STATUS:
Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've just... been struggling to get the energy to write something up. I'm trying some new meds through so hopefully that will change soon.
7 yrs ago
Current
Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've just... been struggling to get the energy to write something up. I'm trying some new meds through so hopefully that will change soon.
Having taken a brief nap after the creation of their new moon, Aethel now had a new priority; Making the place comfortable to call home. A matter that required a degree of thought... through made somewhat easier with the very early decision to leave the part of the moon that would always be facing the planet below untouched. After all, they didn't want anything that might interfere with the light that it cast; They had spent time making sure that the display when the light of their moon mingled with the red glow of the other one was captivating, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Because art needed to be able to be viewed in a number of different, equally valid ways.
It also appeared that someone had been inspired by their work of art in order to create a heavenly body of their own... through in their case they hadn't created a proper moon. More just grabbed a big rock and did things to it so that it could produce life or something. Honestly seemed like a bit of a rushed job and it wasn't likely to draw too much attention below, but maybe they would visit it at some point. Might be quint.
At any rate, they had a whole dark side of their moon to do things with!
After all, this was a realm designed for Aethel by Aethel. A place only for them that they could fall back to when they wanted to have a rest or take a break from dealing with affairs on the planet below. However as beautiful and relaxing as it was, the equine felt the need to add something a little... chaotic to the mix. After all, apathy was a tragedy and boredom was a crime and they needed something about the place to give it that little bit of randomness.
The end result of this was the creation of the a fey looking fruit with pale white skin. It had no seeds and only grew on trees that could grow and survive in an environment that was heavily infused with dream energy. Such trees were dotted around Aethel's domain at random, but it was the flavor that was the biggest twist of the fruit. Namely, they (or anyone for that matter) would know what any individual fruit was going to taste like until they had bitten into it.
The fruit itself was infused with the essence of dreams. For every dream that developed within the Sea of Dreams, its essence would seep into a single fruit. This process didn't effect the dreamer or the dream itself, but it did mean that every fruit was one of a kind. Of course, not all dreams were created equal. By the nature of such things, some of the fruit would contain the unforgettable, life changing flavors of a grand dream... or haunting nightmare. Most would be more middling and average, ranging from delicious to unpleasant and bad tasting. Some were simply so foul and toxic that consuming one would possibly be fatal if a mortal tried it; And it was impossible to tell which fruit was which until after teeth had broken the skin.
Sure, Aethel didn't have a risk of death if they ate one of the really bad ones, but they would still need to experience the flavor. One could quickly grow tired of 'perfection' if one didn't also experience mediocrity and the bad in order to remind one why the good was Good after all.
Aethel claims their moon as their domain before decorating their new home. They also notice Ia’Akhul's new rock/moon and make a mental note to visit at some point.
The side of the Dreamer's Moon facing the planet is left alone so as not to interfere with the light show, while the dark side of the moon is turned into a relaxing dreamscape filled with a vast variety of plants, water sources and mountains, lit by a combination of the soft glow of many different glow in the dark plants and occasionally the moon itself.
They also create the Dreamers Fruit and scatter the trees all over the dark side of the Dreamers Moon.
Start: 5/5 MP & 5/5 AP
2 AP: Realm Creation. 4 MP: Significantly changing the landscape. 1 MP 2 AP: Creating an extraordinary species (Dreamer's Fruit Tree)
End: 0/5 MP and 0/5 AP
Aethel's Grove is located on the dark side of the Dreamer's Moon. Hidden away among the rest of the softly glowing darkened landscape, the center of Aethel's grove contains an island in the middle of a calm lake with a tree with glowing leaves that change color over time. It exists as Aethel's personal domain because that was where they were standing when they decorated the rest of the Dreamer's Moon and thus deemed this an important place.
While the realm never sees the light of day, the Dark Side of the Dreamers Moon isn't 'dark' per say. It is lit by a combination of the glow of the moon itself and a vast variety of colors provided by the luminescent plant and fungal life that stretches for thousands of kilometers. It is also home to countless ponds, lakes, rivers, groves and mountains dotted across the surface that poke out from the forests of plant life.
There are no animals or insects anywhere on the planet. The planet itself provides some warmth, but a mortal would find the realm icy cold despite the lack of snow. They would also die shortly after arriving because Aethel set up the atmosphere mostly to give the plants protection and allow sound to travel; They didn't make it breathable to mortals because they kind of forgot that mortals need a certain mixture of gases for them to be able to breath it and not suffocate. The 'air' of the Dreamers Moon is literally Ether.
By all accounts, the Dreamers Fruit Tree looks has the general appearance of a more typical apple tree. This is not surprising as the fruit it bares is typically apple in shape, through on occasion it'll take the form of other fruits. It shares the characteristics of other plant life on the Dreamers Moon in that it's leaves are luminescent in nature and help to light up the world around it with a variety of colors. It can also only grow in a place infused with dream energy or somewhere so close to the Sea of Dreams that those without the ability to normally cross over might do so. To date, the only place they can grow is on the Dreamers Moon.
The Dreamers Fruit is a fruit that grows on these trees. The most common form is that of an apple, through other types of fruit are known to grow from the same trees. All Dreamers Fruit share the same pale white coloration, no matter the shape they may take and none of them contain seeds. Each fruit is infused by a dream from the Sea of Dreams, absorbing the essence of the dream but otherwise leaving it and its dreamer undisturbed. This effects the flavor of the fruit so that each one has its own special experience. If the nature of this experience is a positive or negative one depends (mostly) on the person eating it.
Since every person has their own values, personalities, preferences and ideological tastes, there is no such thing as a Dreamers Fruit that would appeal to everyone. What is a vile nightmare to one person could be a delightful dream to another and this is reflected in how one would interpret the flavors of a Dreamers Fruit. Not all dreams are made equal through, so the more intense the dream the more intense the flavor/experience of the fruit. One can take a bite and experience a life altering bliss on par with a divine revelation to finding something so vile and toxic to their very being that it is outright poisonous and possibly life threatening... through those are just the two extremes of the techno-colored rainbow of experiences that the fruits can offer.
The greatest quirk of the Dreamers Fruit is the fact that it is impossible to tell exactly what experience you're in for until you bite into it. It is completely random which dream infuses with which fruit and no mortal or supernatural method of farming can alter the outcome. The ability to hide what it's flavor is going to be is a divinely granted supernatural property of the fruit itself that Aethel intentionally put in to prevent even a deity like themself with an affinity for dreams being able to know ahead of time and make the experience, good or bad, a true surprise.
Of course, a deity or strong enough champion could uncover its secrets without eating it first... but it would be a proper divine/supernatural act to do so (IE, it would actually cost resource points to do! Not many, but some). If this is worth the effort is debatable.
In a time long, long forgotten by all but a small handful of entities that endured, in the former Celestial Palace in which the current incarnation of the world rotated, the deities of a former cycle were born under the gaze of the Imprisoned Monarch who claimed to be ruler of all.
The Palace itself had seemingly been abandoned. The last of the Monarch's children to maintain a presence there before calling forth other deities to the world below once again, Anath Homura, had descended to the world with her own goals in mind. A domain that had been locked up and left vacant.
Of course, it would surprise all owners of the Celestial Palace in its history that there was a metaphorical broken window. There always had been.
In a long forgotten part of the overgrown and dead Palace gardens, a circle of mushrooms and flowers sat undisturbed by the death and neglect around them. They fact that they seemed untouched and perfectly alive and well while everything else around it seemed to have slowly died and rotted over time merely added to the feyness of it. This place was once the ground on which one of the first of the Monarch's children, Aethel, had come into being in ages long past.
And with a subtle gust of wind, stood there again.
The rest of the old fey ring circle network was no more; One of many sacrifices that needed to be taken in order to survive the fall of the old order but they had never cut this one off. Ever since the Monarch had insulted Aethel and some of his siblings during those early moments of their cycle they had known that at some point, there would be an uprising. Numbers of his kin would turn on their father in name alone and the Monarch, once the rebellion reached the point where he couldn't defeat it in the open, would withdraw and seal himself up in his palace behind all of his defenses. At which point Aethel had planned to gather up his rebelling kin and take them through their teleportation network of fey circles to reach the origin circle within the Palace itself, bypassing most of the Monarch's defenses.
Of course, history took a turn when the Monarch was overthrown without the need for major conflict and the circle never needed to be activated, so Aethel had simply left it be. Until now. Now, at long last, they had answered their sister's call and returned home.
For a time the equine deity trotted through the ruins of the past so that they might take a seat and observe the new world that had risen in the wake of the old one. It was an interesting development to be sure... through it seemed smaller in scale then it had been under the Monarch's reign. Also the singular moon in the sky appeared to be on fire, which was a completely new development to be sure. In silence they sat there, staring and thinking...
Then without warning of word turned and started violently ripping out chunks of the palace's walls and gardens.
At first this just appeared to be random chaotic destruction, but as more and more material was added to the pile it quickly became clear that Aethel was... making something. Compressing the dirt, dead plants, the stones and other godly materials of Celestial Palace from back in its prime into a massive sphere. There was even some of the original Mana that they had personally weaved into the palace back at the beginning. The discovery of some lingering traces of their former aspect caused them to pause for what seemed like a lifetime of nostalgic remembrance. That part of their being was gone, but the knowledge that some of it would still be infused with their new home brought a warm feeling to their torso.
In time, their work became so big that they needed to move it out of the space that the Palace occupied, continuing the construction in the space between the Palace and the planet below that was once used by the front gate to bend space and time and bridge the connection between the two before the portal system was developed. So it was that with care and abusing systems created long ago and long abandoned that were never intended to be used for such a purpose that the world would suddenly have a second moon in its orbit; A silvery orb that offered a bright, beautiful light that would contest the dark red glow of its counterpart.
Of course, Aethel couldn't pass up the chance to let the two compliment each other. They had taken the time to make sure that as the two moons orbited the planet below, one would wax while the other would wane. Red and silver light would shine on different parts of the world at a given time, contesting with each other at the point when they met in the middle in what could only be described as art carefully cultivated with light and celestial spheres. It would inspire stories, dreams, artists mythologies itself for generations to come!
Of course, this was only step one. As Aethel gazed upon the surface of their new domain, it was void of anywhere comfortable for them to rest and call home. Beautiful to gaze at from afar and the view itself was rather breathtaking as well (a pun considering the lack of air. That would need to be fixed in time as well) but rather devoid of anything to do once one was actually on the surface. With a small trot, Aethel started to search for the future site of their efforts.
Aethel has returned after an extended period... somewhere else. Appearing in the fey circle in which they were originally created (and revealing some of the secrets and plans they had for Divinus VI), they take the time to wonder the now abandoned Celestial Palace and observe the new world... before tearing out a number of parts of the Celestial Palace in order to create a second, silver moon for the planet below while taking advantage of the Palace's old methods of connecting itself to the planet to basically have the new moon appear out of practically nowhere. SURPRISE MORTALS!
Having set up the orbit of this new moon to be complimentary to the old, on fire hellish red one so that they wax and wane opposite each other for artistic reasons, Aethel begins the process of walking along the surface of their creation to find a location to make a home base.
Starting: 5/5 MP & 5/5 AP
8 Might is spent to create the Dreamers Moon. 2 Might spent on granting the Dreamers Moon the magical life force known as Mana, which once existed in a prior cycle of Galbar.
Ending (For turn 4): 0/5 MP & 0/5 AP.
The Dreamers Moon is, as the name suggests, a moon of Galbar. It casts a silvery light upon the world and it's orbit is complimentary to the orbit of the 'Red Moon' in that as one waxes, the other wanes. At around the halfway point for both, the pair share the sky and their light mixes in an artistically beautiful and breathtaking display of light art.
The light of the Dreamers Moon has abnormal proprieties granted to it by Aethel, all of which are designed to aid those attempting to sleep under its light have a peaceful night sleep. This effects range from putting those who encounter it into a more peaceful, calm state of being to outright easing the biological functions of the mortal body; These can range from needing less food and water to be satisfied and not needing to get up at night to go to the bathroom to outright easing pain and suffering.
This has an interesting effect on the cursed 'Werebeasts' of the world, in that it makes them sleepy and desire to just find a nice place to curl up and sleep for the few days that the Dreamers Moon is at its full glory.
All of this has given the Dreamers Moon a positive reputation, but it also makes the 'Red Moon' be viewed as an ill omen despite there being no actual curse or influence from Aethel to make that happen. Sleep is more restless and harder to come by under the red light and all the benefits of the Dreamers Moon fade as the 'Red Moon' raises in the heavens. This also means that Werebeasts are more active during the 'Red Moon'.
The Dreamers Moon is also one of the only sources of Aethel's former Mana aspect that exists in the modern area due to being constructed by pieces of the Monarch's Celestial Palace.
The Friendly Stranger The Fey One The Protector of Dreams The Heart of Nightmares
Aspect Mana Dreams
Once upon a time, Aethel was the Aspect of the magical force known as Mana. Those days are long gone, as that part of themself was sacrificed in order to survive the end of their world. Instead they embraced a new Aspect that they had been cultivating for some time; Dreams. It was a painful process of course, but change was always in Aethel's nature.
When Aethel created the Sea of Dreams so that all of creation could embrace the many different experiences that the slumbering mind had to offer, they did so with the intention of it being something of a self sustaining side hobby. A system designed so that the sleeper had their own little bubble in the vast sea in which their own mind provided the entertainment without outside interference. This was as much due to Aethel understanding their own fickle nature and not wishing to be burdened with the day to day operation of the place as much as an understanding that the best being to decide what the mortal in question witnessed in dream was themselves, even if they had little to no control over their subconscious mind.
Having fully committed to the Aspect of Dreams, Aethel is an many ways an emotional entity. To understand Dream, one needs to understand the subconscious mind that created it. Not only the targets wants and needs (for they can be completely different things), but also their hopes, desires, fears, regrets, ect. If Aethel cares enough to stop and truly look at someone, they can understand them on a level that few truly can. After all, everyone dreams...
Dreams are not just limited to the realm of sleep through. Worlds are shaped by their power; While a dream cannot create an island or an ocean such as a god can, if a dream is believed in enough these things can be made reality. A mortal man can cut a road through a mountain solely because of a dream that medical care can reach his home in a timely fashion. Alone it might take him decades to do and it is possibly that he might die before the work is finished, but a strong enough dream can inspire others to see it become reality. A Dream or Nightmare in the right place, at the right time, can change the course of history. Can alter how civilizations view things. Can make or break worlds.
Persona Aethel is one of the nicest entities one could ever encounter, if strange. Always polite to a fault regardless of who they is talking to and what the circumstances are, energetic and dedicated towards making whoever they are talking to feel welcomed and included in whatever is happening. While they can come across as somewhat scatter brained and prone to shifting between different topics and focuses at a whim, they are just as prone to focusing on a singular topic or interest obsessively long past the point that others care. A patron of stories and music, Aethel is a great storyteller themself... but terrible when it comes to actually playing instruments; No matter how long they practice, the noise will always be horrible to listen to and the fact that they're just so energetic about it somehow makes it worse.
Despite how friendly they are, Aethel is at the core a selfish individual. Their desires and flights of fancy will almost always come first despite the fact that they personally consider themselves to think about others often. Some of the flights of fancy and obsessions they can develop are of a... darker nature and are as readily pursued and explored as any other without hesitation. These vices can include things as mundane as drinking alcohol, harmless (and sometimes unintentionally harmful) pranks, lustful needs or even just a desire for romance... but at the same time can spill over into full on hedonism, stalker like obsession, ritualistic murder and acts that could haunt entire species for generations to come. The politeness and friendly nature will always remain, even in the depths of what appears to be utter insanity.
Despite having a remarkable vocabulary, Aethel themself tends to be a very literal entity and will honor and obey to the letter any and all obligations and deals that are required or made by them. TO THE LETTER is vital to remember. While some might claim that it is due to a trickster nature the truth is that while Aethel takes pride in their work and making sure it is completed in a timely and satisfactory manner, they rarely stop to consider the wider implications or logical outcomes of the requirements or rules of the task beyond asking themself if they are following them successfully. That being said, they are not afraid to ask for clarification if something is too vague or they simply don't understand/are confused by something.
Always remember, 'Nice' and 'Friendly' are different from 'Good'.
True Form While Aethel has many forms, their true form is that of an androgynous six legged hooved equine with a cloud like mane and tail that seem to constantly shift coloration, rarely being a singular color at all and, on the few occasions it happens, rarely remaining that way for long. White of coat that seems to blend perfectly with whatever coloration their tail and mane happen to be at the time, Aethel has two horns coming out of their forehead; A smaller crescent shaped one up front and a larger thorn like horn rising up behind it.
Along their body are six mollusc like tentacles, the tops covered in the white fur of their coat but the bottom of them are clearly filled with fleshy suction cups designed for gripping and holding things. Two pairs of moth like wings that share the color changing properties of their mane and tail that drape over them like a cloak when not in use. The front part of their torso has also developed more of a thick, soft fluff texture rather then the standard fur of their coat, resulting in Aethel having a more moth equine appearance.
Musical theme
The Dreamers Moon Dreamers Fruit
Aspect of Nightmares
This artifact takes the form of a cloak that is either so utterly lightless that it appears to consume light all around it or a shimmering shadeless hue that appears as if it would be translucent, though it is not. It is woven of shadows and deception itself and, as such, is capable of utterly obscuring anything wrapped within its folds. If used by a mortal, it could perfectly hide every aspect of their existence by deceiving the senses of others who look upon it. When worn by a god, the artifact can conceal them from others of their kind perfectly…except perhaps with an expenditure of might. Notably, though it can be damaged, the cloak will naturally repair itself by absorbing shadows and seeding them with the lies of nearby mortals.
Soon after receiving the cape, Ashevelen imbued a bit of her own power in the cape, allowing it to use the shadows to teleport and for Ashevelen to feel its presence wherever it was in the world.
Aethel has the cloak due to a trade with Ashevelen.
Sorry for not being actively lately. Been... well, a combination of distracted and under the weather. I'll try and get a post up in the next day or so.
The Friendly Stranger The Fey One The Protector of Dreams The Heart of Nightmares
Aspect Mana Dreams
Once upon a time, Aethel was the Aspect of the magical force known as Mana. Those days are long gone, as that part of themself was sacrificed in order to survive the end of their world. Instead they embraced a new Aspect that they had been cultivating for some time; Dreams. It was a painful process of course, but change was always in Aethel's nature.
When Aethel created the Sea of Dreams so that all of creation could embrace the many different experiences that the slumbering mind had to offer, they did so with the intention of it being something of a self sustaining side hobby. A system designed so that the sleeper had their own little bubble in the vast sea in which their own mind provided the entertainment without outside interference. This was as much due to Aethel understanding their own fickle nature and not wishing to be burdened with the day to day operation of the place as much as an understanding that the best being to decide what the mortal in question witnessed in dream was themselves, even if they had little to no control over their subconscious mind.
Having fully committed to the Aspect of Dreams, Aethel is an many ways an emotional entity. To understand Dream, one needs to understand the subconscious mind that created it. Not only the targets wants and needs (for they can be completely different things), but also their hopes, desires, fears, regrets, ect. If Aethel cares enough to stop and truly look at someone, they can understand them on a level that few truly can. After all, everyone dreams...
Dreams are not just limited to the realm of sleep through. Worlds are shaped by their power; While a dream cannot create an island or an ocean such as a god can, if a dream is believed in enough these things can be made reality. A mortal man can cut a road through a mountain solely because of a dream that medical care can reach his home in a timely fashion. Alone it might take him decades to do and it is possibly that he might die before the work is finished, but a strong enough dream can inspire others to see it become reality. A Dream or Nightmare in the right place, at the right time, can change the course of history. Can alter how civilizations view things. Can make or break worlds.
Persona Aethel is one of the nicest entities one could ever encounter, if strange. Always polite to a fault regardless of who they is talking to and what the circumstances are, energetic and dedicated towards making whoever they are talking to feel welcomed and included in whatever is happening. While they can come across as somewhat scatter brained and prone to shifting between different topics and focuses at a whim, they are just as prone to focusing on a singular topic or interest obsessively long past the point that others care. A patron of stories and music, Aethel is a great storyteller themself... but terrible when it comes to actually playing instruments; No matter how long they practice, the noise will always be horrible to listen to and the fact that they're just so energetic about it somehow makes it worse.
Despite how friendly they are, Aethel is at the core a selfish individual. Their desires and flights of fancy will almost always come first despite the fact that they personally consider themselves to think about others often. Some of the flights of fancy and obsessions they can develop are of a... darker nature and are as readily pursued and explored as any other without hesitation. These vices can include things as mundane as drinking alcohol, harmless (and sometimes unintentionally harmful) pranks, lustful needs or even just a desire for romance... but at the same time can spill over into full on hedonism, stalker like obsession, ritualistic murder and acts that could haunt entire species for generations to come. The politeness and friendly nature will always remain, even in the depths of what appears to be utter insanity.
Despite having a remarkable vocabulary, Aethel themself tends to be a very literal entity and will honor and obey to the letter any and all obligations and deals that are required or made by them. TO THE LETTER is vital to remember. While some might claim that it is due to a trickster nature the truth is that while Aethel takes pride in their work and making sure it is completed in a timely and satisfactory manner, they rarely stop to consider the wider implications or logical outcomes of the requirements or rules of the task beyond asking themself if they are following them successfully. That being said, they are not afraid to ask for clarification if something is too vague or they simply don't understand/are confused by something.
Always remember, 'Nice' and 'Friendly' are different from 'Good'.
True Form While Aethel has many forms, their true form is that of an androgynous six legged hooved equine with a cloud like mane and tail that seem to constantly shift coloration, rarely being a singular color at all and, on the few occasions it happens, rarely remaining that way for long. White of coat that seems to blend perfectly with whatever coloration their tail and mane happen to be at the time, Aethel has two horns coming out of their forehead; A smaller crescent shaped one up front and a larger thorn like horn rising up behind it.
Along their body are an indeterminate number of mollusc like tentacles, the tops covered in the white fur of his coat but the bottom of them are clearly filled with fleshy suction cups. Along their six legs shimmer a series of pleasantly glowing 'fins' that, much like the mane and tail, slowly change colors over time. Both tentacles and magical leg fins are used by Aethel to 'swim' through the shifting tempest of mana of his home like a fish in water.
Truth be told, Kindness was a rare thing for Nos to be on the receiving end of. Part of that was simply the nature of their family; While Nos was far from the eldest of their father's children, there was something of a generational gap when it came to some of his younger siblings. Despite them being taller then him, Nos had about a decade or so on Beatrix and Elizabeth and the older generation of his half siblings were... rather more jaded and cut throat then his younger siblings. Victor was much more aware of the kind of people Nos had to grow up dealing with... and they both shared traits that made them easier targets to be bullied or undermined; Victor because he was an adopted cousin and Nos because he was half kobold.
Shame he was already starting to drink, but people dealt with stress in different ways.
Still, since it appeared that the concern from his younger half sister was genuine, he could reward her for it by being a bit less... pointed in her direction. "I am very much aware of its important, sister. Do not worry about me. As dear Beatrix has said... may the best of us win."
If Elizabeth wanted to personally greet every guest as they arrived, she was more then welcomed to do so. He already had a mental list of people that he needed to have conversations with in order to sway them into supporting him. Not all counties were created equal after all and thus some Earls and Dukes were simply more powerful and important then others. That isn't to say that someone could be made Monarch without the support of some of these people but... Nos doubted that it would be a very long reign if they disagreed with the King's decision.
Of course, before he could excuse himself in order to start doing so, Elizabeth pointed out Lady Emmaline Nightingale. Despite his little sister's dislike of Lady Nightingale, Nos offered her a small smile and a nod before he softly answered to Elizabeth "I'm sure she is. I'm not against the idea, but right now I've got people to mingle with and if a more suitable pairing can be found I would be remiss not to seize it. Take care."
"It's Elizabath, correct?" Nos answered with a mock seriousness. If she was going to jab at his 'lateness' he was going to make fun of just how forgettable she was among the tides of their father's half human children. "I do confess it has been rather hectic in the treasury as of late. Clearly this party is more important then making sure that our kingdom's people can be fed or the troops get paid. But since I have already ensured that those two situations and a dozen others do not come to pass for the next few days at least, I have allowed myself the leisure that is the company of my peers..." There was a brief moment, before he added with a small smirk "...And yours too, I guess."
Considering that Bea hadn't said anything to insult or annoy him yet, he was happy to keep that tend going. Victor however actually got a small smile. By all rights he should have disliked his cousin... and in fairness he did, but Victor tended to be much less entitled or rude then his standard half sibling and the dislike stemmed fully from the fact that he was a contender for the throne rather then anything personal. "How are you holding up Victor?"
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