((Hahahaha oh yes.))
- Make Gorrin my pawn. (8 Power)
- Bestow upon him a boon of rapid healing and recovery. (1 Power)
- In his dream-vision, give him a quest: Spread the knowledge of My being and faith in My gift of life. How he does so is up to him, but pleasing me and spreading the faith will yield rewards, just as sowing the fields well will reap a rich harvest. (1 Power to enhance his Boon's strength if he a) manages to start generating Power for me, b) converts a decent number of people, OR 1 Power to grant him a new Boon which allows him to sense the life around him if he sires half a dozen children but fails to do A or B.
You visit Gorrin in his dreams, introducing yourself and your curacy over life.
"The fuck is this?" says Gorrin.
You explain that you are visiting him in a dream because you have chosen him to -
"What do you want, arse-face?"
Ah. Tricky one, this. You repeat that you are the god of life and that you want to grant him a boon.
"Oh sure, and tomorrow the rivers will run with milk and honey. Pull the other one."
No, really. As a sign of your power, you grant him health - the next time he is injured he will find himself recovering much faster than expected.
"Sure, I believe you. Hundreds wouldn't, but I will. Tell you what, fuck off and if I find out you're speaking truth I'll come back and talk again."
He folds his arms and turns away from you in this sunny dreamscape, waiting to wake up. You oblige him.
[5] As luck would have it, not three weeks later he falls down the valley and breaks his arm! Over the next three weeks it heals with a speed that seems not unnatural but which is clearly far faster than the months it should have taken. Once he has regained the full use of it he calls out to you; "Guleran, Guleran!" You visit him in his dreams.
"All right," he says, "you can do what you claim. What do you want from me?"
You command him to spread the word of you, of the miracle and that pleasing you and spreading your faith will yield rewards as sowing the fields will yield a rich harvest. [2] He frowns at your agricultural metaphor, but thinks no more on the matter. This said, when he wakes he sets about his business.
[5+1] The story of your visitation spreads like wildfire amongst the village, heightened by the blessedly fast recovery of Gorrin's arm. Coupled with his relatively high position in the tribe, people begin praising your name. It becomes a minor custom to give thanks to you before eating a kill or at the end of a fruitful day of foraging. It's a good start, and you reward Gorrin by strengthening his blessing further.
[Income: 9 Power/Turn]
But firstly, I must gain a way of absorbing power. I wish to tell the old woman that many gods other than myself have awoken, and I sense that, although most of them house little malicious intent, they may threaten the world in the future. For the task of protecting the world, I require power, worshippers. She has a connection to my power and she will become my priest.
[-8 Power] You visit Esmerelda in a dream, appearing in your magnificent humanoid form. She... reacts less awestruck than you might have expected. Instead she just stares at you, her face a closed book. You introduce yourself as the god of that which is otherworldly and eternal, and tell her not to fear your presence. Again, she does not react strongly, save for a minute narrowing of the eyes. Unperturbed, you press on, explaining that others gods have come into being, some will malice in their hearts and that they will threaten the world. Speaking truthfully to her, you tell her that you stand to protect the world but that you cannot do it alone. You need her people to herald your coming, to hold your name in reverence that you might draw strength from them. With her connection to your power, you can speak and act through her.
She is silent for a long time, her dark eyes mulling over your words. She nods, and wakes.
[5] Inscrutable as she is, your words seem to have struck home. She approaches her tribe, not all at once where she might be challenged but in groups of two and three, informing them of her vision in sober tones. She tells them of powerful spirits that have descended upon the world (in very matter-of-fact tones) and that by heralding your coming you would gain the power to protect the tribe against them.
It is a slow and quiet revolution, but stories of your name spread amongst the people of the Steppe Tribe. By year's end you have a quiet following and an expectation of a miracle.
[Power income: 9/turn]
Managone knew he must change. He felt, far in the distance, a man had mutated. That man could see things that he could not see before, and this opened Managone's eyes to a new world of possibility. He felt the power of worship and the strength it brought him. He had sown the seeds of power, but now needed to help them grow. Visited Urtul in his dreams once more, telling him that his word needed to be spread. Those who did so will be rewarded with a beneficial mutation reflective of them as a person. He showed Urtul that he could grow strong, fast, or strange so long as he worshiped Managone. He urged him to spread the word to the rest of the cult as well.
Mutation boons given should be beneficial to a persons survivability or general goals and be worth a net value of +1 (So for the cultists a mutation with a value of 3-2 for their sensitivity to mutation trait). Besides that they can really be anything. I am unsure if I'm supposed to pick them or you. Either way or both is fine.
You don't really have the power to grant boons like that right now (you will recover some in the coming year), but you visit Urtul in his dreams and tell him to spread the word - continue to worship you and in time you will change the worthy further.
And so, Tar-Azath, having slept in this eon and then gotten distracted by things that have nothing to do with this world, finally looks down upon the works of mortals and pronounces that, while toolmaking is a step in the right direction, he desires that the mortals do more, dream more, that they seek greater wonders. And so he reaches out to the child he has chosen to preach his ways...
Anna, the child he has chosen, is a young child, to young to yet do much. But is it not true with all creations that work must be done before they can be said to be complete? And in so growing, his chosen will be shaped as he desired from the start, instead of having to work around any undesirable elements that might otherwise show up.
And is he not a god? Tar-Azath has patience. What is the time needed for a mortal to grow to one such as him? He can wait for a project to finish.
Thusly he blesses the child, spending a portion of his power to firstly make her a pawn, and then spending more to grant her the gifts needed to be a worthy pawn of Tar-Azath! Musically inclined as she is, he shall see to it that she remains not merely some minor tune twiddler, but puts legends themselves to verse! Once she grows up that is.
But he can wait. An epic or three is worth the wait.
Tar-Azath will spend the needed power on Anna to make her a pawn. He will then spend two more power to give her a literally divine singing voice, two points to give her an instinctive skill and aptitude for the creation of musical instruments (As long as they have his symbol somewhere on them at least, to celebrate good craftswomenship), and one points to give her a 'destiny sense' that will guide her to epic things that deserve to have an epic ballad or other such musical creation based off of them. Though the Destiny Sense bit shouldn't kick in until she's at least twenty, and therefore old enough to do the needed travelling.
After all, epic musical creations are worthy of celebration too and are just as much artifice as anything created with ones hands, right?
And Tar-Azath is sure that he can get her to willing pray to him during all that (Beyond even the act of creating really good musical instruments with her boon) from the fact he'll be talking to her as she grows up, giving her advice and teaching her about music and so on.
[-2, -2, -2, -1 Power] You forge your connection to the child while she is still in her infancy, and it is one that will hold for the rest of her life. You appear to Anna in her dreams, coaching her and inspiring her. It is tiring at times, and you find yourself as responsible for raising the child as her parents, but your influence shows. She learns to sing before she learns to speak, and her sense of rhythm when smacking bits of stretched leather clothing is impeccable. All the adults think she is utterly adorable.
You, she calls "Ta-Zaff!", and her parents think it an imaginary friend, lauding the creativity of their child. She sometimes scratches your sign in the dirt, and she talks about you to the other children her age, telling them about Ta-Zaff and how he's nice and sings to you and is fun. The other kids pick up the idea of Ta-Zaff as well, and you stick in their imaginations as a sort of make-believe character. It isn't much, but it's enough to sustain you.
[Power Income: 2]
Destun looked upon his believers, and saw in them a great potential. Though they had not the best of characteristics, and they were both either maturing or matured, they had in them the seeds that could create an empire. Though he would not make a pawn of either of them yet, he would find another way to influence the tribe.
He chose Ishti, the younger of the two potentials, to lead his crusade of belief into the world.
He would grant the girl a rather beneficial form of magic, her touch and influence carrying benign effects. These included the healing of mind and body, a momentary spark of energy in a time of great tiredness, and inspiration of the mind. ((He spends 8 Power on this, providing a rather pronounced effect.))
Ishti and those affected will have the urge to offer prayer to Destun for their gift. They may do this in private or publicly.
Unseen by the mortals of the tribe, you descend upon one of those who had begun to believe in your uncertain essence and infuse her with powerful magic. Rather than taught magic, you reshape her to draw power for this magical ability from herself, giving her the power to heal mind and body, to energise and to inspire with a touch. As intended, the effect is pronounced - though it takes a lot out of her she can heal fresh wounds and illnesses. You also weave a compulsion into the magic - when the healing takes place the name 'Destun' will force its way into their mind.
[2, 4] The change to the girl is not well received by all, especially as those healed do find themselves praising a force they know little of. Her tribe polarises around her, with the smaller faction trusting and believing in her and this 'Destun', which they believe to the source of her powers, and the larger faction slightly ostracising her for her abilities. The good news is that her abilities are in lesser demand, so even though she heals frequently she is not overly drained by it.
On the one hand, you have developed a fairly dedicated if small cult. On the other hand, you are acquiring a measure of enmity in your cult's tribe. Still, it brings you power enough.
[Income: 5/Turn]
Ignore my dickery, I missed your previous post
Corvric looked down upon the forest tribe and Victor, glad to see he hadn't chosen an idiot to receive his blessings, using favors garnered from others to hunt his prey, that was a stratagem most fools would have ignored, and that sacrifice, the power he felt, it was truly refreshing, so this is what worship feels like, he could get used to this. Looking down, Corvric made up his mind, he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass by...
It was in another of Victors dreams that Corvric came again, in a forest Victor was now the hunter, bringing down more prey, boars, dear, and even the occasional wolf, and it was in the middle of one of these hunts that Corvric came again, his great form slinking through the forest far more quietly than anything of that size should have the right to, approaching Victor from the side. When Victor finally did turn to his direction, Corvric was right next to him, startled, Victor stumbled backwards, to the amused chuckling of Corvric.
"Easy mortal, you have pleased me, that truly was a beast worthy of my power, but I wish you to know, that the offer remains, and to more than just you. Spread the word among your kin, bring me a great beast they have slain to the same cave in the dark of a new moon, and the greatest offering of the moon will see me give the one who offered it a boon, and in case you where wondering, yes you may try again if you wish Victor."
Have Victor tell his tribe that every new moon, any who wish to gain great power can sacrifice a great beast they have slain in the same cave.
I will grant a boon of 1 power to whoever brings me the greatest beast on that specific night with it's effects based upon the offering (though I will still accept all other offerings)
Edited to Clarify something
You re-visit Victor and establish a Covenant with him, a sort of automatic exchange of power. Once per month on a new moon (and only then), whoever sacrifices the most impressive beast to you as a burnt offering will receive a blessing related to the kill. That said, you will look favourably upon
any offering you receive as well.
The Covenant is taken up by the tribe and a competition of sorts emerges amongst your worshippers. [6] In fact, Victor returns again, having slain a wolf this time, and you imbue him with an aspect of its cunning. In addition to Victor you bless ten others over the year with boons. The power from the boons primarily comes from the sacrifice itself, however, but you do gain a small amount of power from the excess.
[Income increased to 11 Power/Turn]
It is now Year 2, First Hero's Time.
Velda [Mountain Tribe, Age 24, Female] (Expedient, Cantankerous) {Faith (Jud): 60%} [Chief of Mountain Tribe by force.]
- Pawn of Jud [5 Power/Turn]
Urtul [Edge Tribe, Age 25, Male] (Opinionated, Undemanding, Artful, Thoughtless) {Faith (Managone): 55%} [White Mutant]
- Pawn of Managone [5 Power/Turn]
Victor [Forest Tribe, Age 42, Male] (Helpful, Tenacious) {Faith (Corvric): 65%} [Night Vision, Tenacity, Cunning, respected elder of the tribe.]
- Pawn of Corvric [8 Power/Turn]
Esmerelda [Steppe Tribe, Age 44, Female] (Reliable, Unfathomable, Prejudiced) {Faith (Aperius): 25%}
- Pawn of Aperius [8 Power/Turn]
Gorrin [Valley Tribe, Age 45, Male] (Colorful, Sarcastic, Profound, Independent) {Faith (Guleran): 46%} [Fast Healing]
- Pawn of Guleran [8 Power/Turn]
Anna [River Tribe, Age 2, Female] (Lyrical, Breezy) {Faith (Tar-Azath): 50%} [Divine Voice, Instrument Inspiration, Fate Sense]
- Pawn of Tar-Azath [2 Power/Turn]
It costs 2 Power per turn to make a child (<15) a Pawn, 5 Power to make a young adult (<35) a Pawn, and 8 Power to make an adult or elder a Pawn.
Irris [Mountain Tribe, Age 26, Male] (Irresponsible, Hearty, Adventurous) {Faith (Jud): 25%}
Gorrin [Valley Tribe, Age 43, Male] (Colorful, Sarcastic, Profound, Independent) {Faith (Guleran): 36%}
Vetnar [Valley Tribe, Age 62, Male] (Amusing, Lyrical, Calculating, Freewheeling, Inhibited, Unpredicatable) {Faith (Guleran): 5%}
Ippling [Steppe Tribe, Age 2, Male] (Casual, Aggressive, Silly) {Faith (Aperius): 50%}
Esmerelda [Steppe Tribe, Age 44, Female] (Reliable, Unfathomable, Prejudiced) {Faith (Aperius): 15%}
Sanjak [River Tribe, Age 44, Male] (Thievish, Impassive) {Faith (Tar-Azath): 30%}
Gysha [Sea Tribe, Age 65, Female] (Romantic, Uninhibited, Predictable) {Faith (Nera): 65%} [Sea Blessing]
Hugo [Sea Tribe, Age 45, Male] (Droll, Slow, Cute) {Faith (Nera): 50%}
Cataran [Edge Tribe, Age 63, Female] (Impressionable, Brilliant, Open, Ridiculous, Insouciant, Sexy) {Faith (Managone): 40%}
Ishti [Sand Tribe, Age 25, Female] (Moody) {Faith (Destun): 55%} [Powerful Healing Others Enchantment, Enmity with Tribe]
Sara [Sand Tribe, Age 43, Female] (Negativistic, Insightful) {Faith (Destun): 35%}
Alena [Forest Tribe, Age 45, Female] (Intelligent, Solitary, Frivolous, Maternal) {Faith (Corvric): 25%}
Nera (Water) - 10 Power [5 Power/Turn].
Managone (Mutation) - 2 Power [7-5 = 2 Power/Turn].
Jud (Earth) - 7 Power [12-5 = 7 Power/Turn].
Tar-Azath (Artifice) - 5 Power [2 Power/Turn].
Destun (Magic) - 7 Power [5 Power/Turn].
Guleran (Life) - 1 Power [9-8 = 1 Power/Turn].
Aperius (Aether) - 3 Power [9-8 = 1 Power/Turn].
Corvric (Darkness) - 6 Power [11-8 = 3 Power/Turn].
Author
Topic: Pawns [A God Game] (Read 7553 times)