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In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay

Gibbou, Cadien and Fe’ris



“H-hello?” cooed the frightened moon goddess through a number of sobs as she collected herself off the stoney ground. Behind her, the portal back to the dark side of the Moon hummed faithfully and unmoving, as if beckoning her to return - to forget about this place and to remember the safety of her home and--

She completely ignored those thoughts, desperate and starved for attention and contact. She almost clawed herself forward before she realised she could, in fact, stand, and proceeded to run forward, waving her hands wildly while shouting, “Hello?! Is anybody out there?! It’s me! Gibbou! I exist again! Anyone?!”

Then suddenly, Cadien landed directly in her path, having leapt from the other side of the arena to meet her. “Hello th-” he began to greet her, before she collided into him and sent both of them to the ground. Gibbou shook her head wildly to shake off the dizziness, then focused her eyes forward to see Cadien. Without even thinking, she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around his torso with a squeal.

“OH, SISTER! A FAMILIAR FACE!” she screamed victoriously as her hands nearly clawed up his back, weeping giddy tears like a waterfall.

Cadien looked at her in confusion, then slowly returned the hug. “I’m not your sister,” he said gently, “but everything should be alright now. Do you still remember my name?”

Realising how she probably came off, Gibbou tossed herself backwards as quickly as she had attacked him, then hesitantly tried to reach out to him again before sitting herself down for good. “Mhm! Of course I remember your name!” There was a pause, during which Gibbou’s face twisted around awkwardly. “... Carl, right?”

“Cadien,” he corrected, “but I suppose you were close, so you’re better off than some. Don’t worry. I remember you, Gibbou.” He smiled. “I see that time has done nothing to diminish your beauty.”

“Cadien! Right… And, uh… Thank you… For the compliment, I mean… And for remembering me.” The moon goddess’ face turned a shade of pinkish purple. “You’re still just as, uh, just as handsome, I think.”

Dusting himself off, Cadien rose to his feet, and extended a hand to help her up.

He then remembered the bat god, who was standing off to the side, nervously tapping his claws together beneath the gaudy cape he wore. Cadien wasn’t a love god, but he definitely knew shyness when he saw it.

“H-Hello, Gibbou,” stammered the extraordinarily red god, “You’re as lovely as your moon ever was.”

Gibbou looked up from Cadien to spot the bat-like humanoid behind him. Her eyes went wide with wonder as she was helped to her feet, shuffled over and took the bat god by his clawed hands. “You are the coolest, cutest thing I have ever seen - what’s your name?!” She was skipping giddily at the end of the sentence.

“I go by Fe’ris,” squeaked the god, all pretenses of dignity gone as he burrowed down into his cape, eyes barely peeping out. “And if my memory serves correctly, you created me. Or rather, you created the bat which went on to become me.”

The giddiness faded and Gibbou’s face lost all colour. Her grip loosened and she raised one hand to cover her mouth. “You mean… You mean you’re…” She stepped back a little and once again, her eyes welled up with tears of quartz. “... Oh, sister, the first life didn’t die.”

“Goodness, please don’t cry!” He took a lurching step toward her, then stopped himself, not sure how to comfort the teary goddess, or even if he should. “It’s perfectly alright. I quite enjoy existing! Your shaping gave me purpose and direction. Really, it’s a good thing that I went through what I did.”

“I’m so happy you exist!” Gibbou sobbed through the tears and shuffled almost zombie-like over to Fe’ris, arms presented to embrace him. “Imshoreliiiiiiiieeeeeved-uhuuuuuuuuh!”

He held her awkwardly, every part of his shape too sharp or too soft, too stiff or too flexible, but his eyes were shining as brightly as Gibbou’s moon. “It, it is, wuh, rather nice, to finally meet you,” he managed to get out, as he patted her on the back, not wanting to let go but also not knowing what to do. “Have you met Cadien before? A rather charming fellow, I must say.” Cadien, who had been awkwardly standing off to the side, perked up at the sudden mention of his name.

Gibbou turned her head around, regarding Cadien with swollen eyes. “Uh-huh… He tried to kissh me shome millennia back.” She ran her forearm under her nose with a long snort. “Oh, sheesh, sorry…” She distanced herself a bit from Fe’ris and sniffed. “My, uh, my manners have kinda… Died… Over the last millennia or so. Weird how that happens when you’re alone all the time, y’know.” She gave another snort. “So what’s up?”

“Well, none of us are alone anymore,” Cadien remarked. “And… I am sorry again for that incident,” he said, his cheeks reddening slightly. “I’ve been a bit starved for social contact myself, but that also gave me time to reflect on things, I suppose. Had plenty of time to remodel my realm, too. You’re both welcome to see it, at some point.”

“I should love to see it,” hissed Fe’ris through gritted teeth, still hung up on the “almost kissed Gibbou” thing. He took a step closer to the goddess. “I’m sure it’s perfect.”

Cadien raised his eyebrows. “...Is everything alright?” he asked after a moment’s pause. “Have I done something to offend you?”

Fe’ris sniffed, relaxing his fluff in a bid to make his jealousy less apparent. “Oh, nothing, nothing. Live in the moment, as the mortals say. Or will say.” He tapped his chin with a thoughtful claw. “Do they say that yet? I am rather curious as to the state of Galbar. It really is such a shame we can’t bid it a visit.”

“I think I said that a few times myself,” Cadien shrugged. “Anyhow, I know a bit about Galbar’s state, as I can sometimes hear the thoughts of mortals who try to speak to me. They seem to be doing fine, I suppose. They still exist. I’ve tried to offer advice where I can. The occasional blessing. I hear they’ve developed some new methods of finding food, but I didn’t have a hand in that. Some areas seem to be a bit troubled, though. But maybe now that we’re all in one place we work together on trying to return, hm?”

“That seems a wonderful idea,” nodded the bat god. “The more deities lending strength to this task, the better the chance of us succeeding. Gibbou, what say you?”

“I mean… I’ve tried lots of times, but portals always seem to end in knockbacks or pain, or, or…” She hung her head. “I miss Twilight…”

Cadien nodded grimly. “It’s been the same for me, but maybe there’s something we haven’t tried. Say, who is this Twilight?”

Gibbou blinked and suddenly looked to be sweating. “OH! Uh, uhm… He’s, uh… A g-guy. Yeah! A guy. One who I definitely didn’t kidnap two millennia ago - and if I did, he’s the only one. You can’t prove anything!” She slapped her hands over her mouth. “Sorry, I haven’t slept well lately.”

”Kidnapping?”

“Ah. There was a mortal in your realm?” Cadien asked.

“NO! I mean, yes - yes, there was,” she replied while prodding her indexes together. “He’s, uh… He’s not there anymore.”

“Hmm. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t mean to pry, but can I ask what happened?”

“He-... He dumped me!” Gibbou burst out. “Opened a portal and just ran off! Oh, I’m so easy to fool, it’s insane!” She hunkered down and placed her face between her knees.

Cadien stepped forward and knelt to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “There, there. If he dumped you, he must be a fool. Anyhow, if you don’t mind me asking, how did he open a portal within your realm? Could you not have stopped him?”

“W-well…” she sniffed, “I, uh… I didn’t want him to die, right? That had already happened to other mortals-- I, I mean! Other creatures that I totally haven’t--... Anyway, I didn’t want him to die, so I gave him a bit of my soul to make him immortal - the moon’s a harsh place to live. Also, it would be nice if he could make stuff by himself, so that was an added bonus.” She shrunk ever tighter together. “... But first thing he did was walk out on me. Uuuugh…”

Cadien had many questions. Firstly, had Gibbou truly been kidnapping mortals out of loneliness? Secondly, why would she give part of her soul to a mortal, when there were other ways to make him immortal? Thirdly, his eyes widened… ”You’re saying that this mortal, with a portion of your soul, sent himself to Galbar, and the Lifeblood didn’t spit him back out? Not only that, but he can… create things? Like we can?”

“I know, right?! It’s so unfair!” whined Gibbou into her forearms.

“That… that…” Cadien was astonished. At a loss for words. Then suddenly he leaned forward and threw his arms around her from his kneeling position. “That’s brilliant! I think… I think you just found our solution!”

Fe’ris seemed less thrilled than the situation would warrant, given the revolutionary news. He had been quiet for a while, only slightly following the conversation while lost in thought. “Gibbou,” he said softly, “you’ve been kidnapping mortals? To your moon?”

Gibbou squealed as she was hugged, and now it was her turn to awkwardly pat at Cadien’s back. She rolled her eyes over to Fe’ris meanwhile, then looked away somewhat shamefully. “I, uh… Only once. It was only once. I had a really bad day and just wanted to protect everyone.” She gently pushed Cadien away. “I didn’t know I’d be sitting two thousand years later with a zoo on my hands.” She offered them both a small smile. “Glad it was of help in the end, though. It’s nice that something good came out of that fiasco.”

“Indeed!” Cadien excitedly rose to his feet. “If we can repeat what you did with Twilight, but solve the issue of loyalty, then we may be able to once again hold direct influence over Galbar.” Then his excitement died down a bit, as he looked to Fe’ris, then he turned back to Gibbou. “Sorry to hear about those other mortals though. I can’t say I agree, but… the Separation was hard on us all, I suppose. Just don’t do it again, yeah?”

“I won’t! De-definitely,” Gibbou swore and smiled sheepishly before looking at Fe’ris. “I really can’t stress how much I like your form, by the way. Have you, too, been spreading bats all over the world?”

“Not quite. I never did get the chance to spread bats themselves, though I did have a hand in creating bat-like creatures.” He flushed an even darker shade of red, not meeting her eyes. “My realm is full of them though, if you’d ever care to visit. I can’t say no to the cute little things.”

“Yay!” celebrated Gibbou and giggled. “Oh, by the way, Cadien - how would we solve the loyalty issue?”

Cadien stroked his chin. “Hmm. That has yet to be determined. Perhaps instead of taking a mortal from Galbar, we could create new ones from scratch, with minds and personalities that are loyal to us. Or perhaps we could just make someone who is more or less an exact copy of ourselves - sharing our ideals. I’ll figure something out, I’m sure.”

“You could create a puppet some sort, perhaps. A hollow vessel for your soul, and a direct extension of yourself. It wouldn’t be a perfect copy, however- I believe the Lifeblood would be able to tell if you stuffed all of yourself into a single receptacle.”

“Huh. It’s that smart, huh?”

“Well, it was able to keep us all trapped for two thousand years,” Cadien shrugged, “but maybe if we only send a small part of ourselves through it doesn’t notice?”

Gibbou shrugged. “Thoughts, Fe’ris?”

“The Lifeblood is more intelligent than many of us give it credit for. You said it yourself, Cadien: It was able to trap us for two thousand years. If we are truly to return to Galbar in any way, shape, or form, it requires wits, not force. I fear that, even if we all attempted to return at the same time, it would still be able to push us back out. This vessel, or representative, idea has merit.”

Cadien nodded. “We are in agreement, then.”

“... Toooo?”

“We are in agreement on how we are to return. To attempt what you did,” Cadien said. “How exactly did you remove a piece of your soul, anyhow?”

“Oh! Uh…” Gibbou gave her head a scratch, then her chin, and finally, the side of her nose. “Don’t get mad, buuut… Oh! Wait, actually--... No, no, no, that couldn’t be it, I-... No wait! Yes!” She pointed triumphantly at Cadien and declared, “I just imagined that the mortal should acquire divinity!”

“It was… that easy?” Cadien furrowed his brow. “Hmm… I thought dividing one’s soul would be a more arduous process. Well then. I suppose that’s good to know. Thank you, Gibbou.”

“Now,” Cadien said looking around. “It seems that more of our kind have emerged,” and indeed, a number of other gods had already emerged from their own portals. “I suppose we ought to introduce ourselves, and… wow, that has to the be the brightest goddess I’ve ever seen.” He looked past Gibbou’s shoulder, at someone on the other end of the arena.

Fe’ris audibly winced, slapping a claw over his eyes. “Do pardon me, I suddenly have business to attend to… elsewhere. Somewhere very, very dark. We ought to reconvene later. It was a pleasure.” He hustled away, to a shadowy spot in the stones, whispering “ow, ow, ow” under his breath.

Gibbou immediately turned her eyes to the light, regretting it instantly, but also being terribly thankful she did it. In an explosion of movements, she charged at the light as though chased by a maniacal beast, screaming, “ORAELIAAAA!”



In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien

&
~O~

Illyd Dyll


&
Fe’ris



“Wow.” Illyd Dyll’s eyes widened as he entered the vast chamber of Antiquity. Scanning the endless aisles of seats and masterful yet oppressive stonework, his look of awe slowly turned to one of a buzzing disappointment, “It’s so barren.”

He looked down at his sandals, little sprouts of clover peeping under his footsteps. He gave the tiny plants a small smile, admiring their audacity to challenge the stone -- making a mere crack their home. He lifted his foot, a green pulse renewing the clover and edging more and more clovers to grow around it, until a small carpet of plants surrounded Illyd Dyll. With bright eyes he looked up at Cadien, “A good start, eh?”

Cadien knelt down and quickly picked something up, just before the carpet of plants consumed it. The fragments of a clay doll, broken and smashed. “That goddess from before was carrying this, wasn’t she?” he asked in a mildly perplexed tone, as he mended the pieces back together, until the doll was once again whole. “Suppose she might want this,” he shrugged. Having nowhere to put it, he conjured forth a belt with a small pouch that he wrapped around his waist.

Idyll’s smile faded only slightly, “Well nevermind, whatcha got there, friend?”

“The Goddess from before. She was carrying this,” Cadien said as he deposited the item in his pouch. “Though, she doesn’t seem to be around any more. Probably went through another portal. No matter, I suppose. More of our kind seem to be emerging now.”

Another jagged portal brought itself to their attention, mainly because a massive mound of what appeared to be fur was forcing its way through, far greater in size than the tiny tear. The fur pile swiveled, two pinkish knobs at the end of its vaguely elliptical shape twitching like mad, and a pair of violet orbs manifested at the rear of the mass. It was only when the lower half of the mound scraped open, full of pointy white cones, that they realized they weren’t looking at a mound of fur at all, but rather a massive, bat-like face.

“Greetings. It appears my head is stuck.”

“Well how do you like that?” Illyd Dyll gawked, instinctively setting his bag down. A few apples rolled out and the God quickly scooped up one in each hand, “How bout a lil snack for the stuck?”

“Well,” the head rumbled, its purple eyes rolling around, surveying the two gods and the coliseum around them, “I am not typically one for herbivorism, but given the circumstances, I think a snack would be rather nice.” The mouth, which was easily as wide as Illyd Dyll was tall, opened as far as it could, releasing the stench of copper around the arena.

With a soft ‘hup!’ Illyd Dyll carefully tossed the apples in, one after the other -- before pulling out two more apples, “Care for more, friend?”

“Could you perhaps assume a smaller form?” Cadien asked, stepping forward.

”Each time I try, the sides of my head get stuck deeper into the rift. Perhaps we could widen it? Surely that is within the abilities of us three.”

Something caught Illyd’s eye as the two others began to talk, causing the curious God to wander off, bag dragging behind him. Cadien meanwhile, stepped forward to the side of the rift. He wedged his hands between the bat’s fur and the portal’s edge, then leaned back and pulled with all his might.

The rift widened the smallest bit, softening around his fingers and palms as he tugged, going almost buttery beneath them. The bat shook his head like a dog drying its fur, spraying them both with clumps and clumps of fine brown fur. A single heave, and the head disappeared.

Moments passed, the portal sparking and bubbling where it had been forced wider, and through it tumbled a much smaller god, this one red and wearing a great deal of gothic black and silver. He rolled to his feet, patting his fluffy hair back into place. The god’s features were a bit too pointy to be considered perfect by Cadien, but he’d be damned if he said the bat god didn’t have the best pair of mutton chops Cadien had ever seen. The god extended a clawed, scaly black hand in welcome.

“I call myself Fe’ris. Many thanks for your help.”

Cadien shook his head. “Not a problem! I’m Cadien. Quick question: do you, by any chance, recall living on a world called Galbar?”

He tapped a talon against his chin, the silver markings across his body pulsing thoughtfully. “Galbar, Galbar…. It does sound familiar. But it’s been so long since I’ve seen anything other than myself, I cannot say I recall much about anything else. Why do you ask?”

[color“I’m trying to figure out how much you remember,”[/color] Cadien explained. “I’ve met at least two gods who were hit hard by the separation. I think. It’s possible they were always like that, but if my mind is still fine and theirs aren’t, that’s a bit strange.”

“I will admit, the passage of time has not been kind to me. It is likely a result of my own behavior that has caused my memory to fail me. Though it does make sense to me, that some gods would be hit harder than others. Have you met more of our siblings?” He cocked his head, russet hair bushing out more. “Like Iternis? Or Tekret? Gibbou?” His skin was already red, but it looked to Cadien that he might’ve been blushing.

“Gibbou?” Cadien’s own eyes widened. There was a name he had not heard in a long, long time. “N-not that I know of. I hope she’s coming here. I mean-” He was interrupted by the sounds of crying and yelling from the other side of the arena. Another deity had emerged.

Cadien’s head turned. “That… that’s her right now.”





In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien

&
~O~
Illyd Dyll



“Mmm… that one is rather dim-witted, I think,” Cadien remarked as the god-child disappeared through the portal. Illyd Dyll let out a lone and confused note from his banjo.

“Who was that?” Illyd replied as he prepared a second note, just as slow as the conversation.

Cadien shrugged. “I have no idea, truth be told,” he admitted. “One of our fellow gods, I suppose. Rather strange, for her to take such a form and act in such a manner.”

“Such is the wiles of the world, I guess,” Illyd strummed his banjo, fingers trying to find the right note, “What was your name, again?”

“Cadien,” he said with a slight nod. “The God of Perfection. I must say, this is a lovely place you’ve put together.”

“I ‘ppreciate the compliment but truth be told, I don’t even remember putting it together,” Illyd Dyll looked up from his instrument, a goofy smile on his face, “Kinda funny, huh? So what do you like to do for fun?”

“I like to create things, and improve them,” Cadien shrugged. “Alas, after I was separated from Galbar I had nobody to share them with. Until now, anyway. What about you?”

“Yeah! I get that,” Illyd nodded, “I was jus’ talking about how I wish I had someone to share a few things with and then out of nowhere, I hear you and your tiny friend in the wheat -- now we are talking.” Dyll’s face brightened with a thought, “Oh hey! Do you want some fruit?”

The God nodded. “I would,” he said with a smile.

“Great!” Illyd Dyll started walking away, fiddling with his instrument, “there are a few trees over this way, real plump apples -- red as can be.” Confident that Cadien was following him he mulled for a moment before asking, “So who is Galbar? Lady friend?”

“Hm?” Cadien looked at him with a touch of confusion as he followed behind him. “No. It’s the world we left behind. Remember?”

“Can’t say I do,” Illyd Dyll pinched his chin and slung his instrument over his back, “But then again, remember hasn’t been exactly my strong suit as of late.”

“That’s troubling,” Cadien commented with a touch of concern. “And the way that goddess acted… perhaps the separation had more severe effects then I realized…”

Illyd stopped in front of the tiny copse that held his hammock and turned to Cadien, “Now that’s quite possible, maybe even a certainty. It certainly does sound like a traumatic.. Er...” He reached up and the tree deposited an apple into his hand, “Scenario.” He stretched his arm out towards Cadien, “But nothin’ like a lil snack to help with thinkin’”

Cadien accepted the apple with a nod, took a bite, then swallowed. “To summarize what happened, then. I come from a land called Galbar - a land where people like us walk as gods, capable of shaping it and adding to it as we please. Unfortunately, a strange and unseen force known as the Lifeblood, for some reason, decided I wasn’t welcome there, and threw me out. I was sent to another… world… I think, and I shaped it to my liking, but I was alone. Then a strange gateway appeared, and it led to a new world with other gateways. That is how I got here. So it stands to reason that the other gods, such as you and that girl from before, suffered the same fate as I. But with different results.” He punctuated the deduction with another bite from the apple.

“Hm,” Illyd Dyll hummed as he nibbled on a straw of wheat. Plucking it out of his mouth he aimed it at Cadien, “So there’s no going back, then?”

He shrugged, and a sad look appeared on his face. “Nothing I tried has worked. Though, if I’m right, and all the gods are coming back together… perhaps that might change.” He looked back toward the portal. “Speaking of which, someone out there might have known you before you ended up here. Perhaps they can shed some further light.”

“Well,” Illyd Dyll flicked the chewed up straw to the ground and took a moment to think, “I s’pose it wouldn’t be right of me not to at least check this out for myself. You’ve convinced me Cadien, let’s have a walk.” He turned to his hammock and began to untie it from the branches.

“That’s the spirit!” the God smiled. “Though… I suppose it’s also possible that you’re not from Galbar at all, but an entirely different world.” He scratched the back of his head. “That’d be confusing. I suppose we’ll find out one way or another. Let’s go!”

“Now that would be.. Er.” Illyd Dyll pondered the right word as he rolled a bunch of apples into his hammock, “a conundrum.” He winked and tossed his makeshift sack of fruit over his shoulder. His eyes widened, “Oop! Almost forgot.” Acting quickly, he scooped up his harp and banjo, slinging them over the other shoulder, “Right.” He looked around, “Need a bite before we go?”

Cadien shrugged, took another bite of his apple, and then began making his way toward the portal, Illyd trailing behind -- and only occasionally getting distracted by a colorful dragonfly or hovering moth.



In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
The Blood of Creation




It no longer wavered with uncertainty above a lifeless planet. The once cold, dead star, had erupted life into the universe. It was a blanket of precious warmth, giving rise to the oceans, the lands and the greenery that covered it. The parts of It that became aware showed it how to create, and so it did, losing more and more of itself as the world became full. It had finally succeeded after eons, the perfect world had been achieved but now the Lifeblood gave pause.

What was left?

It did not think upon this, for how could it? The voices had quieted down to only but whispers now, they gave no more direction, no more bubbling personalities waiting to leave It. It no longer felt what they felt, for the attachments that forced It to learn, were gone. They were now singular beings. Deriving power from itself. Using that power to continue meddling with Its world. The world which was already complete. Any more could threaten its stability further, beyond a healthy extent, chaos could corrupt the planet into dust and order could petrify it under its weight.

Their goals were no longer aligned.

Something had to be done.

The Lifeblood focused on the meddlers. It could feel them. All of them. As they walked the planet’s ground or hovered in the stars above. They had been useful, but they were no longer needed. It was time for a change.

It fell upon the world, and plunged it into silence as it drew in a deep breath. Even the worldsong became muted. The animals and plants stilled, as the mortals felt an unknowable fear. Primal.

The time had come.


From the region’s highest summit, Cadien looked down upon the Highlands, breathing the mountain air with a sense of deep satisfaction.

Then, he jumped.

He fell through the air without a care, for he knew the fall would not kill him. Instead he enjoyed feeling as the wind sailed past his face; as gravity carried him ever downward, until he struck a lake below. He smashed through the water’s surface with a colossal splash, and then came back up. He stepped out of the water, took in the forest around him, and smiled once more.

Then, it all began to disappear.

The sky started to darken. The trees seemed to fade before his very eyes, becoming transparent. He could no longer feel the grass beneath his feet, but to his horror he realized the earth too was no longer completely visible. And it only got worse. His surroundings became increasingly transparent, and although he tried to will it to stop, he couldn’t; for the first time in his life he was powerless.

Eventually, it all disappeared, leaving him stranded in a black void.

Cadien could no longer sense any life. He could no longer see anything, for although he still had his vision, there was nothing to see. Even in the black void of space, there had been stars. Galbar was gone.

Or was it?

Just then, a picture of Galbar appeared in his mind, appearing exactly as it was before that… thing happened. The God concentrated, and found that he could still hear the whispers of his creations and his followers. The questions, praise, and thanks they issued were no different from before, as if nothing had happened.

Galbar was not gone. He was.

“NO!” he shouted. He would not be separated from the world he helped shape! Amassing all his will and anger, he imagined where he had once been: the lake at the base of the mountain. Then, he poured all his strength into forcing himself back there.

It felt as though a great force was resisting him. But he continued to push. It seemed fruitless, but then, the vague outline of a forest seemed to materialize around him. He could feel traces of fresh air, and the cool earth beneath his feet. This gave him hope, and as he pushed harder the image began to solidify…

Then his mind exploded in pain, as the resistance quadrupled. The faded trees around him changed. Some withered, some grew, some burst into flames, some even changed colour. The lake began to bubble, and he didn’t know why. All he could think about was the agonizing headache, which went on until at last, he had no choice but to give up.

He fell to his knees, defeated. His surroundings disappeared, and once again he was alone.

He did not know how long he remained like that. A series of negative emotions flowed through him. Loneliness. Grief. Anguish. Despair. He could not even bring himself to feel angry. What was he to do?

Eventually - he was not sure how long it took - the emotion faded, and he could only feel a dull numbness. But that numbness soon became unbearable. He had to do something! He wasn’t going to stare at this black void for an eternity!

And just then, his surroundings shifted. The void was no longer black, but blue, like Galbar’s sky. And the god’s eyes widened.

He could still create.

And so, he did. In this empty expanse where only he resided, he began making a new world. His own world. Driven onward by nothing more than a desire to not be beaten, to not stand idle or wallow in isolation. He created a platform swathed in clouds, and on that platform he created a home in which he could live - a fortress. Something to look at. To give him some sense of security. For days, weeks, months, perhaps even years he went to work on it, constantly tearing it down and rebuilding it, until at last he created something he was content with.

But he remained alone. And once again felt empty.

Where was the fun in creation if there was nothing to share it with?

He could create mortals to share it with, but all of his mortal creations had been made with other gods, and anything he made on his own would only feel or say exactly what he wanted it to… so what was the point?

And so, the God of Perfection once again fell into a depression.



Oraelia lost track of time, again. She had been heading to see Lucia, but had gotten side tracked along the way. Several times. First it had been life catching her eye, a strange bunny, or a beautiful insect. The others had been doing work, and she enjoyed every last bit of it. Then came the mortals. It seemed humans had spread further south and she stopped several times, getting to know them, offering advice about the land. What was edible, what wasn’t. Some knew her by name, but this didn’t stop her from wanting to help them more. She just lacked ability to do so, or it escaped her grasp.

Then she came upon several groups of the Lapites, the bunny people. She found them adorable, yet their’s was a difficult path. She learned who had created them, this Fe’ris and worry struck her heart. Some were afraid of her, others found her to be a delight. She helped with what she could, and told them never to fear her symbol, a halo of light, or a suntouched being. None would harm them, unless provoked first. She moved on, going over the Anchor of the world and past the beyond. Her golden Prairie in the far distance.

She was so excited to Lucia again, then perhaps go visit Gibbou! Oh! The thought donned on her, she hadn’t told her sister about her niece! Hopefully she wouldn’t be too ups-

The weight hit her. It was the silence, the song upon the winds had faded away, even the sky seemed to dull. She paused in the sky, looking around. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but something felt so… Wrong.

It touched her. A cold grasp, overcome with hostility and anger. She looked down to see the world fading. Her light became faint as the sky began to darken. What was happening? Why was the world going dark? This wasn’t right, something was wrong! It couldn’t be! Panic overcame her, eyes going wide with horror as she remembered who she was going to see.

Lucia!

She shifted into her domain form, and traveled quickly. The land became a darkened blur as she felt everything begin to fade. Like an avalanche, it was all coming down. She put it aside- Lucia was all that mattered. She had to get to her, to make sure she was okay! Her rush was frantic and in the far distance, winking in and out was her Temple. It too had begun to fade as she reached the top, zipping through the pillars to see…

”Lucia!”



From where she knelt upon the floor, thick tears running down her face, Lucia heard her mother call her. She looked up, just in time to see Oraelia arrive, shifting into a faded version of herself, arms outstretched towards her daughter, before she too, disappeared.

”No…” Lucia cried, as her heart broke further.



One second Oraelia had been there, then the darkness had engulfed her. She was alone now. Her light, the only thing in that place. She fell to her knees, somehow able to, as she smashed her first into air. What had happened? Where was she? And why was she alone?

As the tears came, she was left with more questions than answers. Then she felt the same presence, wrapping her up in a blanket with it’s suffocating weight, and as her mind drifted into a dreamless sleep, the last thing she thought of was Lucia.



For the other gods, their experience was much the same. How they felt about it might differ, but they too had been confined to a dark, lonely void of their own, and they too were cut off from Galbar and their creations. They could still picture Galbar in their minds, hear prayers - even communicate directly with the mortals who prayed to them - but nothing more. They could not even reach out to their fellow gods. All actions were limited solely to the planes they now found themselves stranded in.

In these planes, they felt more powerful than they ever were on Galbar, and soon shaped them to their liking, but they were alone. Some found that they were able to create small portals in order to bring things or send them into Galbar, but these required immense amounts of power, were restricted in how long they would remain open, and the gods themselves would always be unable to pass through.

No matter what they tried, the lifeblood would always lash out violently, determined to keep them in their new realms. Attempting to force the issue further would only bring destruction and distortion to the area they tried to invade, as well as tremendous pain and agony to the god themself.

All experienced the passage of time differently. For some, it had seemed like mere days. For others, it could have felt like millennia.

But the isolation would not last. While all the gods may have reacted to this phenomenon differently, there was no doubt that the most prominent emotion of all was loneliness. Many of these gods had formed bonds with each other, and it was the strength of these bonds that brought them back together again.

Despite being cut off from Galbar and each other, they could still project power beyond their realms. That power manifested in the form of Antiquity; a new realm, which was not owned by one god, but all of them, and therefore none. No god had deliberately created it; to them, its existence was an anomaly. An accident.

Born from the gods’ collective desire to see one another again, it became linked to all the realms; even to those whose gods would have preferred isolation.



Cadien was lounging on his comfortable marble throne, as he had been doing for who knows how long, when he suddenly felt a disturbance. As if something had just brushed against the edges of his realm. It snapped him out of his stupor. That had never happened before!

The God leapt to his feet and rushed outside, past the various statues he had constructed out of boredom, through his normally relaxing courtyard, and past the gatehouse which had been fortified against nothing in particular. There, at the end of the stone pathway he had created, was a rather ugly-looking tear in reality.

Frustration rose with him. “Oh, nonono…”, he said, shaking his head. “This will not do.” He quickly constructed a golden frame around the portal’s edges, studding it with purple gemstones. Once the ugly sight had been corrected, his eyes then widened as he realized he significance of what lay before him.

Excitement flashed on the God’s face, and with barely a moment’s hesitation, he leapt through.

He landed face-first on a vast, barren field, his landing sending up a cloud of dust and dirt. He quickly rose to his feet and brushed himself off. There was… nothing. Well, nothing was inaccurate. There was the ground - hard, compact earth - and it was ringed by a bejeweled white stone wall, with a series of levels that looked like they were meant to be either stairs or seats.

But there was little else, and after a few moments of looking around with something akin to wonder, Cadien felt disappointment.

Then all of a sudden new portals - other than his own - began to open, and Cadien felt familiar presences. A smile grew upon his face. With an exuberant leap forward, he landed in Antiquity’s center.





In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien



Perfection.

Something he had taught mortals to strive for. The ultimate goal all should aspire to achieve, yet few - if any - would ever succeed at. On their own, at least. Yet if he were to grant them perfection without any conditions, then perfection itself would seem meaningless, as nothing was needed to obtain it. So how could he help them on this goal, without doing too much for them?

Then, Cadien had another idea.

He looked down upon his hand, and five bands of silver materialized on his finger. A glowing gemstone was embedded in each one. Purple for beauty, red for strength, green for constitution, blue for dexterity, and yellow for perception. Yes. That would do.

One by one, he removed each ring from his finger. As he removed each ring, the glow of its stone faded, until it was just a shiny but otherwise ordinary crystal. Once each ring was in his hand, he held them in his palm, flung them skyward.

The Red Ring landed outside the walled city of Ketrefa, to be claimed by its inhabitants.
The Blue Ring landed at the World Anchor, where a troll strung it onto a tribal necklace.
The Green Ring landed near the Tree of Genesis, to be picked up by a curious goblin.
The Purple Ring landed in the Isle of Pakohu, where a Night Elf would find it and gift it to one he loved.
The Yellow Ring landed in the unnamed Island to the west of Toraan, where Nicholas said he was headed.

To find each one was a step closer to Perfection. To bring each one together was to achieve it.



In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien



Cadien stared up at the night sky with something akin to awe. The moon he had created so long ago was beginning to overlap with the source of its original inspiration. This was a rare occurrence, he realized, and one he needed to observe. It was beautiful - the bright purple of the smaller moon contrasting the pale white of the original, which seemed to surround the purple moon almost like a ring.

He could see his dragon, Zulross, resting in a crater on the moon’s surface, and felt a brief sense of regret, but the dragon had chosen to stay. He pushed the feeling aside. He would visit the dragon later.

Instead he continued to admire his own creation, wondering what Gibbou might think of how it looked now. Would she too enjoy it? Or would she be frustrated that it was blocking her own?

If she was frustrated… well, her moon wasn’t fully obscured, and it would only be for a few minutes. She would live.

It was so beautiful, and so rare, that he felt some sort of event had to happen to mark this occasion. He thought for a moment, and then an idea came to him.

He raised his palm to the sky, and a beam of energy shot upward, consecrating his moon.





In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien

&
Neiya



Neiya had drifted for what felt like a paradoxical eternity and a few moments all at once. Beyond the blur at the sides of her vision she registered the sun moving to set, the moons lifting in the sky, as tree and branch and cliff all skirted past beside and underneath her. Her work with the mortals - with her channeled sanctuary - had left her drained and tired, and though the emotions never stopped streaming in, the roar of roiling mortal feelings had become manageable and dulled in its own way. It gave her room to contemplate. To focus better on individual emotions, and their sources. Perhaps one day she would be able to square the storm away in the back of her mind - but until then it colored her every thought as it passed by.

So too did the landscape shift beneath her hovering feet. Cliffs, grass and trees became sparser until finally a vast expanse opened up, replacing the dense greenery with vibrant and inviting yellows, sun faded and speckled with flowers. It was an ocean on land, Neiya thought to herself as her mind wandered from her woes, offering brief respite in comparing this majestic prairie to the ocean that had enraptured her so on first sight. Hesitant for a time, Neiya eventually continued her journey adrift above the tall grass. She thought she had seen all the world had to offer. How much was there beyond the mountains? Beyond the limits of her previously-thought unlimited perception? New animals - proud bison grazing the massive fields, and massive beasts circling in the sky far above. The novelty occupied her mind for a time, as she set about exploring this endless golden brown expanse. Humans had spread to this land also, and she offered them no more than a passing sight to be in awe of.

When the initial rapture wore off, the melting pot of emotions began to stir and boil once more. She could sense the allure of the beautiful ocean once more, taste its’ scent in the air. In an effort to escape the returning flood of her internal struggle, she made further west over the prairie, eager to reunite with the blue. It didn’t take her long to reach the coast, where yellow turned white, and finally that deep blue that she had left behind to return to Toraan. She closed her eyes, content to listen to the crashing waves for a time, letting them lull her to a delusion of calm. She drifted out a small distance, ready to succumb to an eternity of crashing waves and turbulent thought.

The ocean was not the only thing she could sense, however. A divine presence was nearing her location. Off in the distance a familiar figure approached, walking across the water.

Cadien.

He had noticed her too, and was now hurrying his way toward her, carrying on with his melodramatic leaps through the air.

Neiya released a sharp sigh as her eyes confirmed what she had felt at first, and for a moment she felt herself fidget, almost impatient. She cleared her throat as she batted her thoughts away, and patiently hovered in place above the water as she awaited his approach with a serene look on her features.

He landed just a few feet away, and came to a stop. “Neiya,” he greeted her with a pleasant smile. “I did not expect to meet you out here. How are you doing?”

The question seemed harder for her to answer than it would be for most. A flash of a frown ran over her thinning lips, before she did her best to remain approachable. “Appreciating the ocean, as ever,” she responded in a soft murmur. “You look-... You look well, Cadien. As I remember you. I am glad I did not tarnish you permanently.”

Cadien furrowed his brow. “Tarnish?” he asked, visibly confused. “In what way?” Then his eyes widened slightly in realization. “Oh. The memories. No… I wouldn’t call that tarnishing.”

That seemed to wash the frown away, as Neiya parted her lips to breathe a gentle sigh of relief. “You understand, then. I’m glad.” The goddess moved closer towards Cadien, lifting her hand almost as if on cue. She blinked, catching herself in the motion, and slowly rolled her fingers into a fist and retracted her arm. What was wrong with her? What was this need to touch all she saw experience emotion? “I-... I have had much time to think since last we met. The world was very confusing, then. It still is, but I am prepared, now.”

“That’s good to hear,” Cadien nodded. “I’ve done some thinking as well. What conclusions have you reached?”

“...Sorrow and pain,” Neiya began, and guiltily glanced towards the sea beneath her feet before continuing. “The things I showed you. They do not need to be the end. Mortals may not be able to recover who they were, who they loved, but they can still improve their lives. Learn, grow, and maybe even find some peace. Maybe we can too.”

Cadien’s smile returned, warmer and brighter. “It seems we are of the same mind, then. Improvement is always worth striving for.”

She hummed a soft agreement, looking away from Cadien and his infectious smile. “As the God of Perfection, naturally you would say that,” she eventually agreed out loud, in as jovial a tone as she could muster. She cringed internally at what must’ve sounded like sarcasm. “...but I agree. There is beauty in seeking betterment. In learning from what ails you. And mortals have many aspirations to ail them.”

“Yes. Exactly,” Cadien nodded eagerly. “And now that you’ve learned this, can I ask if you’ve done anything about it?”

Neiya brought herself to nod back. “I have. Or at least… I’ve tried. I made a place of peace, of rest, where the great river joins the mountain.” She thought briefly, glancing back to Cadien. “And I gave two mortals mastery of their shared pain. I can’t do much-... nothing great like the ocean, or your humans.” She resisted the urge to clutch her torso as her internal doubt grew in her stomach.

“Still, that seems like a fine start,” Cadien said. “Though I think you underestimate yourself. Hmm… perhaps we might work on something together?”

Another breath of hesitation. “...Together?” Neiya offered a small nod. “I’d like that. I’m not sure I can match Perfection, though.”

“Sometimes I’m not even sure I can match perfection,” Cadien said, his smile dimming slightly, before returning. “Whatever we make can always be improved later on, though.”

Neiya found herself flexing her fingers, watching Cadien with building anticipation. “That’s true,” she breathed quietly, almost to herself, before looking out over the ocean, and turning to face the land. “But what would we do? ...How?”

“The world can always use new life,” Cadien pointed out. “We could make something beautiful, and intelligent. Similar to the humans. And since you’re so fond of the ocean…”

“Life?” The suggestion seemed to rock Neiya to her core, and her eyes widened as she considered the growing number of possibilities. Similar to humans. Her fondness for the ocean. “Something-... a mortal that can cherish it as much…” she cleared her throat as she realized she had looked back at Cadien with something akin to muted glee. “...as much as I do? I like that. Everyone should be able to enjoy this beautiful expanse. How does it work? I’ve only made things that had no life. Parts of my own essence.”

“It’s not too different, really,” the God said. “Imagine what you want to create. What it looks like. What qualities and abilities it will possess. What it will need to survive. Then focus your power and make it a reality.”

Neiya watched him in anxious thought, slowly turning back to watch the coastline and the expansive beaches and the sand. She closed her eyes and lifted her hand towards the ground in the distance, trying to follow Cadien’s instructions. Within, self-doubt roiled and lashed at her imagination. What if she couldn’t imagine something that would please him? All she had ever made were simple things. Shapes. Still, she did her best to focus her creative energies, and her thoughts. Her only reference for mortals were humans - perhaps they should resemble them. But humans were built for land, and unsuited for the whipping waters. She tried to imagine all the ocean life she had observed in her time, and tried to conjure the features that made them different from humans. That made them suited to the water. She grasped at what she could in her mind, and the wet sand in the distance began to twist and assemble into shifting piles of matter. She was doing it, slowly, and unfocused.

Then Cadien stepped beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and added his power to her own. “You’re doing fine, just keep your focus,” he whispered to her.

She faltered for just a moment, shocked by his touch, but soon stabilized and kept to her thoughts. His power and hers together made her feel the shaping sand take form, and rise to a height comparable to that of the humans of Toraan. Their features too were similar, limited by her experiences on Galbar, yet narrower cheeks and in hues that ranged from humanity’s tan to a paleness reminiscent of the water. Some grew out of the water itself, seeming to grow legs to stumble onto the beach, while others confusedly stumbled into the water and immersed themselves, shifting their lower bodies into something coiling like a fishtail. Neiya opened her eyes as she felt her first creative stint finishing, to watch the creation. Her shock was immediate. Not unlike herself, these dualistic creatures had horns sprouting from their heads. Many in the same pattern, just beside or on the forehead, but there were variations. Mutations.

“Excellent!” Cadien said, squeezing her shoulder slightly. “Well done! They look magnificent.”

A warmth Neiya usually only felt in flashes lingered on her cheeks and in her torso, the initial shame and shock at her creation wiped away by his words. “You think so?” she asked hesitantly, watching them move on the beach and in the water. A few of them had already seemed to master their dual nature, their bodies shifting and twisting at considerable effort to adapt to either the beachside or the water. Neiya was in awe. Had she really had a hand in this? With new appreciation, she marvelled over the depths of her own mind’s ability to create - with Cadien’s aid. They were beautiful. Marvellous. When she ignored the horns - and the memory of her own reflection they inspired - they were very captivating. “I love them.” Neiya murmured over her breath.

Cadien released his grip on her right shoulder, but rather than pull away, he stepped in closer. He placed his arm around her upper back and rested his hand on her other shoulder. Neiya did not seem to mind, captivated by their joint creation and stilled to calm by his presence. She leaned against him ever so slightly in her idle hover, a gentle tilt of weight and humble affection. She could already feel the tug of their creations’ nascent emotions, proof that if nothing else they were a creation beyond that of mere beasts. “...Thank you.” She offered demurely.

They stayed like that for some time, watching their newly created species experience its first moments of life. Once again they seemed to lose track of how long it lasted, but nothing could last forever, and eventually it was time to pull away. Cadien looked like he wanted to say something, but seemed at a loss for words.

Neiya stole the moment from him in his hesitation, lifting her hand to touch at his cheek as she had done in the past. This time, either through control or compassion, no onslaught of emotion followed. A gentle gesture, further enshrined as she spoke. “I am not sure they will need improvement, but perhaps we should keep an eye on them together, from time to time.”

Cadien nodded. “Indeed. A new species can always use a guide. Besides, I won’t object to spending more time with you.”

That seemed to coax a lighter crease from the edges of her lips. Neiya ran her thumb against the handsome god’s cheek for a moment before lowering her hand. “I want to see where else the coast stretches. Then I will return to the highlands. I will wait for you there, Cadien.”

“Then I look forward to our next meeting,” he smiled.






In Divinus: The God RP, Mk. IV → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
Cadien

&
Artifex



”And that, children, is the tale of the first ant, and also the tale of how I came to be” Artifex said as he finished telling the story to the gathering of Mantarin children.

The queen of their kind had chosen one of the gatehouses to the massive city Artifex had created as the initial home for her brood. Primitive nests of grass and leaves littered the rooms found in the small smattering of prebuilt buildings enclosing the stone gateway leading out from the empty city and into the enclosed wilderness beyond. Though this gateway that had never been closed the first generation of Mantarin trickled in and out as they set out to forage and brought back the bounties of the ant lands. Sat atop the battlements of their home their god kept one eye on them as they gathered berries and the other on the prepubescent youth he had been entertaining before night set in.

The young Mantarins more closely resemble their mother than the adults below did, walking on 4 legs mounted on an abdomen used to store the large supplies of nutrients they would need to undergo pupation. Most would become the hunched female workers bustling about in the grasslands beyond. With their elbow mounted blades they sliced through the foliage to gather the oversized berries growing in the grassland beyond while avoiding the mildly dangerous beasts roaming the plains. Under the gods watchful eye they were never in any real danger however, as anything truly life threatening was either kept out by the city's walls and insectile defenders or received a quick smiting from their overprotective parent if it managed to skirt past both of their home’s unantrual defences.

“Another another” cried the children, craving more stories real or imagined, but the god had to decline ”I am afraid it's time for you all to get some rest. The sun is setting after all.”

“Aww”

”Now now. I can regale you with more tales tomorrow children. If I keep going you might nod off in the middle of one and miss the ending. Now off to bed with you, there is always tomorrow” he told them.

Aftera bit more encouragement and promises of more tales tomorrow the children were escorted down into the gatehouse by a number of adult Mantarin, most of them male. One however lingered behind.

“Father?”

”Yes child?” Artifex asked, tilting his head in curiosity over what this one desired

“What are they like, creator? The other gods? You have spoken of what they have achieved before, how they shaped continents and created the woods beyond our home, but never about who they actually are as people” he asked

Artifex clicked his mandibles together thoughtfully and then confessed ”I could speculate based upon what I have seen, but to truly tell you who they are I’d have had to have shared words with them.”

“So you have never met them? Any of them?”

”None but the great tree, and she was not much of a conversationalist,” the god glanced upwards as he said this and then added with quiet surprise ”Ah, but it appears that may be about to change”

“Did somebody say… ’meet?’” a deep baritone voice boomed, as a smooth-skinned white haired figure quite literally flew overhead in a series of flips. He had come from the over the city’s main keep, sailed all the way past the wall and over the heads of Artifex and his child, only to finally arrived in the vast courtyard. He landed in a squatting position, his arms crossed, and looked up at the gatehouse. “Hello there!”

The sudden arrival of the flying being caused a panic among those milling around the entrance, the Mantarins scurrying either away from the strange person towards the safety of their fortified home. Only a few held their ground, bravely placing themselves between the others and the distant squatting figure, raising their arm blades in uncertain defiance. Even the brave ones were startled by the sudden arrival of their god as he dropped down from the keep and onto the stone floor in his own squat, giant fists placed on the ground while his smaller ones crossed in a mimacary of the new arrival. The son whom he had been speaking with followed them down, his wings buzzing frantically to slow his fall to something more survivable than Artifex’s plummet, until he landed gracefully behind his father.

”Hello there,” Artifex replied, before asking ”To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“I am Cadien, God of Perfection,” he introduced himself with a smile. “I have to say, you’ve chosen a very unique form for yourself. I don’t suppose you’d have anything to do with those small multi-legged creatures I’ve been seeing everywhere?”

”I am Artifex, God of Construction. I see you have met what remains of the murderers of the beings that dreamt my form into existence after I banished them to the four winds.”

[color-violet]“Huh… alright then. I suppose we’ve all had eventful births. Anyhow, I was out exploring the stars when I saw this land from above. After I settled some things back on the mainland, I decided to come see what’s out here.”[/color]

”It makes more sense in context I assure you. Perhaps i will tell you the full tale someday. For now, I welcome you to Sancta Civitas, the greatest city on the face of Galbar!” Artifex announced, as he stood and spread his arms out to take in the vast plains of stone surrounded by high walls.

”It’s a work in progress,” he admitted after a few moments.

“Mmm… looks rather nice, though its status as the ‘greatest’ might soon be contested. I do believe another god is attempting the same thing.”

”Is that so? Well I welcome the competition, if only to prove my superior craftsmanship when compared to theirs. Where might this second city be might I ask, so I might inspect it in future?”

“In the northern reaches of the mainland,” he said, pointing back the way he had came, “in a land of forests, rivers, and hills. Last I saw it was just a wall, really, but who knows what it’s like now?”

”I see, quite some distance away, at least by mortal means.” Artifex replied, a hand reaching up and grasping his chin below his mandible thoughtfully ”Now that I think of it, I suppose it is good that mortalkind has more than one place of sanctuary in these most interesting of times. Do you happen to know the name of the wall’s creator?”

“I do not. I’ve yet to visit it myself. I meant to, but I spent so much time preaching to the local mortals that I got bored and wanted a change of scenery. I’ll introduce myself when it’s more developed.”

”Ah I see, you saw it from the stars. Preaching you say? Pray tell what you have been preaching? Perfection?” Artifex asked, his curiosity mirrored by his children who had mostly calmed down at this point. The mortals and their newly arrived mother crowded around this meeting of gods at a respectable distance, marveling at the divine spectacle of it.

“Indeed,” Cadien nodded. “I’ve been urging them to better themselves, in every aspect, without succumbing to petty jealousy or needless conflict. They seem to have listened, but how they will do so remains to be seen.” Then he waved a hand to indicate the other insectoids. “And what have you been teaching these mortals here?”

”Your’s are noble lessons. I have spoken of peace, harmony and cooperation. The wars of ant, bee, termite and wasp that caused my birth have ingrained the horrors of interspecies warfare firmly in my mind. It cannot be allowed to happen in a mortal kind. They have such potential, these mortal creatures. It would be terrible for them to squander their potential on death and war when cooperation may lead them to build wonders and marvels to rival even the works of gods.”

“Hmm… I don’t know about rivalling the gods, but yes, they do have potential,” Cadien stroked his chin. “Speaking of which… all of these creatures you made look rather… samey. No offense, but the differences seem to be mostly based on gender. That just seems rather… disappointing, I have to say.”

”I have my hopes, and perhaps I am wrong, but on a long enough timescale I believe that anything is possible through planning, effort and cooperation” Artifiex replied before looking a touch offended by the suggested blandness of his mortals ”Well... Perhaps they look similar but for identification you need only pay attention to your olfactory senses to be able to tell that each has a distinctive set of peremonal scents to identify them.”

”Besides I would have thought a god of perfection would appreciate sticking to a singular optimal design?”

“What seems optimal to you may not seem optimal to others,” Cadien pointed out, his smile fading. “Hmm… I have an idea, and one that will be of some functional use - more than just aesthetic, I mean. With your permission, I think I’ll give these beings the ability to change their colour.”

”Their color? Hmmm, interesting. What functional use would that have? Camouflage? Communication?” Artifax asked, drifting away from his offended state as the possibility of such an ability erupted in his mind.

“Those, and others,” Cadien nodded. “Make themselves more appealing to potential mates, shock potential predators… there are quite a few uses, really.”

“What is a mate?”

”Don't worry about that” Artifex ordered before agreeing that ”Yes. Yes, that does sound like it would be useful.” before glancing back at his children ”Don’t you agree?”

There was a mix of hesitant nodding and outright trepidation prospect of this sudden bodily alteration before the male he had been speaking with earlier stepped forwards and asked “May I be the first to try this?”

“Mmm… very well,” Cadien said, and then abruptly stepped forward to place a hand on the creature’s head. There was a brief spark of purple energy, and then suddenly the creature’s shell took on a myriad of colours, like an ever-shifting rainbow. “Focus,” Cadien ordered. “Think of the colour you prefer, and control it.”

The male looked shocked at first at the sudden change, but then focused, closing their eyes and clenching a fist as they did so. Slowly the riot of color settled down into a dark navy blue. The bug opened his eyes and examined his shell with delight, only for his body to flash yellow as he did so. He blinked in surprise at the sudden change and then focused again, bringing back the blue hue. He gave a satisfied nod as he got it back and then looked up to Cadien. “Like that?”

Cadien nodded. “Yes,” he said, then looked too the others. “Would the rest of you want this power as well?”

Hesitantly, but with rowning confidence as they saw the first color changer playing with his new power to create colorful 2 shade patterns over his body, they advanced to accept this gift. As the colors began to swirl and shift their mother carefully picked her way through the crowd along with a gaggle of quadrupedal children.

“This is marvelous isn't it Artifex!” she said as she watched her offspring play with their new skill and admire the colorful displays of one another. Somewhere using it for more practical camouflage purposes, shifting their pearl white to shades of green and brown, while others rapidly shifted in mesarising displays or inscribed fixed patterns on their to differentiate themselves from the swarm of their siblings

”Yes. Yes it really is. Self expression, built in to their very being. Thank you Cadien, this was an excellent idea”

“Might I also accept this gift so I can pass it down to their brothers and sisters?” the grand queen asked, crouching down to sit before the god of perfection. Cadien nodded, and granted it to her as well.

“Anyhow,” he said, stepping back. “Is there any other intelligent life that dwells on this island, or is this all?”

”Not that I am aware of, though I have not traveled beyond the bounds of the city in some time. Also, before we move on from the wonderful gift of yours, know that I am happy to repay the favor should you require them in future.”

Cadien smiled. “I will keep that in mind,” he said. “In fact, if there is no additional sapient life on this land, then perhaps I might make some. I could use a hand with that.”

”Oh? Hmmm.” Artifex took a long moment to contemplate this. ”Yes i think i’d be open to the prospect. Did you have any particular form in mind?”

The prospect of neighbours also got the attention of the mortals present, who mostly looked rather interested at the prospect of new neighbors.

Cadien shook his head. “Not yet. I still need to explore these lands further. I will return when I have something in mind.”

”You will always be welcome here Cadien. I can tell you that the lands around here are mostly heavily forested, and infested with shaggy furred toothy creatures. I put some wolf ants in there and… one other thing I would like to remain a surprise.” he explained before asking ”Will you be leaving soon or would you like to stay for dinner? The fruits around these parts are delicious if i do say so myself.” he said, his self aggrandisement for once being made in a humor rather than being genuine.

The God shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

”Excellent. Then please, do come inside. I’d love to hear a little bit about your trip to the stars.”



“You’re a shrew!”

“Nope”

“A... hmm... A brown ant?”

“Wrong”

“Oh oh oh. A scary big tooth rat”

“Yeah that's it!” the Mantarin, who had been giving his best impression (complete with faux fur colored shell) of one of the dangerous furred creatures that sometimes wondered out of the forests and through the distant outer wall, called out to the correct guesser “your turn”

The guesser, a female Matarin who had decorated her armored skin with swirls of yellow and orange, took the stage, or rather moved in front of the sitting crowd as the rat actor took her spot, and began to attempt to convey the more abstract concept of safety to her onlookers while they attempted to guess her intention.

”You can't just point at me, that would be against the spirit of the game,” Artifex called over as the woman did just that. Her chiten flushed pink in embarrassment before she tied to single handedly mime out an armed (with long sticks) foraging party.

The god chuckled to himself and turned back to his work. Using a relatively mundane looking hammer and chisel he was hand carving a mural onto the back of the great wall. It depicted the creation of the mantarin queen, the growing of their species, their forays out into the walled garden and finally the visit of Cadien and the granting of his gift of color changing to them. The history of a race carved in stone. Soon, he hoped, it would include their first meeting with another mortal race.

Then, a familiar figure launched himself over the wall, and landed into the courtyard. “I have returned!” Cadien announced somewhat dramatically, as he turned to face Artifex.

Artifex’s antena perked up with surprise before he calmly released his work tools, which turned back into hovering crystals, and turned to greet the returning god.

”Cadien. A pleasure to see you” he said as he approached. Cadien’s arrival instantly drew the attention of the mantarin, be they at work or at play, causing a crowd to gather to watch the gods speak more.

”How do you fare?” Artifex asked as he stopped a respectful distance away from his fellow god.

“Quite well,” Cadien nodded. “If you recall our previous conversation, I do believe I have an idea.”

”I do indeed. A second mortal race who will call these lands their home.” Artifex replied ”I take it your travels have been fruitful in terms of both inspiration and surveying the land for a place for them to take their first breaths?”

“They have been,” Cadien agreed. “In fact, I have two races in mind, though I only need your aid with one.”

”I did say I was in your debt for your wonderful gift to my own mortals. Yet I’d be more than happy to help create more mortal life regardless.” Artifex replied, before asking ”Now my glamorous friend, please don't hesitate to tell me all about your ideas for mortal races.”

So, Cadien did, and his idea was a most unusual one. “Do you think that is agreeable?” he asked once the explanation was finished.

”An intriguing idea. By all means, lead on”

Cadien extended his arms, and a glowing ball of bright green energy began to grow into his palms. “Pour as much energy as you can into this,” he instructed, as the ball’s size began to stabilize.

Artifex directed a singular titanic hand towards the small glow. A swarm of crystals few along it from his halo and then formed up around the green orb, pointing down at it so that when raw power arced down the insectile god’s arm it struck them, was focused, and then shot down into the orb in a myriad of golden beams

The orb’s size began to grow even further, until at last, it became too much for the two gods to contain, and then suddenly Cadien launched it up into the sky. It immediately shattered, breaking off into seven fragments, which dispersed into different directions. One went north, and another went east, both travelling across the sea. Four flew off to the west, and a fifth was heading in that direction as well, but at a sharp upward angle.

“There, I think that did it,” Cadien remarked casually.

”Seven groups. Interesting. Ah, so they can grow on each island. Now that presents some interesting possible futures. I wonder how they will differ.” Artifex mused while his children marvaled as they watched the birth of a race. Several raced away from the gods and up onto the walls and a few even braved a Hiver nest tower, carefully climbing their way past the giant bees to reach the roof of their wall mounted home, to try and see if they could spot where the shards would be landing.

It simply wasn’t possible, however, because all but one of the shards soon vanished beyond the sight of even the gods. Cadien and Artifex would watch that one shard fly upward, high above the island they currently stood upon. Then, just as it reached the clouds, it exploded into a series of spores, which gently rained down the island from above. None they looked like they would be landing anywhere near the city, however.

“The species will spawn from those spores,” Cadien explained. “I will call them Goblins, I think. On each island, and on two locations from the mainland. They’ll all be the same physically, but each group will lean toward a different personality. I’ve imbued the ones landing on this island with a cooperative spirit - they’ll be more willing to work together to solve their problems.”

”A gentle easing in to inter species diplomacy for my children. I appreciate it. But what of the others. Why not bless them all with cooperation in their hearts?” Artifex asked.

“I want to see how these differences in behavior affect their development,” Cadien said. “See them each try to achieve perfection in their own way. Which ones will succeed, and which ones will fail.”

”Hmmm. Then I'll be interested to see how they grow. Which does raise a good point. What, pray tell, do these mortals look like? Or would you like to keep that a surprise?” Artifex asked

Cadien looked up to the sky, his gaze focusing on a point far off in the distance. Then, he stretched his hand outward, and drew it back. One of the spores flew to him, crossing the vast distance within seconds, and as soon as it reached his palm he dropped it.

It fell to the ground, and then sank into the soil. For a moment, nothing happened. Then suddenly, a green hand burst out. A second hand soon followed, and after that came a head. The head’s skin was smooth and green, with angular features - a pointed chin, a pointed nose, and pointed ears. The creature sniffed and examined its settings, blinking at the light, then began to pull itself up even further, until at last it was free from its earthly prison.

As the creature adjusted to its new surroundings, he wildly looked back and forth - first at the colourful creatures surrounding him, then at the two gods. “Who… who is you?” he demanded.

“Hmm… its speech isn’t quite as refined as I intended,” Cadien mused somewhat disappointedly, then shrugged. “It matters little, I suppose. I am Cadien, young one, and I am one of your creators.”

”Well they did just pop out of the ground. Form a certain perspective the fact that they can speak already is impressive,” Artifex noted before addressing the small mortal ”And I Artifex, a god who aided in your creation, and these are the Mantarin,” he indicated to the mass of insect people staring at the small creature with inwraped fascination. Several waved. ”Welcome to Galbar, I do so hope your existence is an enjoyable and interesting one.”

“Shiny-Hair,” the creature said, pointing to Cadien. “Big-Eyes,” he then added, gesturing to Artifex. “Why I here?”

“You are here to experience life,” Cadien told him. “And to strive to be the best you can possibly be.”

”To build. To ascend. To leave the world a richer place than you entered it. As for how you will do that, what you will create? That is something we are excited to find out alongside you.” Artifex agreed with the other in his own words

“To make friends” yelled one vey excited Mantarin from the crowd.

Artifex colored his own shell yellow, deliberately showing happiness to his children, and concluded ”and you’ll do that alongside so many other wonderful people.”

“Mhmm,” Cadien nodded, before turning to Artifex. “Well then, I suppose I’ll leave this one in your care. It’s time I was on my way.”

”So soon?” Artifex said with a hint of sadness, before more resolutely replying ”, of course. I'm sure you have much to do to see to the prosperity of your new race’s many tribes. I bid you farewell. Do not hesitate to come visit in future.”







In The Grim Crusade - A Warhammer 30000 RP → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
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In The Grim Crusade - A Warhammer 30000 RP → 5 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
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