[RP] Dawn of Divinity

[Catostrophy 111]

“There is no such thing as ‘is.’ Unless it’s in this sentence.”
-Ixthalizzum

 

The Lord of Uncertainty awoke from an unusually pleasant dream. He felt as if something wonderful had been birthed into the world--born of madness and uncontrolled power. Though he felt a little drained she chose not to investigate to see if the dream was actually made real. After all, what was more pleasing to the madgod’s nature than not knowing for certain? 

 

Stretching a thousand arms, Ixthalizzum pulled himself out of the great Crag, sampling a few rat creatures he saw on his way. The moons darted across the sky in their heavenly dance, and the home of Kaha-Nu-Bahu slipped past the rocky Ix. He clicked his many tongues in mild frustration, partly hoping they would collide. Or at least he thought he hoped that. He was fairly sure he liked the moons as they were. Unless he didn’t. 

 

With a thought, his mass schlorped out into the ocean and sped beneath the violent waters of the oceans in the direction of his Orb of Chaos. There was a fight to be settled with the Lord of Destruction and Ixthalizzum refused to lose. He needed that stone from his mountain! It was the only thing that mattered to him now. 

 

Finally arriving, he immediately saw a dozen behemoths circling the Orb, attacking and eating one-another in their wonderfully irrational way. This pleased the madgod, and she decided to reward them with his incomprehensible power. He needed ‘clay’ for his vessel, after all. Taking hold of their writhing and frothing forms, he tore them to pieces and reassembled them into something more useful to his purposes. Their irregularities needed to be replaced with a more consistent form so it had a better chance against whatever repulsively logical monster Exitius had formed. 

 

Its body would be massive so it could ward off the monsters of the deep. It would have two arms to grapple and grasp, and two legs to stand tall and wade through the oceans. Its mind would be as Ixthalizzum’s, and would evoke madness in any mortal creature that would deign to look upon its visage. Its face was a repulsive mass of tentacles, like those of his behemoths. Its flesh would be thick and unyielding to all but the power of gods. It would wield the magical energies of the Orb. And also it would have wings. Because it needed to fly to get to the top of the mountain (why did he choose that spot for the duel, again...?). Finally infusing the creature with a part of his own being, Ixthalizzum’s avatar rose from the ocean floor. 



And with a portion of his will, he sent his beautiful creation towards the Mountain of Exitius’ making to do battle. 

[10AP] Creating an avatar to slap up Exitius’ dragon.

[4AP] Ordering the avatar to slap up Exitius’ dragon.

[1AP] Got drained from Ixthalizzum in order to make big worms.

1AP Left over. 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Catostrophy

[HyperionSibuna 1]

Vyrnen:

Guardian of all earthly creatures.

 

 

 

Vyrnen awoke from its slumber, observing the world. With a new pool of power to call upon Vyrnen set out, exploring the world. Finding that it has changed very little. Vyrnen decides to return to its island. Checking on the status of its beautiful little creatures. They have prospered and number in the thousands. Populating the island, Vyrnen decides to introduce them to other parts of the world. Setting them free on the continents around the island. Once they have been introduced to a majority of the world Vyrnen decides to give them one final gift, sentience. Allowing them to think freely on their own. No longer held back by their basic intelligence. Vyrnen’s little creatures would be set free upon the world. Hopefully, they will be able to survive outside of the island.

 

 

Race created -20 AP

5 ap left.

[Samoblivion 531]

THE SECOND AGE – The World and Its Becoming

Turn 6

 

Spoiler

 

 

And so it came, the End of the Beginning. In these final days of the First Age were finishing touches made to initial creations, and plans put in place for the future.

 

Skatal and Lavrat-es make understated impacts upon this last act of the First Age. Lavrat-es simply conserves her power, retreating into the World Throne. Skatal introduces a new insidious element to the world in a final act – the concept of disease.

 

So it was that the first sentients came into being, from the will of the Great Dreamer – with a little help from the Mad God. Brought forth from nothing, the create Sand Worms were created. Running the gamut of sizes and experiences throughout their lives, these creatures will be best known to their contemporaries as truly titanic worm-like beings, moving through the sands of their home continent like a fish through water, or like the greater elementals that roam the rest of the World-Sphere. Though many may think it barren, the desert sands have become a thriving homogenous ecosystem of microscopic larvae, sedentary spawning towers and most recognisably the vast, pseudo-cannibalistic, sapient third-stage of their life cycle. Far do they roam, and further still do their minds wander. The Sand Worms are the first beings, aside from the Gods themselves, to think of the “Self” and the “Other”, and their thoughts can be transmitted to each other – ideas and intents shared and discussed. Time will tell how these titans will develop.

 

The Worms are not alone in the vaunted title of “Ancient Race”, for the favoured beasts of Vyrnen have been blessed with similar gifts. Delivered by their patron to homes across the globe are the newly christened Nyren. Where once was instinct is now intelligence and self-recognition. Packs become tribes, and alphas become chieftains. No longer simple animals, the Nyrnen stand tall on digitigrade legs, with bark like skin, long muscular tails and long horse-like faces. Flung from their ancient home by their creator, the Nyren tribes can no longer rely on the plentiful hunting and foraging grounds of the utopian Isle of Vyrnen. Life is tough, and they must use every faculty now afforded to them in order to survive. Some cannot adapt to this and are quickly claimed by the cruelty of nature. Most adapt with gusto. Their strong claws have long made easy weapons and tools, but now they find themselves fashioning purpose built constructions for these tasks. Inhabiting pockets across the world, the Nyrnen adopt fortified shelters and endeavour to protect themselves from wild beasts and elements. Intelligence has given them great insight – observing the flames created by the passage of an elemental, the cleverest amongst them adopt this strange force and bring it back to their tribes. Within days, most Nyrnen tribes have learned the use of fire. No longer are the Nyren covered on a sceptred isle, though they remember this land fondly pass it down in myth. This is just the start of their journey. They now see the world with new eyes, with wonder and ambition.

 

As well as new races are the first truly active Avatars created. After a parable worthy of myth is the mighty lion Vu’u ascended into an instrument of Ruby Lady, Kaha-Nu-Buhu. For now Vu’u dwells in Kaha’s temple on the west coast of its largest continent, acting as its custodian and guardian.

 

The Avatars of Exitius and Ixthalizzum are another matter entirely. Finally making his draconic form manifest as a separate avatar, Exitius sends the mighty engine of destruction screaming at the creation of Ixthalizzum, a monstrous beast adapted from his behemoths and swolen with the power of his chaotic magic orb in the deeps. The two hurtled into each other and clashed at the shores of Exitium. Back and forth they fight in cataclysmic impact of power and destruction, dragon grappling behemoth, behemoth buffetting dragon with chaotic energy. For now, things are evenly matched, but the effect is devestating. With the peak of Exitius’ mountain as the battleground, the continent is laid waste. Venandi yelp in fear at the thunder-crash of their impacts, and even the mighty dragons cower at the awesome duel. As this age draws to a close, neither titanic avatar has gained the upper hand... and as manifestations of divine will, they are inexhaustible. Their war appears eternal.

 

Spoiler

 

 

---

 

For one god, however, comes punishment. For abusing the powers of the world, and extending himself too far and too brazenly in the use of such little divine power to create such a far reaching act as to influence another vast swathe of sea in his alignment experiment, arcane Yngbald has earned THE WRATH OF AO. And lo, for the skies above his seas darken and his ordered act becomes chaotic destruction. His neutral realm is not created at all... but his dormant temple of poisonous barriers is. And to much greater effect than intended. Behold, godlings, as the temple reduces the ENTIRE alignment effected region a poisoned wasteland. Both the Good and Evil seas are now graveyards for the fish beasts that lived there, as all of them succumb to the choking waters intended only for their border region. The alignments still stand... but DEATH knows neither good nor evil. It simply IS. And that is all that exists in those seas, for now. Choking, poisonous death, the beings that died there being oblitered – body and soul, for their souls are poisoned and corrupted beyond any measure that would allow them entry into Tuhinga O Mua. Instead these spirits linger, chaotic and vile, corporeal yet still dead. A great Ghost Reef. For aeons will the vaguely animated bones of those enigmatic experimental species wash upon the shores of the greater continent, a testament to the failure, hubris and disregard that Yngbald is shown. True to Yngbald’s vision, there is neutrality. The neutrality of the grave.

 

---

 

AND LO, for what was prophesised by mighty Ao comes to pass. A great calm comes over all the gods, as they are silently recalled to the Void. They look upon their creations and see them fade from view. The time has come for the gods to pass from the world into obscurity and inaction. A state not unlike their pre-birth overtakes them as they are left small and unthinking, simply paused in a second of time.

 

And then, there is existence once more. The Gods have passed through stasis, through the great nothing and emerged again. Let us see how their World-Sphere has fared in their absence.

 

---

 

THE SECOND AGE BEGINS

 

Spoiler

 

 

By mortal reckonning, 5000 years have passed without the input of the divines. The fundaments of the world have stayed true. For the most part, all is as it was left. The World-Sphere sits, unturning, orbited by the Sun and the many moons. Plants and beasts have flourished, as they always had. The great landmarks and geographies remain as intended, immutable and still. But it is in their most enigmatic creations that change has occured.

 

In the deserts, the Sand Worms have dwelled now for generations. Though long lived, even the mightiest of these great beasts succumb to time, their collosal dead hulks decaying as intended by Skatal, eroded by the winds and storms, and even by the tiny maws of larvae, but for the most part remain grim monuments within the desert. The giant corpses of their ancestors become focal points for the Sand Worms, gathering points in the vast sea of sand so that individuals of the Third Stage may meet. Their society cannot perhaps be described as “grouped” or “tribal”, as these beings must travel vast distances across the dunes regularly and solitarily in order to feed themselves on their microscopic younglings, but once they are fed and sated (a condition that can last for months) many find it comforting to gather together and commune. Indeed, age and wisdom have become valued among Worm “society”, as the newborn Third Stages are drawn to the vibrations and psionic calls of their elders after newly emerging from their rooted forms. Some gathering points, known to them as “Casts”, have been used for so long that multiple Ancient Ones have died there and have accrued as part of the monumental scenery. The Worms muse on life and reality, and the confines of their world. Some Worms travel between multiple gathering points, sharing knowledge and experiences – allowing the entire population of sentient Third Stages at least some form of interconnectedness with the species as a whole. A great deal of exploration has taken place, resulting in both knowledge and confusion. The Worms have a solid understanding of sand and rock, and the difference between the two – for many a Worm has bumped its head-maw attempting to “swim” through a rock. Less understood is water. Largely blind and relying on vibration and psionic communication for navigation, many a Worm has died accidentally swimming into the ocean and drowning in panic upon not realising that it is water. Indeed some Worm Casts are set upon along the coasts to both study, and fear, the waters. Also relevant to the Worms is the sharing and revelation of dreams. Truly, these creatures are children of Wol-Kot, for they have developed an intense fascination with the dreaming dimension. Their telepathy allows them to truly share entire dreams with each other. Some elders have even used the dreaming dimension for exploration, finding that they do not die if swimming through water while within the realms of sleep – but even they are quite disturbed by its difference from the sands they are used to, and have not yet astral-projected far enough to discover other continents. Some dreaming Worms have even glimpsed Soth-Kogarth and the echo of the sleeping god. This intrigues them greatly. Indeed, intrepid worms have even burst through the lowest levels of the sand into opening of the Underpath... but only a fraction survive the experience of the deep, sandless world, and the predatory horrors there. Those that return are both fearful and curious however, and a few meetings of nearby Worm Casts have considered the possibility of exploring these tunnels en masse... simply slamming through the beasts and delving deep, consuming the Underpath horrors as sustenance instead of the usual larvae. The weird world of Worm humour rears its head hear, as some joke about how anything other than their own children as a meal would taste odd. Another major element of Worm spirituality and philosophy is something quite familiar to the gods – the Idol of Bruk. Having slammed into the world on the desert continent now home to the Sand Worms, the titanic minds are quite enamoured with it. Long have they known of the danger of roving elementals, and their unintentional propensity for shredding Worms they come in contact with, and curious Worms tracking their movements (or simply trawling the deserts for a meal of larvae) have encountered the crater that is home to the Idol. It is quite clearly “small” by Third Stage Worm standards, but indeed an oddity, bristling with a power that tugs at their very being but cannot quite comprehend. A Worm Cast has established itself near the Crater of Bruk, and has become somewhat reverent of the smiley pebble. Indeed, it is not uncommon for a worm to rub its segmented body against the stony, monumental corpse of an Ancient One in an attempt to replicate the sacred phrase: “Bruk.”

 

While the Worms propagate in the desert, the rest of the World-Sphere has become home to the hardy Nyren. Though not ever-present across the surface, Nyrnen tribes are present in areas an all continents, except the desert continent. That poor group died quickly from lack of food and water, their corpses quickly covered by shifting sands and devoured by hungry Worm larvae – their Skeletons becoming curiousities for wandering Worms. Elsewhere, the Nyren have thrived. Most commonly, they have established themselves on hilltops and crags in dank river valleys, forming into close nit chiefdoms relying on foraging and the hunt for food. Some have begun to keep herd beasts and selectively breed edible plants, but they are the minority. Caves and natural shelters remain key dwellings, but equally common are purposebuilt structures out of the most easily available material. Over generations, the Nyren have developed a deep story telling culture, sharing tales both real and imagined. The most common shared myth is that of the Old Home, a beautiful island where their people were born, before being sent out into the world – as a child must one day leave womb of its mother. They remember the Old Home with reverence, and hope one day to find it again. Other tales have more religious elements. Most common are tales of the unpredictable days and nights of the moons foretelling important events, and animals being deities. Most commonly revered are the greater elementals, leaving unintended trails of destruction as they wander across and through the landscape to unclear destinations, and their lesser elemental cousins. Many a Nyren has killed or maimed themselves attempting to “kill” or communicate with these unintelligent and volatile agglomerations of stone, fire, and magic, and a greater elemental demolishing a village by walking through it has inspired many small cults. Some religious traditions, however, may prove lasting. A tribe of Nyren have settled in the river valley near Kaha-Nu-Buhu’s Soul Reef. Fisherfolk are known to catch the soul-wielding sealife for food, and feel strangely invigorated or wistful upon consuming them. Some brave scouts have even ventured close to Kaha’s Temple, but fled at the sight of the petrified monkey and the vastly more terrifying fiery lion Vu’u. For now, the Nyren of the Soul Reef are unsure, even fearful of Kaha’s creations. But that may change. Another Nyrnen tribe have settled in the Forest of Yngbald, near the Great Adamantine tree, which they have come to regard as a divinity in and of itself. The properties of the forest have inculcated a deep understanding of herbal medicine among this tribe, and some of the more experienced shamans are even beginning to ponder the runes on the sacred tree. In the far southern forests, a similar tale unfolds, with these Nyren dwelling in the realm that once belonged to Do-rah – they fear the glade of Failed Mortals as cursed, as do they fear the influence of the Herdstone that was once the Wild God. Only the shamans venture near there, to snare the docile animals, and so risk their minds to the wildness that buzzes in the minds of those who approach the statue. Some, however, are inspired to acts of greatness. These inspired shamans lead their tribe in acts of brilliance that surpass the others, damming rivers to catch fish and cultivating the first ever farms.

 

One thing has remained constant in the last millenia. The Great Duel. For five thousand years the avatars of Exitius and Ixthalizzum have fought a cataclysmic single combat atop the peak of Exitium, the stalemate to end all stalemates. Equally imbued with the power of equal gods, these titanic beings have fulfilled the last commands of their masters and desired nothing but the total annihilation of their opponent. The effect has been immense, with the continent of Exitium – already considered harsh – reduced to a constant battlefield of titans. The Venandi and dragons live in constant fear of the clashing beasts, their packs migrating away when possible (for the two combatants can spend decades slugging it out in a single valley), but many a wolf-beast or reptile has been crushed heedlessly underfoot. So disturbed are the bestial dragons that the vast majority of their population have migrated away from Exitium, flying over the seas to new homes. Small colonies of dragons live in the great mountain chains of all continents, refugees of the apocalyptic battle. The avatars neither notice nor care. Only their masters’ wills matter. And their will is battle. It is highly likely that without intervention this duel will continue till the end of time.

 

The age of mortals is truly upon us. But will these ancients be the only denizens of the world? The laws of Ao shift once more, and it is all too possible that more sentient races will dwell upon the World-Sphere.

 

 

---

 

MAP:

 

 

OUTDATED MAP BUT WE’LL GO WITH IT. Nyren tribes are present on all continents, Worms only on the desert. Will be more accurate on racial distribution in later turns.

 

AP ROLLS:

Wol-Kot – 10+1

Lavrat-es – 6

Vyrnen – 12+1

Skatal – 4

Yngbald – 6+3

Ixthalizzum – 5+1

Exitius – 7+1

Kaha-Nu-Buhu – 4+3

–

Bruk – ARTIFACTED

Do-rah – ARTIFACTED

[The_Mad_Skylord 28]

 

EXITIUS, LORD OF DESTRUCTION

 

FIRE and FURY raged across the continent of Exitium, as the MIGHT and MAGNIFICENCE of Exitius clashed with the PUTRID SQUALOR of that heinous creation dreamed up by the Mad God.

 

For millennia FANG and CLAW clashed against the weird tentacles of the ABERRATION. Great wings held the mighty dragon aloft, as it dove and tore at the creature.

 

SCREAMS and ROARS of violent RAGE carried the promise of RETRIBUTION as the Lord of Destruction mustered his power, to be unleashed upon this servant of Ixthalizzum in a way so terrible as to render it ASH.

 

Fire BOILED in the gut of the Dragon, turning, brewing, roiling. Desperate to be released at the will of Exitius, a fragment of his soul possessing his avatar.

 

The Dragon's belly GLOWED white, as the Divine Fire prepared itself, and finally, that white glow spread swiftly upwards, causing the whole underside of the Dragon to shine as it opened its MAW and let loose the Lord of Chaos’ TERRIBLE WRATH.

 

Fire, seeming so thick and so liquid as to be magma, burst from the Dragon's mouth in a great white stream, so bright as to blind all mortal creatures to look too long upon it.

 

The stream hummed with pure power, resonating across the surface of the continent, the surface of the earth as that energy projected itself forwards towards the Great Foe.

 

THE WRATH OF THE GOD OF DEATH IS GIVEN FORM, AND UNLEASHED UPON THE AVATAR OF IXTHALIZZUM, USING THE GREAT DRAGON AS A CONDUIT. - A Catastrophe is released upon the Avatar of Ixthalizzum. 6 AP.

 

2 AP remaining.

[Inferno_Ougi 1454]

Skatal, Bringer of Famine, Lord of Plague

 

His eyes opened with newfound energy and ambition. His power, still felt weak, yet he knew he must expend his power. Crawling out of his great hole, he made his way to a tribe of Nyrnen that had settled on his continent. Oh, how they would be delighted to feel the sting, the jolt of pain that Skatal would inflict. He squeaked to himself, before casting a disease on the tribe. It worked much like a fever, not exactly fast but assuredly difficult for the primitive Nyrnen to treat. No, he did not want them to die immediately. Skatal wished for them to suffer, and to spread. For if they died too quickly, how would they catch on? Their insolence, for living on his land. No, no, Skatal would suffer no longer. The Nyrnen had use, and Skatal would see to it that they would be used.

 

[Actions] – Shape Land (4 points)

 

[Total] – 0 points remaining

[HyperionSibuna 1]

Vyrnen:

Guardian of all earthly creatures.

 

 

 

Vyrnen awoke to explore the world after the long slumber. Observing how the Nrynen has flourished. With high spirits Vyrnen creates a new sentient species and releases them upon the world. They reside in the far north, primarily on the largest continent. Morphing the local ravens into a large creature standing around eight feet tall. Losing their ability to fly however gaining intelligence, strength, speed and the ability to see in both light and dark environments. Primarily on a meat-based diet, these creatures are dubbed Ravaniin by Vyrnen.

 

10 AP used to create race

3AP left

 

[Catostrophy 111]

”If something doesn’t work the first time, it’s possible it may work the seventh or tenth attempt. If not that, it’s more likely to work on the twenty-fifth attempt.”
-Ixthalizzum, God of Uncertainty, Derangement, and Irony.

 

What a majestic world awaited the Changing God as he peered down upon its ever-evolving form. The eons of time had left his crag mostly the same, with silly, brainful creatures slowly spreading across the landscape. What beautiful irregularity they wrought, as they adapted to new environments and explored the world! It was enough to make the Madgod weep with joy! Ixthalizzum suddenly remembered her creature! His wonderful, wonderful creation! How had they fared these past millennia? 

Casting his gaze over to the Isle of Exitium, she screeched with joy to see the battle still continuing! How marvelous it was that his greater behemoth still fended off the predictable attacks of the Lord of Destruction. The Isle was sundered but still intact, however, and this brought his mood down. The whole point of the fight was to destroy the mountain, and yet it still stood! It seemed as if Ixthalizzum was going to have to push things a little farther himself...

With a thought, he drew power from the Orb of Chaos, and focused it towards his creature. The energy of his beast expanded a hundred-fold. Using his beast as a focal point, the chaotic oceans churned with malicious power--focused towards the great Dragon. A force that could turn the tide (get it?) in this fight, and sink Exitius’ stupid creature for good (and hopefully the damned Island along with it!).

 

The Madgod rubbed its many hands in glee, awaiting the coming end...

 

[6AP towards creating a cataclysmic tidal wave directed towards Exitius’ dragon. Consequences be damned!

1AP saved for next turn.

[Zanderaw 161]

“All things are one in Wol-Kot. I alone understand beauty and ugliness, joy and fear, for I have seen them in all of you. Linger here, and perhaps you shall too.”

-The Temple Walls

 

 

 

The Dreamstalker is awake. Every night, he looks into the very souls of the mortals that now cover the earth. They are fascinating creatures, like gods in miniature, and though their goals are infinitely smaller they still seem to carry some of his own ambition. It will be amusing to see what they make of themselves. Perhaps he will even help, if it serves his ends.

 

But it is not the future ambitions of mortals that tempt him. For each carries within them a spark of the divine. In some cases, that spark was once his. He wants it back, with a desire that goes beyond mere fancy. It is a thirst. These souls, without his intervention, will flow to the realm of his sister. She does not deserve them.

 

Wol-Kot is no wrathful god like the two which now spar on the surface. His thirst is cold and patient, and he continues to silently watch. Soth-Kogarth is still and utterly blank, as the full gaze of the Nightweaver turns outward. He prods at mortal souls, whispers to them of things that live in the dark, but above all begins to devise rites to sever their ichor, and claim it as his own.

 

With the Dreamstalker’s view on the outside world, energy begins to accumulate within his cavern. Over the mercury lake around his temple, a silvery mist rises. It grows larger by the year, rising until it fills the cavern, but does not stop there. Over the years it simply thickens, becoming more dense until nearly opaque. Somewhere within, it congeals, and soon shadowy figures walk through the fog, barely visible. Some are humanoid. Some look like nothing anyone on this world has seen before. The temple walls call the being Thokub-Nir...haze of lies.

 

---

 

CREATE AVATAR – A thick fog takes form within Wol-Kot’s cavern, mobile but subservient to the god’s demand. Shadowy conjurations of every form imaginable move within it....or do they? To know for sure whether they are real, one would have to get close, and every time you try they seem to move deeper in the mist and are not seen again. Perhaps they are just illusions, made to unsettle you with...look out behind you! (-10 AP)

 

1 AP remaining

Edited December 16, 2018 by Zanderaw

[DoomedDM 20]

Yngbald, lord of magic and progress

Yngbald looked at the result of his hard work and just let out a sad sigh. It was a shame, that such a grand experiment could not be employed, or was at least delayed. But he supposed this was an experiment in it’s own way. Finding out what happened if Ao was angered. He supposed it was a result of his own hubris. 

 

After his grand sleep and the start of another era Yngbald looked at his adamantine tree. He was delighted to see that the mortals were starting to decipher his runic code and were prospering in his forest. Yngbald wanted to create an avatar but realized that he did not have the power to do so. Neither could he create another race. He might be able to create a subrace of these Nyren but what use would it be. Yngbald then debated what to do, to either spare his energy or to create some kind of artifact. But what sort of artifact could he create. 

 

Then an idea fluttered in the mind of Yngbald. Knowledge was power, and any civilization to arise around his adamantine tree would be sure to desire knowledge. He could make a book but his tree was already a book in essence, and he could create one later. No, the people who would come here should be able to gain knowledge. To be able to observe natural phenonema safely without getting too close or to gain knowledge of their enemies.

 

And as such in the deepest chamber of his adamantine tree Yngbald created a representation of the world sphere. One of hard light. But that was not all that was to it, the user of the artifact can make it focus on one particulair area. To a microscopic level if needed. On top of that mere walls will not stop the gaze of this artifact. Allowing the user to hear, see and read whatever it wanted. Becoming a great tool for mortals to gain information in the future.

 

But then Yngbald supposed, there would need to be something more to the artifact. So rather than just allowing the artifact to go through walls he allowed it to see past other things. To look into the dreams of other beings. As well as allowing the users to look past any amount of solid objects. Thus allowing the user to aquire forbidden knowledge but at their own risk. Meaning that if some people too hard they would go mad. 

 

Then Yngbald added a final touch to the map. He made it so that the map could also be transformed to show the pathways of magic. THe possibilities but also the dangers. To show mortal being when fluctuations would occur or how to best manipulate and attain magical power. 

When he was finshed Yngbald was tired. Then he sat down on a small throne of roots that allowed him to be seated. He then closed his eyes and slumbered once more.

 

---

AP income:

Rolls: 6ap

Less than 4 ap: 1ap

Stored ap: 2 ap

Total ap: 9ap

AP spendage:

6ap, creating the ‘eye’ of Yngbald. (artifact)

3ap, stored for next turn

Edited December 17, 2018 by Roberik

[Vilebranch 280]

Kaha-Nu-Buhu

The Guiding Light

 

[5 AP] – Command Avatar

Kaha-Nu-Buhu sends her servant, Vu’u, to seek after the Vyrnen tribes residing at the mouth of the river. Vu’u’s main purpose on this expedition is to teach the Vyrnen of the River the values of consecrating the dead and also teaching them how to seek out the blessings of their ancestors.

4 AP Remaining

[Samoblivion 531]

THE SECOND AGE – The World and Its Becoming

Turn 7

 

Spoiler

 

 

Once more, the World-Sphere was riven with the actions of the Divines. For five thousand years there had been silence and order in the Void. Now the Gods have returned, and they have plans to enact; wills to be made manifest.

 

And lo, for the opening actions of this new age were those of Destruction. For millenia have the titan avatars of Exitius and Ixthalizzum fought over the now blackened and blighted rocks of Exitium, driving away animals in fear and scarring the earth with their duel. No more, for both gods now seek to end this battle in their favour. These godlings have learned nothing. For when they were made, Ao decreed that all divines were equal in power. Neither the clash of avatars, nor the application of cataclysm can change this. Yet still do the Dragon That Is Exitius, and the Horror of Ixthalizzum prepare their most horrendous of acts. Both channelling the power of their patrons into vast acts of destruction, divine fire meets raw chaotic magic on the last battlefield. Once it had been the summit of Exitius’ Peak. No more. The clash of divine power resounds across the planet. Those on Exitium who could hear were deafened, those who saw the battle were blinded – and the Peak was shattered, utterly. As the two cataclysms met, their raw power vapourised both the dragon avatar and the behemoth, erased from the world in the blink of an eye. For miles around, the land was blasted to chaotic shreds, a wave of fire consuming everything close and the laws of magic and reality unravelling permanently in the area. Mortals will in time know the mountain as the Shatter Peak, and for all time the remnants of the mountain will float, burning and seared with wild magic. It is as if a mountain were exploded into its base rocks and then simply stopped mid explosion. The fragments of stone simply hang there rolling, roiling, burning. And the screams of the avatars in their final moments flow through the region as if it were wind. The Shatter Peak region will be unpassable for all time, a monument to destruction and madness and the end of all things should the godlings ever resort to such upon violence again. The Eternal Duel has ended, but at what cost? Though never exactly an inviting place, millenia of titanic warfare have left the continent of Exitium scarred and decimated. Little grows there, and its lifeforms are few, and desperate.

 

Though they are blasted to bits and their psychic screams forever echoing through the shell of the eternally exploding mountain, the Avatars are not eternally gone. Both Exitius and Ixthalizzum can still feel them, somehow... with the application of divine power, it would be possible to resurrect their avatars. Would they send them to war against each other, or put them to other tasks?

 

Where some destroy, others create. Vyrnen, progenitor of the Nyren, watches his creations with pride yet moves on to newer projects. Taking the forms of the bird and melding them with that similar to the Nyren, Vyrnen creates the first of the younger races – the Ravaniin. These flightless, bipedal birdmen quickly form into tribes amid the cold and unforgiving north – with many building their homes in woodland tree canopies, or scaling the sides of cliffs for protection... and easy access to the eggs and meat of less intelligent birds. Ravaniin communities quickly become focussed on gathering meat for hungry newborns, but those t00 weak to fend for themselves are cast out, as a chick cast from the nest to die. The Ravaniin race are new and young, far far less advanced culturally or technologically than the Nyren tribes who have built villages for themselves and spread across the world – but they show great potential, as the first of a new wave of sentients.

 

Those already present on the world continue their journey through the generations. The Nyren in particular seem of great interest to the awakened gods. The Nyren of the River, those dwelling near the Soul Coast of Kaha-Nu-Buhu are greeted by a great and terrible sight one day, for the avatar Vu’u has come to guide them. Terrifying in his smokey red visage, the warden lion of the Ruby lady eases the concerns of the primitive tribesfolk through his divine presence and begins to instruct them. Speaking in a tongue understood by them, he tells the Nyren of Tuhinga O Mua, the Afterlife, providing the revelation that this existence is not the end. All beings with souls, including their departed ancestors have passed into the rolling fields of Kaha, and can be called upon for aid if needed. This triggers somewhat of a religious genesis in the Nyren of the River. Though still extremely primitive, the Word of Vu’u spreads far and wide throughout their region, as does the consecration of the dead, encouraged by the Great Lion. In the space of a few years, the Nyren of the River have elaborate burial rites and are as much concerned with the life hereafter than they are of living their lives in the here and now. At personal shrines with a lion figurehead, the Nyren of the River commune with their ancestors. Some recieve replies, and others feel invigorated by streams of power sent to them by their departed kin. Time will tell how this newborn religion will develop, but already the simple instructions of Kaha’s avatar have totally altered the world view of this group of sentients.

 

Skatal’s actions toward the Nyren are far less benign than those of his sister. Incensed by the presence of Nyren on “his” continent, vast plagues and poxes harrow the communities there. Many die, but many still survive in pain and in mourning, and watch with horror as Skatalkin come in the night to gnaw at the bodies of their loved ones. They wonder aloud, “Who have we displeased that this wrath is brought upon us?”. They receive no answer. For now.

 

Yngbald watched with pride as the shamans of the Nyren of the Forest probed and deciphered the runes of the Adamantine Tree, and placed within it another mystery for those worthy. The Eye of Yngbald is an artefact of great power, allowing its user to see any point in creation and understand what they see instinctively, even into the minds of others. But with such power comes a cost. Not everything is meant to be seen by mortal eyes. No Nyren have yet breached the inner chamber of the tree, their shamans working methodically through the outer chambers. They have become quite adept at magic, using it to accomplish great acts but also horrible incidents. They will not be prepared for the knowledge of the divine, if they find the Eye and stare too deeply at places not for their ken.

 

The Worms of the desert continue on as they always have, feeding, growing, and dreaming. But their creator is not so sedentary. At his Temple in the Underpaths a new avatar is brought into being. Far less corporeal than those who came before, Thokub-Nir comes into being, eager to do his master’s bidding.

 

Once again, Lavrat-es rests, silent. Is she the next to recede from Creation like her brothers Bruk and Do-rah?

 

---

 

MAP:

 

 

Still a bit outdated, but I’ve added major sentient populations to the map. Because small Nyren tribes are all over the place I’ve only included the largest/most prominent groups. Red hex on Exitium marks the place that’s been nuked.

 

AP ROLLS:

Wol-Kot – 6+2

Lavrat-es – 8

Vyrnen – 7+2

Skatal – 9+1

Yngbald – 12+3

Ixthalizzum – 9+2

Exitius – 4+2

Kaha-Nu-Buhu – 5+3

–

Bruk – ARTIFACTED

Do-rah – ARTIFACTED

[Zanderaw 161]

”Many will try to contest my domain,

And at the end of time all will lay slain.”

-The Seventeenth Column

 

 

 

Soth-Kogarth quakes, as the dreaming god is filled with anger. On the surface, a profane artifact has come into existence, one built to spy on him and the entire world. His brother has overstepped his bounds. As the gaze of Wol-Kot turns to the Adamantine Tree, the forest seems somehow restless.

 

It begins among the Nyren, most attuned to the Nightweaver’s essence. Every morning, they begin to speak to each other of strangely-vivid dreams. Damp tunnels beckon, filled with every horror imaginable. Gargantuan columns of ancient stone, carved with a language that none recognize. But most of all, the ever-increasing sense that something is coming. Some nights, the weak of mind awake in terror, and the strain becomes great enough on the community that few seem to notice the thickening fog in this part of the forest.

 

Whatever it is, the mist soon surrounds the Adamantine Tree on all sides. For the Nyren, things only get worse. Those who go to investigate the Tree seem unable to make it there: some who enter the fog are led astray by the shapes they see there, exiting far from where they meant to go. The rest never return. The mist calls out with the voices of their loved ones, it tempts them with what they dream of most. So long as Yngbald’s disgusting eye sits within this Tree, none will enter. Except one.

 

For Wol-Kot has watched these Nyren all their lives, and knows of their worth. One has caught his eye: a priestess, with ambition as strong as her will, and magical skills to match. Though her tribe has suffered at the hands of Thokub-Nir, she has resisted. Though they cower in terror and refuse to sleep, her dreams are lucid and psyche unfazed.

 

It is on a dark night that he finally reveals himself to her, with only the Red Moon above. Whispers in the forest draw her out. Within the mist, a silhouette calls her name.

 

”Hear me, mortal!” cries the figure, its voice echoing from every direction. The woman, iron of mind, presses forward, but the silhouette retreats and fades into the fog. From her right, another appears.

 

”Hear me, Sylvaniel.” It speaks to her again, its tone softer. One shadowy figure becomes ten, then a hundred surrounding her. In the mist are Nyren, birds, deer, and even the dark outline of a massive sandworm. ”It is I who have cursed your people. I, Wol-Kot, the lord of shadows and dreams. The pathetic tree you have found here is a profane temple built by my jealous brother. And within it, he seeks to spy on my actions. You will stop this.”

 

Before she can answer, the god’s voice continues, virtually compelling her attention. ”I will guide you to the center of this sapling. I will show you my brother’s treasonous eye, and you will bring it to me. Do not fear. You shall be shown the way. And when at last you reach me, I shall reward you with power and knowledge the likes of which you cannot even dream of.”

 

At that, most of the dark silhouettes fade into the mist, and the fog clears before her. She has been led to the tree’s entrance without even realizing it.

 

---

 

[COMMAND AVATAR: 4 AP] – Thokub-Nir materializes on the surface, to terrorize the Nyren and carry forth the Dreamstalker’s message.

 

5 AP remaining

[HyperionSibuna 1]

Vyrnen:

Guardian of all earthly creatures.

 

 

 

Vyrnen is not done creating yet, looking upon the world Vyrnen notices a large problem. The oceans lack intelligent life, quickly getting to work Vyrnen creates a peculiar life form to inhabit the world-spheres oceans. These creatures would stand around six to seven feet, almost as tall as the Ravaniin. However, they would have four arms as well as webbing on their hands and feet. They also have razor-sharp claws but their diet mostly consists of the underwater plants and small animals.

 

Vyrnen decides to name them Krykal. Kyrkal would be fast breeders, the females able to give birth to over a hundred Kyrkal over their lifetime. Unlike most primitive societies where the males are the leaders, the Kyrkal society requires both a strong male and female. Both ruling as equals. The Kyrkal can also live outside of the water, however, they much prefer the water over the land. The Kyrkal have a tough hide covering their body, which helps them against large predators as well as Nryen hunters trying to make a meal out of them. Their hide is strong, quite strong. Said to be nearly impervious to spears and arrows.

 

When underwater Kyrkal speaks in squeaks and hums, able to communicate with each other hundreds of miles away. Making organization and coordination easy. If they are on the surface their speech resembles a growl.

 

Once Vyrnen is satisfied it returns to the island it calls home. Beginning to interact with the small population of Nyrnen still living on the island. Who is cut off from the rest of their race. Vyrnen begins to teach them everything it can before heading back to rest. 

 

 

10 AP used

2 AP left

Edited December 20, 2018 by HyperionSibuna

[Catostrophy 111]

 

 

 

“The best result is no result. If not that, the best result is an unknown result.”
-Ixthalizzum, God of Indecision, Confusion, Derangement, and Irony.

 

The Mad God Ixthalizzum shrieked in joy as he watched the Isle of Exitium shatter in a magically-infused fireball. Now hanging midair, screaming eternally, the wretched mountain of the Lord of Destruction would remain an edifice to a gloriously indecisive bout! He wiped a million tears from a million eyes--he couldn’t have asked for a better result! Now that the duel was finished, and the stupid mountain crushed, he could...

 

… wait, why did he do this, again? What was the duel supposed to accomplish? Did she even have a goal in the first place?

Ixthalizzum shook himself out of his thoughts. Whatever it was he was trying to do, it was probably successful (or inconclusive, preferably). No need to worry about any unforeseen consequences when the actions aren’t remembered! How blissful.

 

He cast his gaze towards the world’s continents, and saw the Nyren build their simple homes and slowly learn the laws of the universe through their magics and tools. So many sapient beings pushing and pulling their destinies made the Madgod’s head pleasantly spin! The many trivialities, projects, misfortunes and triumphs made the world a truly incomprehensible mess, that was for sure! But as per usual the more Ixthalizzum observed the more frustrated he became. After months of watching, the creatures had became horribly predictable! All one had to do was put some food or pretty stones in front of a Nyren, and you could conclusively assume how they would act. How miserably obvious. Something simply had to be done.

 

Looking now to the underpaths, Ixthalizzum found some of his violent and ravenous ixkin that he had effectively forgotten about for the past dozen or so millennia. Not wanting to start creating from mud, he nabbed ten ixkin and threw them into a friendly, isolated cave. Before they had a chance to tear themselves apart, he began to painfully morph their souls and bodies into something more interesting. Though he left many of their tentacle appendages, he added two boney, graspy limbs, and two boney, walky limbs-- that would make precise movements and tools far more viable. Adding more bones, hardening their skin, and giving them two, forward-facing eyes, he finally decided that their shape was appropriate. But with strange new bodies must come a strange new mind. Ixthalizzum granted his screaming, confused creatures a spark of his own divinity--self-awareness. And with that, he dropped them, and began to watch.
 

 

 

 

Of the ten, five of his confused creatures rubbed their heads and limbs tenderly, and approached their brothers and sisters cautiously. They prodded and made guttural sounds at one-another using what could only be assumed to be some form of communication, as at the moment they lacked any form of language. The other five were a little less social. Three isolated themselves and performed strange and pointless tasks, such as banging rocks together, or silently rocking back and forth on their haunches. One particularly strange individual had cut its hand and was now drawing on a cave wall with its own blood and giggling. And finally, one had caved in the head of a silent, rocking one, and begun feasting on the viscera that poured from it.

 

The five in the corner quickly took note of the attack, and proceeded to overpower and kill the murderer. Seeing that there were now two bodies, the party of five began to eat the dead, inviting the others to join them as they merrily consumed their fellows. The giggling one finally finished its picture (or rather ‘glyph’) and the stone dissolved from powerful chaotic energies. An exit! He then joined his fellows in their meal, before all eight of the beings left the cave for paths unknown. 

This all took place in the space of about 20 minutes.

As you might imagine, Ixthalizzum was greatly pleased.

He grasped hold of thousands of ixkin, and transformed them into his his new ‘Thallites.’ He gleefully tossed them into the underpaths in excitement to see what his strange little creatures might do next. 

 

[10AP for RACE CREATION] The Thallites--subterranean, tentacle-faced bipeds of whom approximately half have some form of mania, though not always something dangerous or useless. Insane members of the race with no inherent uses or are simply too hazardous to keep around are happily cannibalized the the sane ones. About one in ten are born with an innate ability to use magics that draw from the Orb of Chaos, but their power can greatly vary--some may be able to carve glyphs and pour streams of chaotic energy from their hands from birth (if the parents are unlucky enough) while others can barely start a fire. The Thallites are exceptionally long-lived, some lasting up to 500+ years before expiring. The race as a whole is rather unpredictable--you never know for certain how a Thallite may act if they meet you!

Starting Hex: In the underpaths around here.

 

[1AP saved]

 




 

[Vilebranch 280]

Kaha-Nu-Buhu

The Guiding Light

 

  Sinewy wings and gnarled faces rose into the sky as Kaha-Nu-Buhu created her first true children. The Pati, the Red Lady’s children, resemble large bat-like humanoids over eight feet in height and thirteen feet in wingspan. Largely carnivorous, the Pati scour the swamps in search of prey of any size. The hold a voracious appetite and their bite is especially potent, injecting a paralyzing venom into their prey’s blood stream before using their specialized fangs to suck up vast amounts of soul ichor from their prey. Interestingly, the Pati almost never kill their prey and instead leave them alive for future feedings.

 

Although largely solitary, the Pati have been known to form small hunting groups to increase their effectiveness in feeding, and this effectiveness would logically lead them to create larger settlements. The Pati, having been born from the Goddess of Souls, strangely are lacking in the soul ichor that they feast upon, despite all other sentient races having an over-abundance of the substance. Due to this lacking in ichor, the Pati would be nearly invisible to the hunger of larger predators.

 

 

[10 AP] – Create Race

Kaha-Nu-Buhu spawns the Pati into the World Sphere. The strange, bat-like race would inhabit the swamps of the largest continent. The race would be inherently hostile due to their nature, carefully flying between trees and capturing their prey to feed upon at a later time.

3 AP Remaining