World Creation Superdraft 2: July 2018

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Gravitius, Secondary domain: Competition

 

Competition, whether physical or mental, is good for the soul. Winning is only healthy if it is earned, though. Gravitius will bless bold competitors, but woe be unto those that cheat. There are rules for a reason! He is the patron god of the Justice Games, an Olympics style gathering that began in the Valley of Justice but has spread out to the rest of the world. All races, even those wild ones, are invited to compete. In fact, the other peoples have brought new events to the games, and they even share hosting duties now. All of the games are skilled, no games of chance.   

 

[L. Marcus]

There is a herb that grows wild in almost the whole world -- or, at least in the whole world within a thousand days' travel of the Svartveden forest. A few inches high, with fat waxy leaves, insignificant white flowers, bearing small dark red berries with a sharp taste. Herbologists adore it, and pinches off a twig whenever they come across one and notes its location -- they have never been successfully grown in a garden. The significance of the leaves are, that when dried and ground up (in a bronze mortar, with a soapstone pestle), they can be used to brew an invigorating tonic. Very refreshing indeed.

 

The significance of the berries are another matter. They can be dried, too, and used in a salve (bear fat seems to work best as base), or fresh in a poultice. These have the remarkable property of staunching the most severe bleeding, as long as the salve or poultice can cover the whole would! No self-respecting sawbones, no village wise-woman, no erudite leech-apothecary would dream of using anything else to close a wound if it is available.

 

Ut-Mark's Herb: Bloodberries!

[death tribble]

'All you need is Love' is what they say.

And Amora took that to heart. While you can worship at other temples to the goddess there is one grand structure sacred to Amora, The Temple of Love

Legend has it that she had the idea when Ut-Mark introduced her to beer and she spent a long time talking to him before settling on a location in the Wilderness which was not too wild and thus sacred to him.

Then she went to all the other gods before finally speaking to Aerobell as the Temple was nearing completion. She sought the prohibition of the War God. That warriors would not come to destroy the place and that they would not come to it as they went to fight but would be welcome on the return journey. You can fight over and about love but not in its home.

Aerobell asked what she offered not only to her but also to the others. Amora's reply was simple but succinct: 'Name your price' which is what she had said to each god in turn. Amora said that Gravitus and Brother Chaos had powerful arguments, namely a giant dragon and a colossus replied Aerobell. Precisely replied Amora.

People can run for cover in the Temple of Love believing pain and fear outside stated Amora. A devil in a black dress watches over things while Guardian Angels walk away.

What next said Aerobell a giant primate on one of your islands which is mist shrouded in the archipelago ? Or a giant fire breathing breathing lizard ?

Amora paused to consider this and began smiling at the idea. Aerobell put her foot down and said 'No'.

Amora told the War God that the deal with Roy involved the fact that the weather could damage but not destroy the structure.

Supposedly there is an entrance to the Unseen Realm in the structure but Amora and Anuanu say nothing of it.

On a certain day the temple is illuminated by the suns bathing the temple in light and this might be the deal struck between Yshic and Amora.

As to Aerobell legend says that Amora offered to house a magic fire in the temple. 'Are you trying to bribe me ?' asked Aerobell and was told bluntly 'Yes' 

 

All the religions can worship in the temple as according to the Legends that was the essence of deals struck with each god but it is Amora's major temple. There is a magic fire in the temple which some complain is sycophancy to the two gods concerned. Almost as much as they complain about the gambling that goes on. Amora cares not. She made deals with the others. And she has kept to them.

 

Gift to Civilisation: The Temple of Love

 

And this is the major inspiration for Amora (audio only)

 

[Lucius]

 

This is not a pick: this is fiction meant to help reconcile some of the disparate elements of the Creation.

 

 

On the slopes of Mt. Amru, a woman accompanied by a cat slips a ring of electrum onto her forefinger. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she speaks aloud: "T'Shkha'Haboo, do you read me?"

 

Far, far away, on Mt. Sunspire, one of the T'Skha'Morch is exiting a cave mouth high on the mountain. Absent mindedly she begins to rub one leg against another then recalls that the spell connects minds directly and focuses thought instead: "As if we were touching. I can almost feel your antennae brushing against mine." On her left antennae a ring, twin to the one worn by her colleague, glints in the sun.

 

The woman smiled and the cat smirked and projected its own thoughts: "We have no antennae, unless you want to count my whiskers. Ready to go aloft?"

 

"Ready, " responded the beetle-like creature, and she spread wings and leapt into the air. Soon she was hovering higher than she should have been able to , and meant to stay there far longer than any ordinary one of her species could. She had mastered some of the psionic arts, sacred to Dee-Eli, that enabled her to transcend the normal limitations of her mortal form.

 

Across a broad sea and much of two continents, her fellow sage unrolled a carpet and seat on it with the cat in her lap. At a word of command, the carpet rose into the sky. Lying on her belly, she gazed down at the landscape and saw pools of darkness in the valleys. "We are airborne, and see the nighttide already rising. Shadows cover much of the land already and the lowest places are in full darkness. Strange to look down on darkness when we are here in the full light of the Suns."

 

The wise insect responded "I see no night yet ....wait, I was but sun-dazzled, I see it now. A single spot, not yet full dark. Perhaps the darkness does not rise at the same rate in all lands."

 

"Or perhaps it is merely that the land where you are is higher.  What of the suns: are they directly overhead from your position? They are from mine."

 

"Directly overhead. Another great mystery. We are ten thousand leagues apart; how is it possible that we both see these objects identically overhead?"

 

"A priest of Dee-Eli once said it was 'an observer-dependent macroscopic quantum phenomenon,' then said he had said too much and I should forget it. Theory aside, we have the bald and inescapable fact: the apparent position of the suns does not vary with the observer's location. From my position, night continues to spread: it rises like water in bowl being filled, but more smoothly."

 

"The same here - the darkness rises and slowly covers the land. But this has been observed before."

 

"Never from such heights as we are observing now. Will you be able to remain aloft all night? Without doing yourself harm?"

 

The sage beetle rubbed legs in an expression of annoyance. "I will be quite sore and tired when I land, but this is worth it. Please trust my Art, as I trust that of the mage who wove that carpet you are using."

 

They watched an shared observations as the night rose slowly up the slopes of the mountains. Mt. Amru was at last engulfed in darkness; shortly after, the rising night stopped short of the peak of Mt Sunspire and rose no further. As the woman and the beetle discussed the legend that this was due to Yshic Deity of Light having blessed that peak and forbidden Anuanu to darken it, the cat cried out: "Look up! See the Suns!" Both looked up and saw that one of the two suns was dimming....fading....dying...becoming a black orb hardly visible by the light of its shining brother which blazed up twice as bright, as if to make up for the sun which had gone out. Then the dead sun flared again to life, just as the second sun grew dim and followed the same cycle - the cycle of death and rebirth common to all things in Creation.

 

"The words of Yshic are true!" declared the cat, "The light of the suns shines for always!" His companion responded "True are the words of Arepo: all things must die and be reborn. Even, so we see now, the suns."

 

All three were silent for a long while, as the darkness sank away yielding up the land below to the light of the suns. The insectoid sage finally offered "So too are the words of Chaos shown true: 'when the Gods most seem to contradict is when they are most in agreement.'"

 

Oddly they were never sure which of the three said the last thing to pass among them before they sought their rest: "The profoundest act of worship is to try to understand."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Copyright Palindromedary Enterprises

 

 

 

 

[Psybolt]

On 7/10/2018 at 9:49 PM, Hermit said:

 

Yay! We have lovely spaces for development among 7 city states in Gelmir if you want to take one of those slots and flesh it out.

 

*This week on Love it or Raid it!*

Sounds like a developer's dream. 

 

We'll put it there. 

[Psybolt]

Flora or Fauna :  Sugar

[Pariah]

1 hour ago, Psybolt said:

Flora or Fauna :  Sugar

 

 

[csyphrett]

I am going to create the storm tern as my fauna. These water loving birds are known to appear before storms and heavy seas to fish. They presage bad weather.

CES

[Hermit]

(Warning, wall of Text, ignore if you like)

 

"Well, we're approaching the city state of Galos, once home of the Merkethian Empire. Merketh the Maker ruled here. Man was ruthless, efficient , and an idiot. That was long long ago when humans still ruled this area."

"Human then? I didn't think there were many humans in Galos?"He noticed a winged woman approach. Her forehead was broad, and she had somewhat jagged brows, but it didn't detract from the lovely feminine face underneath. He'd heard of her people, of course, but only seen them from a distance until now.

 

"Hello, travelers, you come armed and armored, are you looking for a tussle?" Then her eyes fell on the older man's holy symbol, and her demeanor shifted slightly, "Forgive, I did not realize you were a chosen of Aerobell the Awakener. You are, of course, welcome in Galos. I am Beltasia, enter, enter our land and leave a little joy when you part. How can this daughter of stone assist?"

 

"Daughter of stone?" The younger man pulled his eyes from the woman's swishing tail. The darn thing put a natural waggle in Beltasia's walk.

 

"As you can see, my companion does not know much about the history of your people. I was about to enlighten him upon their history and the history of Merketh the maker.."

 

At THAT name, Beltasia turned to the side and spat on on the ground, "Patron Saint of Cowards! Soul chainer! May he suffer a thousand years for every life taken by his command!"

 

"Quite" The old man said, and continued "But it occurs to me you might do better. Would you be so kind?"

 

"I would be glad to," She said in that exotic accent of hers, and said, "Merketh, some say, was a necromancer, others an alchemist, and a few say he had found a treasure that was the true source of his power. You have heard of Collasi, yes? "  

"Giant stone men taller than towers, yes I have heard of a few, know where at least one can be found," he says.

"Not easy to create, some say the art is lost, but smaller ones? Oh, they could be made more easily. So it was that Merketh came to create statuary, stone soldiers , and he crafted them with wings so foes could not take advantage of high terrain or water barriers so easily. Their skin was spear proof, their strength that of ten men. They could see in the dark like cats, or stare at the open suns and not blink. And they learned, and obeyed and were animate, and many had warrior skills...."

 

The young warrior raised a brow, "Your people are descended from these creations" Realization settling in, "Somehow he angered Aerobell didn't he? This Merketh?"

 

Beltasia looked at the older priest "Does he make a habit of jumping ahead like this?"

 

"oh, only all the time," The warrior priest nodded.

 

"Sorry," The young warrior said, a bit chagrinned.

 

"I think it's because he's so desperate to prove he's clever he's not concerned with growing wise" The older man continued.

 

"I said I was sorry," the younger man groaned, "It just seemed where we were going..."

 

"And then he makes excuses for his bad behavior," His mentor sighed to the newcomer, "maddening really. He's too old to spank or..."

 

"ALRIGHT" The young warrior snorted, "Point made."

 

Beltasia smirked at this then grew sober again, "You did not ask HOW He did this. You see, at first, it was the souls of criminals he drew out, but demands increased and..."

 

The young warrior's mouth fell open, but this time he did not speak.

 

"Oh he did not just put souls from one body into another better stone one, he was too cowardly to risk that." She says "He tore the souls apart, spread the spirits evenly between at least two of these winged stone warriors, sometimes three or four. This should have been seen as on offense to many gods, but the people of  his empire? They liked their slaves. Merketh boasted that his was the most peace loving empire there was, for none of his people went into battle. Only the the winged creatures of stone, which, he called "Gargoyles" . There was conquest without risk! He had conquered half of Gilmir and a few island nations. Merketh's people grew fat and lazy. When a Gargoyle was not fighting, it was tending its masters. There was a surge in demand for female gargoyles, crafted not to look horrifying, but lovely" She turned, quite aware of her beauty and unashamed of it, "What they were used for, I will let you guess. We had no souls, not, whole souls, but we had enough spirit to be aware of it, like one is a ware of a nightmare one cannot wake up from. Defeated people who dared stand against Merketh's Empire found that prisoners of war were, by default, criminals, and they were sacrificed for more animus. Hundreds of souls were shredded so a thousand new gargoyles might be put to work. And while they could not fully comprehend, they felt their stone hell"

 

The young warrior had seen entrails spill at his feet and held his bile. Imagining this? This made him feel very ill indeed.

 

He recovered and dared to ask "I admit to growing impatient to hearing how this monster got his?"

 

Beltasia nodded, "Aerobell tolerates many things, but reward without risk, glory without loss? Laurels without heroism? Battle without warriors? She had seen slaves sent to war before. She had seen conscriptions aplenty, but this? This  went beyond all that. Add to Marketh's insulting boasts, and she had had enough. Three warnings did she send Marketh. At one battle, his banner caught fire not that he was AT The battle- the coward. One day, in his own throne room, every one of his personal guard's weapons screamed like tormented souls.... the third warning was a priest of Aerobell arriving and telling him to cut this crap out."

 

"It was a bit more eloquent than that," The War priest mumbled.

 

"I see where your student gets it from, revered one" Beltasia opined.

 

"Don't you smirk" the old warrior warned the young one.

 

The younger warrior did anyway. He'd pay for it later, but for now- worth it.

The woman went on "He ignored this. Stories vary, but  many say the priest himself was slain and used to fuel new gargoyles. Not openly no, but slain in the night by Markeths' agents. But this turned out to be a ruse. The blessed spirt of that priest was prepared and did not tear, rather, the very conviction the goddess is known for rose up....and with the aid of some other God.... or gods, the gargoyles began to change! To grow souls whole from the shattered remnants ! They, WE, became people! our skin softened, though it still is tougher than most. Our minds cleared, and we grew defiant! Understand, "WE' were the army! We threw weapons to our fat and lazy masters and told them to fight! We ran spears through their bellies rather than take them as slaves, and to this day, when we down a foe and send him or her onto the cycle, our parting words are 'Die Free!'.  It is a blessing and a gift to a foe who we will not sully with chains. We took that city, slaughtered all but a few humans, and cast the rest out! We renamed it Galos! A name it bears today, and some still call us Gargoyles, we prefer Aerago. We find we still love to fight, but as mercenaries or members of our own army, we CHOOSE to. We actually 'awakened' with more territory than we knew how to handle. Since we did not feel obligated to defend Marketh's empire, we withdrew somewhat and let it fall  though some of us established true homes in some of it's remanants. Now flesh, we procreate just like humans more or less. Though we live longer if we don't get ourselves killed in a fight. But as war is often our hobby, that's not atypical. The joke about the Aerago is 'Two centuries of paper or thirty years of glory - pick one'"

 

The young warrior laughed, "But clear there's a middle ground?"

 

"Of course, we're a people, not a punchline. We have craftsmen, messengers, laborers and more. We're stronger and tougher than most species, and we fly. War may seem a natural draw for that, but it goes beyond. Many of us embrace the priesthoods." 

 

"Not just Aerobell's?" The young warrior asked.

 

"Of course not," she snorted, "The Awakener did not set us loose just to demand fealty again. IF she did, then she really should have thought it through. If we had an organized Pantheon I dare say she'd be  the god most high, but we're not idiots. Vyago bears the mantle of Freedom, and many believe it is he who advised the war goddess, or even tricked her into doing the dirty work on our behalf."

 

"Tricked?" The old priest snorted "Could we just call it 'coaxed' and leave it there?"

 

"As you say, wise one" Beltasia dimpled, which actually surprised the younger warrior. How do you dimple with skin that is resistant to a sword's edge? "Arepo is venerated for her mastery of Air and gratitude our souls go on.  Others get venerated to a lesser degree. And, of course, we dread Gravitus. We worship him partly out of fear, for stone we were..' She shivers "And we worry he might reclaim us as stone again"

 

"Haven't Gargoyle armies engaged the Mondrinu more than once? " The Elder Priest said.

 

"True, but we never touch the temples. If Gravitus didn't want us fighting his PEOPLE he shouldn't make them so good in a fight when you finally light a fire under asses. And it's not like we don't attack others. We're equal opportunity militants" She bobbed her head firmly.

 

"What's your government like?" the younger warrior asked, "Do you have a king?"

 

"No. We're more of a meritocracy with highly spiritual overtones. There's a council of priests from various religions that is mostly in advisory role, but they can be tie breakers. We respect the gods here. Even the ones we don't see much of a need for. Though there is a spot on the council  of priests for those among the Primo Ecclesia Ambiguas..." 

 

The old warrior translated the ancient tongue "First Church of the Undecided"

 

"Well, it wouldn't be fair if their confused beliefs weren't given voice, " Beltasia continues, "Our greatest warrior of a generation, as he ages, is offered the seat of head militant. One might call him the Grand General. And, of course, every weapon owner has a vote for our third ring of government to select a representative ."

"Weapon owner? Not land owner?" The young warrior inquired

"Who fights for that land? The man who owns it, or the man who holds the spear? " Beltasia snorted "if one will not fight for his nation, then he should not get a voice in it. He can disagree with a war, but to not be ready at all? The coward can sit on his tail and spin." The young warrior thought she might spit to the side again at that.

 

"So you're a militant theocratic democratic republic... My head hurts"  The young warrior said.

 

"Well, that's just Galos. Some other lands our people live in have practiced other forms of government. There's a communal colony on an island where the state, under the workers and warriors, divides all evenly with each according to their needs or some such but I don't know if it will work" She shrugged "Any other questions?"

 

"Do you ever...date outside your people?" the young warrior said. His saga sword had given him dating advice. Boldness might work.

 

"Yes, sometimes, but if the outlander fails to bring one our women to full pleasure, we sacrifice him on the tower of disappointment and let his blood flow below as a warning to all men who would overstep their abilities."  She said it with such a straight face he couldn't help but let his eyes widen, she laughed at that "I am the kidding-There is no tower named such"

 

That denial was a bit too specific to be fully comforting.

 

And they entered the city of Galos

 

 

Sentient Life :  Gargoyles (arguably Ex Gargoyles) aka Aerago

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT: I should add that many of them speak with a Romanian /Transylvanian accent

 

And they do not turn to stone at night. Completely different back story.  What, you want me to get sued?

 

And I just noticed a lot of my wall of text, describing our lady got eaten. sorry about that.

 

 

 

[death tribble]

Gargoyles. Why'd it have to be Gargoyles ?

[L. Marcus]

Gargouilles are cool.

[death tribble]

Well the X-Files episode had Kurtwood Smith so there is that.

[Pariah]

And the Animated Series had Keith David, Jonathan Frakes, and Marina Sirtis, so there's also that.

[csyphrett]

I am undecided on geography. The ocean is kind of flat. I have to think about it.  I am also undecided on interference. Nothing really stands out to be interfered with at this point.

CES

[death tribble]

You could have an Inland Sea ?

[Sociotard]

Whirlpools?

 

A bustling port?

 

A spot in the ocean where the water is odd in some way (acid water, glowing water) 

 

But I agree with the interference. I'm trying to pick one that fits my character.

[death tribble]

And you aren't going to tell us as it is a secret. You also have two domains or other choices to make plus the mythic monster as well as the Interference.

[Lucius]

3 hours ago, Hermit said:

 

 

  There was a surge in demand for female gargoyles, crafted not to look horrifying, but lovely" She turned, quite aware of her beauty and unashamed of it, "What they were used for, I will let you guess.

 

 She shrugged "Any other questions?"

 

"Do you ever...date outside your people?" the young warrior said. His saga sword had given him dating advice. Boldness might work.

 

 

 

 

It started with a catgirl. After the initial surprise that such a thing was possible, it seemed a natural enough result of the symbiosis between the Cats and their People.

 

Then a Seraphim sought to study the T'skha'morch, and for that purpose took on their form and nature - so well as to procreate among them, resulting in shadowy offspring who came to be known as Shade Beetles.

 

No one was surprised that Humans and the Di Sma Undarjordi bred together. Indeed, the shapeshifting People of the Wild could readily sire upon, or bear for, any other people.

 

And all such hybrids were dear to Arepo.

 

These are Arepo's people: the Hybrids.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

What do you get when you cross a palindromedary with a....

 

 

[Hermit]

1 hour ago, Lucius said:

 

It started with a catgirl. After the initial surprise that such a thing was possible, it seemed a natural enough result of the symbiosis between the Cats and their People.

 

Then a Seraphim sought to study the T'skha'morch, and for that purpose took on their form and nature - so well as to procreate among them, resulting in shadowy offspring who came to be known as Shade Beetles.

 

No one was surprised that Humans and the Di Sma Undarjordi bred together. Indeed, the shapeshifting People of the Wild could readily sire upon, or bear for, any other people.

 

And all such hybrids were dear to Arepo.

 

These are Arepo's people: the Hybrids.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

What do you get when you cross a palindromedary with a....

 

 

 

Oh what have you done? 

[Cancer]

From the unseeable gloom, the laughter of the God of the Unborn pours forth in delight, and perhaps even envy, of the genius and generosity of Its cousin Arepo.

 

A buzzy voice from a dark alley insinuates, "Hello, Sailor.  Ever try it with a beetle?  We've got tricks you've never seen before...."

[Old Man]

4 hours ago, csyphrett said:

I am undecided on geography. The ocean is kind of flat. I have to think about it.  I am also undecided on interference. Nothing really stands out to be interfered with at this point.

CES

 

You're a god, man.  If the earth can be flat, the ocean can be whatever shape you like.

 

Or sparkling, if you meant the other kind of flat.

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Hermit said:

 

Oh what have you done? 

 

He made really interesting porn, that's what.

[Cancer]

He brought the word rishathra into scope, kind of.

[Lucius]

2 hours ago, Hermit said:

 

Oh what have you done? 

 

ME? I was responding to the implication you made.

 

49 minutes ago, Old Man said:

 

He made really interesting porn, that's what.

 

Actually, I just repeated myself from last time we did this.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says "rishathra" is not quite the right concept....for a couple of reasons....

[Cancer]

I acknowledge the truth in the palindromedary's comment, but it was a somewhat relevant term that floated to the top of the septic tank of my mind as the discussion erupted.