Going STRAIGHT for the mortals huh? The dice shall decide your fate.
Also, PSA: Please try to keep your posts concise and clear. You can write up fluff, but it's still very useful to have a short and unambiguous summary of what your action will be for this turn.
Tangentially related, we hit to 40,000 character limit so it's time to split this into multiple posts.
Age of the Earth: Turn 1DolosusDoleus
Neheb, God of the Seas
Domains: Water +2 (1/3), Fertility (+1)
Appearance: Neheb gazes upon the three places that one day might be home to mortals, and wonders what sort of things a mortal might desire. After all, Neheb had never seen a mortal, and only knew what they themselves desired. So it was Neheb’s will to create beauty and natural wonders, and hope that mortals might one day marvel at them as well. Looking out into the Iavodell, they see the vast ecosystem contained within, a wondrous confluence of life interlocking in a vast cosmic dance. Then Neheb saw the seas upon Yil, upon the Slate, upon Goladrath, all pitiably small and lifeless compared to the Cosmos. This simply would not do.
And so, Neheb began work on filling Yil with life, for it already had an ocean, and the other realms seemed to have support enough from Megiddo. They rushed into the Starforge, gathering a great many ingredients along the way to create life. From the Iavodell they took a handful of water, which gives sustenance. From the surface of Yil they took a lump of clay, to bind life to the land. From the Court of Gems they took many brilliant crystals of various hues to provide color and beauty. And from one of the Heliomantas they took the spark of life itself. All of these things did Neheb combine together into a single seed, which was then multiplied with the memory machine and taken back to the ocean of Yil, where the seeds were scattered in the mud beneath the oceans.
Finally, with a single word Neheb wills the seeds to grow, bursting forth from the ocean floor into towering spires of kelp, vast clouds of algae, and sprawling plains of seagrass. Thanks to the gemstones used in their creation, these plants flower in every color that there is, filling the oceans with color and preparing them for any animals that might come in the future.
Neheb saw that the seas on Yil were barren, and he knew that living creatures would need food. In the starforge he wrought together water, clay, gems of the Gem Court, and the spark of life created by Megiddo for the Heliomantas. These things Neheb wrought smaller and smaller until they were no larger than a bead, and this was the first seed. Then Neheb created many more, all similar but from different clay, different gems, waters from parts of the Iavodell which were close to other planes. Once Neheb was satisfied with the variety of seeds, he instructed the Starforge to create millions more, and cast them into the oceans as they were finished. These seeds sprouted and the oceans became full of tall stalks of kelp, colorful algaes, red and green and yellow sea grasses, and more. In this way, the oceans of Yil were home to the first life besides the massive creatures of the Iavodell itself.
Neheb has gained progress in the Fertility domain (1/2)Thanik
Attaein, God of Truth
Domains: Truth +2 (1/3), Heroism (1/2)
Appearance: Humanoid body with a halo, constructed of Regadon metal and Worldmind threads
Artifacts: Llachtar, Divine BowThe Worldmind knew the End of the First Era had come even before the First Thought once more pulsed through its vast network. Through its countless threads spread a striking realization. Yet at the same time Attaein ignored it for, for the first time in the eons since his awakening, he thought of something else.
As if a veil had been lifted from his sight on the world – Attaein’s consciousness navigated the blurry edges of what was him, and what wasn’t. While earlier this meant differentiating between his own thoughts, and those of the Other Eleven (now Thirteen), now it was a much finer distinction: between that which was a part of him – his body – and everything else. As if an ego boundary had been imposed between him and the rest of reality- even the Worldmind itself now seemed something else, though admittedly something he saw himself part of. A vestige of his greater being. And his mind drifted to Regadon. With that came the corporeal vessel - at first a knot in the Worldmind’s web around which divine metal from the Regadon assembled almost organically, but it was seldom still. An amorphous translucent humanoid rose up from the heavenly ground near his city, created in ages past, and with each clumsy step, the being took on more detail, as if sculpted by the consciousness that wore it.
From the collar extended back behind the head thin white strips, connecting into a loop reminiscent of a halo tilted backwards. Seen from afar, one might note the face twisted inwards- its surface like that of a rose flower, if such a thing existed for them to draw the comparison in the first place. Likewise, the arms and legs, too, twisted- one bulk seemed to flow into another as naturally as the currents of the Iavodell, of which one couldn’t be sure where the first began and the next had ended, but which appeared strong all the same. From the torso, similar strips erupted as if with the collar, but wound themselves tightly around the body- appearing as musculature that flowed into the back and out again from the chest. Over this base, opaque white plates extended, covering the being in what appeared as chitin. And from the head sections of this plating, themselves like petals with a golden lining, flared out slowly, and crowned the being. Finally, from the threads within, a bow grew out of his right hand- itself wrapped in a dark blue band - the divine bow which he named Llachtar; his Light and his final verdict for those that threatened the Dream over which he presided.
With this shift in perception also came something else- a feeling of loneliness, for the existence of a mere thirteen others that shared this dream seemed too little in all its vastness. It was no longer sufficient that they witness its splendor, as it had before, and thus he had decided to create beings in his own image with the help of Acter Nobody. Together, the two would create the Celadar- the sons who’d see the Dream and know it in the same way as the Gods, but they’d first have to pave the way for their creations to arise.
From the divine metals within Regadon, Attaein would use the Starforge to create spherical cores imbued with the soul of the being- a tangle of Erdanous threads, much the same as those of Attaein’s own form. This vessel, although small and limited, could with its consciousness shape its surrounding due to their connection to the Worldmind, and thus make for themselves bodies of mundane metals- extracted from the stones of the world they inhabited- similarly intricate in design as his own, with crested heads in lieu of his crown with beautiful patterns reflecting their soul's core. Their bodies would, due to their material, degrade over time- and so they would need learn to repair them, but this need would serve as a duty to stop them from growing hedonistic, and would remind them to respect that which they’d taken.
The first of the Celadar were imbued with an innate curiosity and respect for the rest of creation, and a natural aversion to conflict, greed and acts of anger that corrupted his threads before, for he knew the results would be as ugly in their rage and selfishness. For as long as the core remained whole- and divine metal was a hardy thing - they would not know the touch of Death, but due to their roots, however, he knew they’d always, at their core, long for a return to the Worldmind. They would thus strive to understand the Universe around them and witness it- a natural pleasure from discovery not unlike his own, and pleasure from the presence and understanding of others. While this would give them a drive in life, he knew yet more would be lost to natural forces and other mortals, should they not be as benevolent. Despite their hardiness, they would need to be replenished much like the Heliomantas and countless other beings- yet each life should be unique. For this reason, Attaein would make it so two Celadar to knot their threads together to assemble another core within a sphere of mundane metal, and thus turn it divine. Once they'd grown experienced and formed their bodies, these children would possess crests influnced by their parents' design. The children of his children would, thus, learning from their elders, strive to greater things.
Thus the first mortals would be born- beings of metal wrapping around a divine core. They would be unhinged from the threat of death by old age, as long as they replaced parts of their bodies, so as to freely ponder reality- and would surely be expert craftsmen, artificers and sorcerers due to the ease with which they could direct the threads of the Worldmind.
(Bro that's long you might wanna put a short summary at the end next time.) Attaein, now given form, quickly grew lonely. His connection to the Worldmind showed him all, and besides the work of the other gods, the universe held no surprises for him. Then he decided to create true companions for himself: living things, not simple animals but with minds other than his own. Taking divine metal from the Regadon, the same as that which made his own form, he traveled to the Starforge, and spun threads of the worldmind into spherical metal cores. For bodies, they would weave ordinary metal around themselves, with unique crests reflecting their soul's core. Separated from the worldmind, these would be the Celadar. Unlike the Angels, which lived to be servants, their only purpose would be to see the Dream of Creation in their own eyes.
This was a massive undertaking, so Acter Nobody joined Attaein to lend his understanding of mechanisms, and help create the Celadar's metal bodies. For the first Celadar, Attaein weaved the threads of the Worldmind into a new soul [1d6+2:8] and Attaein built a body, [1d6+2:6], which would be the basis for the Celadar's own understanding of their bodies could be made and repaired. The Celadar's natural understanding of the universe granted from the worldmind would allow them to manipulate metal by their will, in the way the gods did, but with only a fraction of their power. Attaein imbued them with curiousity, and distant memories of the evils of greed and anger, so that they would be averse to these thing. The body Acter made stood on two legs, had two arms, and a head. They had hands and feet, with dextrous fingers and toes, which would allow them to manipulate tools and balance. Hard outer panels and bone-like inner structers move around joints with the help of contracting and expanding metal fibers, controlled by the core. A pair of them could reproduce, creating new threads and a new core. To move and use magic, they require energy like other living things, and for this purpose they have a "furnace" close to their core, which burns biological matter for energy, and they can consume plants to live. While it remains to be seen how well they weather the ages, they theoretically shouldn't suffer from natural aging.
When the work is done, there are about a dozen Celadar, slightly different in size and shape, slightly different in the places where their Worldmind threads are taken from, each with their unique crest. Hopefully, the world is ready for them
Attaein has gained progress in the Truth domain (2/3)Glass
Acter Nobody, God of Improvement
Domains: Mechanical +2 (2/3)
Appearance: An ink-sketch of a humanoid figure, wearing a coat of oil embroidered with moving patterns of gold, blue and whire gears. Holds a wrench in one hand and book in the other.Acter's body... coalesces? Reveals itself? Appears? You can't help but shake the feeling that it was always there. Regardless, he appears as a rough sketch of a humanoid figure, wearing a long oily-black coat embroidered with an ever-shifting pattern of gears in gold, blue, and white; in his right hand, he bears a wrench, while his left clutches a book.
Acter assists Attaein’s efforts, lending his expertise in the mechanical arts as well as his power for the creation and implementation of the Celadar. Once they are completed, he places them on one of Yil's continents.
It is early yet for mortals. The world is still being sculpted, and they will be vulnerable to destruction by the world's changing form. If they are not crushed in the formation of mountains and valleys, they might find that their food sources have drastically changed. Without Terrawormers, which live only on the Heliomantas and World Turtle, the continents of Yil are quite barren. [1d6:1] It is the best Acter can do to pick a place on the coast, near the sea where there is plant life, and place the Celadar there. It is rich in iron, and the Celadar must replace body parts frequently as they suffer damage from rust. For now they are there living simple lives, taking seaweed they need to live and traveling up and down the coast for metal to improve their bodies. Some of them have begun to develop fins to aid in swimming.
Acter Nobody has gained progress in the Mechanical domain (+3)evictedSaint
Yilr-Gax, God of Light
Domains: Light +1 (1/2), Craft +1, Life (1/2)
Appearance: A kindly humanoid of variable race and sex, which appeals to the viewer. Wields the sword Sunder.Yilr-Gax's form is unique for each and every being that looks upon him - gender, race, size, etc. These forms are generally positive in nature and usually humanoid. Often smiling, with laugh-lines and bright, shining eyes and a warm demeanor, but always with Sunder at his hip. To the other Thoughts Yilr-Gax will appear as he always has; a force of light.
Yilr-Gax makes the plants which eat the sun light. Plants spout up on Yil and on the turtle and p much anywhere else in the cosmos that could reasonably sustain life. He does all this by making the sun a nurturing force in addition to an evil-banishing force.
Just as Neheb filled the seas with plants, Yilr-Gax makes plants which will live on the land. Just as Meggido's Heliomantas do, they will feed on light. Yil becomes replete with grasses and ferns, as well as vegetables and berry bushes. A portion of the Celadar quickly adapt to these new food sources.
Yilr-Gax has gained progress in the Life domain (+1)Chiper9
Morrak, God of Death
Domains: Death +2 (1/3), War (1/2)
Appearance: A stone sphere encased in bones. The usual skeletal form is that of a centaur.With the first mortal life being created on Yil Morrak saw an opportunity collect them with as few as possible getting taken by Nothing. To do this Morrak created Winter, the time of death, when the distance between Morrak's realm and Yil is at their closest and portals between the two start to form. This period last around one forth of the year and for a majority of this time only those that ferry the dead can safely travel through the portals. For three days these portals become stable enough for mortals to travel to visit his realm and pay respect to the interred dead.
[1d6+1:6] Now by the will of Morrak, portals appear during the Winter, on high places in Yil, which lead to his domain. During this season when the portals are visible, mortals may pass and visit their dead. They are present at other times, although closed except to couriers of the dead.
Morrak has gained progress in the Death domain (2/3)Digital Hellhound
The Crone
Domains: Chaos +2, Stone (1/2)
Appearance: A pallorous, boney, crook-backed old womanThe Crone descends to Yil in her most favored aspect. She is a crook-backed creature with thin and distorted features, beady black eyes set deep in her skull, long taloned fingers and a deathly pale pallor to her skin. Uncontrollable cackling bursts from her bloodless lips at times, a sure sign of her presence.
[X] The Crone chooses a continent on Yil at random and raises up a vast and deep swamp upon it. Her talons gouge down rivers to feed the new wetlands and spin up clouds to rain down upon it. She turns over her cauldron and casts down a plethora of seeds which give birth both to a wide variety of plant life as well as worms, beetles, ticks, flies, spiders and other small simple creatures. A handful of Goblins she also plucks down into its murky depths in a fit of motherly love, or something a little like it.
The result of her work is a vast bog which stretches across most of the continent, thriving with life but practically impassable to those not adapted to its confines. In colder reaches it becomes a sparse and harsh mire, along rivers verdant marshland, in the wettest regions flooded swamp.
This bog shall be the Crone's home upon Yil. It is not closed to others in any way, though. Other creatures shall surely find their way there in time.
The Crone picked a place in Yil at more or less random [1d6:6] (as luck would have it: very near the Celadar) and raked the land into the sea, and sea into the land, creating a region of brackish bog. This she populated with bugs: worms and beetles and flies and more, which ate plants, and one very important bug, the spider. The first living predator (besides, perhaps, Golgorath) laid webs to capture and eat flying insects. It would not be long before the Celadar found this place. Now there were a few more Celadar than there had been at the start, a few took to eating worms and beetles and maggots, while most turned away in disgust at the tiny creatures which lived avariciously, feeding as much as possible before dying in the muck. Oh yeah, goblins are there too, still in the form of tiny parasitic creatures which die during metamorphosis to adult form.
The Crone has gained progress in the Pestilence domain (1/2) (maybe some room to reclassify this)