Divinus: The Divine RP, Mk. III

[Cyclone]

This interest check is now over.

We have a real thread.

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Overview

Divinus will be a story about a pantheon of gods, their creations, and the world of Galbar as it is shaped by our collective actions.

One great and enlightened being, the Architect of the Spheres, tried to create an entire universe on his own. After toiling for unknown aeons in maddening solitude, he accomplished nothing but the bare shell of a planet called Galbar and the blank cosmos that surrounded it. He reflected and ultimately realized the limits of his own strength. It was then that he made the fateful decision to open a rift to What Lay Beyond, allowing several spirits to enter the realm of his making to help him see his vision fulfilled. Regardless of whatever those spirits might have been before, they were, in the Architect's arms, made as gods over this universe. Though his expectations are reasonable, the Architect nonetheless expects the gods to ‘earn their stay’ by not slacking in their duties, and to show him some measure of gratitude and fealty. Incurring his wrath can have consequences, for he is a powerful being; however, he is not infinitely so. Through the combined might of many rebellious mature gods, the Architect could perhaps one day be overthrown.

Though these gods may start small, in time they will raise mountains, gouge rivers, sow jungles and freeze oceans, and having done so they can create every manner of flora, fauna, spirit and mortal folk to populate them. Their colliding visions for the world may drive them to invent mighty weapons and field vast armies, conjure horrific monsters, and sanction glorious heroes to defend their dreams from the passion of the other gods.

Each god will be important. Each will potentially wield great influence over reality and all the life that comes to arise, as every god will control a ‘Sphere’ that can be thought of as a piece of the intricate system that constitutes Galbar’s universe. The gods’ power is measured in Might, which they must spend wisely on the aspects of creation that are most vital to them. As they continue to grow their powers and shape the world ever more, the gods may build holy sanctuaries in which their mortal disciples may glorify their name, raising them to new heights of terror and splendor.

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Before going into further detail, I would like to give some credits to where they're due and offer a brief history of the RPs that have preceded this one. Divinus existed even on the Oldguild more than 5 years ago, and in various forms it's managed to survive all this time. To any who are interested, here is a list of all the Divinus RPs that have come since then:

Divinus Mk. I, which was GM'd by @Kho and @Rtron.
Divinus Mk. II, which still lives! Initially Gm'd again by @Kho and @Rtron as well as the new addition of myself, it has since been turned over to @Muttonhawk, @BBeast, and @Antarctic Termite. Though it still lives on as we're in the process of wrapping it up, it's slowed down to the point that many of us have decided to prematurely launch Mk. III so as to explore new characters and story ideas.
And finally, there was a Divinus-inspired foray into the free section that was called Godspeed, launched by @Antarctic Termite.

Credits to everyone above; they all contributed greatly to the foundations of this latest attempt. To anybody who participated in any of those RPs I'd love to welcome you back to this new one, but to anybody new to the series, fear not! This RP inherits the spirit of the past ones as well as some of their mechanics, but this RP will stand alone and you needn't be familiar with the lore or canon of any of those others.

By all means feel free to peruse them if you want to gauge a feel of what Divinus is like, or look at the OOC of Mk. 2 where we've been planning out much of this new installment. My post here began that conversation.

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There is a Google doc in which myself as well as @BBeast and @Muttonhawk (who are coming into Mk. III as GMs again) have been writing what will be the OP for Mk. III's actual thread, which will hopefully be going up within a few days.

Here is the link to said document; the link should confer commenting permissions, so by all means feel free to give us feedback on anything at all that you see there.

A much more detailed explanation of the RP's mechanics (as well as the character sheet template, if you want to join) are available on that Google doc. Several people have already expressed their intention to join this RP when it goes live; beyond hopefully recruiting a few more people new to the series, my hope for this interest check was that it could provide a centralized location for everybody to post all of their sheets where they can be seen by others.

So if you're interested in joining the party, say hello and post a sheet!

We've also got a discord channel that can be found here.

[Lord Zee]

Here goes nothing. Give me some of that sweet, sweet feedback. I probably messed something up along the way too.

The God of Desolation

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Orvus

_(Or-vus)

The Desolate. The Empty Lord. The Ruin.

---

Sphere

Veradax, The Broken Moon. The Shattered Sphere.

Above Galbar sits a large celestial body. Veradax is the name it was given, and it is the home of Orvus. The moon itself is fairly close to Galbar, and orbits every week. Veradax gives off a very dim glow, and even upon a full moon it does little to illuminate the night. Most notably, half of the moon has been completely shattered into millions of pieces of rock and dust. The size of the debris varies, from the smallest of particles, to the size of continents. This rock field is in constant turmoil with itself, and a violent place not for the stout of heart.

The side of Veradax that is whole, is a bleak place, in constant and unending twilight. A thick blanket of clouds covers this land, allowing nothing to grow or be caressed by light’s gentle warmth. Fierce lightning flashes across the sky, but even such light as that is fleeting and does little. A biting wind blows dust and ash in great storms that blanket vast expanses of terrain in a fine grey dust. When such storms die down, most of Veradax is unnaturally quiet and the absence of sound is one of its defining characteristics. The place is forlorn, and tragic to all who encounter it. Most would be driven mad by such silence, in the end.

But Veradax is not entirely empty. Here is home to the places abandoned, lands destroyed, the broken and forgotten. Eventually, Veradax will house ruins upon ruins of empty shells, devoid of the life they were first tasked with. Giant towers left to ruin, cities left to rot and even beings who were discarded. Cast aside, no longer wanted by their creators. All of these are no longer with purpose, but on Veradax they can be alone together. The broken side of the moon is devoid of any structure, for its nature is to only destroy.

Between the discards of builders, there resides great deserts of dust stretching on as far as the eye can see. A true, desolate wasteland with nothing but emptiness. To walk into the grey lands, is not death, but worse still- to be forgotten so completely, death know not what you are or how to claim you. But those who wander with purpose will find themselves in even greater peril.

Ultimately, Veradax is what Galbar leaves behind. They influence each other in a most abusive relationship. For Galbar gives Veradax a taste of what it wants most- To be whole and united again. In turn, because Veradax cannot be whole, it unleashes upon Galbar desolation, in the form of Moon-falls. Pieces of the moon are cast down upon the planet frequently, like a lover unable to do anything else but hit and scar, purely out of frustration. For Veradax is broken, and knows not what else to do but lash out. Most of the moon debris is small and would burn up in the atmosphere, but larger, deadlier fragments are capable of doing much harm. And that's not to say what passengers such debris might carry to the surface.

Eventually there will be breathable atmosphere on the intact side of the moon, but upon the onset of its creation, such a life sustaining thing has no need to exist. As time passes in the universe, the shattered side of the moon will also reform into that of a ring.

---

Location of Sphere

Celestial. Just above Galbar. May or may not touch any other Celestial Sphere. As it is quite Entropic.

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Portfolio

Desolation

There is emptiness in the universe, from barren plains, to lack of emotion and then the great black gulf between the stars. There is destruction all around, from a pebble breaking a vase, to an asteroid slamming into a continent. Broken things that can never be repaired to what they once were. Especially the self, for there will always be the smallest of cracks, unseen to the naked eye. Then there is sorrow, a simple word, yet so powerful an emotion. From the loss of a newborn, to the suffering of a friend. It can cripple even the mighty. The powers of desolation are both terrible and lonely and all of which are fundamental aspects of the universe, molded together to form Orvus. It his burden alone to bare.

Abilities

• The Opposite of Creation is Destruction - Orvus can undo creation down to it's most fundamental level. From turning to dust, ripping apart, and shattering completely. All forms of destruction or within his grasp. The larger the object the more MP needed. (And of course, the blessing of all parties involved OOC)
• Desolate Incarnate - His mastery of desolation is without question. He can turn a vibrant forest into little more then a wasteland devoid of life. Or turn a proud city into little more then a memory of its former self, so that it will join Veradax. He can also strike down any mortal with dismal emptiness. A sorrow so profound one would do anything to feel again.
• More to be added. Maybe.

---

Persona

The Ideologies of a God

Orvus is a being one would consider neutral evil. He cares little for anything or anyone, and views his fellow gods with disdain, especially the Architect. Though he does not openly flaunt such thoughts, for he is always wary of that which he barely understands. His deep-rooted mistrust of all life was hounded into him at the moment of his birth. As such he holds no pity for any being lesser or greater, and any creations he oversees are little more than pawns to be used. Simple creatures that will only serve a specific purpose in the grand scheme of the universe. His tolerance for mortal kind is abysmal, especially that which is not under his control.

Orvus is prone to extreme bouts of anger and wrath, fueled by his self-loathing nature. The destructive side of his personality is rash, arrogant and unreasonable. It would be very unwise for any to approach him without good reason when he falls into his fits of rage. He can be known to destroy anything in his path, regardless of friend or foe. The trails of desolation are many, and always filled with pain.

When not feeling angry, Orvus feels a mix of negative emotions. It is a rather common sight to find him wandering Veradax aimlessly, and alone, with a downtrodden expression. Other times he is un-moving, and stands deep in thought, letting the dust of his sphere cover him entirely before having the urge to simply move. Positive emotions are absent from his being, he cannot feel them for they were never meant for one such as he. That is what Orvus believes anyway, for he is a deeply conflicted god.

He is most difficult to talk to and would rather be alone in the silence of his moon than anywhere else. This is not to say he isn’t invested in Galbar, for he does like to walk upon it from time to time, but his nature can be unpredictable, and creation has never been easy for the god. His works are prone to being flawed, for his negative essence is powerful.

Depending upon his mood, he can either have much ambition or little. One of the few things he actively sees as worth his time, is the barrier. It's no secret he enjoys silence, and the thought of an emptiness so endless with little noise, is a thought he holds on to. One day he would like to see what lies beyond, but until then, he will bide his time. There are other projects to work on, mortals to oversee, and desolation to cause.

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Appearance

See image above. Will add descriptions of new appearances as they show up.

Orvus lacks any defining features upon his form. He is a dense shadow, dotted with small dim lights, not unlike a star. The shadow like substance that makes him, is in constant motion, like that of smoke from a fire. His eyes are the brightest lights upon his body, and he has no mouth. His form stands at a rather average height of seven feet. When enraged his form becomes quite entropic.

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Musical Theme

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[Commodore]

Ohannakeloi

Ehomakwoi - The Sphere of Stone

A Chthonic realm of tunnels and caverns, barren rock and darkness stretching a great distance, said to be beneath the surface of Galbar although it is always difficult to tell what is Ehomakwoi or simply a deep area within Galbar. Truly Ehomakwoi does have some properties that may distinguish it, most notably the oppressive darkness being more than merely the lack of light, in the true depths of Ehomakwoi non-divine light may have trouble providing the way. Ehomakwoi is not inherently entropic however, things stay in a curious state of preservation. The darkness of Ehomakwoi and its completely barren and lifeless conditions makes it fairly inhospitable to mortal kind. Ehomakwoi while barren, and dark is not empty or bleak. Stored within it are those things valued by Ohannakeloi, whether artifacts preserved or records and art inscribed along the walls of the tunnels and caverns, most importantly preserved because of the lack of entropic conditions in the sphere. Ehomakwoi has strong connections to several Chthonic spheres, most notably with the Abyss, the Pit of Trials. Ehomakwoi provides stability and strength to Galbar itself through the advantages of stone both in Galbar and Ehomakwoi.

Stone

‘Stone’ the lifeless hard surface of the Early Galbar and the continuation of it into the depths of the area below the surface into the core of Galbar. And from this, the immeasurable strength and glory of stone, centered and strong stone needs not the animation of life to be vitally important and immutable to lesser ravages. The stability and steadfast nature of Stone demands the respect of lesser beings, for Stone is the rock on which all of Galbar stands, it is the nature and kind of the support structure and it is there to last. Ohannakeloi uses this dominion of the power of stone to sculpt natural landscapes just as easily as raise great works of masonry, although hospitably for life is not directly assisted by his power. Generally, Ohannakeloi has a great deal of influence and knowledge of stone, making him both a great worker of it but also great ability in its most effective use.

Persona

Ohannakeloi takes being a deity in this reality fairly seriously, being one this may align with his own self-interest. He has a pretty high focus on that worship of the gods as gods, and thereby the worship of himself as a god. Ohannakeloi has a high opinion of himself, an almost invulnerable sense that he and his actions are good and justified, although many of them revolve around continuing his own worship and the presentation of an image of strength.

However, while that is said, he is not one to demand worship for being a god, he demands worship as payment for what he does as a god. He doesn’t really desire much beyond recognition and worship as a god, although he may create great works it is this drive of deific recognition rather than some other belief that drives him. It is what he feels a god should do and be that he strives for.

Ohannakeloi has a high investment in mortal kind, not so much the case that he values mortals so much as individuals equal to his own but that he values as people to a degree, however small, rather than just what they can give him. He believes in fairness, albeit strongly biased fairness both towards the divine and himself. So while he is not greatly moral or good in some senses he is not completely arbitrary or cruel either.

While Ohannakeloi does have a strong desire to be a god and to present an image of what he believes a god should be, this is not how he relates to other people. In conversation, Ohannakeloi can be quite direct, as this is his mindset generally.

Ohannakeloi can sometimes be seen as imperious and cruel, but amongst the gods, Ohannakeloi doesn’t really see much true reason for conflict. In regards to mortals or the fine points of philosophical disagreements sure, but from Ohannakeloi’s point of view, all the gods are here to make this world together. Because of this Ohannakeloi can be quite affable and agreeable in these things, even those few mortals he cares to have attention towards are likely to be treated with some measure of respect.

Appearance

Ohannakeloi’s most normative appearance is a yellow, large terrestrial crab approximately one meter in diameter. Both much larger than most crabs and smaller in mass than many forms taken by other gods make this form slightly odd, in addition to the fact he is a crab. Aside from the unusual size and potential for divine acts, one could easily mistake Ohannakeloi for a crab as there are no other particularly unusual traits about his form. He does walk forward or backward as the crab form that he takes would normally given their leg structure, although this is not usually a grave concern for most when speaking to the deity.

Musical Theme

Codeword

[Slime]

He who has seen all

Abanoc

Sphere:

The Observatory

The Sphere itself is a vast empty space with only the Observatory floating in it; a temple-like structure made of dark gray stone with no outer walls surrounding its circular shape, only several pillars standing near the edge. At the center lies an elevated throne, with stairs surrounding the platform from all sides and from it, when looking up, one can see three concentric stone rings atop the pillars with a mirror on the very center from which one can see the central Sphere, Galbar.

Beyond the Observatory the Sphere is lined with stars, and other celestial bodies and when the sun is set in Galbar the same scenery fills the night sky. The Observatory can be seen by gods or other sufficiently powerful beings from Galbar as well.

If someone were to fall off the Observatory on accident they’d fall for a random amount of time, ranging between a few minutes to an hour, before landing back safely at the Observatory.

Location of Sphere:

Celestial, high above Galbar.

Portfolio:

Recording.

The concept of registering information. Whether it is written words in paper, carvings on walls or etching something in memory, all information is recorded in some way. As such this Portfolio allows for the perfect storage, recollection and reproduction of information absorbed.

Persona:

True Neutral. Abanoc believes his purpose is to simply observe and record every passing second in Galbar with as many details as possible, and so he doesn’t bother to change things on his own in most cases. However, if a calamity would threaten to destroy Galbar he’d step in to help as much as possible to prevent it, or if a utopia were to rise he’d do his utmost to topple it as either case would have no following developments to be recorded and would mean the end of his duty. But this doesn’t mean he’ll be bothered by times of strife or times of prosperity.

Surprisingly he enjoys sudden and unexpected changes, be it by natural causes or the entropy caused by the many gods, so long as they don’t interfere with his observations. That said, too much entropy could affect his recording of events and that would force him to step in. Nothing frustrates him more than being unable to accurately record events.

If someone were to request information from him, be them mortal or otherwise, he wouldn’t mind to do so if there was a good reason for it, and in the case that he himself deems information should be shared he’d do so as well.

Appearance/Form:

Abanoc’s appearance is of a tall human, with tanned skin and black tattoos covering his arms and legs, golden eyes and very long white hair usually left unkempt, but he fashioned a single braid over his left shoulder. His preferred clothes are a rich looking white and black tunic with details in gold and red that cover most of his body and a long red sash that hangs loosely over his waist.

My Hider

Musical Theme:

Hider

[Crispy Octopus]

Asceal

Asceal

Sphere of God:

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.

Location of Sphere:

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.

Portfolio:

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.

Persona:

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.

Appearance/Form:

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.

Musical Theme:

entropic entropic

[Double Capybara]

Urhu, the wanderer

Urhu

She who walks the frontier. The middle. The mercenary. The wanderer.

---

Sphere

► The Purlieu (Chthonic Sphere, near the surface of Galbar) ◀

These are untamable wildlands that deny the civilized of their little delusions. The most refined of metals rust away in days, mighty forts crumble into ruins covered in weeds in mere weeks. This is however not a land of entropy, but instead, an ever-shifting frontier with jungles, swamps, forests, oceans and mountains rising and disappearing, in a constant churn of new and unknown lands, home to the most fierce of storms and beasts.

It connects itself with Galbar at random, mimicking a misty forest or lone road so people walk into the endless wilds without even noticing, or luring ships to its shores once they no longer have the eyesight of any true land.

It is where the seasons go to when they are not ruling over Galbar.

---

Portfolio(s)

► Passage ◀

‘Passage’ is perhaps the core aspect of travel, it is the process of moving forward, the act of going through or past something plus the obstacles and permissions that need to be dealt with to avoid stillness, it lacks the aimlessness of wander but also has no objective like a journey. The passage is ultimately transition, the middle point when one has left behind the safeness of stability but have yet to establish a new routine, a concept focused only in the present, with the start and the end being merely eventualities.

It rules and guides those who are away from both their home and their destination, in that fragile moment where they are left only with the most essential of their survival. Those who offend the goddess or have wronged honest travellers will often find themselves stuck in this transient state, straying off their intended path or never once again satisfied with the familiar.

Innate Abilities of Passage

► Innate Traveler (Travel, Acclimatization)
While all gods are skilful travellers, this one is a bit more. They may walk over raging rivers and lava with the ease of walking on still water or walk across storms and blizzards unphased. This, however, does not make them faster, just stops their normal godly speed and senses from being reduced in extreme environments.

► Free Passage (Travel)
A short blink-like ability. This deity may enter into any closed room, walled area, cavern, among other areas, provided they are near the boundaries and that there is a passage into it, it does not matter if it is as small as a nail sized hole. (It doesn't get into the subatomic level, things considered 'vacuum sealed' are immune to this.)

► Pathfinder (Travel, Senses)
A metaphysical sense that naturally finds passages and paths across the landscape, even if the deity has never seen the location before.

► One With The Road (Travel)
This deity can traverse mortal-made roads with ease, at speeds faster than the godly default. This ability is enhanced by the presence of wayside shrines to this deity.

► Gatekeeper (Senses)
This deity gets a small peek into any mortal that cross a gate, doorway or other similar passages within her surroundings. It is also possible to mark a few gates or doors to connected with no matter the distance.

► Passport (Mind Reading)
This deity may discover the location of origin, the settlements which they have visited and the desired destination of any mortal within her sight without having to focus to perform mind reading.

► Deny Passage (Travel)
Provided the deity has within her range something that can be defined as a passage, be it a strait, bridge, or gate (which include actual gates or things such as two boulders on opposites side of a road) this deity might set up something to deny passage at their discretion. This can include magical barriers, smiting (in the form of strong winds, crashing waves, flash floods) or curses. If this is an innate ability (portfolio related), spending might on it makes it so it may target any marked passage even if the deity is not near it.

► Trailblazer (Travel, Divine Trail... ish?)
When walking into wildlands, this deity may leave behind paths that look as if they were made by herds of animals. This does not count as a mortal road for any travel ability.

► Innate Mutations (Mutation)
• Internal Compass (Example: Birds with Magnetoreception)
• Location Memory (May remember paths they traversed, where they were born, etc. Example: Sea Turtles)
• Genetic Path Memory (Example: Monarch Butterflies multi-generation migration patterns from Mexico to the United States)
• Enhanced Stamina
• Innate Wanderlust
• Migratory Animal
• Misc Mutations related to overcoming passages (Make things as invasive as cockroaches and mice, or as persevering as salmon jumping up a waterfall)

► Innate Blessings and Curses
• Sense of direction: May alter one's ability to know where they are and the path they must take. Can keep someone on track even under heavy fog or make it so they are lost even in their own neighbourhood.
• Traveller luck: How likely one is to cross path with bandits, to slip down while crossing a river, to find a tree fallen in the middle of the road.

► Sacred Paths (Blessings and Curses)
When doing a greater blessing/curse (using might) this deity can choose to apply it to an entire road.

► Innate Expert Crafts and Skills
• Building Bridges, Palisades/Gates, and Tunnels. (Passage makers/deniers)
• Defining and building things with the aspect of calendars, such as interactions with equinoxes and seasons (Passage of time)
• Expert traveller, swimmer, climber, door kicker.

---

Persona

Chaotic Neutral. She self-describes herself as ‘simple’, she seeks that which she likes, food, carouse, love, combat, treasure, and has no time for intrigues and otherworldly concepts. She is a wanderer, finding herself at home in the frontier between wilderness and civilization, this habit is half wanderlust and curiosity, half boredom and dissatisfaction.

For one with such a focus on personal joy, the deity is not always pleasant company. Ever frowning, she is abrasive and judgemental, and to those who fall on her bad side, she is cruel, firmly believing certain lessons can only be taught by the medium of anguish. Sometimes she can be encouraging, telling others to keep trying and that not all is lost, and yet other times she can be extremely confrontational, questioning people on how sure they are and if they are not just wasting what little time they have as mortals, or sometimes taking beliefs and making one suffer by the logical extremes of their own ideas. While there is an aspect of changing the mood to this, there is also a certain method, as she is friendly to the unsure and antagonistic to certainty and social entropy.

As a deity, Urhu’s paradoxes show up the most. With a slight acosmist view, taking all at face value, finding it all dull excuses for power, believing the universe is a kratocracy but hating all hypocritical order established by might, it is complicated to establish a consistent approach to divinity. As such, her realm of overseeing travels is both one of blessing and one of extortion. She is not haughty towards mortals but knows they are not equals, yet she does prefer the mortal realm to the godly spheres, travelling mortal lands as a lowly traveller, expecting basic hospitality to be kept, and if it is not, it will be enforced.

---

Form and Appearance

The goddess’ main form is that of a tall human, with freckled light brown skin and hazel eyes, preferring to keep her brown hair braided even if she allows it to be unkempt. Along with mortals, she likes to dress no different than what a local hunter might wear, albeit an accomplished hunter, on more divine occasions she prefers a clashing style of loose and light textiles with accessories of thick leather and adornments in precious metals.

Alternate

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Music
M

[Vega7]

Preemptive hello. Will have sheet up shortly.

[Crispy Octopus]

Oh man everyone's got a cool symbol or picture :O

I need to get better at art.

[LokiLeo789]

Error: Deleted By Cat.

[Slime]

@Crispy Octopus Or you can steal a pic and erase the watermark like I did. Your choice really.

[Leotamer]

Interested, right now my thoughts is to make a chaotic neutral insect god, who likes mortals and can give them honey, and pollinate their crops, but has an inferiority complex and whenever offended might send them a plague of locusts to devour all their crops.

[Antarctic Termite]

BUY LOW SELL HIGH

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

[Muttonhawk]

AAH! Look at all this wonderful stuff!

Damn, I'm actually going to need a completed character sheet soon.

I hope we don't force you guys to redo too much once the new abilities system is worked out.

EDIT: Oh yeah, dibs on the god of blood, as I mentioned in other threads.

[Leotamer]

My CS: Bug dude who wants to be a good guy, but has an inferiority complex because he got stuck with the bug domain.

Parvus

Parvus
The Small, The Swarmkeeper, The Locust Lord

Parvus' Sphere, The Hive

Location : Deep below Galbar is the Cthonic realm of insects, the Hive. The Hive connects to Galbar directly through a single large sinkhole, however the Hive is to connected many other Cthonic spheres through tiny, insect-sized holes.

Appearance : Most of the Hive is a twisting cavernous labyrinth of soil, roots, ponds of still water, and various other insect nesting grounds. However at the center of the hive is the Garden. At first glance, the Garden may appear to be picturesque, a tranquil meadow of trees, grass, and ponds. However, like the rest of the Hive, it is crawling with insects. The only other notable feature of the hive is that within the garden there is a single apple tree planted away from any other tree or lake. No insect dares touch this tree, or even plunder its fallen fruits.

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.

Persona

Parvus is a choatic neutral god, with a leaning towards good. Parvus generally does not wish to harm mortals, and will provide them assistance, however past effects has soured his altruism.

Within a past life, Parvus was a tree spirit in a different world. He remembered having a deep caring for humanity, and this lead him to join a rebellion against a tyrant god. For his trouble, he was ascend to godhood, however as a lowly tree spirit he was granted only the title of god of insects.

He attempted to still make friends with the mortals, however over time they become repulsed by him and took his many gifts for granted. And so on day, he snapped and unleashed a swarm of locusts upon the mortals who had abused him. He was very conflicted by this action, it both saddened that he was harming mortals but for the first time, he felt truly powerful. Afterwards, mortals began to truly respect his power, however no matter he had achieved the other gods of his realm never respected him. And thus, once he heard the architect's call, he left his word in order to become a part of this new one.

As Parvus believes the Architect respects him, Parvus respects the Architect, and is thus happy to obey the Architects rules so as long he does not disrespect or his divinity, and is not blatantly evil or tyrannical. He is also willing to cooperate with other gods so long as they are respectful of him and are not blatantly evil.

He wishes to help the mortal species of Galbar, but is not tolerant of disrespect towards him.

Parvus also understands while brute-force is a tool accessible to gods, that there are sometimes more effect tools such as scheming and half-truths.

Appearance

Parvus' appearance may appear unfitting for an insect god, as his primary appearance is mostly as he appeared as a tree spirit in ages past.

He appears as a tall, humanoid with pointed ears and verdant green eyes. His hair is has the appearance of leaves, though of his leave-like hairs has holes in them as though they were eaten by insects. He has a slender and graceful form, and he typically wears robes of silk, dyed with various crushed beetle shells.

My Updated CS

Parvus 2.0

Parvus
The Small, The Swarmkeeper

Sphere-The Hive

Location : Cthonic Sphere, The Hive is relatively close to Galbar, but it is not directly under it. Many small insect tunnels connect the hive to other nearby cthonic realm such as the Grand Bazaar.

Appearance : The Hive primary consists of soil, roots, stagnate water, entrophic material and various other insect nesting grounds. It has many cavernous tunnels that are arranged in a labyrinthine manner, and can be shifted by activity of the various insects who dwell within the hive. Some of the tunnels open into larger cavernous rooms, however they are mostly barren aside from large insect nests, and the materials which composes the rest of the hive, such as roots and the occasional rock or pond.

However, one of the cavernous rooms is distinctive from the rest, and known simply as the Garden. The Garden is the most lush portion of the hive. Whereas the rest of the hive might have turfs of grass, the Garden is a field of grass. Whereas roots are fairly common in the rest of the hive, entire trees grow within the Garden. Other common features of the Hive also appear within the Garden, such as the occasional pond or rock. As with the rest of the Hive, many different variations of insects roam the Garden, however no insects nests within the Garden. Within the Garden, there are no anthills, bee hives or termite mounds. Finally, within the Garden there is a single apple tree in which no insect will approach, let alone touch or even plunder its fallen fruits.

Portfolio-Insects

Insects

As Lord of Insects, Parvus has the following powers :
- He may spawn insects within the nearby area, causing them to appear from either air or ground. He may spawn anywhere between a single insect, and an entire swarm in this manner.
- He may either directly or indirectly control insects within his nearby presence. He may either passively influence their actions, such as having them to be become passive or aggressive, or he may directly control their actions such ordering them to attack a person or construct a hive in a specific manner.
- He can empower nearby insects, causing them to become more able, faster, and more resilient. For example, empowered locusts will be able to consume at an ever faster rate, while empowered worker ants will be able to create more impressive nests. This effect only last for as long the insects remain within the range of this effect, and for as long as Parvus wills it.
- He may alter the sizes of insects within reason, potentially changing normal insects into giant insects and changing giant insects into normal insects.

Persona

Parvus is a chaotic neutral god. Most of the time, he can be cold, calculating and scheming, and can be prone to fits of rage. However he is a god who values of generosity, fairness, and respect.

Parvus will generally respect another god, so long as they will respect him, and they are not overly cruel or malicious to mortals. He may not understand the odd behavior of other gods, or disagree with them on certain issues, however he is willing to speak with them with respect, and deal with them fairly. He will attempt to avoid lying to other gods whenever possible, however may use secrecy and misdirection to his advantage whenever dealing with another god.

With mortals, Parvus demands respect, however in exchange he will grant them many gifts. His tiny servants pollinate crops and fertilize the land, and provide silk and honey, and be reagents for medicines and dyes. However he allows pest insects and stinging insects to remain in and near mortal settlements as a reminder of his power. While he may be driven to unleash a plague of disease-ridden mosquitoes or swarms of ravenous insects upon a population, he does not take this lightly and will attempt to avoid taking such drastic measures. However he reasons that sometimes drastic measures must be taken. Parvus is also more willing to directly deceive mortals, and use more dishonest tactics, as he reasons that is more humane than simply unleashing plagues.

Pavrus understands how some people may find insects distasteful, as he once found bugs repulsive. However, he is no longer afraid or grossed out by bugs. He has also learned to appreciate bugs for their social skills and resourcefulness. Sometimes he will simply watch ants build a nest without his aid.

He takes his role as god of insects seriously, and seeks to active shape Galbar, not only out of pride as a god, but out of respect to the Architect. He seeks to aid both the development of wild ecosystems, and the formation of civilizations. He believes that adversity is important in both nature and civilization, however he will often try to act in subtle ways to help in times of distress. And if needed, he will throw his full power behind the defense of either.

He is also not very protective of his insects, if a person were to kill insects he would be not bothered by it. The species as a whole would need to be endangered before he would begin to show concern, and even then he may not intervene. If someone did wish to eliminate all insect life on Galbar, then he would take personal offense to that.

Parvus' Past

In his past, Parvus was a generous tree spirit, who would hardly consider harming a mortal and would rush to their aid whenever needed. A tyrannical god overtook his world and implemented an entrophic reign of terror, and Parvus turned to deception and scheming in order to protect those he cared about. The tyrannical god was eventually overthrown, and as a reward, he was allowed to ascend to godhood.

As he was a lowly tree spirit, he was granted the least desirable domain, insects. However, he accepted it with pride and worked to improved the lives of the mortals he loved. He banished pests and stinging insects to the wilds, and gave mortals easy access to honey, silk, fertile grounds, pollinators, and dyes.

The mortals who once loved him grow more distant. They took his gifts for granted, and mocked him. They gave him the title of Pavrus the Small. None of his other gods would respect him, and they would rarely even acknowledge that he was a god.

One day, he entered a kingdom with a new bug which had created specifically for use in medicines, and the arrogant king refused his gift. It was the first time anyone had utterly refused his attempts of kindness, and openly mocked him within his presence. In a blind rage, he cursed the king for refusing his gifts, and he stripped away all of the gifts which had given their kingdom.

At first, things progressed as expected. Bees stopped producing honey, and silkworms stopped producing silk. Butterflies left to pollinate other fields, and worms migrated away into the forests. Bugs used for medicine or dye become unusable for their intended purpose. And the stinging and pest insects returned.

There was an unexpected consequence to his action. The locust population had grown fairly large within the wilds, and they were now free to descend upon the cursed, unprepared kingdom. At first, Pavrus responded with grief and remorse. He then heard the prayers of mortals begging him to lift his curse, and for the first time in his pitiful existence, he felt powerful.

Over time, he had developed his current personality in attempt to balance being kind while also being powerful and respected. However no matter what he did, the other gods would never respect him. And thus, he left. While a part of him cares for the mortals that he left behind, he now realizes that he was never loved, even as a tree spirit.

Appearance

Parvus does not appear as you expect as insect god to appear. His appearance has not been drastically altered from when he was a tree spirit, and thus he appears as a tall, thin man with pointed ears and verdant green eyes. His most usual features is that his hair appears as large leaves. If you look carefully, you can see small holes within the leaves as though they were eaten by insects, but would be hard-press to ever find an insect crawling within his hair.

His clothing is mostly composed of simple, silk short robes dyed various colors depending on his mood, and trousers that while formal, still lend themselves to comfort.

[Slamurai]

Aelius, caretaker of the solar sphere and god of virtue (as in Plato's four cardinal virtues) incoming.

[Cyclone]

Nice to see this much activity! Welcome aboard, folks.

@Frettzo Can we talk about getting a banner?

Also, I've went ahead and made a Discord for this RP. I'll edit the OP of this interest check to include it, but it's also here.

[BBeast]

Just to be clear, I've already dibsed playing an ocean god. Sheet will come at some unspecified point in the future. You guys are all too keen.

[AdorableSaucer]

Shengshi

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.

---

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.

---

Portfolio: Rivers

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.

---

Persona

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.

---

Appearance

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

[Vec]

ill call dibs on darkness portfolio, cs is coming !

[Crispy Octopus]

@Vec

NEMESIS