There are a few assumptions here that might seem logical but are wrong when looked at the past examples of the five Divinus RPs that happened. I think I had this same discussion with Crispy way earlier in the conceptual phase of Mk 3
We have had plenty of gods of things that would only exist much later, and none had trouble justifying themselves. Because landscaping, shaping the flora, fauna, creating species, are all aspects free for all gods to do. So what does a god of blacksmithing does? He makes sure there will be metals. A god of agriculture might want to make lush plains that will be fit for farming and to explore the world for plants that can be tamed. A god of justice might start working on creating divine enforcers in the form of angels and then make a mountain chain that nests the main fortress of said angels.
You yourself touch this.
Yet the conditions for some gods to start their work will not be built for some time.
And who must make sure the conditions are met?
Now, why MK3 is so primordial focused? I can see a few reasons.
For Mk2 players, you have the fact Mk2, of all divinus games, reached the most technological and social advancement in the three years it lasted. For the last year and a half it basically evolved into a lot of mortal interaction, nation-building focused RPs, and so on. A lot of players might want a change of pace, and thus, go for something entirely different than what they did before.
For new players, well, its hard to judge, each has their backgrounds. Some came from other God RPs that worked very differently, like Tabrasa, others come from Nation RPs, which have a focus on territorialism, which might make the lure of sticking your flag on something primordial seem like a good opening move.
Then there is the ground of the power downgrade gods received, making it so a primordial realm has clear cut utility while a more complex one needs a lot of justification. I think that has to do with a mindset of abilities and portfolios as RPG-like skills instead of tools of roleplay that will define how your god move, fight, rest, blesses, curses, among many other things.
So what are people gunning for in terms of second portfolios?
Landmarks! It's a fitting theme, will help out with the construction of M E G A L I T H S, and since portfolios define what sort of Holy Site you can have, I think a Landmark Holy Site would be cool.
Then I will be focusing on something to help me finish a trio for the Travel cluster. I think Sailing is a big theme. Though I also consider Cartography and Roads.
Just out of curiosity, is anybody going for birds?
Just gonna drop some tech trees here. For reference. Since I think actually developing society from the stone age into the bronze age properly is more fun than just saying "uhh, I tech my dudes how to melt rock."
Originally the current one, Tsoti, was supposed to be longer. I will add a break to it, deal with a few plot threads earlier, and do a little summary post that sets up the ground for the next part (which is the second to last to where I want to end these posts) I will ping Slime and Fretz and whoever else wants a pick up point when I make it.
She who walks the frontier. The middle. The mercenary. The wanderer.
Sphere
► The Purlieu (Chthonic Sphere, near the surface of Galbar) ◀
These are untamable wildlands that deny the civilized of their little delusions. The most refined of metals rust away in days, mighty forts crumble into ruins covered in weeds in mere weeks. This is however not a land of entropy, but instead, an ever-shifting frontier with jungles, swamps, forests, oceans and mountains rising and disappearing, in a constant churn of new and unknown lands, home to the most fierce of storms and beasts.
It connects itself with Galbar at random, mimicking a misty forest or lone road so people walk into the endless wilds without even noticing, or luring ships to its shores once they no longer have the eyesight of any true land.
It is where the seasons go to when they are not ruling over Galbar.
Portfolio(s)
► Passage ◀
‘Passage’ is perhaps the core aspect of travel, it is the process of moving forward, the act of going through or past something plus the obstacles and permissions that need to be dealt with to avoid stillness, it lacks the aimlessness of wander but also has no objective like a journey. The passage is ultimately transition, the middle point when one has left behind the safeness of stability but have yet to establish a new routine, a concept focused only in the present, with the start and the end being merely eventualities.
It rules and guides those who are away from both their home and their destination, in that fragile moment where they are left only with the most essential of their survival. Those who offend the goddess or have wronged honest travellers will often find themselves stuck in this transient state, straying off their intended path or never once again satisfied with the familiar.
► Innate Traveler (Travel, Acclimatization) While all gods are skilful travellers, this one is a bit more. They may walk over raging rivers and lava with the ease of walking on still water or walk across storms and blizzards unphased. This, however, does not make them faster, just stops their normal godly speed and senses from being reduced in extreme environments.
► Free Passage (Travel) A short blink-like ability. This deity may enter into any closed room, walled area, cavern, among other areas, provided they are near the boundaries and that there is a passage into it, it does not matter if it is as small as a nail sized hole. (It doesn't get into the subatomic level, things considered 'vacuum sealed' are immune to this.)
► Pathfinder (Travel, Senses) A metaphysical sense that naturally finds passages and paths across the landscape, even if the deity has never seen the location before.
► One With The Road (Travel) This deity can traverse mortal-made roads with ease, at speeds faster than the godly default. This ability is enhanced by the presence of wayside shrines to this deity.
► Gatekeeper (Senses) This deity gets a small peek into any mortal that cross a gate, doorway or other similar passages within her surroundings. It is also possible to mark a few gates or doors to connected with no matter the distance.
► Passport (Mind Reading) This deity may discover the location of origin, the settlements which they have visited and the desired destination of any mortal within her sight without having to focus to perform mind reading.
► Deny Passage (Travel) Provided the deity has within her range something that can be defined as a passage, be it a strait, bridge, or gate (which include actual gates or things such as two boulders on opposites side of a road) this deity might set up something to deny passage at their discretion. This can include magical barriers, smiting (in the form of strong winds, crashing waves, flash floods) or curses. If this is an innate ability (portfolio related), spending might on it makes it so it may target any marked passage even if the deity is not near it.
► Trailblazer (Travel, Divine Trail... ish?) When walking into wildlands, this deity may leave behind paths that look as if they were made by herds of animals. This does not count as a mortal road for any travel ability.
► Innate Mutations (Mutation) • Internal Compass (Example: Birds with Magnetoreception) • Location Memory (May remember paths they traversed, where they were born, etc. Example: Sea Turtles) • Genetic Path Memory (Example: Monarch Butterflies multi-generation migration patterns from Mexico to the United States) • Enhanced Stamina • Innate Wanderlust • Migratory Animal • Misc Mutations related to overcoming passages (Make things as invasive as cockroaches and mice, or as persevering as salmon jumping up a waterfall)
► Innate Blessings and Curses • Sense of direction: May alter one's ability to know where they are and the path they must take. Can keep someone on track even under heavy fog or make it so they are lost even in their own neighbourhood. • Traveller luck: How likely one is to cross path with bandits, to slip down while crossing a river, to find a tree fallen in the middle of the road.
► Sacred Paths (Blessings and Curses) When doing a greater blessing/curse (using might) this deity can choose to apply it to an entire road.
► Innate Expert Crafts and Skills • Building Bridges, Palisades/Gates, and Tunnels. (Passage makers/deniers) • Defining and building things with the aspect of calendars, such as interactions with equinoxes and seasons (Passage of time) • Expert traveller, swimmer, climber, door kicker.
Persona
Chaotic Neutral. She self-describes herself as ‘simple’, she seeks that which she likes, food, carouse, love, combat, treasure, and has no time for intrigues and otherworldly concepts. She is a wanderer, finding herself at home in the frontier between wilderness and civilization, this habit is half wanderlust and curiosity, half boredom and dissatisfaction.
For one with such a focus on personal joy, the deity is not always pleasant company. Ever frowning, she is abrasive and judgemental, and to those who fall on her bad side, she is cruel, firmly believing certain lessons can only be taught by the medium of anguish. Sometimes she can be encouraging, telling others to keep trying and that not all is lost, and yet other times she can be extremely confrontational, questioning people on how sure they are and if they are not just wasting what little time they have as mortals, or sometimes taking beliefs and making one suffer by the logical extremes of their own ideas. While there is an aspect of changing the mood to this, there is also a certain method, as she is friendly to the unsure and antagonistic to certainty and social entropy.
As a deity, Urhu’s paradoxes show up the most. With a slight acosmist view, taking all at face value, finding it all dull excuses for power, believing the universe is a kratocracy but hating all hypocritical order established by might, it is complicated to establish a consistent approach to divinity. As such, her realm of overseeing travels is both one of blessing and one of extortion. She is not haughty towards mortals but knows they are not equals, yet she does prefer the mortal realm to the godly spheres, travelling mortal lands as a lowly traveller, expecting basic hospitality to be kept, and if it is not, it will be enforced.
Form and Appearance
The goddess’ main form is that of a tall human, with freckled light brown skin and hazel eyes, preferring to keep her brown hair braided even if she allows it to be unkempt. Along with mortals, she likes to dress no different than what a local hunter might wear, albeit an accomplished hunter, on more divine occasions she prefers a clashing style of loose and light textiles with accessories of thick leather and adornments in precious metals.
I myself will keep posting here until a certain point of Mesathalassa's history. Though I will also do MKIII. I made my character in a way that is not too intensive so I think I can handle it.
Lord Zee
Ashh
Frettzo
Vec
