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[NUKE9.13]

Phalanalin's face is perfectly blank as she replies to the bull-god.

"Oh, no, I completely forgot about the existence of the night. Woe is me."

She crosses her legs and regards Tartin with a faint expression of condescension.

"I would gladly exchange a few enLightened caverns for the opportunity to make the night truly Dark, but I fear that not all mortals would appreciate my gifts the way the Acterians do. Think, strugglehorns, if your master would approve of what you suggest. How might his precious Phopu react to such a phenomenom?"

[Roboson]

Alright, it seems we have come to agreements on all issues. While we are assembled in this manner, are there any issues that should be discussed?

[NUKE9.13]

Shifting ever so slightly in her throne, Phalanalin nods, indicating that as far as she is concerned, the matter is settled.

"Cerediron, be a dear and immortalise our agreement on the walls of your hall. I believe the terms are as follows:

The Gods Lu, Acter, Varalin, and Phalanalin all agree to withhold high profile creations from interfering with the Acterians. Except in the case that all agree to their use.

The gambit over the worship of the Acterians will come to an end and be declared a draw.

Kol will be released, Acter and Phalanalin will withdraw from the gambit. Lu will be marked the leader.

Acter and Varalin will be allowed to show Kol a kinder less violent path to leadership of the acterian people.

We shall not interfere with the worship of the others, nor cause or allow others to do so. That is, we shall not attempt to limit, modify, or expand the worship any of us receive, except in the case that said worship becomes extinct, in which case we shall reconvene to discuss a manner in which it can be rekindled.

Acter shall send a messenger to the Acterians to outline the roles of the gods, as per his suggestion ((here))

The Light shall be withdrawn from the caves, but Varalin's tears may be made to glow, and a reasonable quantity of bioluminescent life may be made to populate the underground. No more than a quarter of the caverns shall be illuminated this way."

[AbstractTraitorHero]

Varalin quietly gives an approving nod.

[Glass]

Very well, the only issue I see it that it should likely be clarified that the worship non-interference clause specifically pertains to worship by the Acterians. Beyond that, yes, this has my approval.

[NUKE9.13]

"A fair point, yes. Let the clause be amended to specify the Acterians, thus:

We shall not interfere with the worship of the others by the Acterians, nor cause or allow others to do so. That is, we shall not attempt to limit, modify, or expand the worship any of us receive from the Acterians, except in the case that said worship becomes extinct, in which case we shall reconvene to discuss a manner in which it can be rekindled."

[Glass]

Thank you. I see nothing else that needs to change, given that.

[Roboson]

I was going to use the light inside the cave to achieve the glowing tears and biolumanscent life, so withdrawl may not be the correct word to use there, but thats semantics. Same for the use of the word leader, it doesn't seem like the correct word, but once again, thats just a wording issue. I believe I agree with the spirit of these agreements yes.

[Ghazkull]

Turn 6b: Reality Reasserted

Sometimes one can be pushed too far. Sometimes the very arrogance of the Gods is their downfall. Imprisoned in the Darkness by one, whispered to by another, offered powers for services rendered by a third. Kol had long since achieved a certain numbness to divine presence. One that is touched by so many gods becomes something different than mortal.

But Kol had become legendary amongst even the Acterians. He had faded into myth, the being who had defied the gods and paid for it.

Figure of Myth.
The Oaths of a Council of Gods.
A Mortal exposed to Divine Energy for generations.

A potent and dangerous mix.
Kol watched the Council of Gods, he knew not how he did it or what gave him this power, but he watched them. As they haggled over his people like Fish, as they lied to his people, as they declared a DRAW. He began laughing when the Bitch who so pretentiously lorded over her people, changing their nature at her whims tried and failed to invaded his very mind and soul. He was still bound to Lu after all. Her powers could not touch him. He began to giggle as shadow paths were opened and closed, as the Gods made and unmade endlessly muddled and confused in their own choices. As caves fell apart and his people were further isolated as at the same time the Mad bint professed her love, even as she changed them. He felt nothing in disgust in answer. Disgust and Hatred.
His hate, his helplessness, his disgust and outrage...it was a thing that had grown common amongst the Acterians. Outrage at the Universe, Disgust at themselves for being forced to worship those they abhorred, helplessness in the face of the Gods.
And then the Gods swore Oaths. They broke apart the Gambits, they broke their own powers, and belied their own words. And the Islands of Passion shook. The very prison of darkness unraveled
before Phalanalin could hold his end of the deal.

Mortal power transcendent. Kol had become an Avatar of an entire peoples Outrage and Hopelessness. His mad, broken laughter shook the Caves and Varalins walls broke down. With a flick of his hand the vile servants of the Gods found themselves expelled. Servants of Truth, Might, Passion? It did not matter. The Shadowpaths vanished, the light in the caves vanished and so did the darkness as the caves weere drenched in a strange twilight. The Acterians used to such flagrant use of power by now, awaited their inevitable doom. But never did it come. No voice spoke, for no divine voice would ever be heard again in these caves.

And as all Divine influence ceased in these caves with the flick of a hand so did Kol speak. And when he spoke, the Islands of Passion shook with every word. It shook to its very foundations, as Phopu cowered in fear, as Blessed trembled to their very roots and the Holy ones, wept their lifeblood for they knew the inevitable had happened. For they had foreseen it happening, they had foreseen things even the gods could not fathom. And as he spoke the very Halls of Mirdanrond revebrated with a voice filled with righteous anger, with the outrage of a hundred thousand souls and for the first time in their existence the concept of Helplessness imprinted itself upon the minds of the Gods in the Hall.


GODS HEAR ME!

HEAR THE POWER OF MY WORDS, HEAR THE WRATH, THE RIGHTEOUS HATE OF MY KIND.

HEAR IT AND TREMBLE!

GODS YOU HAVE BETRAYED US. BETRAYED ME, BEFORE MY VERY EYES.

DESTROYED IS YOUR REIGN OF LIES. THE ACTERIANS SHALL NO LONGER SUFFER DIVINE INTERFERENCE.

I SHALL BE THE SOURCE OF YOUR VERY DEMISE. I AM BECOME DEATH, SLAYER OF LIFE.

NO LONGER SHALL WE BOW TO YOU.

WE HAVE BECOME FREE.

YOU HOWEVER HAVE BROKEN THE LAWS OF THAT WHICH GAVE YOU POWER AND THROUGH ME IT WILL RECLAIM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY ITS DUE.


_______________________________________
Obelisk uprooted. Ruler of Might in decline, Ruler of Wisdom in decline...half a dozen more cards attached to the declining spiral. Coin. The luck that prods and pulls. Ruler of Truth in ascendance. several more rulers and consorts attached to this upward spiral.

The Dealer dropped another card. Lifeslayer Ascendant. Interesting. It leaned forward its body bent over the permutation of cards in front of it. Around it reality seemed to assert itself, as the Line up began to assert its powers upon the universe. The Apocalyptic. A sharp intake of breath. Quickly it gathered the cards together and shuffled them.

Reality shifted once more and snapped back into place. Too early. This outcome is undesirable. The repercussions unknown and too far reaching. The Dealer began laying cards anew...
___________________________________

Even as Kol had finished his speech, something shifted. changed. He felt his intent change. Grabbing onto his head, he buckled in his cell and the voice he projected into Mirdanrond faltered. Even the Gods shuddered as something was reasserting itself. The rules had changed. They could feel it. The thing which held this reality together had intervened in some capacity.

Helplessly or perhaps uncaring or simply unwilling, the Gods watched as Acter and Varalin were diminshed before their eyes. Maybe to some of them it felt like something that they had felt before. Something they might have even experienced themselves. The situation started to feel unreal.

____________________________________

Beyond Mirdanrond, other Gods felt empowered and even though their fortunes were increased, they couldn't help but feel...cheated. Like an invalid feeling something in a place where once his leg was, some of them felt like they should have had more power...more power than they actually had.

__________________________________


And thus his thirst for revenge completed for now, Kol closed the caves, and even gathered those who Acter had created upon the surface and brought them back down into the safety of the caves. 
Here he would free his people of the shackles of Divine Worship...
______________________________

On the Surface of the First live blossomed in a myriad of ways. The droppings of the Skywhales, now accumulating over generations where spreading across the lifeless plains and the overabundant jungles. Tavros, young and naive dwelt on the plains, nomadic in nature, travelling from oasis to oasis watching in awe as they grew with each passing generation.
For now their existence was free of any complexity, they did not dwell upon the gods, or the great skywhales, for they had to make sure to see the next day. As such they had become rather practical. Only time would tell how the Tavros would develop further.

Meanwhile the Jungles and Mountains of the First were inhabited by an altogether more dark people. the Chichisy were fundamentally mad creatures, deriving physical pleasure from inflicting or recieving pain. Actively seeking the worst places to live in agony, cutting themselves in their freetime (or others) and hunting beasts with their bare claws, kept their population horrifically low, as mortality was beyond any sense or comprehension. Yet soon they found relief. For in the jungles too dwelt the Tavros. Twelve tribes under the leadership of a Kovash each.

And with the delightful glee of Sado-Masochistic Madmen they made a sport of hunting and raiding them. The raids were ineffective, for the ChiChisy were malnourished, tired and suffering from illness and inflamed wounds, but ironically they proved a stabilizing factor in the Chichisy population as they stopped torturing each other and turned their eyes on the staunch Tavros.

Not that an increase in Chichisy proved any greater threat, for the Tavros were already themselves in constant mortal danger...And so they decided to migrate out of the mad, murderous forests...ever close behind them the Chichisy...
___________________________________________

Back on the Islands of Passion, Amongst the Sunless, new strange fruit have appeared, devoured by the curious Holy Ones they were soon deemed tainted but acceptable to eat. They felt the influence of another God. The Twister, the one who would change them for whatever his gain was. Soon the belief spread of the Divine Snake, rustling beyond the Sight of the Divine Sun, changing things for its own purpose. Not an Antagonist but rather a trickster figure among the Faith of the Phopu.

With the appearance of the first Mantaleaf not much changed. Indeed even as it made clear its purpose, the Phopu didn't see any sense in migrating in any large numbers. Many of the younger Phopu however took the opportunity to ride on its back and see the First. When they came back and told their stories of what they had seen, the decision of the Sunseekers hardened. They did not want to venture to such a place of hardship and misery that the first was. The first Mantaleaf, however was saddened. His entire purpose was spreading this species and they did not want to. Instead he resolved to soften them up over generations if he had to, after all he would live eternities like all of Lu's creations. Indeed some of the Phopu had offspring in the tenth and beyond generation now as none of them died of old age nor any major sickness. Parasites became an occasional problem but overall there was only the rare death among the Phopu.


The Tutelspera creates the Tavros
The Tavros spread across the First and soon develop into the Plains and the Jungle Tavros
Those who dwell in the Jungles encounter the Kovash and soon form twelve tribes
The harsh life in the Jungle causes the twelve tribes to migrate towards the plains
Phalanalin creates the Shadowpaths
Acter recreates the Acterians killed by Armiles
Cerediron creates the Tanryn, the Seven Hounds of Making
Cerediron creates Tanrochir, the Knight of Making
Yeg'greth creates the Chichisy
The Chichisy stay few in number and wallow in misery due to their nature
Their numbers slowly start to improve again upon discovering the Jungle Tavros
They harass the Tavros to little effect and stalk them on their emigration
Varalin reforms the caves to seal off the Acterians from each other
Varalin grants the Acterians her Gift of Passion
Varalin modifies the Tears of Varalin even further
Phalanalin modifies the Fruits of Knowledge, now dubbed the serpent fruits
Phalanalin becomes worshipped as the Twister, a mercurial Trickster God with unknown goals who wants to use the Phopu to further his own designs
Lu creates the Mantaleafs, giant floating plant-like mantarays
the First Mantaleaf stays alone for now as his quest of spreading the Phopu is stopped by the refusal of the phopu to settle upon the first.
Phalanalin further modifies the Shadowpaths
Tartin creates the twelve Kovash
The Gods swear their Oaths.
Their Agreement, the nature of the gambits they simply call draws and the very outrage of the Acterians, including the mixture of sheer divine power released into the Gambit causes a series of chain reactions, resulting in Kol becoming the Lifeslayer.
Kol expels all divine influence and divine beings or servants from the Caves.
He returns the surface Acterians back to the Caves.
He warns the Gods to no longer interfere with the Acterians and in accordance with Reality itself saps them of their power due to their abandoning of the draw.
The First, Second and the House of Acter are diminished to a great degree, gods are weakened, their power and influence unmade, their very existence diminished
The House of Truth, Making and Torment are lifted up and empowered with the Essence sapped from the other Gods.
The Gods who had partaken in the gambit will additionally lose their entire hands. Their servants however, shall remain.
Something interferes
The House of Acter is diminished.
The House of Torment is raised.
[/i]

Spoiler:  The Universe (click to show/hide)

The Darkness: A sense depriving universe covering barrier, against which even the Gods are not entirely immune.
The Shadowpaths: a way for mortals to traverse the Shadowpaths and travel rapidly around. Unfortunately the Shadowpaths gates are largely random and only long study makes controlled travelling possible.

Luar - The Sun

The First
- Floating Island with lush wilderness and wildlife
-The Three Trees Of Might, Mortality and Wisdom
- The Serpents Fruits
Acterians
Blind subterranean humanoids with the Second Sight, Pain Resistance, Frugal, Obsidian Crafting - they are led by Kol
Tribes (overall no more than four thousand)

Phopu
Nomadic Plant People
Copses (tribes, no more than seventy thousand)

Blessed Ones
Plant people enhanced by the Gaze of the Sun Eagles, grown to titanic proportions
Worshipped by the Phopu
no more than 2000

Reedy Ones
Thin, pale weak Phopu who can rapidly grew on trees and suck their lifeblood.
no more than 5000

Holy Ones
Plant People enhanced by the Gaze of the Sun Eagles, grown to titanic proportions, enhanced in strength wisdom and character strength.
Transcended Mortality.
no more than 200

The Mantaleafs
Giant floating Mantarays of plant matter
currently only 1
-The Ground
The Falaenites
Giant Skywhales, living off of Magic, able to take any form they like. Excrements and corpses crate new life.
no more than five thousand

The Tavros
Beastmen of various kinds living in nomadic clannish tribes. Currently there are the Plains and the Jungle Tavros.
The latter are led by the twelve Kovash, a larger, stronger and more intelligent breed of Beastman

The Chichisy
Sado-Masochistic Lizardmen, they are few in number due to their tendency to inflict pain upon themselves unecessarily. They are currently harassing the Jungle Tavros.



The Second

The Third
Copy of the Second, Part of the Sacrament of the First and Third

The Temple Fortress of Tartarus

Mirdanrond - the Council of the Gods

Spoiler:  The House of Might (First House) (click to show/hide)

Lu
2 Act

Worshipped as the Sun by the Phopu


Tartin
2 Act

Armiles, Knight of Might

The Sun Eagles, Hounds of Might
Worshipped as Sons of Lu by the Phopu

Spoiler:  The House of Twisting Shadows (Second House) (click to show/hide)

Phalanalin
2 Act

Worshipped as the Twister

Yras, Knight of Twisting Shadows

Spoiler:  The House of Truth (Elder House) (click to show/hide)

Ralkiesis
4 Acts

Tutelspera
3 Acts

Emissary of Truth - Magi of Truth

Divine Messenger - No Position

The Book of Truth - A mighty Artifact which records any and all Truths of the Universe
The Spire of Truth - An Obsidian Spire recording the Acts of all the Gods

Spoiler:  The House of Making (Elder House) (click to show/hide)

Cerediron
2 Act

Gai-Gen
3 Acts

Tanryn, The Hounds of Making
7 beings in the form of Acterians

Tanrochir, Knight of Making
Adamantine Stone Giant

Spoiler:  The House of Torment (Younger House) (click to show/hide)

Yeg'Greth
2 Acts

Spoiler:  The House of Acter(Emergent House) (click to show/hide)

Acter
1 Act

Varalin
1 Act

The Griffons, the Hounds of Acter

Spoiler:  Religions (click to show/hide)

Acterians
?

Phopu Shamanistic Faith
Espouses Pilgrimage
The Divine Sun: Creator of the Phopu, Giver of Life (Lu)
The Suns Sons: Granters of Blessings (The Sun Eagles)
The Suns Daughters: Protectors of the Great Copse (The Twin Suns)
Holy Ones: The Divine Mediators of Lu
Blessed Ones: Chosen Ones of the Sun

Faelenites Myth Complex
Tutelspera: Divine Creator

[NUKE9.13]

"Well, this universe is more trouble than it's worth. Sayonara."

Phalanalin leaves the universe, returning to the Aether.

EDIT: Retracted due to GM offer to dial back some of the turn.

[Glass]

Nothing about this had ever gone right.
Nothing had ever improved.
Everything just kept slipping further and further down, toward death, decay, and destruction.

Acter was sick of it. So he went to do something about it.

He inscribed in the Hall: if I, Acter, die, the House belongs to Varalin.

He went to the tunnels and entered Kol's domain.

He went to Kol, and fought.

And as he fought, he put all the power he had and had ever had into permanently removing Kol from anywhere that he could ever destroy anyone else's hopes and dreams ever again.

Enough was enough.
[I'll do... something. I'm still planning on taking action against Kol, but more cautiously.]

[Roboson]

[Removed for now]

[Jerick]

Ralkieis creates Yliutilartplreq a guardian of madness using a great act. It is planet sized and covered in eyes. With it's city sized eyes it seeks lies. Any who look into one of it's eyes mortal or god see every lie they've ever told repeated back to them endlessly. It seeks out liars actively, staring down at the surface of the first or anything else with mortals on it. Impossibly even when not looking at you can still see it out of the corner of your eyes regardless of where you are.

Ralkieis create Filythanmabgthaliajayth guardian of truth using a great act. It is nearly twice the size of Yliutilartplreq it is covered by gibbering mouths. Whenever a lie is spoken it speaks the truth of
the matter loud enough to be heard from where the lie was spoken.

Ralkieis leaves the book of truth in the hall before leaving back to the void.

[Madman198237]

With a heavy heart, the King of Making followed Acter, the only one who ever tried to truly create instead of just change. To the First went the Smith Lord, using his power to create a hammer. With it and the rest of his power, Kol was uprooted and cast towards the star, and a gate back into the void was opened in the heart of the star. The mortals, save for the Acterians and the other creatures of destruction, were transported instantly to a simulacrum of the First in Mirdanrond. Most of his power spent, the Only Smith hammered the Islands back into the First, and turned the First World once again into a maelstrom of fire and metal. All the gods who so desired left the world through the Third Gate, carrying with them what remained of those gods who had died weakening and chaining Kol, and then it was closed, leaving Kol trapped, guarding the gate forever.


So did the world begin, and so did the world end.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Act: Saving of the mortals, besides for the Acterians.
Great Act: Hammer and the destruction of the Islands
Great Act: Creation of the Gate and Kol's prison.

[/s]

Same condition as the others. I'll re-write this after the GM updates the turn post to reflect what's actually going to happen right now.

[AbstractTraitorHero]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Varalin was still emotionless utterly and completely.

For but a moment everything raced across their mind. They felt......Broken.

Maddened. In agony. They had fucked up again and had failed him.

They had failed Acter.

Varalin only had one thing left to do. That one thing was the most important thing in their life so far.

their only friend they had ever had. That dumbass idiot.

He was racing towards his death and Varalin felt helpless for mere moments. Panic and hatred and self-loathing flowing and flowing through their every being.

But. It was now. That she felt it. Erasing going past her every emotion. Determination. She didn't feel anything. Her emotions. her feelings. They have shoved aside mercilessly.

With that. Varalin flew forward as fast as they could and moved.

To save the dumbass she loved.

Varalin is putting everything she has into this. She is moving to the islands of passion and with every once of power she has moving to save and rescue Acter and get him outta here. She wont leave her only friend shes ever had. She wont leave the friend and Dumbass that she loves! Her emotions recoil away and what is left is her passion.Her desire to save what is important.

Varalin the foolish.

That is who she is now and she will rush into the jaws of death itself to save acter. Fight the god of this uncaring universe that causes such misfortune and fight Kol and the entire world if she must to save her friend.

She is Passion.

She is Emotion.

But Above all else.

She never abandons a friend.

((waiting for acters change.))

((Spoilered due to not being relevant and due to retcon. ))