World Creation Superdraft 7: July 2023

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Nagus Sterling, the Potentate of Prosper, was not without a heart, and he was just as vulnerable to cute little critters as the next deity. Puppies, kittens, they all had a certain appeal he would confess to. None of them, however, had the right qualities to become a personal pet, and so he created one.

 

Selection: Fauna/Flora/Ore. Squirrels! Holy to him, the tiny hoarding hairballs are seen throughout the realm, in a multiplicity of colorings, fur often streaked with silver or gold. They see everything and they report back to him. You thought that squirrel was staring at you? It was! 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by Logan D. Hurricanes

[Enforcer84]

When your life is strife, you tend towards an aggressive outlook. Even your herbivores are cranky at best, and at worst don't mind chowing down on a clown who gets too close. Besides, what army wouldn't want a cavalry of armored, aggressive, hippos?

 

My Faua Pick:  Hippopotamus.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

That would be an incredibly intimidating cavalry. 

[Sociotard]

The river god is intrigued by this "river horse"

Edited July 11, 2023 by Sociotard

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

I think SMBC is watching our draft. https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/gods

[Old Man]

On the seventh day, Alitheon kept working,

because he wasn't lazy.

 

"Let there be a small, harmless being

to bring light to the unlit

and bring joy to the downtrodden."

 

Fauna: Fireflies

 

[Hermit]

8 minutes ago, Old Man said:

On the seventh day, Alitheon kept working,

because he wasn't lazy.

 

"Let there be a small, harmless being

to bring light to the unlit

and bring joy to the downtrodden."

 

Fauna: Fireflies

 

 

I almost picked those myself until I remembered there were other gods with better claims

[Old Man]

Just now, Hermit said:

 

I almost picked those myself until I remembered there were other gods with better claims

 

You could have picked them anyway, there are plenty of other bioluminescent lifeforms.  And I could always have invented like glowing kudzu or something.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Glowing kudzu, now there's an image. 

[Hermit]

1 minute ago, Old Man said:

 

You could have picked them anyway, there are plenty of other bioluminescent lifeforms.  And I could always have invented like glowing kudzu or something.

 

NAH. it's good.

 

I got some other idears

Of course, now I can't get the theme song to firefly out of my head

 

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

4 minutes ago, Hermit said:

Of course, now I can't get the theme song to firefly out of my head

 

You can't take that away from me. 

[Pariah]

1 hour ago, Old Man said:

 

You could have picked them anyway, there are plenty of other bioluminescent lifeforms.  And I could always have invented like glowing kudzu or something.

 

Fire squirrels.

[Hermit]

27 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

Fire squirrels.

Why? are they bad at their jobs?

[death tribble]

Time to commit murder.

Old Man ?

This one is for you !

 

[Psybolt]

Flora or Fauna or Ore:  Mosquitos

 

[Hermit]

1 hour ago, Psybolt said:

Flora or Fauna or Ore:  Mosquitos

 

Okay THAT is evil

[Pariah]

6 hours ago, Pariah said:

Fire squirrels.

 

6 hours ago, Hermit said:

Why? are they bad at their jobs?

 

No, from a cannon.

[Pariah]

Strangecharm's contribution for Sentient Life might go completely unnoticed by many of the larger creatures:

 

Talking Mice 

 

And yes, I have been reading The Chronicles of Narnia, why do you ask?

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

 

 

No, from a cannon.

So a cannon that fires angry squirrels?  Is that a summon or an RKA?

[DShomshak]

2 hours ago, Pariah said:

Strangecharm's contribution for Sentient Life might go completely unnoticed by many of the larger creatures:

 

Talking Mice 

 

And yes, I have been reading The Chronicles of Narnia, why do you ask?

Because my first thought was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

 

Dean Shomshak

[DShomshak]

I was going to post Etterskell's Sentient Race tonight, but I suddenly realized what the Interference should be from the God of Parts and Wholes. It's a big one.

 

Interference: Hypostases and Composit Deities.

 

Gods, too, are separable into parts. A god can separate part of itself as a lesser deity that expresses some aspect of its nature and power. The word for this in theology is a hypostasis. This doe not actually diminish the progenitor god; rather, it lets the god act in multiple places at once, focus on particular aspects without distraction, and perhaps hustle for worshipers who are interested in one aspect of the god but not others.

 

For instance, Etterskell spins of their aspect as inventor and patron of alchemy as the God Azoth. Alchemists prefer to deal with Azoth since they can ask for Azoth's aid with less risk of also attracting Etterskell's aspect of Accidents. (Though there is also the hypostasis Serendip, God of Fortunate Accidents.) Nagus Sterling can spin off hypostases for all the modes of making profit, from prospecting to loan-sharking. Crax can have subsidiary gods for all the methods and motives for murder, such as a God of Poison and a God of Killing in a Jealous Rage.

 

A concept for a hypostasis might fit under multiple deities. For instance, both Clarkent Kal and Ceass have an interest in Weapons. They could try to divvy up the concepts further, so the God of Heroes spins off a subsidiary God of Legendary Weapons while the God of Strife projects a God of Utilitarian Weapons. (And Crax covers Implements of Murder.) Or they can merge their hypostases in a composite deity, sharing in the prayers received. (Nagus Sterling can help you work out the contractual details, for a fee.)

 

As God of Parts and Wholes, Etterskell claims final authority over which hypostases and composite deities are possible. Not once, however, has the Master/Mistress of Multiplicity ever forbidden a hypostasis or a composite, seeming pleased merely at the multiplication of deities.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

(P. S.: The Egyptians were big on both hypostases and composite deities as, for instance, the Hellenistic god Serapis, a composite of the god Osiris and the divine bull Apis, who was in turn an aspect of the Nile-god Hapi. Also the creator-god Ptah to make a triad, though in an earlier form the death-god was Seker instead of Osiris, and hey, let's make Serapis solar like Ra. And the Mister Potato-Head approach to deity could get much more complicated than this. See below for an illustration of the god Bes mixed up with several other gods, including a little figure percheon his head. If it was good enough for the Egyptians, it should be good enough for us.)

Edited July 12, 2023 by DShomshak

[csyphrett]

I think I am two picks down; Monday and Tuesday.

 

I am going to say the Gandians, a powerful race of lead shells capable of splitting the atom are my sentient race. Capable of flight, energy beams, and insane strength, they are the foremost in the eternal fight against evil.

 

My gift to civilization is The Book of Dooms which gives descriptions and weaknesses for most monsters. And you can use it as a holy symbol to ward off monsters affected by such like vampires, and other forms of undead.

CES      

[Bazza]

14 hours ago, Hermit said:

 

I almost picked those myself until I remembered there were other gods with better claims

 

14 hours ago, Old Man said:

 

You could have picked them anyway, there are plenty of other bioluminescent lifeforms.  And I could always have invented like glowing kudzu or something.

glow-worms! 

[Sociotard]

and here we have Clarkent Kal using Hypostases:

 

 

 

Yes, one of his official powers was midget tossing. the silver age be crazy.

[death tribble]

With thanks to Psybolt and csyphrett for their input and this is for csyphrett.

 

Harken well for there were never more nobler examples of Clarkent Kal’s heroes than Lady Sheld and Lord Darg. Many are the tales that tell of their quests for Justice and Righteousness which also led to them exploring. Their opposition to the evil of Crax also found them favour with the Goddess of Hope. They also managed to get on the wrong side of Ceass, goddess of Strife, because they supported hope and Masque, god of Intrigue because espionage and shadows should never cloak Justice. But their downfall was not caused because of their deeds against the God of Murder but because of his father, Mister Rancor. After they managed to resist his hatred, intolerance, lies and manipulation he summoned for his son.

 

‘Oh most wondrous father, what may I do for you ?’ greeted the God of Evil to his sire. Mister Rancor displayed the two heroes.

‘Oh. Them. A thorn in my side for some time’

‘And now, me. What can we do to be rid of these miserable pests ?’ replied Hatred’s Peer.

‘I have tried many schemes to thwart and foil them. Or cause their deaths. Gone are the days when you could simply point at someone and have them die’ sighed his son with regret.

‘If you endanger one, the other comes to the rescue. And together they are insufferable. They seem to be immune to our powers, even Nagus Sterling could not tempt them. I know this is not what you want to hear father but I have been keen to rid the Cylinder of them.’

‘Between the two of us we should be able to come up with something’ replied his parent.

 

Crax nodded and then Rancor noticed his son have a sudden thought. ‘Maybe, we have been going about this the wrong way. They would never turn to evil and they have proven too strong to bend to intolerance or be swayed by lies and manipulation. But we could turn one to the path of Vengeance by causing the death of the other’ said Crax

Mister Rancor was content. His son had a real talent for running with the gifts of his father.

‘I have an idea. Something that has never been seen before but I will need your help for I need it to be imbued with hate and vengeance as well as evil and murder. Provided I do this right we will also have something to offend not just Clarkent Kal and Hope but also Alitheon’

‘You shall have whatever you need my son’, Rancor responded and smiled falsely for Hatred does not know pleasure, it is alien to him. Crax never called Nadiya by name except as Hope. An added bonus would be crossing the God of Illumination.

 

Crax set to work and poured his evil and a thirst for murder into his creation. His father added a little hate, the desire for vengeance and a little manipulation. The two gods decided against intolerance as that might make it unusable and Crax insisted that his ‘pet’ must be patient. Finally it was ready and Crax asked his father to take a look at it. At first Mister Rancor did not notice it but as he drew close he discerned that it was all but invisible in darkness. He also did not notice or feel the waves of evil and hatred it gave off until he got close it. It knew him and bowed respectfully which satisfied Rancor. Granted it had too many tentacles and teeth for his liking but it reeked of blasphemy.

‘Impressive, but I don’t see how this will offend Alitheon’. So Crax told him and his father gave his trademark false smile.

 

Lady Sheld being heavy with child paused her career to go into confinement while Lord Darg continued battling Crax’s minions and other assorted foes. However Crax stayed his hand. It was not until Lord Darg was returning to her that Evil struck. The god brought the beast close by and then unleashed it with the words ’Dins, dins’. Messengers reached Darg with dreadful news, something had attacked the stronghold where Lady Sheld had been sequestered. There was a lot of blood but no body. Darg hurried home and began to look for clues and answers.

 

Thus the second part of the plan unfolded. Darg used learning to try and find what had become of his beloved Sheld but he could find no trace of what had become of her nor how it had been done. Little clues here and there led him on. He became convinced that a god had been involved and there were three suspects; Mister Rancor, Masque and Crax. It was most likely the latter but this was far more subtle than the God of Murder was capable of up to now. Still he persevered but even the gods could not help him as they themselves did not know what had happened.

 

Eventually he tracked down a Truth Stone which could even persuade a god to tell the truth and then he set out to confront a god although they could only answer Yes or No unlike others who would be compelled to tell all. Darg determined that he must confront Crax and set out to meet his nemesis. When he came face to face with him the Master of Malice asked ‘What do you want ?’

‘Do you kill Lady Sheld ?’ asked the hero

‘No’ replied the god smugly and vanished for a god can only be forced to answer one question.

Darg felt that there was more to it and determined to face the god again. After a while he managed to find the god who seemed bemused. ‘You again ?’ said Evil’s champion. ‘Were you responsible for what happened to Lady Sheld ?’ asked the hero. The god deflated and shook his head and then turned and said ‘Yes !’ with a triumphant smile before he vanished again.

The hero set off after his foe again unaware that he was being drawn deeper and deeper into the trap of a god, or more accurately two gods.

 

Finally after several near misses, Lord Darg tracked Crax to the border of the Wildlands. The god saw him and seemed to roll his eyes as if to say ‘Here we go again’ but he did not flee.

The hero simply asked ‘How ?’

‘I thought you’d never ask’ replied his foe, ‘Behold !’

Darg was appalled by what he saw for it radiated evil and hate and nothing should live that was so blasphemous. It also had far too many tentacles and teeth.

Crax grinned ‘I call it the Soul Eater’ and watched as realisation sank in to the hero. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more and he would have him.

‘It made quite a meal of Lady Sheld’ and now for the coup de grace, ‘And her unborn child’

Darg suddenly found that neither could or would be returned to him or to the world and was devastated.

 

‘What’s the matter ? All hope gone ?’ sneered the God of Murder. That broke the hero who rallied to the attack. His patron meanwhile alerted to the peril of the champion set out to his aid but was delayed by Master Rancor and Masque.

The god nimbly evaded every strike until Lord Darg cried out for justice and struck the God.

The Soul Eater trembled and made ready to attack but his creator stopped it. ‘No, this one is mine’ and turning to the hero said ‘For that, you die’

The god caught the hero by the neck and strangled the life out of him and as he stood saw he had an audience of some of the other gods. Alitheon, Thoal-anni’in and Clarkent Kal regarded the Soul Eater with disgust and one made a move to destroy it only for Crax to stand in the way.

‘You can’t destroy it without hitting me and you all agreed to abide by rules saying that we cannot fight each other directly. It cannot fight a god, I am not going to make something that could turn on and kill me.’

Pointing at the corpse and displaying his wound he said, ‘He attacked me. Self defence’

Alitheon was displeased and Clarkent Kal looked as if he was about to ignore the rules when another voice spoke.

‘Looking for revenge ? How gratifying ! But we have places to be, goodbye dear colleagues’ and Mister Rancor spirited his son and the Soul Eater away.

 

Mythic Guardian/Creature:  The Soul Eater

Edited July 12, 2023 by death tribble