A World for Lost Gods (Game Over)

[RedPhoenix]

Hey! Think this looks fun and wanna get your name on the list? Of course you do! Click here for the application thread!

PLAYING GOD

GODS

• You are allowed ONE action per turn.
• To make an action, make a post saying what you are trying to do and then roll a d20 (see below for details on how to roll).
• There FIVE turns per age. Once all five turns are done, the next group of Gods rotates in.

SPECTATORS

• If you aren't currently a god (meaning you are not an active god in the current age), you are a spirit! You may be meddlesome or helpful!
• Once per TURN you may INCREASE or DECREASE a God's roll by 1.
• To do so, simply make a post indicating which God you are targeting and whether you are helping or hindering them.
• You may change your mind on this as much as you like up until I post that the turn is being resolved.
• Each turn you do this, you bump up your spot on the waiting list by adding +5 to your roll.

Example:

I want to give RedPhoenix -1!

HOW TO ROLL

Either

• Say "Roll For Me" And I will roll the d20 for you!

Or:

• Go to Dicebot
• In "Character" Put in the name of your God
• In "Send To" put 8112 (this will send ME the result! If you don't do this, it doesn't count!)
• In "Dice" put 1
• In "Sides" put 20
• Leave everything else blank except an optional comment if you want
• Press "Roll Dice"
• Copy Paste the Results!

[RedPhoenix]

Gods of the First Age

(Oversight)
Name: Huehehahol
God Of: Tricks
Materials: Springs, Prisms & Canids
Roll: Result: 98

(BAMF)
Name: Undar
God Of: Water
Materials: Glass, Chalices, Salt
Roll: 94

(Krys)
Name: Tiāncái
God Of: the Spark
Materials: minds (through dreams and visions), fae & the light in darkness
Roll: 91

(LeSane)
Name: Vinayaka
God Of: Wisdom
Materials: A Prophet, Magic, and Iron
Roll: 78

(Blythe)
Name: Marux
God Of: Evil
Materials: Wine, Snakes, Rubies
Roll: 46

Next in Line

(Ritsu)
Name: Riyah
Deity Of: Nature
Materials: Oak, Mirrors, Cheetah
Roll:Riyah rolled: 1d100 Result: 75

(Ironwolf85)
Name: Ivanna, Iva for short
God Of: SCIENCE!
Materials: Metal, Lightning, Machinery
Roll: 58 (+15) = 73

(Nintentoast)
Name: Amaltheia
God Of: the forests
Materials: sapling, axe, apple
Roll: 30

(Mister Ugly)
Name: The Raven Queen
God Of: Birds
Materials: Ravens, Magic, Sparkly Things [for ravens magic is actually sparkly and twinkles]
Roll: 14 (+10) = 24

Spirit Participation

Ironwolf85 - +15
Mister Ugly - +10

[RedPhoenix]

(Reserved)

[RedPhoenix]

(Reserved)

[RedPhoenix]

In the Beginning . . .

The Creatrix happily took in the harmony of the universe. From all corners of existence planets spun and civilizations prospered, and crumbled, peoples rose and fell, gods helped and hindered them, and all was right.

But as time passed she began to sense disharmony. Something was wrong! There were Gods in need of a planet! Some had been cast out of their home worlds, some had outgrown or destroyed them, some were mortals who deserved godhood of their own, some had simply come into existence and not found a world to call home! And so the Creatrix sought to right this wrong.

And so she put out a call to the Lost Gods to come to the world she would build for them. And the call stretched into the cosmos and the gods answered. But not only Gods responded, spirits of all shapes and sizes came too, intrigued at the call of the Creatrix. Surely they wouldn't meddle too much?

Ignoring that for now, the Creatrix sensed the spirits of the Lost Gods, she willed a world into existence! A place where lost gods could settle for a time and then move on to other things. And so it began . . .

[RedPhoenix]

...a world was born!

Through the Creatrix's magic the world was created! It formed as most any other world did, through metal and rock forming its core and rapidly progressed ages carving mountains and hills from its surface. Life formed, familiar to many on many other worlds, but also unique as the whispers of the Lost Gods poured over Creation.

The main land of the world was split into five distinct areas, all populated with distinct peoples.

In the north, the Coiled Groves, a lush and verdant tropical forest where the trees and vines grew in an unusual, spring-like fashion, taut and tightly wound. Snakes filled these lush forests, of all varieties and sizes. Some possessed hypnotic eyes, others whispered and called in voices, mimicking both human and non-human prey. The people of these lands were clever survivors, taking the poison from the magical snakes to use as weapons of their own. They were split into many different peoples, with no central unification. All claimed that the spirits of the world favored them above all others! All prayed that a God would come and show them the way! Perhaps one would?

South of them, stretched the endless harshness of the Desert of Glass. The sand was pierced with jagged outcroppings of polished glass of many colors, and while the display was brilliant and beautiful it did little to support the nomadic dwellers of these lands. They eked a meager existence from what they could find, wandering after the rains and following them from glass pool to glass pool of caught rainwater. However they could not stay in any one glass oasis for long, as the water would quickly take on the properties of the glass it collected in, driving those who drank from it mad with delusions and nightmares. The desert peoples prayed that a God would come and deliver them from this endless race before nightmares. Would one answer?

To the east, the Vines of Destiny grew in think clumps and were farmed for their grapes by the peoples of the land. The grapes were made into delicious wine, wine that not only spread joy but also gave visions. Visions of the future, and what was yet to come! Not all of the visions made sense, some drove the imbibers to delight, others to despair. Those who were most affected were lost to the wine entirely, changing in their shape. Ears became pointed, forms became wild, and these so called fae vanished into the thickest forests, treating their former kindred as a mix of prey and amusement. The humans lived a life of seeming bliss and joy, but were ever under the threat of ill visions and their fae neighbors. Would a god step in and save them? Or help the Fae wrest control form their former kin?

South of that, the Badlands. The rocky lands were rich in resources, but that was little comfort to the primitives that dwelt there, as in this age the value of rocks and crystals meant little. By day they would retreat from the hot sun into the caves below, living off of insects and bats and what else they could catch. At night they would emerge into the cooler air, marveling at the fireflies that glimmered beautiful in the night sky of the land. Years of this had left them squat, dirty, and more resembling dwarves or goblins than proper men. They valued stoicism and independence, and did not pray outloud for a God, but no doubt would welcome any aid in coming to understand their land may be harsh, but was also rich.

Finally, the southwestern peninsula, was the land of the Shimmerfang. The hellhounds by any other name that hunted this area were by far the dominant predators, the pathetic humans that cowered from them a distant second when it came to the food chain. The shimmerfangs were as large as wolves, with skin as tough as gemstone, a glittering red in hue like a blood ruby, with eyes that split the light into rainbows. They seemed to hunt only living things, and favored human above all else. Very little was known about them. The people prayed that something would end this plague. They preyed for relief! But years passed and nothing came! Perhaps now a God might have mercy on them? Or relish in their torture?

The Creatrix was content at her creation, and was sure the Gods would take good care of it! Pressing matters required her attention elsewhere and she vanished from this part of creation, likely never to be seen again!

The Five Gods that had answered her call the quickest suddenly found themselves on this new world, and ready to leave their mark!

Huehehahol, Undar, Tiāncái, Vinayaka, and Marux were their names and for the time being, the world was theirs!

The First Age Begins!

Okay Gods, you can start posting your actions now! Once each god has posted their first action I will resolve them all. Your actions in this stage should pick one group of people to target and influence, or one area they live in. Who you target and what you do, whether you all target separate or the same people or a mix of the two is entirely up to you! Begin! :)

[Blythe]

Marux looked upon the world with great pleasure. It was a fine and interesting world the Creatrix had provided, and he intended to spread his godly gift to the mortals of it. Some mortals might not call Evil a gift, but Marux thought of it as personal liberation. Evil was taking what one wanted regardless of consequence to others, and that was a manner of freedom to him. Yes, there were rules to it, but it was certainly a great deal more interesting to him than morality or kindness.

In particular, he was most pleased with the Vines of Destiny. With a wave of his dark and clawed deific hand, he used his power to try to alter the joy-giving and vision-inspiring wine.

From now on, he wished the wine to only inspire vice in people, no joy or visions.

Rolling & Stuffs

No idea if I'm doing this right--first time I've played a game like this! Feel free to thwap me if I'm doing it wrong.

Marux wants to change the properties of the wine made from the Vines of Destiny so that people who drink it are inspired to do evil things rather than get joy or visions.



Summary: At 2016-09-27 20:56:25, Blythe (uid: 42233) rolls: 1d20 Result: 11

Full Result: Blythe rolled: 1d20
Comment: Marux rollin
Result: 11,
Total: 11

[RedPhoenix]

No thwapping necessary, that's a perfectly fine action! :)

[BAMF]

Though water can be fickle, today Undar's goal is to create fresh water geysers in the desert.

Roll

Roll for me!

[RedPhoenix]

Roll Result: Undar rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for BAMF
Result: 6,
Total: 6

:)

[Oversight]

"I exist," chortled Huehehahol, and so the first Lie was spoken. It was a fine lie, fooling even Creatrix into creating a world just for them. Just for them. It was Huehehahol's personal truth (a lie by any other name.)

They took to four legs and walked along the periphery of their gift, surveying their world three times over until they were old, and grey, and slow. So slow that when they reached the Shimmerfangs the third time, a hound chased the Runt in God's Clothes, and bit unto their tail.

In retaliation, the Trickster God plucked the prisms from their head and ran away, far swifter than their hoary whiskers would suggest. He sought to hide each eye in a smooth stone. He came upon two such stones, sitting side by side, covered in wild hairs. And so, by no design of his own, attempted to give man and woman of the Shimmerfangs a third, prismatic eye, and become known to them.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Hope I'm not overstepping!

Action: Switching the prism eyes from the hounds to the people of the Shimmerfangs.

Summary: At 2016-09-28 02:16:06, Huehehahol (uid: 46651) rolls: 1d20 Result: 16

Full Result: Huehehahol rolled: 1d20
Comment:
Result: 16,
Total: 16

[RedPhoenix]

Not overstepping at all! :)

[Krys]

The world, a playground for gods. That's like some would see it. But not so Tiāncái. For her, it was an ocean of possibilities. Many of them dark, others too light to look at them. But there was one kind of people that seemed to have what it took to become her children.

Before the other goods could corrupt them, to good or bad, Tiāncái hid the fae in her own cloak. Sending them dreams of a place deep in the forest. A place free of the corrupting vines, a small light in the darkness. Hidden away from those blinded by greed and their vices, but also from those blinded by zeal and overly "good intentions". It was only open a small place, but large enough for those that belonged to the Elysium. There she waited for them, took her time to teach and form her children, mold them in the shape that fitted their spirit.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Full Result: Tinci rolled: 1d20
Comment:
Result: 14,
Total: 14

[RedPhoenix]

@Krys - I'm going to have to say that that is several different actions. Creating a demiplane, sealing it off from everything else, moving an entire population there, and affecting the memory of other living things are all separate actions. You can create a place for the fae to slip away to and let them know about it if you like as one action, but it wouldn't be sealed off from anything else necessarily at this point. If you want to do that, give me a description of what sort of place you are making!

[Ironwolf85]

Iva moved through the world, mortal once, of another world. Protected by science profound and logic unyeilding. "Huehehahol. Another Aether dweller come to prey their whims upon the mortals, and these vines... their wine is sick. Foul." She remembered her own actions, her rule in another world cemented by ruthless use of her genius in both ethical and unethical ways. She chuckled thinking about the old Chariot of the Gods argument. That gods were actually just beings from another world mortals could not understand.

It was a Charoit she was content to ride in.

So she went among the people of this Aether drifting world. To the Squat men, amused and delighted with their independence. But their society, their culture, was patriarchal.
So she went among them as a young man, bright eyed, fox. Claiming to be driven out by the souring vines, a not quite fae folk. Intelligent and innovative. It was a simple thing to explain the scientific method to them, to point them towards metallurgy beyond bronze and brass. "Inventing" the water wheel and pump to let them drain the caves below.
She'd been delighted when the insular deep-folk. They invented their own repeating crossbow, and primtive explosives for mining all on their own.
It was no major change, no great godly gift. It was talking with primitive smiths, drinking mushroom wine with tribal leaders. The Great Vertex was more akin to an Aristotle or Plato, and not a god. He behaved as such.

The concepts of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos (Logic, Ethics, Passion) are introduced.

Spirit effects

Badlands Deepfolk advance to somthing akin to iron age china instead of tribal
+1 to Undar next turn. The pump and irrigation were invented, water can go places it couldn't before!

[RedPhoenix]

@Ironwolf85 - You aren't currently a god in this age. There are five gods per age and the five that we started with are currently active. You can participate as a spirit if you like and bump one of their results by +1 or -1 but acting as a God itself waits until your Age dawns. :)

[Ironwolf85]

Oh I was bumping all but two for next time, doing the whole spirit thing as a philosopher.

[RedPhoenix]

Oh I was bumping all but two for next time, doing the whole spirit thing as a philosopher.

That's fine but you are limited to one per turn. So pick one god's action that you want to give a +1 or -1 to! :)

[Ironwolf85]

got it, changed the status

[LeSane]

Such tranquility fell upon him as the world was created. Beauty in its design filled him with tremendous amounts of determination to make it equal if not better than what was laid out before him. Vinayaka's attention went to the desert of glass and how they they suffered. He blessed them with Magic which in turn linked them to the world. This magic comes from  the home of souls; The Rukh. While those nomads who wander and struggle to live is now forever in tuned. When they pass away,  they go back to one place, This is Rukh. When humans die, their bodies return to the earth. This magic is the energy generated by the Rukh. All living beings will have this power inside their bodies.

Roll for me

[RedPhoenix]

Roll Result: Vinayaka rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for LeSane
Result: 9,
Total: 9

And that's all the Gods of the First Age posted! I will resolve the turn after work today. Spirits have until then to modify any one roll by +1 or -1!

[RedPhoenix]

The Badlands and Coiled Groves were untouched by the first coming of the Gods. The natives there continued in their ways, blissfully or perhaps piteously unaware that elsewhere, the Gods had arrived on this world!

In the land of the Shimmerfangs Huehehahol successfully plucks the prismatic eyes from the ruby-hellhounds and finds a pair of the low peoples that hide from the beasts. They were hiding in a crevice, waiting for the bright of day when their eyes were a match for the rainbow glimmers of the hellhounds. When they saw the four legged god approaching they tried to flee, but already trapped they could not resist as Huehehahol blessed them.

They were stunned for a moment, and then suddenly they started to laugh.

"I see!" The man said. "I see!" The woman agreed. "We get it!" They both begun to chuckle harder, falling to the ground. When they were able to stand again they glanced about with their three eyes, seeing so much for the first time. "We can hide form the hounds! Craft traps to injure them! Perhaps even hunt them?"

They glanced at their savior, who had given them not only sight but also in-sight and smiled at his old grey form.

"I am called Troika, great Ha..haha.hehehe..." The man laughed, clearing his throat.

The woman tried, "And I am Trois, Huheeheeheahaaa" The two burst into laughter and had to compose themselves.

"Huehehahol!" They said together. "We see you! We know you! How may we serve you, great one?"

In the Desert of Glass Undar's touch, assisted by a helpful spirit, caused the ground to rumble. Although he had tried to bring more, his efforts were partially successful. Geysers burst through the desert at a few locations.

The nomads who found this water flowing from the ground were stunned. The water that burst from the earth was not corrupted by being held in the mind-altering glass and was safe to drink. The nomads began to shape the glass they found into chalices to gather up the safe water, rejoicing in their discovery. Small settlements of sedentary peoples began to form around the geysers, peaceful for the time being.

"What miracle has caused this?" They wondered outloud. "How can we repay you?" They called to the skies. Would there be an answer?

But as the people settled another change came over them. With more time to contemplate the earth around them they began to understand what the earth that was untouched by the altered glass could be used for, and how the earth welcomed their dead. The power that came with this they realized was in their grasps as a people. Over time they began to learn to cast simple magics, cleansing patches of earth, shaping the glass shards that stuck out from the desert, and even simple attempts to purify water. Those who understood this power greater than others became the first shamans of the world, leaders of their tribes.

The desert nomads began to imagine that there were gods, and in their ignorance assumed that the same one had provided them the blessing of the geysers and the blessing of magic. With some ability to understand the spirit realms the shamans began to chant to the great "Vinyundar" dancing in praise of their name and thanking them for their magical and aquatic blessings. 

Meanwhile in the Vines of Destiny much occurred!

The fae began to dream. They saw a place deep within the sylvan groves of the forests and began to move there, drawn by an inexorable purpose they could not explain. There the vines did not grow and the entrances were hidden by thickets and heavy forest. They found abundant fruits and water and cleared their mind of the influence of the grapes. And when they arrived at the center they found the goddess that awaited them.

"Tiāncái!" They exclaimed, knowing her name from the dream that had been sent. "You are real!" They could not believe their luck, the few that had tried to tell themselves this must be a different form of grape-wine dream felt relief at seeing their goddess made whole. Free of the grapes, the fae were weakened in strength and mystical power, but were much clearer of mind. With access to the nutrients and safety of Elysium they would grow, but how would their goddess mold them?

But outside of Elysium things became quite different. The fae that did not answer the call, or who were distracted along the way, although fewer in numbers than those that traveled to Elysium, were greatly influenced by the now blood-red wine. They grinned cruelly as their features sharpened and their temperaments darkened. They left their hidden groves to interact openly with the humans.

They were cruel, vicious, and loved to inflict pain and torment upon their now hapless captives. Rather than resist and fight, the humans, also touched by the altered wine, sought to avoid pain through serving the fae and helping them in their quest to manipulate, use, and debase. The blood fae, taking the name of the new wine, scattered into small courts, each ruling a throng of groveling human subjects, all of whom would gladly stab each other in the back for the favor of their lord or lady.

When the blood fae lifted their stone chalices, filled with wine both colored and flavored with the dark red juices of the humans they ruled over, they had no name to thank for their new power. So they praised themselves.

Undar (with a boost from a spirit) creates a few scattered geysers in the Desert! The people there have begun to settle around the geysers.

Vinayaka has awakened the power of magic within the nomads! While rare, certain shamans have shown potential and are learning to cast simple magics of the earth and water.

Huehehahol has done very well and created two blessed beings, Trois and Troika. They have sight and insight and wish to know how to serve their savior!

Tiāncái has created a safe haven for just over half of her people in the thick heart of the Vines. They are free of the influence of the Vines and for now at least, are safely hidden there.

Marux has corrupted the vines. The slight minority of fae that did not venture to Elysium have begun to lord over the humans in a cruel and sadistic fashion, becoming primitive despots over an increasingly manipulative and violent people.

Time for the second round of actions! :)

[Blythe]

Marux liked the blood fae greatly and wanted them to grow into their full potential. So he sent them a divine vision demanding that they migrate to the torturous Badlands and take it for their own!

Uhm

I'm a moron--forgot to send it to your ID the first time. This (a 13) is my initial roll that I forgot to ping your ID on, Red, and this (a 15) is the one I sent to your ID when I did it right the next time. I totes understand if you make me take the smaller roll. Disclosing both rolls in the interest of fairness since I derped.

Marux's action: have the bloodfae invade the Badlands

[RedPhoenix]

Only the roll you send me counts, doesn't matter if you have a higher or lower one before, so 15 it is. :D

[Ironwolf85]

ah so that's how it works...

[RedPhoenix]

Yup! When Iva is a god she will be able to take full actions and directly influence things, but until then it is just helping or hindering the others! :)

[Ironwolf85]

***EDITED... brought her element into it***

By this time her "grand engineer" puppet had passed on, and with him technology took a few steps backwards. Of course she'd taken proper steps to preserve her un-corrupted essence when the meat-shell had breathed his last. It was a nice funeral pyre. Made her feel warm inside.
The redirected water from the invention of pumps in the badlands, had sent it, of all places, to the dessert of glass. Flooding long empty aquifers. Aid the divine creation of geysers by Undar. This amused her. What a fun first experiment.

While her devices from beyond had none of the divine and instant potency of the creatures that now played with this plane, the Aether-dwelling genius was not without recourse. She did like the deep folk with their picks and shovels. Their struggles however were their own.
But she would delight in seeing how the Under-Men would deal with Blood Fae. yet their enemies had visions, and a god sending them. That was hardly a fair fight.

She was far from some mystic spirit of light and healing... Her machinery clattering and clanking as she distilled a potion of refined Aether.

"Just a drop of Logos..." She tipped her hand as the droplets fell into the deep places. "to make it a fair fight..." The shadows under the badlands grew long, dark, cold and logical. Grim resolve touched the Under-men. The Wine Drunk Slave Kings would find none of the succulent warmth they had grown accustomed to. Sand, Stone, a stern and unyielding sun above. Below a cold and merciless cavern complex full of deadly life.
Adding to it all, an unseasonably strong lightning storm began to roil through the region, the only water on the surface, came with ample amounts of lightning on an empty open plain.

The Under-Men were free folk used to scarcity, but these spoiled Kings with their courts of supplicant slaves...well... time would tell. Inscribing Chronicles of the Blood Crusade fervently in her great library, she watched with an amused smile.

effect

Iva's Actions: Rendering the badlands less hospitable to the Blood Fae on their crusade, both above and below.
Thus Giving a Minus to Marux's actions this turn. feel free to roll if necessary.

[RedPhoenix]

No need to roll anything as a spirit, you automatically lower Blythe's roll by 1! :)

[BAMF]

Water is fickle. It can be a blessing and a curse. Water does not care about whether something is 'good' or 'bad.' Water simply is or is not. The vineyards near Elysium are to experience drought. A period of time without rain.

Dry!

Roll for me!

[RedPhoenix]

Roll Result: Undar rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for BAMF
Result: 17,
Total: 17

[RedPhoenix]

Gonna move things forward in 24 hours.

[Oversight]

It was not his intention to be known. A good trick leaves no one the wiser, and yet these two new things seemed very wise indeed. They spoke in laughs like he did, and in doing so knew the world to be a game. Fine, thought the Laughing God. "Spread like laughter," Huehehahol replied with an uneasy snicker, as if it were a simple fact. "Breed, lead. Pursue and subdue. But do not chase me into dark places; you are the Bright People, now."

And so, Huehehahol bound north, away from worship. He stepped through the Badlands, darker, and far more grim than he remembered. The air of the place no longer agreed with him, so he continued into the Desert of Glass-- and came across a curious traveller. The shaman spoke to him about another God, a god of Changing Waters. Huehehahol learned that he was not alone. Worse, this world was no longer his-- or at least, his alone. He huffed, and guffawed. "Why are you so sure he is a God? Your tricks do not sound impressive."

"They are not tricks!" The traveller cried, taking affront to such notions.

"Prove it, then," the Trickster God answered with a wolfish grin, his eyes scanning for a target; not too far away he spotted an oasis of glass, clear and blue as the sky. He trotted over, and the traveller followed him warily. "If you can put your trick in the pool where I can see it, then I will be able to tell if it is indeed, a trick." Pride chased away caution, and the witch dutifully produced such a feat of magic that Huehehahol was first amazed, and then deeply envious. The wanderer gloated, and as they did so, the Dog God swatted the surface of the oasis with such force that it shattered violently, spreading across the sands to all other oases.

"What did you do?!" cried the wanderer. The Trickster God blinked.

"I don't know."

Woops!

Huehehahol attempts to break the Desert Magic. Instead, he might very well have spread it...
At 2016-10-04 22:09:27, Oversight (uid: 46651) rolls: 1d20 Result: 2

[Mister Ugly]

At first The Queen flew aimlessly amazed at the world she found. It made her smile with joy that there were birds all around. Far northern falcons, carrion eaters almost everywhere, gulls of the ocean, hooty owls of the night. All with wings and in flight. She loved them all but the Ravens were her chosen. Smart, clever, and infinitely curious and in love with things that sparkled and twinkled. So she followed them and found the first being of power. So much power he had and a great trickster yet he ran on four legs for the most part or so it seemed.

The queen circled her 'unkindness' of ravens and watched and listened. Oh such a sparkle did the two leg 'shaman' have... Magic glimmered in him and drew all eyes as he made more magic appear. The Dog God seemed upset and as the ravens flew closer to see the new magic better, the trickster god shattered it. The sparkling went everywhere and so the ravens dove and gathered it up in the claws or beaks and carried it away. To what ends even the queen did not know but the magic was so pretty they had to have it and share with others so more of the beautiful sparkles could been found!!

Adding to the WOOPS!!

-1 to the Trickster God's roll

This should be amusing based on what had been noted for a '1'

[RedPhoenix]

Wonderful, both of you! :D

[RedPhoenix]

The First Age continued.

Undar brought a drought to the land surrounding Elysium. The vines there cracked and dried, the skies ceased to rain, and rivers and brooks slowly vanished. The desert surrounding the once verdant forest began to creep into the once thick groves, now dry trunks with leafless branches. The fae of Elysium were safe within their enclosure, protected and watched over by their goddess whose blessing still preserved their land and for now they were safe. But outside of the small sanctuary the land died. The fae that had not joined Elysium and the humans that still remained out there began to die as the water deserted them, and the once miraculous vines of destiny withered and perished.

Perhaps it was for this reason that so many were willing to join the call to war. The blood fae could not say what it was in the stars that caused them to march south and west into the broken and barren lands of rock and salt, but compelled they were.

It was a hard and bloody march. For forest dwellers armed with little more than malice, it was especially brutal. What few beasts they had tried to domesticate helped little, their weapons were not well developed, but the blood fae had power of their masses of human servants and they did not particularly care how many of them were left starving and thirsty and dying alongside the roads they beat.

When they did arrive in the badlands, their war drums beat and they fell onto the squat and naive peoples there with bloody abandon. The first few fights were overwhelming victories for the blood fae and their slaves for they were aggressors against a people that had never known war. In fact they were aggressors against a world that had never known war, and this was a tremendous advantage.

But the shock wore off, and the tunnels that the short and desperate Badlanders ran into were dark and twisted and deep. In the depths they started to form warrior bands of their own and resist the incursions of the blood fae into the ground. A stalemate developed, with the blood fae holding the surface, the badlanders holding the depths. Each side would raid the othe periodically, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, but never truly gaining ground. Massive population losses were seen by both peoples.

As the badlands ran red they were called and claimed the Bloodlands by their invaders.

In the far south, Troika and Trois eagerly accepted the freedom to act given to them by Huehehahol. Over time they gathered their family and friends and built a settlement they called The Kennel, in which they fought and killed the hellhounds, and then sought to trap and raise the young ones. Their goal was to domesticate the beasts and use them as a tool, rather than be afraid of them. As word of what they did spread, many humans huddling in fear in the surrounding areas came to join them and the Kennel grew into one of the world's first true population centers, aside from hidden Elysium. The holy beings with their third eye became almost regarded to the point of being thought of as demigods themselves, but they made sure all knew that Huehehahol was the one who had saved their people.

As for the trickster himself, they were once again involved in a significant change to the earth. As their paw swatted at the oasis it shattered not only the glass that ran through the ground, but it shattered much more.

"The magic! The magic!" The wanderer cried as it passed through the shattered glass. "Wait!" He said, using his simple cantrip to hold the glass in the air as the magic passed through it. Like a prism, the glass broke up the magic into its base components.

"I see!" The wanderer said, transfixed on the much more elementary magic that he observed this way. "I see!" He laughed with joy. "We have been attempting to shape magic like a child plays with clay, but we should weave it like cloth! There are many different strands! Oh, and there are rules as to how it may be worked. We must follow the rules strictly."

And the wanderer proceeded to do just that, shaping the glass, the desert and the oasis itself as he spoke, displaying more magical ability than any human had to that point. His people were alerted to what transpired and ran to see what had occurred. They called a name to the wanderer, but he held up a hand commanding silence.

"No, I am not that simple shaman anymore." He said with glee. "I am Ma'Niskus. Magus." He turned to face his tribe, a glittering city of glass and flowing water behind him. "If you obey the laws of magic, I will teach you!"

He called the city Optus. From there, the world's first Magus taught his people. Not many had the gift. And while Ma'Niskus was a teacher, he was a strict disciplinarian, teaching that magic must be taken seriously, and never used as a joke or a source of mischief. Optus began to grow as a city, and the teachings of the Optics, as the people began to call themselves, spread to the nomadic tribes in the desert, up into the edge of the new dry forests where Elysium remained hidden, and even starting to reach into the territory of the coiled groves. Civilization. Rules. Discipline. Magical understanding and teaching. All had begun by a trickster god attempting to break magic, and the interference of a spirit.

The world has grown up! It is starting to see settlement, war, and civilization!

Undar has successfully brought a drought to the where the vines once grew. They are slowly turning the forests to deserts. The fae of Elysium remain safe from this, for now, but the land outside of their hidden sanctuary is dry and brittle.

Marux has spurred an invasion of the Badlands, causing the blood fae and their human servants to march an awful death march through broken lands to attack the primitive dwellers of the badlands. The badlanders have retreated underground into tunnels, while the blood fae hold the barren surface. A stalemate is the current status, both sides devastated by losses.

The Optics, as the desert dwellers who have settled in the great oasis, now call themselves are learning magic from the world's first Magus - Ma'Niskus. He sternly leads and teaches his people, and their way is spreading throughout the desert.

The people of the southernmost lands have founded the Kennel under the guidance of Troika and Trois. They are working to turn the hellhounds into domesticated beasts, rather than predators of people.

The coiled groves remain pure and untouched, although they will have contact with the Optics in time if things persist.

Next round of turns please! I'd like to have the next post out by the end of the weekend, so please try to get your actions in in the next few days! :)

[Blythe]

The stalemate displeased Marux, but what could the God of Evil do? Truthfully, this was a bad situation, especially with the rise of Optus to the northwest. What were to become of his bloodfae?

He gave them the gift of sin-sharing. Whatever sins they most enjoyed, they could, via magic, induce others to want the same foul behaviors. If they could not win the war for the Bloodlands, he hoped that they could taint any who might encounter them...like a plague upon the soul.

Rolling!

Summary: At 2016-10-05 21:10:13, Blythe (uid: 42233) rolls: 1d20 Result: 18

Full Result: Blythe rolled: 1d20
Comment: Marux rollin
Result: 18,
Total: 18

Marux wants to give his people the ability to induce sinful impulses into others.

Also, loving the map, Red, and loving the update. <3

Sorry my post is so short. >_<

[RedPhoenix]

The post need only be as long as it needs to be to get what you are trying to do across, which yours is! :)

And thank you! I like seeing maps change over time. I'm hoping this one will keep changing as the story progresses! :D

[Ironwolf85]

I think Iva's been harassing Marux more than enough lately. ;)

[RedPhoenix]

Always free to harass someone else! ^^

[Oversight]

Rules! Rules! How they despised them. They hardly seemed fair, arbitrary and subjective as they felt. Huehehahol left in a huff, abandoning the great meniscus-- Manuscis? Far be it for the Trickster God to care.

Rules!

He wandered north, fuming as a petulant child might, into the Groves. He was promptly shot with several poisoned darts, seen as nothing but a beast on four legs.

Had they been a lesser thing, a spirit deprived of it's power, perhaps he would have been overcome. Instead, they grew furious. They turned upon his attackers, growing by the second. "What half-baked joke is this? A poor mockery of your God!" They boomed. Their attackers were not cowed, however. They continued to pepper the ever-expanding Trickster God with poison, until they turned drunk and slow.

"We recognize no God in the Groves!" they answered. So, in a show of force, Huehehahol smiled-- or more aptly, bared their teeth. Teeth that grew with them, lengthening until they were the size of mountains, until they jutted from the land, great and sharp and daunting-- as if to cut the Coiled Groves from the rest of the world.

The Teeth

Huehehahol makes a mountain range between the Coiled Groves and Desert of Glass-- and the expanding Optus.
At 2016-10-08 23:38:55, Oversight (uid: 46651) rolls: 1d20 Result: 10

[Krys]

Silence had befallen Elysium, for a long long time. So at least it looked for the outside. Unbeknownst to others, Tiāncái meanwhile had been busy. Living with her people, her mere presence had been a force of change. But not as chaotic as the vines had been, and much more powerfull.

Over the long times of the second stage, the fae changed even more. Some became smaller with every generation, others changed shape completely. But all of the grew more beautyfull, their lives seeming to expand into a eternal childhood... but thereby they becames also more playfully chaotic. Friendly mischief, and an inspired creativity that searched its equal was spreading through the populace. First, they like all children, had enjoyed to play with trinkets, delve into fantastic creations. But that phase has passed. Soon each fae developed a distinct personality, and field of interest.

It was in the third stage of this world, that Tiāncái really started to really focus her creation. Her fae had become the embodyment of her vision. Some of them, ethereal beautyful young maidens, whispering inspirations into the ears of the mortal artists. Some of them, the sparkly seeds of creativity. Other bringing dreams to the sleeping, or tranced. And a select few nurturing the genius in the minds of the mortals.

Tiāncái knew her time was coming. More and more of her power she spread between the fae. And while doing so, she made them more like herself, but herself also more like them.

When the age would end, what had been the fae would have become the legacy of Tiāncái ... the muses, and the dreamweavers. Furtherers of hope and extraordinarity, in all its ways. With Tiāncái herself just one of them for the next age. The faeries, as they collectively became known, had turned into demi-deific beings, that would spread out into the world, once the first age ended. A neutral force, furthering the change and growth of things. Inspiring the creation of beautyfull pieces of theologic reverence for the good, as much as the horrible "artistry" of mad necromantic "boneweavers". Bringing dreams and nightmares. The spark behind the mad genius as well as the wise sage.

But over all, they would carry the tiny light of hope. Hope for the megalomanic dungeonlord that he might succeed, as well as for the opressed that one day they would be free. By investing herself into the faeries, Tiāncái presented the second age a gift, the gift of change.

[Ironwolf85]

Iva scribes down everything as it occurred. The Blood March Chronicles kept her Servitors and Scriveners busy with the editing and compilation. Her mechanical eyes were not blind to the goings on within Elysium, nor to the rise of Optus. She could always come back to the Bloodlands later, lest she baby them.
She spent a few months among the rising empire, talking with it's great minds. Oh magic was the sport of children with great imagination and weak minds. But They were making inroads into science and rational thinking. Though she found Ma'Niskus a terribly stiff man, and not a great innovator once he'd written his laws. He'd invented them, they were therefore perfect... Or so he thought. She begged to differ of course. Her attending of his lectures made her remember her days studying with the engineering schools of Phobos. But without the wonderful parties. Or the great Collages of Axtos VI, but without the piety and ritual.
She'd engaged him in verbal debate and discourse. A three hour debate that had left him red faced and howling before deciding to deny her the gift of magic. She'd proclaimed she would learn it without him. Then stormed out in a huff.
They let her go of course what damage could a single "irate student" do... Even if she left the social scene aflame before she disappeared into the wastes... right?

She did so enjoy acting.

But as she steamed north there came a growing mountain range. Cutting off her travel overland.
"well now trickster... cutting off an entire section of the world because you had a bad day? I suppose taking responsibility for your actions is not in your nature. I see no reason for any of these people to suffer for your poor judgement."
She extended a hand, creating several drill machines which began to tear into his new mountains as they grew, creating tunnels, and bringing a bounty of useful metals to the surface for all to share. Hopefully in trade. Then exploded leaving little evidence of their existence.

effects

Giving those teeth some cavities. -1 to Huehehahol

[Mister Ugly]

The Queen had gained more to her form and no longer needed her ravens to move about. Still there was always a flock of them near by. In the Bloodlands she found the Bloodfae and how ruined all they touched. It could have been luck but more likely a timely word from one of her birds that kept her from being caught by the Bloodfae. The underground Two legs she spotted with her night birds as they rose from the ground to raid the Blood fae. Wait!! they did not come from the ground itself but openings that lead deeper and with that she sent the small sparrows and thrushes into the tunnels to learn what they could.

She would come back to Optus. Such a lovely place. High spirals of shimmering glass and then the college of magic. Here the ravens were also drawn, building nests of woven glass strands mimicking the magic being woven by the people there. Sometimes the mimicking made something more. The Ravens learned magic in their own way.

While there she found another like herself, Formed but limited in power. Sadly no magic shimmered in her, in fact it seemed that she could not understand magic at all being filled with wheels and levers and things of science. This one, the queen followed when she left. To the north where again she found the 4 legged trickster still all upset and squawking like a hungry fledgling. Great mountains sprung up from its power and she learned much about how one of power could affect the world.

The 'Unmagic' One tried to make holes in the mountains and bring forth metals yet the Queen did not like the underground places and so decided that she would bring to show the unmagic one a different way and tried to bring her to the fae in the hidden vale. Their goddess strove to keep them protected and above it all and yet her attempt was bad and maybe if both of the spirits worked together something different could come forth.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Here is hoping that Ironwolf would also -1 on krys roll to take it to a wild state!!

-1 to Tiāncáil [Krys] Not sure what can happen with a total fail yet if Ironwolf also does a -1 maybe we can help salvage something for the fae!!

MU

[RedPhoenix]

Oh okay I'll try to break that down. Krys has been having RL distractions so I let her sort of retcon one roll and she's given me future intentions just in case.

Over the long times of the second stage, the fae changed even more. Some became smaller with every generation, others changed shape completely. But all of the grew more beautyfull, their lives seeming to expand into a eternal childhood... but thereby they becames also more playfully chaotic. Friendly mischief, and an inspired creativity that searched its equal was spreading through the populace. First, they like all children, had enjoyed to play with trinkets, delve into fantastic creations. But that phase has passed. Soon each fae developed a distinct personality, and field of interest.

This is the flavor for the event of last turn. I guess you can't influence this since it already happened! In any case..

Roll Result:Tiāncái rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for Krys
Result: 15,
Total: 15

It was in the third stage of this world, that Tiāncái really started to really focus her creation. Her fae had become the embodyment of her vision. Some of them, ethereal beautyful young maidens, whispering inspirations into the ears of the mortal artists. Some of them, the sparkly seeds of creativity. Other bringing dreams to the sleeping, or tranced. And a select few nurturing the genius in the minds of the mortals.

This is her action for the current age.

Roll Result: Tinci rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for Krys
Result: 3,
Total: 3

And unless she comes back and says otherwise the next paragraph will be what she does in the 4th turn.

[RedPhoenix]

The First Age continues.

Undar's curse continued to plague the once lush land of the vines, and cracked and dried soil and the dried out trunks of dead trees were all that remained throughout much of that area.

In Elysium, one of the few places spared the ravages of the drought, Tiāncái continued to teach and mold her children. A select few learned the art of dreamwalking from her. But the gift came with a great cost as well. The young maidens who took up the gift found themselves lost in the land of dreams, often slumbering for years at a time without waking up and then finding the living world bright and disorienting. Content in their goddess's reassurance that the dreamwalkers were doing good for the world, the other fae took to themselves to take care of them.

From time to time from then on, mortals told of strange dreams, being visited by benevolent and encouraging female fae who would provide a spark of creativity or peace that was lacking before.  Even the blood fae who were visited found themselves in a slightly less sadistic mood the next morning. Most of the world laughed it off as just another form that dreams take, not realizing that a chosen people had visited them in the night.

In the north, the most dramatic change to the surface of the land occurs, as the teeth of Huehehahol sprang into existence. While the people there did not realize it, the mountains also blocked the rains and held them in the northern lands, making the jungles there thicker, but the desert below even harsher. This further gave the Optics little incentive to cross the increasingly hostile terrain to enter a land of snakes and coils, and what had once been a steady buildup to contact between the two lands died off completely. The Optics turned their attention to the south and west to the more fertile shores of the great sea, while Ma'Niskus continued to train magic users and their civilization grew.

Finally, in the Bloodlands the dark fae almost as a whole were blessed. One night they looked into the sky and saw the moon shone red, as if drenched in blood. They raised their chalices, filled with transplanted vines from their old home, and drank deeply in celebration. The next morning they found their will even more powerful than before. With simple thought they could cause their servants to lust after each other, or desire an object more than any other, or wish to hurt and kill. Although amusing to use it on their Vinlander thralls, the more enterprising of the fae quickly realized this power could be used for more tactical purpose.

It did not take long for one brave young leader to corner a badlander and impress upon him desire. Desire for all that the fae had, their servants, their wine, their freedom. The badlander licked his lips and started to nod at the blood fae suggestions, the defiance that was bred into his people over the course of the conflict vanishing in a wave of lust of avarice. He returned to his people and betrayed them, leading the blood fae to their secret home. But when the dark force arrived, they found many willing to join with their cause.

And so the more intelligent and enterprising blood fae conquered the underlands. They quickly realized that this left their most dangerous competition as each other. The blood fae who had not ventured beneath and had no Badlander servants were the first to be dispatched by their own kind. After this lines formed where Courts of the blood fae splintered from each other, using their Vinlander and Badlander servants to guard against others, forming an intricate web of favors and betrayals that led to a very delicate balance of power in the land. Each separate court sought security and wealth beyond the others, and began to look to learn the ways of their new lands to do so.

Huehehahol has created a new mountain range. While they are more Appalachian than Himalayan in size and daunting nature, they are more than enough to seal off the northern jungles from the southern desert during this time period.

Tiāncái has created a sub-race of the fae that live in a wandering dream-like state. They very rarely wake and require constant attention from the other fae to survive.

Marux has blessed his favorites with the gift of Sincrafting. The blood fae have learned the art of creating desire in others from their own dark instincts. They have used it to all but wipe out the badlander resistance. The blood fae then fracture into smaller courts of their kind, decreasing in number but increasing in individual power and significance in the world.

Okay next round of turns please! :D This is the second to last turn of the First Age!

Tiāncái knew her time was coming. More and more of her power she spread between the fae. And while doing so, she made them more like herself, but herself also more like them.

Roll Result: Tinci rolled: 1d20
Comment: Rolling for Krys
Result: 4,
Total: 4

This will be Tiāncái's action unless Krys says otherwise.

[Blythe]

While Marux was pleased with the direction the bloodfae were taking, he was not pleased with their shapes. Too much like their history and old selves--they needed a new look.

New bodies.

New identities.

In fact, Marux decided that if they were to be a war-like race full of sin...why not mold them into the perfect warrior's shape?

Orcs.

Marux's action

Transforming the bloodfae into orcs.

Summary: At 2016-10-10 18:33:05, Blythe (uid: 42233) rolls: 1d20 Result: 6

Full Result: Blythe rolled: 1d20
Comment: Marux rollin
Result: 6,
Total: 6

[Oversight]

The jungle grew, and with it-- it's fauna. Huehehahol finds a new form, better suited to slipping through the dense vegetation and shed his legs and his hair. He took the shape of a great water snake, black as the riverbed, and collected a host of snakes with him. There, in the densest regions, Huehehahol found a magic older than that even of Optus.

And so, the Creeping God sought to gift them with the greatest trick of all:

Thought.

The Ophidians

At 2016-10-10 19:26:54, Oversight (uid: 46651) rolls: 1d20 Result: 19
Huehehahol gives snakes sentience, names his horde the Ophidians!

[Ritsu]

The spirit of Riyah says -1 to Marux

[Ironwolf85]

Satisfied with the mountains and their shape, geographically useful and plethora of minerals. it was time to check and see how her pet project was continuing in the badlands...
She circled around the city of Optus, her machine leaving a white-purple plume of smoke. Scrying as the vehicle passed un-noticed through burned villages, the Optus and blood-fae naturally incompatible skirmishing between some courts and the residents of the outlying areas.
She seemingly stepped out of nowhere, appearing with cures for the sick and injured. Natural herbs, oil that sped recovery from years to days. On occasion she would take the more injured into her personal care. A savior in white.
But others... those who insulted her, irritate her, or attack her. Dissapear.
As blood worked it's way through analyzers in her lab back home, she read the datapoints and plotted out the occurrences. All Recorded in The Great Chronicle. "They're changing, a forced evolution?"

She swept into the Court of Galflayer. The most aggressive of these raiding courts. Bearing needles and blades. The Guards fought, they all fought, at the beginning. But between her personal shields and training their primitive weapons and ill-trained slaves were nothing.
The Galflayer patriarch spoke of his own power, of his glory, of the dreams of darkness and pleasure of sin spoke of corruption and dark glory... With cold precision she slashed his vocal chords leaving the mighty raider-king gasping his throat.

"Sorry but your entire species are brings out the worst nature in others... the darkness has been spoiling you with so many gifts. It breeds weakness, it brings out ideas of "Pure Blood" "Birthright" or "Right to Rule" based on some half-baked notion of superiority over the victim." She spoke clinically, dispassionately as she worked with blade and needle, and when the great howls of the Galflayer court finally stopped the other courts seizing what little remained and feasting upon the once proud house. As they believed was their birthright
Liberally distributed "Pure" blood fae would be absorbed into the other clans and courts as servants and breeding stock. Their own culture spreading the tampering like poison.

genetic tampering

-1 to Marux

[RedPhoenix]

Gonna move things on tomorrow.

[RedPhoenix]

Alright, I think I'm just going to stop it here. It just isn't interesting for me to keep processing partial turns.

Thanks for everyone who gave it a shot, sorry to the few who were active that it didn't get enough interest to keep it going.

Be well.

[Ironwolf85]

ah well... fun while it lasted