Thank you for submitting your character sheets! Your characters have also been approved, and you may post your CSs in the Character tab! Thank you to everyone else that has also submitted a CS and become invested in this RP! I look forward to writing with all of you!
On the Discord server, everyone that has had their character sheet approved shall receive the Pantheon role with a little more of a formal welcome to the RP. There is still plenty of time for those that yet to complete their CS or are awaiting approval at the moment. Feel free to @ me here, or on the Discord server to talk about ideas and characters, if you like. I always enjoy engaging in some conversation about stories and characters.
I'm aware that you don't plan on joining the Discord server. You'll be missing out on a massive percentage of the conversations regarding the RP and communication overall will be much slower, but if that doesn't discourage you, then feel free to submit a CS!
The Hanged One. An allegorical aspect representing the journeys of those that have become trapped by the lack of transcending their lies and limitations - those that have betrayed themselves. Continual defeat and catastrophe leads to the feeling of suffocation, like a noose around the neck, choking the fire of life until it is eventually extinguished. Suffering in stagnation cannot be cured aside from the act of being hanged, and so the symbol of Desire is herself as she slowly walks towards that which will heal her. The Aspect of the Hanged One commonly depicts this macabre march towards sacrificing the self and surrendering to the liberating touch of strangulation, though this is only one version of this Aspect.
To suspend the self requires strength to resist the influence of the cosmos and endure mystical isolation. Desire can cut the connections between the material and the otherworldly, severing the ethereal elements that construct sacred change such as communication, imagination and perception. Her presence brings solitude and grants her an aura that blinds others to the world around them, enforcing those afflicted into embracing suffering and strife until the only salve to all of the agony is complete suspension - to be hanged. Only afterwards shall solace be had and all, including herself, may ascend further. However Desire refuses to invert her perspective, to comprehend the glimpses that the aspect of the Hanged One offers by altering her position, and thus she is both the epitome and opposite of the Hanged One.
As wielder of this Aspect, Desire discovers the prevalence of every step leading towards her hanging, and the act of hanging itself. She can command strength and sight in mortals close to her, guiding them towards blessed asphyxiation by halting the vigorous song and dance of the cosmos. Separating the material and ethereal allows to her lead mortals away from annihilation and corruption, but prevents progress on the Sacred Path described by her mother, which Desire does not actually follow herself. Instead Desire will indulge herself in the defiant cage that she creates and protect the sanctity of life with her own way of attaining serenity, while still struggling just to breath.
Persona
She is selfish, and that is an aspect of herself that she embraced, for Desire did not bother to concern herself with that which would not bring her pleasure or benefit her somehow. Neither consistently cruel or benevolent; she knowingly considers herself capricious, changing her attitude and behavior frequently, yet unyielding when coerced by others - it is often very difficult to predict how she will react in various scenarios, which is a factor she enjoys very much. It is solely her love for her family that remains always the same, another aspect of herself that she has accepted with paradoxical feelings which often contradict her way of life.
She is the youngest daughter and simulacrum of Anath Homura, but senses the influence of another within her heart causing her to realize that there is a piece of her family that is missing from her life. She has discerned that she differs from her sisters, as her divine heritage is split between two as opposed to coming only from her mother, resulting in a growing distance with her kin as she seeks to uncover who she truly is, and what it means to be divine. There is a yearning to set out on a journey within her, a yearning that she cannot deny herself.
Desire ever prominently expresses her emotions in every encounter: She would bite her tongue until it bled, when seething with rage. She would swiftly leap and laugh displaying an abundance of vigor, when brimming with euphoria. She would tremble and her eyes would be wet with profuse tears shimmering with sorrow, when overwhelmed with heartache. She commonly conveys her craving to experience both the mundane and the exotic elements of the world, peering at her surroundings with an inquisitive eye.
This is a story describing the Divine and their great acts of creation; the unfolding history of the cosmos as a new pantheon of gods and goddesses seek to express their will upon the known world and its numerous denizens. This is Divinus...
The sacred seed of a nascent world has been sown, and Anath Homura - the Creatrix - calls out to those that would become its cultivators and architects - to those that would become Divine. These new deities originating from both near and from afar shall shape reality in accordance to their desires with the cosmic might that they possess!
These deities may shift the landscape, sculpt the seas, stain the skies, beget a myriad of flora, fauna, spirits and elementals, both the feral and the civilized. These deities may craft potent relics and command powerful armies, or conjure horrific monstrosities fought by sanctioned heroes seeking glory as they defend the dreams and passions of the Divine. There is no end to the tales that will be told when the world is woven into existence!
This RP is about weaving fantastical stories, and exploring a new world wherein gods and goddesses walk among mortals and rewrite reality. Communication is required for the sake of cohesive writing and fair play, but there are no restrictions or rules, so have fun!
Note: if you're unfamiliar with the Rules of the Guild, we do adhere to them.
Joining the RP
Before writing in the IC, you must go through a simple of process of approval - either in the OOC or on the Discord server. You'll be asked about what sort of stories you wish to write, and ideas you have for the setting and characters you introduce. This process can be concise or lengthy depending on your preferences, of course.
Also! Please click on this link to join the Discord server: where players can communicate and collaborate more with live-updates. It isn't mandatory, but it does really assist with writing and participating in the RP.
Creating a Character: You can be whomever you wish to be in this Roleplay, as you can define what being a deity means to you - in this story, in this setting. You write as a member of the pantheon, or as a mundane/mortal bystander. You can write as previous characters you've played as from anytime and anywhere, or you can create completely new characters with a blank background. Be who you want to be.
Character Sheet Template (Optional)
Name. To know your character, you must name your character. Know that there are no naming conventions considering the current nature of the cosmos. Feel free to utilize names from any culture or tradition that appeals to you.
Demeanor. The Demeanor of a character is the image they project to the outside world; how the character is perceived, or at least how they want to be perceived. Demeanors can be changed by characters with relatively little effort - they are, after all, surface impressions.
Nature. The Nature of a character is their basic personality, their fundamental behavior and perception of the world. Nature is not the only aspect of the characters true personality, merely the most dominant aspect. Natures should be changed only in response to major events and interaction. A change in Nature represents a major shift in a character's attitude and outlook.
Epithets. The Epithets a character has commonly indicates more about their characteristics and traits, as well as denotes the role of their presence in the cosmos. A character with greater, much more significant, Epithets will garner the attention of powerful forces, such as the Creatrix herself.
Updates WIP
These updates will be primarily regarding the Lore of the setting; the prevalent characters and shape of the world. Those that wish to contribute to the development of the Lore may feel free to message me anytime in the OOC or on the Discord server.
Credits
Praise be to the following, for countless unknown hours, toiling away at the forge of creation. Without such contributions, we may never be where we are now.
Antartic Termite, ActRaiser, Kho, Cyclone, Rtron, Muttonhawk, BBeast, Lord Zee, Not Fishing, Double Capybara, Enzayne, Commodore, Zurajai, AdorableSaucer, Lauder, Frettzo and Chris488.
Also a huge shoutout to everyone else who has continued to show their support over the years. Without you there would be no Divinus!
Prologue
She would sow the first seed for a nascent world to be born; summoning earth for the lands, water for the seas, wind for the skies, and fire for the life that would blossom - the four elements proceeded to merge into a single shape that would be the foundation of further creation. The world that was her conjured canvas stayed blank, waiting in a state of emptiness for the hands of the artists that would come in due time. She must call to them now.
The heavenly voice of the red goddess echoed across the infinite void, resonating with otherworldly power and divine absolution. “I am Anath Homura! Come forth to me, and become the cosmic cultivators and architects of a new realm! Join my pantheon, and become Divine! Shape the sturdy land, shift the singing sea, sculpt the soaring sky, rewrite reality in accordance with your visions!”
The barren orb to be a new world that she had created still silently hung in the center of the celebration, like an immense heart that had yet to begin beating with the hum of life. It would be the source of so much more; clever civilizations and widespread wilderness, creatures of all shapes and sizes, and a multitude of imagination manifesting such wondrous sights that would inspire those that would be witness to it all.
Existence swirled with revelry as it revealed itself to the unknown, and allowed outsiders to enter. The newcomers were free to claim their mantles as deities among the burgeoning pantheon - to become the gods and goddesses of this world.
Synopsis
This is a story describing the Divine and their great acts of creation; the unfolding history of the cosmos as a new pantheon of gods and goddesses seek to express their will upon the known world and its numerous denizens. This is Divinus...
The sacred seed of a nascent world shall be sown, and Anath calls out to those that would become its cultivators and architects - to those that would become Divine. These new deities originating from both near and from afar shall shape reality in accordance to their desires with the cosmic might that they possess. Anath intends to recede into her realm, and has granted free reign to those that would join the pantheon and enact their vision upon the world...
These deities may shift the landscape, sculpt the seas, stain the skies, beget a myriad of flora, fauna, spirits and elementals, both the beastial and the civilized. These deities may craft potent relics and command powerful armies, or conjure horrific monstrosities fought by sanctioned heroes seeking glory as they defend the dreams and passions of the Divine. There is no end to the tales that will be told when the world is woven into existence...
The Divine adhere to many rules, but do not be daunted. This RP is about weaving fantastical stories, and exploring a new world wherein gods and goddesses walk among mortals and rewrite reality. All of the rules are for the sake of cohesive writing and fair play, so have fun!
Mechanics
The roleplay is divided in turns which change on the 1st and 15th of every IRL month. They are associated with the passage of time IC, but it's typically vague and left to the players.
Each turn gives the player Might and Aspect Points to use, any points not spent at the end of the turn are wasted and do not carry over to the next turn’s budget.
You will always receive 5MP/5AP
An Aspect is an element of the universe over which a god rules absolute. These 'elements' can range from the obvious (Love, War, Death, Crafting and classical elements such as Water and Fire) to the abstract (Journeys, Secrets, Purity, Loss, etc). They often align with a deity beyond merely what powers they command, especially in their worldview or personality. Aspects are unique and cannot be shared. Only one can truly master their chosen facet. A god cannot innately sense the aspect of another god.
As well as Might, Aspects allow the player to spend Aspect Points (or AP) on actions related to their Aspect. A god begins with one Aspect. Additional Aspects require a player to spend 3 MP in actions related to that new Aspect. A player is then able to spend an additional 3MP to acquire this new Aspect.
See the Aspect Points section below for more detail.
To unlock another Aspect, you would need to spend 3 might points (MP) towards its acquisition.
Example; A War god makes an artifact for 1MP; a crown that dominates the mind of the one who wears it and turns them into a monster. That War god then has 1/3MP spent towards the Domination Aspect
Once they have spent a total of 3MP or more towards the Domination Aspect (can be three individual actions, one whole sum or a combination of both), they then can then spend 3 might points (MP) to purchase that Aspect. They are now the god of both War and Domination.
Finally, Aspects allow for discounts in the might catalog. Unlike past Divinus where the discount rounded down, this time the discount will round up.
Example: The War god spends 5MP building a war related artifact. They decide to discount the artifact by half. 5/2 = 2.5, which we would then round up to 3. Thus they would only pay 3MP for their war artifact. Another example would be a 3MP Artifact, discounted to 1.5 and rounded up to 2, which would then be the cost. A 1MP artifact discounted by half is 0.5, rounded up is 1, thus their cost is still 1MP. An even example is a 4MP artifact discounted to 2MP, since it isn’t a decimal the number remains 2 and is not rounded up.
A God’s personal locus of power. A realm is a loose term to describe a place or seat where a God resides. From a towering alabaster castle, to a woodland of dark pines, an ocean monument or a deep and dark mountain home, a realm can come in many different shapes and flavors. All share these common points however; It must hold a space in the physical plane. The realm can be ‘moved’ and made somewhere else for a flat additional cost, you can only have one realm at a time. A God has absolute authority in their own realm but are never completely invulnerable. Finally, a realm can only be as large as a minor change to the landscape.
All realms cost 2MP to create and 2MP to relocate (as needed). A realm can be purchased with 2 AP, but then the aesthetic and function of the realm must match the aesthetic of the Aspect.
Might Points
Might Points (MP) and Aspect Points (AP), also known as Might, are the primary ‘currency’ of your characters and are a way of measuring the power and exertion that a god puts into their various actions. The ultimate limit on the powerful acts of your gods is based on these Points.
All gods receive a base income of 5 MP & 5 AP per turn. Aspect Points may not be spent towards future aspect acquisitions. At the start of each Turn, all unspent Might and Aspect Points from the previous turn are lost.
Might is spent whenever your god creates something significant or performs a feat of great godly power beyond your regular capabilities. Typically more Might is expended for more powerful actions. MP and AP can only be spent in whole number increments; an act which would be worth less than 1 MP could probably be performed for free.
Aspect Points
Here’s a further look into AP. Unlike Might points, which can be spent freely on anything in the catalog, Aspect Points can only be spent on things that have a direct correlation with your Aspects(s) or that which you directly create with MP - as a foundation for further creation. For example, a god of animals wishes to create an extraordinary species of giant goats. They are free to use their AP to do so, because their aspect is animals, and by extension, goats fall under that aspect. A god of death would not be able to use their AP to make goats, but would be free to do so with MP. (That is unless such goats are undead or death related of course.)
Aspect Points cannot contribute towards unlocking new Aspects unlike Might Points. Once you acquire a new aspect (once again by spending 3mp on relevant actions towards the new aspect and then purchasing the said aspect for an additional 3mp, you are able to use AP for said aspect.
The goal of AP is to allow a God to have points used specifically for their own aspect(s).
2 Might: Creating a relatively minor change to the landscape; rending a small valley or canyon, creating a river, raising a mountain or a (small) island. These changes will be barely visible on the world map; about 1% to 2% of a continent, or roughly 8 km in diameter.
4 Might: Significantly changing the landscape; creating a chain of mountains, or an entire desert, raising a large island or an archipelago of smaller ones. These changes would be prominently visible on the world map; about 20% to 30% of the continent, or roughly 2,000 to 3,000 km in diameter.
8 Might: Causing extreme change to the landscape; raising an entire (mostly empty) continent from the sea, or willing into existence a sizable (moon-sized) Celestial body. The equivalent of creating a new map for reference.
2 Might: Create a small ecosystem, which can fill a region such as a river, valley, mountain or small island.
4 Might: Create a large ecosystem, which can fill a large geographic region such as a whole mountain range, an archipelago, or desert.
1-3 Might: Create an extraordinary species. More might (up to 3), the more extraordinary.(Manticores, Dragons, Lovecraftian Horrors, etc.)
2 Might: Create a legendary beast of phenomenal power. (Godzilla, Thunderbird, Kraken, King Kong, etc.)
4 Might: Create a sapient species. (Something along humanities power scale; Humans, Catfolk, Hobbits, Goblins, Orcs) Note; Any sapient species cannot be discounted.
6 Might: Create an extraordinary sapient species (Something normally above the power scale of a human; Demons, Angels, Giants) Note: Sapience is special and uniquely define in this RP: Creatures that have the sentience feature can be imparted with knowledge, where nonsentient species have to slowly attain knowledge. Also, an innate enhancement is limited to 2 Might. (Honorary 3 Might, if 2 AP is spent) The sentience part cost 4 Might cannot be discounted, so the lowest a sentient extraordinary species would cost 5 Might (4 + 1 AP/MP Aspect-related) The 2 Might for an innate ability is the limit. Afterwards, every other enhancement is a Blessing/Curse, or would be something like knowledge and access to technology. You cannot create a 10 Might creature(s) in a single act. There is no option like that listed in the Catalog.
1 Might: Teach people an idea or technology. This idea or technology should be reasonably attainable from the people’s present culture and technology. However, the foundations for civilization and simple technology do not cost Might. For example; a common language, an understanding of how to construct a basic shelter, primitive crafting for art, clothing, cooking, transportation, fighting, scavenging, medicine, religion, and governance, etc. These freely gained foundations should reflect the environment in which the civilization emerges from, and have context provided for within the IC.
1 Might: Bestowing a group with a one-time gift of powerful artifacts beyond their present abilities to craft (e.g. a set of steel swords in a timeframe of copper age technology).
1+ Might: Blessing or cursing a group of people. These should come in different flavors for different gods, but in general, incurring the curse of any god should be a frightening thing indeed. The curse or blessing is like a whip or a carrot respectively; though it is the will of your god made manifest, it is not so powerful as to spell certain doom or utter paradise for those affected. Think something along the lines of perpetually good harvests for a blessing, and incessant nightmares or general sluggishness and fatigue as curses. Blessings or curses can last indefinitely and affect entire bloodlines or regions. Blessings and curses can manifest as a set of Artifacts that grant the Blessing or inflict the curse. A blessing or curse from a given god can be broken by said god free of charge or counteracted by a 1+ MP expenditure from any other god. The more powerful a curse is, the greater it costs and likewise the amount to break it. Deities can detect the presence of any blessing or curse in their locale. The nature and origin of blessings and curses cannot be innately discerned by deities without expending Might.
3 Might: Resurrect a dead creature.
1 Might: Create a Hero. These are exceptionally powerful individuals among your creations whose powers and skills are renowned and well beyond the capabilities of normal members of their species.
3 Might: Create a Holy Order. Just as heroes can come in a variety of forms and flavors, holy orders can likewise be a marauding horde, a circle of wizards, knight-paladins tasked with healing the sick and keeping the peace, or anything else.
1-5 Might: Create an Artifact. A functional relic with the amount of Might determining its overall power. If multiple gods work together to create an artifact, each can contribute up to 5 Might, so the most powerful artifacts will be ones that were made through the combined efforts of several gods. Artifacts can be lost, stolen, destroyed, traded, etc.
1-5 Might: Create a Monument. A functional site with the amount of Might determining its overall power. If multiple gods work together to create a monument, each can contribute up to 5 Might, so the most powerful monuments will be ones that were made through the combined efforts of several gods. Monuments are more powerful than an artifact of the same Might value, however this advantage is offset by their disadvantages in being immobile.
2 Might: Create a realm. See realm section for more information. Cannot be discounted.
1+ Might: Perform some other godly feat. You can expend Might to perform incredible actions beyond your innate abilities, such as manipulating the weather, hurling mighty fireballs, putting a city to sleep, shrugging off a devastating blow, punching someone really hard, manifesting a form that is far too much to be withstood by mortals, often kill or blind those who come into direct eye contact with said form. Typically an Aspectwill provide you with a wide set of godly feats you can perform for free, and Artifacts and Monuments provide more potent ongoing/reusable abilities. The more Might spent on an action, the more potent it is.
5 Might: Acquiring an Avatar.
For reference:
A 1 Might Artifact is an incredible tool that lets its wielder thrive in a location smaller than a 2 Might creation/change to the landscape, and to easily defeat mundane opponents or common challenges. Examples; a blade that cuts through resilient material like metal and stone with ease, a cloak that allows its wearer to fly swiftly, a suit of armor that protects its wearer from magical harm, a wand that lets its wielder freely cast a simple spell, a bow that fire an arrow that never misses a target within range and sight.
A 2 Might Artifact allows its wielder to thrive in a larger location equal in size to a 2 Might creation/change to the landscape, and to easily defeat stronger species or heroic challenges. Examples; a crown that allows its wearer to disintegrate their enemies, a decanter that supplies endless water, a ring that allows the wearer to shapeshift into any animal, a pair of necklaces that allows the wearers to communicate across the continent.
A 3 Might Artifact is powerful enough to slightly hinder the Divine, though too weak to harm them. It allows its wielder to stand against any other standard mortal opponent. Only the Divine are capable of breaking Artifacts of this power level. Examples; a helm that allows its wearer to see through illusions and grants the ability to view places across the world, a pair of boots that lets the wearer choose to cause earthquakes wherever they walk, a shield of teleportation to appear in any location the wielder has visited, a staff that lets the wielder freely cast very strong and intricate spells.
A 4 Might Artifact allows its wielder to thrive in a location equal in size to a 4 Might creation/change to the landscape. Examples; a lantern that wards away/banish/command the presence of mighty malignant spirits, a scepter that controls the storms - conjuring or dispersing destructive storms at will, a coffin that contains a copied vessel of the body and soul of the one attuned to its magic, a utility belt that can transform hundreds of other objects the wielder touches into gemstones embedded into the belt, and undo the transformation via touch again.
A 5 Might Artifact is powerful enough to allow its wielder to stand against the strength of Divine opponents, though it would not allow a mortal to truly defeat a deity. Artifacts of this power level cannot be broken. Examples; A flying chariot that can illuminate all of a large region with its magical light, gauntlets that grant the wearer the strength to smash through a mountain, an orb that can control the local pace of time for its wielder, a small statue that transform into a legendary beast of tremendous size.
Note: The effects of various artifacts can be selected and used by any Artifact regardless of the Might level, the difference is the potency of the selected effect. For example, a 1 Might cloak that grants flight isn't as fast or durable as a 5 Might cloak that grants flight. In addition, a 5 Might cloak of flight may grant additional features that improve upon its function, such as improved reflexes and the ability to traverse in hostile environments that are dark or lack breathable air, etc. Another example, a 4 Might coffin that contains the entire body and soul of a person that awakens upon the former's demise - a 2 Might coffin or container may contain a limb or brain that replaces that part of the person upon its demise.
Gods cannot be harmed by mundane weapons or magic, they are simply far too weak to do damage to a god. However, a god can muster enough power to hurt or even ‘kill’ another, even though true death for a god is a daunting task to pursue in a fair fight. Furthermore, gods do not suffer ailments that afflict mortals.
Gods are able to shapeshift between their forms related to their aspects, and that of a mortal form. The maximum size of a deity is roughly similar to a large mountain - 8,000 or so meters in height/diameter, if you will.
The very lands themselves can be bent to the whims of gods, all gods can freely create or modify the environment and its denizens in their localized area in ways akin to the acts listed in the Might catalog; such as changing the landscape, making an ecosystem or a monument, populating it with a myriad of life - These free actions cannot imitate any act that costs more than 2 Might. The conjured creations and modifications remain limited to a close proximity of a god, and disperse after a short duration in the absence of an aforementioned god, unless the required amount of Might is spent to make them permanent. Minor changes made to preexisting creations by a god using their Aspect can remain permanent for free. For example, a god with the water aspect grants a creature the ability to swim swiftly in water. This ability could be made permanent since it is related to the god's Aspect.
The senses of a god stretch to that of the very horizons themselves, able to see in perfect clarity. They are able to see heat and magnetic pulls and they are able to hear for as far as they can see, selectively tuning out annoyances as they wish or discerning individual speech from a large crowd. What a God cannot do freely is read the minds of mortal kind unless they have expended Might in some capacity that aids with this endeavor. A god cannot sense the aspect of another god.
Traveling as a god is innately faster than what mortal eyes can perceive, being able to run, jump, float, swim, or merely fly, faster than nearly all things in the cosmos.
Avatars and their use to Deities: An avatar is a fragment of a deities power. They can range from being essentially a puppet that has no mind or will of its own, or they can be completely independent of their patron deity and interpret the deities commands in their own way.
An avatar's use to a deity is twofold: Firstly, they are a direct extension of a deity's power, and can directly spend Might or Aspect points for their creator at any time. In addition, an Avatar's power is small enough that, unless an avatar identifies themselves or reveals their divine power, they can serve as virtually incognito agents of the divine.
Avatars, at least in comparison to their creator deities, are far weaker. Though even this comparative weakness is still far stronger than a mortal could ever hope to become normally. They do not require sleep, nourishment, or any kind of physical relief. Though, naturally, they may choose to emulate these needs if they desire. Beyond this lack of needs an avatar can effortlessly move at speeds that would make the fastest runners seem slow, undertake physical challenges that make even the strongest mortal seem weak, and perceive the world so perfectly that almost nothing can escape their detection.
Creating an Avatar takes 5 MP or AP if related to an Aspect. The limit to a deity’s avatars is directly tied to their total number of Aspects. If appropriately themed, an avatar may be discounted in price.
In addition, it is possible that becoming an avatar is something that a deity can reward a mortal, should they see fit to do so. This ritual will take 5 MP or AP, and will irreversibly convert the mortal into being an avatar while rejuvenating them to their physical prime. A majority of mortals, even if they interact with the divine on a daily basis, are not going to be mentally prepared for the aftermath of such a transformation: A feeling of limitlessness, access to heaps of divine knowledge, and access to the ability to create and destroy as a divine does are all things that they simply can never comprehend as a mortal, and these converted avatars will require careful guidance once the transformation is complete. However, these transformed mortals will have wisdom and experience that most deities will simply never be able to have, and can prove to be valuable advisors, spies, or leaders depending on what a deity requires of them.
New players may join as recently arrived deities, or may join as a demigod. Demigods function much in the same way as normal gods do, however their Might and Aspect points are reduced to reflect their status, thus they will receive only 2 MP and 3 AP at the beginning of a turn. A demigod can become a god, if they prove themselves worthy of such a responsibility.
Great heroes of legend, whether they be warriors, scholars, or leaders, are those chosen by patron gods and gifted extraordinary power. These champions can be devastating forces on the field of battle, or they may even be wizened sages with little affinity for fighting. All champions are exceptionally resilient individuals but all champions can be felled one way or another, whether they have a singular weakness and such. Champions are able to, like gods, grant boons, create lesser artifacts, teach their people a technology or idea, or perform tremendous tasks using their own Spirit.
Spirit is a currency of sorts that is not meant to limit the pacing of a champion’s story or impose costs upon actions that normal mortals can do, but rather to act as a bonus that lets the champion occasionally get rewards or perform things that should otherwise require divine intervention. You can think of spirit as being akin to accumulated favor with the gods, or perhaps even bits of divine power itself.
1 spirit, at a minimum, is awarded to a champion for every post in which they appear as more than just a passing mention in one line. 1 spirit is additionally awarded to a champion if they are featured in a post that does not involve the deity that created them. 1 spirit is additionally awarded to all relevant champions if the post is a collab. 1 spirit is additionally earned if the post is of medium length (think about 5,000+ chars). This is just so that it’s not so much more ‘optimal’ to break posts into lots of smaller chunks to farm spirit. 1 spirit is additionally earned if the post is particularly long (roughly 10,000+ chars), and the champion features throughout it all. 4 spirit can be awarded as a lump sum if a champion embarks upon and completes a significant mission, quest, or personal goal of some sort that they either set for themselves or were given by another champion or mortal. 10 spirit can be awarded as a lump sum if a champion completes a divine quest. These can be handed out by any god or demigod for free, but they should be somewhat arduous and span over several posts in order to justify this princely reward!
Of course, given that heroes are far weaker than gods, they are not able to achieve the same great abilities or use spirit to perform feats as grand as a god might. What a god could make or do pertaining to their aspect at no cost, a champion must spend a significant amount of Spirit to even come close to replicating. Champions just generally cannot hope to outdo the gods without Herculean efforts. Some examples of how to spend Spirit are as follows:
Tor the Scholar desires to found a community behind him, choosing to found a tribe he spends 10 of his Spirit to found the group and imposes upon them his philosophy that plagiarism is sinful, and other such unifying thought.
Tor the Scholar then wishes to make a magical glowing tablet that does not naturally decay and which codifies the history and laws of the tribe; he spends 4 of his Spirit to make this minor artifact that will exist in the tribe until it is either destroyed or forgotten about.
Tor the Scholar then seeks to solidify his power by creating a magical crown that confers not only style and charisma, but also imbues its wearer with the ability to taste plagiarism if one licks a parchment or tablet in question. For this more potent artifact, 10 spirit is appropriate.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Spirit expenditures:
2 Spirit: Push their limits to perform a single great feat well beyond what they're normally capable of, and far beyond what normal mortals could do. (e.g. wrestle with a much larger beast or creature, cast some gigantic spell, journey for many days without stopping for rest) 4-12 Spirit: Craft a powerful artifact. These artifacts are not meant to be as potent or extreme as those made by gods, and can be broken if mishandled; in general they are weaker than an artifact made by a god for 1 Might. (These Artifacts can range from Throgg the Death Knight attaching his soul to his sword to making a crown that scares away goblins). Spending additional spirit can allow you to upgrade the artifact, and you can do this incrementally over time. 8 Spirit: Invent and teach people a new basic technology, spell or idea. (e.g. stone houses, mercantilism, commune with birds) 10 Spirit: Somehow enhance a community to become exceptional. You need not spend Spirit to merely raise an army or found a city -- normal mortals can do such things -- but doing this will make them much grander. Think raising a mighty warband, founding a kingdom that shall endure for a long time, creating some subversive cult that might rapidly grow and undermine (and perhaps even destroy) a nation, or anything else. This can freely include some new technology or idea that binds them together, from the bullet point above. 12 Spirit: Anoint another Champion. 15 Spirit: Consecrate an area with some blessing or otherwise imbue it with power; for instance, making a farmland especially fertile, or a fortress’ walls almost impregnable. 25 Spirit: Found a holy order, which can include giving them unique powers: think along the lines of a new magic system, or martial art, or knowledge of how to craft some sort of exotic weaponry. ~100 Spirit: Attempt to attain demigod status. At this point, a champion will have shown sufficient valor to begin drawing the attention of the divine, and perhaps even Anath.
Holy Orders Sometimes one or two champions isn’t enough, and instead a god might choose to create some large group to perform a similar role. Just as champions can come in a variety of forms and flavors, holy orders can likewise be a marauding horde, a circle of wizards, knight-paladins tasked with healing the sick and keeping the peace, or anything else. A holy order costs 3 Might for a god to found, but champions can alternatively create them with spirit.
The general rule of thumb is that the more members are present in a holy order, the less potent you should expect them to be individually -- for instance, a sacred band of ten warriors might have each one rival a champion in strength, but a vast army of a hundred thousand crusaders should probably confer only modest powers upon the members. This isn’t to say that if half the holy order is wiped out the remaining half grow twice as powerful as they don’t have to share some source of power with as many people (though it might make sense to say that the survivors were generally those that were more powerful to begin with) or that a circle of five wizards adding a sixth member should expect each individual to grow much weaker. It’s just that very powerful holy orders should generally be small in size, and that much larger ones shouldn’t expect to grant as much power.
However, you can have individuals that are both members of a holy order and champions, and/or individuals that are part of two or more holy orders at the same time.
Much as champions earn and spend Spirit, holy orders earn Prestige. This is once again meant as more of a reward that allows a holy order to create things that would otherwise probably need to be made by a god using Might, or to do truly exceptional feats, and not as some tax that they must pay in order to fulfill the everyday functions the holy order was created for. Prestige is generally more valuable than Spirit, but harder to earn.
1 Prestige is awarded for every post in which the holy order is not just offhandedly mentioned, but plays a significant role. 1 Prestige is additionally awarded to all relevant holy order(s) if the post is a collab. 1 Prestige is additionally awarded if on top of the above point, it’s also an especially long post (10,000+ chars) and they play a role throughout most of it. 5 Prestige is earned if the holy order completes a divine quest or directive of some sort that was assigned by a god. This should be somewhat challenging and take a while for them to accomplish!
1 Prestige: Quickly recruit and train up to standard a significant number of new members. You can recruit members for free over time and hand out a uniform or whatnot to almost anyone, but it would normally take time to fully anoint them and get them up to par with the rest of the order’s members. 3 Prestige: Invent and proliferate some new technology, philosophy, or skill among themselves and/or surrounding communities. 3-8 Prestige: Manufacturing or enchanting some unique artifact. Much like artifacts bought with a champion’s spirit, these are meant to not be too extreme and to generally be inferior compared to those directly forged by a god using Might. 5 Prestige: Making significant upgrades to the holy order’s powers, equipment, or tactics; think of this as being equivalent to a Blessing or such. 5-10 Prestige: Consecrate some place as sacred, effectively either creating a monument or bestowing a blessing upon the region. 7 Prestige: Anoint a champion from some promising member of the order’s ranks. 10 Prestige: Forming a new holy order. This may splinter off as something wholly separate and rivalrous, or be a friendly sister organization, or be something akin to an upper rank within the holy order (with the two overlapping)
General Rules and Regulations
The Golden Rule--Do not godmod/metagame/powerplay. It’s ironic because this is an RP with actual gods as characters; however, there are definitely limits as to the power level of our gods. We’re trying to make a collaborative story rather than host a game meant to be ‘won,’ so please keep that in mind as you write.
The Rule of Fair Warning--Before significantly influencing someone else’s creations, especially if it is going to be in a destructive way, give them some fair warning OOC so that potential objections can be made ahead of time and plans can be shifted. Ideally conflicts between two gods that lead to destruction or harm of one god or its possessions will be written with the consent of both players, but if you think that somebody is being unreasonable us GMs can intervene.
The Superior Samaritan Rule--Somewhere in every post, please attach a hider box containing a short summary of the post’s actions, including how Might has been expended in the post if applicable. As Divinus RPs have traditionally had some massive posts, this helps greatly when trying to keep track of all that’s been going on and when trying to make sure you didn’t miss any important plot point within some massive post. That being said, please do still try to read all IC posts and not just the summaries. Example: Your summary should convey the bare minimum of which characters were involved, what major plot points were covered, and which (if any) other peoples' characters you're initiating some sort of action with, and how MP, AP, Spirit, and Prestige was spent.
Leave of Absence--Please give us forewarning on the OOC if circumstances dictate that you will become inactive in the RP for a time. I’m sure we’ve all seen the phenomena of people simply vanishing; it’s frustrating and leaves work where the others have to pick up the narrative pieces. Failure to follow this rule can potentially lead to your god being deposed IC; the Cosmos works in mysterious ways.
Sexual Content--Please keep it PG-13. Fade to black, and always remember, the Guild Rules come first and foremost.
The above commandments are most important. Almost every other conduct is to fall under the domain of common sense and the RPGuild rules, with the understanding that our goal is to collaboratively create cool narratives. Be considerate to one another and facilitate storytelling. If there are any concerns or clarifications required, the GMs are always happy to help.
Character Creation
As you consider ideas for your character and grapple with what you want to do, We would encourage you to first focus upon what sort of Aspect you want to have, and then use that as a foundation to construct a god that makes sense given that dimension.
Beyond the concept for your character, you should also have an idea of what you want your god to do, how your god might change or progress, how they will contribute to the story and how they will interact with other players.
Note: Returning characters from previous iterations is permitted, but that character does not possess any of their prior powers or possessions, and abides by the new system. When writing a returning character, please remember to not make it so it is required to read the previous iterations to understand them.
Before posting in the IC, your character must be reviewed and approved by the GMs. Afterwards, please post a copy of your character sheet in the Characters tab section for easy reference.
Name: ((To know your god, name your god.))
Base Form: ((Pictures, descriptions or both are fine. Any specific capability of this form over the others should be described.))
Aspect: ((Give us some idea of what this means, this should not merely be a generic definition of the term but also showcase your god’s take on the concept))
Persona: ((General moral alignment, ambitions, personality traits, etc.))
Myth: ((OPTIONAL; Share a scene from what you imagine the myth of your god to be. Maybe it’s a story of one time the god performed a miracle, maybe it’s an old hermit sharing some scripture on the god’s wisdom, or maybe it’s a scene of the god doing something godly.))
The Hanged One. An allegorical aspect representing the journeys of those that have become trapped by the lack of transcending their lies and limitations - those that have betrayed themselves. Continual defeat and catastrophe leads to the feeling of suffocation, like a noose around the neck, choking the fire of life until it is eventually extinguished. Suffering in stagnation cannot be cured aside from the act of being hanged, and so the symbol of Desire is herself as she slowly walks towards that which will heal her. The Aspect of the Hanged One commonly depicts this macabre march towards sacrificing the self and surrendering to the liberating touch of strangulation, though this is only one version of this Aspect.
To suspend the self requires strength to resist the influence of the cosmos and endure mystical isolation. Desire can cut the connections between the material and the otherworldly, severing the ethereal elements that construct sacred change such as communication, imagination and perception. Her presence brings solitude and grants her an aura that blinds others to the world around them, enforcing those afflicted into embracing suffering and strife until the only salve to all of the agony is complete suspension - to be hanged. Only afterwards shall solace be had and all, including herself, may ascend further. However Desire refuses to invert her perspective, to comprehend the glimpses that the aspect of the Hanged One offers by altering her position, and thus she is both the epitome and opposite of the Hanged One.
As wielder of this Aspect, Desire discovers the prevalence of every step leading towards her hanging, and the act of hanging itself. She can command strength and sight in mortals close to her, guiding them towards blessed asphyxiation by halting the vigorous song and dance of the cosmos. Separating the material and ethereal allows to her lead mortals away from annihilation and corruption, but prevents progress on the Sacred Path described by her mother, which Desire does not actually follow herself. Instead Desire will indulge herself in the defiant cage that she creates and protect the sanctity of life with her own way of attaining serenity, while still struggling just to breath.
Persona
She is selfish, and that is an aspect of herself that she embraced, for Desire did not bother to concern herself with that which would not bring her pleasure or benefit her somehow. Neither consistently cruel or benevolent; she knowingly considers herself capricious, changing her attitude and behavior frequently, yet unyielding when coerced by others - it is often very difficult to predict how she will react in various scenarios, which is a factor she enjoys very much. It is solely her love for her family that remains always the same, another aspect of herself that she has accepted with paradoxical feelings which often contradict her way of life.
She is the youngest daughter and simulacrum of Anath Homura, but senses the influence of another within her heart causing her to realize that there is a piece of her family that is missing from her life. She has discerned that she differs from her sisters, as her divine heritage is split between two as opposed to coming only from her mother, resulting in a growing distance with her kin as she seeks to uncover who she truly is, and what it means to be divine. There is a yearning to set out on a journey within her, a yearning that she cannot deny herself.
Desire ever prominently expresses her emotions in every encounter: She would bite her tongue until it bled, when seething with rage. She would swiftly leap and laugh displaying an abundance of vigor, when brimming with euphoria. She would tremble and her eyes would be wet with profuse tears shimmering with sorrow, when overwhelmed with heartache. She commonly conveys her craving to experience both the mundane and the exotic elements of the world, peering at her surroundings with an inquisitive eye.
Hey, and sorry for suddenly leaving the last version of the rp. Something came up. But, I will not make a sudden withdrawal this time and will try to stay. If you would have me, that is.
All are welcome to join! There's a Discord link at the bottom of the description if you want to discuss your ideas and a concept for a character! I am a little slow to respond otherwise.
I noticed you've made some cool little tweaks Chris. I like the return of avatars and the ability to convert mortals into an avatar.
Awesome to see you carrying on the Divinus torch and best of luck with this one! I wasn't expecting it to come so soon; I'll certainly be thinking about joining if time permits.
Thank you kindly! Others put a lot of the input and more work in writing this, truth be told. I'm just continuing to be a pest permanently attached to my characters and stories that happen in this setting. Anyway, I'd happy to see you join and write more!
Note for others that may read this: I'd be glad for anyone and everyone that joins!
Praise be to the following, for countless unknown hours, toiling away at the forge of creation. Without such contributions, we may never be where we are now.
Kho, Cyclone, Rtron, Muttonhawk, BBeast, Lord Zee, Not Fishing, Double Capybara, Enzayne, Commodore, Zurajai, AdorableSaucer, Lauder, Frettzo and Chris488.
Also a huge shoutout to everyone else who has continued to show their support over the years. Without you there would be no Divinus!
Synopsis
This is a story describing the Divine and their great acts of creation; the unfolding history of the cosmos as a new pantheon of gods and goddesses seek to express their will upon the known world and its numerous denizens. This is Divinus...
The sacred seed of a nascent world shall be sown, and Anath calls out to those that would become its cultivators and architects - to those that would become Divine. These new deities originating from both near and from afar shall shape reality in accordance to their desires with the cosmic might that they possess. Anath intends to recede into her realm, and has granted free reign to those that would join the pantheon and enact their vision upon the world...
These deities may shift the landscape, sculpt the seas, stain the skies, beget a myriad of flora, fauna, spirits and elementals, both the beastial and the civilized. These deities may craft potent relics and command powerful armies, or conjure horrific monstrosities fought by sanctioned heroes seeking glory as they defend the dreams and passions of the Divine. There is no end to the tales that will be told when the world is woven into existence...
The Divine adhere to many rules, but do not be daunted. This RP is about weaving fantastical stories, and exploring a new world wherein gods and goddesses walk among mortals and rewrite reality. All of the rules are for the sake of cohesive writing and fair play, so have fun!
Mechanics
The roleplay is divided in turns. They are associated with the passage of time IC, but it's typically vague and left to the players.
Each turn gives the player Might and Aspect Points to use, any points not spent at the end of the turn are wasted and do not carry over to the next turn’s budget.
You will always receive 5MP/5AP
An Aspect is an element of the universe over which a god rules absolute. These 'elements' can range from the obvious (Love, War, Death, Crafting and classical elements such as Water and Fire) to the abstract (Journeys, Secrets, Purity, Loss, etc). They often align with a deity beyond merely what powers they command, especially in their worldview or personality. Aspects are unique and cannot be shared. Only one can truly master their chosen facet.
As well as Might, Aspects allow the player to spend Aspect Points (or AP) on actions related to their Aspect. A god begins with one Aspect. Additional Aspects require a player to spend 3 MP in actions related to that new Aspect. A player is then able to spend an additional 3MP to acquire this new Aspect.
See the Aspect Points section below for more detail.
To unlock another Aspect, you would need to spend 3 might points (MP) towards its acquisition.
Example; A War god makes an artifact for 1MP; a crown that dominates the mind of the one who wears it and turns them into a monster. That War god then has 1/3MP spent towards the Domination Aspect
Once they have spent a total of 3MP or more towards the Domination Aspect (can be three individual actions, one whole sum or a combination of both), they then can then spend 3 might points (MP) to purchase that Aspect. They are now the god of both War and Domination.
Finally, Aspects allow for discounts in the might catalog. Unlike past Divinus where the discount rounded down, this time the discount will round up.
Example: The War god spends 5MP building a war related artifact. They decide to discount the artifact by half. 5/2 = 2.5, which we would then round up to 3. Thus they would only pay 3MP for their war artifact. Another example would be a 3MP Artifact, discounted to 1.5 and rounded up to 2, which would then be the cost. A 1MP artifact discounted by half is 0.5, rounded up is 1, thus their cost is still 1MP. An even example is a 4MP artifact discounted to 2MP, since it isn’t a decimal the number remains 2 and is not rounded up.
A God’s personal locus of power. A realm is a loose term to describe a place or seat where a God resides. From a towering alabaster castle, to a woodland of dark pines, an ocean monument or a deep and dark mountain home, a realm can come in many different shapes and flavors. All share these common points however; It must hold a space in the physical plane. The realm can be ‘moved’ and made somewhere else for a flat additional cost, you can only have one realm at a time. A God has absolute authority in their own realm but are never completely invulnerable. Finally, a realm can only be as large as a minor change to the landscape.
All realms cost 2MP to create and 2MP to relocate (as needed). These costs cannot be discounted through Aspects.
Might Points
Might Points (MP) and Aspect Points (AP), also known as Might, are the primary ‘currency’ of your characters and are a way of measuring the power and exertion that a god puts into their various actions. The ultimate limit on the powerful acts of your gods is based on these Points.
All gods receive a base income of 5 MP & 5 AP per turn. Aspect Points may not be spent towards future aspect acquisitions. At the start of each Turn, all unspent Might and Aspect Points from the previous turn are lost.
Might is spent whenever your god creates something significant or performs a feat of great godly power beyond your regular capabilities. Typically more Might is expended for more powerful actions. MP and AP can only be spent in whole number increments; an act which would be worth less than 1 MP could probably be performed for free.
Aspect Points
Here’s a further look into AP. Unlike Might points, which can be spent freely on anything in the catalog, Aspect Points can only be spent on things that have a direct correlation with your Aspects(s) or that which you directly create with MP - as a foundation for further creation. For example, a god of animals wishes to create an extraordinary species of giant goats. They are free to use their AP to do so, because their aspect is animals, and by extension, goats fall under that aspect. A god of death would not be able to use their AP to make goats, but would be free to do so with MP. (That is unless such goats are undead or death related of course.)
Aspect Points cannot contribute towards unlocking new Aspects unlike Might Points. Once you acquire a new aspect (once again by spending 3mp on relevant actions towards the new aspect and then purchasing the said aspect for an additional 3mp, you are able to use AP for said aspect.
The goal of AP is to allow a God to have points used specifically for their own aspect(s).
2 Might: Creating a relatively minor change to the landscape; rending a small valley or canyon, creating a river, raising a mountain or a (small) island.
5 Might: Significantly changing the landscape; creating a chain of mountains, or an entire desert, raising a large island or an archipelago of smaller ones.
8 Might: Causing extreme change to the landscape; raising an entire (mostly empty) continent from the sea, or willing into existence a sizable (moon-sized) Celestial body.
2 Might: Create a small ecosystem, which can fill a region such as a river, valley, mountain or small island.
5 Might: Create a large ecosystem, which can fill a large geographic region such as a whole mountain range, an archipelago, or desert.
1-3 Might: Create an extraordinary species. More might (up to 3), the more extraordinary.(Manticores, Dragons, Lovecraftian Horrors, etc.)
2 Might: Create a legendary beast of phenomenal power. (Godzilla, Thunderbird, Kraken, King Kong, etc.)
4 Might: Create a sapient species. (Something along humanities power scale; Humans, Catfolk, Hobbits, Goblins, Orcs) Note; Any sapient species cannot be discounted.
6 Might: Create an extraordinary sapient species (Something normally above the power scale of a human; Demons, Angels, Giants) Note; Any sapient species cannot be discounted.
1 Might: Teach people an idea or technology. This idea or technology should be reasonably attainable from the people’s present culture and technology.
1 Might: Bestowing a group with a one-time gift of powerful artifacts beyond their present abilities to craft (e.g. a set of steel swords in a timeframe of copper age technology).
1+ Might: Blessing or cursing a group of people. These should come in different flavors for different gods, but in general, incurring the curse of any god should be a frightening thing indeed. The curse or blessing is like a whip or a carrot respectively; though it is the will of your god made manifest, it is not so powerful as to spell certain doom or utter paradise for those affected. Think something along the lines of perpetually good harvests for a blessing, and incessant nightmares or general sluggishness and fatigue as curses. Blessings or curses can last indefinitely and affect entire bloodlines or regions. A blessing or curse from a given god can be broken by said god free of charge or counteracted by a 1+ MP expenditure from any other god. The more powerful a curse is, the greater it costs and likewise the amount to break it.
1 Might: Create a Hero. These are exceptionally powerful individuals among your creations whose powers and skills are renowned and well beyond the capabilities of normal members of their species.
3 Might: Create a Holy Order. Just as heroes can come in a variety of forms and flavors, holy orders can likewise be a marauding horde, a circle of wizards, knight-paladins tasked with healing the sick and keeping the peace, or anything else.
1-5 Might: Create an Artifact. A functional relic with the amount of Might determining its overall power. If multiple gods work together to create an artifact, each can contribute up to 5 Might, so the most powerful artifacts will be ones that were made through the combined efforts of several gods. Artifacts can be lost, stolen, destroyed, traded, etc.
1-5 Might: Create a Monument. A functional site with the amount of Might determining its overall power. If multiple gods work together to create a monument, each can contribute up to 5 Might, so the most powerful monuments will be ones that were made through the combined efforts of several gods. Monuments are more powerful than an artifact of the same Might value, however this advantage is offset by their disadvantages in being immobile.
2 Might: Create a realm. See realm section for more information. Cannot be discounted.
1+ Might: Perform some other godly feat. You can expend Might to perform incredible actions beyond your innate abilities, such as manipulating the weather, hurling mighty fireballs, putting a city to sleep, shrugging off a devastating blow, punching someone really hard, manifesting a form that is far too much to be withstood by mortals, often kill or blind those who come into direct eye contact with said form. Typically a Domain or Portfolio will provide you with a wide set of godly feats you can perform for free, and Artifacts and holy sites provide more potent ongoing/reusable abilities. The more Might spent on an action, the more potent it is.
5 Might: Acquiring an Avatar.
Gods cannot be harmed by mundane weapons or magic, they are simply far too weak to do damage to a god. However, a god can muster enough power to hurt or even ‘kill’ another, even though true death for a god is a daunting task to pursue in a fair fight. Furthermore, gods do not suffer ailments that afflict mortals.
Gods are able to shapeshift between their forms related to their aspects, and that of a mortal form.
The very lands themselves can be bent to the whims of gods, all gods can create or modify the environment and its denizens in their localized area.
The senses of a god stretch to that of the very horizons themselves, able to see in perfect clarity. They are able to see heat and magnetic pulls and they are able to hear for as far as they can see, selectively tuning out annoyances as they wish or discerning individual speech from a large crowd. What a God cannot do freely is read the minds of mortal kind unless they have expended Might in some capacity that aids with this endeavor
Traveling as a god is innately faster than what mortal eyes can perceive, being able to run, jump, float, swim, or merely fly, faster than nearly all things in the cosmos.
Avatars and their use to Deities: An avatar is a fragment of a deities power. They can range from being essentially a puppet that has no mind or will of its own, or they can be completely independent of their patron deity and interpret the deities commands in their own way.
An avatar's use to a deity is twofold: Firstly, they are a direct extension of a deity's power, and can directly spend Might or Aspect points for their creator at any time. In addition, an Avatar's power is small enough that, unless an avatar identifies themselves or reveals their divine power, they can serve as virtually incognito agents of the divine.
Avatars, at least in comparison to their creator deities, are far weaker. Though even this comparative weakness is still far stronger than a mortal could ever hope to become normally. They do not require sleep, nourishment, or any kind of physical relief. Though, naturally, they may choose to emulate these needs if they desire. Beyond this lack of needs an avatar can effortlessly move at speeds that would make the fastest runners seem slow, undertake physical challenges that make even the strongest mortal seem weak, and perceive the world so perfectly that almost nothing can escape their detection.
Creating an Avatar takes 5 MP or AP if related to an Aspect. The limit to a deity’s avatars is directly tied to their total number of Aspects. If appropriately themed, an avatar may be discounted in price.
In addition, it is possible that becoming an avatar is something that a deity can reward a mortal, should they see fit to do so. This ritual will take 5 MP or AP, and will irreversibly convert the mortal into being an avatar while rejuvenating them to their physical prime. A majority of mortals, even if they interact with the divine on a daily basis, are not going to be mentally prepared for the aftermath of such a transformation: A feeling of limitlessness, access to heaps of divine knowledge, and access to the ability to create and destroy as a divine does are all things that they simply can never comprehend as a mortal, and these converted avatars will require careful guidance once the transformation is complete. However, these transformed mortals will have wisdom and experience that most deities will simply never be able to have, and can prove to be valuable advisors, spies, or leaders depending on what a deity requires of them.
New players may join as recently arrived deities, or may join as a demigod. Demigods function much in the same way as normal gods do, however their Might and Aspect points are reduced to reflect their status, thus they will receive only 2 MP and 3 AP at the beginning of a turn. A demigod can become a god, if they prove themselves worthy of such a responsibility.
Great heroes of legend, whether they be warriors, scholars, or leaders, are those chosen by patron gods and gifted extraordinary power. These champions can be devastating forces on the field of battle, or they may even be wizened sages with little affinity for fighting. All champions are exceptionally resilient individuals but all champions can be felled one way or another, whether they have a singular weakness and such. Champions are able to, like gods, grant boons, create lesser artifacts, teach their people a technology or idea, or perform tremendous tasks using their own Spirit.
Spirit is a currency of sorts that is not meant to limit the pacing of a champion’s story or impose costs upon actions that normal mortals can do, but rather to act as a bonus that lets the champion occasionally get rewards or perform things that should otherwise require divine intervention. You can think of spirit as being akin to accumulated favor with the gods, or perhaps even bits of divine power itself.
1 spirit, at a minimum, is awarded to a champion for every post in which they appear as more than just a passing mention in one line. 1 spirit is additionally awarded to a champion if they are the main character and central focus of the post. This only applies to one champion per post; however, 1 spirit is additionally awarded to all relevant champions if the post is a collab. 1 spirit is additionally earned if the post is of medium length (think about 10+ non-dialogue paragraphs). This is just so that it’s not so much more ‘optimal’ to break posts into lots of smaller chunks to farm spirit. 1 spirit is additionally earned if the post is particularly long (25+ non-dialogue paragraphs), and the champion features throughout it all. 4 spirit can be awarded as a lump sum if a champion embarks upon and completes a significant mission, quest, or personal goal of some sort that they either set for themselves or were given by another champion or mortal. 10 spirit can be awarded as a lump sum if a champion completes a divine quest. These can be handed out by any god or demigod for free, but they should be somewhat arduous and span over several posts in order to justify this princely reward!
Of course, given that heroes are far weaker than gods, they are not able to achieve the same great abilities or use spirit to perform feats as grand as a god might. What a god could make or do pertaining to their aspect at no cost, a champion must spend a significant amount of Spirit to even come close to replicating. Champions just generally cannot hope to outdo the gods without Herculean efforts. Some examples of how to spend Spirit are as follows:
Tor the Scholar desires to found a community behind him, choosing to found a tribe he spends 10 of his Spirit to found the group and imposes upon them his philosophy that plagiarism is sinful, and other such unifying thought.
Tor the Scholar then wishes to make a magical glowing tablet that does not naturally decay and which codifies the history and laws of the tribe; he spends 4 of his Spirit to make this minor artifact that will exist in the tribe until it is either destroyed or forgotten about.
Tor the Scholar then seeks to solidify his power by creating a magical crown that confers not only style and charisma, but also imbues its wearer with the ability to taste plagiarism if one licks a parchment or tablet in question. For this more potent artifact, 10 spirit is appropriate.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Spirit expenditures:
2 Spirit: Push their limits to perform a single great feat well beyond what they're normally capable of, and far beyond what normal mortals could do. (e.g. wrestle with a much larger beast or creature, cast some gigantic spell, journey for many days without stopping for rest) 4-12 Spirit: Craft a powerful artifact. These artifacts are not meant to be as potent or extreme as those made by gods, and can be broken if mishandled; in general they are weaker than an artifact made by a god for 1 Might. (These Artifacts can range from Throgg the Death Knight attaching his soul to his sword to making a crown that scares away goblins). Spending additional spirit can allow you to upgrade the artifact, and you can do this incrementally over time. 8 Spirit: Invent and teach people a new basic technology, spell or idea. (e.g. stone houses, mercantilism, commune with birds) 10 Spirit: Somehow enhance a community to become exceptional. You need not spend Spirit to merely raise an army or found a city -- normal mortals can do such things -- but doing this will make them much grander. Think raising a mighty warband, founding a kingdom that shall endure for a long time, creating some subversive cult that might rapidly grow and undermine (and perhaps even destroy) a nation, or anything else. This can freely include some new technology or idea that binds them together, from the bullet point above. 12 Spirit: Anoint another Champion. 15 Spirit: Consecrate an area with some blessing or otherwise imbue it with power; for instance, making a farmland especially fertile, or a fortress’ walls almost impregnable. 25 Spirit: Found a holy order, which can include giving them unique powers: think along the lines of a new magic system, or martial art, or knowledge of how to craft some sort of exotic weaponry. ~100 Spirit: Attempt to attain demigod status. At this point, a champion will have shown sufficient valor to begin drawing the attention of the divine, and perhaps even Anath.
Holy Orders Sometimes one or two champions isn’t enough, and instead a god might choose to create some large group to perform a similar role. Just as champions can come in a variety of forms and flavors, holy orders can likewise be a marauding horde, a circle of wizards, knight-paladins tasked with healing the sick and keeping the peace, or anything else. A holy order costs 3 Might for a god to found, but champions can alternatively create them with spirit.
The general rule of thumb is that the more members are present in a holy order, the less potent you should expect them to be individually -- for instance, a sacred band of ten warriors might have each one rival a champion in strength, but a vast army of a hundred thousand crusaders should probably confer only modest powers upon the members. This isn’t to say that if half the holy order is wiped out the remaining half grow twice as powerful as they don’t have to share some source of power with as many people (though it might make sense to say that the survivors were generally those that were more powerful to begin with) or that a circle of five wizards adding a sixth member should expect each individual to grow much weaker. It’s just that very powerful holy orders should generally be small in size, and that much larger ones shouldn’t expect to grant as much power.
However, you can have individuals that are both members of a holy order and champions, and/or individuals that are part of two or more holy orders at the same time.
Much as champions earn and spend Spirit, holy orders earn Prestige. This is once again meant as more of a reward that allows a holy order to create things that would otherwise probably need to be made by a god using Might, or to do truly exceptional feats, and not as some tax that they must pay in order to fulfill the everyday functions the holy order was created for. Prestige is generally more valuable than Spirit, but harder to earn.
1 Prestige is awarded for every post in which the holy order is not just offhandedly mentioned, but plays a significant role. 1 Prestige is additionally awarded if on top of the above point, it’s also an especially long post and they play a role throughout most of it. 5 Prestige is earned if the holy order completes a divine quest or directive of some sort that was assigned by a god. This should be somewhat challenging and take a while for them to accomplish!
1 Prestige: Quickly recruit and train up to standard a significant number of new members. You can recruit members for free over time and hand out a uniform or whatnot to almost anyone, but it would normally take time to fully anoint them and get them up to par with the rest of the order’s members. 3 Prestige: Invent and proliferate some new technology, philosophy, or skill among themselves and/or surrounding communities. 3-8 Prestige: Manufacturing or enchanting some unique artifact. Much like artifacts bought with a champion’s spirit, these are meant to not be too extreme and to generally be inferior compared to those directly forged by a god using Might. 5 Prestige: Making significant upgrades to the holy order’s powers, equipment, or tactics; think of this as being equivalent to a Blessing or such. 5-10 Prestige: Consecrate some place as sacred, effectively either creating a monument or bestowing a blessing upon the region. 7 Prestige: Anoint a champion from some promising member of the order’s ranks. 10 Prestige: Forming a new holy order. This may splinter off as something wholly separate and rivalrous, or be a friendly sister organization, or be something akin to an upper rank within the holy order (with the two overlapping)
General Rules and Regulations
The Golden Rule--Do not godmod/metagame/powerplay. It’s ironic because this is an RP with actual gods as characters; however, there are definitely limits as to the power level of our gods. We’re trying to make a collaborative story rather than host a game meant to be ‘won,’ so please keep that in mind as you write.
The Rule of Fair Warning--Before significantly influencing someone else’s creations, especially if it is going to be in a destructive way, give them some fair warning OOC so that potential objections can be made ahead of time and plans can be shifted. Ideally conflicts between two gods that lead to destruction or harm of one god or its possessions will be written with the consent of both players, but if you think that somebody is being unreasonable us GMs can intervene.
The Good Samaritan Rule--Somewhere in every post, please attach a hider box containing a short summary of the post’s actions, including how Might has been expended in the post if applicable. As Divinus RPs have traditionally had some massive posts, this helps greatly when trying to keep track of all that’s been going on and when trying to make sure you didn’t miss any important plot point within some massive post. That being said, please do still try to read all IC posts and not just the summaries. Example: Your summary should convey the bare minimum of which characters were involved, what major plot points were covered, and which (if any) other peoples' characters you're initiating some sort of action with, and how MP, DP and Prestige was spent.
The Bookkeeping Rule--We will be using a wiki to store character and creation sheets, as past experience has demonstrated that RPGuild character tab on this thread won’t be enough space and will get too cluttered. For all creations of significance, please make at least a 1-2 sentence page for them on our wiki. The 0th post on the characters section will contain a link to our wiki; if you need any help figuring out how to use the wiki, by all means feel free to ask. Clarification: Though the wiki is considered canon, you should still describe your creations IC. Don't simply reference that you've made a creation IC and then make us all go to the wiki article to find out basic details on what the creation does; it's unhealthy to make reading the wiki articles obligatory for one's understanding of what's happening IC.
Leave of Absence--Please give us forewarning on the OOC if circumstances dictate that you will become inactive in the RP for a time. I’m sure we’ve all seen the phenomena of people simply vanishing; it’s frustrating and leaves work where the others have to pick up the narrative pieces. Failure to follow this rule can potentially lead to your god being deposed IC; the Lifeblood works in mysterious ways.
Sexual Content--Please keep it PG-13. Fade to black, and always remember, the Guild Rules come first and foremost.
The above commandments are most important. Almost every other conduct is to fall under the domain of common sense and the RPGuild rules, with the understanding that our goal is to collaboratively create cool narratives. Be considerate to one another and facilitate storytelling. If there are any concerns or clarifications required, the GMs are always happy to help.
Character Creation
As you consider ideas for your character and grapple with what you want to do, We would encourage you to first focus upon what sort of Aspect you want to have, and then use that as a foundation to construct a god that makes sense given that dimension.
Beyond the concept for your character, you should also have an idea of what you want your god to do, how your god might change or progress, how they will contribute to the story and how they will interact with other players.
Note: Returning characters from previous iterations is permitted, but that character does not possess any of their prior powers or possessions, and abides by the new system. When writing a returning character, please remember to not make it so it is required to read the previous iterations to understand them.
Name: ((To know your god, name your god.))
Base Form: ((Pictures, descriptions or both are fine. Any specific capability of this form over the others should be described.))
Aspect: ((Give us some idea of what this means, this should not merely be a generic definition of the term but also showcase your god’s take on the concept))
Persona: ((General moral alignment, ambitions, personality traits, etc.))
Myth: ((OPTIONAL; Share a scene from what you imagine the myth of your god to be. Maybe it’s a story of one time the god performed a miracle, maybe it’s an old hermit sharing some scripture on the god’s wisdom, or maybe it’s a scene of the god doing something godly.))
It was a long time before either of the two sought to move from their spot against the wall but Zima knew it could not last forever. So, she mustered up enough strength, relaxed and content as she was in Fear's embrace, to stand. Before she went for Fear's hand, pain flared in her chest and so she instinctively clutched the wispy clothes she wore. It was strange how her attire was basically her body but she knew she had to be strong. For Fear and the others. So she buried it, producing a more careful cut of clothing. Her attire changed from a more open dress to one that confined her features. She then forced a smile and took Fear’s hand within her own, helping her up. Her pain was eased slightly at the touch.
"Come, let us find them." She said to Fear, looping her arm through hers. "So we can lean on each other." She murmured quietly, looking away and down the hall.
They made their way down the newly created hallways, finding the Childan mourning and in shock. Zima could hardly look at any of their faces. It just reminded her of Shysie, running off to die. Her words haunted Zima even then. How was she going to tell Mair? Would she even listen? Would she believe such words coming from the one who murdered her people? Would she even see her again? Shysie sounded sure and she owed it to the warrioress to at least try. No matter how difficult it would be.
Try as they might to find the especially tall childan, Zima and Fear could not. At least, below deck. It took some more searching but they eventually found a ramp that led up to even more hallways and rooms but they were empty. It wasn't long before the sound of wind emanated from down a hall and they found a staircase that led up to a sheer wall of white. Even so high, the blizzard reigned. However, sitting at the base of those steps was the one they were looking for. Wapeka no longer wore all her furs and her downcast eyes stared at the bundle of warmth in her hands. Rowan was sleeping, for he knew not the troubles of the world, nor should he.
She looked up at them, pulling Rowan back into her chest where a strap waited for him to be nestled in. They got a close look at her large bump, she was well on her way. She set a hand on her stomach and the other rocked Rowan gently in his strap. "I once dreamt before we dreamed, that I could walk upon the wind." She began, "Now the dream comes true. With the heavy weight of so much loss. We must still go on." She sighed, "What do I owe the honor of this meeting, my spirits?" She asked them. Zima blinked before nudging Fear, she didn't actually know why she had wanted to seek her out. Perhaps to make sure Rowan was safe?
“I needed to see if Rowan was fine. I promised his people that I’d protect him, but I’m not sure how I’ll do that though…” Fear answered, with her nervous gaze shifting back and forth from Wapeka to the small baby the woman held, before she glanced at Zima with a worried look.
Wapeka leaned back, eyeing Fear with a raised brow. “He is well but you are not. Speak freely with me, what more troubles your heart?”
“I’m afraid. Frightened by so much. How can I be brave?” The anxious champion asked.
“These are frightful times.” Wapeka agreed, leaning forward. “They call me Wapeka the brave, Wapeka the warrior and on and on. You wrestle one bear and fight off a pack of wolves and such things stick.” She smirked but then became thoughtful. “In truth, little mother, I too am afraid.” She rubbed her belly. “I once thought the greatest challenge was to lead my people to victory, to overcome any obstacle, to fight and be brave. But now I am with child and that frightens me. To be a warrior is one thing, to be a mother is another entire.” She sighed, shutting her eyes briefly before looking at Fear. “You don’t have to be brave all the time. Just don’t let the fear overcome you. Be strong for those who cannot. It’s what I will do.”
The words seemed to strike Fear as she turned, almost stumbling, and awkwardly enfolded Zima in a tight embrace, whispering to her. “I wanted that, you know. When we came to the North, we all wanted that. To help others… But now I feel so alone and lost. I can’t find the rest of my family. I’ve only you here with me.” Her voice was weak, and on the verge of being broken like long ago before she succumbed - when she became Veil. Fear clung onto her what little she still had, lest she fall apart again.
Zima didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, when she opened her mouth to speak, Wapeka beat her. “Then you have found who you need to be brave for.” She said, standing tall. “Listen to me, little mother. Listen. Those lost, even found, are seldom saved by anyone but themselves. Now you must focus on what’s before you. Do not let the past cloud your mind. It will only bring great sorrow to you and those you care for.” She knelt down before Fear. “If only you can help one person, then strive for it. It will be enough. Even if it’s yourself. That is how we are brave. Even with all the fear in one’s heart. Help one person, even if it scares you.” Wapeka’s words resonated with Zima as she continued to hold Fear.
Fear found there was initially some difficulty to face Wapeka without letting go of Zima, but with a little rotation, she managed to stare at the tall Childan with a more firm expression. “My foolish sister is saying I should save everyone, but I can’t. I’m uncertain whether I’m even capable of saving so few, but I won’t lose Zima or Rowan. I want to be the mother that Homura never was for me and my sisters.” She said, adjusting herself so she stood before Wapeka with Zima beside her.
Wapeka put a hand upon Fear’s shoulder and smiled. “Were it be that we could save everyone, it would be a different earth we lived on. The grim truth is that not everyone can be saved. You are well to know your own limitations. To go beyond them is to flirt with an end no one can be saved from. Including yourself. I know not the words shared between you, your sisters and mother but remember, the wise take counsel from all sources, even if they wish not to hear it or even act on it. Only the foolish act without thinking. I do not see a foolish one before me. Follow your heart, little mother. I shall see to Rowan, as the wish of Shysie but act as if you were saving him wherever your journey takes you and know he is safe in my arms.”
“Foolish… I think you’d have enjoyed speaking with Kindness and Pride before all of this happened. They agree with you after all.” Fear replied as she bowed slightly, before gently pulling upon Zima. “Thank you for your kind and wise words.” She added softly.
Wapeka nodded and released her grip upon Fear. “You should know something else. I did not only dream of walking upon the wind but also of the dancing sky and one other…” She paused, as if trying to find the right words. “I dreamt of red hair and frozen tears, shattered amongst ice. Of a black crown broken but reforged. Death was there as a grinning skull, whose laugh was terrible to my ears. Gold streaks ran like lightning, piercing death’s very throne before being consumed by a serpent. All faded to the drumming of violence, drowning in an ocean of fiery red.” She grew solemn. “Do with that what you will but be careful.”
“You, umm, be careful too… I’ve lost faith in the Divine, and Homura doesn’t really care whether we live or die. I’ll be praying for all of you though.” Fear said, averting her gaze and pondering in pensive silence afterwards.
Zima coughed awkwardly. "W-What she means is that we will do our best to stop Ch- Death… Whether we succeed or fail, we will at least try. Thank you for your wisdom Wapeka. May your children grow healthy." Zima then gave a small bow to the larger Childan woman.
"I do not know the Spirit Mother as you do." Wapeka said, "But right now we only have faith. Faith and hope. Go now and defeat the monster in the North. He sits at the very center, where nothing but ice dwells. Go and fight, we are all counting on you. Go… and may the spirits be with you, for we shall not meet again in this life, whatever happens." Wapeka leaned back and looked out at the open door. The light captured her in such a way that Zima swore she could have been such a spirit but with a gentle tug from Fear they were gone, leaving the warrior to her solace.
“Zima…” Fear whispered, as the two of them came to halt when Fear suddenly stopped walking after wandering aimlessly through the empty passages of Skydancer. Her stance was rigid, yet there was a subtle indication in her demeanor that suggested she would topple from the slightest shove.
Then she closed her eyes, and let out a long breath as her body ventilated the turmoil within her. Soon afterwards, she opened her eyes, and stared at Zima with uncertainty before she asked the question that tormented her so much. “Should we really face our parents?”
Her spirit companion looked back at her, eyes turning soft. She echoed Wapeka’s words, “What does your heart tell you?”
Fear winced, fragile and trembling.
“I want to fly away… My heart is telling me to find a new home. Somewhere far from those that would hurt me. All I know is I just can’t stay here with them.” She said hesitantly, and found that she could shed no new tears, nor could she proceed forward further towards whatever awaited her. She had been transformed into a statue because of her sorrow, trapped by what seemed a timeless grief. Despite her statement, Fear stayed where she stood, frozen.
Zima walked to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, one hand upon her back and another on her head. The spirit leaned her own head upon her own and sighed, “Look at us. We are a mess, aren’t we?” A small chuckle escaped her. “No.” Zima stated suddenly. “I don’t think we should, to answer your earlier question.’ She ran her hand through Fear’s hair. “They aren’t our parents anymore, Fear. If they ever were. We are simply their creations. I would fly away with you, to a new home. To start over.” She sighed again. “But we must ask ourselves this; If we run, who else will face them? There is no right decision, Fear. One way or another, the past will catch up to us, whether we run or fight.”
Fear convulsed briefly before she shook and swiftly pushed Zima away. “Listen, I want you two to find Mother and confront her, ya. She’s the only one that can win against Chailiss.” Fear said, but it was Courage that spoke through her and continued. “I don’t like running away, but everyone else seems to support it, aside from pipsqueak - so cowards, all of them. The small one is wiser than all of us, and she’s saying there’s nowhere for you to go, so stop being so foolish!”
Courage scowled at Zima, until she gave a cheeky grin and faded back into the depths as Fear resurfaced before stumbling forward with fatigue. Zima caught her and resumed holding her. “It isn’t foolish to wish for something better.” She whispered. “I will follow you, Fear, with whatever you wish to do.” Zima reassured.
Fear’s eyes shimmered as she pleaded, clutching her companion. “Get me out of here.”
“Very well.” Zima cooed, form fading into wind that wrapped all around Fear. In an instant they were flying down hallways, as Zima searched for an exit. It was difficult to discern which direction they were heading after meandering for an extended period of time, but they had only needed to find a window or doorway to escape the confines of the passages and structures.
The Ark itself lacked a ceiling, relying upon otherworldly power to prevent the cold and harsh weather from afflicting the interior and its inhabitants. Though it would be an arduous task to climb the imposing height of the outer walls, flight easily overcame that issue. As Zima soared higher, carrying Fear, there was no sight of the two demigods that could intervene in their departure. They ascended above the walls and flew forth farther until they were outside the shimmering barrier of Skydancer.
The Ark vanished immediately with only a small light visible on the horizon indicating its presence as it left them behind. The transition from traveling at such an incredible speed to a much-more slower pace in comparison caused the two of them to be forcibly carried along by inertia for a period, before there was a time to take in their surroundings.
They hovered above a sea of clouds, beneath the night sky filled with dancing stars, and ahead of the dark storms hailing from the North. The wind was howling all around them, and the warmth that Skydancer offered was gone, leaving Fear with an uncontrollable shivering and emptiness. “We need to find shelter!” She called out, as she flailed helplessly.
Zima descended or at least it seemed like that. But caught in the storm such as that, even she was disorientated. “I don’t know which way is which anymore!” Zima yelled above the howling. “Why don’t we ju-” She was cut off by a very strange sound. Like fabric being torn. A pale light lingered bright before them and then something dark snatched them up. Zima cried out but it sounded muffled and they were pulled into oblivion.
Where once there was an endless blizzard, now there was only white. She thought herself dead for a moment but her hand found the familiar shape of Fear and she sat up. It was then she realized just what had happened. For, sitting upon a throne before them, lording over his cold domain was death himself. Chailiss was still cloaked in a hood of night but his armor was revealed for all to see still. A woman stood next his throne as well, wearing a raggedy dress and striking golden hair. She kept her eyes to the floor.
Perhaps even more alarming was the creature that lay at the foot of his throne. Monstrously twisted, with too many teeth and too many claws and far too many eyes. Its blood stained the ice black and it's very smell fouled the air. Another hung suspended by black chains to a pillar of ice to the right of the throne, dead as well. It was the first time Zima felt a fear she had never known. Primal.
”Welcome to the Palace of Rime.” His voice sounded all around them, from every direction. Dead and emotionless as ever. ”You have survived against all odds and have surmounted the very essence of death. Were it not Viho who told me of his failure, you would have been left very much alone… Daughters.” His fingers snapped. ”I have decided to reward you for your effort. A proper death you will have.”
Something dropped from the ceiling and landed before them. Zima gasped. It was Viho but… He no longer wore a helmet. Instead he wore a crown of ice, reversed so the horns pierced his head. He looked upon them with a lifeless look, like he was no longer even there. ”This time, Viho will not disobey.” Chailiss said and true to his word, The owl champion rushed forth.
“I’m not dying here!” Courage rebuked, as Fear receded inwards. “Come at me, ya.” The brash champion said with a fierce grin as she prepared to fight her foe by adopting a combative stance.
Before she clashed with Viho, she held out her hand and another aspect of her mind telepathically reached out to Zima. “This is not a fight we can win, but Shysie said that Aurora was able to help the others escape. We should seek her out in order to flee.” Pride swiftly explained, with her ethereal words accompanied by the quieter voices of the rest of the Sacred Septet and an even quieter Fear that wept from within the depths of her being.
A talon landed where Zima had been moments before as she jumped backwards. She was scared, anxious but more importantly, she was angry. But less so at her once father or even Viho. As the controlled champion mounted his assault, Zima turned to Fear’s body and yelled. “STOP IT!” She buffeted air at the owl, casting him off balance before she continued on, “Leave her alone! Leave her mind! Let her body be free! You’re not helping here, you’re making everything worse!” Viho slashed out at her. Zima barely had time to come up with a shield of air that once hit, drove her backwards. “Please!” she cried out.
“That’s the plan!” Courage growled back as she focused on maintaining a distance between her and Viho, currently lacking the power to defend herself against the assault of a revenant without any connection to the Phoenix.
“Fear knows how to handle this!” Zima rebounded, flying out of Viho’s way as he flew towards Fear. She flung more wind at him but it glanced off. They had to get that crown off of him. It was the only way to reach who he was underneath. As she gathered more wind to her side, pain flared in her chest again, catching her off guard. She almost stumbled but remained standing, if not for herself, then for her friend.
“Come on, Fear! You can do this! Your family believes in you!” Courage added as she avoided directly engaging Viho, and evaded him until she was beside Zima again. “We never fought beside each other before I died, so I still don’t trust you, but both you and Fear need to survive, ya. Let’s fight together now, one last time.” She said, and offered a supportive hand out, however the gesture was quickly interrupted by the fact that they were involved in a fight.
Viho pulsed, waves of dark energy were unleashed from his being. Zima sent up a wall of ice that began to shatter almost immediately. It was a constant struggle but she gritted her spiritual teeth and said, "Fear. You can do this, okay? Remember…" She let out a breath of frustration as the attack strengthened as Viho grew closer. "Remember Wapeka's words. Remember what the Voiran's said? Believe in yourself!" The ice wall shattered and before she could make another, Viho struck. Or he tried to as Zima now used a wall of air to stop him. Her voice became strained, "I need you… To protect me. Please!" The air grew weaker, it wouldn't be long.
The Black Gauntlet smashed into the side of Viho’s head, as it blazed with the crimson flames of spirit. “I’m going to attempt to translate the mumblings of Fear and protect you!” Courage declared when she fell back to the frigid floor, and then dashed to impose herself between Zima and the cursed owl champion.
“Firstly, Fear wants to say she never meant to hurt you! Saint’s Sixfold Smash!” She shouted at Viho, before she lunged forward and punched him in the chest numerous times, followed by swiftly leaping backwards when he retaliated. Even as she eluded him, the exuded taint of the revenant reached and spread across where she struck him. Her hits would have enough strength to push him temporarily, providing ever so slight some respite, but it was a battle of attrition wherein she would soon be defeated.
“Secondly, she’s saying she can’t save you, but that’s a lie! I think she’s trying to anyway… Five-Fingered Penitent Palm of Peace!” Courage continued charging forward, and thrusting her palm into Viho’s chest again again, with enough force to toss him back into the walls of the palace.
Zima realized two things as Viho hit the wall. His mind was not there, any attempts to break through would be pointless. She also understood what they needed to do. Break the crown. So Zima did the only thing she knew how to do in such times. She forged a shimmering spear from the hard ice and held it, poised to throw. She turned to the Courage Fear and shouted, "Toss me at the crown. It's the only way!" Her fingers let loose the spear, and it sailed not at Viho but at her companion. Before it got too far away, she became the spear by possessing it. Echoes of the past entered her mind, as the same thing had happened with Mish so long ago.
This time would be different.
It had to be.
Viho uprighted himself and began to fly over to them.
Courage surged towards the spear that was her companion, and grasped it firmly, staring at the artifact before turning her gaze to her target. “Try not to break, ya.” She muttered to Zima, as she reached back and then threw the spear with the last of her strength towards the crown while chanting another spell.
“Final Life-Lance of the Fiery Faithful!”
Zima further propelled the spear and it flew faster than any mortal could see. Within seconds she smashed into the crown. There was a sound asking of ice cracking and then an explosion of shattering ice echoed throughout the throne room, shards flying everywhere as both Zima and the crown broke.
For her part she was not on fire this time but she wasn't entirely safe either as she hung in the air, motionless. Everything hurt and the pain in her chest was the worst she had ever felt, throbbing like a pulse of fire. Groggy, she turned to see what had become of Viho.
The revenant was motionless as well, slumped over on the floor. He looked as if he would not stir but a sudden jolt brought him upright and his eyes lingered on Fear.
“I can fight like this forever, so just break your curse and come back, ya.” Courage said, before her body convulsed and her features twisted as the red flames surrounding her dispersed. “Please come back to me, Viho.” Fear whimpered as she fell to her knees, only capable of slowly crawling towards the owl champion.
Viho ruffled his feathers and approached her warily. Zima tried to float closer but she was too weak to really move, less so speak. Her head was beginning to ring something fierce. She could only watch whatever was about to happen and she hated it.
“I’m drowning… Dark… And it was warm, and we were going to fly.” Fear feebly murmured, dragging herself along the frigid floor. “Fly away...” She cried, with one unsteady hand raised, stretched out as if to reach for and touch the too far away Viho - before her limb fell limp and she shivered while quietly sobbing.
Viho came over her now as she cried, a looming shadow of dark. He had said nothing for a long time, even as Zima watched on, every moment of potential dread growing closer. She was inching closer but far too slow.
“It’s… It’s what I wanted too.” Viho said, head dipped low.
Fear struggled to speak and overcome her despair, clenching her hands into quivering fists. Half of her words were conveyed through telepathy as she sniveled and choked too much to be completely coherent. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”
“You’re… Sorry?” Viho asked in a forlorn voice.
“I only did hurt you in the end, so forgive me.” Fear continued faintly, intoning through a weak mental link as her body remained locked in small spasms of sorrow and agony.
“How can I forgive you… If I can’t forgive myself?” he asked, voice full of grief. “If I had been there… If I hadn’t… If I… If I…”
“It’s not your fault.” Fear reassured him.
“But I…” The revenant paused in thought, then he fell, slumping to the ground again. He spasmed, eyes flickering behind closed lids. He hissed to himself and cried out in all manner of pain and horror. Then he grew deathly still for a long while until his eyes flickered open, revealing them to be blue and luminous.
He stood, shedding his blackened feathers for his true visage. He took a breath of fresh air and looked at Fear with all the admiration in the world. She had done it and it filled Zima with a sense of pride.
“Would you watch over me as I sleep?” Fear asked, her fatigue seeping into her internal voice as well. Though she lacked the strength to move, there was a glimmer of joy as she looked up at the freed owl champion.
“Of course… My lo-” Viho began to say, before what seemed like a quiet beam of blue light washed over him. It was over in a second as a loud roar washed over the room, deafening all before it halted. Where once there had been Viho… Now only ash remained, floating down and onto Fear. The spirit blinked, wondering what had just happened, trying to understand what she had just witnessed. That wasn’t supposed to happen… Zima muffled a scream, covering her mouth as her attention fell upon the dark god upon his throne. She had forgotten just who they were at the mercy of and it had been a fatal mistake.
”A failure in life and in death.” Chailiss’ cold voice washed over them. ”I had hopes he would have been of further use but that has gone on long enough.”
Fear rolled onto her back and sluggishly brought her hands together in silent prayer to the Snow Shepherd, the cold yet compassionate god she was once familiar with. She spoke to Zima, mentally whispering fond words of gratitude and a yearning for more time together - it felt too brief to her.
She sensed her inner flames dwindle, and her red features began to fade, but she could not resist the temptation of slumber for much longer. “I wonder if I’ll become a revenant.” She teased telepathically.
“No!” Zima cried out. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me! You promised, you promised to protect me! Don’t break that promise!” her tears froze as they fell. Her strength was little but the rush of feelings overcame her sense of weariness and she was at Fear’s side in short time. She gripped her friend, moving the hair from her eyes. “Don’t leave me all alone in this place.” she begged.
”Savor the death of it all.” Chailiss rambled, ”Her fever dies with her and that pain will wash over you like an ocean.” Zima paid no attention to his cruel words, even as he began to laugh.
“You’re stuck with me…” Fear said, before the almost hushed voices of her sisters joined in the telepathic conversation, mentioning their desire to say their final words as well. Fear’s eyes opened, and she lethargically adjusted herself. “Zima, could you help me raise my arm and point at him.” One of them asked, presumably Courage based on her tone, though it was difficult since it seemed all of them wanted to speak at once.
Zima dipped her head low and after a few painful seconds of contemplation, she did as asked with ginger tenderness. She got behind Fear and propped her up into her lap, head resting on her chest as one arm wrapped around her waist. The other lifted her arm and they both looked upon the cold god. It was there that something caught her eye. Someone short and pale was sneaking into the room, quiet as a mouse. Zima’s eyes almost went wide but she had to be calm. She could not let her father know for it was their only chance.
Fear spoke as she pointed, her voice barely audible even without the cruel laughter of Chailiss echoing all around. “You’re an asshole… and the greatest fool.”
The god’s laugh stopped, deranged as it was. ”Would you like to know who the biggest fool here is?” he asked without waiting for an answer. ”You and your collective. Homura sought to bring life, unmolested to this material plane. She failed, miserably. She never understood that life was the problem all along. Turmoil, strife, pain, suffering… All needless, all pointless.” he waved his hand in dismissal. ”To protect life is to be part of the disease. Your mission upon the Galbar was doomed from the very start. You, who could never grow or change in any capacity, stuck like children, following a Goddess who only ever cared for her own divine path. Perhaps it is mercy that you should die now, Fear, whilst the others suffer their failures until I come for them.” His laugh began again, maniacal and boisterous. But it was in the hubris that the figure skirted ever closer, now behind the throne, waiting… waiting for what? She briefly stared, long enough to recognize those eyes. Burning blue with vengeance.
It was Mair.
Zima looked away and back at Chailiss. “You’re mind’s gone Chailiss. My father loved and protected life! He was just as sad and angry as I was when the bjork were murdered by Phelenia! You attacked her, you tried to save them! Now you’re only a monster!”
Chailiss stood abruptly, the air even colder, if that was even possible. ”Your father was weak. He lacked the will to see that death was the only solution to this crisis we face. Once this fever is gone… There will only be blissful peace. What I strove for all these eons. If you could see it… You would thank me.” he raised his hand, a glistening pendant shone from the palm of his gauntlet. ”You should have stayed dead.” The words stung but she looked at him with defiance.
“Life doesn’t need… a cure.” Fear whispered, knowing that Chailiss would hear regardless of how faint her voice was, and she simultaneously telepathically shared with Zima: “I’m glad you’re with me.” The words from her mind were suffused with joy, even though she couldn’t stir her body as the flames within her dwindled more and more, and the sentiment was echoed by the quiet voices of her sisters abandoning whatever grudges they had held against Zima.
“I…” Zima’s voice caught in her throat. “I am too.” She bent to kiss Fear’s brow as the pendant’s power stirred. The dark god said nothing as those last few moments slowed. She briefly looked to Mair, a glimmer of hope in her heart and much to her surprise… She was gone. Had she just imagined it? A small sigh escaped Zima’s lips before it was graced with a smile and she looked at Fear.
Only Fear.
The blue light flew to the side of them, the raw power making her jump. It had… Missed?
Her eyes shot to Chailiss to find that she had not imagined Mair but the woman was a Raven, falling from where Chailiss had been pointing at them. Had she… had she knocked the beam out of the way? In a mad dash, the God swung his arm again and fired, this time at Mair, but she was an apt flier and managed to evade before the room exploded into a thousand different colors. Chailiss stumbled backwards, as if struck or mesmerized and then the light show concentrated itself upon him and with a tremendous rush of air, it thrust itself at his being. Within seconds he had disappeared into a whirlwind… No, a dance of colors! Mair landed next to them and placed a hand upon Fear before Zima could even react. She said nothing but her face became strained as a bit of color, which almost seemed impossible, was lost on her face. Instead, that energy went into Fear. Was she helping her fire?
Before there was anytime to see, the God roared and the colorshow, so impossibly mesmerizing, came to an end. A stranger slid across the ice and almost collided with Mair, until she caught her. She looked… Almost like a Childan but far too exotic with her hair and skin color and she was far too short. She looked even worse then Zima felt but had she truly been the one to have just saved them? Or…
Her head spun to her once-father and she gasped. For he still stood, cloak removed from his head to reveal a terrible sight. A flaming skull of death looked upon them, ringed with black and blue smoke. It was unmoving as it looked upon them, yet his shoulders heaved in anger and he raised his hand again. Except, there was no pendant upon it.
Chailiss seemed to notice and Zima looked to the stranger but both she and Mair were looking in a different direction. Past Chailiss, to the woman she had almost forgotten. The god spun and froze as he saw her pick up the pendant. It slowly became a box in her grasp, a terrible thing.
”Zenia…” he spoke, moving a step forward, arm outstretched. ”Give the box to me.” he commanded, voice growing with anger. Zenia, had she not heard of the one who had also helped make the north? That was her… Wearing the face of a broken woman, who now held a most dangerous object in her grasp. ”Give it to me. Now.” He took another step forward but Zima realized that despite how broken she was, her eyes steeled themselves and she looked upon Chailiss with determination and spite.
Chailiss attempted to dash forth, moving his hand in such a way like he was flicking a pest but it was too late. The box exploded, unleashing the contents of its destruction upon him and it did not stop. It blew a hole into the very wall of the palace, stripped and melted away all the ice in its path. Water became steam and the screams of a god echoed throughout and it kept going even as those screams became weaker and weaker… Until they stopped.
Zima’s eyes began to hurt and she grew uncomfortable at the very heat it produced but then it abruptly ended and silence reigned. She waved her hand, controlling the wind to vanish and once it did, her eyes went wide. A massive crater existed where Chailiss had been, with him now gone, as if he had never existed. A great relief washed over Zima and she went to Zenia to see how she had fared but her heart sank just as quickly…
Zenia was dead. She had been pierced by the other weapon of Chailiss, through her heart and head. The box of calamity, now empty at her feet. She had died, making sure Chailiss went with her. Zima did not know if or even why she had done it but… She was thankful. Her attention then turned to Fear.
It seemed as though Fear had regained some of her strength, enough that she could stand on her own without aid at least, but noticeable was the drastic decrease in the length of her hair that was still stained scarlet by her inner fire. The anxious champion glanced over the strange and harrowing scene before asking aloud with concern. “Are they truly gone?”
Zima joined her. “I… I think so.” She then looked at Mair as she helped the stranger to her feet and supported her. The woman was haggard but smiling.
“And good riddance.” Mair spat.
“How did you… Who is… What happened?” Zima said, a thousand questions running in her mind.
“Well… Zima.” Mair said, eyes narrowing. “Once I jumped ship with her doppelganger,” She pointed at Fear, “I came to rescue Aurora.” The woman waved. “And we came up with a plan… Well. I was going to get her out of here but then we heard the commotion. You provided a wonderful distraction, though… I am sorry about Viho. I never knew him but he seemed noble. Less cursed then you two, at least. But anyways, we came up with the plan. Aurora was supposed to grab the pendant but… It still worked out. Now we need to go. I don’t want to be in this place any longer.”
“You… you aren’t still trying to kill me?” Zima asked, hesitance in her voice.
“That depends…” Mair looked at her with anger. “Did Shysie get to Rowan?”
Words caught in Zima’s throat as a terrible realization dawned upon her. She glanced at Fear, unsure of what to say.
“Rowan is safe with Wapeka the Brave, but Shysie was slain by a horde of monsters created by Chailiss.” Fear answered solemnly.
“She sacrificed herself to save the Childan from a certain doom. She chose to die with her sisters, giving us all time to escape. Mair… She said…” Mair began to shake her head, eyes watering. “She said she loved you. I’m so sorry.”
“No… no no no!” Mair shouted. “Why didn’t you save them! Why didn’t you save her! You’re no better than you were!” She blasted Zima with fire, as Aurora wrestled with her to stop. Zima fell in agony as the flame bit at her.
“You’re a monster! The both of you! We should have let you die!” She screamed, easily overpowering Aurora to stand before Zima and Fear.
Fear endeavored to interpose herself between Zima and the enraged Revenger, holding her hands outwards before she hastefully bowed. “We can still save her, Mair. We can save her together.” She said, retaining her vulnerable stance, so that Mair could easily strike her down should the Voiran wish to do so.
Mair stared Fear down, poised to engulf her in fire. She seemed to be heavily conflicted, her nose flaring with brewing anger. Once again the great silence beckoned to them, as they were once again on the threshold of death. Zima tried to speak but the fire was not the only thing that pained her anymore. She looked down at her chest, to see the glimmering veins of gold pulsing across and within her wispy form. The dart… She realized… The song the dark ones sang was of a slow, painful death and she, their victim. She looked back up at the scene unfolding and realized that Mair was not going to see reason.
The flame around the avenger’s hand grew and raised to thrust it upon Fear but again, they were saved by Aurora, who grabbed Mair’s ankle. In a flash, the angry flamekeeper was carried away by a thousand lights of beautiful colors. Then she was gone and three remained. Aurora smiled weekly and sat up and sighed.
Zima sighed as well, delayed was her end but it was nearing. She struggled to sit up and sought Fear’s help. Neither of them possessed much strength, but by relying upon each other they were not as weak, and so Fear knelt beside her evidently seeking a way to alleviate the pain. “How can I heal you?” She hesitantly asked.
It took Zima a few moments to collect herself. “Just… Just be by my side?” She asked with a small smile, hiding the growing affliction she carried.
Fear replied with a smile as well, sharing one word with her through telepathy; “Always.” Then she turned to look at Aurora and expressed her gratitude with another slight bow. “Thank you for saving us, sister.”
The girl nodded, staring at them for a time, her gaze holding more on Zima than Fear. She said nothing looked back towards the throne. Then she went to stand and beckoned to them to follow. Zima shared a curious look with Fear but likewise began to step after her.
They walked around the giant crater, wherein they crossed the threshold of the throne. Aurora paused to look at Zenia, bending down to close her eyes, and move the hair from her face. She then continued on, walking behind the throne to an icy doorway. She walked through, Zima and Fear following behind. The stairs seemed endless and after a time, Aurora began to slow down, each step a difficult endeavor.
Sensing her discomfort, Zima prodded Fear to hurry and catch her, where Zima wrapped an arm around her, to support her. Aurora looked taken by surprise but nodded in thanks, as sweat crested her brow.
It was a long while later before they finally entered another doorway, this time with a door. Aurora paused before it, letting go of Zima. She pushed on the door and they came into a very odd sight. A room full of odd trinkets, covered in a thin layer of frost. The odd trinkets in the dark interior turned out to be more or less just clutter. Empty bottles of some sort, far too many to count. A large cave lay in a corner, ripped apart. Was that where she had been held captive?
She led them further in, to the opposite end. There they found an even stranger sight. It was a sleeping woman in a bed that was far too large and far too fine, woven in gold and materials Zima could not make out. The pillows did look inviting, she had to note but otherwise, it was a morbid scene. The woman looked like Aurora, so much so it could have been her sister or even her mother. Aurora seemed to slump her shoulders, and then turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked at them expectantly.
“Why won’t she wake?” Fear asked.
Aurora looked sad at that and twirled her fingers in her palm as if she was dancing. Then the dance ended and her fingers fell quiet. She looked at them again.
"She danced and then fell asleep?" Zima asked.
Aurora nodded her head and then pointed to herself before placing her hand upon the bed.
Zima's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? Can you speak?" She asked.
Aurora shook her head and opened her mouth to reveal pearly teeth and a tongue that had been cut. She then closed her mouth and pointed at herself again before pointing at the ground this time.
Zima was taken aback. Had she been born without a tongue or had… The thought was appalling but there was no depth that monster would not go. She looked to Fear, to see if she knew what she was trying to say.
Fear glanced back, and shook her head. “We can’t save her… I can’t heal wounds like the others. I can translate what she means though.”
Aurora grabbed Fear’s hands with her own and shut her eyes. Zima did not know what was happening but she waited patiently, if not a little nervous either but even that was drowning in her pain.
Fear began to speak, imparting what she was told through telepathy to Zima. “She’s saying thank you for helping her. That she is going to stay here with Rosalind. She’s also offering to send us somewhere safe, away from here.”
"You're staying?" Zima asked with sadness in her voice, "Why would you…?" She shook her head. "Why not come with us? See Mair again? She'll need a friend now more than ever." Aurora nodded.
Fear continued to convey Aurora's answer. “She says she isn’t going to leave Rosalind alone either, and that Mair will heal with enough time. Mair was sent to Skydancer, to be with Rowan. She wishes for us to honor her choice…”
Zima squeezed her chest, a bout of pain hitting her but she remained standing and after a time, nodded. "If that's what she wishes… Then we should honor that choice." She deflated a little. "I know where to go but… It might only be a one way trip." She looked at Fear. "I would not ask you to join me, even now but the choice is yours."
“I’m with you.” Fear replied, attempting a reassuring smile that seemed as paradoxically strong and frail as the anxious champion herself.
Zima did not return her smile but looked to the floor briefly. It scared her, knowing what was to happen there. The pain in her body would only lead to one place…She looked to Fear and nodded. In her heart she knew even now the anxious champion would never have chosen differently. Zima just wished it wasn't so.
Aurora outstretched her hand to her and Zima took it. The spirit found that the girl was cold to the touch but her grip was firm, almost reassuring. The light around them began to spin, growing with colors and intensity.
Fear repeated the last thoughts she heard from Aurora as she and Zima were sent away with a powerful spell, it was like riding a river of colorful light that led to anywhere they wanted to be. “She’s happy that she was able to meet us, especially you Zima. She wants us to remember how happy she was, knowing she saw her older sister as she was, instead of the monster so many thought of her. This is farewell… May we meet again in another life.”
The realization was numbing, to say the least but Zima’s tears fell no more. She was just as happy, in a way but full of regret. As the lights carried them far away, she grabbed Fear’s hand and dreaded what was coming. Before long, like a sudden jolt, they stood in a field of endless sorrow.
Aurora was tired, truth be told, sending Zima and Fear away was the only bit of strength she had left. Groggily, she began to fall, catching the bed as she went down. Her legs had given out and she could only give a small, knowing laugh in return. She sat there for who knows how long, contemplating what had occurred.
Chailiss was gone, slain by one he had abused so often. She was amazed Zenia had not snapped earlier but maybe she had been waiting for an opportunity? No one would know but Aurora liked to think she did care, despite all those times she didn’t.
A sigh escaped her lips. She missed the sound of her voice. Sure, she could still talk but it wasn’t the same. Nothing really was.
Composing herself, she grabbed the sheets on the bed and pulled herself up with a groan. Even that was physically debilitating, but she wasn’t done yet. The girl, who had only mastered her powers through tragedy, nestled herself up to the one she loved the most. It was there, in that silent embrace that she slept at last.
Despite it all, a part of her danced.
Fear and Zima meet Wapeka and she has another prophecy. Fear gets really overwhelmed and asks Zima to take her away from Skydancer and the influence of her sister’s, so Zima does so and they get swept out into an endless blizzard, only to be snatched up by Chailiss. In his castle of Rime, they fight a mind-controlled Viho. They break his mind control and Fear turns him back to good, but then he dies by Chailiss. Zima and Fear are about to die when Mair and Aurora save them, swiping the box of calamity from Chailiss, only for it to land in front of Zenia, who then uses it to destroy Chailiss. She dies in the process. Mair gets mad when she finds out Shysie died and Aurora sends her away before she kills Fear. Aurora takes them up to Rosalind and translates through Fear, she says she is staying and then sends them away.
Fear =6 -2 Spirit to fight against Viho. +4
The Sacred Septet =6 -5 to enhance the strength of its members. +2
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