Turn 3: Souls and Spells
Things change, as they always do.
There was terror, as there always was. For many generations, each new batch of Wallowings always had a few who were different. Perhaps they had an extra arm or walked on two legs. Sometimes they had a sinewy tail, others bark as hard as rock. These mutants were tolerated; some had a place amongst the elites, others in the slums of the poor. Others however, were far less fortunate. Some were so repulsive and so different that to call them a Wallowing was near-impossible for society. These creatures were killed at birth or perhaps exiled.
These Mutants were cursed by the gods and in most cases, would give birth to offspring that further descended into mindlessness. These beasts would be devoured by the Wilds or the growing Starborn or even hunted by their ancestors, killed for sport or necessity.
Some however became much more. Though they became misshapen with horns and blood and maws, they retained an intelligence as sharp as any Wallowing and with it, an animalistic vengeance. These poor creatures knew of their past, their origin and how their 'family' had thrown them out to the Wilds, with nothing more than a funeral and a stick. They were called Shrubmen.
For most Shrubmen, all they could do was make the occasional raid on a hamlet or attack travelers. Perhaps raise a little panic, feasting on the flesh of the uncorrupted. This was not true with the Treemen. These creatures had evolved hides of bark and antlers greater than any iron. A few towered high above their kin, scaling walls with a single stride. And with their gift of mutation, they knew other weapons only found in the Wilds. Whole cities could be consumed by the Treemen and their Shrubmen warbands, taking sweet vengeance on the societies that had abandoned them. With savagery, they cut through the muddy stone cities, putting the Wallows to the Torch and their Caretaker guardians to the Hammer.
It only got worse from there.
The Minds had listened to their Father and understood the wisdom of his words. They had the power within them to call up the Crystal in defense of their masters. Ergo, they would defend themselves by ensuring the Mudmen would never disrupt their duties again. Some had acted rashly , emboldened by the words of their Creator. They had formed large armies of crystal automatons with the purpose of striking fear into the hearts of the Memory-takers. They would creep slowly at first, surrounding villages like a fish in a net. When it came to strike, the creatures would act in unison, tearing the villagers like a machete, not questioning the morality of their attack. The Minds however, had come to strike fear and not to destroy. As such, when the bloody business was done, some were left alive, to spread the word of their destruction. A few unlucky mortals were captured and dragged along, to slave away in the Minds' service.
In many cases, the Wallowings simply struck back at the Minds. Though they were weak compared to the Crystal, they had the numbers. Though corpses were strewn all around, the Wallowings would slay several of the Crystal terrors. Such was the way of the world.
When the Treemen started their rampages, the Minds took note. From the caverns, hordes of Crystalline creatures emerged, ready to join in the slaughter. While the Treemen could pick off some cities, some weak-walled and weak-hearted Wallows, they could not pierce through the high walls of the great cities or fight the organised regiments of the Caretaker Guardians. With the threat not only coming from the jungles around and the caverns below, even the greatest cities saw their trade routes devastated and their hamlets plundered. Some cities would, after years of warfare, finally cracked like eggs, to be devoured and skewered by the Tree and Crystal.
For all the terrors of the new age, the Wallows also experienced great strides. The arts of the stone were mastered, with the earth being opened with new mines. The cities grew greatly, with inhabitants in the hundreds of thousands. Hamlets sprung all around while trade routes now connected the many states and settlements of the world. With the advent of writing, knowledge spread amongst the elite, resulting in the opening of libraries and archives. And with war ever brewing against the Wilds, Crystal and even against other cities, new ways of war were always being thought.
For the Guided Wallows, it was thus the Spring of Hope and the Winter of Despair.
..
The Feral Wallows, though freed from their brethren, had similar experiences. In their tribes and clans, they developed similar customs. The strong were strong and the weak, weak. Those who had mutated into uselessness were killed or left to fend for themselves. Those who became stronger became leaders and respected. Some Mutants, though mindless, were not sent into the Wilds but tamed; beast of burden for whatever purpose the gods had made for them.
Though unguided, the Ferals slowly but surely learnt of the arts given by the Stone Tyrants by both trade and war. They learnt of iron and writing, making adaptions as needed. Though individual tribes could not outnumber the smallest of cities, they had craftiness and initiative that the Enslaved would never know.
From their ranks, leaders emerged. Great warriors, singers and shamans who through personal charisma and honour, had taken charge of their people. They would not be cowed by the Caretakers, the Idols their ancestors had rejected. They would make their own path, without the heavy hand of Stone weighing them down.
[4] Through hidden ways and many discussions by the moonlight, some Feral tribes dedicated their worship to not the Four but to the One; Kerikavae. The Father of Death and Thought, he was seen as the most worthy by these peoples. No longer would the Joy of the Mud or the Aegis of the Saint be given equal rights. Even the Life offered by Vodoth, great dragon who made the world, was but secondary to the wisdom of the Robed One.
...
Far and above the concerns of the 'civilised' the Starborn grew, ate and played. They made the Jungles, Mountains and Deserts their homes, scouring their territories for delectable treats and feasts. Naturally curious, many spent time in between meals watching how the world worked, in all its beauty and horror. Some saw it as the way of the Gods, that the Cycle of Life and Death continued. The strong would eat the weak and the world would continue without a care.
Others however, looked for a deeper meaning. They rejected the pointlessness of the Cycle, seeing the fear in the eyes or minds of their thinking prey, they looked at themselves in disgust. And so, they Thought. They rested under peaceful trees and fasted, thinking of how horrible life was. After many months of meditation and counsel, they revealed their ideas to their brothers.
Life was sacred. To kill the thinking was wrong and even harming the unthinking was an act only to be done for survival. Though the Starborn had come from the same Mother and raised in the same village, the views of the Philosophers were too much. They were exiled from the Flock and left to fend for themselves. The 4 exiles, the Pacifists, would in time grow hides of green and brown, representing their diet of plants. Though frail, from the lack of enough nutrients, these creatures were dedicated to their philosophy. They would raise their children in their beliefs, rejecting the Gods in favour for deeper meaning.
[6] Another Starborn differed from its kin, though in a way separate to the Four. By the will of Eternity, it had been blessed with Arcanite as an egg and now, it chose to master it. Spending many years away from the Flock, it had wandered. It traveled far from its birthplace, wandering the Wilds and Cities of the surface world. He spoke to the people, taking in knowledge like a siphon. Though but a juvenile, it acted as if an elder, aloof and always seeking knowledge. In its travels, it spoke to Kings, Minds and Chiefs, parleying with the Trees that had claimed the Wilds. As it grew, the Arcanite within him hardened and gave the young wyrm strength. A new essence flowed throughout its veins, Mana. The first to know of the art, it at first hoarded its own knowledge of the Arcane, learning the first Runes and what gifts they brought. Fire from Light. Water from Movement. Darkness from Death. As it learned, the Runes were marked on its translucent hide, before becoming covered by yet another Rune of power. In the end, Raalmana became the first true Wizard of the world, imbued with power beyond most mortals.
And yet, for all his attempts at hiding the Gift, it had failed. Shards of Arcanite constantly shed from its body, taking root in the earth and water. They grew in clumps and patches, allowing all who came into contact with them to tap into the Runes and bring Chaos to the world. For now however, they were seen as peculiar and the few who came into contact with them learnt only a few spells; it was not yet the age of magic, but the age that preceded it. As a consequence of Raalmana's travels, Arcanite is now spread all throughout the earth in small pockets.
[1] While the Starborn traveled, Vodoth attempted to teach him more of the world. These trips would become a disaster. While from his perch the Dragon of Life saw all, he had a horrible tendency to forget his mortal children could not. As such, while Vodoth told his child to venture into the Wilds, he often forgot to mention the dangers he saw from above. Raalmana thus, was often attacked by warparties and creatures of great power. By the end of these travels, Raalmana limped slightly and came to distrust his Mother's advice.
...
Vodoth, seeing the Arcanite, created a form of magic. Control Magic, this art did not rely on the power of runes, but on the mental aptitude of the user. It allowed individuals to bend the wills of creatures, making them servants and soldiers for the user's cause. Of course, the weak-minded could fall to its effects, becoming beasts like those they sought to tame. In time, the art spread, becoming popular amongst many Feral Wallowings. Raalmana too, would spend many a year mastering the art.
...
[1] Away from the concerns of mortals or magicks, the Artist laboured. For many days and nights, it built great beauties from nature. Landscapes shaped to its tastes and smaller works of art built throughout the lands. It was thus, unfortunate that he was ignored. With war constantly brewing between the races of the world, few saw any great meaning in the Artist's creations. The Minds saw and Remembered, leaving the actual creations to nature. The Guided looked at the creations as curiousities, sometimes taking a few of them to decorate their cities. The Treemen, though bestial, saw a certain beauty to the Artist's works but cared little enough to see the deeper meaning. And the Ferals, creative folk, saw little but a madman's handiwork.
...
Far away from the mortal plane, Pif-Ria raised the Singing Tower. Here, the mortal dead would find their eternal rest. The happy would while away eternity in song while their memories were interred, for further use. The other parts, such as sadness and apathy, were discarded into the Void; they were useless to the Child-Goddess. Having made the Tower, she claimed it.
Having made the Afterlife only accessible to those of Joy, Pif-Ria told the Artist of the test the mortals would have to pass. Unfortunately, the Artist soon found difficulty in finding an audience, ensuring the Tower would expand at a slow rate.
Seeing the wastes of the Tower, Kerikavae decided to gather the components of the souls that had been left to wander. He did so, infusing it into Arcanite and scattered them across the world.
Treemen and Shrubmen evolve.
Some Minds and Treemen regularly attack Wallowing settlements.
Guided Wallowings learn the technology of writing, spreading knowledge. Warfare becomes more developed.
Feral Wallowings tame Mutants, develop honour-based cultures.
4 Starborn become followers of the Way, a philosophy of non-violence and rejection of the natural order. Called the Pacifists. They will still defend themselves.
Raalmana masters the ways of magic.
Raalmana spreads Arcanite all throughout the world. Some mortals become infused.
Control Magic created. Spreads quickly throughout the Feral Wallows.
The Singing Tower is built. Happy souls are used to further expand the tower while memories are stored for later use. All other components are discarded.
Some Feral Wallowing tribes have dedicated their worship to Kerikavae.
Kerikavae infuses the discarded soul components into Arcanite, seeding the world with Coloured Arcanite.
Raalmana power rating decreased by 1. Raalmana gains Master of Magic trait.
Kerikavae: 0MA 1A
Meoboroje: 0MA 3A
Pif-Ria: 0MA 2A
Vodoth: 0MA 1A
The Feral Artist: 1.5mA
Raalmana: 0,5mA
The 1 action/turn for Gods and 4 actions/turn for Ascendants/Bound is enforced from now on.
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Topic: Kalpa Reboot: A Gods' Game [Kalpa 1/Turn 5] (Read 16186 times)