yvapurũ may take the form of a larger beast to act as a deterrent or perhaps attempt to talk with the animal to understand what is troubling it. Even without a Kami or connection to the land, the Hiplings would try weave through its legs to bind it with vines to prevent harm coming to you or they would use their numbers to pile upon the creature, using their collective weight to bring the creature down and hold it there until the anger left it." Relloc paused and Penia could feel a hesitation as if it were considering something distasteful. "When they hunt, they give thanks before taking the life as quickly and painlessly as possible, and again when they have their meal. In the scenario you describe, should deterrents and non-lethal methods fail? It does not happen often, but it has happened... Only as a last resort and in defense of their own, they will use more forceful and potentially lethal methods; the Hiplings are not violent by nature, but they are capable of it. They take no satisfaction from it, only relief right after, then mourn the loss of life."

Penia looks around and nods, both to acknowledge the Hiplings and the great tree with which she 'spoke'. Looking down she thinks, "Yes. Perhaps you are correct. Or maybe not. It is hard to tell what the future may bring." Slowly getting to her feet, she says to the other Hiplings, "I think I may take a walk. I have never been near Relloc, your great protector before." And though she was still apparently thin and weary, she did just that, first strolling around the village, observing the various primitive structures and tools and happy, curious Hiplings, and then she ambled off into the jungles again, circling around the perimeter of the village and tree, noting all the lush foliage and wildlife.

"Allow me to make a point, Relloc. Sharing of food, generosity, that is one virtue you claim the Hiplings have," Penia thinks again. "If I were dying of thirst, and then dropped in the ocean, and then asked a Seafolk for some water, would you say they are generous for offering what is overwhelmingly abundant all around them? You also claim that refraining from harming the surrounding life around them is a virtue. Though from what I can tell, they have hardly the means to do so, and the need, or desire, perhaps never even occurred to them."

Now standing atop a small hill, which gave a clear vantage point to Rel's avatar through the canopies of trees below, Penia thinks, "The world is cruel with many dangers. And these Hiplings, though they are innocent and I cannot fault them, have yet to be truly tested. What say you, Relloc? When they finally meet the trials and tribulations of this world, will you shelter them? Or will you encourage them to grow?"

"Before I answer fully, you asked if I loved them. Very much so! Though, in a way different from Rel. I am bound to the Pocket; should they decide to leave, they will be without my protection, mistress Penia. Those that stay, I will continue in my indirect guardianship, letting them grow at their own pace. My views are more Hipling than Rel, when he and I are not sharing this body, so we view that role differently. I protect them from dangers they are not yet ready to handle, while letting them prove to themselves they are more than just 'Little Hiplings' against the larger creatures here. Rel is more, hmm... Perhaps the word is 'overprotective'? He sees their love as they show it to each other. He does not see what happens when that love is threatened. If you are asking me as their collective will, I've been encouraging them to grow since I was formed. They are eager to explore, to learn, to apply themselves outside of the Pocket. Are they also afraid of the outside world? Yes, but they don't let it deter them; the ones that are ready to explore understand the risks of leaving here and accept them. They are the Hopeful, are they not? Hope is always strongest when everything else is bleak, its resilience shining that much more brightly when facing adversity." Relloc closed its eyes for a moment, grimacing. "I believe Rel is learning that lesson as we speak."

Penia continues to stare at the Great Tree and sighs. "I suppose I would never get a straight answer from you, though from what I did hear, it sounds promising.. however, if you truly are the collective will of the Hiplings, then I don't think you would ever consent to what I am about to do. And if Rel is overprotective as you say, He certainly wouldn't. It is a shame, really. For a brief moment, I felt something warm and special when you called me Rel's Sister. But I can understand if he never wants to hear of me again. Tell him I am sorry."

Three Bad Tidings

Looking around at the few curious Hiplings that had continued to follow her, and yet had obediently listened to their protector and not spoken to her first, Penia says, "Young ones. Heed my words carefully, for I will only say this once: arduous times are coming ahead. A plague of insects will soon fall upon this island. You will have to protect your food and its source before it eats first what you did not. You must decide how far you are willing to encroach upon nature, before it encroaches upon you."

Her eyes scanning all around, to the oceans, she continues, "A new foe invades from the sea. They are not kind and happy like you. They are cruel and spiteful, with no respect for nature nor life. As they come from the sea and thrive in it, should you conquer them, then you will certainly be able to conquer the sea. My one and only piece of advise is: they only understand might and violence."

Then, the mysterious pale blue Hipling looks to the skies and says, "Lastly, I must warn you: should you endure these first two trials, a third one awaits insidiously, in the future. This island shall no longer always be fruitful and hospitable. Many moon cycles from now, things will slowly begin to change. The skies will darken, the air shall grow cold. The clouds will no longer bear rainfall. In accordance, the plants shall grow dormant, no longer growing nor bearing fruit, and many animals will seek shelter and sleep. You must learn to plan ahead, to take more than you need in the now, so that you may have it later. Otherwise, you will surely freeze and starve. However, this time of darkness will not linger forever. Should you outlast it, once again your home will return to normal, with warmth and abundant life. At least, for a time, before the cycle starts all over again. This is what we call.. 'Seasons'."

With those final words, Penia stomps her foot and her form instantly transforms into a swarm of vibrantly-colored, winged insects, which scatter in all directions.

Spoiler: Damage Report!

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Penia starting with 16/16 AP

1 AP - Create Life (Create Monsters): Rainbow Cicadas
An invasive species new to Rel's Pocket. They are large, voracious insects with wings, about one inch wide and two inches long, on average. Also worryingly, they devour all sorts of leafy plant life and especially love sweet fruits. Left unchecked, they will multiply uncontrollably and eat everything! They are brightly colored, in many varying hues (just like the Hiplings!), but as the Hiplings will soon figure out, the cicadas are poisonous and venomous to mammals such as themselves. However, each different color of the cicadas will inflict a different ailment. Blue ones will cause paralysis, yellow ones are yet another type of neurotoxin that causes uncontrollable spasms and delirium. Red will cause great inflammation and promote bleeding, green will cause violent sickness of the stomach and gut, purple will knock you out, orange will cause crippling pain and hives, and so on. There are many more types out there to find and collect. Gotta catch 'em all!

2 AP - Create Life (Create Race): Amphibioides
Frothing and burbling from the sea, these sentient creatures resemble ugly fish or frogs, with big, mean eyes, spines on their backs, and webbed hands and feet. Their hands and feet secrete a substance that can make them awfully sticky, though not at all times. It seems this ability can be called upon instinctively, on demand. Their forms are roundish and hunched over, and they would typically stand at twice to even three times the height of a Hipling. Using their powerful limbs and webbed appendages, they are excellent swimmers, able to even swim up waterfalls, and they are both able to breathe air and water. Their diet consists of eating whatever they can get their webbed hands on: fish, insects, and small animals. The Amphibioides are brutal savages, every one of them, and very territorial. Using only primitive gurgling languages, they have names for themselves, at least, but hardly one to call their collective peoples. They have very little technology, often using sharp stones, shells, or sticks to accomplish what they desire.

The first areas the Amphibioides claim are bits of shores along Rel's Pocket, and further into the watery depths where they lay their eggs. Soon, however, they realize the relative safety of this island, and after some few brave and curious souls make the arduous swim up the waterfalls, they began to place their eggs on the island instead. After the Amphibioides decide to place their eggs on Rel's Pocket, they slowly expand inward, felling trees to create crude structures, monuments, and dams - if you could even call them that. They mostly resembled haphazard piles. Sometimes it even looks like they toss logs into the ocean for no apparent reason! Though there is a crude use for them below as well... These guys are bad news. They are most definitely 'Not-Hipling'!

1 AP - Alter Land (Rel's Pocket): Winter/Dry Season
For most part of the year, Rel's pocket will be as it always blissfully was. However, now there is a winter/dry season that lasts approximately three months (or one fourth) of the year. The sun climbs lower in the sky and shines upon the lands less. The skies often become gloomy and overcast, and yet rain seldom falls. It becomes much colder, plants go dormant, many animals hibernate, and many insects die off (though their eggs will hatch in the spring). After the winter/dry season, life continues as normal with an explosion of flowers, fruit, and insect life.

Left with 12/16 AP

Contributing to Portfolios...
Rainbow Cicadas - Pestilence (Vermin) 1/10
Amphibioides - War (Attrition) 2/10
Winter/Dry Season - Famine (Indolence) 1/10

**DasIrrlicht** · 2023-12-16, 10:50 AM (ISO 8601)

Naseki, times go on
They say that it is a ghost town. Some kind of monster clawed itself trough all the inhabitants and only the Farmstead up-mountain from it survived. He raised the bodies and walked them to work while some adventurers where tasked with killing the Mockery of Life that was their end to begin with. Took multiple parties worth to get it to justice. The final one simply burned the town down in its whole. But we are good builders. The ruins, concrete foundations, charred but still stable wooden beams, walls missing parts and windows that exploded out from the heat... behind them you can see people sometimes. Watching, Dancing, taking care of Flowers where no flowers grow anymore. But every time one comes to check, there is no trace left. Like they never actually where there...

Tick
Tick
The Alchemist intensly stares at the device one of the Craftsmen made recently.
Tick
Tick
The plate moves a bit with every noise it makes, as gears move below it in a intecrate little mechanism.
Tick
Tick
Every movement takes the exact same time, every time, after winding up the spring.
Tick
Tick
Unlike the old music boxes, it does not simply slow down as it runs lower of its own energy, but stops exactly when it fails.
Tick
Tick
Not dragging out the time until its failure is discovered means one can rely on it to be always measuring the time precise, for a long as it works.
Tick
T-rack
The Alchemist turns around and removes the flask from the flame, submerging it in the false ice coolant instead. Just in time for the purest solution.
Tick
Tick

The fisherboat shot a bolt into the water, where it started to heat up and sink down slowly. The bright light underwater would only hold for a few minutes, but it was simply meant as a warning signal. 'We are here now, wall-climbing fish-people. You know what happened last time you challenged our right to fish in this waters. You still must have the rusting harpoons stick out of your skin when you survived, or you can get a fresh one if you attempt to attack us again'.

As much as the Amphibioides are territorial and primitive, they are not stupid. Attempts to baord the boats end with sharp metal weapons being stuck trough the railings, seriously wounding or killing any of the ones that try. Getting fully in does not help much either, for the Humans and Gelatons are larger and more advanced then them, and simply resort to removing them from deck more directly, and with less chance to survive as swords and bolts make short work of them.

So when a fishing boat passes over Amphibioide waters, it makes its presence known. It warns from attempting any attack, and fulfills its purpose, before heading back where it came from. It is not a predator of the race but it is very much not a prey either. Its on a whole different branch of the food chain. While some of the race begrudingly take this uneasy peace, others are thinking themself smarter. They fishers can not get up the waterfalls. They can not climb the island on this side of the area. The Amphibioide will simply climb up there more and more, take it for themself, and then wander from there back in the ocean to hunt for food as they need. Some of the smartest of them however started collecting the metal spears that the fishing boats use to defend themself. Whenever a boat ends up attacked and defends itself, they come in under and pull the sharp tools out of the bodies.
They are smart. They can use them to hunt themself. Maybe not the fishing boats, but other prey can be pierced from far away with this. From the shadows where they do not see or hear the Amphibioide comming.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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5 AP LEFT

0 AP - Curse/Blessing [MUA Charge]

Shimmering Through
Souls wandering the Plane of Echos will occasionally find the surprise of someone on the first world noticing them. While both Flower Maidens and certain Psyonics already are able to 'see into the echo', now in places that where of high significance to the dead person it can happen that a echo of their soul shows on the first world. This echo does come with all the caveats of the Echos on the Plane of Echos, and is likely to vanish completely if interacted with from the first world.

1 AP - Advanced Concept [??? (???) 1/10 & GUA Charge]

Precise Mechanisms
Craftspeople on the chain have improved their craft, and started to get particulary inventive with the finer parts and tools they could create. The most well known example is naturally your common clockwork, which main use is for time-keeping, naturally. However, the precision learned can be applied in a varaiety of circumstances, allowing for optimisation in many a craft. Doors close tighter, locks are harder to break open without fully breaking them, more complicated and grander machines run with less effort, firearms are less likely to malfunction, Master-Craftsmen can insult the flaws of Journeymans work better.

________
4 AP Left

Progress:
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

**Fuzzy Math** · 2023-12-16, 11:38 AM (ISO 8601)

The Ol' Razzle Dazzle

The animals of the Pocket have gotten more skittish since Penia’s arrival and her introduction of the Rainbow Cicadas, the ones that were less curious about the new potential snack that is. The Hipling hunters noticed their traps were either empty most of the time or the creatures inside them were dead, covered in their own sick and patchy fur from chewing on their itchy hive-riddled skin. Other small rodents littered the ground, bodies bent at odd angles, as if they fell from a great height without being able to reorient their flailing bodies before hitting the jungle floor. The new sound throughout the Pocket, the near constant and annoyingly loud chirring of an insect never heard before, has made even the more docile chinchibaras annoyed and harder to trap. They didn’t want to chance eating the fallen and sick, they understood that eating creatures who ate bad food could have consequences, but the hunters did not understand what was causing this. Curiosity would have to wait; they had bellies to feed and they could not rely on their traps. They needed a way to be able to approach the irritable creatures that had their awareness heightened because of it, so they pulled out their shards to learn how sneak up on their marks without giving away their presence until it was too late.

Spoiler: AP Spending

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AP Remaining After Rollover: 9

Create Mundane Concept (MUA Charge) - Stealth: The Hiplings have learned how to move and watch without being noticed, slowing their bodies and focusing their minds so as to not give away their presence, using jungle debris to blend in with their surroundings, and applying varied materials to mask their scent. Those that go on night-time hunts have learned how to apply the dark waters of the Deepworld Inkwells to either completely cover their bright colors or design patterns that confuse sight. These methods can be enhanced through the assistance of the Kamii, for those that are bonded.

AP Spent: 0
AP Remaining: 9
MUA (Mun. Con.) Charges: 0

**AlexanderML** · 2023-12-16, 11:59 AM (ISO 8601)

Elysium

The Princedom of Elysium, standing at the edge of the palm of the south western Hand on the Chain, overlooked the vast Inner Sea as the shadows of the Fingers would greet them every morning. Its white stone streets and large port shone with the splendor of conquest, its long history of wandering up the rivers of the Hand and using the methods of war or love to win over neighbors clear for visitors to see amid the numerous banners that hang off the outer walls of all the major gates.

The princes and princesses of Elysium were a people who held the methods of the Meadow Tower in higher regard than most, with it being considered mandatory that each ruler had the knowledge of the witches at their disposal. This dedication lead to the Midnight Tower appearing in the city, a comparatively insignificantly sized structure to the landmark Meadow Tower it nevertheless was the center of the utilization of strange creations in Elysium.

What few at the time realized beyond those with witch training was that the Midnight Tower was a living being, a tuatha that continued to make pacts with the ruling family and the other nobility. It’s personal interest in the affairs of Elysium lead it to help to push the bounds of alchemical-delusion application, creating the first homunculus; sapient familiars. Yet this technique was perhaps one of the few to be salvaged after an incredible blast one day leveled the Midnight Tower to its foundation and beyond.

Deprived of an easy means for delusion acquisition the princedom’s nobility had begun to send a few of their own into the Magi Realms for some time, and while welcomed readily and trade made possible; it was impossible to find a tuatha they’d readily replace the Midnight Tower with, for a heart that could work with mortals was a rare thing among tuatha.

Yet one day the daughter of the current prince was wandering down the palace’s halls when she stumbled across an extra corridor….

Eresaly

There was a bat, pink with white puffs of fur on its neck that alternated from clinging to a skeleton and following a shadow. It did not know where it was exactly, besides a faded place that felt empty. She would look back at it on occasion, and while She lacked any eyes the way she tilted her head gave off the impression of a gentle gaze towards it; which would prompt it to give a happy shriek.

It had only a vague impression of what life it had before, but the bat knew that it had hung on Her shoulder for a very very long time; and that when it flew for the first time She had appeared hurt, tears appearing from Her sockets.

Today it clung on her shoulder as she wandered across empty places where the two-legged folk dwelled. Only the occasional sign of animal life gave the place a sense of being alive that it strangely lacked otherwise.

Occasionally She would reach out with a shadow towards something the bat could not see, just to hear the world give a sharp hum of rejection. With increasing regularity She did this with apparent unease that made the bat give out cries to try and sooth Her.

Eventually the pair had found another two-leg, one with green skin whose hair was a bundle of flexible white branches that swayed in the wind as she sat at the edge of a tall cliff. The bat could not read the faces of humanoids, but her demeanor seemed calm and reserved as she looked out at a dawn.

The one the bat clung too gave out a sigh as She stared at the two-leg for a time. She tried to reach out towards them with a shadow… just to hear the world give a harsh sharp hum of rejection. The bat begun to fly around as She stood there in the dawn light, but then noticed something strange about the two-leg.

They slumped over the edge, like a rag-doll falling over. The bat did not care very much for this, but She let out a distressed call at this and followed the two-leg below; though more graciously as the shadow slithered down below. In a panic She looked to and fro where the two-leg had fallen from and where they landed at, searching for something that was not there.

For a time the skeleton and shadow stayed near the body, distressed for reasons the bat could not truly comprehend. They eventually set off to travel again, with more speed and purpose this time. She often had to keep hold of the little bat, which was not a comfortable experience for it.

Sometimes they found bodies of more two-legs, on a few occasions they found some living ones that were not the same; all the while the bat could feel her mood sinking lower and lower.

After a few days She found a clearing that held a rare sight here, a flower circle. Here the largest number of bodies seen together in one place yet could be seen, over a dozen strewn on platforms around the circle. After a moment seeing the clearing She let a tear fall down, then another as she wandered towards the center of the circle.

Someone else was here, or just beyond, a woman in the robes of this land that looked so much like the people here yet even more like living nature with skin that appeared as rich soil and a crown of flowers around her head. This person… noticed Her wandering into the flower circle; she surprised Her even more by speaking. “You mourn these sisters, Shadow? Do you hate death, or do they have a deeper meaning to you?” her voice was distant and hard for the bat to hear, but it was clearly there.

The shadow and skeleton just stood there looking at the woman.

“I cannot hear what’s beyond, and your visage is marred; yet I do not sense malice within you. Unlike me, perhaps you did not play a part in these poor souls' ends.” That made Her gaze go from an unfocused stare to an intense consuming one. The woman did not so much as flinch as she continued with a forlorn look on her face “I am the spirit of this humble hill, home to many sisters since the beginning. Since the ancient days my pacts were made, the circles tended to, and my protection given to the sisters here. I knew someday they would leave me, so I was prepared for when it came; and I was overjoyed when they returned to me, even… even in tears.” the woman looked regretful at that last statement.

“It was my fields that kept them here, Shadow; they hold a number of sacred flowers whose blessing… is evil.” she put a hand to her chest, the air loosing any vibrancy as she fell into some dark emotion “My love condemned them, the Web left no one behind… not for long.”

The shadow and skeleton appeared stunned, then reached out a shadow towards the woman but the world gave a sharp hateful hum in response. The woman noticed the movement, a smile appearing on her face. “I cannot tell what you are thinking Shadow, but if you worry for me please just… forget about this place. I should have been forgotten about long ago.”

The shadow and skeleton shook, an emotion clearing raging inside them that gave the bat pause to intervene, instead keeping a healthy distance away as with an uproar She slithered into the sky and unleashed words that flattened the Echo’s trees and shattered stone. It was good fortune that the bat was made by the goddess’s hand…

“TH-THEY DIED, BECAUSE THEY HAD MY LOVE?
I HATE YOU!
I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE!”

Then with a harsh yank of her hand, the skeleton cut away the strings that would forevermore put an end to those with her Love. The shadow gave each one an embrace, a spark of itself to live on and bloom once more.

Yet the shadow’s embrace extended farther than just the Onna that had been slain, it reached into the worlds beyond and touched each and every creature. Her Love among each and every one of them now. The harsh judgment that would befall the Web would be almost omni-present, with only a handful of exceptions made from non-Onna members.

Still the bat witnessed as She did not relent, for She reached inside and found a wasp that could only vainly frail in hand; taken back to Her home with the bat. It did not witness what she did to it, as it was eating a big juicy fruit, but it did not care.

They had returned from nothing, greeted with strange new forms and hearts that were less prone to stoically accept their fates. For many, especially those who had no idea that people were rummaging through the continent, the sense of dread that came with the end of civilization continued to mount.

Then She appeared with a sea of stars behind her across the horizon. As She moved across the land great harps and horns played that announced their arrival, a great host of moths carrying shining lights flew across the sky. The land, acknowledging Her and the return of its kin, gave great flowers worthy of a goddess's attention and mortal devotion in the form of great black and blue trees that housed a million buds; each one a welcome and promise to house them well.

As the night wore on the lights in the sky would descend upon these great trees one after another, until no one was left to follow Her as she passed back into the Echo to meet with the goddess. In the future such great trees could be created again with great patience and effort, if one could remind the land of the time it welcomed a goddess.

Near these starlit trees that had arrived so suddenly, the newly made Suka-Onna finally had something to investigate. Whether the future near such things was as bleak and terrible as they had known was true or not, they each believed that they would find someone there. And when they did meet those who had taken shelter under the mighty trees at dawn...

The world had changed.

Spoiler

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14/27 AP

Spoiler: -2 Create Sub-Race (Tuatha -> Homunculi):

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Just as familiars can be created through the application of Delusion onto a dead animal corpse, it has been discovered that the process can be done with sapient creatures. Through alchemical preparation, applying delusion, and the blood of the creator; a sapient corpse can be brought to life. Homunculi are given new souls and hold little of the original individual’s personality or memories; instead they are emotionally distant and submissive creatures suited for their creators.

Just as with familiars a Homunculi’s life is tied to their creators, yet their loyalty is not. While most are submissive, a Homunculus is a free creature that can ultimately decide to go against its natural inclinations and do something else. Thus smart creators make sure to have a light hand when dealing with their creations, using subtext to enforce the ‘natural order’ onto them (something the professors at the Great Library endorse for the most part, if only to encourage more funding via alchemists sending their creations to be given lessons). Others treat Homunculi as their children, companions, or live-in apprentices.

While they may have fantastical appearances, each Homunculi’s base physical and mental attributes are similar to that of a human’s. Some magi use lifeshaping to customize their creations further.

A tuatha may create a homunculi through investing a soul into a body. The resulting creature is a strange and fascinating result for the tuatha, as the artificial life forms are both a part of the tuatha and yet a separate entity that can surprise it in action and emotion. Their mundane nature does leave some looking for ways around this…

2/10 Wealth (Opulence)

Spoiler: -1 Teach Mundane Concept (Nobility):

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Over time the rulers of the different Realms have adopted the ideal that they are of a higher class of person more readily and firmly than nearly any other; yet even those below them are considered nobles with noble rights and privileges that interact with one another in such a manner that gives those from the First World a great deal of confusion sorting out. It is most often connected via blood ties, though this can be challenged when a prominent member of a family who gifted out noble titles to their kin die a final death (typically from murder); as the authority they bestowed is shaken and the family that once enjoyed it must come together to prop up an heir.

Most living families in the Magi Realms consider themselves nobles, only recent immigrant families that have yet to integrate into the opulant lifestyle of the Realms are a major exception. A large number of embraced are nobles, but over half are not due to large number of immigrants from the First World (though the natural die-off process keeps this from a supermajority). Homunculi are very rarely considered nobles in their own right, but are often gifted authority equal to their creators.

Elysium on the Chain, being the originators of this particular brand of nobility, are included in this teach action in addition to the Magi Realms.

4/10 Emotion (Vanity)

Spoiler: -3 Counter (The Cut-Off -> Eternity's End):

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Ripping apart the threads of the eternal end, Lilia brings those Onna that had any amount of Lilia’s Love inside them at the time of the Cut-Off back to life as Suka-Onna. Any bodily, soul, or other injuries they suffered pre or post Cut-Off are restored as their bodies are engulfed in a flower bug that blooms with their restored bodies inside.

3/10 Emotion (Bitterness)

Spoiler: -2 Bless/Curse - Encompassing Love:

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Mechanical filler for Lilia’s Love, same as the sub-concept and applies to all actions that refer to it. Only addition being that any creature that can make pacts and is thoroughly corrupted can make Lilia’s Love pacts.

6/10 Emotion (Vanity)

Spoiler: -AC (Lilia’s Boquete) Bless/Curse - Outer Souls:

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See that heart there? Its your soul! The culmination of your being! Wait... how are you seeing it?

These souls are given to all the Suka-Onna and beings outside the First World either at the time of this blessing or at birth afterwards. They act as normal souls for the purposes of interacting with post-death or soul-consuming effects, but do not grant any extra strength. They can, however, be regrown over a number of years through similar methods used to expand inner worlds (discovery, self-reflection, meditating on the task). Each one at the time of their creation has a small amount of Lilia’s Love in them, which covers up the lack of inherent strength these souls give.

The initial gifting of these souls takes a number of hours that one needs to be on a plane besides the First World.

Spoiler: -1 Create Sub-Race (Mori-Onna -> Suka-Onna):

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‘Bloom spirit folk’ are born from the victims of the Cut-Off that had some Lilia’s Love inside of them. Their skin is green with the tone depending on the land they live on, with flowers that also change depending on the place the Suka-Onna chooses to live. Each one is born with an outer soul, thus are unable to access the Web.

1/10 Life (Rebirth)

Spoiler: -AC (Chymes Journal) - Music:

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What? People can have horns and tails in the Magi Realms. Oh, its her personality? Fair enough.

The Magi Realms takes on a large number of different musicians lost to the First World; Chymes has compiled many of their works and teachings into the Song and Note Encyclopedia. It has since then become standard in the Magi Realms for musicians to read the Song and Note; if only to espouse how much more they know compared to other musicians. This competitive spark goes beyond the book and many bloodless rivalries form between musicians that are spoken about in their own Realms or beyond. In times of great celebration great horns and harps enhanced with delusion are frequently used.

Spoiler: -1 Create Advance Concept (Split with Naseski) - Colonialism:

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The idea of sending forth colonies to the First World and Echo has been a natural step for a society that had so long been connected to both. The Magi Realms prefers to treat its colonies as almost proper extensions of themselves, each one an extension of their culture outside of Desire Heart that act as safe havens for the embraced that would travel abroad. There is little in the way of resource extraction due to the planar divides, but a great deal of effort to conform the colonies to their ways (in the Echo this could take the form of harshly rebuking Echo Servants that spew out too much nonsense, and near the Starlit Tower Colonies children are forced to receive an education at the Great Library).

3/10 Wealth (Opulence)

Spoiler: -AC (Flesh and Blood of Lilia) - The Starlit Bloom:

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With the passing grace of the Flesh and Blood of Lilia under a starlit night, the continent of Eresaly gains the ability to manifest massive flower trees- Starlit Towers. Sculpted with lifeshaping they are able to house a large number of embraced comfortably, with the noteworthy ability to shield their fragile essences from the sun's harsh rebuke into the Echo so long as they stay within sight of one. A number of naturally spawning ones appear overnight in the central part of the continent with a slight northwestern leaning to the cluster, though individual flowers can be found in each major region on the continent.

The number of Lilia's flowers on the continent increases, but this is a one time increase that simply naturally remains. Furthermore tuatha and chimeras become more frequently seen here, though not as much as on the estheric isle.

Spoiler: -1 Create Organization (Starlit Tower Colonies):

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Seeing that their homeland had become depopulated, the Onna among the Magi Realms have largely decided to return there. While they have lost many, with a great deal of their collective culture lost and technologies largely forgotten; they have new ways now to help replace the old. There is some collective unease between the embraced Onna and the living, with the younger members of society being more wary of the new mystical and alchemical methods the embraced had discovered or invented; with even some violence being enacted. Yet the Bloodsilks as an organization are too few in number to effectively stop the spread of otherworldly pacts, alchemic discovery, and arcane lore.

Their current colonies exist where the Starlit Towers exist, mainly in the center and northwestern portion of the continent; yet a few individual villages surrounding Starlit Towers elsewhere exist.

4/10 Wealth (Opulence)

Spoiler: -AC (Lilia’s Promise) Create Organization (Starlit Cult):

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Formed by the one called the Witch, this maiden cult is made up of numerous different embraced races that were too outwardly fanatic to be taken seriously in the Magi Realms. Yet on Eresaly where so much much is being rebuilt they find an opportunity to more readily practice their beliefs and spread them. Flower circles are planted, beauty is appreciated and tended to; and those who would destroy the colonies or fight against the concepts of undeath could meet an end that bring the bloodsilks to mind.[

Spoiler: -AC (Delusion Caldron) - False Parischnas:

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Twisted abominable versions of Parischnas born from throwing one into the Delusion Cauldron, these beings are just as mythically powerful as their true cousins and retain a great deal of their intelligence (less than a human's but you can talk to one); however, their extremely aggressive and conflict prone natures leads them to being unable to master difficult concepts or work together as a society. Their favored prey is that of transcended kami, having the ability to poison their worlds from outside with delusion till the transcended kami inside is too weak to fight back against a swarm. Their other food of choice is the webbing tying the Droplet Web together.

If a Parischnas kills a False Parischnas, they are infected with a a small amount of Lilia's Love. The dilemma this creates for the purity-driven creatures keeps them from coordinating enough to destroy their false cousins entirely.

3/27 AP

**Athedia** · 2023-12-16, 12:01 PM (ISO 8601)

Spoiler: Bookkeeping

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AP = 14, new AP = 16 (2 lost due to cap)

**Demidos** · 2023-12-17, 06:59 PM (ISO 8601)

In Search for the ^✮_✮Symphony of Stars_✮^✮
Contact with the arrogant city-state of Kish-Eru led to many unexpected changes, large and small. Factional divisions, always an issue among the fracticious cities of the Chain, became magnified, as the storms of politics blew as a steady wind from the First City. As it often happened when two cultures collided, rumors propagated like wildfire, speaking of strange customs and otherworldly treasures. Many of course were false or exaggerated, but often they contained a kernel of truth which could be extracted by those with the means and the patience. The Merchants, being middlemen between the cultures, were the best suited to this, and so many came to seek their council.

From Kish-Eru, one group came with a particular rumor to a particular merchant, a rumor which he had heard before among his own informers. They told him of a story, spoken by an Onna before they disappeared from the world, of a song falling from the sky like a meteor, and asked him for many maps and financing for an expedition.

It was still a hard concept to grasp, of course, for nobody seems to be able to explain how that song worked exactly, yet he had heard enough rumors of it from differing sources that that it existed, with enough overlap that it must contain some truth to it. And now, someone had a vague concept of where it was... And as the luck wanted it so, someone subordinate managed to point the troupe to him for funding...

"The Onna where isolationists, I am surprised any stories of theirs made it this far here to begin with." The man, on the older side but seemingly physical fit, hold a glass of steaming tea in his hand as he sat there on the missmatched chair in the tent, somehow looking down at the group despite them standing. Surrounding them inside the tent was a varied collection of items, weapons clearly taken from enemies of Kish-Eru, some with notches for the amount of kills they had, the remains of a cannonball with 'Nox' engraved on the side, apparently fired but never fully shattered, and various snick snacks of banners from seemingly every side of the conflict, all in weirdly good condition. "So who am I really financing here if you start this journey of yours to the other continent? What claims to fame do you have to make this investment worth it?"

The group of eight looks around, intrigued at the war spoils. Three give hard smiles at the weapons taken from the foes of Kish Eru, their stance betraying them as soldiers. A loud, boisterous looking man built like a barrel puffs out his chest self-importantly. "Well, we are Inksworn, natives of Kish-Eru, the greatest city this world has ever seen! I am the mighty Speaks like Thunder! My voice can shatter trees like kindling! And my friends. are.."

At this a quick glare from an older looking man quiets him, and the older man cuts in quickly. "We are an experienced mercenary team with decades of experience in exploration and weapons acquisition between the lot of us. We have heard tell of a far-off continent, Eresalay, with riches beyond compare. We seek maps and provisions to make the journey. In exchange, we offer second pick of any objects, items, or treasures found, up to a value of ten times your initial investment. In return, we seek only such maps as you may have of the continent as well as an introduction and passage on one of your many merchant vessels. We will take on the risk of exploring the new continent on our own shoulders, and will share any knowledge we learn along the way, which you can then resell to others as well. As we understand it, the Chain has some interests in the area and we are in possesion of knowledge which might interest them greatly should you sign a formal agreement with us."

Vanratos glances at 'Speaks like Thunder'. Hard to tell if they always where boasting like this or if it is just a symptom of the inksworns curse. Given, in either case they would probably act simelary predictable. Their friend seems a bit smarter, and to have a good enough grasp on the man to stop him from commiting something that may be foolish. "I take it your friend does not quite trust me, and I would say, it is understandable. Who trusts the Mercenaries farther then the coins fall, afterall?" He gave a short chuckle, before continuing. "But you have come to me prepared. A reasonable deal for most parts..." Of course, one made under false pretenses. He knows the northern continent well enough to know that the up-sale won't hold. Its riches mainly lay in the un-tapped-ness of the land. The mining, the knowledge, the lack of a living civilisation to lay claim against its plundering.

"But you also know that the merchant guild always stood more for the joy of the trade then the joy of the profit, as appreciated as it is. And as a collector myself, I am more interested in anything unique then some trinkets." The sip of the tea is painfully slow, as he gauges the groups reactions for the next part. They did not know yet that he had a vauge idea what they where actually after. "But such a land will have many undiscovered treasures to find. I would prefer some of the oldest pieces, and some of the most artful ones. Pieces that show the skill of their creators, regardless if they are outlived or not." Vague enough to possibly encompass anything, clear enough to proof a 'lesser' amount of things.

"If you are willing to the term, I will send a subordinate of mine with you. They will be approaching you in the north, at the ports of Kish-Eru where the traders exchange wares with their landbound counterparts. They will supply you with a ship and the maps we have of the region so far." They tap the side of the glass, feigning impatience.

"Fantastic. We keep the stuff worth money and you keep the art and the history. Its a deal!" Speaks like Thunder blurts out. His team looks horrified but seems reluctant to go against him directly, especially now that the bargain has been already struck. After discussing any residual logistics, the small team filters out of the tent. Speaks like Thunder already beginning to look abashed as his teammates shoot him unhappy looks. A small summary of the team is provided -- Three ex veteran soldiers, two seasoned explorers, two "acquisition experts" acting as appraisers and trap detectors, and Speaks like Thunder, the team leader. The older man is the leader of the three soldiers, a former captain that has since resigned his posting.

After the group left the tent, and assumingly started their travel to the port, Vanratos pulled a coin out of thin air, flipping it up as a Echo-Servants body formed around it. "Functionary, I am heading out to deal with business more interesting then this." He vaguely points over his back as if to describe the whole battlefield somewhere outside. "Move everything to my Vault so I can return it to the chain soon."

The 'Merchant Ship' they got their passing on was probably a bit more then they expected, as it seems to be more of a small warship then a freighter. while it seems to be lacking the cannons that the ships of the chain love to deploy this days, it still is armed decently with their Ballista and a surprising speed. Orienting itself on the position of star manters, the moon, and the hateful eye in the sky staring down at them at night, it skipped along over the short oceanic passing in a mere three nights, for they swirled a grand curve to approach the northern continent from the less-scavenged east.

"We will be landing soon, Expedition Team." The 'Pale One' told the Adventurers. They are a sub-kind of humans, apparently, and their monotone voice and constant state of being calm made them a hard to read people. This one in specific is apparently a member of the Assassins Guild, a group part of the larger Merchants Guild. Much more able to handle themself then one would expect from any old merchant, they all started out as merchants anyways. "The latest maps have been translated from the Onna records, but the area we land in has yet to be stepped foot on by our People." The androgyn Assassin was apparently trusted to apprise on Vanratos behalf as well, and was slated to accompany the 8 man team.

The few nights on Eresalay were...terrifying. The Expedition Team was now nine members, many of whom were trained in combat. On the first night, one of the explorers was found buried to her shoulders in quicksand, screaming for help. She'd followed what sounded like another expedition member's cries for help and stepped on quicksand hidden by fallen branches. On the second night, one of the thieves was dead. They had made the mistake of thinking themselves safe in an abandoned Onna village, and had snuck out past their own expedition guard to begin to loot the town on their own -- their body was found with a broken neck in the village well the next morning. Strange lights, noises, and primitive traps haunted the steps of the Team, even when they doubled back the way they came, new traps springing forth where none were before. Something was hunting them.

"Six. Seven." The 'Assassin' counted of the remaining. Of course, it could not take the captain. A shame, that could be more of a issue later then the shouting guy. "There should be a city closeby. If one can call it that. Expect it to be littered with trees and clay pathing just as the towns." The Onna where a weird folk afterall. Their housing from Concrete and Glass, often you can even find fruit grown inside their Greenhouse domes of roofs. Well, the ones that have not been broken by now. Yet they also claimed to be in balance with nature and their Kami. Water does not get redirected, and instead the paths where layed alongside and naturally winding. Trees offering protection to animals where present all over the place. The architecture was robust but also utterly uncreative in its application. 'Purely Functional'. The Pale ones might would actually appreciate its directness. "Their Bloodsilk order had a outpost there, so it should be easily useable as a safe hideout for the moment. Possibly even still has their Obsidian weapons."

As they continue, The last thief was shivering in distress, her eyes wildly flicking all over. As they walked, they all had one question—
“Where are the survivors or their corpses? From what you told us, there should have been at least a few stragglers after all the others up and left-” Asked one of the soldiers, nervously. “Our source was fairly unreliable, just a lost civilian. We don’t know details. We’ll have to stay alert” responds the captain tersely.

The 'Assassin' threw in another few words. "Could have been animals ate the remains. Could be who-or-whatever layed out the traps. Not the Onna. Even if one miracilously survived they would have been more sophisticated." The concrete building they head to is one of the bigger ones in the city, and walled of again on its own. The halls inside ring just as empty, possibly even more so as the Bloodsilk as the backbone of Onna society was very thorough when they left, only leaving behind what they could not move or did not want to take. It not only served as the bade for defensive opperation and to reign in any supernatural beasts, but also as a prison for the few criminals they had within their society. "It should keep us save for the night. Speaks like Thunder, will you take the first guard? If anything happens, you should be able to wake us the quickest."

Speaks like Thunder agrees, and the group sets up a defensive camp within the overgrown prison, with Speaks like Thunder and the second thief standing first guard. The group, surprisingly, sleeps well. On waking the next morning, the guards on duty report some sound of screams in the distance, but they disregarded it due to previous tricks and hallucinations from whatever has been following them. As such, the group is surprised to find that upon exiting the building, there is a crude palisade constructed in front of the prison, and surrounding them are goblins. Hundreds of goblins.

How... How did they do that? How did the guards not notice all this literally outside the building? It was not there yet at the second guard. The 'Assassin' stood the second guard themself! "How confident are you about your ability to take -" The 'Pale One' give it a rough count, and then halves the number. "Around 200, maybe 300? Assuming we use the concrete and you focus on the gate, as I thin them out before they reach that chokepoint?" The gates, once opened, are probably the only way the goblins have to enter the building. Give or take some clever ones that attempt to climb up.

Speaks like Thunder stands up tall and proud "I can take them! But....perhaps in smaller groups. If they stand close together." He pokes his head around the corner with a wary eye and returns it yelping when a crudely constructed arrow pings off the concrete by his head. "Yes. Erm. Perhaps you can soften them up a little, get them distracted?" he asks hopefully, looking at the Assassin.

The older man rolls his eyes. "Despite Speaks like Thunder being Speaks like Thunder, that's not a bad idea. If we can distract them can you sneak out the back and cause enough chaos to take the attention off us? If so Speaks like Thunder should be able to blast a hole in their barricade and they'll probably break and scatter after that. I've faced a few bands of goblins in my day, most will flee after only moderate casualties."

And as the Adventurers hold their valiant defence, the 'Assassin' jumps the wall, up toward and moments after also the palisade, a slight glow from Arcane Magics in their trail. Goblins with spears attempt to stab upwards to where they think he lands, but as he comes down a breath of fire is let lose below him. Vanratos, still in guise, is gonna enjoy that little stretch of the momentarily metaphorical wings. Blowing fire around himself, and straying in a number of throwing knifes that arcanly get pulled to the sides and around every so often, a boiling bloodbath was soon left to where he landed.

Armed with some primitive bows, and stolen glass arrows, the goblins started to shoot at Vanratos from a distance, but even the ones that are not deflected with a swing of arcane enchanced weaponry seem to meerly shatter against his cloak. There is more then just alchemy to this cloths, for they are just part of the disguise as well, not ripping appart as they should for neither would the real skin they elaboratly hide from reality. In responce to the attempts to shoot him, he returns fire on his own by pulling a pistol out from under the guise. Simplistic by most means, and rather old for a pistol. Certainly one of the first made. The shot goes towards the biggest crowd on this side of the wall, trailing a strip of ice behind it the barfoot goblins that take the sapce of their fallen bretheren get stuck on, painfully slowing them down as they rip apart their own feet attempting to advance towards either the gate, or the being that has come over the walls.

The distraction by the Assassin leaves the group in shock -- after all, it is less of a distraction than a full on frontal bloodbath. They react quickly however, with the captain snapping out orders and Speaks like Thunder taking a deep breath. Aiming far from the Assassin at the largest pocket of goblins, a powerful exhalation comes from his mouth. The area in front of him blurs, and a bone deep thrumming blasts through everything. Like the most powerful vibration felt through the soul when an instrument is played, everything hums for one perfect moment, and then cracks spread out from concrete, trees, and even the bones of the goblins as they shake themselves to pieces. A gaping fifteen foot wide hole is in the palisade, and through it rushes the captain and his followers, carrying swords and large shields to ward off the arrows.

"Remind me never to pick a fight with an Assassin.....OR an Inksworn Pale One", one of the explorers mutters to the other after remembering to close his jaw. The two explorers stand in the back with the less combat focused expedition members, short bows drawn, trying to pick off some of the stragglers and pull some of the fire off of their frontline combatants. All is running smoothly until three goblins, hidden in a storeroom on the side of the road, stand up, bows strung and arrows pointed straight down at the captain's unprotected head. One of the explorers calls a warning, but the goblins are at the wrong angle for the explorers to provide covering fire, and the captain reacts too late, shield coming up but not fast enough to block the arrow already winging towards him.

The 'Pale One' quite literally leaps trough a bunch of goblins, a short blade drawn as some goblin stranglers have not even the time to hit the floor before the arrow is reached, and shattered into a million useless, missdirected pieces by the swipe... As a consequence of the sheer speed of the leap, however, a crashing sound comes from slightly infront of the group, as they hit into the concrete of another building, glass from a covering greenhouse slowly raining down on the assassin, as some of the material crumbles itself revealing the natural colour of the concrete as its no longer sun-bleached. They hit of the dust from their cloak as they stand up, glancing for maybe a second to long over the heads of the goblins still between themself and the group, before locking eyes with the captain.

Just a mere moment, after, they suddenly seem to slump together a bit, and pull out a vial of red liquid. A healing potion, probably a rather pure one. Great to heal tissue damage, not so great to heal broken bones if you want them back in the correct position. He is however to far away to clearly judge if he should have broken bones and how extensive the wounds under the cloak should have been... If there was any to begin with. It looked painful enough for sure.

If the assassin was paying attention, he would've maybe seen the remaining thief, a brown haired slip of a girl, relax back from where she was tensed looking ready to act out of the corner of his eye, despite her looking terrified out of her mind and far from close enough to interfere. With the extraodinary talents of the Assassin intermixed with more destruction from Speaks like Thunder and the small group of soldiers, the goblins begin to flee, first one at a time and then in droves. Speaks like Thunder watches them retreat, and then turns to the Assassin.
"That was amazing! How did you do that? Is that an assassin thing or a Pale Ones thing?"

The 'Pale One' seemingly takes some hard breathers themself. "An Arcane Thing." They draw out the time between words as they slowly return their posture, slipping out another potion vial and down it in one go. "And a Merchant thing. For the price of some souls, a Stat-Gem can truly do wonders." With a slightly uneasy laugth they look past the group to find out how many goblins stayed in eye-shot to inform the rest of their were-abouts if they inevitably return. "Given, Assassins have usually used more of them then most other Merchants. At least for the physical."

The concept of the statgems is novel, but the expedition members seem to grasp it with the straightforward explanation. Only the captain seems slightly skeptical, not at the explanation but at the manner in which it is delivered. After a sound chastising to the sentries and a reminder that extreme caution is required, the group goes to continue when suddenly Speaks like Thunder calls for a halt. As the others turn towards him, questioning, tears suddenly spring into his eyes and he gasps, an incongruous expression of longing and wonder on his massive features.

"I hear it! It is answering me!"

Heedless of the others, he turns to run through the foliage, letting out small puffs of his power to demolish the obstacles before him. The 'Assassin' had no issues keeping up with Speaks Like Thunder, naturally, but it took a bit longer for them to hear the symphony. Someone who looks more at them then at their supposed leader could see the slight smile on their face before the other members soon after also heard that sweet melody of ruination calling out.

After almost half an hour of running, the party arrives, panting at a massive depression in the ground, perhaps a sinkhole or the remains of a powerful impact. At the bottom, liquid music. Flowing notes like the most beautiful arias, proud military marches, and the grim notes of dirges intermingle freely. It is not a liquid, and yet it is, an impossibility of creation that defies any explanation. Everyone in the expedition now hears the music, calling to them. It wants to be free, and it wants to be held, and it wants to be used. But it can only be held by one.

Around the music lie dozens, no hundreds of corpses. Animals, insects, goblins, and even a lone Onna pile high, their rotting corpses ripe with the stench of death. Their eyes are glazed and tear tracks streak down their faces. On each are vicious wounds inflicted by claws and beaks, some from the dead beasts around and some obviously self inflicted. One beast in particular lies face down in the liquid music, and its wounds are the worst, self inflicted claw marks ripping across its own throat and its blood freely intermingling with the music.

Yes. There was no doubt what this is, and there was no doubt what this surroundings mean. The creature below has won its last fight, and it will lose its next. And while Vanratos always considered himslef above the manipulations that must have lead the surrounding creatures to their doom... He won't be sure about this for at least some of the party members. Their figurehead of a leader does not seem like a paragon of Willpower, even if the intends are well. The Captain, they probably already figured out what will happen next as well. Possibly can be reasoned with. "Adventuring Party." He holds the inkborn by the shoulder for a moment, just enough to distract him momentarily from his trance and jumping head first into the symphony. "It has been fun working with you, but this-" The 'Assassin' points into the pit. "Falls under historic and artistic, I am afraid for you." He waits for the groups reaction, as he put the obvious in the room.
It is really just a moment away from saying; 'This, the Symphonie, is what Vanratos wants, and I will make sure Vanratos gets.' less a Threat then a Warning to not attempt what the 'Assassin' already knows they likely planed to do all along.

"Respectfully, how does a liquid that makes beasts and creatures go insane qualify as historic?" The captain asks, panting slightly as he catches his breath. His eyes are wide, and his pupils dilated. He seems to be having trouble focusing entirely on the Assassin, his eyes repeatedly sliding back towards the liquid. The expedition fans out behind him, separating into the explorers group standing aside and the others standing behind the captain. Speaks like Thunder appears to be halfway in a trance, and is barely listening.

Oh how nice of the captain, he does not question the artistry in it at least. "It is not like I have not heard the rumors. Probably not quite the same as you did, but enough to puzzle the picture together." The 'pale one', not holding on to the monotone, awnsers. "A world changing liquid that by all means, is not supposed to exist. No mortal could create it, not to the potence of the power it holds. The rumors I got point it to be of a source much higher then any of us can aspire to reach. The song- no- The Symphony of Stars. I need to admit, I expected it to resemble the mantas more, but I guess that comes with the flowing form. The one find of this expedition not meant for you."

"My idiotic companion's negotiation skills aside, the deal was monetary worth went to us. The object is, as you say, worth more than anything else". The Assassin notice the captain's words are beginning to slur ever so slightly. One of the explorers begins to edge towards the impact crater, his feet moving almost involuntarily.

A commanding glare comes from the Vanratos, the disguise still up yet the act mostly dropped, staring down the stumbling explorer. "Art can not be measured in Money. It is worth however much it is worth to whomever pays for it. I am willing to pay a lot for it to you, despite already owning it by contract. I am not calling myself the Merchant Emperor for nothing. The question now is, are you willing to back away, or will you pay a price for interfering with me." It feels like the air around Vanratos is boiling, as a creature meant to be unrestrained rage and hatred keeps restraining it for many decades on end.

The captain straightens slightly at the mention of money and turns to look at his followers. At the motion the explorer, already primed, begins a sprint into the crater, followed closely behind by his allies. The second explorer and the soldier, slightly more self-possessed, throw back their coats to reveal strings of multi-colored glass orbs strung in belts across their chests, which they throws towards the arguing not-Assassin and Captain.

"Eat Alchemy!" shouts the defecting soldier.

An armored red screen extends between the duo of the Captain and Vanratos, and the alchemical dup. "Shouting your attacks only works when you are Inksworn, from my experience." The glass, most of it, shatters on the wing in a mixture of smoke-plumes, freezing ice, burning fire, poison clouds and so many more effects, which in their totality at least seem to hurt the creature that is Vanratos, if not enough to stop him as he reveals a second wing. "Excuse me, I need to deal with insubordination." He gave a short, way to enthusiastic smile to the prospective future associate as he took a step back, beating the large draconic wings and keeping himself suspended above the liquid. What seems like the obviously not 'pale one' simply breaths out in the runners direction turns to a swall of fire not less then what the goblins faced before.

As the piles smokes away, their ashes get carried by the boiling wind, the glare returns to the rest of the group. "I am surprised by the way, I expected Thunder to be the one here who attempts something. But he holds up better to the thrall of the symphony then they did."

"Stand down. STAND DOWN." The captain shouts to his men, who drop their weapons at the display of power, terrified. Even Speaks like Thunder is shocked back to awareness, but suddenly, the liquid....disappears. Along with the thief. The group collectively feels a lurch of loss welling up in their hearts as the song reluctantly leaves their ears, tickling as it leaves. All look shocked as the captain curses. "She's an Inksworn. Fear becomes Time! She can move instantly but her range is limited. She must be near!"

Speaks like Thunder spins, outraged. "I can still sense it! She went that way!"

The rest of the 'Pale One Assassin' seems to peel away and fade into nothing as Vanratos, Once Surge of the Western Hand, a dragon possibly old enough to remember their creator himself if he had not been to absorbed with rage in the past, shot of towards the direction Speaks like Thunder mentioned. A rage he is clearly tapping into as fire consumes a large strip below him in his haste, away from the pit. Toward his price.

A price that, carried by the very immediate fear of what happens next, still moves at a speed that would be hard for even most dragons to keep up with. The Hairs in her neck start sizzling as the chill running down her spin turns into a unbearable heat. And then, she was no longer running. It was dark, it was wet. It was painfull, as the moment starts stretching for her. Bitten appart, not quite death yet because of her power, still able to think as the final fear, the fear of death, drags the final second of her life into what seems like infinity.

A dozen minutes later, Vanratos, wearing the guise of the man he used back when the contract was originally formed, walked leasurely in the direction he came from, smiling as Voice like Thunder, the Captain and his men catch their breath having hurried after the thief as well. "Now, speaking of your reward. I think its best to decide on the details as we head back to the landing. I am thinking Manors, Servants and Riches, as well as some jobs if you are interested..."

Spoiler: AP Spending

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None at all! This is all Fluff!

...except with the new artifact Sagmi will refocus the Song of Heroes from a bless/curse artifact to create advanced concept, so -3 AP! 13 AP--> 10 AP.

**DasIrrlicht** · 2023-12-19, 07:43 PM (ISO 8601)

Naseki, Echos, Reflections, Imitations, Counterfeits

Inferior, possibly Dangerous; But Sufficent.
People die all the time, for all the reasons. Someone from the first world dies and their Soul gets pulled into the Plane of Echos, where what remains of the person deals with the circumstance. Some fall to despair, some sing the new song that replaces the melody of the deep that has before plagued all their life. Others deny their new reality, pretending till their truly last moment that they are still 'alive'. There is ones that seek out others for their final goodbyes, enemies that keep fighting a pointless battle that neither side can strike a final blow in, some that tell their stories to be remembered and hand down their knowledge to whomever they can find, and ones that try to help other arrivals find peace as a way to make peace for themself.

Someone born in Desires Heart got stabbed to death, a freak incident of very high emotions let out on the poor person. And they woke up again on the Plane of Echos. There was some confusion, being they had learned well from the Librarians and Tunthula they tried to deal with in their lifetime that they are Soulless. Its not the worst thing to be Soulless, of course, but the fact that their soul is sitting here and thinking about this is telling that something changed.

Echo-Servants had swarmed them soon after, trying to hear them out and figure out what happened, but just as much talking above each other making it hard for the person to get a word in... Yet soon, it happened again. Other Person, other plane, other cause of death. Same result, just like they came from the first world. Even in the far away echos of the void, the souls of dragons that never had souls in their eternal struggle and vicious cycle of murder in domum inferni dracones, manifested and kept attempting to murder each other... Despite their vastly lesser forms and weakness. Even the Echo-Servants themself, should they face their own death, will find it to no longer be the end.

Spider, Black, 4E to 6D
The Lady was in Danger. But the City left hanging.
Lady, White, C4 to G8, Taking City.
Pawn, Black, 5C to 4E, Taking Pawn.
Lady, White, G8 to 6E, Noble endangered. 'Zugzwang'.

Terrible situation, nothing can come help the piece. The game has been going to long already and White held all the advantages...

Noble, Black, 6G to 5G
Pawn, White, H2 to H3
Spider, Black, 6D to 5B
Lady, White, 6E to 5E, Noble endangered, 'Zugzwang'

Again, the reflection is holding the original at the metaphorical gunpoint.

Noble, Black, 5G to 4H
Lady, White, 5E to 5B, Taking Spider.
Noble, Black, 4H to 3G, slipping away between the Pawns
Lady, White, 5B to 5E, Noble endangered, 'Zugzwang'

Its over. There is not really anything they can still do to win. They are only prolonging the inevitable.

Noble, Black, 3G to 2G, Attempting to endanger City
Lady, White, 5E to 2H, Noble cornered. Victory for White.

They sigh. Beaten in the game by their own reflection. Next time they won't let it go first.

Remains of Nothing, fitting Everywhere
Followed by a few dozen Echo-Servants, someone studies the movements of someone on the first world. They are odd. They remember to be a person that does not exist anymore. Even the very Soul had been sniffed out of existence by the wrath of a isolated god. But someone seemed to have taken pity on them. Multiple someones even. First, a number of the cut of seem to have become something else entirely, a people of sorrows. Then, days later, the ones that died started to rise again. Their skin turned green tones, and flowers starting to bloom in their hair and roots seemingly a part of their very skin.

The handywork is easily recogniseable for Naseki, afterall, part of them was involved in something simelar. They wonder how they pulled it of. Maybe the memories of this Onna had been left in the Abyss when their minds got destroyed, and Lilia has puzzled then together? Maybe She roped back in the memories of others about them, and puzzled together an aproximation of who this onna where before? Maybe their beings are literally pulled back from beyond some veil not even the divine fully comprehends? Of course, figuring out the how was secondary, as they noticed something else: The handiwork was... a bit lacking? Maybe it was because Lilia rushed, or it was just a simple act of forgetfulness. But the Suka-Onna lacked something that defined the Onna before.

They could see the poor people struggle. One in particular had fallen into their eye, as she struggled to swim, having to come up for water every few moments. Alien to how she used to do it, staying below the surface for hours at a time... The Suka-Onna lacked the Adaptations of their predecessors, and their previous lives. Asking for a book of the Echo-Servants, naseki sat down with them to plan out a small gift. The Suka-Onna already changed their Apperance slightly dependent on where they live, but studying the flowers of the area, the solution to the problem was as simple as it was elegant. As long as there is a Flower Native to the area, the Suka-onna should adapt with its bloom. Their chosen homes reflecting back upon them and grant them the adaptations suitable for their choice.

Echos of Power. Metaphorical speaking.
The lanterns suspended over the tribes village lit some ugly banners more so then the road below. The cloud of smoke covering most of the continent has also affected this people, a peaceful folk mostly hiding and occasionally fighting of the canibals, wall-bambo having been high and their injured treated with the local herbs. But today, 'The Warden' came, together with their men. Some of them not even human. The spiel was grant: "Stability, Control, Protection--" A speech about how they have come to free the land, yet they talk of themself as 'The People of the Chain'. And in a way, they chained the Village. No longer free to do what they can, but under the rules of some 'city' far away, not even on this continent. Sure, its not slavery, or being eaten, like some of the other tribes did. But calling it freedom feels cynical at best.

They changed the houses, no longer living in bamboo, but instead in cut and flown buildings. They punished the ones praying to the sun for forgiveness, to take the night away, as they claimed the starless night to be a good thing for the continent. They started digging up the dead, inspecting their bodies to make sure we where not canibals, before reburying the ones that where rotted to far for them... Who knows where or why they took the ones in 'good condition'. Their food and drink is strange, and the old are worried as the young fall towards a 'Al Gul'. What seems certain is, after many years... Nothing that made this tribe what it was will be anymore, replaced instead by the vision of a city that does not know their name. Even their genuine Loci will one day listen to a name mangled and reshaped to fit the new people it represents.

A venture in highly experimental Alchemy
The shadows of the Western Hand on the Triangular Chain. Of course, its a bit missnamed, as the shadow only passes the area for a short time each day. Its a mostly peaceful region, far away from the war on Yalasere, or the plundering of Eresalay. To far northern to have made contact with the small group of the Lolats yet, and facing a ocean so vast, yet basically unexplored, for even the seafolk has hold the area for mostly uninteresting so far. This place is of course not totally without its issues. The tropical climate ecourages Flame Tigers to form, which have to be hunt down before they get out of control. The farmsteads in the valleys are in a constant fight with the goblin population attracted by their practices. A swarm of domesticated jumping spiders had gotten away and started to breed with the wild relatives of theirs causing a sudden spike in pack-like behavior. And of course, sinkholes have swallowed whole buildings in the outer towns. Finally, many years ago a dragon even had claimed this as its hunting ground, but that is long past as far as the locals knew...

And there lays a City somewhere in the center of the region. The city was old, older then most on this side of the chain, but it was also considered weak compared to its neighbors. Its position allowed it to grow early, but it now is hampered by a lack of space suitable for itself. A lack of space leads to a lower population. Lower population means less guards, which in turn means that it can not protect nearly as many routes as its neighbors. But its age made it respected. It was here a influential merchant had chosen their home, Vanratos was his name. He fashioned himself a collector, a museum taking up large stretches of his estate, and many would consider him the leader, or possibly 'owner' of the city. The 'Emperor Merchant', a title given in mockery embraced.

He had collected a group of highly skilled alchemists to run a experiment with materials left from the 'Nox' opperation. A liquid not unlike the one he recently aquired (Yet still has to master. Music was not his natural strong suit as he found out.). The Liquid he had gotten for the Alchemist however was something different altogether. It was really a lot like water, but not wet. Not Dry. Not even Present at times. No smell, nothing dissolves in it either. In a way it reminded him of the faceless functionaries, but this was more potent, more alien... And it exhibited a unique property he truly wanted to harvest: It changed form every so often. It turned into pelts, it turned into flesh and bones, it turned into grass and it turned into glass, just to revert back shortly after.

The Alchemists worked day and night for weeks on end, but failed repeatedly as the substance refused to react with their creations. That is, until in an act of desperation, they returned to the oldest principles of alchemy, the earliest recorded element of power: Blood. Yet it was not the 'blood' of humans that reacted with the material...

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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4 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART
0 AP - Curse/Blessing [MUA Charge]

Native Blooms
The Suka-Onna, as a whole, find their bodies to adapt within mere weeks to whatever enviorment they choose to stay in, as long as there is flowers native to it. As the blooms change and skin colour takes more tinted shades of green, they gain a varaiety of mostly small abilities or characteristics. The ones living in coastal regions or even a amphibian lifestyle tend to grow flowers of reed or lotus, and develop larger lung capacities to be able to stay submerged for sometimes days on end. Ones living in desert-like climates can gain aspects of cactus or aloe vera, able to sustain themself of short bursts of energy for long times, while ones in thick and high forests will find themself able to bend better and hold onto most normally unclimbable textures like a vine of a sort, and the ones in the colder climates are able to endure the temperatures with little to no issues. Of course, there is stranger areas with more specialised and stranger flowers, and in turn more varied and extreme abilities.

0 AP - Advanced Concept (Shared with Lilia) [GUA Charge]

Colonialism
Chain Colonies are mostly hold by the individual cities within the Chain, and having more is seen as something Nobles may brag about. They are 'Civilisation' brought to savages, often dominated by a mostly native population and few very infulencial settlers. Resources tend to get exploited as the taxation is usually higher then on the chain itself to cover the transport of goods. Culture is being disected and rearranged into a form they would prefer it to be like. However, saftey is provided. Law tends to be strictly enforced in colonies, and corruption is surprisingly low as its not uncommon for groups of Her Ladies Mercy to be involved. The standard of living is generally raised, and there is some freedoms on work and pay. Traveling Merchants stop Colonies prices from escalating to much because of single peoples greed, and it is not uncommon for people born in the colonies to travel to the chain and make a life for themself there... Of course, if this benefits outweigh the 'sledgehammer & branding iron approach' of the chain to 'civilise' the tribes is highly debatable.

2 AP - Create Sub-Life (Of Gelatons) (Up towards Legendary) [Ooze (Gelatons) 12/10 ;P]

Shifter(Shifters)
Alchemist of the Chain worked tirelessly with a sample provided to them by Vanratos, a fluid of unknown origin used for the ammunition of the Starless Night. This unnatural alchemic ingredient produced by Naseki directly resonates well with Gelatons, which after sampling a strongly diluted version of it showed more control of their bodies form. Repeated exposure, extensive training, and a significant number of test subjects dropping out because of the mental strain the experiments taking the toll on them, the Alchemists created the first 'Shifter'.

Shifters are able to form their ooze bodies in unnatural and precise ways. A Shifter can easily disguise themself as a member of most other species up to double their natural size, or compress themself to a fragment of it to impersonate smaller creatures. Their 'skin' can simulate most textures and colours, allowing them to easily pass as Humans, small pelt-y animals, common slimes, the skeletal Beloved, and with sufficent training, even specific persons. Success when disguising as inanimate objects tends to be more mixed however, as holding perfectly still for extended periods of times in not in their nature. Their voice can mimic plenty of different sounds, be it the way a specific race sounds or the sound of far away sword-to-sword combat, or even the sound of multiple people talking over each other.

However, Shifters seem to suffer from Split Personalities. Repeated use of the same disguises will lead to the disguises forming their own minds within the Shifter, and while the original is always in a overarching, controlling position, it is very much possible to be friends with only one part of a Shifter while enemies with another, and the different personalities only seem to share as much information as the original allows them.

While the intend of Vanratos was to control the only Shifter, and he can truly claim to employ the first one as his top spy, it was not possible to contain the population. Tests believed failed developed their abilities late, and is proven to be able to reproduce, if rarely. Shifters lacking training, be it personal or regimed one, will use their abilities instinctual in a more uncontrolled manner. Ones that did learn how to utilise them in turn enjoy using their abilities in mostly underhanded job prospects. Thieves, Assassins, Spies, and the most vile: Traveling Actors.

________
6 AP Left
1 MUA Charge
1/2 Curse from a different divine source, its complicated.

Progress:
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

**Athedia** · 2023-12-23, 11:31 AM (ISO 8601)

Glikmora had been watching her small creations mingle with the humans, taking joy in their collaboration. But part of her missed the swamps and warm dampness of her first land. That longing wove itself together in her dreams, creating a large home, a hollow tree with its center rotted out but still standing. It's great boughs reached up into the sky reaching out to touch the places her longing had lingered. At each place grew a tree, whose bark in small quantities would heal the soul of wounds and in large would build an armor against future pain. Inside these trees, if one fell asleep they would wake in the Grand Tree, in a place where time was slow. To leave one needed to merely climb the tree and find a place where it touched the space between.

Glikmora started to find peace.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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16 AP

Weave Plane (3 AP) The Great Tree: A giant hollow tree with its center rotted out in a swampy land. The land extends as far as the boughs of the tree reach. The branches of the tree lead to different exit points and time moves slower in this plane. Glikmora created it as a reminder of her first land. [Emotion (Sorrow) 8/10]

Create Portal (2 AP) Traveler Trees (The Chain): A large tree has grown on the bluffs outside the fishing village the Lolats landed at. It is hollow inside but appears to be healthy. It is connected to the Great Tree which can be accessed by sleeping inside the hollow tree. To leave through this portal one must scale the Great Tree and walk along the respective limb until you reach the place where it connects to the First World. Cutting the connection will cause the portal outside to appear dead. [Not claiming this as progress]

Blessing (1 AP) Traveler Tree Bark: The bark from this tree can be brewed into a tea that gives calming effects. This can help treat uncontrollable emotions. However to large a dosage will block off the ability to feel emotions until the bark has worn off. [Medicine (Toxins) 3/10]

16 AP - 6 AP = 10 AP

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 3/10
Truth (Deals) 9/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 8/10
Emotion (Sorrow) 8/10

**DasIrrlicht** · 2023-12-23, 11:56 AM (ISO 8601)

Naseki, Traveling Entertainment
Fireworks in the night sky! Signs all around the roads!
The traveling circus is near the city, and the Ringmasters brought some of their most well known acts: Acrobats on the spiders web, self-declared marksmen hitting target after target out of the sky, alchemistic displays of skill in vast pyrocinetic expanses, a man firing themself from a cannon, a Witch out to show the wonderful world of flowers, petable beasts and a giant in a display fight with a 'adventurer'. Witness spectecular Arcane Magics and the dancing dead! Trapped cages of Goblins and a Flame Tiger behind glass, as well as a Actor able to play every part of a piece at once as they switch costumes with speeds unseen before. That and more, you can see and touch at the carnival, as some acts are skin close...

Please do not imitate any of the acts, the Showmen are professionals, and they will leave and return as does the grand storm.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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6 AP LEFT
0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Showmen
Entertainment is nothing new, and even traveling troupes have been around for a while. Doing it professionally and becoming well known is something else. Everyone heard a song of a bard in a tavern, but only rarely you get to hear a whole orchestra as the Circus approaches. Every artist can claim themself to be a skilled individual of entertainment, and the art of the lie. A Lie the audience is naturally aware of, but keeping the facade up is what allows the fun to begin with.

Traveling Troupes tend to have a mixed name however, cause where they are is a festival, and where a festival is petty crime naturally follows. Some claim its this nomadic groups of entertainment that commit the crime, but often it is just locals exploiting the situation. Showmen and traveling troupes do sometimes cross continents as well, a new audience being easier to wow with the same tricks afterall...

________
6 AP Left
1/2 Curse from a different divine source, its complicated.

Progress:
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

**Demidos** · 2024-01-11, 04:47 PM (ISO 8601)

No one ever accused Sagmi of being a goddess who was not active. With the rapid uptick of the war and in anticipation of the final showdown, there was still some time before the climax of the war arrived. More upheaval was required, and so Sagmi sang to the ocean and dragged up islands from the sea floor, not a few, but hundreds. A thousand and one islands, some large and some a mere spit of land. On each she conjured one of her favorite stories, the Singing Rapier, the Traveling Minister, and many others. Husks were generated as characters, and the islands’ natural features warped and shaped into mansions, bazaars, and foodstuffs to fill out the edges of each story. Every tale looped, the same story playing out as eternal homages to the most beautiful, dashing, and heartbreaking epics ever devised. Anyone too close for too long would start to get sucked into the storyline, growing fangs or ball gowns as the story dictated, but quickly losing their sense of self.

Small seafaring communities began to crop up around the most bountiful islands, places of lavish banquets and of rich trading centers. The seafarers found that by quick and clever raids, they could leave random debris in certain places and allow the power of the islands to turn it into food, water, and weapons to be retrieved at future dates. The food is edible, and the islands’ magics maintain the objects for a month before undoing themselves. Naming themselves after the Storied Isles they most frequented, they frequently clashed over the best Isles, armed with eclectic mixes of wondrous weapons and cobbled together pitchforks and maces. Some groups, not content with the temporary nature of their artifacts, turned to piracy to gain more powerful weapons and tools, launching raids on ships and vessels traveling past their Isles.

The stories were set, but the smallest of loopholes were left, such that an individual with enough willpower were to enter them, and to live out or change the story for the better, they would be able to not only keep an item from the story for themselves, but would attract the attention of a goddess.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Alter Land -- Storied Isles: 1001 Islands that Sagmi pulled up from the seafloor, they have a powerful reality warping effect that slowly turns anyone who gets trapped on them into a soulless Husk, and any object on them into something fitting the story. The Isles have the power to create artifacts, food, water, and any arbitrary object that best fits, but if removed from the Isle these properties slowly decay over a period of a month. Good thing Naury isn't around to ponder the implications that these things decay at the same rate as souls. There’s probably no relationship. Probably. Arts(Music) 10/10

Create Monsters[1]: Husk: Soulless creatures that play the parts of various characters in the stories of the Storied Isles. Though they appear as knights, princesses, monsters, and demons on the Isles, when removed from the islands they slowly decay into an amalgamation of plant, inorganic, and rotten animal matter. They are made by the power of the Isles into living beings. Piracy(Discovery) 3/10

Create Advanced Concept: Seasteading -- Some intrepid souls have discovered secrets that allow them to live their entire lives at sea. These brave adventurers create floating homes, towns, or even cities on the water from lashed together wood, kelp, and salvage. Creating a community at sea is difficult though, and so many have turned to the Storied Isles to obtain their supplies, trading their trash for short-lived wonders from the islands. Piracy(Discovery) 5/10

GUA: Create Advanced Concept [1]: Piracy. Yes, its an advanced concept. Piracy(Discovery) 6/10

Form Racial Society (The Drevish): The Drevish is the collective name for those who live on the sea, often near the Storied Isles. They often name their clans after the Storied Isles they most frequent, and have a strong tendency towards personal freedom, independence, and an aversion to authority (Chaotic Neutral, for those who are DND minded). They tend to accept those who have no other place to turn and accept any race willing to spend their life on the sea. This often leads them to turn to piracy to support themselves, as it can be difficult to source enough materials on the sea to support any moderate sized community. Piracy(Discovery) 8/10

Create Avatar: Blessing of the Storied Isles: Any creature desperate enough to survive an entire story arc on one of the Storied Isles with their psyche intact is worthy of Sagmi’s attention. Anyone who achieves this feat, if they so desire, becomes an Avatar of Sagmi. Sagmi will briefly intrude upon their body and mind, effectively creating an amalgamation of goddess and mortal that seeks to fulfill the desires of both. Upon achieving the wishes of both parties, Sagmi will withdraw from them. In effect, this means that you can briefly attain the powers of a demigod to achieve your goals if you have perfect willpower and you’re willing to also achieve Sagmi’s goals along the way. Arts(Storytelling) 10/10

Achieved another two domains by points but not taking them yet to remain a Demigod. Spent 10 AP so should be down to 15. Sigh I still need to spend more huh….

**MutantDragon** · 2024-01-13, 02:32 AM (ISO 8601)

Conflict and Strength

Slintoch sat in his lair and thought. And as he sat, he thought about many things. And as he thought, he thought about strength. And as he thought about strength, he gazed through the Great Eye and onto the world below. His gaze swept across shadows, and whales, and oceans, and paradises, and hellscapes, and more places yet with stories still untold. And as he looked, he found strength to be an unusual thing. There were some who achieved power. Not power to rival Slintoch's, nor that of his siblings, but such a lack was to be expected. But still, there were a precious few who could seize dominion through their strength: strength of body, of mind, of will, of emotion, and of many more things. Yet, still, strength was a rare thing upon this world. The mortals needed to grow. They needed to become stronger. They needed to become more fun. So Slintoch made it so.

---

Vlint and his fellows had not been idle since discovering the eye's naked truth. They trained for the day they would fight to carve a new order upon the backs of the sky whales. They trained to punch, to kick, to throw, and to grapple. When they could, they trained to use weapons, though they were few and far between on the backs of the titanic sky-beasts. New weapons would be needed. And Vlint found his answer from the eye. As he trained alone one night, he felt its gaze upon him. He felt it penetrate into his very core. Into his soul. He was never truly aware of his soul before, yet, now, he felt it echoing inside him, representing, perhaps, a potential he never knew existed. As he trained, he focused on channeling this facet of his being into his art. And, bit by bit, his strikes became faster, harder, better. His forms flowed more rapidly, new techniques rapidly formed in his suddenly elevated mind, and he found himself capable of impossible things. His soul was connected to some other place, and that place could be slipped through, if only for the briefest of moments, to shift from where he stood to another nearby point without traversing the space in this realm. He also found himself able to harness power into blasts or blades of energy. He could perform acrobatic feats that were not possible before. He was, in every way, better. Stronger.

---

Miral's puppets in the Imperium were drilled in combat, both armed and otherwise. Their training was brutal and the results were deadly, yet the techniques and their applications were beautiful. Every block, every strike, every lock, every throw, every stance and step was perfect. And from that perfection and discipline, the minds of Miral's zealots changed. There was some small amount of psychic power in all people, even those who could never hope to unlock even trivial psionic power. Miral knew this. She observed it and studied it, but ultimately disregarded it. And yet, as she watched her soldiers train, she was startled by something new. The power in many of her most talented slaves had focused itself and expanded like a muscle. It was still different from hers, or the power of any psychic, yet it was powerful. And, she noticed with a smirk, potentially useful. So she subtly nourished this power and guided its use during training. Progress was slow at first, but soon it exploded, and her troops became inhumanly strong, fast, and resilient. The soldiers who displayed this power were able to do other things of note, as well. They could cloak themselves from all normal perception, leaving only a faint psychic signal to show where they were. They could, with a touch, generate psychic overloads in individuals not endowed with these gifts. They could turn their hands and feet into extraordinary blades able to cut steel and stone. There were few who possessed the potential for these new arts, and the path to achieve them was one of pain, but the power they gained was undeniable.

---

Harkit trained in the darkness while his army enjoyed a rare respite from its march. The march would soon be over, a battle would commence, and fate would be decided from the spillage of blood. Such was life. Such was as it was meant to be. Yet the sun was blocked from the sky. This would not what was meant to be. Yet, undoing it was not Harkit's current task. His current task was war, and so he trained. Yet his mind circled back to the sun and the cloud that obscured it. And his blood boiled with rage and the blasphemy, the indignity. And soon, his rage spilled out around him. Not as the magic he perfected so long ago, but as something else. An aura, of sorts, an aura of a different sort of power. This aura surged about him as a blinding red storm of energy, a storm that clung to his flesh and to his sword. It wrapped him in its armor of hatred and added its weight behind each strike. While the aura blazed, Harkit's body itself also changed. Most notably, his muscles bulged and he shot up in height. As he continued to train, pouring his rage into a power he had never felt before, his height increased by nearly two feet and his muscles swelled to double their original size, yet he felt no loss in flexibility or coordination; the opposite effect occurred, in fact. But despite all these changes, Harkit's mind narrowed into a single bloody desire. He wanted to kill.

---

Slintoch was pleased by the strength he had sown across the world, yet, still, something was missing. Challenges? Teachers? Instigators? All of the above? Slintoch could not say for sure, but he could say for certain that there was something missing. So, of course, he took the balanced approach and threw ideas at the world in the hopes that something fit.

---

Shadows formed from nothing wall across the first world. From shadows deep in the mountains of the Chain, away from any cities, though not so far contact could never occur, stepped hounds the size of bulls. These hounds were brutally aggressive towards anything they saw, lashing out with fire just as much as their teeth. From another set of shadows, beetles the size of ponies emerged. Or, rather, submerged, for these beetles spawned in the ocean. Wickedly strong and with exoskeletons hard enough to deflect swords, they were viciously territorial. Finally, from the last of the shadows, blue and red skinned beings appeared. These humanoid beings had sharp teeth and prominent horns, and they ranged in size from those of humans to those of giants. They all shared martial and mystic power that would astonish most mortals. As inconsistent as their size was their behavior; some were ruthless monsters that ate anyone who crossed their paths, some were cunning monsters that could terrorize villages for entire mortal lifetimes, and some travelled in search of powerful or talented individuals to fight or train.

Spoiler: OOC

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Rollover (Numerous)! 43AP!

Teach Mundane Concept x2 (Martial Arts: to the Eye Watchers and Imperium Animi) 2AP: Both the Eye Watchers and Imperium Animi developed and perfected their own styles of martial arts distinct from those practiced in the Empire of the Sun. [Chaos (Struggle) 2/10]

Create Mythic Concept (Mystical Martial Arts) 4AP: Slintoch created a framework inherent in mortals for the attainment and development of power through the framework of martial arts. This power usually includes enhancements to physical capabilities as well as more overtly magical effects and techniques. Where the power comes from is less important than the dedication to harness it, though the sources currently used are souls, psychic energy, and emotions. [Strength (Ferocity) 4/10]

Create Sub-Concept (Mystical Martial Arts --> Harkitdo) 2AP: Harkitdo is a style of martial art developed by Harkit that focusing on building and channelling emotions of anger and hatred into tangible energy. In the process, a practitioner's body is mutated to cause an exponential increase in strength and toughness in addition to a dramatic size increase. [Strength (Ferocity) 6/10]

Create Sub Concept (Mystical Martial Arts --> Qijutsu) 2AP: Qijutsu is the art of channelling a user's soul into mystical and physical power, allowing short range teleportation, the projection of energy in the forms of blasts or weapons, superhuman feats of athleticism, and more. [Strength (Ferocity) 8/10]

Create Sub Concept (Mystical Martial Arts --> Animipugna) 2AP: Animipugna is a style of martial art developed in the Imperium Animi. It focuses on channeling the latent power of the mind through effort and discipline, allowing incredible feats of supernatural speed, strength, and skill, as well as opening the door to supernatural techniques useful both on and off the battlefield. [Strength (Ferocity) 10/10] New Domain Unlocked!

Create Monster (Hellhounds) GUA: Hell hounds are massive hounds found in remote mountains on the Chain that are capable of breathing fire.

Create Monster (Sea Beetles) GUA: Sea beetles are territorial beetles the size of ponies that can be found in oceans throughout the First World. They are extremely strong, able to burrow right through ships, and territorial. Their incredibly strong exoskeletons can protect them from most harm, but could make useful materials should they be slain.

Create Legends (Oni) 5AP: Oni are demonic beings created by Slintoch to variously terrorize and develop mortal races. They range tremendously from being the size of normal humans to towering as tall as the largest giants, and they come in various shades of blue or red, but they all share the same curved horns on their foreheads and unnerving grins that reveal sharp fangs. While some might act as simple monsters, they are all keenly intelligent and versed in all current sales of martial art, both mystic and mundane. Additionally, they are innately attuned to arcane magic, making even the least of them a passable mage. As noted above, they have multiple different missions, with some existing only to slaughter mortals and others existing to guide the development of those who show promising strength or at least the potential for strength. [Chaos (Struggle) 7/10]

43AP – 17AP = 26AP
1GUA
3MUA

**AlexanderML** · 2024-01-13, 08:18 AM (ISO 8601)

Zephyr's Call - To Skies Beyond

Ever since their founding the lolat disciples of Chymes had the glimmering childish wonder at the prospect of flying amid the skies imparted onto them; as prospect members were those who looked at the floating structure of Zephyr’s Call and could not turn away from it out of wonder for the potential they saw. This habit of theirs would often lead them to exploration of Adanat and with the power of flowers beyond.

What the zephyr bloom witches discovered was odd and disturbing for the most part. If it were not for Chyme’s own intervention and the treior offering to guide early explorations, then the realms of the magi would have been too antithetical to them to tolerate. As it stood, the eternal realms were understood to just be delusional in more than one sense. They did however offer a few expensively made pieces of delusion-crafted vehicles that flew, though most inhabitants of that realm who traveled far preferred to use giant moths that were simply too large for the zephyr witches to easily control.

Yet amid the strange realms a witch one day encountered a pair of pale ones, one a girl in a black dress the other a man dressed in white with the front of his face appearing to be broken like glass; flowers seeping out of the gap covering his right side with an assortment of flowers. The pair both looked generally disinterested, yet one of them spoke up.

“What is this thing…?” the girl asked at the sight of the witch. The lolat was going to give a response but the man flicked the girl’s head lightly. While it was difficult, the witch could understand the message of her words.

“They are a lolat, a witch.” the man said in a deliberately slow tone of voice, then turning to the witch asked “Excuse me, I am the flower maiden Alaion. Good greetings amid the ever dream.” he said with a tilt of his strange head.

With a raised eyebrow the girl gave a “I am Merayal.”

Being more familiar with human looking creatures than most lolats, the witch could understand that the way they were being looked at was with scrutiny. It was also familiar enough with the term ‘flower maiden’ to know that they were the religious leaders of the magi realms. With a bow the small witch let out in broken magi-tongue “Good meeting. I wish you well lard Alaion. Ledy Merayal. I am a witch of a Zephyr Bloom.”

The girl appeared a little surprised at this “Ah… Excuse me. I mistreated you, would you accept an apology?”

For a moment the witch paused “If you would accept some chance.” they said while reaching into a bag of theirs and pulled out a few copper dice.

Both Alaion and Merayal blinked at that, though they showed little other reaction. Then with a nod of the head Alaion patted Merayal’s shoulder, “Go ahead, I’ll pay for it if you lose”

“We are betting?” Merayal asked confused.

“Whether good or bad, chance can make new possibility.” the witch intoned. Alaion gave a soft smile like he had heard that before. Hesitant Merayal gave her silent approval.

The dice fell, a game was played, and in the end the witch had won resoundingly.

Merayal looked reserved, unhappy with the whole arrangement over an insult. Yet the soft smile on Alaion had not faded as he brought out a macabre piece of work- an upside down skull that had numerous flowers jutting out of it like a bouquet. The witch gasped at the sight of it for some reason- it felt off, old, and something powerful; it being thrust out into the open for them to see only now was startling.

“I have heard of your bloom and how you’ve already obtained one flower from this-” he lightly shook the bouquet up and down “- I shall gift you another.” Then without looking he pulled out a small white dandelion- which almost cartoonishly grew to be taller than the man. “This is quite the handful, do you wish to risk taking a hold?”

While not a game, there was opportunity here. So the small witch grasped the large blooming plant- which resulted in them immediately being thrust into the sky so quickly that they did not let go in time. Letting out squeaks of terror that befuddled the flower maiden and girl below who began to plan on how to bring the witch down safely before they ran out of strength.

At that moment a humanoid shape fell from the sky, scattering bits of paper and ink around with them as they fell. Grabbing onto the first object at hand they yanked the dandelion like flower a great distance downwards before the counter weight had it begin to rise again. The one who had appeared had a large bushel of red roses growing out from his back almost like wings or a heart- and had the face of a skeleton.

“My this is fortunate- oh no!” the skeleton said to the startled witch who had begun to let go out of fright; yet the skeleton reached out and grabbed a hold of them in time. “Whoa there miss. Sorry to intrude but I can explain how I ended up here once we have safely landed… or are you in control of this flower?”

The two stared at each other for a few moments as the witch was having some trouble processing everything even as the skeleton seemed so calm about the situation. He looked out from their increasingly high vantage point over the realm they were in, able to spot the tops of so many flower-trees that keep their blooms too high to see from ground level. After some time seeing him be so calm, the witch also relaxed and looked out over the realm for a few seconds before giving a sad nod to the negative.

“Ah well, not to worry.” the skeleton said “I can pull us down if I work hard enough at it.” then with a small grunt a ring on his hand began to glow and the dandelion like flower began to descend. “This is why I prefer rings- no hands required.”

Eventually with the skeleton’s effort yanking the flower down onto the ground the pair were able to land safely, the flower itself being rooted in place with the same magic that brought it low for the time being as the skeleton flopped on his back. The witch could surmise that if he had lungs he would be out of breath. “Give me a moment please, that was exhausting! Though considering we have time, who might you be miss? What brings one of the Zephyr Bloom here?”

Taking a sitting position the witch was also exhausted, but apparently had more strength in her than the skeleton who looked like a corpse just lying there almost still. She was bemused when she realized he was speaking the tongue of her homeland rather than the bastardized magi version of it. “My name is Delbee, lord Chymes. I and others explore this realm in hopes of discovery on how to reach the skies. Today I let chance play out and found this flower.”

“Well there goes my introduction.” Grumbled the skeleton. “I suppose delusion and magic aren’t suitable for making a great many vehicles, have you seen the moths yet? The flower shows that you met Alaion, since he has Her bouquet. Also no need to call me ‘lord’, I know it's a tradition around here for folks to call each other by those titles but I just find it silly.”

“You are correct, Chymes. Might you have a few ideas?”

“Well…” the skeleton said sitting up with his flowers slowly popping back into place as he then began to rummage around his robes “I suppose, I’ll need to find pen and paper first to properly sketch this out miss Delbee.” he said before looking at her in the eyes “Its a pleasure to meet you.” a gesture which would have looked touching if not for the fact that he had no eyes or skin.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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31/30 AP

-AC (Lilia’s Bouquet) Bless - Cloud Puffs: These large dandelion like plants are found mostly wafting through the Endless Sky, reproducing endlessly by the wind scattering their seeds. Terra Whales snack on these seeds and they can be made into fluffing material when the root of the seeds are removed.

Their most extraordinary feature comes before their seeds scatter, for a cloud puff will gain the power to resist gravity and rise high into the sky. Its stem is steel like in hardness and can support a small vessel’s worth of weight (like an air balloon). These flowers lose this ability to resist gravity once all their seeds have fallen off, a process that occurs one at a time over a day once picked from the ground or reaching maturity. Applying water to the seeds can temporarily reduce the lift the puff produces.

When a cloud puff first produces lift it releases a small amount of Lilia’s Love. Consuming any part of the plant could give minute amounts of it as well.

-1 Create Sub-Advance Concept (Airships -> Floral Ships): These vehicles are the result of skillfully combining cloud puffs for lift and zephyr blooms for direction. A properly built one has a means to give water to the cloud puffs and a means to control the amount of light the zephyr blooms obtain; both actions that can be done with a single pilot. While magic can be used to maintain the flowers for a time, both the zephyr and cloud puffs need to be replaced at least once a year (without magical aid it's closer to four times a year).

This concept is discovered by the Zephyr Bloom, the Magi Realms, and the natives of Adanat.

-1 Teach Advance Concept - Beast Taming: Through a coordinated effort between Chymes, the giant silk moth tamers, and the Zepher Bloom coming together a variety of new techniques and apparatuses are invented to thoroughly train and ride giant moths- with special harnesses being used by lolats that make it look like they are riding an elephant.

The process has given the trainers inspiration as to how to tame other less docile monstrous creatures. With the Magi Realms in particular using this experience to tame chimeras.

This concept is given to the Magi Realms and the people of Adanat.

-1 Create Organization - The Sky Gliders Guild: This group of tamers and explorers are the primer experts in giant moth taming and utalige. Their members come from all the realms, yet they are bound by traditions and a code of conduct. This code ensures that the guild’s members do not compete among one another with prices, spill trade secrets, and more humane functions such as keeping a high standard of care for the moths.

With time and the ingenuity of a great number of people the skies of the First World had two new additions- the floral ships and moth riders. From there it was not long before a brave explorer would find the world inside clouds.

The Great Library - Growing Pains and Discovery

The Tome Guardians were struggling with the surge of new students that were introduced by the starlit colonies. The children that arrived were unruly, arrogant, and in such vast numbers that they even out numbered the pale one children attending.

A large number of new staff members were required to join the library, enough that the once simple quarters of the teachers began to transform into something far more vast and complex- its own city. One that was highly restricted to outsider entry at first due to its purpose; yet one day She arrived.

Perusing the shelves, the streets of the library-city, and the gardens that lay within She walked with apparent ease. Her face concealed by the night sky, Her dress made of the hundreds of flower heads offered to Her by the blooming flowers. The once closed doors to the city were opened by massive flowers, the streets bathed in a glow from above. The holy sight was a clear enough sign for the Tome Guardians to open most of the city to visitors- at least the visitors that were already allowed entry into the library. Thus the city of Akashic was formally made.

The city soon garnered more attention outside of its holy visitation (something that garnered little attention)- the introduction of a means to mass produce books. It was in its early stages but with it they began to print numerous copies of books that once took scribes months to properly copy. While some of the Tome Guardians were pleased about this, others were not.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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28/30 AP

-AC (Flesh and Blood of Lilia) Alter Land - The Library City of Akashic: Located within the great library this settlement is the primary home of the Tome Guardians, with only them and their direct families being allowed to live within its walls or visit for longer than a week. Plant life finds its way to growing out of crevices, water can be found flowing out of a few larger flowers called Lady’s Tears, and natural light rains down from the ceiling.

-1 Create Advance Sub-Concept (Paper -> Bookbinding): The process of turning stacks of paper into proper books is perfected within the Magi Realms. Many books use leather, while soft covered examples begin to become popular with printed copies of books.

-1 (split with Naseki) Create Advance Concept - Printing: Through the use of plates and a press the first mass produced books are made to satisfy the demand to read or take out copies of the many original books the Great Library houses. While initially housed only within the city Akashic the details on how to print are sold to individual realms as the demand quickly becomes too much for the single city of librarians to bear.

This concept was first invented in the Magi Realms and the Chain.

-1 Create Advance Sub-Concept (Scientific Method -> Library Science): “A field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information.” -Basically Wikipedia

In short, the method on how to run a library and other means of information distribution becomes a whole field of study onto itself within the Magi Realms. As the number of children entering the Great Library and the number of embraced seeking copies of numerous different books or obscure knowledge increases the need for such experts arises as well.

The Tome Guardians create a new subdivision for those that apply library science- the azure overseers. They act in a similar manner to managers for the Great Library, making sure mundane tasks are accomplished and that the flow of information remains steady.

The Estheric Isle - Life Within Ice

On the Estheric Isle, a vast amount of change has occurred in a short period of time. Once where nomad roamed now lanterns glow guiding the way through concrete roads. Where once small ships would sail from land to land- now swarms of moths and large vessels of flowers descend upon shining ports. And where once fish made up the majority of food in winter now shining ice house new agriculture wonders from the Onna members of the Realms.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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25/30

-1 Teach Mundane Concept: Agriculture: Focused primarily around woody fruits and nuts the pale ones are the first to adopt mass food production methods of the Onna. The suka-onna of the starlit isle take some more time due to willful spite to not listen to their elders, but eventually they begin to return to growing herbaceous plants as their ancestors had.

-1 Teach Mundane Concept - Masonry: The use of stone, brick, and mortar to build durable and expansive structures.

-1 Teach Advance Concept - Concrete: Use of cement and chemical mixtures to produce composite material of great strength.

-2 Create Mythic Sub-Concept (True Ice -> Ice Sculpting): The art of ice sculpting is something that the pale ones of the esthiric isles develop as the introduction of advance material techniques are taught to them. Through it they can mix True Ice with water and other imported chemicals to produce a substance that is almost as clear as glass and nearly as strong as steel; while being lighter than both. While a valuable traded commodity it is also a replacement for metal on the isle. It is also used to produce-

-1 Teach Advance Concept (Greenhouses): The pale ones begin to create their first green houses in their cold homeland, predominantly using sculpted ice for the ceilings; allowing for far more dense populations than before.

19/30 AP

**DasIrrlicht** · 2024-01-13, 09:57 AM (ISO 8601)

Naseki, Join the Armarda!
They are not quite 'cheap' but most people in the cities allow themself a weekly paper. It is not like enough happens to justify buying one every day anyways. Sipping a Tea the bored man flips past the first page. The Headline of 'Sunhounds' sounds like a hoax anyways, they are probably just small tigers or something thelike. Neighboring City has power-struggles as Tax-Rise angered local Merchants. Nobles looking for skilled craftsfolk to teach people in the colonies. First Onnas come to the Chain, seemingly Kindred to plants. The reader glances over their paper into the road, looking around if they can spot anyone green-skinned, but besides some Gelaton does not really see anyone even slightly fitting that description and returns to reading. They probably are in some port city, anyways... And mentioning that, of course the usual call to join up with the Navy, visit unexplored islands, fight against Pirate scum in glorious battles... Has a Healthcare plan?
And of course, finally: The Winner is Ticket 8090-Coin. Congratulations. You can collect the winnings at- Yeah, figures, maybe he has better luck next time.

The fact that the Chains different Navies are interfering with the the Dervish way of living is some people a thorn in the eye, but since for many of the seasteading folk 'raiding' is as normal a job as carpentry, the feeling can be described as mutual. It is not unusual for Chain Convoys to cross trough Dervish Waters, heavily armed even for the more mundane cargo. It is in all honesty as much a power-play as it is protection of their own interests.

A number of the Triangular Chains Cities decided to actually bind together their Naval assets explicitly to keep a grip on 'safety' in this waters: 'The Armarda'.
They are not totally opposed to the Dervish, but the fact that the society is offering refuge to their 'worst' members naturally keeps the tensions on edge at most moments, and even the peaceful cooperations that occasionally happen (Trade is just a natural thing of course, and the Dervish seem to have a secret to turn what is scraps into useful things) are standing under the threat of a blade falling at any moment, or fire being opened by a sailor a little to tense. The fact that they managed to establish ports on some of the Storied Isles is its own concern.
(We are not quote one-piece yet, but we may be getting there.)

The soul wandering the echo of the island is barley concious, but they seem to become more aware every day... Just as their still living body on the storied islands loses more of itself as time goes on. A single Echo-Servant is carefully following the woman, attempting their best to do what was their speices original goal, even if it has fallen much into the background this days with so many people to talk to: Preserve Peoples Stories. The Woman may won't ever be truly themself anymore, but maybe a fragment can survive their form being twisted...

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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Because of the break the AP have piled on, as did the artifact changes. Breaks over so things are now back to getting capped.
18 AP LEFT

0 AP - Advanced Concept (Shared with Lilia) [MUA Charge]

Print
The Chain is big. That is possibly a understatement, even. Seeing themself as the original source of writing, citing some by now ancient Gelaton history speaking of a divine being having created the first texts at the so-called lake of memories, literacy has always been near universal on the Chain. However reproducing books is a teadious work, taking sometimes months and prone to make mistakes. But with precision in machinery, a new option arrived: Machines that write for one. Of course the earliest presses are clunky, and slow, but they can be run so often that they quickly overtake manual copying of works. The addition of specialised wood carvers even give some early ability to add pictures to books...
Print is naturally suspectable to attract Wyrds, which usually slip in during the last steps o production. Many presses have their own, signature Wyrd without even knowing it.

1 AP - Advanced Concept [MUA Charge & Unattributed 1/10]

Propaganda
If you can mass-produce writing and images, it was only a question of time until its used to direct the masses. The fact that there was a war overseas only speed up the process to near instantly... Of course Propaganda comes in many forms, but few things are as controlable to be wield-able as a instrument like Print proofs itself to be.

1 AP - Advanced Sub-Concept (Of Print) [Unattributed 1/10]

Newspapers
There was always interest about what the other Cities on the Chain, and in extention, the rest of the civilised world, was doing. Most papers are surprisingly short pieces as even with the courier star birds details have a hard time traveling the distances, instead focusing on 'local' issues of cities and their direct neighbors. Announcements, Sightings of Beasts, the odd Rumors, a page of Propaganda, some news from the colonies. In the south of the chain, a rudamentary lottery seems to have taken hold as well.

0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Lottery
(Did you know there is no higher concept for gambling?) The Lottery is a simple game. The stakes are low for everyone involved, as only a small sum is used to buy in, but the rewards promise to be so much greater. The trick is simple: The reward is slightly less then the sum of what everyone pays in, and the prize stacks if it is not payed out... Which in turn attracts more people trying their luck. The presense of the Lolats has apparently inspired the rise of this generally considered harmless passtime.

1 AP - Organisation [Unattributed 1/10]

'The Armada'
Officially called 'The Armarda of the Triangular Chain', but the full title is not even internally common to be used. A Special force of the Chain specifically made to deal with the risks Derbish waters resemble, they are a self-governing fleet which is like a more authoritarian reflection of the Dervish own society in many ways. Sharing the drive to individualism as well as the clan-mentality different ships and internal groups develop, yet structurally enforced with clear hirachies.
Their ships are never alone, and tend to be unusually well armed even for ships of the Chain. Cannons are common, as are harpoon ballista able to chain ships to each other and prevent escapes or tow damaged ones to a port. The Sailors are usually armed with Spears or Rifles, depending on their position, and trained in their use for combat on sea. As one goes up the ranks, the Captions tend to get more on more unlike each other. Tactics vary wildly, as does how 'friendly' they are to the locals. A complex system of flags and signifiers at the very least make it easy to spot who one is dealing with from a distance...

2 AP - Counter (Storied Isles) [Unattributed 1/10]

Censor
One Person having the Willpower to resist the Storied Isles warping properties is a well sought after anomaly. But the Chain believes in colonisation, and in extention, so does the Armada. A group of like-minded people has the potential to disrupt a ongoing story arc if they linger on a Storied Island. A large one with its own strict rules, regulations, hirarchy and plans can be enough to supress much of the supernatral powers of one. Any group with a strong Genius Loci is able to overpower a Isles reality warping power and instead enforce their own reality on them, which usually means a form of normality.
Some Isles are able to adapt their stories by twisting circumstances and attempting to force interactions along their original plans without the husks, while others are totally unable to perform as long as they are occupied by the group. Of course, if a story lines naturally up with the occuping forces own interests, the results can become somewhat unpredictable.

0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Bounties
Offering rewards for the decimation of monsters or Bandits is nothing new, but the Derwish situation. Some of the more notorious members make themself a name, and their faces end up being recreated for print and offered rewards upon. Most Bounties are written out by the different navies of the chain, but the actual rewards tend to be sponsored by disgruntled traders who had fallen victim one to many times...
It is usually other traders, Adventurers who have gotten their hands on a ship of their own who collect such bounties, but the Dervish themself have made use of this to rid themself of troublemakers as well. The situation can be complicated.

0 AP - Blessing/Curse [MUA Charge]

Save Our Souls
People that get lost to the Storied Islands and start turning into Husks do not do so fast. As they get twisted and warped to be unrecogniseable, the echo pulls on their souls, taking fragments of it in a try to preserve the person, but ultimatly failing as the souls pulled this way lack the energy to truly sustain themself. Souls pulled as the husks form only have a lifetime of a few days and often suffer incomplete memories.

1 AP - Advanced Concept [MUA Charge & Unattributed 1/10]

Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding becomes increasingly important to the chain, in order to project itself towards the colonies, wage their war, stay in contact with their new ally and deal with the more dangerous waters. While it is technically nothing new, there is a certain skill undeniable to the designers from the Chain, their purposemade craft excelling at what they are made for. Speed, Standing-power, bombarding coasts or fighting in direct combat. Hunting the wildlife or intimidating prospective raiding parties. Carrying Freight or Passengers. Some design will be there, specialised for the purpose. Some of the more common and generalised ones are starting to get paddled for sale towards adventurers and even the Dervish as well.

________
12 AP Left
2 B/C Charges
1 Mundane Charge

Progress:
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

**Athedia** · 2024-01-13, 11:25 AM (ISO 8601)

[b]"How do you want to be remembered?"[/roll] The cloaked entity comforted the dying man, brewing a tea to lessen the pain as he slowly bled out from a gut wound. The response was quiet, so quiet the figure leaned down to listen to the man speak. It nodded quietly until the man fell asleep from the tea and stayed there letting the man's soul fade away as his head rested in the figure's lap. Less than an hour later the figure was back on the road, the man's body seated under a large tree with his hands in his lap holding a coin.

That Evening

The figures were gathered around a fire, each telling stories from that day. Some had met people, in this place many had met people. Those displaced and starving from the constant wars, those left behind as being to close to death. The Mourners felt drawn to the dying. Some were given the chance to join them, some just listened to. Souls paused moments before departing and given an extension to help others. The cloaked figure who had spoken to the man talked for the first time. "I take the name Arthorn, to remember my first. He did not die alone." The gathered group echoed those words. "He did not die alone.

Arthorn wasn't sure how to give the Gelaton a coin but settled for putting it on the creatures dissolving flesh. The poor creature had been caught in a rainstorm and unable to help Arthorn could only be there to be a presence. The same rain that had spelled the creatures doom also allowed its final memories to be shared. Stories of self that had been repeated so often only to be spoken this final time. Loved ones, hated ones, memories recalled in amusement.

Arthorn drank them in, glad the rain masked the tears. This moment always came with sorrow, but they couldn't imagine the cruelty of having to have those thoughts alone. They had traveled here on hearing of a traveling fleet of small people who celebrated death and summoned storms that spoke a thousand languages. There was much to learn still.

Arthorn remembered what had sent them here. The man's story had been one of fear and bravery as he had fought in battle, only to be abandoned by his allies as they retreated unable to carry his dead weight. He had been so afraid in his last moments, telling the new Arthorn that he didn't even know what the ocean looked like. He had promised his wife he would take her there but that would never happen. Arthorn knew then that what the Monks said was true, that it was their job to keep those wishes and dreams for those they heard. And so Arthorn set off for the ocean. There they met a woman who spoke of a lost brother, who journeyed to the chain. Arthorn had given the child the woman had born to her husband and left to the Chain. And so they journeyed from death to death finding their next destination.

The Lolat's had spent a few months learning the ways of the Chain. Some even had figured out some of the rough language the Large Folk spoke, though the more popular language to attempt was the burbling dialect of the Melted Ones. Many had changed from the light silks into wearing the rougher clothes that the locals wore. And more had been born, introducing the villagers to the Dona and regular Lolat forms. Many Dona took to working the boats that were sent out, their smaller fingers helpful in dealing with knots in lines while their outsized strength helped with the hauls. Others took to cultivating the new plants and insects that were being used to restock the ships. Many did not live in the village proper, the oversized homes not fitting them well or the expectation of family units. Instead they built floating homes, cultivating the Gas Plants and Silk into new small platforms they anchored to the outskirts of the village.

The new Captain of the Fleet spoke with Glikmora, confirming what they both knew. When the airships left, not all the Lolats would come with them. And not all the airships would continue the passage forth. Atodana turned back, sent on a current back to Adanat to share the glories of the new information learned and the new people's met. Glikmora enchanted the winds to repeat their path, a high current traveling both ways along the journey.

Glikmora felt her presense all around the world and it scared her. The world felt so small now and herself so big. She didn't know how much longer she could hold onto the world. But if she had to leave she would build two things to remember.

The first was small, a necklace of quartz that was so polished that it almost looked like rainbows adorning her neck. And the second was a compass, pointing toward nothing. Pointing toward Home.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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AP after holiday build up = 28 AP

Legendary Society (4 AP) Monks of Last Days: These traveling Mourners spread across the world, offering those who are dying the same offer they had received from Glikmora's Wail. For those who deny the coin flip or lose it, the Monks of the Last Days listen to their stories to remember them meeting with other Mourners and sharing those stories. It is Tradition for one of the Monks of Last Days to take their name from the first persons story they heard. Their mission being to simply not let anyone die alone. [Death (Mercy) 4/10]

Raise Hero (2AP) Arthorn: A Mourner and Monk of Last Days who took their name from a man dying of a gut wound. They wish to fulfil the dreams of those they listened to. [Death (Mercy) 6/10]

Racial Society (2AP) Chain Lolats: The Lolats that decided to live on the Chain. They keep many of their traditions such as burials and and emphasis on honestly but they have integrated with the peoples of the Chain. They still avoid necromancy, however they have started to learn such skills as fishing and alchemy. [no associated AP assignments]

Blessing (1 AP) The Blowing Path: A gift from Glikmora this 'path' is a permanent air current that travels from the corner of the Chain to Adanat and back. Experienced airships can use this to both keep on track and speed up their journey. [Travel (Air) 9/10]

Greater Utility Artifact (5AP) Hopes Enstoned (Raise Hero): To reflect the hope Glikmora has in her gathered heroes to touch the world and set it into balance. [no associated AP assignments]

Greater Utility Artifact (5AP) Homefinder (Create Portal/Bridge): With this Glikmora will always be able to find a place she considers home. [no associated AP assignments]

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 3/10
Truth (Deals) 9/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 9/10
Emotion (Sorrow) 8/10
Death (Mercy) 6/10

22 AP - 19 AP = 3 AP (before rollover)
As of 1/18 = 7 AP

**Athedia** · 2024-01-20, 12:24 AM (ISO 8601)

Dreams of Home

The Atodana slipped through the sky, much faster than an airship of its design looked capable of. However the heavy rains and salt sprays from it's time in the Triangle had done damage to the wood and the Lolat's onboard were tense. A decision was made to stop at the island they had passed over on their way to the Chain. The tall walls should protect them while they attempted repairs and it looked like there was an ample supply of wood if anything needed to be replaced.

The Triangular holes Glikmora had made were still there, punched through the very earth itself. The Lolats slowed the airship, further damage caused by scrapping or crashing would only make things worse. And then one spotted something odd. He was a Dona, much larger than most of the other Lolat's on the ship but unlike the original crew, this lot were all volunteers. Many had not even seen their homeland, having been born during the stay in the Chain. And they were eager to share the skills they had learned.

He saw... baskets.

And food inside those baskets. Offerings? He spoke to some of the others of his generation, trying to explain the importance. Sure most Lolats did not consume much if any fruit and he didn't recognize the insects that swarmed it, but that wasn't what was important. These people *did*, though which was something he did not know. That meant they were also different from the Humans and Gelatons. Still this went by them. What was important was repairing the ship and making sure she remained airworthy. He was handed one of the ropes and told to join the others below securing the ship to the walls of the tunnel.

He hammered the ropes into the walls, watching as others tied onto what they categorized as 'convient formations' at the base of the triangle, all the while watching as the Ota started to methodically crawl along the underbelly of the ship, noting areas that needed to be repaired. Some of the other Lolats were starting simple card and dice games using items they had obtained in the Chain. Others were napping or sharing stories. They would be here for a few days minimum and any break from work was appreciated. The sides of the Pass were dotted with holes into small caves, places the Lolat's were forbidden from setting foot by the captain. Even though none had been seen in generations, stories were still told of the living rocks in caves that would squeeze and crush the Lolat who wandered to far from the surface. No one was paying him any mind. And he wasn't planning to go into a cave, the opposite in fact. So he carefully took the bottles of Pure Rain he had taken from the ships stores and unhooked one of the strange baskets. And he headed off to find whoever had left the offering.

Glikmora slept in her tree and she dreamed. She dreamed of the wetlands of the land she had raised from dead and rotting things. She dreamed of the networks deep beneath the ground. She dreamed of the children she had filled the land with. And in her dreams she reached out to that home and it reached back. Unseen in the center of Adanat rose a tree, a twin of the one in the Chain. Glikmora's dreams calmed.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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GUA Charge Hopes Enstoned (Raise Hero): The First Speaker is a Dona Lolat that was traveling back with the Atodana when it stopped in the Triangle Pass. Seeing the offerings left, he went down into the bowl to make first contact with a new people. He is to become the main Diplomat for his people.

GUA Charge Homefinder (Create Portal/Bridge): A Traveler Tree now grows in the center of Adanat after Glikmora revisited it in her dreams. One of the branches of the Great Tree has reached out to meet it.

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 3/10
Truth (Deals) 9/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 9/10
Emotion (Sorrow) 8/10
Death (Mercy) 6/10

As of 1/26 AP=11

**Fuzzy Math** · 2024-01-27, 11:54 AM (ISO 8601)

Soon Has Arrived, Pt.1

---It’s A Prayer In An Empty Room---

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Rel paced back and forth along his deck, not with the ease of puttered tinkering, but with apprehension and anxiety. The world outside the Pocket was moving much too fast and was entirely too vicious for the Hopeful to survive it. Other Dreamers were creating nightmares throughout the First World and beyond, either with intentional malice or casual apathy towards their creations, concerned only with their own personal desires. Yet, was he above that hubris himself? His little ones were safe and nurtured here, kept ignorant and isolated of the true atrocities being inflicted upon other races; was he doing more harm than good by shielding them as he was? He felt the sudden departure of a kindred Dreamer in the Void, sensed the near extinction of their precious Onna from the First World. Rel moved too slowly, too cautiously, to have any interaction with them and that loss of opportunity vexed him keenly. While there was a vague sense of aloofness before the Dreamer’s departure, Rel felt that they were as caring for their creation as he was, but maybe that’s why they left and took most of the Onna with them back into the Nothingness. Rather than continuing to push against a world that was insistent on chipping away at their design, the Weaver had had enough, and protected the majority of the Onna with a Finality Event. Could Rel do that to his Hopeful? Could he silence their stories, their joy, and their curiosity, all in the name of guarding their precious existence? He thought about that for a while, making his way toward the garden bench by the sōzu, and sat down. Was it really a matter of keeping the Onna safe or was it more of a selfish desire of the Weaver, one born of unacceptance at the thought of sullying their particular dreaming by interacting with ‘flawed’ entities? Images of Hiplings and Kamii being torn apart, devoured, physically and mentally twisted to the point where they would no longer be his Hopeful. He held his face in his hands and wept at their potential fates; to what lengths would he go in order to save them from that? Would it be fair to them for him to deny them the chance at exploration, at adaptation to the severities of the outside world, at growth through overcoming tribulations, all because he didn’t want them to suffer? Could he bring himself to smother them all as they figuratively slept, all the while keeping them ‘safe’ in their dreaming? His quiet weeping soon turned into an angry sobbing; why would the Weaver do this?! Even if the choice was presented to the Onna, the information presented for that decision would be influenced by their Dreamer, thus making the choice moot! Rel could feel the subtle attempt of another Dreamer to save the Onna that chose to remain, then to have that choice ripped away from them all the same, so why bother pretending it was to keep them ‘pure’?! And why was he dangerously close to deluding himself that he could keep his Hopeful safe? He wanted what was best for them, but who was he to decide what ‘best’ meant for anyone but himself? Coming to the realization that even if tried keeping the Hopeful here in the Pocket, the others would eventually set their sights on the island, chipping away at any resistance he offered until he grew tired of resisting. Until, maybe, he also acted selfishly and denied his creation a chance to prove their worthiness of existing. He continued to sob, mentally walking the darker corners of his mind, knowing that he would be incapable of snuffing out their light even if it meant preventing the other Dreamers and their creations doing what he could not.

Rel started when he felt a small set of arms press against his neck, a shift of weight on his shoulder as he turned his bleary eyes to see what caught him unawares, coming face to face with the First Hipling hugging his neck. He did not have the awareness or time to have his appearance be that of a Hipling in their eyes; the actual Eldest among the Hopeful simply wanted to comfort its friend and creator, a deific humanoid that looked nothing like a Hipling or Kami, it knew the presence of Rel no matter the form he took. And of all the Hiplings, it was the only one who understood what anguish was; it existed before Rel blessed the little ones with knowledge of shelter building and the ability to heal quickly from what should have been mortal wounds. It knew pain and suffering as it fought for survival against beasts that were trying to survive themselves, true hunger as it learned what was safe to consume and what wasn’t, frustration at a world that was much too large for little legs and hands. Yet, here it was, filled with love and concern, unbent by despair.

“Your heart and mind are hurting, Rel. Uncharacteristically burdened for the one who is supposedly Unburdened. You have nothing to fear in the world beyond your gate; you do not know hunger as we do, your body is not of flesh and bone that can be torn and broken like ours, you are nearly limitless in what you can achieve compared to us. If there is something that can bring you to feel this pain and anger, it must be truly great indeed. While I might not understand it, I can listen to your sorrows. It might help to share the burden, it might not, but it can offer a perspective that is not solely yours.” The ancient Hipling spoke with a wizened and quiet tone. It scrambled down from Rel’s shoulder to sit comfortably on the bench next to him, making a cushion out of the deity’s robe, and waited patiently for Rel to find the words.

“You were there when I shared with Relloc what I saw of the world. I’m not sure what it chose to inform you all of at that point, but the outside world has become embroiled in greater battles of survival, an entire people were erased from existence, and I fear it will only get worse. When I think the Hiplings are ready to explore, something else horrifying comes into existence out there. If a race can go from thriving to functionally extinct because of an angry and fearful Dreamer isn’t enough, there’s now giant river lizards as tall as trees that can breathe fire and have claws that that can probably tear through stone, and people that cause insanity or throw creatures into the sky with nothing but a thought. And, while I can’t place it, I sense a tension building in this world. Like a pot boiling water with too much pressure on the lid, just building and building until it will explode. How am I supposed to keep my little ones safe?! They leave here and they’ll be destroyed. They stay here and they’ll either be destroyed slowly or will never grow to their full potential. I’m terrified, Wilf. Not only for myself, but also for the Hopeful; I keep saying to myself, ‘Soon, the Hiplings will be ready for the world outside the Pocket. Soon, they will be ready to share their wonder and curiosity of the world with others. Soon, but not yet, there is more to prepare for that adventure.’ Soon, soon, soon! I can’t keep you and yours from harm, I can’t keep preventing and delaying the inevitable departure, I can’t bring myself to walk away and bring you all with me. I can’t…” Rel’s words were growing in volume as his frustration grew. All of this endless imagination, all of this nearly limitless ingenuity, all of this cosmic power; how small it now seemed in the face of what his fellow Dreamers, his siblings perhaps, were doing. He stood suddenly, Wilf falling into one of the robe’s pockets, as Rel tore a banyan from the ground roots and all. Hurling the tree from his plane of existence into the Void, his voice rising to a full-throated wail of impotent rage. “IT’S ALL TOO FAST, DAMN IT! VIOLENCE AND DARKNESS, TWISTED DREAMS OF DESTRUCTION BY SELFISH EGOS! EVEN THE LONG SLEEP OF DEATH ISN’T SAFE FROM PREDATION!” More and more anger flowed from him; the forge on his deck glowing white in response to his fury. “I CAN’T! I CAN’T PROTECT THEM! I CAN’T KEEP THEM SAFE! I CA-“ His ire abruptly turned to immediate confusion as he felt an almost crippling pain lance through his right hand and up his arm; looking down he found Wilf bodily hugging Rel’s robe belt around a pair of the god’s pliers that were clamping into the webbing between his thumb and index finger with more force than he expected a Hipling capable of. Rel dropped to his knees with a grimace of both misery and fury, but the ancient Hipling kept applying more and more pressure, looking into his eyes with love and indignation.

Wilf spoke with gritted teeth, not breaking eye contact with Rel. “Did you not give us love and a desire to take care of each other? Have you not stopped for a moment to consider the depths of those emotions? Before we were able to instinctively sidestep into our personal Pockets, we learned to how to fend for ourselves against the bristly-backs, spiders, and big birds; run as fast as we could, hide as best we could, climb as high as we could, hold our breath under water for as long as we could. Do you know what we did when one of us wasn’t fast enough? Couldn’t hide well enough? Not strong enough to reach the high branches? Our breath not deep enough to hold out?”

The little Hipling watched Rel’s face, hoping to see the despairing terror and anger leaving the deity’s eyes. When it became clear that Rel was still mentally flailing, Wilf redoubled his efforts around the tool’s grips, causing it to clamp even harder and bite into skin. “Those that could, we moved as one to defend our family; either throwing rocks, weaving through its legs with our vines to bind it, or piling on to it with our collective weight to bring it to the ground and hold it there until it gave up the fight. We are small, this is true. We are curious, assuredly. We have learned caution against most things, definitely. Yet, we are not defenseless, Rel. You just chose to look away when we bared our teeth in something other than a friendly smile or joyous laughter. After we learned of mutual bonding between Kami and Hipling, while you were dreaming here, there was a great jungle cat made of flame burning through the southern forests while hunting prey. We tried talking with it, we tried scaring it away, we tried trapping it, all to no avail. Fifty Yvapurũ banded together along with their Kami brethren and formed an even greater pokbogbobobo made of ice to tear away at it until it lay dying, as it would not turn from its determination. There was no joy or elation in this act. We didn’t want to resort to ending a life, but it left us with only two options; let it continue to burn through our island or do what we must do to stop it. Whether through fire or trees being uprooted in frozen talons, a good portion of the land there laid in ruins without being noticed by other Hiplings or yourself because we repaired the damage until we all panted in exhaustion, spent from the battle and toil. Once the deed and the work were done, we grieved for the jungle cat, even though its own decisions led to its demise. Do you know why we grieved, Rel? ‘Why does prey cry for me and warm my final rest? I would roar in exultation at your death. You are victorious, rejoice! This makes… No… This… No sense…’ Those were the last words of the great fire cat, Rel. We were there for it, to ease its last moments, even as it didn’t comprehend why we attempted to comfort it. Because there was no one else there mourn it, because there was no one else there to give it love as it faded.”

Wilf eased his hold on the pliers as the god slowly came back from the edge. “You are so sure of yourself and certain in your beliefs. Do not be like the jungle cat, Rel. Please. We may not be as strong, vicious, or cunningly ruthless as other creatures you have seen, but you are unintentionally insulting us by thinking we would be easy prey for the world. We know it will be hard for us, maybe even deadly, but we accept that. We might not be fully prepared for what faces us, but no creature can be, not even a god. You hold us and yourself to the Is-ness; ‘Sometimes the journey changes you, forms you into something more beneficial for the world around you, letting it grow from your journey too.’ Is this not what you taught us? This is our journey, let us change, and maybe make a difference in the world. We are the Hopeful, are we not? Hope is always strongest when everything else is bleak, its resilience shining that much more brightly when facing adversity.” Finally, Wilf released his grip on the tool completely and dropped to the ground while still holding the robe belt, letting the pliers fall beside him. Breathing heavily from the exertion, he raised his eyes up to meet Rel’s gaze, unsure as to what would happen next. The ancient Hipling had done the unthinkable; even if the intentions were out of love, a way to force Rel to refocus on the present through pain, he had attacked his Creator. His eyes started to tear up, thinking of the ramifications of what he had just done; mortal weapons would have just wounded Rel’s pride if he had noticed them at all, but Wilf used the Divinity’s own tools against itself, causing it physical pain. Still, he had to get through to the god somehow, as he was beyond words at that point, so the Hipling consigned himself to whatever punishment was due. Glaring up at Rel with tears in his eyes and a mixture of defiance, fear, compassion, and acceptance, he quietly spoke again with only a slight quivering in his voice. “So, here we are, Rel. A Creator and its creation in a situation that neither of us thought possible; a Hipling willing to cause pain, even against a Divinity, to save what and who it loves. Are you done scaring yourself into inaction and flailing about like a stuck bristly-back or do I need to it again, dinkus?”

Rel knelt there, rubbing the pain out of his arm, watching the First Hipling with disbelief as if truly seeing it for the first time. Its beard as bushy as his own, a resting Kami about its body in a robe made of swirling clouds, its body holding coiled purpose at the ready to back its determination. He could feel and understand its resolute commitment in the words, ‘to save what and who it loves’, included the god himself. Rel lowered his rear fully onto the ground and splayed his legs out in front of him, keeping his movements slow so as not to cause alarm; the fury in his mind had died, the anxiety giving way to methodical reasoning. “We’re good, Wilf, we’re good. I’m… I’m sorry you had to do that, but I’m glad you did. I lost sight of Is-ness, looking too far ahead instead of focusing on now. I’m also sorry for viewing the Hopeful as needing my constant protection; you are my children, and while precious to me, I was wrong to conflate that with fragility.” Rel held his right hand up to his gaze, looking at the reddened indentation; the Hipling managed to cause enough damage to draw blood and discomfort when he tried to squeeze his hand closed. While he could easily will himself healed, he decided against it; he would let it heal over time as a reminder of just how wrong he was about his misconceptions of the Hiplings. He lowered his left hand to the ground with the palm up, motioning for the Hipling to rest itself upon it. “You have more than proved your point, Wilf. If you and yours can accept the dangers, who am I to get in the way? If you can forgive my disquieted farsightedness, I’ll promise to only intervene when absolutely necessary. Deal?” Wilf climbed into Rel’s hand, then up his forearm to hug the god’s upper arm, which Rel took as agreement. Without thinking, Rel cupped his injured hand around the First Hipling to hug him back and winced at the sensation. Still, he kept his hand there for a few moments more, until he thought about his blood touching the Hipling. Pulling his hand back slowly, he saw the stains briefly on Wilf’s skin before they seemingly faded inward; strange, but he looked no worse for wear. Maybe a little more vibrant? “Eh, that’s a problem for tomorrow’s Rel.”

---Little Things We Do When Nobody’s Around---

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Nightly dreams of coils, springs, gears, and little hammers. Visions of pulleys, ropes, belts, and bellows. Water rushing through pipes turning screws causing larger contraptions to move. Weights, counterweights, releases, and catches. Simple and complex contraptions for work, for play, for building, for battle. Rhythm and flow, pumping and whooshing filled his dreams. All these mechanisms blurred red as the scope moved out, revealing the forms of Hiplings sparring good-naturedly with a Kami’s grace, the sounds of their battle matching the cadence of the symphony of miniscule moving parts. “Bones, blood, muscles, organs, and flesh. Machines made living, but machines all the same…” Wilf would sometimes wake clutching his Learning Crystal; maybe this was the source of his dreams? This particular morning found him well-rested and sat in his dwelling within the Peak of the Rest, the dreams committed to his knowing, looking out at the horizon while contemplating what came before and what now lay ahead. The Yvapurũ considered him a member of their group, but his connection with the Pocket ran deeper than any other Hipling; the island was only slightly older than himself and he had learned to listen to its teachings as it was the only way to survive before Rel blessed the first generation and himself with advantages that made their lives a little safer. He did not begrudge them this, rather he felt he could finally relax a little, no longer having to chase after food or spend days hiding while wounds healed. The Kami linked to him hugged itself close around his body as it sensed Wilf’s memories of the “old days”. Wilf pressed his hand against the Kami’s temporarily solid form, sighing softly with a smile as he thought back; the two had been paired for a long time, though not mystically bonded until the Hiplings and Kamii discovered the process. Unlike the other Hiplings, he had not found a mate to share his life with; he was too focused on his own survival and teaching the others what he had learned from experience so they would not have to struggle as he did. When he felt the others had learned enough from him, he decided he was content with his own company and chose to make a home for himself at the peak of the Rest, so he could find some peace and quiet; he had done enough running, hunting, and foraging. That was where he found a large cave (Perspective Note: a small alcove for a large human.) and set about making himself an abode there. It was here that Wilf and the Kami met each other, with this being the first time seeing either of their kind; Wilf was aware of the presence of the Kamii within the land and the Kami had heard stories of Hiplings from birds that had rested within this space, but that was the extent of their awareness before that day.
Initially, they only “spoke” through mental images and feelings, learning about each other as best they could, which led to minor squabbles over misunderstandings. As time progressed, they were able to understand their respective languages and the misconceptions cleared. Eventually they understood how to cohabitate this space together and simply enjoyed the friendship the other offered, to the point where their thoughts and desires were comprehended without effort; they were as close to being bonded as possible without their sparks resonating. Once Druidism and Kami Bonding were established, they considered themselves mated after their naming, with Wilf naming the mountain Kami “Tuyuwé-yumbuiçawa-puçangaçawa” and the Kami naming Wilf “Tsullind witenil hul”. Through all their conversations, sharing concepts both natural and foreign to them, they grew to love each other as deeply as any Hipling pairing. Those were the “old days” of fighting to survive against a world that was much larger than himself and finding relatively peaceful solitude with his beloved Tuyu.

With the recent development of Rel’s blood slowly diffusing in their energies, their connection was fully realized and more complete than any other Hipling-Kami Bonding, their futures were going to be interesting. Their souls blending in equal amounts, their whole becoming greater than the sum of their parts, transforming into both Hipling and Kami; a Kamling. By most outward appearances nothing would appear as different, Tuyu still rested about Wilf’s body as a robe of clouds, and Wilf still looked like a bushy-bearded Hipling whose light blue skin took on shades of blue gray over time. Upon much closer inspection, one would see that Wilf’s irises looked like sapphires holding back lightning storms and his flesh took on properties of touched materials while maintaining its suppleness, while Tuyu was vaporously attached to Wilf like an atmospheric mycelial network which let them share their senses and allowed Tuyu to experience all of the physical sensations that Kamii lacked for the first time; taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. For Wilf, his senses were augmented through how Kamii perceive the world; it was as if the very environment around him, as far as he could see, was an extension of his awareness and body. It took weeks for them to grow accustomed to all of the new perceptions. They made small journeys at first, so as to not overload their minds with new experiences, then longer and longer ventures were made as they learned how to utilize and focus their abilities without being overwhelmed.

Once they felt fully in control and adapted to their novel symbiosis, they realized that they now had a greater responsibility to the Hiplings, the Kami of the Pocket, and to Rel himself; living legends representing the pinnacle of their kind. Wilf drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes and Tuyu rippled across his body with quiet anticipation. Releasing his breath slowly, his eyes opened as he stood and looked out onto the horizon once more, he caught sight of creatures emerging from the ocean below and approaching the cliffs. He focused his attention on the creatures, bringing them into sharper focus, and he noticed the midday sun glinting off of pointed metal spears in their hands. When they started fighting savagely to the death amongst themselves over a large fish, with the only concern being the strongest get to eat the most, Wilf and Tuyu knew that these new creatures were not kind-hearted and would pose a threat to the Pocket. The Kamling turned their gaze away, feeling a deep sadness welling up from within; it was time to teach again, to find those amongst their people who were capable of living with the last resort, to save what and who they love.

---A Hand Reaching Out---

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After Wilf left, Rel took the time to grow another banyan to replace the one he angrily tossed, and walked amongst his small orchard, back to his puttering old self. As he mindlessly munched on a banana, listening to the calming sounds of the sōzu, he slowly became aware of a droning chirring past his hedge gate. “That’s new…” he mumbled to himself as he finished his snack. Pocketing the peel absently, he strode past the gate and found himself immediately sharing consciousness with Relloc. Through their connection, and Relloc’s connection with all native life on the Pocket, the chirring was almost deafening. Rel pulled back slightly, until he could get himself accustomed to the sudden onslaught of sound, then reached out to his avatar to ask for acceptance of searching its memories. Once agreed, Rel discovered another Dreamer had visited while he was having his episode and heart-to-heart with Wilf. “Mistress Penia? Well, I finally have an actual name for one of my siblings now. Not exactly the way I envisioned First Contact, but it is what it is. And I see that Wilf has already influenced you, Relloc. ‘Letting them prove to themselves they are more than just Little Hiplings’, hmm?” He felt Relloc’s slight unease for speaking so candidly to another Dreamer. “Be at ease, friend! He and I already have come to terms; they are indeed as you see them, more than what I chose to see. While I would have preferred a warmer greeting from my sister, I shall play by their rules for now. To review, there are three concerns that require attention; two most immediate and one of nebulous timing. New insects, eating away at the forests? Wonderful! A foe from the sea that only understands might and violence? Brilliant! Last, but not least, three months of cold with minimal food or rain? Fantastic!” The face of the Great Tree raised an eyebrow in confusion and concern; Rel seemed happy with this, what happened between him and the First Hipling? Rel picked up on his avatar’s inner thoughts and chuckled. “That’s for Wilf to tell you. First, that is. I’ll give my side of it afterwards. As for happiness? Penia did not lay waste to them and gave them challenges she felt the Hopeful had a fair chance of overcoming; this is something to be mildly accepting of and happy about! That being said, you and I are not going to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Unspoken rules between Dreamers and all that. Besides, this will let them prove themselves to themselves, which is ultimately more important than them proving it to me, right? Now, let’s see what happens!”

---To A Heart In Doubt---

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The Yvapurũ had been watching the cicadas ever since the hunters came back with their stories, categorizing them according to their colors and effects, trying to think of ways to prevent them from overtaking the Pocket. They watched what happened when birds and rodents tried to eat the cicadas or were hostile towards them; the blue ones stiffened the body, yellow gave one the shakes and react to unseen things, red made for swelling and turned non-killing wounds deadly through blood loss, green caused one to vomit from both ends, purple gave the sleepies, and orange seemed to make even breathing painful and the misfortune of insatiably itchy blotches. Talking has proved ineffective; the cicadas only understood eating, breeding, and laying. Direct physical assault would be impossible; can’t touch them without them biting or so it seemed. The jumping spiders seemed to be enjoying themselves, unaffected by the bites of the cicadas or devouring them. A possibility, but the insects outnumbered the current population of arachnids. They scratched their beards as they considered what to do. The sudden downpours of heavy rain didn’t seem to affect them much, the cicadas just came back. They didn’t want to obliterate the forests, that would deprive themselves of food as much as the insects, not to mention everything else on the island. There was also no guarantee it would work. If they grew the forests back, would the invasive bugs return? After a few days of watching and deliberating, the Hiplings noticed the chirring grew quieter for a time, and the trees creaked in their discomfort. As the Yvapurũ approached the trees, they noticed the fallen bodies of the insects on the ground, their life’s purpose having been fulfilled. As a group, they blended in with their surroundings, waiting and watching.

A ground squirrel came within sight, sniffing the air cautiously before approaching the easy protein the insect bodies represented now; they could no longer bite, so it should be safe, it reasoned. One of the younger members wanted to call out to the squirrel, warn it away, but decided against it; if it could touch the dead insect without harm, the Yvapurũ could collect the bodies safely. The young druid instead gave the squirrel a subtle mental nudge, making one of the purple cicadas look the most enticing of all the colors. The rodent perked its ears up, zeroing in on the closest purple cicada, and quickly thwapped it with a paw before jumping back. It too had learned to be cautious, whether through previous experience or having watched others of its kind fall victim to the insects’ bites. After nothing happened for a few seconds, it grabbed the bug up and began eating. Once it got through about half of its meal, it swayed a bit and promptly fell to the ground, unconscious. Feeling emboldened by this, the Hiplings let go of their hiding and approached the trees without trepidation, pushing the bodies aside with their feet. Reaching out their wills to speak with the trees, they learned that the new insects burrowed within their wooden flesh to lay their eggs, causing them distress. While creatures native to the Pocket have done the same, the rainbow cicadas were too numerous and out of sync with the ecological balance, creating too many hollows and bare spots on the tree. The trees also spoke of feeling dry at their roots, which was unheard of with how much rain they usually received, so the Yvapurũ concentrated their minds on moving aside the earth from the roots slowly and methodically. Between two and four Hiplings deep, they discovered little multi-colored grubs and nymphs; most of the other bug babies were whitish, so they reasoned these must be cicada babies. The rainbow wrigglies looked to be drinking the moisture from the root systems, maybe getting sustenance that way as well? The understanding of their lifecycle was becoming clearer; burrow underground to drink at the soft roots, emerge from the ground to find a good resting spot in the trees, turn into their adult forms to begin feasting and mating, make little bug creches in the branches of trees, and then likely fall to the earth when ready to go underground to begin the cycle anew.

With that knowledge, the Hipling druids made their plans to potentially contain the damage caused to the plants of the Pocket, with the understanding that this process would be cyclical until fully contained. First, they would create a special section within the Rest, next to and twice as long and wide as the room containing the Learning Crystal, lined with living wood on the sides and ceiling. Loosely packed earth approximately six Hiplings deep for the root systems of the living walls, to be leveled to the spot where the entrance was formed. The “entrance” wouldn’t be an opening as such; their bonded Kami would shape the stone and wood out of their way, then shape it back into place behind them. Stone channels would crisscross the wood on the ceiling, with fine holes too small for the bugs to crawl through would create faux rain cycles, fed water in the same way they designed the system for the Rest Stop. Day and night cycles would be simulated through the use of orichalcum veins laced throughout wood lining; all the veins would be centrally connected to a living orichalcum beam that ran below the mountain that could be controlled by Relloc, directing varying amounts of either Arcane or Divine flow. Mangoes, nectarines, bananas, and other fruits would be brought in for them to eat during their feasting cycles, with a layer of protection around individual Hiplings provided by the Kamii. Second, they would collect a certain number of wrigglies by placing soil- and root-filled containers below the trees to catch them as they fell. These would then be transported to the Rainbow Chamber and emptied to allow for the insects to bury themselves again; the soil height to be maintained at the six Hipling deep mark and regulated by a rotation of volunteering Kami, attaching themselves to the Rainbow Chamber to assist in further understanding and observation of these new creatures. Third, young jumping spiders would be used to manage the number of cicadas; once the spiders’ appetites grew too large, they would be guided back into the wild. Fourth, the druids and hunters would collect the dead bodies of the cicadas for further study; it might be possible that crushing the bodies into powder would provide them means to use the cicada effects for beneficial purposes. Fifth, after wriggly collection, the Yvapurũ would direct legions of native ants towards the eggs in the trees and the grubs and nymphs in the ground as a new food source; the likely population increase in ants would be necessary for this task while being more manageable than the cicadas. Sixth, they would repair the damage done to the trees as soon as it was safe to do so and only eat the fallen fruits for a time as a matter of respect for the trees’ assistance. The first three measures would preserve the existence of the cicadas, providing them what they needed in order to maintain healthy numbers; while they might be a danger to the Pocket if left uncontrolled, they still deserved existence and would be carefully supported. The last three measures would help contain and eventually eradicate the wild Rainbow Cicadas in a disciplined manner. With the initial strategies plotted, the Yvapurũ all nodded solemnly in agreement and stretched their limbs; it was time for them to prove they were truly stewards of the land, to prove the trust given to them was not misplaced, to protect and serve the life within the Pocket.

---It’s the Smallest Spark---

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Even if the cliffs and gravity would delay the threat from the sea, Wilf wasted no time in finding Hiplings among the First and Second generations and Kamii willing to protect the Pocket and their own, letting the druids focus on their tasks with the cicadas. He spoke with the engineers first, detailing his plans for defensive rings of traps encompassing the Pocket, getting progressively more harmful from the edges of the island inward. Simple jungle covered pit traps filled with brambles. Work with the Kami to have trees produce extra sticky and pungent insect attracting sap. Deep pits lined with stone and sharp shards of ceramics that seal shut at two Hipling height intervals. Easily detectable “false” traps that lead to trees filled with jumping spiders in their branches. Tunnels with pressure plates that trigger mechanically thrown spears that eventually lead to bristly-back dens. Deep, murky pools of water filled with tari'ira and piraya. He left them with explanations of how to create such things, using the knowledge from his dreamings, noting that these were only rough ideas and to get creative. One “trap” the Kamling pair took upon themselves was to extend the Deepworld Inkwell to encircle the Pocket to be the first defense past the banyan barrier, making a twenty-foot wide ring with the only breaks in the circle being the Twin Falls, and moving trees back far enough to not be felled for bridges. When first discovered, the Hiplings asked the Kami of its nature, learning that creatures made of ink would arise when they sensed something truly disparate from the natural order of the creatures around it; this would definitely filter out not only the threat from the sea, but any other non-Pocket natives as well. When that task was completed, he moved about the Pocket with the agility and speed of a Kami, his features blending seamlessly with his surroundings, meeting with experienced hunters, trappers, and a few untasked druids. Once he gathered what he felt was enough, he brought them out to the caldera edges, showing them all the signs of the threat Penia described. More and more of the ocean below was dotted with carcasses of large fish and the bodies of the invaders, marking their path towards the island.

“We’ve, Tuyu and I, gathered you all here to show you what is coming. Rel’s sibling, Penia, described a plague of insects to come to our land and here they are. Most of the Yvapurũ and a team of builders are working on containing that threat and seem to have a solid plan. She also spoke of a threat from the sea, and as you can see, it is coming. Thankfully, they seem only a few times larger than us and we have some time on our side; the ocean is larger than they and we have our cliffs to aid us. I do not think it wise to assume they would not have the ability to scale the cliffs or swim up the Twin Falls; why head towards such obstacles if you have no means to overcome them? Lady Penia also told us the threat from the sea only respects might and violence, something that is abhorrent to us, yet we are not strangers to. Do we not hunt and bring down prey? Do the rodents just lay down and let their sparks fade so we can eat? We do what needs doing and give our respects in their passing. If what Penia says is truth, these creatures are cruel, spiteful, and would not give thanks to their hunt. Those of us that have been through countless moons can understand this, even if we do not like it; these creatures are seemingly no better than wounded bristly-backs and will not listen to words. We must accept upon our shoulders the weight of violence against other sapient beings, should words fail to achieve peaceful understanding. We do the tasks that the other Hopeful should never have to do, so they remain unjaded in this world. Those of us here today, we are the Burdened.” There was no joyous tone in Wilf’s voice for that title, just a grim and resolute understanding that sometimes one has to do distasteful things if it means preventing greater harm.

“We are still the Hopeful, we still share our kindness with each other and those that do not bear us ill will, we still help where it is needed. When we must act, when it is time to do the Needful, we do our work as much as we can in the shadows and without telling. We do these things quietly, quickly, and with as little pain as possible, like we do on our hunts. If we do not have time to mourn or give thanks after the Needful is done, we do it as soon as we are safe to do so; this is part of what will help us bear the weight of our duties, separate us from the sea threat and others in the world like them. We take no pride or joy in doing what must be done, we accept no accolades upon completion, we bear no malice at the task, and grieve for the ending of their path. When we must confront an aggressive creature, we first attempt communication, preferably from safety. Should that fail, we then attempt to make their goals too difficult to achieve, through traps or escalating mobile harassment. If they remain undeterred in their pursuit, this is when we truly shoulder the Burden, to stand our ground and prepare ourselves to do the Needful. Even then, we should not be without mercy. Tuyu and I have developed a style of fighting based on fusing the Hipling knack for engineering, our natural predilection for achieving more with less exertion, and the Kami’s innate understanding of the movements of nature. We are calling it Hipkido for now, but perhaps you will come to a more efficient form, and can name your improved style something more fitting?” Wilf smiled softly, looking out at those around him give little chuffs and ear wiggles of amusement. He could feel Tuyu communicating to their Kami family, effortlessly gifting the whole of the style to them, who would then impart it to their Hipling counterparts as they learned at their own pace.

“Wieldable sticks of all sizes, ceramic cutters, and vine ropes will be our weapons of choice, should we have them, otherwise we use our bodies and knowledge. Our attacks will focus on redirecting our opponent’s strength, going with the flow of their motion to control our adversary, to use less of ourselves while they use more; we seek to exhaust first and foremost. If we cannot outlast, we will then move to incapacitate. Joint locks, pressure points, extra sensitive bits if they have them.” He cupped his twig and berries as he said the last, eliciting a wince from the others. “The Needful, in this situation, starts with pain; a warning that if one continues, it will get worse from here. Like any structure, a body has points of vulnerability, and focusing on damaging those points will cause the entirety to weaken. Especially should it continue to exert itself and cause more harm through its own actions. This is the moment where we focus on immobilization and removing methods of attack. Ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and lower jaw or mandibles. We shatter bones, tear tendons and ligaments, and over-extend joints to the point of uselessness. This is the second to final warning; we are giving them a painful opportunity to cease their course of violence of their own volition before we move on to the last resort.” Wilf paused there, letting the words and ideas sink in, his ears low to his head and a remorseful look on his face. “Hopefully, we won’t have to go any further than that. The damage caused so far should be enough; they might not be able to walk away, but they’ll continue to live, and be able to heal from it. We have given them multiple opportunities to change their minds. As they lay broken on the ground, should they choose to threaten us or promise future harm, we will ask them one final time if they truly mean those words. If they give us no reason to doubt their sincerity, we will move decisively to separate the spark from their bodies as quickly and painlessly as possible, removing their threat from this world. There is no reason to prolong their suffering any further. Their decisions led to a lifetime of pain, culminating to this point, where we give them their last kindness; a merciful ending.” The others reflected Wilf’s features as they nodded grimly, understanding just what the Last Resort truly meant for their opponents and themselves.

“As we move out into the world, there may be other tasks that could be considered as doing the Needful, they may not even be related to violence. As of now, we do not know what they would be, but we will discuss the tasks as they come up before we act on them. For such things, we must understand why it is a Burden to accept and agree to it. We do not know the ways of the Not-Hiplings, we do not want to cause harm unintentionally or intentionally, this is not our way. We help, we share, we learn; these are our ways as Hiplings and Kami of the Pocket, even the Burdened. We will be travelling with the sojourners in large enough groups to serve effectively, but always an odd number, so if there is to be debate there will always be a deciding number. One last thing to mention before we learn about something more fun, we are not to be leaders of any of these ventures to the outside world. Remember, we work behind the scenes; we can serve as advisors, but we will only guide when asked, otherwise we just watch, listen, and go about our daily routines.” Wilf clapped his hands to signal the end of the stark subjects and grinned at those assembled. “Now, who’s ready to learn how to really work together as a group? Tuyu and I have worked out some neat new ways for Hiplings and Kamii to get even more out of Kami Bonding than what we’ve typically been using it for; Hipling-inspired Kami artistry! Or, if you prefer, Applied Kami-stry!”

The Kamling demonstrated many new techniques of how to achieve greater results from working together between a single Hipling and Kami pairing, as well as a group of pairings. Using the detritus and material of the environment around them, Tuyu and Wilf gathered enough mass to surround themselves to give Wilf a larger body composed of earth, leaves, and water that looked like a four-foot elemental Hipling. This new body (Author’s note: Think of it like an elemental mech-suit.) displayed a strength to match its new size yet retained all the fluidity and grace of a Kami guided by the creativity of a Hipling, able to perform all the movements of Hipkido, allowing for the leverage necessary to battle larger opponents. A single pairing could reach the size of a typical human, though those with a longer period of bonding could get to twice that size. A group of pairings working in unison, linked through the Kami and maintaining a different portion of the “body”, could attain a size comparable to a quarter of the height of Relloc. The upper limit seemed to be around fifty pairings, getting to about half the size of Relloc; any more than that then the linked communication started to “stutter” causing the movements to get shaky and disjointed. In addition to size and mass, states and movement of matter could be controlled as well, with the Hipling protected from the various changes of temperature or consistency. Water could become steam or ice, stone becoming magma or mud, so on and so forth. Materials could shift around the body, such as making hands, weapons, tools, or localized “armor” of stone or similar hard material, or gaps to allow a strike or projectile to flow through harmlessly.

As the Burdened came to understand what they were being taught, they cemented this knowledge in the way that worked best for them, which was through play and games. Learning through fun allowed for creativity to blossom, granting room for the “I wonder” and “What if” to spark new ways of doing things. The threat from the sea was approaching, but there was still time for these particular Hopeful to enjoy themselves, to remind themselves of what they accepted the Burden for. There would eventually come a time when love, kindness, wonder, and peacefulness would be a precious commodity for this world. That working together, respectful of strengths and weaknesses while acknowledging differences, will make of this world a better place for all. The Hopeful will serve as a reminder of that belief and the Burdened will ensure that not all hope is lost. Maybe, against all odds, the creatures from the sea will come to learn that strength and violence are not the only things to be respected. Who knows? Some might even learn to be Hopeful!

**Fuzzy Math** · 2024-01-27, 11:55 AM (ISO 8601)

Soon Has Arrived, Pt.2

---That Can Light the Dark---

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While the Pocket was still plentiful for now, Penia’s first two tidings have come to fruition, and the Hiplings had no reason to doubt the third. They understood that they needed gather more food in preparation for the times of sparsity, but how were they supposed to prevent the gathered food from spoiling before those times ended? Of all the predictions Rel’s sibling made, the thought of there not being enough to eat was disconcerting enough to cause trouble sleeping, which is likely what caused the incident at the chamber of the Learning Crystal. As this was a subject near and dear to a Hipling’s heart, all that were not preoccupied with a task they could not step away from were present, filling the space to near bursting. After much discussing of what to ask the crystal, an elder placed a hand upon the crystal, still sorting the question as it spoke. Rather than ask the crystal how to specifically preserve food so it would last longer, they more broadly inquired about techniques for preserving materials in general, causing the Learning Crystal to explain not only the techniques of foodstuff preservation but also the preservation of many organic and inorganic materials. As the knowledge from the Learning Crystal was processed and filtered, those that understood at the most complex level then explained in less complicated terms to the others that were close to grasping the ideas, causing a chain of breaking down the intricacies to the simplest terms for the youngest among them. Questions, answers, confirmations went back and forth until all comprehended the teachings of the Crystal and made their way back out of the chamber.

The incident caused something of a minor enlightenment, spurring their minds to reach new concepts and chase new theories, enthusiastically sharing their findings with others. They studied the world around them, animals, plants, and fungi, in a new light and curious wonder; adapting the acceptance of Is-ness to include How it Is and Why it Is. All of the preservation methods described how materials interacted with their environment and other materials, leading to the realization of chemicals; what they were, how to extract or produce them, their reactions, combinations, and applications. This in turn led to the discovery of glassmaking, which had the fortunate property of being nonreactive to every new chemical discovered so far, so the Hiplings began creating glassworks and storage rooms within the Rest to prevent any damage to the forests from accidents. Many methods required the use of oils and resins that were either produced or extracted from animals, bugs, and plants, with the Hopeful learning through trial and error how to procure these substances safely not only for themselves, but also the wildlife involved. Thoughts of conservation and ensuring supply became a concern; it would not do if the cost of making preservation materials led to the depletion and harm of their sources.

Setting themselves to figuring out a solution, they concluded that plant life would be much easier to maintain and populate, as beasts proved to be much more selective in breeding and required more of the resources the Hiplings themselves were trying to conserve. Resolving to just make use of every part of their small hunts until they could figure out how to comfortably rear the beasts, they focused on breeding plants; they could be just as particular as the beasts, but in more manageable ways, only needing the right environmental factors to thrive and the means for pollination. While the engineers and builders were figuring out the logistics for both problems, a few druids watched with amusement for a few moments, before walking over to the side and stood silently until noticed. When the planners finally realized the Yvapurũ, the druids asked why they were working harder and not smarter; nature has already provided the solution and there was no reason to reinvent the bee. The builders stood there in silence with their mouths open to speak, but as the druidic wisdom dawned on them, their open mouths turned to grins and words to laughter. Of course! It was far easier to design something for the bees than to figure out a new system in place of them. Portable, comfortable, and protected hive spaces, to keep the bees as stress-free as possible.

The absolute giant of a Hipling named Longstrod, standing at a height of nearly seven average Hiplings, was one of the Yvapurũ present. As a First Generation, he had observed many things, but his particular passion was bugs. All kinds, whether they be six-legged, eight-legged, much-more-legged, or no-legged, aggressive or nonaggressive, terrifying or adorable; they were all fascinating to him. When the engineers then asked druids for their opinions on what designs would work best for both Hiplings and the bees, they found Longstrod was nearly as knowledgeable as the Learning Crystal, able to describe in fine detail and more than enough information about colony formation, hierarchy, hive structure, preferred temperatures, breeding cycles, best times to collect honey and wax, so on and so forth. With his guidance the engineers and builders were able to build a hive box that would fit within the parameters they set and would rival, if not be slightly better, than a natural hive in terms of comfort and safety for their new fuzzy little farmers.

With the pollination aspect squared away, they turned their focus to regulating the environmental situations. While those that were Kami bonded could control such things, or the Yvapurũ with their connection to nature, they would have to almost constantly monitor and be present for that to be effective. Certainly not ideal when their talents and duties needed them elsewhere when called upon. Instead, the Hipling engineers came up with a solution that was an amalgamation of discoveries past and present that would allow them to grow plants all year-long; a building of glass walls and preserved wooden frames, hydraulic powered fans for continuous ventilation and humidity control, watering systems that can control volume and frequency, a special hive designed for the structure, ceramic containers for easier plant transfers if needed, and soil enrichment through derived chemicals. These structures would be called greenhouses and could be made to scale to accommodate plant sizes, mobility for transport of the buildings in their entirety, or size restrictions due to location.

Three tidings from Lady Penia; the cicadas were present, the sea threat was near, and the months of scarcity that potentially lie ahead in the future. The Hopeful rose to the challenges, unbent by the burden, heads held high. Time will tell if all their plans and preparations were enough to remain unbroken. Adapt, overcome, and survive. For now, they still had work to do. Gathering and preserving food would take time they may not have; Penia wasn’t exact on the timing for any of her predictions, so they will continue thinking “It could be tomorrow!” until everything was in place. They remained optimistic about their future, pleased with the progress they made, and the knowledge they gained from their discoveries could be shared when they met others willing to learn. Soon has finally arrived! The Hiplings were as ready as they will ever be to explore this world! They just hope it has good food and good company when they get there…

---That’s How You Change the World---

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Many buildings and workplaces have been constructed. The collection and study of the Rainbow Cicadas was underway. The rainwater collection systems and pumping stations to move the liquid energy where it needed to go were in place. The traps have been laid and mapped, with more being built as time goes on, and the knowledge of their placement dispersed amongst the Hopeful. The Burdened trained their bodies and minds, going through the flows of motion in Hipkido, until it was mostly muscle memory. Various preservation projects were being implemented, working in shifts, so no time was wasted, with at least two months’ worth of food already preserved and stored in a massive Vault within the Rest. Both avatar and deity watched on as the Hopeful moved with an inexhaustible industriousness spurred on by both necessity and the joy of creating; as one wave of Hiplings and Kami finished their tasks of the day, another wave took their place, ensuring that everything that could be completed was done so in a timely fashion. Rel and Relloc held true to their word, not lifting a physical or figurative finger, letting the Hopeful handle Penia’s trials with their own ingenuity and designs. Rel was finally at ease with what Relloc and the Hopeful themselves knew all along; the Hiplings could take care of themselves. Realizing he couldn’t prepare them for everything they could possibly face took more time than he cared to admit, but he eventually got there in the end. There were going to be bruises, harsh lessons learned, and possibly losses, and he just had to accept what they already had. Smiling upon his creations and taking pride in their own creations, he was ready to let them from under his protective embrace if not his watchful eye. He would keep himself to his promise, to only intervene when necessary from here on out.

Both of their attentions were pulled away from the little dreamers suddenly to focus on the Triangle Pass. The Pocket had visitors! It seems that Rel’s plans for building accommodations within the Pass were finally being put to use by the froglings and he could sense their apprehension, but not the cause. Through Relloc, he sent word to Wilf to gather a group comprised of the Burdened, the Yvapurũ, engineers, builders, and food makers. “Wilf, please greet our new guests, with gifts of coffee and mango grubs, with caution but not fear. If the visitors offer gifts in return, accept them. There might be language barriers, but the Kami may be able to speak through mind pictures, or the froglings may have means of their own. You and yours have proven yourselves ready for this. Soon has officially become Now! The explorations of the Hopeful begin today, no matter how small the steps made, the journey must begin somewhere!” Rel smiled as he slipped from Relloc back to his Bungalow; a new day, a new beginning, a new world. If all goes well, a new friendship will be made and made properly. Over a cup of coffee, maybe some breakfast, and working together on making something beneficial for all.

Spoiler: Animals Mentioned

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Spoiler: Bristly-back

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Bristly-back

Spoiler: Tari'ira

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Tari'ira

Spoiler: Piraya

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Piraya

Spoiler: AP Spending

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AP Remaining After Rollover: 29

Raise Hero (2AP) – Wilf, the First Hipling: Wilf was the first Hipling dreamt into existence, making him positively ancient even by Hipling standards, has been accidentally transformed into a Kamling by Rel’s essence and love. While the others are not aware of his discussion with Rel, they have noticed a difference in him since that day. A hero in more ways than one, to Rel and the Hopeful, he is always prepared to do the Needful in order to protect them, their cause, and way of life. [Healing (Repairs) 4/10]

Raise Hero (2AP) – Tuyu, the Beloved: Wilf’s love and mate. While traditional mating is highly unlikely between them, they love and care for each other none-the-less. Tuyuwé-yumbuiçawa-puçangaçawa is only a little older than Wilf in age, having watched over the Pocket since its inception. Their bond with Wilf runs deeper than any other Kami Bonding, made all the stronger by Rel’s essence mixing with their form, their soul has intertwined with the First Hipling’s and has conferred elevated abilities above regular Kamii. [Healing (Repairs) 6/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Structural Engineering (Engineering): With indirect knowledge and inspiration coming from Wilf’s dreams, the Hiplings have mastered the design of the 'bones and joints' that create the form and shape of structures, taking their love of building even further. Structural engineers also must understand and calculate the stability, strength, rigidity and damage susceptibility of built structures including buildings, nonbuilding structures, and machinery. [Science (Engineering) 1/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Precise Mechanisms: With indirect knowledge and inspiration coming from Wilf’s dreams, Hipling engineers have learned how to make small, interlocking and interplaying complex parts that work together to achieve greater results. [Science (Engineering) 2/10]

Create Mundane Concept (MUA Charge) – Leatherworking: With indirect knowledge coming from Wilf’s dreams while holding a Learning Shard in his sleep, he passed along the teachings of how to produce leather from the hides of their hunts, along with potential applications such as belts, bags, and cloaks.

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Physics: Motion, gravity, the interaction of moving objects. What causes it and how does it work? Hipling engineers studying the small parts began to wonder about the finer intricacies of how all these little parts function. Physics is the natural science of matter, involving the study of matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. [Nature (Science) 2/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Mechanical Engineering (Engineering): With indirect knowledge and inspiration coming from Wilf’s dreams of small parts, mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that involve force and movement, as well as the means of how to provide said power and motion. Mechanical engineers analyze their work using the principles of motion, energy, and force, ensuring that designs function safely, efficiently, and reliably. [Science (Engineering 3/10]

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Anatomy: With indirect knowledge and inspiration coming from Wilf’s dreams, and direct knowledge from their more severe accidents and hunts, the Hiplings have learned just how bodies function and their constituent parts. With this discovery, they now know which parts are vital for function, and what areas need to be protected at all costs. [Healing (Repairs) 8/10]

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Complex Mechanical Traps: Graduating from their simple traps, Hiplings have started combining their knowledge of Precise Mechanisms and engineering to make far more effective, and potentially deadly, traps. Some of the designs are single-use, while others have been built for manual and automatic resetting. [Science (Engineering) 5/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Scientific Method: The Hiplings have begun to categorize their observations and discoveries about the world through theory and experimentation, committing processes to memory, and creating replicable results. [Nature (Science) 3/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Entomology (Scientific Method): While the study of bugs might have been inspired by the Rainbow Cicadas, it didn’t stop with them. Certain Hiplings were particularly passionate about this subject, adding volumes of observations about all things crawly to the Hopeful knowledge base. [Nature (Science) 4/10]

Create Organization (1AP) – The Burdened: These are the Hopeful who have dedicated themselves to doing the Needful, taking on the weight of non-Hipling-like behavior in order to protect and serve, functioning as something like a militaristic intelligence group (Think Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare). Observe without being noticed, identify and discuss the level of Needfulness that needs doing, carry out the lifting of the Burden. [Healing (Repairs) 9/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) – Martial Arts: With indirect knowledge and inspiration coming from Wilf’s dreams, the Hero came to understand the basics of fighting with style, which led to the creation of Hipkido. [Healing (Repairs) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Hipkido: Currently locked to Hiplings and Kami of the Pocket; this is an advanced martial art designed around the principles of engineering, focusing more on on non-lethal methods of combat, though lethality was not ignored. Expanded flexibility, throws, joint locks, pressure points, attacking critical points of function, are all incorporated into this martial style. [Science (Engineering) 7/10]

Create Mythological Sub-Concept (2AP) – Applied Kami-stry (Kami-Bonding): Currently locked to Hiplings and Kami of the Pocket; Applied Kami-stry is a means of Hiplings and Kami working together to achieve mutual goals (or just having fun!) through combining the abilities of Kami with the creativity and knowledge of the Hiplings. [Nature (Science) 6/10]

Create Mundane Concept (MUA Charge) – Preservation Techniques: Due to a mistaken framing of a question posited to the Learning Crystal, the Hiplings gained the knowledge of many forms of preservation methods and what they could be applied to.

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) – Natural History: All this life around them and they barely knew anything about it. Enlightened by the preservation methods taught by the Crystal, the Hiplings began to study the local flora, fungi, and fauna more closely. [Nature (Science) 7/10]

Create Mundane Concept (MUA Charge) – Natural Science: Combining all they have learned about engineering, the Hiplings wondered if it also applied it to the world around them, so they turned to the Learning Crystal to see if their notions of how the world functions were close. (Minor handwaving involved; I couldn’t think of how I wanted to fit this is the narrative.) The Crystal and further studies illuminated the basics, hinting at further mysteries to be solved at a future time.

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Chemistry: Extrapolating from preservation methods, applying concepts of Precision Mechanics, Cooking, Physics, and Natural Science, the Hiplings have discovered one of the basic building blocks of all matter. Chemistry deals with the properties, composition, and structure of substances (defined as elements and compounds), the transformations they undergo, and the energy that is released or absorbed during these processes. [Science (Engineering) 9/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Glassware: Through Chemistry, the Hiplings have discovered the versatile material known as glass, along with the materials required and processes to make it. Primarily used to make containers for substances, there have been experiments in other designs, both practical and creative. [Science (Engineering) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) – Resins: Utilizing natural substances from plants and animals, such as lacquer, oil, pitch, and wax to coat and preserve objects for various purposes; the Hopeful seek to protect important materials from adverse effects. [Nature (Science) 8/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Horticulture: The Hiplings have figured out how to grow plants (and fungi) for purposes of preservation, conservation, and food production. Further studies are ongoing to determine if certain properties can be encouraged or discouraged through selective breeding. [Nature (Science) 9/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) – Apiculture: If the Hiplings applied themselves a little harder, they could be living with A’s, but they’re getting along just fine with bees! From Longstrod’s meticulous observations about all things entomological, the Hopeful have learned how to raise bees for pollination efforts, tasty honey, and wax for preservatives. [Nature (Science) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Teach Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Greenhouse (Horticulture): Combining an array of recent discoveries, the Hiplings have endeavored to construct environmentally regulated spaces for flora and fungi to grow optimally all year round as well as providing an extra layer of protection for the bees. [Life (Biology) 1/10]

AP Spent: 29
AP Remaining: 0

Progress:
[Healing (Repairs) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!)]
[Science (Engineering) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]
[Nature (Science) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET! Greater Deity status achieved!]
[Life (Biology) 1/10]

**Fuzzy Math** · 2024-02-11, 04:06 PM (ISO 8601)

I'm Pickin' Up Good Vibrations

While the Hiplings and Lolats were busy building relations and potential alliances, Rel did something he rarely enjoyed as it usually led to lesser results, but he had limited time and needed to move quickly; the dreaded act of multitasking. He felt more capable as of late, so perhaps this time would be different, or the diminished results would be comparable to his previous works at the very least. Dividing his essence between Relloc and a manifestation within the Bungalow, so he could both observe the happenings within the Pocket and work on an idea gleaned from the conversation between the Speaker and Wilf, he set himself to task. During his Dreamings in the Void, he watched the less scrupulous of Kish Eru binding Kamii through chant and song then splintering them into shards, to be embedded within one’s Inner World to gain a fraction of their abilities; while Rel found the practice detestable, as there was no consent given, maybe it could be adapted. ‘Does this Atodana talk to you… …it could tell you where it feels discomfort.’

The Erudites, or maybe they simply called themselves the Kish, adapted pact magics for their own purposes, and removed the agreement between two parties. While Rel did not care much for the typical twisting of the agreement, it was still a redeemable and required aspect of the magic, and the removal of it created a form of slavery. In his eyes, personal agency was sacrosanct, and this magical binding was a perverse act; it removed an individual's ability to control their own behaviors and reactions to circumstances beyond their control, even if their actions are limited by someone or something else. One could argue that his little ones did something similar with their traps and fighting style, but that would be a straw man fallacy. The defensive tactics of the Hopeful, while potentially harmful, still allowed for the choice to continue or desist.

This was going to require art, science, and divinity to match. The power of the songs suggested some sort of mechanical resonance, just enough to cause the subject to physically seize, and perhaps a subharmonic pitch to implant an overriding command of subservience. Contemplating materials, Rel placed his hand upon his forge, pulling forth a crystal set within brass mesh. Waving his hands over this contraption, he imbued an enhanced durability and capacity for matching vibration without shattering. Scritching at his beard, he adjusted the metaphysical properties, making sure that this would only function with the individual’s purposeful intent and natural mental rhythms for synchronization to occur. As a potential countermeasure, the process would require the object to be held against the creature’s skin or essence for the period of one week, allowing it time to reconsider the ramifications of the transition. Nodding to himself, Rel focused on the process of Transitioning, doing what he could to make it as painless as possible.

Once the vibrations of the enmeshed crystal matched the physical and mental resonances of the creature, an ethereal whisper would be heard in their minds, explaining that nothing short of divine influence would be able to reverse the transition. Their physical form would become that of the enmeshed crystal and whatever non-living thing it was attached to, their senses limited to the design of the attached, their abilities limited to what their mind could understand and achieve. In return, they would gain a possibly unlimited lifespan, depending on if the crystal is destroyed. While able to precisely locate damage or deterioration at the minutest level in their new body, there would no longer be an ability to feel physical pain or hunger, though satiating one’s mind would become paramount. While movement would be limited by design, such as if the object the crystal is attached to has the means, be it wheels, sails, or legs, there would no longer be physical fatigue. One could travel for years, as long as their body held out. If the crystal is removed from the attached object, the object becomes what it once was while one’s self becomes homed entirely within the confines of the enmeshed crystal, able to be attached to something else; allowing the subject to gain new perspectives and experiences. The creature would then be asked if they wished to continue. If answered in the negative, the crystal immediately loses the resonance, and the process would have to begin again. If answered in the positive, the creature would be reminded that this transition is nearly irreversible and to be absolutely certain that transferring one’s being into the enmeshed crystal with the stated limitations is truly desired. This will be the final chance for the creature to back out; the process ends without harm if denied or the transition is completed immediately if accepted.

Stepping away from the forge, Rel pondered what he had just created. Did it have the potential for great harm? Of course it did, but no more than the weapons of others he had seen. It also had the potential for allowing others the chance to continue their journey should their bodies fail them or for a loved one to continue being a presence in their family’s life. He was certain there would be outcomes he could not foresee, but such was the fate of all creation; the hoped for purpose of a decision was never guaranteed. Reaching down into the Sanctus Aquaeductus, he lightly sent a reverberation through it, causing the creation of this new crystal to grow along its path. He then placed the enmeshed crystal within a chest made of amber and silver along with procedure instructions that would be spoken in local dialect depending on who opened the chest, duplicated it eight times, then really tested his new limitations by travelling into the Void with his creations. One by one, he transported a chest to inconspicuous locations for others to find; one within the greatest mountain of the Chain, one buried beneath a great pile of bodies in the middle of the Empire, one tucked away in a forgotten building of the Imperium Animi, one placed within the boughs of the largest corpse tree on Adanat, one in the mustiest corner of a Meadow Bloom witch’s garden shed, one placed discretely upon the palm of the Northern Hand within sight of a particularly observant Tome Guardian, one placed at a dead-end twisted alley of Kish-Eru, one placed within the coral of the Coral Abode, and the original was placed within one of the currently unused rooms of the Rest Stop. As the last was placed, Rel turned all of his focus back to the happenings on the Pocket, his gifts to his siblings’ creations to be found at their own pace.

Spoiler: AP Spent

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AP Remaining After Rollover: 21

Bless/Curse (1AP) – Resonance Crystals: Special crystals that grow along the twisting Ley Lines/Sanctus Aquaeductus; they can synchronize with the physical and mental resonances of a creature holding them. They serve no function outside of serving as the medium for Manual Transition. [Journeys (Transformation) 1/10]

Create Mythic Sub-Concept (2AP) – Manual Transition (Wasteland Pact Magic): By attuning the enmeshed crystal to one’s own physical and mental frequencies, a creature is given the opportunity to transition from their mortal bodies to that of the crystal. When attached to a non-living object, microscopic dendritic tendrils spread throughout, causing no damage to the object, allowing the creature to spread itself through the object. As only the body is given up in the process, all knowledge and mental abilities remain able to be used. If the object has means of motion, the mind within the crystal is capable of moving the object itself, otherwise they can potentially use any arcane, divine, or psionic ability to overcome that lack. If the object is designed in a way that has a facsimile of a face, such as a masthead, mural, or gargoyle, the creature can see and speak through such things. The enmeshed crystal can be transferred between objects, should the entity wish itself be moved, allowing it to experience new “bodies” and perspectives. As an example, an entity attached to a ship with a masthead can see where it can move its head, can move its sails and oars by itself, and can pinpoint where damage is within the entirety of the ship. If a creature is forced into the transition process, by physical duress or magical/psychic subjugation, the transition will fail and will cause the crystal to break down into dust. [Journeys (Transformation) 3/10]

AP Spent: 3
AP Remaining: 18

Progress:
[Life (Biology) 1/10]
[Journeys (Transformation) 3/10]

**Demidos** · 2024-02-24, 07:58 PM (ISO 8601)

Pirates, adventurers, travelers, freedom lovers. The words changed, but the Drevish simply lived life as they found it. With their basic needs sated by the Storied Isles, much of their days were spent in leisure, punctuated by bouts of intense action. Amidst the boredom, some took up the sport of free-diving – although the Isles themselves extended deep into the ocean, their enchantment only extended shallowly into the waters around them, and much sea life spread from the coral of the deeper parts of the ocean grew upon these shallow waters, fed by the ambient magic, converting many into wondrous labyrinths bursting with color, fish and seaweed. These labyrinths were favorites of the Drevish, leaving open the opportunity for sport and the finding of true pearls that did not degrade within a months’ time.

For some groups of Drevish, these pearls or the complex geometric shells of the Nua’Tse became trading goods, or currency that could be traded. Naturally receptive to ambient magic, their shells grow in distinctive geometric shapes approximating runes, with each rune associated with the magics of the distinctive island from which they have grown. In the eyes of an expert, this is often an easy way to appraise the veracity of such shells, as they can be exposed to the magic of any given island and should begin to react with the magic in an expected way. The Nua’Tse also grow throughout their lifespan, always becoming larger. The shells of the biggest Nua’Tse could be used as habitations, as the shells were natually buoyant once the creatures themselves were removed.

Some of the Drevish communities also welcome Luminals, refugees from the war in Kish-Eru that often take on positions of importance in the Drevish towns thanks to their light-based powers, functioning as both protectors of lost ships and defenders of the Drevish.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Create Concept: Free Diving – The Drevish are naturally adapted to the water in so far as any of the landbound humans can be. The Drevish often dive for many minutes in their play and pursuit of underwater treasures, and can hold their breath for extreme periods of time using a series of breathing techniques they have developed within their communities.

Create Monster (Nua’Tse) – the Nua’Tse are a species of crab-like shellfish that have grown common in the area around the islands. Naturally receptive to ambient magic, their shells grow in distinctive geometric shapes approximating runes, with each rune associated with the magics of the distinctive island from which they have grown. In the eyes of an expert, this is often an easy way to appraise the veracity of such shells, as they can be exposed to the magic of any given island and should begin to react with the magic in an expected way. The Nua’Tse also grow throughout their lifespan, always becoming larger. As the islands are still new, there is no known maximum size, but ones the size of houses have been spotted and used as the base for new dwellings. It is somewhat concerning that as they grow larger, local Drevish have begun to report strange phenomena following the movements of the largest of these new creatures….

**Fuzzy Math** · 2024-02-28, 10:38 PM (ISO 8601)

What A Day For A Daydream

As the Hopeful were going about their tasks and play, enjoying little moments of reverie during periods of idleness, Rel slid inspiration and deeper understanding into their minds unbidden. Simpler, yet missing, pieces of information relating to their more advanced knowledge. While they accepted the Is-ness of things as they were, understanding the why’s and how’s deepened their understanding of the world around them. This is not to say there weren’t breakthroughs however!

Simple addition and subtraction was not new to them, they could count how many fruits they had before and after a feasting. Nor was geometry, as they were able to calculate distances and the volume of spaces. What they discovered was what came naturally to them existed within nature as well, firming the somewhat fluid concept of mathematics in their minds into a definitive science. Plants and trees grew to certain sizes depending on the levels of nutrients they were able to attain and space to grow in, the flow of fluids gained or loss speed depending on direction and inclination, the exact amount of pressure needed to break open a nutshell without pulverizing the nut instead of getting lucky. The weavers idly making vine ropes wondered if they could use the smaller and fluffier plant fibers that weren’t strong enough for ropes to make something else, resulting in tiny ropes that could be woven into large sheets for crafting various items; blankets, cloaks, window coverings, and the like. As some of the Hopeful watched the Lolats working on their sky-basket, they realized that the froglings could not grow their reeds into the shapes they needed, having to cut, measure, fit, and weave smaller pieces together to make their repairs. With the Hiplings being much smaller and with the help of the Kamii blending abilities, the Hipling engineers were able to closely observe this process, when they had an epiphany involving their own woodworking skills. Rather than growing the wood into the shapes they needed, they could instead cut and shape fallen branches to fit together, using interlocking joinery and different types of wood for added durability.

There were among the Hopeful those who worked with metals, even making steel by inadvertently mixing compounds and other metals together, primarily for making more durable hunting traps or frames for the greenhouses. Granted, not with forges and hammers, but with the help of the Kamii extracting and shaping the elements as needed. As their minds wandered in the tedium, they followed their wondering this time, instead of shaking the thoughts from their minds. Perhaps the accidental metals they created could be beneficial in other ways? What other mixtures could be made? What would happen if the metals were heated or chilled; temperature difference had an effect on chemicals, why not metal? Little moments of speculation and experimentation led them to discoveries of stronger metals that could serve many purposes. Smashers that wouldn’t crack, cutters that didn’t chip as often, and grippers that held a firmer bite.

While creating these new tools, they noticed imperfections every so often, little irregularities that made for faulty function. They wondered if there was a way to make their tools the same way every time, removing the time wasted by having to create another to replace the malfunction. The idea and solution came from the unlikeliest of places; watching the littlest among them playing with river sand and discarded nutshells. The children would fill the shells with wet sand, really packing it in, then firmly smack it on the ground to dislodge the contents. The older Hiplings approached, watching as the little ones did this again and again, making their sandy half-nuts on the banks. More than a good few of them retained enough detail of the inner contours of the shells! The little Hiplings didn’t understand why the adults looked so excited, nor why they were given big slices of dried mango, but they were happy to accept the gifts for quietly playing with their sandshapes and blocks. The adults chattered amongst themselves quickly, deciding upon making ceramic molds in the shapes needed after calculating the ideals of the tools desired, then pouring the metals in to see if it worked. After multiple successes, the idea took root and spread out amongst other applications; cooking foods into fun shapes, freezing liquids into pleasing designs, making structural improvements more uniformly.

As the Hopeful were planning out their structural projects and collecting various insects for their secretions, terms and definitions slowly came to their minds that described these tasks. Arc’ture? Ark-uh-texture? Not quite… Architecture! The process for making the models that became buildings was called architecture! Herding, corralling, and breeding the insects in specially prepared conservatories, particularly the big waxy buggalo beetles, was now referred as insect farming. Along with the resins, the Hopeful also experimented with the webbing of spiders and strands from certain caterpillars, coating their leather gloves with substances that prevented adhesion. Perhaps the weavers could make something from it, or maybe the hunters and engineers could use it for better traps. The concept of hydroponics slowly drifted into their minds as they began envisioning scenarios of places the Hopeful might go where there was not enough healthy soil for plants to draw nutrients from, so they began coming up with solutions now to be better prepared, just in case. The stories the Hopeful told each other were usual informal affairs; sharing observations throughout their day or insights gleaned from particularly ponderous moments, with others as they traveled the Pocket. Before this mid-day’s feast, one of the elders established a new tradition: The Big Telling. This was to be done after a Feast, but before they all joined the Pile; any of the Hopeful who wished to share important information or an entertaining story would be able to address all those gathered, though limited to a few minutes each, to better be able to reach a greater number of ears and minds. This way, new ideas and amusing tales can be dreamt on during the Pile, allowing for renewed conversations after a good nap to add to the Knowing.

Through their study of anatomy, their own and other creatures within the Pocket, the Hopeful committed these findings to memory and learned how treat various physical ailments. This allowed them to categorize illnesses and recommend treatments for a speedier recovery. Medically beneficial chemicals were discovered mostly by accident; certain leaf-wraps they used for bandages enabled wounds to heal faster than others, which caused further experimentations and explorations with numerous plants and minerals. Along with this, they learned how to better extract and prepare these compounds in ways best suited for treatment, whether it be a salve, injection, tonic, or small tablet. The Hiplings rarely had illnesses last longer than a day at most, no more than two with minimal activity, but these new medicines helped shorten that down considerably. Taking the knowledge from these two concepts, the Hopeful applied these lessons towards the creatures they cared for, whether it be animal or bug. At the same time, within the upper canopies, a curious property of water was discovered. As small droplets of water collected on a leaf, a nearby Hipling named Myur was relaxing and observing its surroundings, when it happened to notice all of the droplets coming together into a singular large bead of water. Glancing through it, before the bead fell from the leaf, the Hipling saw that it displayed an enlarged image of the leaf it was on. The grooved surfaces and fine fibrous hairs that held the water onto the leaf for as long as they could, the shine of the morning sun appearing brighter and more spread out upon the leaf’s surface. For any other Hipling this would have been an idle curiosity, but this was one of the most prolific naturalists among the Hopeful, and what it saw got its mind running through possibilities. Good glass was as clear as clean water, maybe it could have the same property if the shape was similar to that of a water bead? Perhaps different curves would produce different results? Making its way down to the others, Myur spoke excitedly with the engineers and glassworkers, explaining what it saw. They had learned so much from the world around them already, but there was always something new to be discovered, adapted from nature into new techniques and sciences.

The arrival of the Lolat envoy sparked many ideas and possibilities within the Pocket, spreading amongst the Hopeful at a faster rate than usual, spurred on by the potential for making new friends and maybe exploring new lands. Even if only a select few could make that trip, there could be other chances for more expeditions, to travel with the froglings in their air-baskets. The Hiplings and the Pocket-Kamii were ready, eager to help in any way they could, and hoping to learn more about the world beyond their borders.

Spoiler: AP Spending

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AP Remaining After Rollover: 28

Create Mundane Concept (1AP) - Mathematics: More of a realization of a fundamental concept of the universe than a new discovery, the Hiplings have acquired the understanding of mathematics as a science and can use it for more precise creations. [Construction (Improvements) 1/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) - Textiles: Well, if you’re going to travel, you need a towel! The Hiplings have intuited how to make fabrics from various plant fibers and silks. [Journeys (Transformation) 4/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Carpentry: While there are no right angles in nature, sometimes you need a ninety-degree perspective to make things work. The Hopeful now understand how to make things from wood without shaping living wood to fit their designs. [Journeys (Transformation) 5/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) - Metalworking: The Hiplings might not use traditional methods for metalworking, but through experimentation they now understand the principles for the creation of alloys and tool creation. [Journeys (Transformation) 6/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Steel Making: While its creation was accidental initially, steel became the first proven alloy the Hiplings recreated on purpose for its durability. [Journeys (Transformation) 7/10]

Create Mundane Concept (1AP) - Casting: When you need a bunch of things to be ninety-eight percent identical, you can’t rely on the skill of one individual making those items or many individuals making their own item; you make a mold of the item and pour/pack the medium in! While typically used in metalworking, the Hopeful have also adapted it to work with Applied Kami-stry, Culinary Arts, Traps, and their various engineering disciplines. [Journeys (Transformation) 8/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Architecture: The Hopeful now know the term for designing the various structures they have been building and how to plan them out more meticulously. [Journeys (Transformation) 9/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) - Insect Farms: When most of your populace is six inches tall, one learns to farm the creatures that are smaller or only a little larger than yourself. Primarily used for conservation and preservation efforts, insect farming has been adapted for silk gathering as well. Entoculture is near the bottom of the list for farming purposes, but the possibility is not unthinkable. [Life (Biology) 2/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Sericulture: There are numerous different properties between plant fiber and critter-silk, but both can be woven similarly. Applying the new concept of textiles to the bug ropes, the Hopeful have learned how to make silk variations of fabrics as well. [Life (Biology) 3/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Hydroponics: There will come a time when a plant needs growing and there’s just not enough healthy soil, or so the Hiplings postulated of the world beyond the Pocket. Using a system of substrates for the roots to take hold of, they have created a process to supply plants the nutrients they need through fluid mediums. [Life (Biology) 4/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) - Storytellers: While the Hiplings are still a loquacious group, their talks were usually informal affairs amongst a small group. They have established the tradition of the Big (After-Feast) Telling as a means to share their stories and discoveries to a wider audience. [Journeys (Transformation) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Medicine: If it hurts when you do that, stop doing it! The Hopeful have learned a great many things about their physiology and that of the other creatures native to the Pocket, making large strides towards the repairing of injuries and practicing preventative care. [Life (Biology) 5/10]

Teach Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Pharmacology (Medicine): After discovering that certain leaves helped heal scrapes and cuts move efficiently, the Hopeful took to greater study of other materials for medically beneficial chemicals and how they could best be administered. [Life (Biology) 6/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Veterinary (Animal) Medicine (Medicine): If their strides in anatomy, medicine, and pharmacology were good for the Hiplings, they reasoned it would only be the right thing to learn how to care for the creatures not as sapient as them. [Life (Biology) 7/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Veterinary (Entomological) Medicine (Medicine): Most wouldn’t spend the time to learn how to treat the illnesses or injuries of arthropods, as their physiology was too intricate and their breeding cycles produced numerous broods. Given their abundance of curiosity, dedication as stewards of the land, and the relative lack of size difference between Hiplings and most crawlies, the Hopeful spent the time necessary to provide rehabilitative care for even the smallest of creatures. [Life (Biology) 8/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Biomimicry (The Scientific Method): By adapting their observations and studies of the world around them, the Hopeful have learned to recreate nature’s lessons into their understandings of other sciences and engineering concepts. [Life (Biology) 9/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) – Optics: Through the looking droplet, Myur led the Hopeful to discovering the properties of light and how to manipulate it through shaping the medium it travels through, bringing the world of the miniscule into focus. [Construction (Improvements) 2/10

Teach Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Microscopy (Optics): Through their studies of optics, the Hiplings have learned how to view the minutest details of life, with all of its imperfections. This would allow them to repair even the smallest of damages to objects, study the building blocks of life, and prepare treatments for truly tiny creatures. [Life (Biology) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

AP Spent: 18
AP Remaining: 10

Progress:
[Construction (Improvements) 1/10]
[Life (Biology) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]
[Journeys (Transformation) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

**Fuzzy Math** · 2024-03-02, 12:49 AM (ISO 8601)

Watch Me Rise

Rel felt his essence thrumming, straining against the self-defined metaphysical boundaries of what he considered “self”, as time simultaneously stopped and stretched into the infinite while watching the conversation between the Speaker and Wilf. The last time he felt like this, he had one foot upon the First World and another in the Void, having to choose to stay amongst his creations or become something more than what he was. He fought it as long as he could, not wanting to give up the closeness with the Hiplings, but he knew it was inevitable. The world created by his siblings and himself was simply too delicate to contain an evolving Dreamer. As he progressed, becoming more confident in his capabilities, the surges were relatively mild and gave him time to adjust. This time felt different; this was not going to be mild and there would be no time to conform the power to his understanding. No, this was going to be a Big One. He was going to have to bend his understanding as best he could to his new form. While Rel was certain Relloc could house a portion of his awareness, he doubted he’d be able to cohabitate the shared mindspace any more than that.

There was still time before the transition though; he could still provide one last physical gift to the Hopeful while he still had the capacity. Realizing they would be traveling to lands that may not respond to their connection to nature or areas where the Pocket-Kami cannot help them, Rel set about creating his first intentional artifact; he had no conscious memory of creating the Learning Crystal, even if it sounded like something he would have done. He considered a multitool at first, a small rod made of morphic metal that changed shape depending on the wielder’s desires, able to do the work of a million Hiplings. That would certainly be useful, but perhaps wouldn’t be as precise as they would need. A block and tackle system, when adjusted for perspective, that had the potential to move mountains? The Hopeful would be too concerned for the natural balance for that to work. Rel unfocused his mind, letting it drift through waves of possibilities, until it eventually caught on something.

He remembered the model Rest he created for them to plan out the Rest Stop and a vague vision of them creating a topographical map from the soil to mark important locations. He would make something they already had a firm grasp of using, something both simple and elegant. A collapsible modelling table that could expand to ten by ten by ten meters and condense down to one by one by two centimeters; large enough for them to make a model they could physically enter and build in, small enough for them to carry in a pack. The frames and legs would be made of orichalc-wood, the same material Relloc’s physical form was created from. The drafting surface would be formed from solidified divine essence, with the appearance of serenely polished chrome reflecting faint moonlight. When it was expanded, they would only have to touch the drafting surface and it would make a perfect three-dimensional chromatic model of the landscape they wished to alter, down to the smallest creature and finest detail. Able to zoom in and out, the Hopeful could then make their changes on the model, observing the effects and repercussions of their prospective plans before committing them to action. Once the drafts and revisions were finalized, the table will present two options, commit changes or abort without committing. If committed, the alteration process would begin and take seven days to complete, no matter if it was a minor change or a great change. If aborted, the drafting surface returns to a flat plane, and nothing is altered. As a failsafe in case they have to leave in a hurry, if the table is condensed without selecting either option, that will be treated as if aborting.

Willing the artifact into existence at the base of Relloc’s trunk took much less effort than he thought it would, although imparting the instructions for its use to his avatar was nominally taxing, as Rel had to go through every permutation of potential questions the little ones might have in a matter of minutes. Once done, he felt another surge of power fill his being, signaling that the last rise was nearing. His attention drifted to the Void, watching the star mantas dive and twirl on the backdrop of the expansive black, catching occasional glimmers of other realms of existence as they danced past. So much potential for existence, for life, for creation… He could sense the essence of a few of his siblings; some were close to this next and possibly last step in their Dreaming, others were content with being amongst their creations, and most seemed content to focus their energies on this world. How many Dreamers have faded to the Empty Slumber? How many grew discontented with their dream, forcing themselves to angrily wake? He still felt the echoes of the Weaver with a small sadness but let them pass over him.

“We are still here, we still Dream…” Rel solemnly whispered out into the Void.

He drew forth the power welling within, forming it into a loom of cosmic energies, able to weave the fluxing possibilities of the Void into new planes of existence. If Rel was going to make the next and possibly final leap, he felt that he would be the first of his siblings to do so, so he took the responsibility unto himself to provide them new spaces to Dream and grow. Should this First World be destroyed or left to its own devices, he would ensure that there would be other chances for his brothers and sisters to experience new worlds for them to continue to play in and with. The Unburdened, the Lord of Sloth and Artifice, was the epitome of Is-ness. Some may have drifted into the dreamless black, some may have Awoken, but Rel just Is. There was always going to be something that needed doing or improving and it could only be put off for so long. Grunting with the effort he began weaving a new plane into existence, one for himself and all of his siblings, a place for them to gather and discuss. As he would come to know them, he would add sections to the nascent realm that would be uniquely theirs for them to feel comfortable in, though they would all have clear boundaries with intermingling energies bleeding together. In the center of this plane would be a large hall with a table for them all to sit at, whether it be for family gatherings, or to settle disputes. Whether or not this would live up to his intentions, Rel wanted to at least give it a chance; a neutral space for the Dreamers to congregate and share stories at best, or to air grievances and scheme at worst.

With that last bit of effort, Rel felt himself split into a smaller awareness that still remained within Relloc and a larger awareness within the Void, taking in both the enormity of existence and seeing just how precious it is. He was going to need a multiversal minute or more to process this new development, letting his larger awareness just drift with the mantas, as it learned what it meant to be an Elder Dreamer…

Spoiler: AP Spending

Show

AP Remaining: 10

Create Minor Utility Artifact (3AP; Alter Land) – The Drafting Table: A modeling table gifted to the Hopeful, allowing them to (slowly) shape the land with exacting detail and careful planning. [Construction (Improvements) 5/10]

Create Greater Utility Artifact (5AP; Weave Plane) – The Looming Cosmic: A great loom for Rel’s use that enables him to bring new planes into existence with greater ease. [Construction (Improvements) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Weave Plane 2AP (3AP-GUA) – The Great Convention: A plane for Rel and the other Dreamers to convene, should they choose, to enjoy each other’s company, hash out details for joint efforts, or to hopefully come to amicable solutions between the disgruntled. Different sections of the realm will be added as Rel comes to learn of his siblings that are designed for their comfort in mind. [TBD 1/10]

AP Spent: 10
AP Remaining: 0

Progress:
[Construction (Improvements) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET! Elder Deity status achieved!]
[TBD 1/10]

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