World Creation SuperDraft

[Doc Shadow]

Don't forget your "gifts to civilization" will be copied by all the other races. But your people have the best and/or be the best at them.

 

Example: All races will have Aether-ships and weapon gauntlets, but those of the Sky-Elves will be superior. 

[Lucius]

edit: The Myth of Summer is now considered apocryphal.

edit: I can delete this entirely if by chance D Shomshak wants to BE the God of Sumer.  
 

Can we assume the existence of Unchosen Deities? i.e. if no one comes along and picks Goddess of Summer, can we assume the world still HAS Summer and a Goddess thereof, to complement Winter?
 
Lucius Alexander
 
God of Palindromedaries

 
 

Good assumption. However, they will be considered minor deities. Only the gods here are the major powers in the universe.

 
This is pure mythmaking, I am not exercising any options in this post.
 
The following myth is subject to fact-checking and approval by the Gods referenced. It implicates them in certain relationships that may be mythologically appropriate but are not inevitable. If they repudiate the tale, the relevant passages will be amended and any priests, scribes, or minstrels found trafficking in deleted mythical matter will be declared heretical and soundly mocked.

Earth and Sky have much in common - the entire horizon just to begin with - and so it was that they came together, and their joining bore fruit, and the fruit of their union was Summer.
 
Summer was a lovely God, and Arepo the Goddess of Death and Rebirth found Him fair to look upon, and craved to do more than to look.
 
One day Summer had wandered to the edge of the His Father's demesne, and trod the beach taking pleasure in the seashells and starfish he found. He heard a sweet song and looking about, spied something like a woman with the tail of a dolphin afloat on her back, lazily flexing her tail, and of course singing. "I know You" He said, for He was a God and could see Who it really was, "You are Arepo! Is something about to die or be reborn in the Sea?"  She laughed and said "I certainly hope so! Come into the water with Me, Beautiful God, I will show You wonders."
 
Now Summer knew that Water was a Realm with its own Deity, and by swimming He would put Himself beyond HIs Parents' easy reach. "Can you not bring wonders to Me?" He asked,  "Wherefore do you call Me out beyond the seeing and hearing of My Mother and Father?"
 
"Would you have Mother Sky and Father Earth see your first kiss?" teased the amorous Goddess. Summer flushed hot and shot back "What would You know of My first kiss? How do You know I have not kissed a hundred mortals, or perhaps several among the Gods?" "Have You?" She asked curiously. "I have kissed....My Mother," He said, looking Skywards as if He hoped She would put in an appearance and put an end to this embarrassing conversation. But Arepo had chosen Her time well and Summer's Divine parents were busy with One Another and in fact hoping their son would not interrupt Them at Their most pleasant business. "A mother's kiss is not like a paramour's" said Arepo, "But if You have no wish to learn the difference, stay there and admire the starfish." She lay back and gazed upwards and resumed singing as if She cared little what He might do.
 
Of course He was in the water before She finished the first stanza. When at last They broke the first kiss, She began to say "Come with Me to the grott- OH!" and there in the waves as the tide rose about Them, They went beyond kissing.
 
She took Him to the grotto as promised, then to a Temple on one of the floating Islands that was home to an order of priestesses devoted to Her, and always She veiled Him carefully from the Sight of the other Gods. She tried to feast Him on delicacies of the sea, salmon and krill-cakes and the roast claws of sea scorpions, but He betrayed an appetite only for more of Her and claimed to have no taste for food not from the Realms of Sky or Earth. . At last He spoke of visiting His parents, for surely They would be seeking Him by now, and He wished to let Them know what joy He had found. Then Arepo secured thirteen enchanted and very potent seeds of the sacred poppy and tempted Him into eating of them, so that He fell into Dreams. And She joined him in Dreams, where even Time becomes confused and lost, and She bound Him there so that He forgot His Mother and Father and Dreamed only of Her.
 
She could not always Dream with Him, for She was Lady of Death and Rebirth, but when not about Her business or Dreaming, She would often sit and admire His sleeping form, for even drowsing He was superbly beautiful. And the priestesses would bring messages, "War wishes to know when He might see You again, Lady," or "Winter would like Your leave to come for a visit soon." And She would say "Tell Him I have much to do and do not know when next I will have time for Him." But then Winter came unannounced and found her gazing upon the slumbering Summer, for She had never rescinded Her order that He be allowed even into her innermost Sanctum.
 
"What Ho?" cried the Chill God, "Is that not the missing Son of Earth and Sky? Now I know why You have been leaving Me out in the cold!" "You are ALWAYS out in the cold, You old frost giant" said the Goddess of Death and Rebirth, "now You know My secret, let us lie together to celebrate Your promise to keep it!" But He responded "And shall We Lie Together to Summer's parents? Neither Your charms nor Your power can stop Me from restoring Their child to Them."  And Winter took up Summer and bore Him away in His arms, to summon the Gods to Council, and the Goddess of Death and Rebirth made no move to interfere, for She knew better than any God that all things with a beginning must have an end. Still She defied the assembled Deities, and would not give up her claim upon the sleeping God. "It is I Who hold the key of HIs dreams" She proclaimed "And what I have taken hold of is held in the grip of Death."  And soon all voices were raised in quarrel, Earth and Sky were laying violent hands upon She they saw as their son's abductress, and Peace barely restrained War from drawing His terrible Sword. Mortals knew their world had gone amiss, for the time was marked by great sudden storms and earthquakes. No one noticed that Summer was beginning to stir.
 
Then All fell still and silent when Summer sat up and looked around and blinked and said "Is everyone fighting over ME?" His parents let go of His paramour to embrace Him, and the Goddess of Death and Rebirth looked more surprised than Anyone had ever seen Her. "How are You awake?" She asked, "I gave you thirteen poppy seeds, one for each turning of the Moon in the course of a year."  Summer said "I did not eat them all. I had said I was hungry only for more of You."
 
Now that Summer could speak for Himself, it seemed that speaking for Himself was to be demanded of Him. Wither would He go now, back to His family or back to the Goddess of Death and Rebirth? He looked thoughtfully at She who had led Him into Dream and sought to keep Him there. "This is what You meant to spare Me by keeping Me in Dreams, isn't it?" He asked. "You meant Me to taste some of the joys of adulthood but not face the making of hard choices." She confessed "I had to try, although I of all Gods know all things arise and pass away and arise again." Summer turned then to Time and Wisdom and said "I think the choice is made already, at least in part?" They nodded, and Time said "For each seed eaten, You belong to Her for one month of the year. But if all the Gods agree, I can undo even that and restore You to full freedom." Earth and Sky then clamored for that to be done, but Summer said "No. Beloved Mother and Father, I will stay with You for part of the year and with She I have chosen for the rest. It is My right to make this choice, and even You cannot dispute that."
 
And so it is that for some months each year Summer is with Earth and Sky and the world and all living things rejoice and celebrate and only Winter's hard land remains cold all the time. And during that time the Goddess of Death and Rebirth distracts Winter from His pursuits of brewing blizzards and covering the world with bitter cold. And then for much of the year Summer is hidden away and Winter rages and stalks the land with cold and hunger, as if sending Her more souls would win Her over to His side from that of the God of Warm Days.
 
And while Summer has few Temples to Himself alone, in each temple of moderate size belonging to Arepo, there is a small shrine to Summer and a similar shrine to Winter.
 
Wow, that took longer than I thought.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
Copyright Palindromedary Enterprises

[Clonus]

For my Guardian I pick Leviathan, a vast molluscoid creature capable of taking to the air and tearing even the mightiest airship to piece and enveloping itself in cloud for concealment.  Because, seriously all I'm asking for is a libation from those who which to cross over my oceans.  

[Pariah]

Wow, I'm either three or four picks behind. I'll make one before I turn in for the night.

 

Have you ever wondered why solving a mystery or revealing a secret are sometimes referred to as 'unearthing'? The term gives reverence to Pr'Jah, he who is Master of both hidden things and the earth itself.

 

6th pick -- Secondary Domain: Mysteries and Secrets

[death tribble]

I would assume that each of the enclaves and neighborhoods have their own cemeteries, ossuaries, crematoriums, and shrines where they observe their own cultural funerary rites.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Copyright Palindromedary Enterprises

 

I have stuck something special specific to each of the races in the City for example Palaces of Wisdom for the Aleph and Universities for the Sky Elves. So how about the Place of Silence where the Undead can gather without interference from others ? It is different from the Temples. And ALL the Gods were involved in getting their races to construct and populate the city..

[Lucius]

I have stuck something special specific to each of the races in the City for example Palaces of Wisdom for the Aleph and Universities for the Sky Elves. So how about the Place of Silence where the Undead can gather without interference from others ? It is different from the Temples. And ALL the Gods were involved in getting their races to construct and populate the city..

 

I approve. A place in the midst of the clamorous city and its teeming thousands, where no living mortal may go without special dispensation

 

Lucius Alexander

 

But a palindromedary can get in

[death tribble]

I approve. A place in the midst of the clamorous city and its teeming thousands, where no living mortal may go without special dispensation

 

Lucius Alexander

 

But a palindromedary can get in

Add it in and of course a Palindromedary can get anywhere.

 

Also added The Joyful Glades for Assault's Nymphs and Satyrs. This is the PG version as most of us can use our imaginations to work out what is going on

[csyphrett]

It looks like I need two picks to finish the draft.

 

For my sentient race, I am going with the nomadic Bamfs, capable of teleporting themselves and other things naturally. Typically they run away from trouble, but if one takes up swashbuckling, they are dangerous with anything they can touch.

 

I need an interference pick. I am going to interfere with the three suns.  Occasionally the three suns line up behind each other on the other side of the planet and a quasi night falls to allow time for rest without unyielding day, relief from the constant light, and the coolness of evening.

 

I am assuming a round planet for this.

CES 

[csyphrett]

Also I think this is the best draft we have run in a while. Too bad we can't get a novel out of Hermit for it.

CES 

[death tribble]

Talking of which where is he ?

[Doc Shadow]

It's Saturday, he's probably actually playing Champions. Or possibly running it.

[Cancer]

Possibly he's being held hostage by Fish Guy's enemies.

[L. Marcus]

It is time, I think, for my Interference Pick -- and I (not Welond, who is mostly pretty mellow and cool) choose to interfere with the entire world!

 

There are other gods than those who made the world. Outside it. Less given to creation, so to speak, and more in favor of the opposite. 

 

They are powerful gods. Some more so than the most powerful of the Creators -- but not more powerful than all Creators together, and the Outsiders are not given to co-operation.

 

Many of them --- the more organized ones -- have realms of their own, but they are dreary and monotonous places. As these realms were created by only one god, everyone and everything in it are just aspects of that one god. Nothing changes, unless the god wills it to -- there are no conversations, just an endless echo chamber.

 

Now, those gods are not the problem -- the problem lies with the ... less organized gods. The gods of rage, violence, destruction, and jealousy. They do not like the creator gods, or their worlds -- and the world of [blank] sticks out like a sore thumb. The less intelligent destruction-inclined deities constantly tries frontal assaults, with nothing to show for it and the defenses of the creators getting stronger year by year. The more clever deities ... Well, now ... They are more of the infiltrate/subterfuge/divide-and-conquer mind. They are trouble.

 

Complication Pick: Destructive Outsiders.

[Clonus]

Mizu's Gift To Civilization:  Animal domestication.  Seaborn riding air sharks!

[Old Man]

Pick #7:

 

Fauna: The Veritch Bird, aka the Re-Egret

 

Mortals!  On your journeys it will be helpful to have an anomal companion.  Behold the Veritch Bird, who possesses a high degree of cunning and empathy.  These slim birds are born white, but their plumage is easily stained.  In the wild they will develop a very filthy appearance, but those who are well kept may shine with an opalescent brilliance.  These birds may also be taught to speak a handful of words, and their song may rival that of any true songbird.

 

What sets the Veritch Birds apart from their animal kin is their ability to sense lies.  Repeated lies attract the Re-Egrets, and lying in the presence of one may trigger not their beautiful song, but a shrill laughter that is painful to hear and which has an actual corrosive effect on their surroundings.  No structure or substance can endure the repeated laugh of the Veritch Bird--wood, stone, steel, mithril, orichalcum will all eventually weaken and crack in the presence of such harsh mockery.

 

Mortals, the Veritch Bird exists to serve as a way to distinguish truth from lies, and guide you on the correct path.  Use them well.

 

--translated from the Vaulted Stanza of the Wordless Codex

[death tribble]

Complication Pick: Destructive Outsiders.

Clarification. Are these things like Demons in the Dungeons and Dragons sense who can serve others like a powerful Necromancer or are they like the Lords of the Abyss such as Lolth, Demogrogon, Orcus and the Princes of Elemental Evil ?

[L. Marcus]

They can choose to "serve" others if they think it will further their long-term goals. Think Mephistopheles here, in the Doctor Faustus way.

 

In a way, it's a sort of amalgamation between Demons and Devils, I suppose. 

[death tribble]

I was thinking are they more like the Type 1 through 6 Demons, Succubi, Erynes, Pit Fiends, Ice Devils etc or are they Demogorgon, Mephistopheles, Lolth, Orcus ?

Basically are they the infantry or the generals or are they both ?

[L. Marcus]

Both. The entities themselves can't enter the world -- but they can send avatars/anti-angels/aspects of themselves; that is, much less powerful versions of the god. These must usually be invited into the world to incorporate, but they can communicate with receptive sentients mentally from Outside.

[Lucius]

The first part of the following myth is subject to veto by War and Winter. It posits relationships I regard as mythologically appropriate, but not inevitable. If repudiated, such passages will be blotted from the sacred scrolls and chiseled out of the temple inscriptions.

 

Winter and War were dining companionably with Arepo, Goddess of Death and Rebirth, when War put a question to Her.

"So tell me....animal, vegetable, or mineral?"

She raised an eyebrow and asked "We are playing twenty questions?"

 

"You know what We mean" Winter said, "When will You create or designate something sacred to You, like an ore or a crystal or poppies or My wonderful aurochs, to make your mark on our world?"

 

Arepo sat straight and shot back "You remember the First Sacrifice. It is My bones and blood and breath that form the substance of the world. What need have I to 'make my mark' upon it like a boy writing his name in the snow with his water?"

 

"What need?" laughed the Wargod, "The same need You had for reminding Us just now of what We already know! It was I Who severed You into the parts that made up our world. You touch every mortal in all beginnings and endings, even to their beating hearts, but that just means you fade into the background for them."

 

"Do not pretend to be above such things" spoke Winter, who was standing, "Create or not as You will, Lady, I must go aid an army of Giants to repel invading Dwarves." War rose and said "I too must be at that battle, to bless the bold and curse the cowards."

 

"Enjoy yourselves" said the Goddess, "I'm already there. I am everywhere."  But she smiled after they were gone, for She did not after all intend to fade into the background.

 

When She was satisfied with her creature, she made many of them, and then showed one to the First Priest, who had incarnated among the Bamfs.. "That beast" he said "Looks like two front halves of the same camel." She said "Wait until you see all of them together." And he said "You made a herd of them?" "Nay, call it an unherd of them, for until I made them they were unheard of." "What will you call it?" "I call it palindromedary, that which runs each way alike."

 

And Arepo sent the palindromedaries forth into the world, giving them messages for mortals.

 

A palindromedary went among kallu'un qaroof, and said "Nipson anomemata me monan opsin" but it was all Greek to them, so they ate it.

 

A palindromedary found a gathering of Brownies and said "Nipson anomemata me monan opsin" and they understood and washed the palindromedary's faces and fed it alphabet soup and let it rest in an unstable before each confided to it about their failings and shames, before sending it back to Arepo.

 

A palindromedary came among a group of Alephs in meditation and knelt among them in silence, and they understood its silence perfectly, and when it repeated itself backwards they understood that as well.

 

A palindromedary came among a group of Palladians, and said "Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas" and when they asked it courteously to repeat that backwards it did so from its other mouth, and then they demonstrated the profundity of their understanding by themselves reciting it sideways.

 

A palindromedary found a band of Dwarves and said "Live not on evil" and they understood and rejoiced to be called back to their better selves.

 

A palindromedary went among Humans and said "Repel evil as a live leper" and they claimed to understand but soon fell to arguing whether it meant that one who is virtuous is therefore repulsive to evil and to evil things, or if it meant that those who do evil should be cast out and shunned.

 

A palindromedary went aboard a ship of the Sky Elves, and said "in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni" and whether or not they understood, they were flying over the land, and so they were surely stood under.

 

A palindromedary went to a town of Hobbits and said in "Live not on evil" and they understood and said "you took the words right out of our mouths"

 

A palindromedary went among the Sea Born and said "Doc, note, I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod." And those who had grown fat by trading with the surface folk understood and realized they could improve health by eating land grown delicacies only in moderation and consuming more of the foods from their own realm.

 

A palindromedary found a war party of Giants and said "Evoles ut ira breve nefas sit; regna!" from one mouth, and from the other said "Anger? 'Tis safe never. Bar it! Use love!" They understood and promised to think it over.

 

A palindromedary came in between three Dragons and said  "in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni" and they understood and with suitable ceremonies and incantations returned it to Arepo via incineration.

 

A palindromedary walked into an orgy of Satyrs and Nymphs and said "Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas" and they understood and said "Yeah, we knew Who sent you  when we saw you coming! The Word's getting around!" And one of the Satyrs said "She has promised - all that falls shall rise again, so mote it be!" and the Nymph caressing him said "Hey, it just did! Praise Arepo and lets hear it for palindromedaries!"

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Really, having one here would be redundant

[death tribble]

I would not put Tribbles upon the world. But I like the idea of Palindromedaries.

[Lucius]

Which options do I still need to choose?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

"Fear my palindromedary!"

[death tribble]

Your Interference choice and your Mythic Monster one for definite.  Possibly secondary domains as well. That one epic post you did with the temples to Summer and Winter might have had a domain element but I'm not sure.

Sociotard's list is not upto date yet but it will be.

 

I have an idea for my mythic monster and it will be a monster but I want to see what other Interference calls, other than passes, others make. 

[Pariah]

Okay, two picks today and two picks tomorrow should wrap things up. I think.

 

First, my Animal Vegetable Mineral pick. (Does this surprise anyone, really?) The mystical metal of Mithril has already been gifted to our young world, as well as Lift Crystals and others. Now I add another:

 

7th pick -- Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral: Naquadah

 

With a little help from the Master of Science & Technology, the denizens of this world will one day come to understand how versatile and powerful this mineral is. Let us hope that the Master of Wisdom will gift them to be able to use it responsibly when that day comes.

[Pariah]

I also make my Interference pick today, at the expense of Dorrauch of the Silver Frost. (Sorry....)

 

That the Continent of Storstein, Land of Eternal Winter, is the ancestral homeland of the Giants is of course well known. What is not as well known, however, is that there is a second sentient race living high in the mountains of the continent:

 

8th pick -- Interference: The Panserbjørne (or Armoured Bears)

 

 

 

The Panserbjørne are expert metalworkers who use meteoric iron to fashion their armour. They are fierce warriors, and are incapable of being deceived. 

 

Of some irritation to Dorrauch is the fact that the Panserbjørne revere Ætheria (who sends them the the sky-iron) and Welond (who taught them to fashion it into their armour) above himself. What role does Pr'Jah play in all of this, and why? The answers are known only to the Master of Earth himself.