And so desease descended upon the world, allowed into this realm by greedy gods who care not for the plights of mortals. Across the world, major populations of several species are decimated. The Boroi, Tasatha, Annelids, and Ishagi. All suffer at the hands of the gods! The disease fails to reach Carociber or the Troon, infecting parts of Pangaea and Verdance.
North on Verdance, the ice goddess arrives, freezing the ocean ahead of her, the polar icecap in the north extending over some of Verdance. Here she finds some boroi who cluster together for warmth, but in such close proximity disease was more dangerous than the raging elements. Skylia found this annoying, for the cold is all one should fear in her domain. She freezes a fair number of Boroi, and from their chests spring a subrace. White and long furred, with floppy ears, these snow boroi knew not of disease nor of the words of their forefathers, only that they emerged from the ice into the embrace of their mother, Skylia. They banded together under her banner, fearing that displeasing her would mean a return to the ice from which they came. Their frozen fathers and mothers, encased in icy statues, served as reminders for all those who would question Skylia's strength. In time, Skylia resumed heading south.
Elsewhere on Verdance the Boroi remained mostly unaffected. Some died of disease, but they were removed from all others of their race, and the disease burned itself out. Life for those who survived or were never infected remained unchanged for the most part. However, one of the bands which lived on Pangaea disappeared from the lands this era.
Though the disease claimed a great many Tasatha lives, for the most part it simply disturbed their society. The infected were exiled, sometimes by a decree from their boroi kings or simply because they posed a danger to the masses. The Tasathan sturdy stone walls kept out the cold and the Forsaken. Those forsaken who survived the disease could return to their society, but many chose not to, instead they found shelter from a surprising patron. Calyvaro had arrived in the south of the continent, and began his track north. He found roving bands of Forsaken huddled around bonfires. Seeing these creatures reverence for fire, the great beast did something he had never done before. He smiled. Pausing for a time he gifted the Forsaken some of his ragefire. They sprouted tiny horns in their head and a flame appeared between them. This fire burned as long as they lived, and grew during times of great emotion and violence. Unfortunately the Forsaken found this flame impossible to control, for they could do no magic, but its fire kept them warm and marked them as beings of fire. Their blue, purple, and black coloration to one of ashen grey, reds, and oranges. Abandoned by their nation, they formed a new one under the banner of fire. While their kingdom was one among many, it quickly grew. Drawing in the angry forsaken from across the land, the Forsaken came to rival the other kingdoms for they need not fear the cold or the plague. In time Calyvaro resumed heading north.
Life changes drastically on Pangaea for some, mainly the Ishagi. A great deal of them die to the plague, but this is not the cause of concern. Those which remain see the plague as a powerful force and begin constructing Ishagi out of disease ridden dead or dying Ishagi. Great plague carriers are constructed and they pose an incredible risk to all those who they encounter. This is particularly devastating for the Duro, who also suffered heavily casualties from the plague. Their society was strong, well equipped and armored, and was spared the disease. However, the plague Ishagi brought it down upon them anyways. Any who survived a confrontation with this pustule ridden lepers, found they too would become infected. Even being in close proximity to these beasts was enough in some cases, but their disease ridden dirty blades emplanted disease deep into the flesh of many Duro. Infection became more deadly than battle, wounds would fester and kill more than the blades that delivered them. On the north front, two diseases plague the Ishagi. Some have their worldview influenced by Tauron, who showed them that they are to be protectors and that other races should be cared for and resources collected sustainably. It is clear that these ideas got through to the Ishagi, but became a bit warped by their preexisting worldview. Many agreed with Tauron, resources needed to be made sustainable. This maxim had terrible side effects for the plague ishagi. They began capturing Incilatro and putting them in great walled in pens. The Ishagi had little reason to use their advanced concepts of construction and agriculture until now, but now they had good reason. They build a great wildlife reserve in the middle of the deadlands and placed whole living trees and set up fields for the captured Incilatro to farm. They made sure food was plentiful and treated the Incilatro like cattle, occasionally they would take some, infect them with the plague, and then use their disease ridden bodies to create new Ishagi, normally while the Incilatro victim was still alive! They had found a way to make powerful Ishagi, and through ranching practices, they made that plague resource sustainable. Strip mining and deforestation slowed down, only used occasionally for specialized Ishagi. Later Duro and Annelid prisoners would be transferred to the city as well. Igashi loses influence as the new ishagi are more powerful than any seen before and the need for Tauron to craft them children decreases. The Duros resistance crumbles and the Ishagi begin moving south!
The Incilatro defense begins to crumble as well. Hundreds if not thousands of Incilatro travel through a portal in one of the Incilatro settlements. Jungle Incilatro, forest Incilatro and a great deal of life from their area passes through this portal. Some is intended, others are not. Tree shrimp manage to make it through the portal and establish themselves in the troon. So too do the Rue birds and the glowbirds. Other intended life is carried through the portal, all three species of tree, Incilatro grain, and the domesticated tree goat are brought through as well. Word spreads and even more Incilatro begin heading for the portal. The Ishagi begin to advance, but much to the horror of the fruitbirds, some are no longer interested in trees! Some Incilatro are captured and carried south. Deforestation resumes. A band of boroi which had fallen into a tribal culture since their placement on Pangaea heard of the portal and head for it. The druid mediator prevents them from entering, unsure how to deal with the foreigners. He had mediated between the few warlike boroi which lived in the forest and his people, but several hundred boroi were camped near the settlement at this point. If he waited too long, or refused them the path to safety, they may fight their way to the portal, which could have horrible consequences for the Incilatro which are still arriving every day seeking evacuation. The druid seeks the judgement of Julius.
Life changes drastically on the moon of this sorry world. Huge numbers of refugees arrive through the portal. Incilatro pour into the central region of the troon and begin heading in two very different directions. Some head to the city and find residence there, though the city is nearing full capacity at this point. Others head directly for the Skytree drawn by their natural desire to live in trees, the sky tree has great appeal to many followers of Julius. Surely such a magnificent tree must be the work of their god! Disputes over territory emerge, for the tree is considered sacred by all the Scrio, who see the Incilatro taking up residence in their holy landmark as an affront to their religion and god. So too are they annoyed by many of the new creatures which arrive. The few tree shrimp which hitch rides through the portal quickly propagate across the forests brought by the Incilatro (which now grows in the central region of the troon between the city and the skytree), but also inhabit the native forests and the sky tree. The rue birds also take up residence here, their vast swarms singing in massive choruses. This isn't an issue so much, as some Sciro welcome the birdsong. Glowbirds don't take hold nearly as well, and are mostly confined to the invasive forest with a small population. However, some manage to interbreed with the new eagle birds, creating wild hybrids which hunt the skypigs. In time the glowbirds die out, but gloweagles come to soar over the lands, hunting pigs and shrimp, their glowing wings appearing ghostlike as they stalk the night from high above. The treegoats love the troon. Though all that come through the portal are domestic, some get lost or venture out into the wilds. They come to inhabit most of the troon and even can be seen on the skytree, happily chewing away at its most holy branches. A large number of public debates are held, and it appears that the Sciro are not happy with, what they see as, invaders in their lands.
Furthermore a terrible fate befalls Xikla! He set out to ensure no one came to own the golden bauble, and it came into his possession. He was unwilling to part with the bauble and the statue was never constructed. Using his superior intelligence Xikla managed to maintain ownership of the bauble, but fell from public view as he became a recluse, fearing the many attempts other have made to steal it or to murder him to gain possession of the charm. His wit has kept him alive, but he has become isolated so that none will come to steal his treasure or murder him for it.
In the underworld, life changes greatly. Disease has infected great numbers of annelids, both in the twisting tunnels and the stable caverns. Their population is decreased significantly and many flee to the surface. Though disease became the least of their worries, or perhaps the center of them. Many Annelids who fled to the surface were captured and penned in the Ishagi plague farms. In the caverns themselves the great number of bodies increased the prevalence of Trioloticks, the predatory armored creatures feasting off the diseased bodies and grow in vast numbers. Some even follow living Anelids to the surface and find themselves capable of living there. In the twisting tunnels tools are given to the apeworms, but they are mostly ignored, gathered but unused by the mortals who had larger issues on their hands. Diseased members of the cult are exiled to the surfacelands, never to be heard from again. The mortals in the tunnels thus lose less lives to disease than the caverns, but these sacrificial lambs lay a heavy weight upon the hearts of their brethren.
A great number of new creatures appear across the world. On the troon, flying pigs and large eagles appear among the invasive species from the mainland. Only Xikla knows which are gifts from his god, but is unable to tell anyone, for all who stray close to his hut are overcome by murderous greed. Strange fleshy trees appear on the world as well as the troon. These fleshy trees move about in unsual fashions, using their limblike branches to crawl or somersault across the land. They appear on all continents, but are for the most part ignored. Verdance and Pangaea have too many issues to deal with them, they fit right in on Carociber, and on the troon, they just seem like another one of the many new species that arrived in this era. Wolly Glyptodons are placed upon Verdance and are hunted as a source of food by the snowy boroi. Killing them is actually a challenge, not because they are particularly hard to find, but because of their great mass and strong armor. Grungs, large red humanoid creatures appear in all lands. They are most successful in Verdance which has many rivers. They are also quite successful in southern Pangaea. A small population survive on the moon, but they fair very poorly on Carociber, where there are few rivers and a great many predators. Spidergolems appear in the deadlands, the stoney arachnids eat a great deal of lose earth and gravel and excrete fertile soil. The Ishagi take note of this and several are placed in the plague cities as a way to increase agriculture productivity. Others roam free, slowly returning fertility to the land.
Eyranor remains present, but silent. So few acts were given to her that she could do nothing to prevent the terrible dangers which befell this turn, and the future dangers which will soon occur. You have a feeling that she saw this result coming.
Baykan, a demigod of cooking arrives. Greetings lords of this world. I am a travelling connoisseur of delicacies and delights. I have come to sample the dishes of this world. I have a cooking act as payment for whichever god's mortals produces the finest dish during this era.
A powerful dragon appears. It speaks slowly and softly, I am Pybur, a dragon lord. I come to this land to seek out the riches of the earth and compose a vast hoard so that I may gain an advantage in the great game. I seek entry so I may set about my work. While I offer no acts, I offer my assistance to gods who are willing to pay for services rendered. I require 4/6 gods to allow me entry into the world. I care not for your wars nor your mortals, but would be willing to assist in either. I have eons of knowledge to share and am quite capable of turning the tides of war.
The half-angel Jakale appears. I have been drawn to this world by the great death that has plagued this world. I come here to heal those who are afflicted and guide future generations in how to avoid death, starvation, and disease. I do not seek to become a resident of this world, simply to teach and help mortals in need, guiding them towards the light of goodness. I require two gods authorize me,
and an act from each god who wishes their mortals to receive my teachings.
Changes to income:
Abe, Nakeen, and Glass each get 2 medicine acts.
Taricus loses influence over the Boroi, only getting a minor act from them this turn. My bad, no change.
Calyvaro and Skylia gain followers.
Ishagi give thanks to the plague demon.
Will get the updated act count shortly. As always, if I missed something, let me know.
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Topic: Gods of Creation III (IC) (Read 31000 times)