World Creation Superdraft 2: July 2018

[Pariah]

Still trying to come up with an idea for my Interference pick.

 

Hold, please.

[Psybolt]

12 minutes ago, Pariah said:

Still trying to come up with an idea for my Interference pick.

 

Hold, please.

me too

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

I was asked in private so I thought I would clarify something. The Earthquakes and Volcanoes are on ongoing phenomenon, not just a one time occurrence. I imagine them as only slightly more common than the real world, enough to keep everyone on their toes, so to speak. The Valley of Justice is immune to such chaotic activities. 

[Cancer]

Man, is that last sentence ripe for interference.

[L. Marcus]

They still have alcohol.

[Hermit]

The Head Militant of the City State of Galos paced, his wings furling and unfurling as a human might clench and unclench a fist. It was a nervous habit of sort, born of  need to wait when he wanted to do. He had been the greatest warrior of his people at one time, and the ways of that life did not leave him when he took the position. Indeed, he worked hard to maintain his skills and instincts.  Nearby, two human warriors, a war priest and his student , honored guests who had done much for the city state when the quake had hit the province to the south, attended him to advise.  Due to the past, some Aerego held a dislike against humanity, but the Head Militant wasn't so foolish. Humans too suffered from the likes of the slaver. And they shared a suffering now. 

 

"Your people endure well, Head Militant," The Old Priest nodded, "Your scouts will arrive soon, but I have checked with the council of priests. They know this to be the work of Gravitus. The God of Order has loosed his rage upon the entire continent of Gelmir, sending Earthquakes and volcanoes to plague it. That surge was brief, but other surges will come, small ones every other decade, a great one once a century?"

 

With a deadpan face and tone, the Head Militant inquired, "Something we said?" 

 

A chuckle escaped the old priest, "Twas the giant's corpse that sinned, Head Militant, not the people. Though church attendance is up for a thousand miles," wryly "Gelmir is not as other lands. Never was before, though, after this it maybe."

 

"What do you mean?" The war leader inquired.

 

"I mean while this land will know quakes and volcanoes more frequently than before, it maybe that the between periods will actually be more stable, and Gelmir more akin to other continents. It as if the land resisted, but now it knows better, though the 'anatomy' of it has shifted a great deal. There's probably a metaphorical eyeball down in the naval area. Your city was fortunate that only the province to its southern most part was hit by a quake, and Galos handed the remnant that could be felt up here well. Reinforce, change your buildings of the future to be more resistant to such, and you should be better."

 

"We shall see what the scouts say of some of the other city states... I need details on these land shifts, to find out which parts are now more prone to quakes and where volcanoes will reoccur. Were we hit harder than other city states? Easier? In such times..ah, here come my scouts now..."

 

"A city state has been lost," One of the scouts announced.

 

"Syn?" The Head Militant inquired.

 

"Nay, I speak of Florin-Da off the South Eastern Coast," The Scout said, "A great volcano birthed dead center within its belly, erupted up, and when it was done? Not a tacky tropical hued shop was left standing. Out of the multitudes, only a fraction have survived..."

 

Other scouts reported their own findings of other cities, some were badly aching, others had weathered as well as Galos, but only Florin-Da was truly irreversibly lost. It was agreed that the quakes had done, over all, the most damage beyond that one city state.

 

"The volcanoes blacken the skies with soot and ash but unless one is under them, little else?" The Head Militant said surprised, "I thought they might be a greater danger than the quakes"

 

"One must breath," The War priest warned, "Ash can be deadly enough, but I am not surprised the quakes are stronger. It is Aerobell who controls fire and burning, my lord. Not the Master of Stone. I'm not sure what she had against Florin-Dans, but she's not likely to let the rest of the land burn much. "

"Praise be to the Goddess of fire," the Aerego declared.

 

The young warrior frowned, and spoke, "is our goddess not offended by this? She made Gelmir. And..." 

 

The Old Priest and the Head Militant both chuckled.  Some of the scouts and the young warrior alike gave questioning looks.

 

So the War Priest explained, "She did not make Gelmir, she slew it so to speak. She is fond of the people here, but is not wroth at a little redecorating. The goddess will take no action against Gravitus for this, why would she? This is a gift, one fewer city, other cities damaged, resources stretched, obvious weakness in some civilizations? War is going to be declared all over the place with this many opportunities to change the balance of power. The Isle of Justice seems stable, someone will probably decide to move there by FORCE. They maybe smacked down, but hey, war's risky. The Inevitable One is loving this! First he gives her horses, now he gives her this? He keeps it up she's going to end up visiting his godly bedchamber and tell him  all his flirting has paid off."

 

The Head Militant coughed.  He wasn't comfortable speculating on the extra curicular activities of gods and goddesses in their boudoirs. The human War priest was clearly more salty. So he changed the subject back "Your mentor is right, I have a chance to double our lands, maybe conquer a small nation if the councils agree. You know, I'll miss that little pub in the southern province, they made the best dark lager, but it will not be lost for nothing." 

 

The young man still frowned.

 

"Don't tell me you're not looking forward to seeing the goddess show her stuff anew?" The War priest said.

 

"War is fair," The young man said, "In that you can fight back. Which is as just as life gets. But..starvation might arise, and that's no way to die."

 

One of the Scouts beamed "No concerns there, all this shaking? It's sent out Mannamoth swarms by the millions all over the land"

 

"Well," The War priest laughed, "Hows' that, young man, for service? I imagine when the goddess first made those to discourage starvation as a weapon, she did not realize they'd spread all over creation as they did, but surely everyone will eat"

 

The Warrior smiled, "Praise the goddess of War, victorious even over famine"

 

Fauna: The MannaMoth -An Insect that hibernates in the shade of great caves, or forests, then spawns out in great swarms to die in the heat of binary suns (or volcanic ash) in droves, turning into breadlike substance as they do. Quite edible though they do not store for long.  Some claim the tastes vary depending on what region of the world you are in. Some in the area around Galos have a nutty taste. Others in the archipelago are said to have a more fruit like taste. Some near the great temple of love taste of honey. The ones over the Valley of Justice taste of Lima Beans.

 

 

[Hermit]

6 hours ago, Pariah said:

Still trying to come up with an idea for my Interference pick.

 

Hold, please.

 

I got a couple of ideas for mine. Can't decide which is best.

On one hand, we have an underworld that seems to punish those who did violence in their lives, well, that sucks some for warriors. Damn goth hippie afterlife system.

 

On the other, we have some psychic Wushu force power stuff the God of secrets is keeping to his own, and what goddess of war wouldn't be interested in a new method of fighting?

 

And there's always the classic "Race X (maybe YOUR race) declares War on Race Y(someone else's)" though I'm assuming just like almost any world, wars happen quite often anyway

 

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Lima beans??

 

 

Now who's begging for interference?!

 

 

 

 

 

[Sociotard]

I think one of my favorite things about these world-building drafts is the way they encourage participants to use other peoples picks in their fiction.  Other drafts have the fiction, but nearly always containing only references to that players draft.

[Hermit]

6 minutes ago, Logan.1179 said:

Lima beans??

 

 

Now who's begging for interference?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The goddess holds no few grudges

 

Her writer is  petty  

 

 

 

[Cancer]

51 minutes ago, Hermit said:

....

Fauna: The MannaMoth -An Insect that hibernates in the shade of great caves, or forests, then spawns out in great swarms to die in the heat of binary suns (or volcanic ash) in droves, turning into breadlike substance as they do. Quite edible though they do not store for long. 

 

You may not realize this, but you have a triggered a visceral and genocidal "Kill it with fire!!" response from every observational astronomer on Earth.

Link

 

Being in a dome all night with hundreds of thousands of moths just hanging around waiting to die will do that to you.

[Hermit]

1 minute ago, Cancer said:

 

You may not realize this, but you have a triggered a visceral and genocidal "Kill it with fire!!" response from every observational astronomer on Earth.

Link

 

Being in a dome all night with hundreds of thousands of moths just hanging around waiting to die will do that to you.

 

Who knows? Maybe to add insult to injury they like the flavor of labcoats?

 

 

[Cancer]

No one wears a labcoat at the observatory.  Or if they do, they only do it once, and their frozen corpse is hauled away in the morning.

 

Cancer holds forth about working dusk-to-dawn every night for a week in late December on a mountaintop where the observing floor was diamond plate steel ....

[Hermit]

Fair points....

but I'm having a hard time feeling bad about a famine fix just because it obscures your view of Venus

[Sociotard]

"There was supposed to be an Earth-Shattering Kaboom!"

- when a godlike astronomer gets his view blocked.

[death tribble]

It is said that Amora likes to rest and paddle her feet in the sea. It is then said that Roy will arise and take her for a tour of the oceans and flying high in the weather. Some sailors claim to have seen the god and goddess swimming with Amorsons or playing with the Water Kraken or diving with Storm Terns. But these are sailors and if they are not suffering from heat stroke, hunger or thirst then they are drunk.

 

Legends say that people were afraid of the Dark and feared its god. So it was that Amora came to Anuanu and said 'Worshippers of some of or colleagues and some of mine claim that there is no Love, no Beauty nor Pleasure to be found in Darkness. Walk me through your realm and through your domains. Let me see it for myself'

Anuanu nodded and then asked 'Why should I do this ? I can tell the worshippers myself that there is nothing to be worried about'

Amora replied 'Fear may make worshippers act irrationally. Suppose in their fear some of my worshippers take up arms and attack your worshippers. That will draw us both in. And as we fight that will draw in Aerobell. Which in turn may draw in Gravitus and Brother Chaos..... You see how this could get out of hand.'

Anuanu smiled and took Amora into the Unseen Realm.

And many of Amora's worshippers felt that the God of Darkness had abducted her and would do her harm. They wanted to pray to Aerobell or Yshic primarily to free their goddess.

And then Amora walked forth from the Underworld and proclaimed 'Yes Virginia there is Love, Beauty and Pleasure in the Darkness'. Though she was wroth with those of her worshippers who had no faith or trust in her judgement. But what she did about that is another story.

 

There is a myth that is taught in Amora's places of worship that purports to explain why Dee-Eli and Amora get on.

The Goddess of Love and the God of Secrets met by the Ooze Ocean.

'I do not like this' she said indicating the ocean.

Dee-Eli asked 'What do you expect me to do about it ?'

'Nothing' said the goddess 'I know why you did it. However followers of Yshic have challenged my worshippers saying that with truth there can be no secrets and that there can be no love,  beauty or pleasure in secrets'

'And they will persist' said Dee-Eli, 'Hmm, come with me and see the world through the eyes of my worshippers'

So the god took the goddess to a wedding. They were unobserved so that all the reactions and what took place was not directly influenced by their presence.

'Observe' said Dee-Eli as two women whispered to each other and indicated another man across the room.

'She likes the man and is telling a friend ? How is this a secret ?' said Amora

'Note the man on the right sitting down with the gargoyle tankard. That is her intended husband. He knows nothing of this' indicated Dee-Eli

'A secret that is not a secret. Interesting' said the Patron of love.

'It is more than that. What you are seeing is chemistry between life which is more than the elements. The new beau is a trader whose writings the woman is aware of and finds pleasing' said Dee-Eli

''Anything like

There once was a goddess of love

who did funny things with a glove....'

'Not Quite !' interrupted Dee Eli, 'I didn't think you knew about that particular rhyme'

Amora smiled 'Some things are not secret. Or not that secret, if you know what I mean'

'Time for some fun on the Lost Path Archipelago' said Dee-Eli and lead a grinning Amora to a series of riddles and fun on his island chain. 

   

[Hermit]

First, a big thanks to Log for some input which had a classic vein.

Secondly, I realized after sorting through that, no one... no one claimed or made a moon. Oh there was the night sky full of stars, and Roy mentions a moon pulling ocean tides... but there's no moon mentioned beyond that let alone as a pick.

 

These two things, and something clicked. Hope folks like  the concept

 

 

The old war priest stared into the fire and prayed. He liked his companion, the young man was positively decent in his way, eager for battle yet not cruel hearted, and there was no doubt a great destiny on the boy. Boy? The old man chuckled. Well, it is the arrogance of age to think the younger always children and the arrogance of youth to think the elderly having run their course even before they're on the pyre. Yes, boy or man, or both, the war priest liked him. But sometimes it was good to be alone in prayer, to open your mind and soul to one's goddess.

 

And the War Priest had a vision...

He was with his god.

 

She was beautiful, of course. He saw her as a human because he himself was human, her hair flickered with flame as red as the strands. She was also intimidating, she was glory and death and more and power was in her stride and step as she moved. She spoke to him, "Ah, you seek me out for a communion atypical from what I often grant.  Ask your questions, most faithful."

 

"Was I right? Do we have an unparalleled chance to stir the various races to war? Perhaps not by your standards, but a greater chance than has existed in my life time, and perhaps my father and my father's father before that all combined?" He followed by her side. Odd, in the dream, he was a bit taller than her, but he felt eclipsed, as if he were walking next to a titan. No, that really wasn't odd at all he supposed, "And how hard do you wish me to push?"

 

"Hard," Aerobell answered him, "Push hard, my chosen. For you are right, this will be a time for blood and war that has not been seen in a century. And it must be done. You know the legend, you have earned a glance at the truth of it." 

 

She was, he noticed, leading her up into the heavens, the world seemed to fall below, and the suns fell behind them. How he survived this? Well, sure it was the goddess will alone that kept him from freezing in the black or choking from the heights even before he hit it. He followed, finding that his steps matched her, Seven Leagues a step it seemed, or more and always  up up up.

 

Below him he could see Roy's great oceans, Ut-Mark's grand forests, fog shrouded archipelagos and more. With a supreme effort of will, he yanked his eyes away from that view and focused instead on  where they were going. 

 

"It's nearly gone totally silver," He observed, "That's bad, isn't it?" He felt a fool for his understatement, "Perhaps apocalyptic would be a better term?" 

 

"A more accurate one to be sure," Aerobell gave a sad smile, her lush full lips curling just a moment as they approached their destination, "When you were a young man, just beginning your quest for meanings, you looked up at the night sky, and wondered 'why had no god claimed the moon' . The night sky, yes, the suns, yes, but the moon? No."  

It was, of course, the moon they were approaching, Silver almost all the way through but with tiny cracks of red seething like strands of spider web ready to catch ablaze. In other ages, the crimson had been more pronounced, indeed, some ages it was blood red.

 

"I did," he said, "And I studied that, even as you seduced me into your service with whispers of glory and more" 

 

"And what did you learn?" Aerobell inquired, though he was sure she knew quite well. 

 

"That it had belonged to another god, one no longer with us, indeed, one old enough to perhaps missed the existence of newer peoples. That for some reason, no god simply claimed the moon as his or hers. And...that somehow, while you did not claim it, you had a purpose for it. A duty?"

 

"Leave no man behind" The Goddess of War said "A chant, a mantra, of all that is best in warbands. You were, of course, right. The moon was once as a palace to another god. It was silver all the time then. When it was safe for it to be. The God who lived here was a friend, he and his wife. They were blessed with three wonderful..." 

 

Something in the moon moved. Against the silver, a lupine shape bashed against the surface of the moon as a bird might hurl itself against glass. And as he caught a glimpse of it, the war priest felt such a mix of rage and loss that he thought he might want to slay all about him just to end the pain of it! How dare others be happy when he hurt so! How dare...

 

A hand caught his shoulder, and the feeling vanished, no, not vanished. It was pushed back. His goddess, her hand being the shield for his soul, finished "Children. Three wonderful children. Raya was the wife's name, and she was like a sister to me. I was as an aunt to her children. And then? Her husband, lord of the moon, died. No, he was slain by the god crusher... Raya was seemingly inconsolable for a time. Only by reminding her of her children who needed her was Amora able to help her find herself again. Fate knows all I tried fell flat on her ears, and I was her friend. That was the first age, I was so young, so naive and then...tragedy struck again. A new threat, one I will not name came upon her children, and...slew them." 

 

Another SLAM from within the moon, and the great she-wolf's face could be seen. The War Priest had seen rabid animals that possessed more sanity than this being.

 

"Raya was too weak to avenge, too weak to even take up arms. Let me handle this, I begged her. But she was driven mad with grief, and while I foolishly left her behind to avenge her, I did not realize what steps she would take. She took the form of a great wolf, and devoured the corpses of the very children that had suckled at her breast....." 

 

"What?" The war priest who had seen whole villages burn was stunned. He had seen atrocities, but this? It...he could imagine it, and even the imagining seemed more terrible than any real thing he had witnessed, "Why?"

 

"She wanted to BE with them, Raya wanted to be with her family again. Out of her mind, she dug up the bones of her husband, but as swallowed whole sections of him, it did not cure her pain, it made it worse. It did not solve her sorrow, her loss became as eternal! She knew only rage! And she wanted to end her pain so badly, but she had been twisted from a goddess to...a force of ... I can't say Nature, there was nothing natural about her now, a force of fate? of Damnation? When she went into the world and howled her pain, it carried for leagues, and all who heard it felt her pain and a great desire to kill all around them to end it! Mothers cracked their infant's skulls against rocks, men strangled their wives, sisters snarled at each other like beasts locked in a death match.  And those who actually got a glimpse of her new form? Many became bestial and savage, not a new thinking race, but wolf like killing machines with no sense of war, no sense of the hunt... just slaughter. And always targeting the ones they cared for most."

 

"Surely the goddess of Love..."

 

"Love, and all it's reminders made the pain worse, the savagery worse."  Aerobell said , "We weren't even sure we could truly kill her, not forever. I could lie and boast in say that I could defeat her, but the truth is? I needed help just to capture her!  The wasn't chaos, it wasn't order, it wasn't light or dark, it was just insanity and destruction.  I provoked her, my old friend, led her to the moon which I had turned into a prison. When she came for me. I managed to slip out and lock the door as it were. But it was not meant to be prison, the only way to make sure it's walls hold is to keep war below going. To feed some of it's energies into the walls....one day, I fear the creation will know total peace. And when that 'golden age' comes, Raya will find the walls to her cell as brittle as an egg shell... she will burst free, and there will be little we can do to keep her from slaying all peoples. She can sniff out secret places, her howl can be heard under ground , even the seas aren't completely safe for her very spittle poisons with madness where she drinks now. Could she kill a god? Prophecies vary. But she could easily wipe out entire kingdoms in a day then slay another the next night. So..for now, we feed the moon the blood of warriors. At least, it is the death of warriors I channel. The souls go on, they are not consumed, but the energy from war itself."

 

"And so it must be crimson and strong so she maybe held. You never lied to us," The old priest felt he should tell his goddess that, "You promise all warriors glory, purpose. This is that purpose?"

 

"A part of it, as you said, I never lied. The slave should have a chance to fight for freedom! The ambitious must be allowed to drive history or it stops. Raya is..." The goddess glanced to the moon, "She is my charge. I am her warden, but she was also one of mine. I will not leave her behind. Perhaps one day a way to escape her fate will be found. Until then, I shall not give up on her.  No man....or sister, left behind."

 

The War priest nodded, "I shall try to consume whole sections of the world in the flames of war, if possible, goddess. I am thy servant, and more proud to be so than I have eer been."

 

"Your loyalty is known, I hope you can bind it to actions. Go forth, and be careful who you share the truth of Raya with. Not every one is prepared for such..understandings." 

 

And a black stair case with blood stains opened under the war priest, leading back to wince he came. The War Priest thought of a dozen questions more to ask. Had Aerobell always been the god of war? or was she once a gentler goddess? Did she still find joy in battle? Probably, he mused. In those moments of most fevored test of arms, Aerobell could distract herself. For her war might be not just a joy, but a respite. So many questions.

 

But he was a man of faith, and his goddess had given him a task. He would see to it. Answers might come later, duty called now.

 

And behind him, as he woke from his prayer, he swore he heard his goddess speaking, "Hello, Raya. How are you tonight? I am sorry I don't visit as often as I should.. we're still looking for a cure.... I will not give up hope. I will not give up on you. Ever."

 

And his prayer ended, and he glanced out the window to see an all too silver moon. If he closed one eye, he could see the great she wolf...waiting.

 

 

Mythic Monster : Raya, the great She-Wolf of Madness, Rage, and Loss! 

 

Aerobell her warden has the key. Though surely, nothing would ever be desperate enough to have the goddess let her out willingly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lucius]

On ‎7‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 2:51 PM, Hermit said:

 

What options remain for me to pick?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedaries will be one, almost surely

[Hermit]

On 7/10/2018 at 5:36 PM, death tribble said:

 

 

Lucius Arepo, Goddess of Death and Rebirth!

• Geography. .

• Sentient Life:  Hybrids

• Gift to Civilization. Priestcraft

• Flora, Fauna, or Ore. 

• Interference.  Mindspeech shared

• Mythic Monster or Guardian. 

• Secondary Domain / Option. The Element of Air

• Secondary Domain:  

• Secondary Domain / Option. 

 

 

I"m not your waiter, but I'll see what I can do.. ahem, I mean... I'm not the comish but I think the blank ones are waiting for you to fill them?  I may have missed one.

[Lucius]

1 minute ago, Hermit said:

 

I"m not your waiter, but I'll see what I can do.. ahem, I mean... I'm not the comish but I think the blank ones are waiting for you to fill them?  I may have missed one.

 

I've no idea why that last post of mine is quoting you.

 

THIS time I'm quoting you deliberately, but that one? I don't know what was going on.

 

Oh, and thanks!!!

 

Lucius Alexander

 

I thank you and the palindromedary thanks you

[Pariah]

9 hours ago, Hermit said:

Fauna: The MannaMoth -An Insect that hibernates in the shade of great caves, or forests, then spawns out in great swarms to die in the heat of binary suns (or volcanic ash) in droves, turning into breadlike substance as they do. Quite edible though they do not store for long.  Some claim the tastes vary depending on what region of the world you are in. Some in the area around Galos have a nutty taste. Others in the archipelago are said to have a more fruit like taste. Some near the great temple of love taste of honey. The ones over the Valley of Justice taste of Lima Beans.

 

The ones that fall from the sky after combusting in the heat of the twin suns taste like barbecued short ribs.

 

You’re welcome.

[Hermit]

30 minutes ago, Pariah said:

 

The ones that fall from the sky after combusting in the heat of the twin suns taste like barbecued short ribs.

 

You’re welcome.

 

Does that count as your interference pick?

 

Or are you, as I suspect, just pulling rank on sunsbaked goods?

[Cancer]

In a few billion years, those suns might be spewing fresh hot gadolinium all over the cosmic neighborhood, too.

[Pariah]

Patience, everyone. You'll get your gadolinium when it's good and ready.