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[micelus]

"It will do, although I do not entirely agree with your plan...the Mercede, though seemingly moderates, hold no respect from any class besides those in their faction. Their ability to maintain power here seems to be reliant on our intervention. Regardless the overall objective is one we share. I'll agree to work with you..."

Taking a quick glance at the dragon's gem, Ketemos continued.

"But I would advise you not to spread yourself thin. I'm aware that you've gathered quite a following with the pirates. While I will not interfere with any of your plans there you should be careful; such men will only aid you until they find someone stronger. It would be troubling for our operations if something should happen...Not to mention the amusement my fellow Bellians will have at your expense. "

(Repost: Put miracle in Bank.)

[IronyOwl]

"Hm... the way I see it, the arena will need a few things. It'll need to be carved out in the first place, could probably use some light, and will need somebody actually running it. I imagine we'll also need healers or for the arena itself to mend the fallen, especially if we intend to allow weapons.

Beyond that, there are several frills we could have or not. Endless feast tables, everflowing casks of ale, that sort of thing. If we don't, I'm sure enterprising merchants will provide anything they need to any fighters with the coin. Assuming we're successful and they let them through, of course. We could also just expand into additional rooms later, and I do intend to.

Finally, there's the matter of prizes. Fighting for the sake of fighting is all well and good, but people tend to prefer rewards when they do well. I think it will be important to occasionally hold more formal tournaments for our favor, with the victor getting a divine gift. I'd intended for these gifts to be requested, but I'm sure we could have use for a premade artifact of some kind.

Oh, and I'd intended to have Ux eventually forge us a pair of golden statues of ourselves sitting on thrones, to watch over the arena. I suppose it'd be easier to have you do it, or even handle it when we're carving it out, but they might not come out as nice. And come to think of it, I never did ask your preference for giant statues, did I?"

[Digital Hellhound]

Tulwor imagined golden statues of them towering over the arena and chuckled. Well, why not. It would be way of celebrating their creation.

'As far as prizes go - the fame of victory is a great prize already, but aye, the greatest champions should be further rewarded. It seems to me if Ux is to craft statues for us, it would be only fitting for him to create statues of the winners as well, Orc or man. Other than that... I think weapons and feasts better for warriors than gold and jewels, but both could well be granted.'

'Healing is not my speciality, and I am not sure it is needed. Although, there is no honor in victory if you simply die of your wounds later. Perhaps this should be dealt with by mortals, regardless. For light... is the arena not to be open to the air? Aside from that, torches should do.'

He 'hmm'd. 'I had thought the mortals would run the place, as you say. I suspect you may have more skill on that front, or in fashioning things to do that work. I suppose I should forge a prize, then? Some great weapon, to be given to our first champion? This I could do.'

He wondered what kind of weapons these Orcs used, anyway. They knew little about them. 'In turn, I would ask you to find what you can of these Orcs. How do they fight, how do they feast - if they have honor, or if they are worse cowards than our Bellians? And these Gods of theirs... I wonder if they even have the courage to come to the arena, and not simply try destroy it from some hiding place. Could you do this, son of the Devourer? Meet with this siege commander, or enjoy their women - whatever it is you like.'

[IronyOwl]

Pyrite laughed. "I don't think I'd be welcome in their camp, but I have to admit I'm curious. Yes, giant, I will attempt to learn all I can of them."


Create my own prayer orb in an empty room of the castle. It should appear as a lustrous white pearl large enough for a man to sit inside, held aloft by a black iron scorpion carrying it on its back.

Go to the Bellian army and demand to be granted any prisoners they may have. If successful, have a nice chat with them to attempt to learn as much as I can about common soldier Orcs.

Find this Shilo and her son. Ask her what she knows of Orcs and him what he thinks of his "problem." Hold a miracle in reserve for modifying him.

[escaped lurker]

" Well, I'd rather spread my wings too far, and suffer some repercussions because of it, than spreading them not far enough, and suffer from not having enough room for myself. " The dragon shrugged slightly.

" But you are not wrong either – my focus will be more on Selma's Gate than Kiatown, for the later I can easily leave to you lot. Something I would not claim for the other city. As for the loyalty of these pirates, I can assure you that I have no misplaced illusions in that regard. Beneficial dealings will be easily possible, but anything beyond that might be rather unlikely – though not impossible, I might add. "

He smirked inwardly, because it was not impossible at all, actually. He already had thought of a very fitting deed, with which he might be able to accept the gargoyle race. There was little doubt that Rook should be able to fulfil the task, and the possible gains could be plentyful indeed.

" That would be all from my side. Unless you have some topic of your own to discuss, I will take my leave. "


Create some gold. If successful, take it with me to Selma's Gate / next Interaction.

Travel to Selma's Gate, if the miracle was successful, use the gold to establish a temple guard. If not, hold an audience for the local merchants and people of influence, with the same goal in mind.

Travel to Kiatown, ask where "The Cartel" would be docked, and Merchant Haze to be brought in front of me, for the sins he has commited have reached the gods, and he is required to pay pennace. Make clear that if he tries to evade this pennace, it will spell a far worse fate for him - and those that would dare to help him do so.

[micelus]

"Nothing right now, Auratus. Perhaps at a later date."

...

Sometime later, Ketemos returned to his room, this time overlooking maps of the Domains as well as the Castle blueprints. They had been given complete control over the area and if any of them wanted to, could potentially spend their whole existence just tampering with them. Ketemos wouldn't do that, but the temptation to change the landscape a bit was there...

And so, he decided to build. Looking through Clammor's notes, Ketemos noticed a large room a few levels below sea level. It would do.

Arriving at the room, remarked on how very generic the room was; just a normal Bellian basement. When he was done, it would be ever so slightly different. Not one for physical work, Ketemos simply levitated his construction materials down to the room, or when he could not find any, conjured them. For the most part, it was simply a matter of positioning stones in the right place and then shaping them into arches with enough space within to allow a tall human to pass. After laying out the stonework, godly essence was applied to give the room the ability to perform its function.

This room, the Nexus, would be able to organise the flows of worship into a usable system of Gates that would allow instant travel between them. For now, only the followers of Ketemos would have their praises routed here, but later perhaps other gods could contribute. All in good time.

The Nexus complete, Ketemos began on another project.

...

Arriving at the Labyrinth, Ketemos cut through the maze meant for mortals and headed for the centre. Tapping into his divinity, Ketemos constructed a building that would be impossible to see from outside. A large colonnaded Hall would be found at the centre, empty save for a Gate and a podium. Connected to the Hall via corridors would be several categorised rooms each containing literature on topics ranging from the practical to the fantastic. Space in each room was kept for any additions visitors were inclined to make.

By itself, the Hidden Hall was not the most unique building but as with all things, it would have a purpose.

...

Finishing his projects, Ketemos sent out invitations to several local scholars from every faction. Others, perhaps less known, were also alerted via heralds ((lower-case!)) so as to ensure as much as the Intelligensia was informed. He would wish to speak with as many as them as possible for the times to come.


1 Miracle: Construct the Hidden Hall, a building found deep in the Labyrinth Domain. It contains a vast selection of of literature compiled over the years by the priests of Telen. The Hall can only be entered by traversing the Labyrinth or by entering a connecting Gate.
2 Miracles: Create the Nexus in the Castle. It is a system of  arches that when activated, can be used to transport a user to a connected arch. These arches (referred to as Gates) can be activated simply by providing worship to Ketemos or another god, should Ketemos allow it. The Gates themselves are easily constructed and can be made by mortals; only the Nexus at Newbellium is required for it to function.
1 Interaction (If the Nexus is successfully built): Invite as many intellectuals from Kiatown as possible to Newbellium; they will be hosted in the Nexus. Ensure that Mikkia and other poets are invited.
1 Interaction (If the Nexus is not successfully built): Locate Shilo, Daughter of the Streets.

[GiglameshDespair]

Ketari, among the wooded walls of her chamber, stirred restlessly, having slept amoung the feathers of her latest meal.

She groaned and stretched out her wings. In truth, being a floc kof birds was disconcerting, even for her - a hundred minds as one, but the wings of the humanoid form made her unpleasantly reminded of her feather-fueled spawn. She picked up a bird and small dog from her chamber, one in each hand as they squirmed, and took off.

She easily stepped out the vast, paneless window, the shutters (Closer to a door) open as always, and soared into the air with a few beats of her wings. She landed on the rocky isle, feeling the moss beneath her feet in it's sparse patches. Thsi would do.

She focused - a difficult task for her as always. The plants grew, sprouted, growing into a thick forest of giant moss and weeds growing into trees. The seeds should carry on the wind to other islands, but that was only a secondary effect, and she ignored it to channel the miracles towards what she wanted.

Once the forest began to sprout, with a single sharp nail she ripped the throats out of the animals in her hands. She poured her mind through their bodies, and from them took what she needed - she began to shape the growing plants, imbuing them to grow new structures - and primitive minds. She'd enhanced the mind of the mouse, and she only had to modify the procedure slightly to create a simple one from scratch. Shaped like a cross between a dog and a bat, skin of bark and muscles of vines, the Barkers took form, their minds little more than beasts - but focused, completely, loyally, to Ketari. They flexed wings of translucent leaves and murmured, the sound like the rustling of leaves. Some growled with life, teeth razor sharp thorns read as blood. Shaggy moss coated them like fur, and their ironwood bones creaked as they moved.
"My children." Ketari purred. "Let us hunt."

Two miracles - one to create a forest from the plants startign to grow on the Rocky Island, and a second miracle to create the Barkers from those plants - the plants will slowly grow more barkers. The barkers are plant-based bird creatures that have features reminiscent of hunting dogs. They have only very basic intelligence, but are loyal to Ketari (basically like dull dogs.) The trees/plants themselves have no intelligence, and Barkers grow in pods that split open when they reach maturity - however long that takes, as only the first batch have been magically grown to full size.

[Weirdsound]

Turn 2: The Meeting

Year 764, Month of:

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

---

Pyrite:

Using divine energy to conjure and craft some iron into the shape of a scorpion, and then placing a gigantic pearl on top of it, you manage to create your own private prayer orb in your room without much dificulty. The device should help you meditate to receive directed prayers, and should automatically display some prayers made at any temple specificly devoted to you... if such a temple were to exist.

+New Improvement: Personal Prayer Orb for Pyrite

Calling Chell, you set sail for beach pass, where you seek out and find the camps of the 1st Kiatown Army. Announcing yourself, and your intention to claim the Orcish prisoners, you are shown to the tent of High Corporal Destrin, son of Spark, a battlescared one-eyed middle aged Bellian man. It doesn't take much convincing to get the mortal to agree to fork over the prisoners to you.

"You came just in time exalted one. I was about to purge this batch..." He explains while he leads you to the cage like pen where until very recently the Orcish Prisoners were awaiting execution. Along the way, he is kind enough to offer what little information he has on the orcs. The race shows little sexual dimorphism; The only way to tell an Orc's sex for sure is to remove its bottoms, but in general females tend to wear more tattoos than the males. The officer theorizes that Orc Tattoos say alot about one's life and social status, but they vary too greatly for him to make heads or tails of them, perhaps suggesting that the creatures besieging Kiatown may be some sort of large coalition made up of many subcultures.

Arriving at the pen, you find twenty eight orcs. They rise to great their captor respectfully in a chorus of different, yet closely related, languages. Compared to the average Bellian, or even the common red haired Barbarian, they are quite impressive, if not somewhat ugly. The average prisoner in this group stands at just over seven feet, and a handful seem to be in the neighborhood of nine feet tall. Their bodies are somewhat more lithe than that of a Bellian, but by no means scrawny. Most of their head is lower jaw, and the vast majority have prominent underbite; The lower teeth on the older looking ones are more like protruding tusks. In terms of skin color, they range from a lime color to darker greens, to browns, blacks, and grays. Each orc has six nipples arranged in two columns of three running down the torso, and you suspect that gender has little to do with an Orc's ability to nurse.

Most of them are completely shaven, but a few wear mohawks, facial hair, and/or braids. They wear only loincloths, which you suspect reflects more on their Bellian Captors than their own dressing preferences.

You watch them in silence for a few minutes, taking advantage of your ability to understand tongues, and quickly pick up on who the defacto leader is: A female Orc that seems to go by a name that translates into 'Unrest' in her own tongue. She stands at least eight and a half feet high, is covered in more tattoo ink than unmarked flesh, and has tusks that nearly reach up to her forehead.

You could engage these Orcs in conversation here, or wait until you have them on Chell's boat away from prying Bellian ears.

---

Having finished your business with the Orcs, you again track down the little sailor and this time instruct her to take you to Kiatown. It takes a bit of searching, and asking around, but you eventualy find Shilo, her son, and her twin daughters, perhaps a few years away from proper womanhood, living in an alleyway a few thousand yards from the cities' main market.

Judging by the state of the family and their possessions, you get the feeling that Shilo was once employed in the sort of business where one could lose their livelihood when he or she lost their youthful beauty, and that now they get by on odd jobs and perhaps some petty theft.

You can tell right away that the boy is of Orcish Blood; His lower jaw and teeth are rather pronounced, he is nearly the size of a full grown man, and his skin color is slightly off. The fact that he bounces to his feet upon your appearence, produces a nasty looking rusty mace, and marches right up to you yelling "What in the hells are you doing in my home punk? You have to the count of two before I END YOU!"

His mother looks terrified, clearly at least she has figured out who you are...

Auratus:

Making gold is easy. Convincing yourself to part with it for a cause is hard. After some hours spent agonizing over your own greed, you take your newly minted money down to Selma's gate, where you attempt to set up a temple guard for the still under construction shrine.

People seem generally hesitant to take up guard duty in a town full of pirates, but the sheer amount of gold that you are offering is more than enough to convince some to overcome their scruples and accept the job. In the end your temple guard is a strange mix of pirates found unworthy and cast off by their lord or captain, members of Scion's old crew who had left the fleet to avoid having your mark branded onto their skin, members of Rook's crew who had actually liked the guard work and found your money more than payment enough for your loyalty, and the wives, husbands, and children of various pirates who have chosen to make their home in Selma's gate.

The Herald Canvas agrees to lead the squad until you find somebody willing and worthy to hold the position permanently, but she readily admits that she would like to use her share of your gold to buy some ships and a crew and start a pirate fleet of her own sooner rather than later.

While in town, you manage to make a few observations. Scion had left as planned, and Kell was also making ready to depart with her fleet. Three more pirate fleets have arrived however, and the largest two are equal in number of ships; There could be some unrest upon Kell's departure.

Of the three, two are somewhat recognizable. One flies a banner that shows a snake making love to a woman, a symbol which you recall that Canvas said belonged to one of the Pirate Lords who engaged in Harpy Worship. Another flies a standard depicting a clawed and scaled hand clutching a fireball; This symbol once was flown by those mortals in the service of Korroar or one of his lesser brothers. Since the war before time, however, dragon symbols have been more or less used indiscriminately by any mortal seeking to express rebellion against Bellian religion or society. The third new fleet flies a black cauldron full of gold coins on a white background.

You also note that progress on the shrine is going well. As promised, Kell has set up a large marble foundation, and a small marble building on top which you may easily expand upon. Ux has been hired to decorate the building in gold, and it seems as if you will have a modest entry level shrine opperating by the end of the month.

New Improvement: Shrine to Auratus in Kiatown
[Also, you can take an RP for this successful interaction. Perhaps instructing Canvas or relieving Rook of duty.]

---

After finishing up with the pirates, you instruct chell to take you to Kiatown, where you are met with failure and slight humiliation.

You publicly announce that Haze is a sinner, demand that he be brought forward to face penance, and inquire as to the location of his ship. To your dismay, you learn that The Cartel has already left port, having just set sail with a hold full of tropical fruit preserves bound for the Island City of Corusu's Eye yesterday.

Furthermore, you learn that Haze himself is out of town; In fact, he is at Newbellum castle, attending Ketemos' meeting of the learned. Several of the mortals present have the stones to chuckle about the inconsistency of the will of the gods, right in front of you.

Action Failed

Ketemos:

Going over Clammor's blueprints, and the map of the Domain Islands, you are taken in by the urge to create and build.

Nexus means connection, and by creating a divine system of transportation that might remind mortals of the word's literal meaning, you might take some bite out of the political party using it as a name. Your Nexus is made up of a system of arches that mortals might use for transportation. For now you limit this system to your own followers.

After temporarily connecting a few of the arches in the room to one another, and testing to make sure that the system works, you move onto your next project, which is simply decorating some rooms at the center of Labyrinth Domain and adding much of your accumulated knowledge in the form of books. You also add a Nexus gate to this 'Hidden Hall'.

Deciding to share your new creations with the mortals, you head to Kiatown and begin to dig for the names of the scholarly and influential. After a few days, you manage to produce an acceptable list, so you proceed to send invations to a meeting at the Nexus Chamber. You also task the people in charge of delivering the invites to spread the word about said meeting to the general public, so that any intellectuals that you missed may attend. Since you have yet to introduce the Nexus Gates to mortal kind, and since you are unsure that all, or even most, of the scholars you intend to meet with would be willing to worship you for the sake of using such a device, Chell is tasked with picking up the elect at the Kiatown Docks on the appointed day...

---

Some time later, Mortal feet trod the floors of Newbellum Castle for the first time. The scholars settle into the main Nexus Chamber, and you bid them all to introduce themselves.

The group representing the Nexus is lead by Princess Summer Aluorthin, daughter of the great King Casper and the Goddess Autumn. She is a notable authority on Climatology and Divine matters. You suspect that with such a parentage, Summer may be a powerful being in her own right, but she wears some sort of artifact pendant that disrupts your attempts to read her strength.

The Mercede delegation is headed up by General Tobbin Nighcharm, a famed military tactician and historian who is also rumored to study the black arts his family is infamous for.

The Populi have the largest delegation, and it is lead by Vincent, son of Cram, an up an coming young philosopher who achieved great fame and respect before his 20th birthday. You notice with dismay that he holds his robes closed with a broach depicting an eagle, which is one of your father's sacred symbols. Also present and noteworthy are Mikkia the poet, and the Merchant Haze, who claims to be an expert on economic philosophy and social engineering.

Lastly, a strange fourth group arrives. Members of this final group all wear hooded cloaks, and pick up distinct signs that some of them are not humanoid in shape. You detect that their leader, at least in terms of combat strength, clearly surpasses you. When asked to introduce itself, this being drops her hood and reveals a strange face; It appears to be that of a female Bellian, but some of her features are just a bit off. Her ears and nose seem to have been taken from some sort of beast, and her eyes match neither in size or color. Her skin is a tie-dye pattern of various colors and textures.

"Greetings Bellian citizens and god," she begins in a sweet sing-song voice, "my name is Patches, and I am a Chimeric Deity of Corpses, Graverobbers, Lifeforce, and Kiatown. Be not alarmed, and do not alter the course of this meeting on my behalf. Any business I may have can wait until our esteemed host is finished."

The entire room promptly falls silent.

[This Interaction was a Critical Success. You can have any three RPs related to this meeting or the people attending that you would like]

Tulwor:

With a generous amount of help from Chell, you are able to maintain your patience, apply large amounts of divine energy, work hard in your forge, and eventually produce a mighty sloop for a seafaring adventurer. It is equipped with weapons, nets, cages, and traps for taking monsters alive, and of course all the standard fixings that a ship would require to sail. The ship far surpases that of any vessle built by mortal hands; you suspect that once it is fully crewed that it might almost equal the Kiatown Coast Guard on its own.

You invite your sister to name the ship, and she promptly dubs it Corusu's Wing. In many ways it is a fitting name; As she suggested, it would likely have to brave the storms of its name sake, and the island over which Corusu once ruled, on the mouth of the Bellian Sea, has always been one of the most important naval strongholds in all the City States, and as such the dead storm dragons name has always been popular among sailors. You can't help but wonder, however, if Chell might have named to ship just to spite the dragon himself...

+Greater Artifact: Corusu's Wing

With your construction project complete, you decide to turn the tables and work on training Chell in the art of combat. It is here that you encounter trouble. Although you can't help but admire her spirit and determination to succeed and do better, but her performance is frustrating, and damn near infuriating. The girl, in spite of her outer bravado, reflexively flinches away from every incoming blow, creating all sorts of predictable openings for further attacks.

The girl openly curses the cowardice of her own body, and seems to try hard to overcome it, but in the end it is to no avail; Eventually you can no longer hide your disappointment, and it is this disappointment that finally breaks the sailor's will and causes her to cease in giving it her all.

Unsure of what to do next, you leave Chell alone to stew for a spell and take Corusu's Wing on a voyage to Kiatown. You arrive, publicly declare your support of Malcome's expedition to rally the same from the mortal population, and inquire as to his location. You are directed to a small but luxurious house on the Skullcrest Family Compound on the east side of town.

The doorman bids you enter, and informs you that his master has just returned home from a trek into the jungles. You find him in his sitting room, writing in his journal and bouncing an infant child on his knee. His face and hair are still covered in mud, as is a pile of clothes sitting in the corner of the room. He damn near drops the kid out of shock when the doorman announces your arrival.

Ketari:

Ketari, among the wooded walls of her chamber, stirred restlessly, having slept amoung the feathers of her latest meal.

She groaned and stretched out her wings. In truth, being a floc kof birds was disconcerting, even for her - a hundred minds as one, but the wings of the humanoid form made her unpleasantly reminded of her feather-fueled spawn. She picked up a bird and small dog from her chamber, one in each hand as they squirmed, and took off.

She easily stepped out the vast, paneless window, the shutters (Closer to a door) open as always, and soared into the air with a few beats of her wings. She landed on the rocky isle, feeling the moss beneath her feet in it's sparse patches. Thsi would do.

She focused - a difficult task for her as always. The plants grew, sprouted, growing into a thick forest of giant moss and weeds growing into trees. The seeds should carry on the wind to other islands, but that was only a secondary effect, and she ignored it to channel the miracles towards what she wanted.

Once the forest began to sprout, with a single sharp nail she ripped the throats out of the animals in her hands. She poured her mind through their bodies, and from them took what she needed - she began to shape the growing plants, imbuing them to grow new structures - and primitive minds. She'd enhanced the mind of the mouse, and she only had to modify the procedure slightly to create a simple one from scratch. Shaped like a cross between a dog and a bat, skin of bark and muscles of vines, the Barkers took form, their minds little more than beasts - but focused, completely, loyally, to Ketari. They flexed wings of translucent leaves and murmured, the sound like the rustling of leaves. Some growled with life, teeth razor sharp thorns read as blood. Shaggy moss coated them like fur, and their ironwood bones creaked as they moved.
"My children." Ketari purred. "Let us hunt."

Two miracles - one to create a forest from the plants startign to grow on the Rocky Island, and a second miracle to create the Barkers from those plants - the plants will slowly grow more barkers. The barkers are plant-based bird creatures that have features reminiscent of hunting dogs. They have only very basic intelligence, but are loyal to Ketari (basically like dull dogs.) The trees/plants themselves have no intelligence, and Barkers grow in pods that split open when they reach maturity - however long that takes, as only the first batch have been magically grown to full size.

Ketari performs these miracles without incident. The first Barkers are birthed and ready to hunt, and a forest has been seeded to produce more of them.

+New Actor: First Barker Pack
+New Improvement: Barker Forest

[You still have your interaction left, and must use it on something related to your other actions this round. Hunting with the barkers seems likely, no?]

NPC Report:

-Sarah's training goes critically well this month in the Crucible. She has graduated to actor status, and now has a combat power of 4. The training has also cleared her mind, and put her in a state of grace with the will of Tulwor. This state of grace will either protect her once from dying or becoming injured in the Crucible, or grant Tulwor a +50% Success Rate Bonus on one action involving her. These developments have satisfied Sarah's Prayer, and Tulwor gains 1 Prayer Energy! [As she is presently stuck in the Crucible, I wont bother adding her to the NPC page until she gets out]
-Veilia the Filthbanisher got out for a bit this month, and has returned to Newbellum Castle safely.
-Mortus has arrived to collect souls, offer advice, plan naval warfare, and deliver messages as needed. Feel free to RP with him once all post turn RP has been completed. He will next visit during the month named in his honor.
-Some of the NPCs from Ketemos' meeting are likely to stick around for a bit afterward. More information after said meeting.

Newbellum Castle:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Jade Throne:
No lord. No temporary lord.

Miracle Bank:
4 Neutral Miracles (+1/2 Per Month)
0 Miracles from Ketari (+0 Per Month)
1 Miracles from Auratus (+0 Per Month)
0 Miracles from Tulwor (+0 Per Month)
1 Miracles from Ketemos (+0 Per Month)
0 Miracles from Pyrite (+0 Per Month)

Moon Chamber:
Upgrade (Cost)
+1 Combat Power (1 Prayer Energy, +2 Prayer Energy at Combat Power 30 and every 10 Combat Power thereafter)
Random Boon (3 Prayer Energy)
Targeted Boon [Grants you bonuses in a desired area] (5 Prayer Energy)
+1 Miracle or Interaction a Month (8 Prayer Energy, +8 Prayer Energy each time you take this upgrade)

Defenses:
-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 grants all inhabitants of Newbellum Castle a x3 Modifier to their combat power rolls while defending the castle in battle.
-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 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 allows 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.

The Crucible: Each month, Any sentient being in the Crucible to train has a 5% chance of being killed, a 10% chance of suffering serious injury, and a 85% Chance of Gaining 1d6 Combat Strength. Non-Actors who gain strength from the Crucible become Heroes. In addition, the Crucible can store monsters; A person in the Crucible to train may fight a stored monster each month, and if he or she prevails, that person gains an additional 1d6 Combat Strength that month, and cannot be killed or injured by the Crucible that month. Any Actor in the Castle may put somebody from open storage or a storage they control into the Crucible to train as a free action. Nobody may be freely removed from the Crucible until they have fought a stored monster at Tulwor's request, but any Actor, including an actor inside the Crucible, may use a miracle or interaction to interfere with the process and break somebody out.

Trainees [1/3]
-Sarah, Bellian Soldier (Currently Hero with a Combat Power of 4. In a state of cosmic grace with Tulwor's will and goals)

Stored Monsters [0/5]

Nexus: A room that supports a system of gates fueled by the worship of Ketemos. Once a year, Ketemos may make a free interaction at a location with a Nexus Gate. NPCs who worship Ketemos may occasionally visit Newbellum Castle. This system can be expanded outward to work with the worship of other gods, or inward to create a framework for priestly translocation magic for loyal Ketemos supporters.

Ketemos' Free Nexus Interaction:
-Ready for Use
-No warp gates avaible yet for use

Loose Storage:
Resources
-3 Tonnes of Cut Ruby (+15)
-Stunning Pearl Necklace (+5)
-June, Bellian Child (+2)
-Assorted Primates (+10)
-4 Adult Harpy Warriors (+12)
-12 Harpy Chicks (+6)
-Unrest the Alpha Orcess (+5)
-22 Orcish POWs (+16)
-Oliver, the Half Orc Thug (+2)
-Shilo, the Retired Whore (+2)
-Twin Daughters of Shilo (+2)

Lesser Artifacts
-Dress of the Rose Dragon (+6% to interactions dealing with high society. Bonus halved for non-females)

Greater Artifacts
-Corusu's Wing (Once fully crewed, serves as a Combat Power 8 Host with a significant bonus to capturing weak monsters, or provides the same power and bonus to an existing naval host)
-Mysterious Egg of Power (Who knows what, if anything, is inside)
-Baby Neurotoxic Pachyderm (Combat Power 3 Actor with a bonus to any combat in which it is trying to kill foes with a complex nervous system. Unlikely to survive long on its own at its current age)
-Chimeric Key [x2] (As a free action, a god may bind this artifact to his or her flesh, and gain the False Chimera boon)

Prayer Glass:

Pyrite has a personal prayer glass that grants +5% Success Rate on Miracles to pick up prayers specifically intended for Pyrite. Will be automaticly linked to any temples built in Pyrite's honor.

Prayers in the Main Prayer Glass:
-Answer my plea for vengeance! I was recently approached by the merchant Haze, who demanded that I sign a contract agreeing to sell my crop exclusively to him at a price lower than what I could get at the open market. My entire season's crop was set alight and destroyed the morning after I refused him. I know the flagship of his shipping fleet, The Cartel, is docked at the Kiatown Port. Sinking that would be suitable payback, but I would be happy with any sort of vengeance. From: Hugoph, Son of Hugoph, Humble Farmer Auratus is working on this... but Ketemos has a fair shot at stealing it! A foreign goddess is also sticking her nose in this?!?!?
-Perhaps this island will be what turns our luck around. Already has your Herald Messel agreed to accept the hand of my daughter, and our family name as well. I pray then, that we may further reverse our fortune by finding one of you new gods interested in challenging our curse and serving as our patron. All I ask is that the god willing to accept our service prove his or her luck by beating myself, and any other interested divine, in a hand of cards. Should you win, you shall earn the undying devotion of the Island Branch of Infelix, as well as an artifact from my vaults. From: Lord Ryder Infelix
-For eons my people have been under the protection of the Goddess Multia, and she has shielded us from the worst of the persecution and hate born towards us. Since learning that Multia has no power here, many of us are nervous that people will treat us with the utmost contempt and violence as they did in the dark days. Please send me a sign that some god is still watching over us! From: Samwise Wildefair, Speaker for the Husbands of Husbands and Wives of Wives Pyrite has shown interest in this one...
-Gods above! For the last week I have been having the same dream, and it becomes deeper and more vivid every night. I see gnarled hunks of wood, dozens of times bigger than the largest Galleon, floating on the open sea, and then I see the bodies of myself and everybody I know and love mutilated and dangling from vines suspended from the walls of Kiatown! If this is a prophecy of sorts, interpret it for me! Otherwise, rid me of these nightmares! From: Darla, Daughter of Thatch, Humble Worker at the Kiatown Docks
-Help a poor mother out. I always knew there was a chance that my son was half an Orc, but now he is starting to develop the teeth and jaw to prove it. I'm afraid they will kill him once we can no longer hide it! Help us! From: Shilo, Daughter of the Streets Pyrite is getting involved.

NPCs and Actors:

Locations and Map:

[IronyOwl]

Pyrite considered his new charges for a moment before speaking.

"I have a boat if you'd like to say something you'd prefer wasn't heard," he said lightly. "I'll most likely be using it to take you to my castle while I figure out what to do with you." His mouth split open in an amused grin. "On the off chance that you've heard anything about me, it won't be for the stewpot."

He gave a moment for them to ponder that before continuing.

"So. Why were you all sieging the Bellians?"

-

Pyrite's head tilted back as he laughed, his head splitting apart to reveal a genuinely mirthful but still entirely too large, entirely too pointy smile.

"Why I'm here to speak to you about your problem, of course!" he said, still half-laughing. "I am Pyrite the Improver, spawn of Lust and Knowledge. You might need a bigger club!"

He shrugged, still chuckling. "Your mother tells me she's worried you'll be killed for your parentage. What do you think of that?"

He gave a reassuring little wave to the boy's mother.

[Weirdsound]

Pyrite considered his new charges for a moment before speaking.

"I have a boat if you'd like to say something you'd prefer wasn't heard," he said lightly. "I'll most likely be using it to take you to my castle while I figure out what to do with you." His mouth split open in an amused grin. "On the off chance that you've heard anything about me, it won't be for the stewpot."

He gave a moment for them to ponder that before continuing.

"So. Why were you all sieging the Bellians?"

The Orcs look around, muttering to themselves. It would seem that few of them actualy understand the cause for which they were captured. Eventually a smaller one offers an answer.

"Something about a prophecy," it shrugs, "their gods will eventually come to this island, and do something terrible. You'd have to ask one of the Chieftains. I was present at one of their meetings, but I stopped paying attention once they told me I could go to war."

Unrest shoots the smaller Orc a scornful glance, and offers an answer of her own. "We fight because our gods need blood, and to discover the rightful place of all things. Explanations beyond that are merely to mollify those who find Orcish Purpose insuficient grounds for war."

---

The boy staggers back in shock, and drops his mace, but to his credit, he recovers quickly. "I'd like to see em try. I'm better than any common guard, judge, or hangman. Hell... I'd kill them is what I'd do! I'm too strong for the Bellians, and too witty for the Orcs! I fear naught but your lot sir."

His mother proceeds to bury her face in her palm as her son speaks.

The half orc pauses for a second, and you can almost see the oncoming rational thought squirm into his head. "...But if Kiatown wont have me, I'll simply take my services over to Selma's gate. I could fit in better there."

[IronyOwl]

Unrest shoots the smaller Orc a scornful glance, and offers an answer of her own. "We fight because our gods need blood, and to discover the rightful place of all things. Explanations beyond that are merely to mollify those who find Orcish Purpose insuficient grounds for war."

Pyrite rubbed his chin, frowning. This might be more difficult than he thought.

"Why do your gods need blood? What have you learned about the Bellians' rightful place?"

The boy staggers back in shock, and drops his mace, but to his credit, he recovers quickly. "I'd like to see em try. I'm better than any common guard, judge, or hangman. Hell... I'd kill them is what I'd do! I'm too strong for the Bellians, and too witty for the Orcs! I fear naught but your lot sir."

Pyrite kept his smile, wondering how correct the lad was about his prowess.

"Any particular reason you're sticking around, then? Might need to watch out for twos or threes of judges or drunkards around here."

He motioned to his mother.

"And what's your take on this?"

[Weirdsound]

"Why do your gods need blood? What have you learned about the Bellians' rightful place?"

The Orcess ignores your first question, but answers the second. "They are mighty. They are close enough to the Orc in might that the war to determine our places has run long. If the situation was different, they would make fine allies against other things."

She then hangs her head. "Although pitched battles are better for determining the place of societies as opposed to the place of individuals, the fact is we were taken, and as such are scum below the Bellian Boots. Nobody here has proper grounds on which to contest our capture and try to escape our fate, so if we have been sold to you, we submit to your will."

Pyrite kept his smile, wondering how correct the lad was about his prowess.

"Any particular reason you're sticking around, then? Might need to watch out for twos or threes of judges or drunkards around here."

He motioned to his mother.

"And what's your take on this?"

The boy laughs. "Because this is my home... And I can actually make good money doing mercenary work here. I'm the best at what I do. Why flee my contacts just to flee my enemies. You know that Herald of yours who does odd jobs? I used to kick his sorry ass all the time before he bit it, and he is four years older than me!"

"Sometimes I wonder if he is as gifted as he says he is..." Shilo muses, "But he is my best source of income and I can no longe-"

"I am indeed!" the child boasts, cutting off his mother and whipping out a piece of parchment, "take a look at this contract! I'm going to make 10 silver tonight, and all I need to do is mess up a few guards and smash a few fermentation vats! I even get a five coin bonus if I manage to carry off one of the wine-makers family members!"

You honestly can't quite tell if this kid is trying to angel for your favor, or just happens to be a boastful person.

[IronyOwl]

The Orcess ignores your first question, but answers the second.

Pyrite frowned, wondering at her refusal to address her gods' thirst. Either it was a weakness or otherwise something she didn't want to discuss, something she herself didn't understand, or perhaps something she couldn't comprehend as a question. If all Orcish gods hungered for blood, it might not have occurred to her that this was not true of all deities.

He frowned in thought for a moment longer, before taking Unrest aside, out of earshot of Bellian or Orc.

"I need some sensitive information from you. Please keep this secret, although... I'm not one for blood oaths or the like. I would merely prefer my intentions remain a secret for another few months.

Now then. This war to determine everyone's place... could it be handled in another way? By single combat, for instance? A tournament or the like? Must it be settled all at once, or could smaller, periodic challenges suffice?

What of your gods' thirst? Does that require open battle to be slaked, or are there other methods?

What do you know of your superiors' motives? Are they committed to Orcish Purpose, or have they other goals, such as that prophecy?"

You honestly can't quite tell if this kid is trying to angel for your favor, or just happens to be a boastful person.

He tilted his head at the contract, wondering idly who it was from. And, of course, what he intended to do with the family member.

"I might like to see how that goes, but it was your prayer that brought me here," he said, turning to the mother. "How do you feel about this?"

[micelus]

Despite her words, Ketemos could not help but feel alarmed at the appearance of another god in the very heart of Bellian influence. How could she have come without being detected? And what foreign goddess would dare call herself a deity of Kiatown?

Regardless, Ketemos had an audience; this curiosity would have to wait.

Heading to the centre of the chamber, Ketemos began.

"People of Kiatown, I bid you welcome to Newbellium on behalf of all its residents," Ketemos made a quick nod to Patches "and hope that this will be the beginning of ever greater prosperity for all. As you know, I and my associates arrived only a few months ago and since then we've spent our days trying to better the lives of all who will accept our aid. You will remember my brother's festival and Lady Ketari's investigations. Of course, our actions so far seem to amount to little. Life, for the most part, remains the same. I shall not hide the truth and say that we've significantly changed the Isle for the better or for the worse...That however changes today."

Turning toward one of the Nexus Gates, Ketemos activated each Gate, ensuring that Gates farthest from each other were linked. Once activated, Ketemos walked through, appearing in each of these Gates in sequence. As he did, he continued to speak.

"As you can see, I've created a way of instant transport between areas with little exertion needed beyond the essence inherent in all deities...which unfortunately means that worship must be used to power them. Regardless, these Nexus Gates" Ketemos made sure to note the reaction of Aluorthin as well as Vincent when he said this, "are a far better alternative to travel via cart or horse or ship. I ask you people of Kiatown: do you want this? The medicine required for a dying child could be transported in an instant rather than a month. Costs for shipping could be cut down tremendously. Armies could arrive weeks at an area before the enemy. I ask that you consider the use of the Nexus Gates."

Switching off the gates, Ketemos returned to the centre of the room.

"The Gates are however, only the beginning. This Isle is a place of opportunity for all who have arrived at its shore. Some came here with wealth already in their hands, wanting to see that it remained there. Others wished to make new fortunes that they could not make elsewhere. And yet more wanted simply a chance to try out new ways that were discouraged back home. There are yet more reasons why you people have come here but I need not tell you this."

"Regardless of your reason, you've made this Isle home...and yet I hear that you fight each other when there is Plenty. I will be blunt: blood has been spilled simply because one man covets the wealth of another or because this ideology does not agree with this. I do not have any illusions that these issues can be solved today. Rather, I intend to know what these issues are..."

Pausing for a moment, Ketemos continued.

"I ask that you debate what you do not agree on, what the Isle's problems are and what - if there is any- you do agree on."

Materialising a seat, three podiums and a large amount of writing materials, Ketemos gestured the factions' leaders forward.

"Princess, General and Philosopher. Let us begin. What is it that you each desire? What is the future of the Island if your associates had their way?"

After he asked this question, he sat down and called to the audience.

"If any of you are scribes, come and write the words of this debate for me."

[Digital Hellhound]

Tulwor grinned at the sight of the man. He'd expected some vain and greedy nobleman, but the man's appearance went a long way in dispelling his fears. His eyes were drawn to the child - did all mortals he met produce children with such frequency? - but he focused to the man himself.

'Fear not, Malcome of Skullcrest! I, Tulwor Storm-breaker, have come bearing a great gift and an answer to your prayers,' he boomed. If the child started crying, so be it. It would toughen the thing up for the future. 'The greatest ship of our age awaits you at harbor. I see you are a man with a heart for adventure; you should find her quite fitting for your needs.'

He thudded Helmhammer's shaft against the deck. 'I place faith in you, Malcome of Skullcrest. You will lose your favor should you go against my wishes. This is not a ship for war or conquest, or a merchant's greed. She will take you to strange shores and places yet unmapped by men or gods! Your expeditions will honor me, Tulwor, patron of explorers and adventurers, and in tribute I shall ask you to capture and offer the beasts and monsters of these lands to me. It would also please me, mortal,' he said, eyes moving to the journal, 'If you were to speak out the stories and reports of your travels to me and all people who will listen.'

'Let not more than one month pass between expeditions, without pressing need,' he said. 'Do this; seek out new shores, honor me with monsters and tales, and you will rise far, Malcome of Skullcrest. This pirate's treasure is only the first step on your path.'