Creation: The Age of Gods (The Godhood Game)

The Pantheon

Aischylos, Lord of Shadows
Local God of Shadow Magic, Assassination & Betrayal
Sphere of Discord

Alanoth, the Timekeeper
Local God of Clocks/Calendars, Chronology & Time Sense
Sphere of Time

Duo, the Decisive
Local God of Choice/Decision, Gates & Gambling
Sphere of Fate

Granzil
Local God of Chaos, Violence & Fire
Sphere of Discord

Heliana, the Cultivator
Local Goddess of Ecology, Adaptation & Agriculture
Sphere of Life

Hoax, the Shepherd
Local God of Mimicry, Sensory Manipulation & Personal Progression
Sphere of Constants

Kathreftis, Lord of Difference
God of Day, Night & Seasonal Cycles
Sphere of Time

Manimarco, Lord of the Dead
Local God of Death & Necromancy
Sphere of the Unknown

The Speaker Orataine
Local God of Oratory, Planning & Politics
Sphere of Creation

Pyrac
Local God of Fire, Illumination & Destruction
Sphere of Creation

Ratra, Dreamking
Local God of Dreams, REM Sleep & Ocular Trances
Sphere of the Unknown

Thalassa
Local Goddess of Mammals, Birds & Forests
Sphere of Life

Tsovn, the Guardian
Local God of Guardians & Mountains
Sphere of Constants

Retired Gods: Hygeia, Vyos

OOC & Character Creation Thread: http://roleplayerguild.com/showthrea...ood-Game-(OOC)
Rule System (under "About Me" tab): http://roleplayerguild.com/member.php?39688-Bookkeeper

Please do not post unless you've been approved by the Bookkeeper, and limit posts to one-per-day. Review the Rule System for greater details on gameplay and Godlogs, and make sure ot get your Godlog in by Saturday at midnight (North American Eastern Time Zone).

- - - Updated - - -

YEAR 0

In the Year 0, the Gods and the world came into being.

Now, this isn't close to being accurate; the world had existed for some 4-6 billion years before what sentient species would far later dub "Year 0," and many of the Gods along with it, while some had yet to manifest at all. But this arbitrary point in history serves as fair a genesis as any, so we'll start there. In fact, maybe the mortals down the line did have some sense in this date, as around this time (give or take an eon or two) is when a new generation of Gods came to their own. Man was growing wise, and egocentric, and the primordial entities of the past no longer suited his needs. And so arose a new pantheon, a new mythology... a new Creation.

Of course, Creation isn't much of a name, but you know that, so let's leave it to the mortals to remedy along the way. In the meantime, you should probably get to knowing this world you've been given. There's a curious familiarity here, like you've seen it all before, but going through the details there's a natural beauty you can't deny.

The planet has a radius of about 4,000 miles, with mass and surface area comparable to most other life-sustaining planets. The geography is mainly divided between four continents, liberally sprinkled with grasslands, forests, deserts and mountains. Oceans make up about half of the world, and swaths of islands pepper the waters. Humanity has spread across the three western continents, though the island continent to the east remains untouched. Chemically, all matter is composed of the elements of the periodic table, and the regular laws of physics are all in place. A day lasts 24 hours, a month 30 days, and a year 12 months.

A map of Creation:
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...s_MapStock.png

Biological life is divided between archaea, bacteria, protista, fungi, plantae and animalia, with the species homo sapiens sapiens as the most socially developed among them. By another world's standard, they could be seen to be approaching antiquity, with more and more populations coming to rely on systems of advanced agriculture and trade. Chiefdoms and alliances are common, and cities are just coming about. And as people become more and more entwined, so do their Gods...

Each of the Gods have scattered followings, though none have as-of-yet developed into organized sects. Magic, too, has yet to be introduced into mortal hands. Human population sits at around 100 million.

Welcome to Creation. How may we help you?

COSMIC EVENT DRAW: This is a feature that will be included in each Dawn Report, detailing any major events currently effecting the world. As an introduction, let's think about Creation. As people come to witness more and more of the great wide world, their ideas on where something so grand could have come from grow, and so grows their mythology. Your mythology certainly doesn't have to follow this trend, but the God who posts the best creation myth this round will receive a reward of bonus Acts for next round--after all, who doesn't love a good genesis?

The Pantheon Today
-Aischylos: 2 Acts
-Alanoth: 2 Acts
-Duo: 2 Acts
-Granzil: 2 Acts
-Heliana: 2 Acts
-Hoax: 2 Acts
-Hygeia: 2 Acts
-Kathreftis: 2 Acts
-Manimarco: 2 Acts
-Pyrac: 2 Acts
-Ratra: 2 Acts
-Thalassa: 2 Acts
-Vyos: 2 Acts

A note on posting: Start every post with the name of your God and the day of the week. Fill in details of the world as you see fit--there's a lot of world, after all, and the best will be incorporated into canon. Remember not to post more than once per day, and limit editing to spelling and grammatical errors. Also, review the rules for an expanded definition of "Love" and "Rivalry."

Deadline to submit Godlogs is Saturday 2nd, midnight (North American Eastern Time Zone). Now, isn't it time you got around to godhood?

Hoax, Sunday
A melodious voice fluttered through the cosmos, gently draping across Alanoth's magnificent abode. "Greetings, it is I, Hoax. Allow me your counsel we have much to discuss."

As Hoax awaited a welcome inside, his form began to gradually manifest. As he entered, his body began taking a humanoid shape, radiating wondrously dazzling colors and hues, gradually blending and shifting into the next, while others reflected gracefully off the rest. His form was entirely nude, the ripples from muscles bulging in each direction played patterns against his skin, adding immensely to the brilliant sight.

"I implore you, look to the future. Consider the outcomes. I don't need to wade through the flow of time to see what this world has in store as of yet. The resources of this world, though untapped, are limited and the knowledge of our mortals mirrors this. The opportunity for their corruption is vast. Even with the unorganized efforts of the others, these mortals have little to look forward to. They are merely targets to others, but surely you must know their value. You, the explorer of possibilities, must know how much worth they hold within them. We can assure their purity and we can assure their development to become something better.

Consider, if you will, the opportunity that might arise should we cooperate. Betterment of the world through our conjoined efforts could be easily achieved. Were you to instill a stronger sense of time within my followers, I could influence them to better follow it. Thus, your work is done and mine as well. They will forever develop their time management, allowing them to better follow your rules and mine.

Think upon it. Through our partnership we can counteract the decay that will inevitably set upon this world. We can be the guardians and cultivators of this young land. We can step forward, no longer measuring the progress of this world, but from here on directing it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

In a not altogether separate instance, a similar form arose from where he once was not, taking shape upon Ratra's vast plane. "It is I, Hoax. Allow me your counsel, we have much to discuss." Again, the voice was melodious, beautiful in its truest sense.

"Pardon, my intrusion. I know your work is yet to be done, but allow me this brief moment. We have now, a fresh world awaiting our touch. This world is malleable, and that may be its greatest strength, though it may also be its greatest weakness. The mortals are complex, their potential far outweighs their standing. You, oh dreamer, oh weaver of dreams, you too must know of their worth. You, who fashions dreams within the minds of these beings at night to improve the quality of life in the day. You, who fosters the rest in their slumber that they may have inspiration. Not only do you take interest in the lives of these beings, but you also CARE about them as well. And not just as a whole. You individually sift through their days and nights to fuse even the smallest of details into a grand tapestry."

"Your creation, much like my own, takes place, not upon the world itself, but within the minds of our flocks. Imagine, oh engineer of imagination, the difference we could make with our collaborations. Were you to place a seed of enlightenment within my followers, one that would inspire them with fervor even I could not foster, their pursuit would be unparalleled. This I swear."

"I share with you my ideals, nay, my dreams. I envision a bright world, not ridden of the darkness that lingers in it now, but one warded against it. One in which the lives at play have a quality of life its creators had not even considered. I seek to make the people better, in turn, bettering the world. Setting it upon the path of improvement, from the inside out."

"These mortals need guardians from the twisted entities that see them as tools. They need protectors, but who are we to protect them? They know not of us. I seek to set in motion a strengthening of their will. Within these mortals, I shall instill morality. Your aid will be of utmost import. The inspiration you give will be the greatest foundation I could ask. However, we must not stop there. Might we accentuate our devotion to them through story. Let us make them aware of our love for them. Weave, with me, a story of wonder that they may take with them for the rest of their days."

"Will you take my side in these tasks?"

Manimarco, Sunday

"I take your side in these tasks, brother." Spoke the hollow, chilly voice from the cosmos. There was a long pause before the voice began to manifest itself into a physical body upon the plains of Ratra. Unlike his brother god, he had chosen a more macabre form. The skeleton was tall, bleached and garbed in simple black robes, with and intricate black cuirass and pauldrons, more and asthetic choice than anything else. Slowly, the grim skull turned to face his brother, gazing with sockets filled by green flame. When he spoke, there was no movement from that grim face.

"I have watched these mortals. They live, and they wither and fall. Yet there is no place for them after their passing. It is...a sad thing to see...these souls, aimless and stranded. Thus, I grant these souls a home. My realm is theirs, and is free to all who face the end of mortal life's journey." A single, boney hand rose in an arching wave. It was done.

"I am Manimarco, Lord of the Dead, and I shall stand at your side against the wicked, and to brighten this dark and gloomy world. Let us hope that others will join our cause."

---------
The chilly voice rang out around the world, though only few could comperhend the complexity of the words. Manimarco regreted this fact, and hope that his words would be spread by those with that rare, extraordinary gift.

"Hear me, my mortal children. I am Manimarco, Lord of the Dead. Rejoice, for now the restless dead may find peace at last. I grant unto you the peace and comfort of the afterlife, free to any and all who face the end of life's journey. Fear me not, and neither fear death. For without the presence death, life means nothing. Rather, accept this inevitable fate, knowing that that I shall await you in the end."

Ratra, Sunday

On the planet, in the large central hut of a village, an old man was sitting in front of a mixed group of youths, speaking to them. He was altogether unremarkable, except for one defining feature: a vertical third eye, tattooed onto his forehead. It was crude, but noticeable, and unmistakable. He said: “Young ones, future leaders of our tribe, let me tell you a story. I saw this, in a vision, in a dream, when I was myself as young as you, and it is the truth.” The elder’s voice took on a deeper, fuller tone, almost the voice of a powerful young man, and he began.

“In the times before time, before our world, before anything, there was Ratra. He was alone in the Void, and he slumbered. Ratra slept, with no thoughts nor dreams. This continued for eons, too long a time to count, and Ratra did not sleep calmly. He was restless, fitful in his sleep, and all at once he knew why. After sleeping for forever, the very first dream had emerged. This was Ratra’s Dream, the first inner sight, and he knew that it had come from his very soul, and saw that it was good. His Dream was of us, of our world, of his role as our Dreamking, and in his mind he wept from its beauty. All he wanted was for it to exist, for the dream to become reality, and when he pushed upon it with all of his might, a grand and miraculous awakening occurred…

“The Mind’s Eye, that great and powerful thing, had remained closed on Ratra’s forehead as he slept, but with his force and the strength of his will, it was finally cracked open, and Ratra saw his surroundings. An awesome light burst from the Eye, from that window to his soul, and with it, the Dreamking illuminated the Void. The darkness was swept away, and in its wake emerged our world. The world of Ratra’s Dream became reality, and we are here today because of it. Our lord saw that the world he illuminated was that of his Dream, and because of this, once again he wept…

“His tears filled the oceans, just as his Eye had seen the world, and he realized that there were creatures emerging from the darkness, into his light. Out of these beasts he chose us as his Blessed People, because we could know our souls, as he could, and we could understand his dreams. Without Ratra, we would still live as they, scratching at the land for food, living and dying as beasts. He lifted us, showed us our potential and our power. He enlightened us, and to praise him, we need to live up to this example, and enlighten ourselves. Remember, young ones, that Ratra’s soul was the source of his Dream, and that the Dreamking uses our souls to create our dreams. Just as he illuminated our world with his Mind’s Eye, we must shape the world towards perfection, and with Ratra’s guidance, we cannot fail! When you are sad, or lonely, or hopeless, look into yourself. Look to Ratra. Look to your dreams.”

The young men and women sat in silence, drinking it in, and as the old man spoke, he accentuated the story with huge gestures and a grand presence. By the end, most of them were in visible awe, and they emphatically thanked their elder for his story, before beginning to discuss it among themselves. They knew that they had just heard the holy truth, and were uplifted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, specifically in the Dreaming, that limitless, timeless realm of Ratra, a meeting of sorts was taking place. Two gods, identifying themselves as Hoax and Manimarco, had each manifested upon his plane, the latter to join with the former in his acts. Hoax had arrived to speak for his cause, that of the betterment of humankind, and Ratra was rather quickly convinced. This was a being who shared his enthusiasm and optimism in humans, and he could see no better alliance. Without much of a grand entrance, or even a sound, he manifested in front of his fellow gods. Choosing for this event a tall, muscular, dark-skinned and nude form to rival and complement that of Hoax, he began to speak. The voice was hearty and strong, very much matching his large, smiling face, and he gestured often.

“Welcome, my brothers both, to the Dreaming. I am honored to have you here, and Hoax, my friend, your proposal intrigues me. What you say speaks to my core, to my truest values, and because of this, I too will join with you. I will show the young world and its people the power of their souls, more than I ever have before, and together we will lead humanity into a golden age! Now, brothers, let us each travel to the realms of other gods, and convince them of our truth. Indeed, I intend to do the same as you have for me, Hoax. But before we begin, let us feast!”

With that, the Dreamking lifted his hands, and a beautiful banquet hall was formed around them, complete with wine in great jugs, golden plates and enough food to last a lifetime. He invited his brothers to sit and eat of his table, in order to celebrate the connection they had forged.

Aischylos, Sunday

"How dare you!" An elderly man screamed as he was thrown down the stairs leading up to a large hut. "This is treason!" He shouted and attempted to stand, only to find a foot shoved onto his chest, preventing him from doing so. "Treason? Nay, this is justice." A younger man said as he looked down upon the village elder. The commotion had already attracted the attention of the other villagers. Some were shocked that this was happening, others were angry. After all, the man who was doing this was the Elders trusted adviser. Some tried to go and help, only to be held back by those who had allied themselves with the Adviser. "Justice? Betraying your leader is justice? What evil is this?" The man shouted as loud as he could from his position. The man replied simply.

"You are not my leader."

The Elder stared up at him in shock. The adviser pulled off the glove on his right hand and showed it to the people in front of him. On it, was a symbol. It was glowing a soft purple in color and it was clear to any looking that this was no ordinary tattoo or marking. The adviser stepped over the Elder and began addressing the people in front of him.

"Friends, Family, Lend me your ears!" The people were frightened, but unsure of what to do. "I know this may seem like an act of evil, but fear not! This act was sanctioned by god himself!" At this, the people murmured silently between themselves, obviously skeptical of this mans claims. "This village has fallen on hard times. Crops will not grow. Cattle is dying. Even rain seems to have deserted us! But fear not my friends, Aischylos has deemed us worthy of his protection." The man gestured as he spoke. His voice was powerful and grabbed many of the villagers attention. The elder tried to get up and rebuke his advisers claims, only to be grabbed from behind and restrained.

"Who is Aischylos you ask? Simple. He created this world from the shadows." His continued. "In the begging, before the creation of the world, there was but one creature. That creature was Aischylos. Aischylos was alone in the endless sea that was the void. He wandered, looking for anything, anyone else that might share his home. He wandered through the vastness of the void for longer than you or I am capable of counting."

"After travelling for eons, he finally found something. It was an orb of light. The light agreed to travel with him in search of other beings that could inhabit this void. Through their travels, Aischylos discovered something. Shadows. Aischylos found that he could use his own shadow to forge life. To create. However, the Light did not want him too. Aischylos was perplexed as to his companions motives, but complied anyways only so he could continue working in secret. Whenever the Light looked to other way, he began to create. Using his own shadow, he created the very land we walk upon, the seas we catch our fish from, and the air we breathe. However, he knew that if the light found his creations, he would destroy them. So, Aischylos created a plan to rid himself of the light. Unfortunately, he knew that if he destroyed the light, the shadows too would disappear, our world would be destroyed. So in his infinite mercy, instead of destroying all that he had created, he trapped the unsuspecting light beyond where it could reach us in the heavens, forever protecting us from it's wrath." By now, the villagers had gone silent, they had listened to every word in the story and believed all of it.

"The only thing Aischylos asks for in return for his protection and the restoration of life to our land, is blood. Do not fret though, those sacrificed become reborn as his servants and will reside forever by his side." The man walked over to the elder. "You do not deserve this honor, but Aischylos has directed you to be the first." He grabbed the elder by the back of his head and threw him on the ground. "Just as Aischylos justly betrayed the light to protect our world and render the light powerless to start a new age, so shall I!" He unsheathed the sword at his side. It was pitch black in color. "This blade has been gifted to me, it was forged in the heart of the shadows and shall be used to start a new age!"

"A new age dawns for us brethren! One of Prosperity and Life! Hail Aischylos! Hail the Lord of Shadows, and let any unbelievers be consumed by the light!" Cheers were heard throughout the town as a ceremonial blade was brought down on the elders neck. By nightfall, a banner in the new gods honor had donned a pole in the center of the village

----------------

"My my, that was certainly fun to watch wasn't it?" An entity chuckled darkly in the dimly lit realm. "Mortals...so easy to trust any being with more power than they." The entity thought for a few moments before smiling to himself in satisfaction. Things were going well.

Thalassa, Sunday

The forest was always a wild place, dark and full of mystery. Beasts prowled the lands as man lived in towns and villages. The forest was known as a place for murder, deceit, and death. Even the bravest and strongest of hunters would not dare venture into the depths of even the smallest forest, for when you enter the forest you are no longer a man in a man's world. You are insignificant, a speck of dust in a kingdom ruled by creatures large and small alike, all of whom had the power to destroy you and make sure you were never heard from again. It was known to man at the time that the wild forests produced wild offspring. The Heart, the center of the largest forest known to man, was said to be the birthplace of animalkind on this world. A place where nobody had ventured before, The Heart created wolves, lions, and bears, but also created cows, chickens and pigs. These animals were wild beasts, who would try to kill any man they saw. Humans had to constantly hunt for their food. Domestication was tried but animals refused to reproduce outside of The Heart.

When hope for a peaceful coexistence between man and beast seemed impossible... that was when The Maiden of the Forest was born. The Heart was a serene vale, full of babbling brooks and valleys and flowers. It was silent... peaceful... until Thalassa made it her home. In one second, she was not. Yet in the next, the Maiden sat upon a throne of thorns, vines and leaves in the center of The Heart. Thalassa appeared to be a handsome, older woman; a hard face wearing a crown of thorns, graying black hair that reached her waist, leaves covering her breasts and private areas with the rest of her body exposed. But she was no mere human, in essence she was The Heart come alive, given sentience.

One calm day, a devout druid had ventured so far as to reach The Heart itself. "O majestic Maiden of the Forest, Lady of The Heart, mighty Thalassa! We mortals need your blessing!" He cried out. "We see animals we cannot tame. We see flowers and berries of the forests we cannot harvest. We see beasts we cannot combat alone! Give your faithful your blessing, and deliver us from this torment! Mighty Thalassa, we are at your mercy!"

Thalassa was moved by this speech. "Rise, noble druid, and know you have changed the world with your humble words. The Lady of The Heart will be silent no more." With the blessing of Thalassa, the forests were calmed. The fog lifted, the bears and wolves and other predators were taught to be civilized by their Holy Maiden, and no longer attacked humans who had her graces. Cows and chickens were given to the humans faithful to her, able to finally be domesticated and reproduce. Mortals could now enter the forest, pick berries, flowers and hunt to their heart's content as long as they thanked Thalassa for this gift.

Pyrac, Sunday

A fairly large village had just finished setting up for the night, which was fast approaching the area where they were. The camp was situated around a large bonfire, around which various fish and other meats from the days hunt were placed, having been skewered on sticks that had been stuck into the ground.
One of the younger ones inquired as to the nature of fire. This drew Pyrac’s attention, and he began to focus his attention through the flame.
One adult declared that fire was dangerous, and could inflict great harm, which frightened the child. Another, the child’s mother, said that the fire made light, which sheltered them from the darkness surrounding them. A third espoused that fire made heat, which protected them from the cold, and cooked their food. An argument erupted as sides were taken about fire, and it soon became cacophonic.
Unfazed by the noise, Pyrac continued to observe. One of the adults accidentally kicked part of a pile of dry leaves, what remained of the fire’s tinder, into the flames. In repose, the fire grew in size, coming close to the child and causing them to shriek.
The argument abruptly ended, and Pyrac chuckled to himself about their antics. Was it truly difficult to understand his ways? After brief contemplation, he decided to let the mortals do as they would. He was sure they’d notice how it had happened, and now they had something to think about.
Elsewhere in the world, all sorts of people were espousing gods of light, gods of destruction, and gods of fire, all of which amused Pyrac, even though none of them got his name right.

"It makes sense," Pyrac said to himself, "after all, it isn’t like I told them what to call me."

Pyrac was marginally troubled, however, by how they failed to understand him, much like the villagers from before. Their illuminators were declared as the end-all be-all of good (save for one village that Pyrac could find, where he was decried as evil), their destroyers were seen as blights upon existence, and thoughts on fire were as muddled as the Villagers. Pyrac paused in his observations, to figure how best to rectify the situation.

Heliana, Sunday

Clouds watched over a day amongst a temperate part of the world, the snow glared with such brightness that would one would be deceived into thinking that the thin, prickly shapes of the forest trees had been covered in tar. A presence hung in the air here, one that smelled of grass and itched slightly as if the same grass was rubbed onto a small wound, something was watching. Those trained to the nuances of wilderness phenomenon might have guessed that the very presence was Heliana, the cultivator, Goddess of all plantlife. Her form wasn't exactly physical at that moment, but she was certainly present.

As if gently striding through a nursery, Heliana walked amongst her children as they slept under blankets of snow around her. She often strode amongst various wildernesses, checking on all of the trees, grasses, shrubs and others. It was up to her to regulate their growth and safety in this world. However, something was on Heliana's mind that hadn't crossed it since she came into existence. It wasn't an ordinary sensation, Heliana could only conclude that something in her routine had been interrupted, as if the date of her present held a certain significance. The sensation cause Heliana to think back into the depths of her memory, another thing she most definitely was not used to. It wasn't until then that she realised that she was thinking for herself for the first time, like the past few million years from when she was born with the first plantlife that took form under the ocean until now was merely a mindless existence like that of a honey bee.

She still had a memory of those years, but it wasn't until now that she had reminisced, her new found self-awareness of mind caused Heliana to look around her and wonder about a great many things, it was a mixture of panic and confusion that caused her to close in on herself for several moments and emerge with a self appointed task; to determine why she existed. Heliana started by trying to recount her life from the beginning, despite her godly trans-existential state she felt that she couldn't keep the sequence of events in order in her mind, so in an effort to collate her life story, she journeyed to a quiet cave not far from a human farming village and started to mark hieroglyphs on the cave wall with her fingernails, taking the physical form of a beautiful yet strong and purposeful leaf-clad woman holding a gnarled staff. Her lips were green, her ears pointed and her hair long. Heliana was so absorbed in her writing that she didn't take into account the nature of her physical form as of yet. As she wrote, she glided above the ground with the various undergrowth that made up the bottom of her leafy dress making a trail in the dust of the cave floor.

The hieroglyphs were easy to interpret, even by those who did not know how to read, as they merely depicted her story in a series of small pictographic vignettes. The cave system stretched on for so long that it wasn't until Heliana was halfway through her story that she realised that she was digging more space to fit her glyphs without even thinking about it. The story would take time, but what she wrote would include the following chapters:

I. Genesis, Heliana's earliest memories, where it seemed mere coincidence had triggered her birth, but not much is certain.

This chapter is depicted very vaguely, many strange glyphs and textures are attempted to express such disjointed concepts such as sensations of fading in and out of existence. The glyphs here are small, but grow in size as they are read further into the cavern.

II. Guardianship. Heliana's acts to raise the ecology of the world to its lush empire.

The glyphs here are engraved in a manner that seems to be more concise and understandable. More recognizable visual representations of things correlate in the educated mind, shapes depicting the slow and steady march of plant life out of the depths and into the sun.

III. Growth. The spread of the world's ecology under Heliana's guidance.

Heliana's writings become far more purposeful in this chapter of the cave. In it, she is seen blowing seeds across many planes of the world. In following glyphs, some seeds are defeated by harsh deserts and icy wastelands, but have limited success in adapting to their new environments by rising as cacti or conifers. There are other scenes in which plant life thrives, such as in tropical or moderate climates. Shapes that elude to the form of some other gods and goddesses when their domains were described appear at a number of occasions, but in such a drone like state, Heliana hadn't even noticed their significance at the time of crossing their paths.

IV. Survival. The tribulations and consequences of Heliana's spread of plantlife.

This chapter has scenes of many creatures fighting over Heliana's territory and plants fighting to survive by the way of their own procreation and Heliana's assistance in adapting. The first glyphs are intense and desperate, but over time, they begin to calm.

V. Harmony. The Point of equilibrium, where Heliana's creations have reached a stage of complete balance in the world around them.

This chapter is rather brief, it expresses the balance of the ecosystems of the world as they are today, as well as the human concept of agriculture hinted in some places.

At the very end, the final glyph that Heliana carved was a self portrait of her current physical form hovering beside the end of the glyphs and scratching in the final line in the last glyph. This was her present memory, inscribing the story of her life. Many of the glyphs left out the less outstanding features of her memory, as inscribing every detail of her life would cause Heliana to inscribe the entire world. Indeed, much of the story was so condensed that the colossal passage of time that it covered would be difficult to fathom in the eyes of the reader.

With her work finished, Heliana scratched at a hole that she had created near the last glyph, where yellow light was shining through at a narrow angle. She made a hole large enough for her physical form to proceed through and looked across at an incredible vista of forest that covered much of the eastern-most edge of the western continents. Running her movements through her mind once again, it seemed that Heliana had spent the entire day and night carving her story through a cavern that spiraled up through the mountain that she now stood, or rather hovered, near the snow-capped summit of.

There were many thoughts racing through Heliana's mind, but now they seemed in order. Heliana looked around and found her gaze upon the farming village near which the entrance to her cave was located. There were various fields visible from where Heliana was, and Heliana knew that the fertile ground would attract more farmers. She sometimes heard prayers to her from that village, the humans there asked favors of good crop yields from her on many an occasion and their devotion had convinced Heliana to oblige an advantage to them where normally a famine-inducing yield would befall them. Maybe that served as part of her purpose now, to take care of the farmers.

No, Heliana thought looking to the vast forest around the village, my responsibility lies first and foremost to what I have nurtured this whole time. With that, Heliana's form smiled a motherly smile, the snowy trees seemed to her eyes like bird chicks in a nest, deep in slumber as the winter held them.

Granzil, Sunday

Granzil watched, interested, as the other gods ventured throughout the world. Then, he smiled. "Let the games begin." He spread his consciousness throughout the lands and viewed all through either fire, violence, or general chaos. Here, there was an uprising occurring. There, a conflict of words was turning deadly. He turned an ear to the cosmos, listening to Hoax's plan. Then, he chuckled, a dark, vile sound. "Why, what would be the fun in championing them, when I can help them along in chaos?" He looked for the right mortal to be his voice in the mortal world. He found the perfect one. "Ah...you will do wonderfully. Just, wonderfully. But first, we must watch you.....yes..before you can achieve that glory, you must be tested..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group of roughly 50 bandits settled down to camp for the night, piling logs and leaves and twigs, to create a fire. They had just got done raiding a village, and were currently feasting upon the rewards of a successful raid. Food, drink, weapons, armor. There was much merry making that day, as they sang, drank, and danced around the giant bonfire. They were a few feet from a forest, with nothing but the open plain, to their other sides. Their leader sat on the ground, staring into the fire, unable to look away, drawn to it for some reason.

Suddenly, he blinked his eyes rapidly, and then gave an exclamation of shock. His followers leapt up and drew their blades, looking wildly around for the cause of the commotion. Then, the looked into the fire, and gave exclamations of fear and shock themselves. In the middle of the fire, to eyes of purple fire had appeared, and were viewing them all. They wanted to run, but were strangely drawn to the eyes. Suddenly, the fire flared high into the sky, reaching taller than the tallest trees in the forest, and turning a dark purple. What sounded thunder cracked, though the sky was clear, and something slammed into the center of the flames. The, still clearly discernible, eyes turned to the leader, and turned into a hand, beckoning him.

Against his will, fear shining on his face, the man stood up and walked into the flames.....and was unhurt. The flames did not burn him and he reached for the object and ripped it out of the ground. As he walked out, the flames suddenly struck his upper arm, and he fell down outside of the flames, writhing and screaming, his eyes flashing many different colors. When he arose from the ground, there was something branded into his upper arm, still smoking from the heat. The symbol of Granzil, the symbol of chaos and violence. He looked about his followers and raised the item from the fire high. It was a sword, curved, with a serrated edge, that flashed many different colors, symbols, and words.

"I have seen the path!" He shouted, startling all around him. "The path to true power! Not what we have now, no! Not swooping in slaying and raiding quickly, then fleeing in fear before an armed resistance could be made! I've seen the path to the power that will make others fear us! When they hear us riding, they will fear us! And they will flee before us!" He had the attention of every man, woman, and child in the group now. "And what is this path, you ask? The path is through Granzil! The Lord of Chaos, Violence, and Fire! You all saw what had just happened! I surrendered myself to him, and walked through the flames unscathed! I received his mark! And now, with a sacrifice, I will receive his Blessing!"

The leader roared, then strode forth. There was an elder bandit in their group, the previous leader feared for his raids and feats in combat, whom was fading. He clutched a wooden amulet, for it brought him comfort in his last days. The leader walked up to him, and ripped the amulet from his grasp. No one moved to help the old man, despite his pleas. The leader strode forth to the flames, and threw the amulet in. The purple flames devoured it greedily, and then struck out once more, hitting the man in his brand. Power seemed to flow through him, and when the fire receded, his brand was glowing a dark purple. "I thank you for your gift, Granzil! Now, I make a gift to you! Take the old one, and let him serve you!" He grasped the old man by the shirt, and burned him alive with purple flames. It lasted seconds, and the old man was ashes.

The leader turned to the rest of his following. "Do you all believe me now!? Will you all follow in my footsteps, as servants of Granzil!?" The crowd roared it's agreement, and, at the leaders bequest, walked forward and grasped the hilt of his sword. Each of them received Granzils brand, some received his blessings, for they threw items of comfort to them into the flames. When all was said and done, there was the bandit leader, and his 15 lieutenants, whom had all received his blessing, and the entire bandit group had received his mark.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Granzil chuckled once more. "These ones will be fun to use...fun indeed."

Heliana, Monday

As the light of the dawn became the day, a farmer braved the biting winter cold and approached his shrine to the Cultivator. The farmer wore flax clothing, as well as hard-won leather and furs to stay the cold, around his neck was a pendant depicting an encircled six-petal flower made of wood, the symbol of Heliana. His name was Yuri, a traditional name for one of his village. His occupation, you could say, was even more traditional, being one who tends to crops as part of his community. As Yuri carefully placed a dry splinter of wood into the soil bowl, he glanced up at the mountain that overlooked the village and thought he saw a glint of green. Yuri faced his body toward the peak and squinted, closer inspection yielded nothing. "Probably nothing," Yuri mumbled to himself, before slowly kneeling down and taking out a couple of pieces of flint to light the splinter now sheltered in his shrine. Holding them out before him, Yuri struck the stones together and showered sparks onto the splinter, which started to burn slowly and illuminate the carved idol of the encircled six-petal flower, similar to the symbol around his neck. Yuri, then sat back onto his heels with his knees facing the shrine and placed his hands on his upper legs while he whispered a prayer to Heliana. It was a fairly standard prayer for the winter time; asking for conservation of stored seeds and for a good enough crop to support his family when the snow melted. The days and nights were becoming warmer and less treacherous, it wouldn't be long until spring shot vividly out from the ice.

One thing not standard this time, however, was a crunching in the snow, and a fast pace causing it. Yuri tried to ignore it amongst the silent snow and successfully finished his prayer before turning to see what approached. There was a figure dressed in leather, flax and furs, just like him, but with a much springier gate bestowed by youth. "Uncle Yuri!" The figure waved to the farmer as it ran, it was Yuri's nephew and adopted son, Ajax. A spirited man, but most of all stupidly brave. Yuri rose to meet him with a wide smile, "Ah, Ajax, good to see you again. How went the hunt for the wolf pack up by the mountains?" Yuri's smile faded, unfortunately, as Ajax's expression came across as less triumphant and more wide eyed and bewildered.

"What is it, nephew? What happened?" Yuri asked, fearing for the lives of Ajax's fellow hunters.

Ajax, between regaining his breath, responded with a fast and confused tone, "We were heading back, and we found that cave, it was chiseled into the granite, and some of them looked like your necklace, and it went on forever, all of these symbols, it was- it was like they were telling us something, i-i-it was like-"

"Stop, calm down, don't let the cold take you." Yuri interrupted, "Start from the beginning, what did you find?"

Ajax did as his uncle said and calmed himself down, coughing a little from breathing the cold in panic. After a few moments he started again. "Harrison, Belmont, Fletcher and I had driven off the wolves and killed a couple of them. We were heading back with the corpses to skin and to tell everyone that we solved the wolf problem when we passed that cave, you know of it? The one near the base of the mountain to the east. Old Ivan used to tell when we were kids us how he slayed the bear that lived there once. You remember?" Yuri nodded, the cave was a creatures den to a hibernating bear that was dispatched by the village hunters many years ago, but the story was often exaggerated. Ajax continued, "Well we noticed something different about it, we thought it was a play of the light for a moment, but we saw a carving on the cave wall from where we stood. We lit a torch to get a closer look and we saw that it was just like Heliana's flower. Ah- hold on, that's not the half of it. As soon as we shined the torch into the cave, we saw that the entire walls were covered with all sorts of carvings, it also seemed that the cave had been extended, like, dug out further, to make room for more symbols, it went on further than any of us were willing to walk. I was told to run back and tell you, you know more about Heliana than anyone else in the village."

Yuri furrowed his brow and replied, "I'll have to see this for myself, let's go get some torches from the homestead."

With that the two of them fetched torches and walked to the cave by the mountain, the other hunters were there with the wolf carcasses by their sides. They had taken the time to calm down, but were glad to see Yuri and Ajax all the same. Without so much as greetings, the hunters lit a torch each and ventured inside the ominous cave. It seemed that Ajax's story holds true, Yuri thought, as he walked amongst the glyphs in contemplation, leading the group on the dust that had been caressed by Heliana's avatar. This is unusual, even the monks and nuns at the forest monastary knew little of Heliana's nature. I thought them madmen to believe that burning a dead leaf in a shrine would help my crops if I hadn't seen it for myself.

Something that the group all felt as they walked amongst the glyphs was that the symbols were funneling thoughts and memories into their minds. As if even the vaguest of symbols carried with it an impact across all five senses, a very mild and almost imperceivable impact, mind, but an effect all the same. Yuri's mind whirred, he was a wise man, few things surprised and perplexed him as much as this. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the work of Heliana, no mortal could craft such unerring expression in such a... such an organic style.

But the monks said that Heliana was always so silent, like a plant, what is the nature of all of these strange symbols? Yuri thought. As they ventured further, the glyphs started to picture more recognizable shapes. One caught Yuri's eye and he put his hand up to stop everyone. It was a vignette bigger than the others, but held particular significance in its contents. On the glyph, were the shapes of Humanoids, floating in a swaying darkness, an aether, a void. These humanoids were far from human, in fact, they radiated various powers, a veritable rainbow of personalities and reverence. Yuri tensed up as his wise mind formed a hypothesis, Are these gods? No, they don't look like they are in control of themselves, some look like they are sleeping. Gods don't sleep.

Yuri the farmer turned to the group of hunters behind him, including his nephew, and announced in a commanding voice, "We go no further today, we need to inform the abbot in the forest monastery."

-----------------

"I can do all of the things that I knew I could do before," Heliana said to herself, swaying through a jungle in her humanoid physical form like a whirlwind filled with leaves, "But now I feel the freedom to do such things, like talking, why didn't I want to talk before? And listening, I remember hearing words spoken by my brothers and sisters, but I didn't take in their words."

Heliana crouched down and ran her hand across a fern branch, the fern took on a healthier hue of green under her caress. "What were their names? I remember them calling themselves by words. What was my name? I remember muttering a breath of wind in the direction of the first humans that detected my presence, what did it sound like? ... He... li... a... na... that was what they called called me from that point... Heliana. That is my name."

The cultivator looked to the clouds and they started to rain of their own accord. A feeling of sadness accompanied Heliana as the rain dripped off her dress of leaves and branches. Water flung from her staff as she pointed it upwards and plunged it into the ground, "My brothers and sisters may not even know my name as I can barely remember theirs," Heliana said as she cried, "Do they even know that I exist? The power behind the the plant life around them? Do they even know my voice?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Heliana stood up straight again, "I'll have to meet them, one by one, but who first? Perhaps I shall just call and maybe they will come to me." With that, Heliana's physical form looked to the sky and shouted out a word that resonated across the fabric of reality, audible to few ears, the ears of gods. "HELLO!"