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[Ardas]

Aradan observed them and listened. They were waiting. Had they not realised he was here? Or were they ignoring him to make a point? They did want him to appear to mortals though - something Aradan did not understand, much less liked. To interfere with mortals by appearing to them directly was harmful as it was, but there wasn't much he could do to stop others. For all his might, he was still a tribal spirit more than a deity.

He flew away from the village and landed on the ground some distance away. He knew how mortals looked and what they did, but he had no concept or vision of himself as a physical being beyond eagle. He did decide to transform howeer, and did so effortlessly. Where once stood a bird of prey, now there was a tall figure, clad from head to toe in long light robe, white but with a hint of grey, as if made from unbleached wool. The figure's hands or face could not be seen, shrouded under the sleeves and the hood.

He moved towards the village silently, effortlessly and in short order, moving though the crowd without being touched by anyone, stood in front of the three that were sitting in the middle and playing chess. He spoke to them in a male, but unearthly voice.

"I assume that it was one of you that called me here." The faceless hood turned around to Alandios."What is it that you desire to speak about , Spirit of Knowledge?"

[Shootandrun]

((For the sake of convenience, I'll place once again the introduction I had made earlier - we can assume the last few posts happened between the beginning of the game and Alandios's explanation))

The last one of his guests had arrived. His appearance was slightly peculiar, but he supposed all gods had their own opinion of what the mortals should or should not see. They were ready to begin - with one extra, in fact. Alandios turned towards Aradan and smiled; with a movement of his hand, he invited him to take a seat. At first, he spoke to the mortal who had joined their little group.

"So. We can now begin. For now, Feinor, I must implore you to wait and watch - your part has yet to come in this."

With that said, his attention returned to his two peers.

"A tribe lays to the east of this one. Strong, and populous. Their patron god gave them the gift of agriculture, which brought them plenty. That patron god is gone - dead, I believe, if the words apply to such beings as us. I do not feel him anywhere, and his essence was replaced by something very different - though it is too far for me to tell clearly, I know that being is not the same as the one who gave agriculture to his tribe. If something could slay him during his sleep, the same can be done to us - and that I have no desire for.

What I wish to propose is this. An alliance. Unity in strength. If we share our powers and our followers, we will all come out stronger - less vulnerable."

[adwarf]

Zantaware raised an eyebrow, and shook his head.


"False life? I do not control the afterlife, it does as it wishes with the souls I deliver and returns them to the cycle of life when they are needed. I am a simple Ferryman guiding the lost to the light, as I see it you seem to miss understand what souls truly do, yes they are collections of memories and experiences, but they are wove back into life time after time to live again and grow.

At least this is what I have known so far, my life has been short compared to yours, either way it matters not for the balance must be kept as you've pointed out. Dark times are ahead of us Broker, I will tell you now that I believe the Phoenix was the one that woke the god me and my brother were born from.

I also believe it was the Phoenix that struck him down, all I remember is that something attacked the god and he was drug towards the sun only to force himself free to die moments latter in his tumble to the ground ... Perhaps the Gods must go to war in the future, perhaps ..."

Trailing off Zantaware runs his finger across the blade as the silence stretches, soon broken by the Broker's words. The shock of what Zantaware hears is evident as his true form flickers to that of the Ferryman for a few moments before returning, his true form gave away to much of his emotions perhaps for the god was clearly saddened by the words.

"As for what happens to the souls ... I'm not sure, I fear for what may happen when me and my brother slumber. Perhaps they will fade from the world, if that is so ..."

Zantaware pauses for a moment and a look of worry covers his face before he turns his attention back to his fellow God,

"We will have to see, if that is what happens then I will work together with my brother, with our powers combined perhaps we will be able to fix the problem. If that does happen though and we cannot fix the flaw by ourselves then I ask you now, will you help us if that comes to pass Broker?

Think on it for a time before you answer, there are many mortal years to come before we must cross that mountain."

[Ardas]

Aradan listened and thought about what was said.

"Yes, you speak truth. I saw the people of the plough myself and greatly admired thier gift. And it is true that their patron is gone. They will inevitably face chaos and strife if left alone and to their own devices. What you propose is wise, as one would expect from someon like you and I agree. Our forces combined will give safety, prosperity and order to the humans. Mortals of this world still live in darkness and there are things I must tell you of."

He looked briefly at Autarch and continued.

"The people that I was born of talk of the Phoenix too, just as other tribes do. But there is something that no one but them are aware of and I arose from their collective desire to save themsleves. Phoenix will burn this world down and return it to the primodial chaos that it was born of - unless we prepare the world for it and defeat it. What we dream of and what all souls see is not only a distant echo of creation but also a foretelling of the future we all face, mortal or not."

[micelus]

"When the time comes Ferryman, I shall do as needed. Today however, I have much to think about. Goodbye for now, cousin."

And with that, The Broker left the Well of Souls.

[micelus]

(Double post because it doesn't mesh well with above post.)

The Broker continued with It's travels for a time, making use of the 'old trader' guise to acquire more tales. They interested It with their small mortal lives that were filled with so much action and emotion. It was like a flower that bloomed for only a night, before wilting. From which poet did I here that euphemism from?

Eventually though, The Broker knew that in time he would have to sleep once more. He could not rely on a full and conscious view of the mortal plane, nor their many tales. It saddened the deity. It could not remain on this world forever.

One night, as the old trader was selling his wares at the tribe of the Alandians, the Broker realised that his cousins Alandios and Nihilius had created their own servants. From what It had heard, they used those birds of theirs to gather knowledge or help gather knowledge. Well, The Broker had a similar hunger for information, It agreed.

The Broker, however, did not believe that creating a whole new creature was necessary. Nor was enslaving them. No, It would make something more…suitable.

…

Re-adal was the chief monkey-catcher around these parts. He had been catching the bloody things since he was 9 and he had got pretty good at it too. He could catch the golden creatures during mid-swing and knew exactly where they would stop to rest, eat, drink and mate. They were a predictable lot.

Re-adal wasn't sure why exactly the village had so many monkeys in and around it but they weren't called the Sichuan tribe for nothing. Besides, it had made him quite a well-off man. He could trade the monkeys, live or in sections, to other tribes up or down the river. Best of all, there was always a demand for them. People thought these monkeys brought good luck. Re-adal laughed at that because it was true: he had become rich indeed selling the bloody things!

He was returning home now after another successful day. He had gone on a short trek into the jungle hoping to find out why the monkeys had been so quiet around here for the past few days. Quiet monkeys weren't good for business, Re-adal knew. It had turned out to be one of those red gorillas from the north. Strange things. They were like normal gorillas…until you saw the fangs. They could could tear you apart in seconds, he heard. Fortunately, Re-adal also knew that a good blow to the head is a good way to kill one.

As he neared the village (he could see the smoke in the distance) he heard the warning screams of the sichuan monkeys. Readying his tools, he approached the source. As he did, he noticed several of the monkeys fleeing, even ignoring him completely. Not a good sign. He cautiously trudged through the undergrowth, curious and alert for danger. He spotted a clearing not too far away. That was probably where the scream came from, he thought. Stealthily approaching it, he saw the remains of quite a few of the golden monkeys…being devoured by strange black-brown creatures that were as large as himself. They looked like overgrown monkeys, he thought.

He knew that staying would not be a good idea. Best to leave. Yes. He turned to do so. A single step. Then another. Then another. Perhaps those things wouldn't notice him.

"Scared of my baboons, hunter?"

Making a quick look to the creatures, he saw an elderly man with an unusually pointed beard looking at him with a grandfatherly appeal. Don't trust old people who appear out of the bloody air! Re-adal sprinted, not bothering to reply. If he could just get back to the village he would be safe. Just pass the river. He saw it there perhaps he co-

"Really, you see an old man in the jungle with a pack of rabid baboons and you run. Not the smartest action. Besides, it is not as if I would sic my pets on you…right? I just want to speak, one trader to another."

Re-adal quickly scanned the surroundings and noticed himself trapped. These 'baboons' would probably tear him apart.He sighed.

"Um…v-very well."

The old man smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want one of the best traders of this era to become food. Now sit".

As the stranger said that, a spongy mass of leaves appeared under him and forced him to sit. The same happened with the stranger.

"Magic you might call it. You'd be right. You see…I'm no ordinary old man with a pack of baboons. Although you might have noticed that. In fact…I'm a deity like your old Ha-Jalah, although I doubt you remember him, do you?"

Re-adal shook his head. "Are you…like the Phoenix then? My…lord? sir?"

"Oh something like that. Actually, you can call me The Broker, for that is what I am. The Broker of riches, of tales, of experiences…and so on and so on. Haven't heard of me either, I presume."

"No…my Broker?"

"Don't bother with the titles Re-adal. Let us cut the meat of this meeting. I want to…enter a partnership of sorts. You see, as great as we deities are, we cannot be everywhere. Not yet anyway. You mortals are also very fragile. I thus propose a little deal. I don't really want to explain it, so listen to this," the broker tossed a crystal to Re-adal," and turn it around three times."

Re-adal, not wanting to be smited, did so.

"Congratulations! If you are currently listening to this recording, it means that you are the Riteman for the job! What does that mean? Well it means you will soon become fabulously wealthy! Rich beyond compare! How? well by…"

Re-adal listened for an hour or so, before the crystal finally stopped talking. Strange thing.

"Well? What do you think?"

"It seems…restrictive."

"Well you can always quit, I mean you have little to lose from becoming one."

"I…guess…fine. I'll do it."

"Good, good. I expect you gone from here in two weeks. Don't forget to say your goodbyes."

And with that, the Broker disappeared and Re-adal became the first of the Ritemen.


Act: Create the first of the Ritemen.

Spoiler: Ritemen (click to show/hide)

The Ritemen are those individuals who have sworn themselves to the Broker. This is not worship or even fealty, simply employment. The job of the Ritemen is simple. They are to offer the rites and rituals to the people of Nativa throughout their travels, as well as gather stories and information for the Broker. The Ritemen have an intrinsic knowledge of the reagents, effects and processes of the rites that the Broker has created. They receive new knowledge as new rites are made. They can also nullify or cancel a rite (The Rite of Cancellation) via a price that is considered Expensive by the customer. The Ritemen, while under the employ of the Broker, are immune to natural disease and bodily harm. They also have a 'compass sense' that allows them to easily direct themselves to areas they have been to (similar to the abilities of migrating birds). Furthermore, they can call upon nearby kapyts and baboons for whatever purposes they deem necessary. Note that the animals cannot kill sapients. Ritemen are however, sterile, cannot stay in one place for longer than a week and cannot kill a sapient being. While the Ritemen serve the Broker, they also have their own careers. Most are traders, some storytellers and others are...others. Ritemen can become Ritemen via direct employment by the Broker or by asking another Riteman about employment. A Riteman may quit by simply saying that they quit, through one form or another.

[Koronii]

With a scream the phoenix burned, and from the ashes a god was born through death

For a moment it was a twisting thing, a presence of absence, a blind bodiless thing, then spun itself a body.

It was a shadow first, darkness without form or reason, then details crept in. Legs to stand on, arms to grasp with, a body dried and desiccated. The darkness became a funeral shroud, tattered and black. And for a face it bore a simple white mask, with empty pits for eyes.

The god stumbled on new legs, swaying in a northern wind. He straightened himself, his body still twitching from the novelty of flesh and the bitter cold.

All around him was a frozen waste with nothing living in sight. The sterility was pleasant, like coming out of a noisy street into the quiet of your own house. And in that quietude he remembered himself

The old chieftain dying peacefully surrounded by his tribe, the little girl starving in the woods, red blood dripping from tooth and claw, a god falling.

Iloende smiled, life without end was an abomination, and so to see an immortal die was like a little triumph.

With a tired sigh the god surveyed the world, tattered cloth flapping in the arctic wind. He grimaced. Even for a god there was only so much that could be taken in, and death was everywhere, from the greatest of men to the least little microbe. Only the smallest fraction of them were worthy of his attention, but the others crowded in on his senses.

The god would have snarled, but an idea struck him. He crouched down, his body creaking, and brushed aside a drift of snow.

At his hand was a tundra plant, sleeping through the frost and waiting for spring. Iloende picked it, ice shattering in his grasp. He crushed the plant in his fist and began murmuring quiet threats and commands. He knelt there for a while, snow piling up around him, and he tossed the plant up in the air.

As it flew it fell apart into tiny seeds, so light that they would be carried by the winds to distant lands, where they would quickly sprout and bloom, showing him the way to the dead and the dying.

Iloende stood up. To the east, his brother was already awake, but the ferryman could wait. The god moved south, following the fragrance. The harvest needed tending.


Iloende is born and creates Wyrdbloom flowers, plants whose scent guides him to the souls of the dying.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Wyrdbloom are small pale plants that grow near places of human occupation, when a person living nearby is about to die, the plant sprouts delicate white flowers whose scent guides Iloende to take up the souls of the dying. The plant's roots can be used as a powerful disinfectant.

[Caesar]

Feinor listened in silency as the gods spoke, and even when the new god appeared and said its part, he had remained respectful. When a silence fell, however, he got to his feet. "However much I would like to hear you speak, I would prefer doing so away from the village. These people should be able to live their lives and get to their daily tasks. Instead, I will take you to where I take all those who wish for some order," He momentarily looked at Aradan. ".. so that they may wage war," his eyes rested on Unsobar. ".. against their own lack of knowledge." At those words, his eyes rested on Alandios. A slight smile played around his lips. It had not been too hard to match the names and spheres to the right gods. What had been hard, however, was to remain silent at Aradan's words. He believed that the Phoenix was a higher, more powerful being. It was there solely to guide the gods, or whatever other spirits there might be. He addressed Alandios. "This is your home as well as mine. I would humbly suggest to take this discussion to a more fitting location." Momentarily his eyes rested on the board. "I have got a board of my own. I will let you continue your game on this board."

Feinor offers the gods that gathered in the Alandian tribe to continue their discussion in the clearing where he usually meditates.
((I think that we might presume that if Alandios picks up on the offer, the rest will too.))

[Shootandrun]

Alandios frowned and looked at the other two before replying to Feinor's offer. The crowd could not hear what they were saying, but it was true that their little meeting must have been very distracting indeed. Strangers rarely visited the Alandian tribes, and never three individual ones in a single day. Leaving with the shaman would not put an end to any rumor, but it may limit the amount of damage to a bare minimum.

"Very well. We will conduct this meeting around your board, far from any unwanted ears."

Once they had reached the clearing, the god of knowledge sat down once again and placed the pieces of the board as they had been. While he was doing so, he finally replied to Aradan's answer.

"The future is... Uncertain. I have stared into it numerous times, but not even I knows what it holds. There are those who believe the Phoenix gave birth to the gods, and there are those who believe the mortals did, perhaps in fear of the Phoenix himself. I do not know the truth - all that I remember is the Cry, the flame, and the pain. Perhaps he caused the disappearance of the God to the east. Perhaps something else did. Still, the need to unite ourselves against such a threat remains."

He turned towards Unsobar, just as he made a new move, having replaced the pieces in their correct position.

"But you have yet to reply to me. What do you think, Unsobar?"

[Digital Hellhound]

Unsobar had remained silently as the four had made their way into the clearing, settling back at the board. Now he made his move, claiming a piece of the other god, and nodded.

'I am considering your offer,' he said. The Autarch looked at Aradan and chuckled grimly. 'But I am born of War and War I will guard. Eternal safety, prosperity and order? You speak like a fool. These are things to be found in neither the world of men or of gods. It goes against their base nature. But even if such a thing was feasible, what use is it to me? It would be a dead world, of no change, no emotion. It would kill me as surely as the wrath of the Phoenix, if your claims are true.'

He smiled. 'Well... do not think I hate the order you represent. But it will not last forever. Nothing does,' he said and looked at Alandios. 'I hope you do not share his illusions. I would hate for this meeting to fall apart because of it.'

[Ardas]

The hooded figure turned around to face Unsobar.

"You are greatly mistaken, for you confuse order and stasis. I do not seek death or decay, but uninterrupted flow of things on this world - for souls of men to be born live and depart to their rightful place, for flow of time to be uniterrupted, for tribes to prosper and live and for land to bear animals and plants alike, as it did since the dawn of time. I despise all unnatural change and chaos that breaks the natural cycles of this world amd corrupts them to unnatural desires and goals. But I do understand acts that are taken to protect mortals and do not shy away from imparting gifts onto them if needed."

Aradan paused and tunred his head to the other two.

"I do not seek to calcify the world in its present from, but to ensure that it runs at its own pace and that mortals are allowed to develop - we are born of them and it is our duty to be there for their prayers. I saw acts of others: their screamers, their beasts, their offspring and their trades and I see the damage they do. I will not remain peaceful if they destabilize the world and put mortals in danger. What mortals shall create I willl dolidify and what this world has created I will protect from Corruption. Phoenix is that Corruption as it continues to call and threarten all of us. but if not for sake of the prophecy I was born with, so for the sake of things I just spoke about, I am willing to join."

He returned his invisible gaze to Unsobar.

"Do not think that I am belitelling you Unsobar. Conflicts between men or animals are but a part of the flow of this world and I shall take up arms if needed against all that is corruption. I will seek you out as ally and in return impart your acts with justice, so that your ambition builds, not destroys."

[Digital Hellhound]

Unsobar snorted. 'A slippery slope if I've ever known one. But your oh-so-noble goals! I envy your idealism, I truly do.'

He sighed. 'You'll understand, sooner or later. Regardless - I have no objections, and I see the benefits of this. An alliance, then! How grand. Shall we discuss the... details, then?

The Autarch made to turn, then hesitated - or atleast pretended to - and looked back at Aradan.

'One more thing, though - if you ever presume to impart what is mine with your wondrous 'justice' without my permission, I will kill you, no matter the terms of this arrangement.'

[Shootandrun]

Alandios did not move once, except to make his moves on the board, while the other two discussed and Feinor watched. He was of the patient sort. He could wait for the discussion to unfold. When the aspects of war and order settled down, he spoke, ignoring the small argument they had had.

"The details are relatively simple, Unsobar, although completing my plan may be slightly more complicated. I propose to bring the tribes of Toman, Aradon, and the Ox - the one who lost its patron god - here. An exodus from all these tribes, to unite these people under our wings. I have numerous reasons for this.

Firstly, these lands are good. The rivers grant water for agriculture, a knowledge which leads to civilization and order, while providing easy movement and defense in times of war. The plains are fertile, and relatively harmless, suffering neither from the heat and the humidity of the south, nor the cold of the far north.

Uniting our tribes means that we shall have the same amount of followers. There will be no member amongst us who profits more of this alliance than the other two. Bringing the Ox's children under our wings means our own protégés will gain access to agriculture, increasing their numbers and making their lives easier, and it will bring these poor souls under the protection of a god once gain. They are in dire need of it - there are strange things happening in the forests north of them, things which do not seem natural in the least bit."

He paused, letting his words sink in for the other three, before continuing.

"Of course, this task will not be easy. We will have to convince the tribes of starting a long and difficult exodus. Not all will desire to leave, and not all will survive the journey. Those who will arrive at their destination, however, will be strong; they will be capable of building a new home for themselves, alongside the others."

He turned towards Feinor, this time addressing him exclusively.

"This is where you come in. If you encourage the Alandians to welcome the foreigners, our task will be much easier. The men of the Ox will bring agriculture with them, which will promise prosperity and food for all; and the tribes of Aradon and Toman are numerous and determined, which will allow the united people to, one day, become the greatest and the most prosperous of the tribes. The choice is yours, for in this arrangement you are not a servant, but an ally."

[Caesar]

Feinor considered these words carefully. He never quite thought of serving the gods in the first place. Somewhere, he viewed them as kindred, not as masters: As equals, despite the obvious differences. Alandios proposed something simple, yet effective: unity. He had never seen such a thing attempted on such a great scale, however, and he wondered what chances the gods stood at succeeding in such a task.

Who, for instance, would become the leader of such a united tribe? Would it be him, for the new people came to their home? Would it be Ihanet, from Toman, for his tribe held the greatest force? Or would it be the ones from the tribe of the Ox, since they brought with them the greatest numbers and, above all, the intriguing idea of agriculture. Now that the idea has been mentioned, Feinor can't help but admit to himself that he has, indeed, been inspired by the idea, yet never acted on it. This neglect of action might very well have barred progress that could have been made for the better of his tribe. Before committing himself to the god's plan, he wanted to raise these points.

Feinor studied the board in silence for a while, in consideration. Next, he pointed out a tactical flaw Unsobar had made. It was, after all, his game, even though he doubted whether any of the gods knew this. His board laid in the grass peacefully, and this sight gave him the peace of mind he needed to address the gods calmly.

"I understand the idea of uniting the tribes, spirit of knowledge. But I have not seen it executed on such a scale ever before. I know that Toman has conquered two other tribes, and I am also aware of the fact that a once prosperous tribe in the far south was destroyed by the joined forces of their enemies." He neglected to mention how the culprits were then hunted down like beasts by the remaining warriors of the once strong tribe. "I see how, if these peoples would be united, they could form a great and strong force, and how three gods together might very well achieve more than all others could alone. But.." He paused. It was almost like a fire burned inside his eyes. ".. I see several critical pitfalls to your plan. The first is the tribe of the Ox. While, by divine decree, the other tribes might decide to indeed migrate to here, there is no god, if your words are true, who can lead the Ox tribe. Thus, it would be extremely difficult to convince them, unless you employ deceit and trickery." He looked at Unsobar. "The tribe of Toman is led by Ihanet, an ambitious man. They are also known to be warlike. Once they hear of the beautiful grounds on which the Alandian tribe lives, they might decide to act in aggression. They might very well take these lands by force, and that is not something I wish for. Even if they would not, I doubt Ihanet would yield any of his power to any of the other tribe's leaders."

Feinor breathed in deeply, pointing out a flaw in Alandios' play. "Then, there is a matter with the tribes from the Savannah." His eyes really quite seemed to flash brightly now, and Feinor's eyes rested directly on the god of Order's manifested form. "As you might or might not realize, it is customary in most tribes to not only respect, but worship the Phoenix. The Phoenix is regarded as a creator, a protector. The major tribes have chosen patron spirits. Three of them are represented here. But the Phoenix holds an especially important part in their beliefs. I foresee a great conflict between the people from the south and those from the other lands."

He picked up a lost chess piece out of the grass with utmost care, examining it carefully. "I am willing to commit myself, as your ally, to the unification of our tribes. My people will not protest. But, unless the issues I named are dealt with, I do not see how you wish to unite these peoples."

[Digital Hellhound]

Unsobar nodded. He seemed amused.

'I admit, this is an idea I have played with before. The Toman suffer in their cold north. They could be so much greater here, where the game is bountiful and the earth green. I do not know anything about tending the land as this tribe of the Ox has, but if it brings greater strength, let it be introduced.'

He looked at the board, smiling politely at Feinor and his advice - though he ignored it and made no effort to fix the 'mistake'. The god was silent for a while, then moved a piece and spoke.

'You know much, shaman, but your seeing stones and spies cannot see into the hearts of men. Divine decree would count little to the Toman, as is my preference. Subtlety is always a more potent weapon than - hah! - trying to force mortals to do anything. You need not worry about Ihanet. He will come thinking to subjugate your people - not by force, but he has other means - but his ambition will blind and destroy him. In this,' he said, nodding towards Aradan, 'I would accept your aid. I will discuss my plans with you later. And if Ihanet does force my hand... I will act against him, even if it hurts the Toman now.'

He paused. 'I understand if the promises of an old fool like myself do not satisfy you, mortal. I am willing to pledge an oath of your people's survival under the order-god, if that is what you wish.'