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Asceal’s Sphere is known as the Lustrous Garden and can be seen from Galbar as a vast comet that illuminates the night sky and leaves a bright trail that lingers even in the day. The Garden is home to a labyrinthine network of pathways and staircases suspended by and navigating an immense forest of interwoven scintillating white vines. Erupting from crystalline ground and weaving themselves into great luminous trunks that stretch out in open defiance of gravity to reach into and sway in the celestial wind, the vines bathe Asceal’s realm in an omnipresent yet comfortable glow. There are no pathways that lead to the surface of the comet, and the network of walkways and platforms supported by the vines above and below is all but unnavigable. Or rather, unnavigable without the favour of Asceal.

There is little sense to it, but those in the Lustrous Garden who enjoy Asceal’s blessing or invitation are always able to find their way, no matter what turns they take. Those who can navigate the Garden will almost inevitably find themselves in one of the floating palaces of the Goddess of Light. Thousands of castles, all suspended by the vines that erupt from so far below, and made of brilliant crystal dot Asceals realm. Which one she may be found in is never certain, but for those she approves of they are refuges in her brilliant but often unaccommodating realm regardless; every castle is seemingly replete with all the comforts and luxuries one could imagine. Food, art, and even entertainment in the form of Asceals servants, the Luminous Ones, are all present in abundance.


The Lustrous Garden is a celestial Sphere, near enough to Galbar for hints of its brilliance to be seen in the sky, but distant enough it appears simply as a great comet.


Light. Asceal is Goddess of that which banishes the darkness and nourishes life. She does not always control where light emerges from, nor what feeds upon it, but the flow of light from one to the other is where Asceal may exercise her power over creation. She may weaken, strengthen, or redirect the light that flows through the world and even create new, pure light. That light which she wills into existence, illumination without source, is a powerful thing, able to bring day to night and flow around all impediments. Those rare few she blesses with the ability to summon it are known to be able to sear flesh and blind the unwary in anger or banish even living darkness in joy.


Asceal is, in absolute terms, a good God. Her primordial spirit answered the Architect's call and came to this universe out of a genuine desire to aid in its creation, and that willingness to lend a helping hand persists. Asceal is driven by an intense compassion towards all thinking beings, great and small. It is a trait that often puts her at odds with her peers, many of whom regard mortals as little more than pawns or playthings. When it comes to it, and given the temperament of deities in general it often does, she is rarely the first to anger in an argument. However, even her forbearance is not unlimited, and the fury of the Goddess of Light can be a frightening thing.

When Asceal regards a god or mortal to have crossed the line of no return she is uncompromising. As she might say, there is always room for mercy, but sometimes the greatest mercy is to spare the universe from the existence of something or someone truly evil. Asceal is more forgiving than most, but as a steadfast believer in the absolute nature of good and evil her actions can be radical if she feels they are are justified. That is not to say that she does not believe that there can be redemption, even for the wicked, but rather she understands that it is safer to cut out a cancer than let it fester in the hope it may be healed in time.

As consequence of Asceal's intractable principles she is often the first to condemn the actions of her peers, whether they be minor transgressions or unforgivable offences. There is, however, an exception to every rule. Upon her very entrance into this universe Asceal was left awestruck upon witnessing the magnitude of the Architect's creation, and even now she regards the first god as a being of unfathomable skill and wisdom. The Architect's edicts, even ones she might be deeply uncomfortable with, she almost always obeys to the letter. After all, what could she possibly know about the plans of the very designer of reality? She trusts in the ultimate good of the Architect's plan, even when the ancient beings orders test her principles or, more often, the limits of common sense.

Ironically this has resulted in the Asceal, a god who cares deeply for the plight of gods and mortals alike, being one of the foremost supporters of a being of known indifference towards mortals and their petty existences. Asceal excuses the Architect's apathy towards lesser beings as nothing more than a greater being delegating responsibility. How could the planner of the universe itself manage everything alone? It only makes sense the Architect will manage other things and leave the welfare of mortals to the other gods. At least, it does in Asceal's mind.

All that said, as before for all Asceal is loyal and trusting even she has limits. She will obey the Architect so long as she sees the potential for some greater good in the beings plans, and she will give the originator of the universe the benefit of the doubt for longer than she’d consider for any other god or mortal, but morality is not flexible. Should the Architect ever fall to true evil, she would be among the first to rise against it.

That might well be a theme in Asceal’s actions. So long as a mortal, or a god, works towards the betterment of the universe and the lot of its denizens she will gladly aid them, but the moment she sees that has changed her retribution for what she perceives as betrayal will be swift. Asceal is always willing to trust, and will often overlook minor transgressions, but she is not a fool.

Of course, not even a god can be perennially occupied with matters of good and evil. For all Asceal is a compassionate deity and cares for the poor and unfortunate, she does not wish to imitate them. Among all the gods she is least known for her austerity or humility. When not concerning herself with the struggles of mortals or the politics of gods she can often be found crafting crystalline palaces in the Lustrous Garden. Rarely does she inhabit her creations for overlong, instead abandoning them as soon as they grow to bore her. Still, she takes care to ensure all of her constructions are stocked with the finest luxuries the universe has to offer, lest a traveller be put out upon visiting her Sphere.

When a fellow god does take the time to visit Asceal is usually an accommodating host, so long as her guests are those she cares to speak with. Generally speaking Asceal is best described as affably patient, taking the time to hear out her peers and think on their words before hazarding a reply. While she may not be a notorious conversationalist Asceal is glad to converse with her fellows, or at least the ones worth conversing with. Some gods are content with isolation, and Asceal is not one of them. If she grows tired of crafting her palaces or weary from the worries of the mortal world it is not unheard of for her to seek out the company of other gods for the simple sake of socialization.


Asceal is the Goddess of Light, so it should be no surprise that her form is one of light. She appears as a glowing white apparition of a humanoid woman when in the presence of other gods or those she knows implicitly, and, by manipulating the intensity of the light she radiates, as a blinding beacon of pure illumination among those she means to awe or cow.

While not modulating the brightness of her form she presents as a tall woman with long hair, but the vague outline of her glowing figure makes further determinations essentially impossible.



entropic entropic

Chopstick Eyes

'That's my name!!'

The Grand Bazaar

The Bazaar is a Sphere with no sun and no sky, but it does have lights- thousands and thousands of lights. A million million lanterns illuminate a million million streets, bordered not by walls or houses, but by stalls, tents and shacks, makeshift or otherwise, stacked on top of each other into a haphazard infinity. Endless canyons of shops and stores stretch in every direction, where billions of invisible hands peddle every good and service ever seen on the face of Galbar, and even elsewhere.

Sometimes wearing gloves, sometimes rings and bangles, sometimes nothing at all, the invisible hands barter, bicker and chatter into eternity, speaking without true language, their voices never distinct and never alone. From a distance, upbeat music plays- always from a distance.

It is said that if you can follow the beat to its source, you will find the Market God.

Sphere Orientation

The Grand Bazaar is a shallow Cthonic sphere and its borders are thin. Things leak into Bazaar, or are duplicated there: a rock, a flower, a missing sock, a fallen sword, a secret you forgot when you were twelve. When things are forgotten in Galbar, lost in some corner where they will never be found, they frequently pop up in Bazaar.

All these things can be bought, and nearly everything can be sold. Your money, your metal, your cow, your wife, your name, your soul, your firstborn son, all of it has a price, communicated through unintelligible jabber and finger-pointing. The invisible hands are shrewd vendors, and difficult to trick, but they will take rarities where they can get them.

Ultimately, most of the Bazaar is a reflection of Galbar, and prices and goods will reflect this. Things that are rare on Galbar will be rare in Bazaar, and things that require godly might to acquire on Galbar will require godly haggling skill to get from the Bazaar, not to mention the time spent, how you say, picking up what fell from the back of the Fate's truck, if you know what I mean. But there's a certain someone who can help you out there...

The Market Lord

The Market Lord is a god that can get you things. Boil away the niceties, toss aside the pretences, and it really is that simple: Chopstick Eyes can Get You Things.

Every material resource imaginable can be found in the Bazaar, be it livestock, minerals, food, wood, fuel or fabric. Any good you can put on a scale and weigh resides here, and will be gladly packaged for the right price. And though the currency of Bazaar may be inconsistent, the prices are always two steps ahead of the market on Galbar. If you intend to pay less, you can very well expect to get less. In fact, even if you pay more, you can still probably expect to get less.

Enter the Market Lord.

The Market Lord is the only being in all of reality to fully understand the ever-changing structure of the Grand Bazaar, the only creature who can always find her way in its maze. The Market Lord knows every bit of blackmail, has jotted down the password for every smuggler's den, is on first-name terms with the matron of every brothel, and she ALWAYS gets a discount. The Market Lord has tabs on everyone, and everyone is eager to pay their debts. The Market Lord speaks the unspeakable language of the invisible hands.

'...and even I can't always get a good deal around here, wouldnya believe it?'

Who is the Market Lord?

At the counter of half a hundred stores in the Grand Bazaar is an entity named Chopstick Eyes.

Chopstick Eyes has been instructed to adopt the form of a woman, and she took to this duty with enthusiasm, even though 'she' had and continues to have only the most distant conception of what a human being is meant to look like. Her head is too big and her legs are too long. Her arms bend where they shouldn't, and often she forgets the proper number. Her mouth opens too wide and has too many teeth, all of which are much too sharp. Her hair is prehensile.

Above all, Chopstick Eyes has chopstick eyes. Sticking out from her eye sockets where true eyes would be are dozens of thin wooden skewers, densely packed and filled with splinters. These are slightly mobile, shuffling around like the antennae of a shrimp, with the sound of splintery wood and flesh rubbing together, occasionally shedding or being plucked for use by their master. Occasionally, when Chopstick Eyes needs to store something small, she will skewer it on her chopstick eyes to be attended to later, or simply let the skewers pinch it in place in front of her face. The skewers can also be weaponised.

None of this is particularly human, of course, but Chopstick Eyes never really changes them, even when she makes contact with an actual human. There is something missing from her, perhaps not broken but certainly incomplete, some blind spot that prevents her ever noticing or correcting the abnormality of her body. Perhaps that's for the better.

Chopstick Eyes typically wears a cheongsam dress with a neat cut- colourful, and every day different, but nothing too flashy. It gives her the appearance of a regular front-of-shop employee. Her uniform does tend to change a little depending on what store she's minding.

Her favourite weapon is an oversized meat cleaver.

But who is she really?

Chopstick Eyes prefers to live in the moment. Neutral Good by nature, she's a generous and easygoing creature with a habit of seeing the good things in life and getting, really, really excited over them.

It is the firm belief of Chopstick Eyes that now is the only real thing to exist- the future is chaos, the past is missing, and even memories can only ever be re-lived in the moment. It is this thought that has led her to become something of a tasteful hedonist, an aspirant after every art. Song, dance, painting, sculpture, and games, and stories, and cuisine, and sex, and meditation, and ESPECIALLY acupuncture- all these things have value to Chopstick Eyes, and she will pay well for any of them.

Oftentimes, she'll even offer them to you, free of charge, so you can enjoy them too.

Fair trade matters to Chopstick Eyes, as it does to any good economist. She defends the Bazaar and its occupants from fraud and thievery, both in person and by arranging the endless maze, as is in her power to do. She considers it good and just to be good and just. However, she isn't always going to take responsibility for your idiocy. If Chopstick Eyes makes an offer for your flesh, don't accept it too lightly. She's handy with that cleaver.

Chopstick Eyes respects boundaries and generally respects the will of other gods. Not everything can be packaged in a store (though most things can), and Chopstick appreciates being able to see new worlds and new influences. What really matters is that we all enjoy this moment together, without getting too hung up on the future or the past.

After all, all things come to an end.

Àl͝l th̛in͞gs ̛sho̴u҉l҉d ̴com̴e t̛o an̵ en͏d.͘

Al҉l̀ t̛h͏̸̨i͞͞n҉҉g̕͡s̕ ̷̧̢m̧͟u̕s̨̛t̡̨ ̢c̸̢om̴e̢͢͏ ̕t̷͟o ̴̧an̷͡ ̵͝҉e̕ǹ̵̀d̡.͠

A̷̴͢l̷͏l̛͜ ̀͢͝͝t̸̵̨̕̕h̸̀̀́i̧͜͞͏n̴̛͜ģ̸̧͢s͟͡ ̵̨͘W̡̛͡҉̷Ì̵Ļ͡L̨͏̡͞ ̶̨͞҉̢c͢͠҉̷o̵̸m̛̛̕e͘͢ ͠͝͠t̴̀͏ó̀ ͏͢͠ą̵̸͜n҉͞ ̴͡͝͞e̶̡͢n̢͜d̕͘͜͞.̴̶

S̶̡̛̲͍̜̜͍̳͎̬̥̣̺̗̜͙̻̟͠O̸̶̴͚̦̦̯̘̳͇͙̮͍̥͈̬͞O҉̢̥̣̯̖̳̤̞̯̹̭̼̘̱̭̲͘͜N̢͚̠̻̯̼͚͚̟͈̫̼̭̲̫͕̹͔̣͜͜͝.̵̬͉̠͇̦͎̰̯͔͕̦͓̬̙͙̱̙̕͡ͅ

.

...But until then, let's just enjoy the sunlight.

Music

DUMMY!!

Codeword

OwO

Parvus
The Small, The Swarmkeeper, The Locust Lord



Portfolio : Insects

As the name suggests, this portfolio grants Parvus control over insects, as well as the ability to spawn them. It is a seemingly weak ability that is quite potent. Bees and butterflies can pollinate the land, granting it new life, whereas a swarm of locusts can devour it all. Colonies of ants are capable of shaping the earth, and swarms of mosquitoes can shape civilizations by spreading disease.

Parvus
The Small, The Swarmkeeper

Shengshi

Lord of the Thousand Streams, Regent of the Rivers, the Great Host

太平盛世 - 丰水是福

Peace and prosperity - Fortune is water in abundance.

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Sphere: Fengshui Fuyou

It is said to be where all rivers ultimately begin - it is the true source of fresh water, the world spring. At the sphere's centre is a colossal caldera, home to a great, cyan pool that branches into a network of countless rivers and streams, flowing into all parts of the universe. In between the criss-crossing web of water, small patches of land verdant and fertile peek up from underneath the waves. It is unknown, even to Shengshi, where the water that passes through Fengshui Fuyou eventually ends up. Shengshi himself reasons that, eventually, it all ends up back in the world spring, somehow. It is pretty certain, though, that much of the river water flows into Galbar.

The waters bring along all manner of nutritious soils and clays, colouring the water earthen and dark and feeding the surrounding vegetation. On Galbar, this occasionally leads to powerful growth spurts in river valleys and algae blooms in lakes and seas. In an entropic manner, the rivers in Fengshui Fuyou will occasionally flood and cover the entire sphere in dark, muddy water that drowns all non-aquatic life and levels all land. However, in time, the floods always retreat and life blossoms anew, just as lively and verdant as before, if not even more so. This phenomenon is, however, deeply despised by Shengshi, as he abhors entropy, opting rather for calm, collected stability.

Upon the widest river in the network exists a single, huge junk ship, upon which a wooden castle has been built. This is the Jiangzhou, home of Shengshi. When he is not working to bring life to river basins around the world, he returns home to invite both the godly and the mortal to great feasts and parties, or sits by himself playing his harp or writing poetry. The decks of the colossal ship are manned by sizeable water globules that take care of the logistical work by carrying around items on top of them, scrubbing the floor in the meantime. It should be noted that these globules always are moving - the second they stop, they collapse into a puddle that shortly after drips off the closest side of the boat. The boat has neither sails, oars nor any kind of rudder - it relies entirely on the streams to carry it to wherever the rivers eventually lead. No matter how tumulteous the waters the ship sails, the ship will never tip over. At least, it hasn't happened yet.

While the realm of Fengshui Fuyou is located very close to Galbar itself, almost parallel, it is elevated slightly above the middle realm, as water has to flow downwards. Yet, it is certainly no heavenly realm. It is definitely closer to the Middle Sphere than its Celestial neighbours, but it shares a close border with the So'E, home of the Rain Goddess Li'Kalla, from which it receives a great deal of mist and rain.

Furthermore, the mysterious world spring itself has complex, intricate connections to a handful of other celestial spheres, one of which is the Horizon Grotto. Kirron's "work" in the Grotto feeds the world spring unmeasurable volumes of water, a gift for which Shengshi is more than grateful. The sphere's proximity to Galbar means it has a rather direct influence on the Middle Sphere, and Galbar has a powerful influence on it.

Additionally, as water flows downwards, it is very plausible that spheres above Fengshui Fuyou can access the world spring through the simple coincidence of sphere alignment - however, it is nigh impossible for Fengshui Fuyou to randomly connect to the spheres above it.

---

As perhaps one of the most crucial sources of drinking water for all land-dwelling life, the presence of rivers, or a lack thereof, leaves a profound mark on the surrounding ecosystem that cannot be ignored. Shengshi has the ability to influence the twists and turns of these rivers, to slow some flows and speed up others, and to clean streams of filth. This power also allows him to carve rivers much easier. However, his abilities do not affect waters salty and still. As such, his influences does not extend to the lakes and seas of Galbar.

The control of water gives Shengshi a direct influence over life along his rivers. This power is, however, limited to sustaining or destroying ecosystems through the control of water. Furthermore, the river lord's subjects, those who dwell within his rivers, not only understand their liege's words and can make themselves understood, but also obey his commands without questions. This applies to the fish, reptiles and amphibians that dwell in Shengshi's rivers.

Additionally, Shengshi’s form and portfolio gives him certain slightly less magnificent powers.

• Among these powers is his ability to swim incredibly fast. While his upper half indeed is humanoid, his serpentine lower half gives him incredible alacrity in the water.

---

Lawful Good. Shengshi wishes only to please as many as possible, and for everyone to please one another. He only ever deviates from this intent when his guests overstep their boundaries.

Shengshi, much like the rivers he sails, wishes life to flow along uninterrupted. As such, he values peace and stability over all. He has a poetic soul, often finding inspiration in the patterns of water and the life underneath. He amateurishly expresses these inspirations in the form of music and poetry.

In his own eyes, Shengshi sees himself as playing the role of a host at an ever-lasting feast. Shengshi loves and welcomes all living things that settle on his rivers’ basins, and his greatest wish for his “guests”, to put it that way, is to provide for their every need. As such, he makes certain to clean his rivers regularly so his guests may only drink deep in the purest waters in existence. He keeps his guests comfortable and warm through water temperature management, and makes certain that they sleep soundly to the sounds of calm, docile streams. All executed to the best of his ability as a gracious host. In coherence with his obsession with being a host, he expresses generousity at an almost fanatical level, constantly bombarding his friends with gifts.

Shengshi can be described as respectful and kind to both mortals and gods. He holds firmly the belief that conflict is to be avoided at all costs, and will do everything in his power to satisfy his guests in hopes that conflict will remain at a minimum. Although Shengshi upholds a strict code of honesty, he will always be very careful not to speak the truth if it could cause conflict. As such, like the rivers twist and turn around obstacles, his words will twist and shape into excuses and agreements that avoid him putting someone else, or himself, in a poor light.

However, as a host, he of course demands similar attitudes towards him, and those that fail to act as such are deemed “uninvited”, so to speak. He does not actually -say- what he demands, however. To punish the wicked offenders Shengshi will, to the best of his ability, strive to politely ask these unwanted guests to leave his domains, whether that be his sphere or his river valleys. How he does this varies depending on the severity of the guest’s faux pas, but he will never directly ask someone to leave. Naturally, this only applies to those who are actually on Shengshi’s domain. When Shengshi himself acts the guest, he will hold his host in the highest respect, sometimes going so far as to portray himself as a mere demigod in comparison.

His ambition is to one day end conflict between mortals and have friend and foe feast together at great banquets, and have countries that once despised one another before engage in trade and collective progress towards a great future. He understands that this is a daunting task, but firmly believes water can be the tool that unites all life under a banner of peace and prosperity.

---

Shengshi’s torso is humanoid in appearance, with well-toned features, apart from a slightly rounded pot-belly. From top to tail, Shengshi stands roughly eight feel tall. White, leathery skin covers most of his chest, abdomen and face, but the rest of his body boasts a coat of glistening, crimson scales. From his stomach and downwards, his body curves and twists into a long, serpentine tail, white as marble on the front and red as the dawn on the back. The tail is adorned with glistening fins and completed by a small, pointed tuft of hair at the very tip.

In coherence with his serpentine body, Shengshi’s face likewise displays both humanoid and draconic features. His lower and upper jaws stick a little more out in front, and his high, sharp cheekbones give his cheeks a stretched look about them. His nose flattens out right below the bridge, appearing almost feline. The nose gives way to a wide, fanged mouth dressed in a black mustache, which hangs from his upper lip like two blackened jungle vines, reaching his throat.

His eyes, ringed with black lines, slant somewhat upwards at the outer edges, roofed with two black eyebrows that each stretch far out on each side of his face. His pupils take the colour of the last river he looked into, so he strives to keep all his rivers as clean as possible so his eyes glisten like a lake in the moon’s glow. His pointed ears grow upwards and curve slightly towards the top, much like a pair of short sabres. From the top of Shengshi’s skull sprout two long antlers in the middle of a long mane of black hair, that itself hangs down to his shoulders.
Theme song: Guzheng: "Spring River Flower Moon Night" 古筝 - 春江花月夜

chinese dragon man by Randommonkies