[OOC] Saṃsāra: A Divine Reckoning

[Roman]

S A Ṃ S Ā R A :

A Divine Reckoning

---

---

P R E M I S E:

---

Belief is the most powerful force of the cosmos.

Belief starts with the self. I can do this. I can't face that. Forces exist that wish to do me harm; that exist to support my success. All and none are made true by mere conviction.

Belief continues with stories and legends, and the fantasy-lies told to children to keep their wonder alive. From simple, infantile stories like Santa Claus, to historic legends like Arthurian tales, to mythical sagas that become the foundations of entire cultures: all are made real in the minds of the audience by belief and dogman. So, as Man grew, it was only natural that their stories and their beliefs would grow beside them; and this is how Gods were born.

Gods, deities, mythical beings and beasts alike - all reified by doctrine. Quickly they assumed their pantheons and secured their positions, each myth and legend no less real than the next. Every God was true to their people and the stories that birthed them, but only those present were successful; to be absent was to be forgotten, and to be forgotten was to die. So Gods went among their people, walked with their pilgrims, prayed with their devoted - and, in doing so, fortified their own existence, carving new quiddities as recursive beings.

Man matured, and alongside them the Gods; keeping their own legends alive, they began to live new tales: mimetic, ritualistic, liturgical. They would spread, and form new links in the divine story, each a new chain forged anchoring itself to reality. As the world modernised and belief spread faster than ever, direct intervention was required less and less; Gods could rest, relax, their foundations concrete enough to protect them. Every other generation, select Gods would walk among the people once again, reinforcing their bonds to the universe, and deliver the people hope.

The newest generation would appear to be no different; the Gods have convened, chosen their incarnations, and begun their descent to the holistic shrine of Earth.

Unbeknownst to their cohorts, one God has not survived their arrival. Their death has somehow circumvented the carefully-crafted anchor of belief. This final demise threatens all; it is time for the Gods to believe in themselves.

---

Welcome to Saṃsāra: A Divine Reckoning, a game about belief, Gods, mortality, and the value of a life lived without end. In it, you will play Incarnations: Gods and deities, descending from their heavenly homes every other generation, to take mortal form and live among their faithful, reinforcing the belief that is so intrinsic to their very existence.

Rules are below, and applications are currently OPEN! Please find the character sheet code in the Characters tab!

[Roman]

R U L E S :

---

[1.1] - All Character Sheets must be submitted using the provided skeleton. Character Sheets which do not use the provided skeleton will be rejected and asked to comply with the set standard. This code can be found provided in the characters tab.

[1.2] - Incomplete or in progress sheets should not be posted in the OOC nor should they be posted in the character tab. Completed sheets ready for review are the only character sheets which should be posted in the OOC.

[1.3] - Completed sheets are to be posted in the Out of Character Thread for review until approved. Once approved you may move your sheet into the Character Thread for storage.

[2.1] - Sheets will be reviewed and accepted/denied within 24 hours of a posted completed sheet. Please try to understand that in the event of numerous character sheets being submitted in the same day or due to obligations outside of the guild, there may be minor delays.

[2.2] - In the event of a reasonable delay, any displays of impatience towards the GMs will result in an immediate dismissal of the application. Just like the players, the GM has a life and obligations outside of the roleplay and may not always be able to respond in a rapid manner. Please have patience and a positive attitude and you will receive a response in a timely manner.

[3.1] - Respect the Game Master. The GM's word is to be adhered to; don't argue or disregard it unnecessarily. If the GM asks you to stop doing something please stop. Likewise if a GM asks you to change something in your post please do. Failure to adhere to any GM or Moderator requests will result in expulsion from the game.

[3.2] - Respect the other players. Constructive criticism is fine, but flaming or trying to run players off just because you don't like the way they do things is not okay. Remember, it's the GM's job, not yours, to point out if there's a problem. If you feel that there is a problem, then contact the GM directly.

[3.3] - Likewise any quarrels will be dealt with by the GM. Don't take them out in the OOC, arguments should be dealt with between the two parties through private messaging. If the involved parties truly can't solve their issues the GM can act as an arbiter upon request.

[4.1] - Absolutely no 'OOC' chatter in the In Character Thread. If you have a question or anything to explain there is an Out Of Character Thread provided. You have no excuse to make an 'OOC' comment in the IC and if done it will be heavily frowned upon.

[5.1] - If you find yourself in a plot with another player and they disappear, do your best to move on without them and quickly finish the arc to the best of your ability, or ask for the help of the GM.

[6.1] - No God-Modding or metagaming. This refers to controlling or manipulating another player's character in way that is completely self-beneficial and not pre-approved by the other player. This also includes being untouchable against NPC characters as well as being all knowing. The basis of the plot is newfound mortality of previously-thought immortal beings; the threat is very real.

[7.1] - This is a Character Driven RP, and as such you are encouraged and expected to take charge of your character's sub-plots and storylines. This is a favourite rule of mine, and that said, there will be a heavy emphasis on collaborative activities and team building as well. The GM will be leading the RP in the traditional sense with a driving plot and will ensure the RP keeps moving however I do want to see you develop your characters and produce your own plots. However we don't want to see you lock your character out of interaction and focus solely on your character and their 'world'. No one enjoys watching you play with yourself, it's always better to let someone else join in on the fun.

[8.1.] - Player Character's are not to be killed without permission nor that player's supporting cast members. It is fine to kill nameless NPC's, but PC's or important NPC's will require authorization by their creator except in the event of a GM event.

[Sylvan]

@Roman Do you want us to use the same text color as the outline, or can we change that?

[Roman]

@Roman Do you want us to use the same text color as the outline, or can we change that?

@Sylvan

Feel free to change it to suit the feel of your character better! The current colours used are placeholders to fit the current colour pallet of the game.

[Sylvan]

@Roman I'm writing up a character based on Bastet, and I was wondering if you would mind elaborating about the Divine Spheres. What do they determine? Can a character have more than 1? If so, whats the max, or is there one? How does a Divine Sphere afect the characters abilities/personality/etc?

[Roman]

@Roman I'm writing up a character based on Bastet, and I was wondering if you would mind elaborating about the Divine Spheres. What do they determine? Can a character have more than 1? If so, whats the max, or is there one? How does a Divine Sphere afect the characters abilities/personality/etc?

@Sylvan

‘Divine Spheres’ is a way to indicate the main attributes or domains your chosen God is responsible for and/or the embodiment of.

For example, your chosen God, Bastet, was seen to be the Goddess of protection, as well as cats, fertility, music, and the arts - so any and all of these could be the Spheres you put on your sheet.

It’s hopefully a quick-glance shorthand for your character, and an indicator of the direction your character will be taking. A War God may be a great tactician and warrior, but less inclined towards diplomacy; a Fertility God may be in tune with children and women, but shy away from death and violence.

Hopefully that makes sense!

[SilverPaw]

Morana

M O R A N A

---

^{"There can be no new beginnings without an end."}

^{M O R A N A ♦ F E M A L E ♦ S L A V I C P A G A N ♦ D E A T H & W I N T E R}

I N C A R N A T I O N C O N C E P T:

---

Morana, who represents death in winter, is most commonly described as being ritualistically ‘banished’ each year. Some sources call it her death (and rebirth whenever she re-emerges), others a return to the underworld – I prefer the latter. Mainly because I want her to be facing with dying herself for the first time, dying as in ‘end of her existence’ rather than being forgotten (which she might have considered to be one and the same in the past). The traditions pertaining to her are, perhaps not surprisingly, somewhat violent – an effigy of her being torn apart, burned, then drowned. Though those rituals are presently done for fun (which ties in neatly with loss of belief and respect in her, something she’d want to reclaim), they used to celebrate the passing of winter and rebirth of spring in the past. The worship of her as keeper of souls and overseer of the afterlife seems practically nonexistent nowadays, and her first priority would be to re-establish that.

I think Morana might initially be conflicted that her presence as an Incarnation would mean stoking people’s fear of death to empower their belief in her. On the one hand, she would enjoy being brought back to prominence in people’s minds, the stories of her being recalled again, the renewed marks of her presence on the physical world and the people’s (collective) consciousness. On the other, she would fondly recall the distant past wherein she did not bring only terror and misery, but also inspired endurance in the face of hardships and hope for a better future. After all, once upon a time, life and rebirth were her domains as well, but they’d long since been attributed to others. I think her dearest wish would be to have that as well – but eventually, she’d have to come to terms with who and what she is right now, even if that is ‘only’ death.

D I V I N E N A T U R E:

---

Morana can spread decay by sapping vitality through touch and willful desire to kill or destroy, literally sucking the life out of her target(s) and making them wither. Even non-living objects suffer deterioration at her touch, if at a slower rate. A secondary non-voluntary effect of this ability is spreading cold, freezing those she reaps and the vicinity around her. The latter manifests as an unnatural, if temporary drop in temperature, and tends to cause side-effects in the local weather due to the sudden change (i.e. bringing about cold winds, obscuring mists, and snow or hail). She herself is unaffected by the cold.

More generally, she can sense the imminent death of mortals within a certain radius. She can ensure a safe passage to the underworld or the afterlife for the souls she handles. Though the latter depends on the belief of the mortals in question; if they believe in another deity, she has little to no power over their souls. She can very briefly stall – but not prevent – the death of a mortal, though doing so taxes her.

N O T E S:

---

Knowing the Incarnations would find themselves mortal, I immediately thought that dying would be an ironic yet fitting thing to happen to a deity of death. Would an immortal being ruling over the dead not consider it natural that all gods too must eventually die? They may find the current events as surprising merely in their timing and the way they are occurring. Perhaps they would be concerned that deities of death faced their decline before all of creation – it would make more sense if they were the last to go – and question what sort of life mundane mortals may face without their presence. Perhaps they would be quietly welcoming of the reprieve in their eternal, lonesome duty. Perhaps they would, for the first time ever, truly understand what death means, facing the looming end to their own existence as they’d never had before – I think in the end, that would grant them greater understanding of who and what they are, identifying with the concept of death more deeply than ever. Of course, this would come after the standard trials and tribulations of an immortal turning mortal (and for unknown reasons, to boot).

I picked Morana relatively easily – it was something not quite familiar, not quite unfamiliar. I especially felt drawn to the fact that she used to be considered a goddess of both death and life. She is tied strongly to the natural cycle, and is also considered the personification of winter – while her abilities do reflect that, I am also interested in writing about the cycle of death and life in general (rather than having it be a strictly seasonal thing). I considered making rebirth (one of) her sphere(s) – one of the several concepts Morana is associated with – and the decision whether to do so or not was more difficult than expected. But since she’s been tied more so with death for a while, I figured that her divine sphere could (or even should) reflect that belief.

[Roman]

Morana

M O R A N A

---

^{"There can be no new beginnings without an end."}

^{M O R A N A ♦ F E M A L E ♦ S L A V I C P A G A N ♦ D E A T H & W I N T E R}

I N C A R N A T I O N C O N C E P T:

---

Morana, who represents death in winter, is most commonly described as being ritualistically ‘banished’ each year. Some sources call it her death (and rebirth whenever she re-emerges), others a return to the underworld – I prefer the latter. Mainly because I want her to be facing with dying herself for the first time, dying as in ‘end of her existence’ rather than being forgotten (which she might have considered to be one and the same in the past). The traditions pertaining to her are, perhaps not surprisingly, somewhat violent – an effigy of her being torn apart, burned, then drowned. Though those rituals are presently done for fun (which ties in neatly with loss of belief and respect in her, something she’d want to reclaim), they used to celebrate the passing of winter and rebirth of spring in the past. The worship of her as keeper of souls and overseer of the afterlife seems practically nonexistent nowadays, and her first priority would be to re-establish that.

I think Morana might initially be conflicted that her presence as an Incarnation would mean stoking people’s fear of death to empower their belief in her. On the one hand, she would enjoy being brought back to prominence in people’s minds, the stories of her being recalled again, the renewed marks of her presence on the physical world and the people’s (collective) consciousness. On the other, she would fondly recall the distant past wherein she did not bring only terror and misery, but also inspired endurance in the face of hardships and hope for a better future. After all, once upon a time, life and rebirth were her domains as well, but they’d long since been attributed to others. I think her dearest wish would be to have that as well – but eventually, she’d have to come to terms with who and what she is right now, even if that is ‘only’ death.

D I V I N E N A T U R E:

---

Morana can spread decay by sapping vitality through touch and willful desire to kill or destroy, literally sucking the life out of her target(s) and making them wither. Even non-living objects suffer deterioration at her touch, if at a slower rate. A secondary non-voluntary effect of this ability is spreading cold, freezing those she reaps and the vicinity around her. The latter manifests as an unnatural, if temporary drop in temperature, and tends to cause side-effects in the local weather due to the sudden change (i.e. bringing about cold winds, obscuring mists, and snow or hail). She herself is unaffected by the cold.

More generally, she can sense the imminent death of mortals within a certain radius. She can ensure a safe passage to the underworld or the afterlife for the souls she handles. Though the latter depends on the belief of the mortals in question; if they believe in another deity, she has little to no power over their souls. She can very briefly stall – but not prevent – the death of a mortal, though doing so taxes her.

N O T E S:

---

Knowing the Incarnations would find themselves mortal, I immediately thought that dying would be an ironic yet fitting thing to happen to a deity of death. Would an immortal being ruling over the dead not consider it natural that all gods too must eventually die? They may find the current events as surprising merely in their timing and the way they are occurring. Perhaps they would be concerned that deities of death faced their decline before all of creation – it would make more sense if they were the last to go – and question what sort of life mundane mortals may face without their presence. Perhaps they would be quietly welcoming of the reprieve in their eternal, lonesome duty. Perhaps they would, for the first time ever, truly understand what death means, facing the looming end to their own existence as they’d never had before – I think in the end, that would grant them greater understanding of who and what they are, identifying with the concept of death more deeply than ever. Of course, this would come after the standard trials and tribulations of an immortal turning mortal (and for unknown reasons, to boot).

I picked Morana relatively easily – it was something not quite familiar, not quite unfamiliar. I especially felt drawn to the fact that she used to be considered a goddess of both death and life. She is tied strongly to the natural cycle, and is also considered the personification of winter – while her abilities do reflect that, I am also interested in writing about the cycle of death and life in general (rather than having it be a strictly seasonal thing). I considered making rebirth (one of) her sphere(s) – one of the several concepts Morana is associated with – and the decision whether to do so or not was more difficult than expected. But since she’s been tied more so with death for a while, I figured that her divine sphere could (or even should) reflect that belief.

@SilverPaw

Hopefully we get some more sheets to flesh out the roster over the weekend - but this is a fantastic start! Happily accepted, and I love seeing someone a bit more obscure for our first application! The Slavic Pantheon isn't one that's in the public eye in the same way as some others.

[SilverPaw]

<Snipped quote by SilverPaw>
I love seeing someone a bit more obscure for our first application! The Slavic Pantheon isn't one that's in the public eye in the same way as some others.

@Roman

Yeah, part of the reason I chose her. I'm most familiar with the Greek and Roman pantheons, but didn't really feel like taking anyone from them. I also didn't want go into something completely unfamiliar (which for me would be Hindu mythos, for example). Slavic pagan stuff on the other hand is vaguely familiar and was a fairly intriguing read (not that I did particularly deep research, lol, just enough to make a CS).

[Mao Mao]

I am working on someone and hopefully will be able to post them by the weekend.

[ActRaiserTheReturned]

I'm not sure who I want for my character. Um, maaaybe Odin?

[BiffleChump]

Hi, I would like to apply to this roleplay. I've been thinking of a god which I hope will work well for the campaign.
I'm well familiar with the Egyptian, Hindu, Mesopotamian, Greek, Chinese, Celtic, Aztec, Yoruba, Germanic, and other pantheons.