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[Weirdsound]

Turn -1: In the Beginning...

Year 764, Month of:

Korroarfall
Rexxisreign
Bellia
Autumnjoy
Kia
Valor
Clammor
Alvin
Abbey
Mortus
Autumnwrath
Glaciana

---

Ketari:

You had heard of the Island of Plenty, and had first wished to visit, long ago. Every so often a gull or albatross would speak of it's rumored existence, and of the Harpies who supposedly live there.

The Harpy, a large and fearsome bird with the body and speech of a woman. Nothing would please you more than to catch such a creature, learn its secrets, or consume it. Sadly, these magnificent birds were driven from Bellian lands shortly after the War Before Time and long before your creation.

When the Bellians discovered the island for themselves, you were exited, and when stories of the harpies came back to your homeland, you were ecstatic; The Parrot Harpy of the Island of Plenty was an entirely new kind of bird altogether! Not only was it said to have human speech, but wit and intelligence at least equal to that of the average Bellian! To top it off, these Harpies supposedly have gods of their own! Just dwelling on the thought of meeting, or even hunting, a creature such as yourself, both bird and goddess, was enough to send shivers of joy and anticipation down your spine.

You went at once to Rexxis to beg his permission to depart for the island, and although he was loath to send a wild goddess such as yourself as his sole representative, the Island was weighing on the mind of the God King nonetheless, and your pleading was turned out to be the spark that inspired one of his famous grand plans...

---

Auratus:

All dragons desire wealth and power, but your mother was always greedy even by the standards of her kind. To protect and expand her vast treasure hoard, she has acquired and has made many artifacts with which to view the future, anticipate threats, and locate things of value before anybody else.

It was these artifacts that warned her to avoid involvement in The War Before Time, which brought about the destruction of all other Dragons in what became Bellian land. It was these artifacts that allowed her to foresee the where several of the Old Dragon Crowns would end up after the war, so that she could pick them up before Rexxis and his kin could make trophies out of them. It was these artifacts that allowed her gauge her actions and carefully build wealth in the years since, without ever offending enough of the gods to threaten her existence or hoard in the process. It was these artifacts that allowed her to see the Island of Plenty, and the potential wealth that it could bring Raxis, 70 years before the first Bellian explorer did. It was also these artifacts that allowed her to foresee and plan her best chance of denying this wealth to the Wealth God... and that chance is you.

Getting you accepted as one of the new island gods wasn't difficult. Your mother visited her rival, and preyed upon his pride by boasting to The King of Gods that her spawn could be more successful on the island than the spawn of his kin. Rexxis, ever eager to best the dragon, countered by challenging her to send you to the island and prove it. His only condition was that you be made a proper god first, so that the challenge would be fair. Although Godhood was never your goal, you did already met two of the three Bellian criteria for godhood, immortality and great power, and you would lose nothing by meeting the third: The ability to draw power from prayer.

Unia, the goddess who administered weddings and other such ceremonies for Rexxis' bunch, was assigned to perform the ritual attuning you to Bellian prayer. You met her in a simple mortal village, where she lived as the wife of a simple farmer who had not even the slightest hint of her true identity. She dressed in the work clothes of a Bellian Commoner or Barbarian slave, and had four children from whom she was withholding divine knowledge and power until the death of their mortal father. As she drew the magic circles around you, and anointed you with fragrant oil you were struck by a moment of confirmation; Your mother was completely and totally right about the Bellian Gods. How could one not hate and feel superior to such a sad and humble creature?

---

Ketemos + Pyrite

Telen's eyes follow carefully as her only two sons enter the observatory and approached the telescope where she is working. This would be, to the best of her great knowledge, the first meeting between the boys, and the Goddess had resolved to make it a monumental one.

She had interrupted both of her children to summon them to her side; Her eldest, the child of her consent, had been studying anatomy and human behavior under the tutelage of a widely feared barbarian interrogation and torturemaster. Her youngest, the child she shared with the hated one, had been called back from Glaciana's icy realm, where he was trying to track down the soul of a long dead philosopher so as to learn the correct interpretation of several controversial lines in The Third Treatise Against Abbey's Insurrections.

"Greetings my sons. I trust that you are each learned enough to know of the existence, name, and appearance of the other, so introductions are unnecessary. I apologize profusely for interrupting your respective studies, but I need your help. I am plagued by a quandary, and need the help of each of you in finding an answer."

Telen hangs her head in shame. It was rare for the goddess to talk to anybody, rarer still for her to take visitors, and completely unheard of for her to admit weakness and ask for help.

She begins softly as tears, perhaps born by the love she had for her sons, and perhaps born of her desperation, run down her cheek. "Five years ago, a philosopher asked me a question in prayer. At first I brushed him off as another mortal not worth my time, but as I thought about it, it occurred to me that I didn't have an answer to his quarry. The question: 'What makes one the brother of another?"

Rising from the Telescope, Telen positions herself between her children, and drapes a dainty arm over the shoulder of each. "Since my mind cannot produce an answer on its own, I have been running experiments on the matter, and it has occurred to me that you both would be great for isolating the variable of a shared mother. You share not a father, nor an upbringing, and although you are both intelligent and claim to possess the best interests of mortals in your hearts, you each have a very different, and perhaps even irreconcilable, belief as to what those interests are."

She pauses briefly, and pulls both of the young gods to her bosom for a deep hug. "I fear this could be our last meeting. You have each expressed interest in watching over the mortals on that island that in their ignorance they have only just discovered. I have talked to Rexxis. You are each accepted for the job. You will work and live in close proximity to one another, and will share responsibility for the same mortals. There will be three others, but I fear that they are the sort who will see their flock as a source for prayer energy... at best. Send messages to me with Mortus when he comes to collect souls. Let me know if you stumble upon any insight as to the nature of brotherhood... and just let me know... how you are doing... from time to time."

And with that, for the first time since time began, Telen's composure breaks down completely. For the next five minutes, she does naught but hold her children and cry.

---

Tulwor:

Your jealousy grew as the mission to install gods on the Island of Plenty took shape. First you wanted to go merely to explore the island and have great adventures. Then you wanted to go because your enigmatic 3/4ths sister Ketari was going, and you wanted to explore the island and have great adventures with her. Next you learned that Rexxis was allowing the spawn of the Stone Dragoness to take part of the journey, so as to prove once and for all that the gods made better gods than a dragon might, and you were at once overcome with the desire to test your might against that of Auratus.

You knew your chances of being invited to go to the island were slim - if they even existed at all. Rexxis was in charge of deciding who was going, and you had have never made your disdain for the King of the Gods a secret. To further hurt your odds, the main purpose of the adventure was to look after and provide for the Bellians on the island, and even you had to admit that that was a task to which you would be poorly suited.

Ever hopeful however, you began to settle your affairs and pack your few belongings, on the off chance an invite would find its way into your hands. Then, three days before the expedition was to depart, you were summoned by your father to meet him at the Port of the Gods. You assumed that the summons was to break the bad news and kill the tiny hope that you still nursed, so you went out to meet the god of the dying as most do - with dread and despair close to your heart.

As you approached the spot where The Galley of Mortus was moored, however, your mood at once changed. The look on your father's beaked face was the closest that he could manage to a grin. "Son," he announced, "yer going ta live on the Island of Plenty! I just got done playing the old guilt game on our venerable king. Told him he owes it to ya, for making ya cut out the chumming around with the heathens, and fer letting Sir Valor lock ya up for as long as he did."

Mortus spent a good thirty minutes or so recounting the whole conversation that he had with Rexxis in a jovial fashion, occasionally even breaking out his mocking impression of the king. But as the grand clock struck midnight, signaling the start of a new month, and that the God of the Dying must soon resume his rounds, his demeanor quickly changed to one that was deadly serious.

"Now listen here boy! Cause I don't wanna lecture you on the boat in front of the others later. I talked with Rexxis, and am sending you on this trip, because you need ta grow up. This isn't one of yer kiddy adventures, but an entirely new life for ya. You need ta find something to devote all that strength and zeal ya have. Ya can't be the god o' pissing around and picking fights till the end of time. That is what I did when I was your age, and then I grew the feck up an' started doing this; My job ain't perfect, but I wouldn't trade it fer anything, not even the nothing you got going for ya right now. Find something ya love, and give yerself to it!"

With a chuckle, the vulture faced god gave you a slap on the shoulder. "Ya be back here in time for launch, understood? I don't wanna treat ya like one of them dying cowards that I gotta round up! Now if ya excuse me, I have to clean up after shipwreck, a serial killer, aaaaaand a mass execution, before picking up some Heralds for ya guys from her iciness and coming back for you all. Take care until then!"

And at that, Mortus set off on his Galley, leaving you to retire to the nearest tavern to consider his words.

All the Young Gods:

"Watch yer step climbing aboard, it be wet and slippery." Mortus warns, "And for those of ya who have never travled with me before, please note that the Galley suppresses all divine power save my own, so don't even think 'bout any funny business."

The boat is wooden and rather small. Aside from the collection of strange and powerful beings aboard, a mast made of twisted and intertwined ice and gold, and sails sewn from collected fog, one might easily mistake the legendary Galley of Mortus for any other dated Bellian watercraft.

"My oars and sails will get us to the island in four hours, so make yerselves comfortable, and be thankful ya all got me. It takes mortal craft two and a half months to make this particular crossing. Make use of the time to get ta know each other, or perhaps you may find it useful to talk with the Heralds. They are supposed to proclaim your arrival and explain your new role to the mortals, but I doubt they know anything of any of you save yer names..."

As Mortus speaks, he gestures to four humans sitting in the back of the boat. You know well that the Bellian gods send back mortals who have died both recently and publicly to deliver important messages to the general populace; Such Heralds are taken seriously because their appearance is clearly miraculous.

The four chosen to announce your arrival, two men and two women, have little in common, save for the scars that commemorate their first deaths; Although Mortus and Glaciana each possess the ability to generate a flawless copy of a soul's original vessel, they have learned through experience that leaving some mutilation is a great way to prevent a Herald from being accused as a fraud.

The first of the four is a fair Bellian woman adorned in a fine robe of silk lined with silver. The robe is held together by a gold lightning bolt broach: The mark of House Infelix, a Bellian family that dates back to the war before time, but that has had little luck obtaining crowns or any significant power among the city states. A single scar wraps around her neck, indicating that she was likely beheaded. The fact that said scar is clean and uniform strongly implies said beheading was a planned execution as opposed to something that occurred in the chaotic heat of battle. Her face is not easy to read; She stares expressionlessly at the sea, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Next on the back bench is a male Bellian youth, likely just shy of his 16th birthday. He wears light leather armor on top of a well kept outfit, which is likely the uniform for some mercenary band or merchant's guard. He bears a longbow, a quiver of arrows, a short sword, and, around his neck, the star cut ruby bestowed upon those Bellians who die heroically so that those gods handling their souls may treat them with dignity. His body is plastered with huge scars, that seem more consistent with the damage inflicted by the claws of large beasts than that of the weapons of man or god. They boy seems overwhelmed by his present situation, as he gazes at each god and each other herald on the boat with the wide eyes of amazement.

The third herald is a frightening man covered from head to toe with terrible burns. Although smaller than most of the deities present, the burned one is clearly the largest and best built of the heralds; His massive muscles, in some places, are visible beneath gaps burnt into his flesh. He dresses as a tradesman would, and above his clothes he wears an apron adorned with pockets containing various metalworker's tools. His demeanor seems to be one of depression or despair, which is understandable; Glaciana does many things, not all of them pleasant, to the souls of the Bellian dead, but to be sent back to mortal life as a disfigured freak is a particularly cruel fate.

In contrast to the depression of her neighbor, the final herald appears to be in high spirits - she smiles, hums, and occasionally belts out a few lines to a bawdy song before remembering that she is in the presence of gods. Her hair is a bright barbarian crimson in opposition to the Bellian brown of the other three. Her dress is the practical garb of a sailor, and the silver trimmings and jewelry that goes with it implies that she is a successful one. She has many tattoos, many of which state her to be an officer in the service of a pirate lord. Her face is a purplish blue, indicating that her death involved a lack of oxygen; Drowning would be the likely culprit in her case.

Mortus takes his spot at the rear of the boat, and begins to propel and steer his craft at unfathomable speeds with the Oar of Fate. The Vulture headed one himself might make for good conversation; As every mortal eventually winds up on his Galley, he is well versed in their lore, culture, and gossip, and as the forsworn ferryman and naval officer to the Bellian Gods, he knows at least as much about their comings and goings as well.

Only hours remain before your new life begins, but until then, there is little to do but talk...

[Weirdsound]

Some Rules and Mechanical Explanations:

On Turn Actions:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Interactions: Interactions are actions that require a player character be in a place other than Newbellum Castle or the Domain Islands. The default success rate for interactions is 70%

Miracles: Miracles are actions that require a large amount of supernatural power to pull off. Gods can use lesser powers, such as creating simple disguises for themselves and understanding speech, without the need for a Miracle. The default success rate for Miracles is 60%. Unused Miracles can be banked for later use (See Newbellum Castle section).

---

Some boons use your Miracles or Interactions to do something specific. Unless otherwise stated, a Miracle or Interaction used by a boon will always succeed.

Actions that require the player character to be in a place other than Newbellum Castle or the Domain Islands AND a large amount of supernatural power to pull off require both an Interaction and a Miracle. These sorts of actions have a default success rate of 65%.

Actions that can be performed inside of Newbellum Castle or on the Domain Islands WITHOUT a large amount of supernatural power can be either an Interaction or a Miracle. The default success rate for these sorts of actions is 70%.

Calculating Action Success Rate: There is no hard and fast rule for calculating Action success, but we will start with the following list of common modifiers as a guideline. I will add to the list as things come up. The total success rate of an action is capped at 95%, and can go into negative numbers.

-Performing an action that relates to a skill or experience in your character’s backstory -  +10%
-Performing an action that requires specialized skill or knowledge not present in your character’s backstory - -20%
-Attempting to affect a particularly large area - -20% (At least)
-Attempting to affect a particular narrow area at range - -15% (At least)
-Modifying an Empty Room of Newbellum Castle, or one of the Domain Islands - +30%
-Performing an action on a willing target - +15%
-Trying to Initiate Combat with an actor who is looking to fight you, or who is trying to defend a known location - +95%
-Trying to Initiate Combat with an actor who is trying to avoid combat - -50%
-Trying to harm an actor without combat - (Minus that actors combat power, at least)
-Trying to birth or create a prodigy - -35%
-Creating a new, non prodigy, Actor - -50%
-Raising a mortal to godhood - -300%

Multiple actions can be spent to improve one’s odds of success. You may spend twice the normal amount of Miracles or Interactions to halve the distance between an actions normal success rate, and 100%; If the success rate is below 0, increase it by 50 instead. Any other actor may also aid any given action once by spending the same amount of Miracles or Interactions as the base amount required for the action; When this happens, halve the distance between an actions normal success rate, and 100%; If the success rate is below 0, increase it by 50 instead.

On Combat:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Combat is usually started with an interaction, but if both participants are capable of fighting at a super long range using supernatural powers, or if the target is on the Domain Islands or in Newbellum Castle, combat may be started with a Miracle instead. Combat is broken down into three phases.

Challenge Phase: During the challenge phase, the actor who is spending an action to start the fight seeks out and challenges his/her opponent. If the person to be challenged isn’t actively and openly guarding something, or likewise trying to challenge you, the interaction to start the battle has a fair chance to fail, and the battle won't begin.

Once it is clear that the fight is going to happen, each actor involved declares their goal, or what they hope to obtain or inflict by winning the combat. The challenger may choose any goal within reason. The challenged may only choose ‘escape unharmed’, ‘guard or protect something or someone’, or ‘kill my attacker’ as a goal, unless the challenged has been given ample warning of the challenge and has made preparations. An actor may save Miracles in anticipation of combat, and use them as part of its goal to do stuff like turn your opponent into vermin or melt the mountain they were defending; If a miracle user wins the combat, it will have a much better chance of having the miracle work than if it had just attempted the miracle without a fight. It is possible multiple combatants to be the challenger if multiple combatants spend an interaction to start a fight.

Lastly, during the challenge phase, sides are determined if there are more than two combatants. In large battles there can be multiple sides, and each member of each side can have its own goal. If two actors have contradictory goals, they cannot be on the same side in a fight.

Combat Phase: The fight plays out during the combat phase. Every participant rolls 1dX, where X is their Combat Power, and then modifies the roll based on boons, context, and actor types. Anybody holding some sort of fortified position multiplies their roll by at least 1.5. Monsters multiply their roll by 1.25 if there is a Host on the other side. Hosts multiply their roll by 1.25 if there is a Hero on the other side. Heroes multiply their roll by 1.25 if there is a monster on the other side. Gods never multiply their roll based on the sort of foe they are facing. Prodigy Actors always multiply their roll by .75.

If there are more than two participants in the battle, each side then adds up the combined roles of each of their members.

Fallout Phase: The winner(s) of the combat gets something of what they want, and the loser(s) always suffers some sort of malus or injury. Participants who are neither the winner or loser may either suffer or benefit, depending on their goals, the goals of the people the rolled better than, and the goals of people they did worse than.

If an Actor’s goal is to harm, kill, capture, or forcibly modify another participant in the combat, and that actor does well enough to meet that goal, the person placed in Jeopardy must roll a saving throw to avoid an Utter Defeat; The person in jeopardy must roll their Combat Power again, and if they roll lower than the difference in power between their side, and the side trying to hurt them, they are Utterly Defeated and subjected to the exact fate that the victor has planned for them. If the one in jeopardy passes the saving throw, they suffer some lesser misery instead, and will usually escape with their life and freedom intact. If more than one foe puts an actor in Jeopardy, than that actor must make a saving throw for each.

If an Actor’s goal is merely something his opponent is trying to prevent (other than injury of said opponent), and that actor does  well enough in battle to meet that goal, he must roll a conquest throw to claim a Complete Victory; The victor rolls their Combat Power again, and if they roll higher than the difference in power between their side, and the side trying to prevent their goal, they are Completely Victorious, and gain exactly what they set out to gain. If the victor fails the conquest throw, he receives some lesser reward.

On NPC Actors:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The young gods are far from the only people trying to influence events on the Island of Plenty. Any person or unit powerful enough to make a major impact on world events, and who is not controlled directly by a player character, is considered an NPC actor.

All NPC actors have at least 1 interaction a month, and some might even be capable of Miracles. Because the GM doesn't need to be writing for dozens of characters, you will not be informed of what an actor is doing, unless you are specifically interacting with it, it attempts something major enough to easily catch the god’s attention, or it is attempting to interact with a PC, Newbellum Castle, or the Domain Islands.

Basic Types of Actors:

Host: A host represents a large mass of mortals, typically an army or a navy, that has banded together for greater strength. Hosts are almost never capable of miracles, but they are the only sort of actor that can be easily created without resorting to supernatural means. Hosts have a natural advantage against Heroes in combat.

Hero: A hero is a single mortal who, through great deed or divine favor, has overcome the common limitations of his or her race. The line between Hero and Monster is somewhat blurry, but Heros generally tend to be good as opposed to evil, tend act in the service of a greater cause, are more often made than born, tend to live as part of society, and tend to have a form indistinguishable from that of a civilized race. A small paradigm shift, metaphysical crisis, or modification to one’s body may be enough to turn a monster into a hero or visa-versa. Heros have a natural advantage against Monsters in combat.

Monster: A monster is a creature that greatly surpasses the civilized mortal races in terms of power, intelligence, and/or wit. The line between Hero and Monster is somewhat blurry, but Monsters generally tend to be evil as opposed to good, tend to act in their owns intrests, are more often born than made, tend to live apart from society, and tend of have a wild, bestial, and/or exotic physical form. A small paradigm shift, metaphysical crisis, or modification to one’s body may be enough to turn a monster into a hero or visa-versa. Monsters have a natural advantage against Hosts in combat.

God: A creature who claims to be above petty labels such as Hero or Monster, and who has the power to back it up. The Bellian definition of goodhood calls for great phyiscal and/or supernatural strength, immortality, (or at least great resistance to age), and the ability to draw power from prayers. There are, of course plenty of creatures who don’t conform to traditional Bellian Godhood, but have found other means to grow their worshipers and power. Gods are above mortal distinctions, and as such they suffer no advantage or disadvantage when battling any other sort of actor.

Prodigy: A Prodigy is the young creation of one or more God, Hero, or Monster. Prodigy can be produced through either supernatural or biological means. Prodigy tend to grow faster than normal mortal children, and this growth is easily accelerated with a Miracle. Prodigy are malleable, and the influence of their parents and other beings plays a huge roll in their development. Prodigy are vulnerable in combat.

NPC Actor Relationships: The following descriptors are applied to show how NPC Actors feel about other actors and settlements, both Player Controlled and their fellow NPCs.

Dislike - The actor finds something about another to be distasteful or unwholesome.

Feuding - The actor is actively trying to harm the interests of another.

Respect - The actor acknowledges the overall power and worthiness of another.

Fear - The actor acknowledges the fact that another can easily destroy it.

Friendship - The actor personally knows another, and is fond of them.

Idolize - The actor considers another to be an example worth following.

Worship - The actor considers another to be a key part of its spiritual existence.

Employed - The actor is in the service of another for mercenary reasons.

Loyalty - The actor is in the service of another for reasons that go beyond a paycheck.

Love - The actor is deeply fond of and loyal towards another, and may expect that other to feel the same towards them. Love can be born of amorous relations or desire, the bonds of kinship, deep friendship, or even dutiful subservience and worship.

Bound - The actor is compelled to be in a relationship with another, most often Loyalty or Worship. Usually the binding is supernatural or legal in nature, but some particularly honorable actors may be capable of binding themselves with an oath.

On Newbellum Castle:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Bellian Gods, although impressive as individuals, are as successful as they are in large part because of their (very relative) organization and unity in comparison to various monsters and barbarian forces. Knowing that the Young Gods were to face an island full of many powerful and hostile beings strong enough to likely give even a fully mature Bellian deity trouble in a straight fight, Rexxis tapped his fellow gods for gifts, boons, and favors, which were all given to his smith Clammor with orders to construct a suitable stronghold for those chosen to watch over the Bellian People of the Island of Plenty.

Features of Newbellum Castle: The castle provides several features for its own defense, and for the use of its inhabitants. Be warned - these features can be damaged or destroyed should the castle fall under attack.

Prayer Glass - A large glass orb held by a large glass statue of Rexxis. The prayer glass lists five prayers from each general temple to the Bellian gods that the player characters may try to answer. Without the prayer glass, a god needs to spend a miracle to attempt to receive incoming prayers from a temple.

Moon Chamber - A room with mithril walls designed to aid in reflection and meditation. While the waxing crescent moon is visible in the sky at the beginning of the month, the power of the room becomes such that it can aid in the consumption of prayer energy to fuel self improvement as a free action without a chance of failure. Without the Chamber, this sort of self improvement requires a miracle to initiate, is harder to control, and may fail.

Fortifications - Even if all the magical defenses provided by the domain islands are removed, Newbellum Castle itself still provides a 1.65 Multiplier to the combat rolls of all defenders, assuming most of the walls still stand.

Miracle Bank - Excess energy from temples, as well any unused miracles the Young Gods don’t want to waste, are stored here in this adamantium vault, for later use by the Lord at the Jade Throne. One may attempt to rob the Miracle bank to gain energy for their own projects, but this is an action that normally has a low rate of success, and may require combat with one of the Castle’s guardians.

Jade Throne - Designed in anticipation of one of the New Gods finding a way to position him or herself as lord over the others. Only the lord may sit the throne. A temporary lord may be determined by a vote, and any proposal to appoint a temporary lord may include limits on that lord’s actions, and a duration for that lord’s reign; In such an election, each god gets three votes, plus one vote for each Miracle they have deposited in the Miracle bank. A lord, temporary or permanent, may forgo all other actions for the month, and sit on the Jade Throne. While on  the throne, the lord may use any number of Miracles stored in the Miracle Bank to perform any number of Miracles, so long as none of the Miracles performed violate the terms of his or her lordship. When sitting the throne, the Lord may spend any number of Miracles on a single action, increasing a negitive success rate by +50% and halving the failure chance of a positive success rate for each Miracle spent after the first. When spending Miracles at the Jade Throne, a democratically elected lord must first spend Miracles contributed by his or her own self or supporters, and any Miracles not specifically contributed by any god, before spending the Miracles contributed by anybody who voted against his or her for lordship.

Space for Improvement - Newbellum Castle is blessed so as to support any action made by a resident god to modify it. Any improvements to Newbellum Castle are subject to damage or loss by an attack.

Actors - A handful of NPCs, varying in power and type, have been bound or employed to work at the castle. They can be interacted with like any other actor can.

On the Domain Islands:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

These six islands were created for the Young Gods to modify and develop as they see fit. Each island, except for Rexxis Island which houses Newbellum Castle, provides a passive defense for the stronghold. The passive defense is lost should anybody defile the soil in any fashion without first obtaining the blessing of a Bellian God.

Sandy Domain - Tan circle on the map. This desert island is home to a constantly blowing sandstorm. While Undefiled, Sandy Domain lowers the success rate of hostile miracles aimed at Newbellum Castle, or any resident or welcome guest inside of said stronghold, by 75%

Rocky Domain - Gray circle on the map. This island is a steep and rugged peak jutting out from the sea. While Undefiled,  Rocky Domain grants all inhabitants of Newbellum Castle a x3 Modifier to their combat power rolls while defending the castle in battle.

Frozen Domain - White circle on the map. This icy island is kept supernaturally frigid, and is home to localized blizzards. While Undefiled, Frozen Domain prevents the Young Gods, and anybody fighting alongside them, from suffering an utter defeat, as long as the battle takes place in Newbellum Castle or on the Domain Islands.

Labyrinth Domain - Purple circle on the map. Buried beneath the barren surface of this island is a currently lifeless maze-like cave system. While Undefiled, Labyrinth Domain prevents creatures intent on destroying any feature or improvement made to Newbellum Castle or the Domain Islands in battle from winning a Complete Victory to do so.

Sunken Domain - Dark blue  circle on the map. This inverted ‘island’ sits at the bottom of the sea, separated from the surface by steep ‘cliffs’ of water. While Undefiled, each young god may call a single actor who is willing or bound to instantly appear at their side in a battle to defend Newbellum Castle or the Domain Islands.

Rexxis Island - Black circle on the map. The only thing of note on this newly risen island is Newbellum Castle, the home and stronghold of the Young Bellian Gods.

[Weirdsound]

Reserved

[IronyOwl]

Pyrite smiled- only as broadly as a mortal- at the collection around him. The Heralds in particular seemed well-chosen, and his gaze lingered between them for a time, trying to decide which most caught his fancy.

Finally his smile broke into a mortal's grin, inhuman only if one was paying enough attention, and he spoke to the fair, distracted lady.

"I would have liked to meet you before your incident," he said, a bit of a predator's air about him.

[Weirdsound]

The woman shoots you a glare, opens her mouth, and emits a sound that suspiciously resembles the first syllable or two of a snarky response, before realizing or remembering that she is talking to a god, falling silent, and averting her gaze.

"Thank you for the compliment lord." She manages to mutter several seconds later.

[IronyOwl]

Pyrite threw his head back and laughed, mouth extending well beyond normal.

"Please, please, say what you wish. I'd rather know with what I speak than hear pretty noises all the time," he responded, staring at her intently.

"That goes for you too, Boy," he added, nodding at the leather-clad youth. "Feel free to speak up, to me at least."

[Weirdsound]

The noblewoman nods, takes a deep breath, and does her best to look at Pyrite's eyes as opposed to his mouth. "My given name is Hialarth. I was born of House Infelix, and married into House Wildefair. I'm afraid I can't quite remember what protocall has to say about which surname to use when you die several minutes before your husband, and come back a herald without him.

...And before my manners interrupted me, I was going to say that meeting you beforehand wouldn't have been worth it. They had to trump up a charge of adultery to have me killed, as they couldn't get any of the real wrong I paid them to stick... and while the falsehood of the charge didn't dull the axe, it did allow me to go out feeling that I had beaten them in a way. Wouldn't have been the same if they got me for something I actually did."

She then glances down at your mouth and offers a nervous laugh. "But I suppose, considering the reputation of you and your father, I would have at least gotten my money's worth."

The boy blinks, and just offers a wide smile of his own. "Don't mind me, I'm still not over the fact I get to come back a herald. And that I'm sitting on the same boat as nobles, and pirates, and gods. I don't want to get over those things. They are amazing. I am Messel, son of Messel by the way. Am I supposed to offer you a handshake, or a bow, or prostrate myself or something?"

The name, of course, give Messel away as a mere commoner, as surnames in Bellian society are reserved for the nobility and those who trace their roots back to the beginning of time.

[IronyOwl]

Pyrite gave an appreciative "Hah" at Hialarth's explanation and comment on his reputation.

"And what of your husband, what'd they get him on? Don't tell me it was adultery too; that'd be even worse an excuse than usual.

Curious, though, that you could draw and evade their ire for some things and get ensnared for a silly fabrication. Did you have a lot of enemies?"

He seemed genuinely curious now, his predatory air gone and his smile returned to normal-looking.

"Good question," he returned to the youth. "Mortus, what is the proper etiquette for... this?

Speaking of which, what's the difference between Heralds and those who've never left the realms of the living? Are there any?"

[Weirdsound]

Hialarth grins. "I evaded everything until the man guarding my cell was paid to say that I had invited him in and bedded him. They needed me dead once they decided to kill my husband, and were not necessarily caught up on playing fair. They knew I was loyal enough to seek revenge and smart enough to potentially get it if left alive."

The noblewoman stares off into the sea again as she talks about her husband. "They got him on poisoning Lord Darius Pequad, which although is pretty close to the truth is also a stupid accusation; Poison is a woman's weapon. We have lots of enemies. I don't suppose anybody told you about the lovely political weather us mortals are enjoying on the Island?"

"A bow is acceptable, but would look funny here if he stood up just to stoop down." Mortus answers. "The gods of your mother's generation also wear large rings or amulets that they may allow mortals they meet to kiss as a sign of reverence. Mine got dented a decade or so ago, and I'm still waiting for Clammor to fix it."

He then turns his vulture headed gaze to Hialarth. "Heralds are fully restored ta life, and we allow them to remain that way so long as they deliver their message properly and publicly. This group, in fact, should get an extra ten ta thirty years on top of their natural lifespan, as I didn't feel like digging out me scales and properly measuring their lifeforce, so I just gave em all generous servings. I'm sure they will find it in their hearts to forgive me. The scars and other signs of tha first death stay, unless some deity takes pity and removes them."

With the Galley now moving at a good speed, Mortus takes a brief break from rowing and starts filling up his pipe. "Some people, even some gods I suspect, mistakenly think that heralds automatically become proper heroes and divine champions. Lots of em do, but that is because they wind up meeting and befriending too many of our lot in the process of becoming heralds, and also because people who are prone to a public death are also often prone to heroic behavior as well. I'd tell ya the boy's story as an example, but his spirits are so high, and I'd hate ta bring em down by bringing up his death."

[micelus]

Ketemos listened in to the exchange of words between his half-brother and the former noble. He was content to hear the Herald explain herself until Mortus mentioned the boy. What story could this child have? Something dishonourble perhaps? Ketemos would have to inquire later once he was alone. Ketemos looked at the boy for a few unnerving moments before turning to the drowned Herald.

"I'm assuming you served in Selma's fleet, Herald? It is not often I hear of female sailors...especially formerly dead ones."

[Weirdsound]

Ketemos listened in to the exchange of words between his half-brother and the former noble. He was content to hear the Herald explain herself until Mortus mentioned the boy. What story could this child have? Something dishonourble perhaps? Ketemos would have to inquire later once he was alone. Ketemos looked at the boy for a few unnerving moments before turning to the drowned Herald.

"I'm assuming you served in Selma's fleet, Herald? It is not often I hear of female sailors...especially formerly dead ones."

(Pick a speech color please. The standard color for NPCs who are not yet mechanically involved in the game is orange, but if you want it, I'll pick something else for them.)

The pirate smiles, revealing a handful of gold teeth. "That was long ago. I got started when I was but a girl of 12 years as a chef on one of her first ships. However, once a pirate starts getting addressed as 'captain' or 'first officer,' no Pirate Lord will blame her for offering her services to the highest bidder, so long as she doesn't steal a ship, cannons, or too much crew when she defects. These days, Selma employs officers who will take less pay for the glory and honor of serving under her, and I am sadly not one of those officers."

She looks at the sky and frowns briefly. "But of course I owe Selma alot, and still respect her deeply. Before her, women could be pirates, but not officers, and crews were always Bellian or Barbarian, never mixed. Without her, I never would have amounted to anything more than a chef or captains consort, and I never would have been lead to the worship of your ancestors that is now bringing me back from the dead. She is also still Pirate Queen, which means even if I'm not part of her fleet, I am part of her world..."

[micelus]

((Picked one))

"So she saw your talents, gave you a chance, converted you and now indirectly given you a chance at greater glory...Thats a heavy debt for anyone. Regardless, you have the chance to make a name for yourself. Something greater than a Pirate Lord Ms...what exactly is your name?"

While waiting for the Herald's answer, he took a quick glance at his fellow junior divinities. A metallic statue given life and godliness as part of a wager. Very much like Rexxis to be fooled by that. A bird-robed woman that knew much more than her simple passion concealed. A bit like mother. A greenish-blue skinned giant with a nature given to hedonistic leisure rather than duty. Why did Raxxis think this a good idea?. And finally, his bearded half-brother who feasted on mens' flesh just as much as he did on knowledge. Did Mother think this through?

[escaped lurker]

Not waiting for the Herald's awnser, yes, maybe even falling the same into her words, the presumably most golden not-really-god in attendance, saw it fit to join the conversation.

" So it was that way, was it? I know the bellian gods not to be bellow many things, but taking possession of a barbarians soul would have been new, even for you lot... "

After presenting his words with a smug smile, the draconic entity took a long look around, making sure to glance at all of "the lot" in question. Maintaining the same facial expression, he added another statement, sure to make his point of view even more obvious.

" Not that it would surprise me, though... "

[Weirdsound]

The Barbarian woman offers a big smile. "She didn't convert me, she merely allowed me to exist on the same boat as people who would. Everything else you say about my debt to her is true though... And the only thing higher than pirate lord that somebody with my skills could aspire to being is Pirate Queen, and I would never seek that title so long as she holds it."

"I share my name with a Barbarian goddess who would seek to usurp the just rule of your clan, so I dare not speak it in your presence. My crew calls me 'Crimson n' Gold' on account of my teeth and hair, but I wouldn't ask my god to address me as my subordinate would... Hrmm..."

The pirate lounges back on the bench and briefly closes her eyes in thought. "When I used to know Selma personally, she would call me 'Canvas', as I was good at working the sails, and allowed my body to play host to the art of her tattoo needle. I guess in some way, some part of me may play host to the artful ideas of you and your peers, so I would be comfortable being called that. Or you can just keep calling me 'Herald,' some of the best pirates I have known actually bare my current title as a name."

---

The burnt man seems to rouse himself from his melancholy to give Auratus a quizzical and labored look, as if he wishes to ask a question of the gold dragon, but knows not the protocol for addressing such a being.

[IronyOwl]

"I don't suppose anybody told you about the lovely political weather us mortals are enjoying on the Island?"

"No one did, in fact," Pyrite responded, frowning. "Other than to mention that we may be needed at all. I take it the natives are not, ah, taking the intrusion well? Or has the infighting begun already?" he asked, looking downright sober and serious.

He cocked an eye at Mortus, though.

"'Bring his spirits down?' Seems pleased enough to be here, I'd think he'd enjoy relating the tale of how.

Boy! As I understand it," he continued, motioning to his own neck, "those aren't given out lightly. You must have quite a story to tell, eh?" he finished, grinning.

" Not that it would surprise me, though... "

Pyrite raised an eyebrow and gave a bemused smile.

"Oh? You disagree with collecting things you like now?" He was obviously trying to keep himself from laughing at his own jibe.