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[IronyOwl]

The Elder notices you eyeing his books, and works up the courage to speak. "Can I help you find something, your holiness?"

She gives him another squeeze, luxuriating in his soft fur.

"Not really. I'm just curious about life here. Do the city-dwellers dislike you for being too dissimilar to themselves? I notice your tome depicts only human and elven archetypes.

Oh! What can you tell me about Dire Orcas? There's a good chance you'll be trading your people's meat and furs with them.

Do your people like fruit? I'll probably be making them some fruit. Oh, do the city-dwellers like wine? I intend to leverage your people's medicinal skill in controlling the trees, so you should be able to fine-tune the results to make good wine."

She snuggles him some more waiting for his response.

[Weirdsound]

Of course! They then turn toward Shizi. That's what I'm supposed to do, right? Without waiting for an answer, they return their attentions to Lingbān. You eat metal, yeah? I'm good at metals. And wood and stone, too! I think we can make this work. Do you think a metal forest would look good here?

Shizi gives the nameless god an encouraging nod as the mortal before them begins to speak:

"Not exactly. Our kind leechs energy from sources of magical power. This usually means the cores of various weapons from the war and devices from a time before the conflict... these are typically metal, but it is not the metal we eat persay. OOOhhh... but metal trees. I could find uses for those! I could fix some things up with a decent supply of the right metals..."

She gives him another squeeze, luxuriating in his soft fur.

"Not really. I'm just curious about life here. Do the city-dwellers dislike you for being too dissimilar to themselves? I notice your tome depicts only human and elven archetypes.

Oh! What can you tell me about Dire Orcas? There's a good chance you'll be trading your people's meat and furs with them.

Do your people like fruit? I'll probably be making them some fruit. Oh, do the city-dwellers like wine? I intend to leverage your people's medicinal skill in controlling the trees, so you should be able to fine-tune the results to make good wine."

She snuggles him some more waiting for his response.

The elder returns the hug as Dun mentions the city dweller's hatred for his people. "I... I think you have it figured out. Well, there is a bit more to it than that. We make convenient scapegoats when bad things happen. They love to point out that an Otter person can just break city laws, and vanish into the water to avoid capture. It also may be karma. Back in the ancient days, the empire of my ancestors would rule their ancestors harshly. The educated amoung them may consider the current state of affairs to be payback."

You can tell High-Oyster is frightened and disgusted by the prospect of selling his people's fur and meat, but he chooses to bit his tounge and instead chooses to tackle the objectionable content on a practical rather than a moral ground. "Dire Orcas do not trade. They take what they want. Their god celebrates theft, murder, and rape as high virtue. It is rumored the Dire Orca possess an elite caste among them that can take off their whale skin and spy on the bland city races like a selkie would, but aside from that, encounters with them that do not turn violent are all but unheard of."

The Otterfolk is relived when the topic changes to fruit and wine, but his answers are probably not to your liking. "Fruit makes for a good treat, but my people evolved from fish eaters, so it cannot make up too much of our diet. The fact that we cannot satisfy ourselves by buying cheap grains is a major contributor to our poverty. We have to buy the fish that the city dwellers forbid us from harvesting ourselves. They do like wine, but I don't doubt the people who import it to town will try to have us banned from the wine business if we make enough of it to hurt their profits."

[IronyOwl]

The elder returns the hug as Dun mentions the city dweller's hatred for his people. "I... I think you have it figured out. Well, there is a bit more to it than that. We make convenient scapegoats when bad things happen. They love to point out that an Otter person can just break city laws, and vanish into the water to avoid capture. It also may be karma. Back in the ancient days, the empire of my ancestors would rule their ancestors harshly. The educated amoung them may consider the current state of affairs to be payback."

You can tell High-Oyster is frightened and disgusted by the prospect of selling his people's fur and meat, but he chooses to bit his tounge and instead chooses to tackle the objectionable content on a practical rather than a moral ground. "Dire Orcas do not trade. They take what they want. Their god celebrates theft, murder, and rape as high virtue. It is rumored the Dire Orca possess an elite caste among them that can take off their whale skin and spy on the bland city races like a selkie would, but aside from that, encounters with them that do not turn violent are all but unheard of."

The Otterfolk is relived when the topic changes to fruit and wine, but his answers are probably not to your liking. "Fruit makes for a good treat, but my people evolved from fish eaters, so it cannot make up too much of our diet. The fact that we cannot satisfy ourselves by buying cheap grains is a major contributor to our poverty. We have to buy the fish that the city dwellers forbid us from harvesting ourselves. They do like wine, but I don't doubt the people who import it to town will try to have us banned from the wine business if we make enough of it to hurt their profits."

Dun curls inward, pouting.

"Mmph. If the Dire Orcas won't trade, we can't use one of your obvious strengths. If you need to eat fish, I'll have to intrude upon the city's domain. If the city doesn't want competition for wine, they may take offense at any signs of prosperity."

She sighs.

"I had hoped to avoid groveling to the city and its masters until I had established myself better, but now it looks like I'll have to. I suppose I'm worried that if the masters of that place notice me, they'll keep me under their heel and I'll never be able to challenge them properly. Mmm... I'm not used to dealing with beings of unknown rank. I worry I won't be ruthless enough to take my proper place."

She stares at the Elder for a few long seconds, apparently examining his ears.

"I suppose I could try to turn you all into abyssal horrors with no need for the surface world, but that feels so isolated.

Hm. What do you think I should do, Precious Dolly?"

[Digital Hellhound]

Saga of the Rooster

Zhèngniàn pauses to consider your question. "I cannot say for sure. My order was abandoned by its previous god many lifetimes ago, and many temple records have been lost to fire since. Several Masters who have held my office in the past had titles such as 'the reclaimer' or 'the rebuilder'. So perhaps this place was in some state of disrepair at some point. All I can do is be mindful of the present, and prepared for the future."

Qu inclined his head. 'So it is. It is worthy to rebuild what has been lost. You did not succumb to oblivion. This interests me. I will study your past. As for the present... what does your order want? I would assist, should our interests align.'

Saga of the Pig

Qu appears lost in thought, but with a nod returns to the present conversation. 'Perhaps we may learn from mortals. They are very curious. Mine have continued to perform their original task for many ages after their mistress abandoned them. These are godless mortals, yet they have found purpose without a master. What is the meaning of such perseverance? Why toil when the reason for that toil is long gone? Could that spirit be harnessed somehow, that drive to continue when there is no hope of reward or victory...?'

He trails off. Eyeing the others wildly, he continues. 'Any act of creation cannot be anything but part of a losing battle against the forces of entropy. Yet they are worthy even so. Even acts of destruction, however brutal, are only change, and change is not evil. Only oblivion is.'

Qu considers if he is being a normal and sociable participant in this conversation. Surely it is so. He is making fast friends already. The Lady Murietta had told him he would.

[mightymushroom]

Saga of the Dog

Qīzi considers her new god's quarry. "As it stands right now, my boys and I can hold off most threats to the village. But we are stuck here. Our previous god found mineral deposites just inside the forest for us to mine, but without divine protection, it is nearly impossible to safely mine them. Farming is also risky here, as the general wicked malease of the land can sometimes corrupt a crop and turn it into something useless or even harmful. Without some means for this town to provide for itself, the population will continue to dwindle. On my honor, I will not abandon this place so long as one civilian remains, but I can not speak for the rest of my guild. Eventually we will become weak enough that some Hag or monster might finish us off."

"Huhm – I do have some experience with growing and strengthening plants _{by watching my father} but I cannot be certain what it will require without more investigation than 'general malaise.'"

"About these mines, how close are they? Do you think a basic wall could suffice to get them started again? Would new arrivals begin the village growing again if they heard that news?"


Saga of the Pig

Koaring's ears flick when Elbakaepsnu's suggests building a continent-spanning civilization. Koaring knows enough of mortal affairs to foresee the violence involved. Only a few other words couching it in hypotheticals prevent it from being an open declaration of war, quite possibly against Koaring's own tribe. He resolves to pay closer attention to this god and his people when he can.

Qu appears lost in thought, but with a nod returns to the present conversation. 'Perhaps we may learn from mortals. They are very curious. Mine have continued to perform their original task for many ages after their mistress abandoned them.

"I was about to add a similar thought. If we rule mortals too tightly, then we will never foster anything new. All the work mortals do would be only a reflection of our own thoughts, and if our own thoughts is all we desire then we can just sit in a corner and save a great deal of effort. On the other hands," gesturing with his right arms, "when our plans tolerate or even include their capacity for self-invention the result is almost always greater than the god who initiated the effort would be when considered alone, even though it makes the task more challenging to complete."

[Weirdsound]

Dun curls inward, pouting.

"Mmph. If the Dire Orcas won't trade, we can't use one of your obvious strengths. If you need to eat fish, I'll have to intrude upon the city's domain. If the city doesn't want competition for wine, they may take offense at any signs of prosperity."

She sighs.

"I had hoped to avoid groveling to the city and its masters until I had established myself better, but now it looks like I'll have to. I suppose I'm worried that if the masters of that place notice me, they'll keep me under their heel and I'll never be able to challenge them properly. Mmm... I'm not used to dealing with beings of unknown rank. I worry I won't be ruthless enough to take my proper place."

She stares at the Elder for a few long seconds, apparently examining his ears.

"I suppose I could try to turn you all into abyssal horrors with no need for the surface world, but that feels so isolated.

Hm. What do you think I should do, Precious Dolly?"

High-Oyster considers the musings of his new goddess, before speaking. "Oh. I get it. They assigned you to me and my people because we share an interest in fixing others on a biological level. You just have the means to be far more ambitious about it!"

He ponders Dun's offer to be made into some sort of abyssal horror, and to the Goddesses mild surprise, he dosn't seem completely repulsed by the idea. "If you do not think yourself ruthless enough to deal with the gods of the city dwellers, abandoning the surface to be at the mercy of the Dire Orcas and their god may not be the wisest move. But, that said, I do not think my people face any existential threat at the moment. We can wait a few generations for you to grow in strength and stand up to other gods, either on land or on sea."

The Otter person smiles, "Of course, nothing says you cannot give us fruit, and then modify us to be able to digest it better. If you want to act with haste on our behalf, another option would be an exodus of sorts. Find or create a place where we could thrive, or that you could modify us to thrive in, and help us relocate away from gods and people we'd rather not deal with..."

Saga of the Rooster
Qu inclined his head. 'So it is. It is worthy to rebuild what has been lost. You did not succumb to oblivion. This interests me. I will study your past. As for the present... what does your order want? I would assist, should our interests align.'

Master Zhèngniàn pauses for thought. "The Warriors of Light exist to vanquish evil and protect good. But my temple is isolated up on this mountain. We get little news from the outside world. So we do little but train and prepare. I can assume that since Shizi thought you to be a good match for us, you must be a benevolent god. As such, we will make your interests our own. If you do not have tasks for us, means of transportation and communication would aid us in doing good without the need of specific direction from our god."

Saga of the Dog

"Huhm – I do have some experience with growing and strengthening plants _{by watching my father} but I cannot be certain what it will require without more investigation than 'general malaise.'"

"About these mines, how close are they? Do you think a basic wall could suffice to get them started again? Would new arrivals begin the village growing again if they heard that news?"

The Witch hunter considers the offer. "We would require some sort of walled in road or tunnel to the mines. Traveling too work in the mines is as dangerous as working in the mines. Perhaps more so. At least in the mines the threats can usually only come from one direction. If rumor gets out that the mines are working, and that we have a god to protect us again, people should come to the village... or at least stop leaving it."

She then considers her new god's comments on plants and malaise. "If you want to know more about the darkness around this place, your best bet would be to interrogate a hag. Me and my boys are good at catching the fuckers, but we cannot exactly run off on hunts these days. The village guard has been completely abandoned, so we are the only line of defense. I cannot imagine that it would be too hard for a god to track one down and beat it into submission if he wanted too though..."

[Glass]

[null]’s eye flames suddenly gleam a bright yellow. “Some things”? What kinds? He sits down.

Tell me everything.

[Shadowclaw777]

You are quite sure that if the Alpha-Huntress had lips, that they would be contorted into a sick grin. She offers you a military salute, and after several moments her troops do the same. Some who still possess a relatively human leg arrangement choose to kneel instead. "It has been too long since we have fought for a purpose, much less divine purpose. My soldiers should find fulfillment in killing for reasons beyond their own mere hunger and amusement. May we prove to be worthy instruments of your will!"

Elbakaepsnu’s eye stalks that are coming off his body go back to the inside of his form, and with a bellowing voice around the room, directly looks beneath the huntress, and starts to probe her mind for the question he seeks about this land.

”Now I need information on the lay of the land, sea, and skies of this region all that I shall claim to ahead of time to any who challenge my reign, now I demand you all tell me of your insecurities and your unforeseen weaknesses that are inherit to your design, are their any mortals or creatures in this land you have difficulty with challenging and surviving against? I shall evolve the bodies you have to better suit my purposes, and to make anything in the region that stands against my way to be conquered that is my own birthright!, now what are the so-forthcoming things that you and your military company are plainly horrible at, sustenance, military-industry production to produce the weapons of war, etc.

As for my next probing of information, what kind of useful parts of the lands can be plundered and conquered for wealth and loot for my hoard?, what kind of defenseless civilizations or monsters protecting ancient ruins with powerful magical relics are. As you see, I desire to understand how the region works, and for the smart leaders and monsters they shall become my satraps and minions that provide me with wealth and contributions in exchange for our own protection. Now who’s the most desirable closest target for us to hunt and plunder for all that it’s worth.”

[Weirdsound]

[null]’s eye flames suddenly gleam a bright yellow. “Some things”? What kinds? He sits down.

Tell me everything.

Lingbān's eyes light up. "All kinds of things! The people who lived here before the war were powerful and wise enough to create my people without the help of the gods. They made great machines to make all aspects of their lives easier! Usually, when we dig such a machine up, we just drain the power core as food, but if we can fix it, that is a point of pride and perhaps, some day, a thing we can trade."

He gestures to the dig site his people are working on. "This, for example, we suspect is a great machine that could process raw sewage into clean drinking water. Imagine how much it would be worth to a water drinking and city dwelling race if we could restore it! Just fixing up one machine like this could very well be our ticket to properly joining society!"

Elbakaepsnu’s eye stalks that are coming off his body go back to the inside of his form, and with a bellowing voice around the room, directly looks beneath the huntress, and starts to probe her mind for the question he seeks about this land.

Now I need information on the lay of the land, sea, and skies of this region all that I shall claim to ahead of time to any who challenge my reign, now I demand you all tell me of your insecurities and your unforeseen weaknesses that are inherit to your design, are their any mortals or creatures in this land you have difficulty with challenging and surviving against? I shall evolve the bodies you have to better suit my purposes, and to make anything in the region that stands against my way to be conquered that is my own birthright!, now what are the so-forthcoming things that you and your military company are plainly horrible at, sustenance, military-industry production to produce the weapons of war, etc.

As for my next probing of information, what kind of useful parts of the lands can be plundered and conquered for wealth and loot for my hoard?, what kind of defenseless civilizations or monsters protecting ancient ruins with powerful magical relics are. As you see, I desire to understand how the region works, and for the smart leaders and monsters they shall become my satraps and minions that provide me with wealth and contributions in exchange for our own protection. Now who’s the most desirable closest target for us to hunt and plunder for all that it’s worth.”

Between the Alpha-Huntresses words and thoughts, Elbakaepsnu gets the answers he is looking for.

The Ashen wastes cover a vast area. To the south they are bordered by high mountains. To the east, the fortresses of a developed nation. To the north and west, an inland sea too salty to support most life.

The mutated bodies of the 72nd are in no way standardized. No two are exactly the same, and no two can be said to have the same strengths and weaknesses. One general weakness of the Alpha-Huntresses people, however, is infertility. Only a handful of them are capable of breeding. Because of this, The Alpha-Huntress avoids picking fights where causalities are likely to occur on her side. She has grown to prefer ambushes under the cover of darkness. Her general strategy is to send flying scouts to spot interlopers, and then move in the bulk of her forces silently while the prey is resting and unprepared. Although disappointed that she cannot fight strong foes in pitched battle, The Alpha Huntress is proud of her ability to ambush and raid, boasting that it has been two ages since she has lost a soldier.

The 72nd have no true industry of which to speak. Interlopers seeking their fortune in salvaging the wastes are a common enough food source. They practice no agriculture and keep no animals, so they would starve if the fools stopped coming into their lands. As they rarely gain new soldiers, they rarely need to make new gear; Once every four to five sagas, the Alpha-Huntress will relocate her forces to a different cave, one that is less defense-able but hosts an iron mine, flux material, a foundry, and a forge. There they will spend some time crafting and maintaining steel weapons, armor, and ammunition before returning to their home cave. They lack a dependable source of fuel, so their ability to make steel is again dependent on what they can steal from the interlopers.

The Alpha Huntress reckons that the only three real resourses found in the Ashen wastes are iron, marble, and whatever wondrous magic and technology one might be able to salvage from the remains of the people who lived here before the war. If a dependable fuel source could be found, the ash the covers the ground could also be cooked into an aesthetically pleasing red glass. The Alpha-Huntress claims that shortly after the war monsters ran rampant in the wastes, but that she and her people hunted and destroyed them all. She does, however, consider herself and her army monsters, noting that they are far stronger than any other mortals, and have few interests beyond feasting and causing carnage.

The only other society to exist within the wastes is called The Salvaged. The Alpha-Huntress leaves them alone because their flesh is poisonous to eat, and their foolish attempts at trade play a role in luring in outsiders to hunt. Three kinds of outsiders regularly visit the waste. A race of steel wielding humans come from the fortresses to the east. Two peoples come from across the sea; A race of dwarves that sometimes bring magical and exotic metals with them, and whose boats are powered by coal which the Huntress can steal to fuel her foundry. There is also a race of humanoid sparrows who wield gear of bronze and practice air magics to drive their sail boats. The Alpha Huntress considers them the most delicious, but also the most difficult to catch.

As for who is the most desirebale target, the Alpha Huntress can only guess. After some thought she figures that the humans would the easiest, as she would not need boats to attack them, and has no doubt that if she wasn't tied down by the absolute need to avoid causalities that she could easily take their fortresses. As she has never truly traveled far beyond the wastes, she cannot speak to which target would be the most lucrative.

[mightymushroom]

Saga of the Dog

Koaring muses aloud. He's rather not share his self-doubts about the sudden increase in his responsibilities, but sees no reason to hide anything else from his first follower. Qīzi bears herself with competence, at least as far as guard duty, it would be foolish not to allow her to contribute when she knows so much more about the village than he. "Much as I expected on being handed charge of a run-down village. We can't afford to work the mines without more guards for defense and we can't get more guards without working the mines. A neat circle, suitable for a god's intervention. Eh, the wall was only a first idea, perhaps I'll learn more when I investigate the hags, I like that suggestion."

"Now tell me more about this Witch Hunter's Guild you're running, please. What was its purpose originally, and how did it come to be the authority here? No offense meant, but this building doesn't have the air of one intended for overseeing farmers or miners."

"After that I'd like a tour of the village. Is there any pattern to living arrangements, can we tear some things down and consolidate, for instance? Oh, and before I forget I especially want to see your source of water. Is it a well, a spring, a stream?"

[IronyOwl]

High-Oyster considers the musings of his new goddess, before speaking. "Oh. I get it. They assigned you to me and my people because we share an interest in fixing others on a biological level. You just have the means to be far more ambitious about it!"

He ponders Dun's offer to be made into some sort of abyssal horror, and to the Goddesses mild surprise, he dosn't seem completely repulsed by the idea. "If you do not think yourself ruthless enough to deal with the gods of the city dwellers, abandoning the surface to be at the mercy of the Dire Orcas and their god may not be the wisest move. But, that said, I do not think my people face any existential threat at the moment. We can wait a few generations for you to grow in strength and stand up to other gods, either on land or on sea."

The Otter person smiles, "Of course, nothing says you cannot give us fruit, and then modify us to be able to digest it better. If you want to act with haste on our behalf, another option would be an exodus of sorts. Find or create a place where we could thrive, or that you could modify us to thrive in, and help us relocate away from gods and people we'd rather not deal with..."

Dun considers her new pet's advice for a few minutes.

"I don't think I'll run away right now," she finally says, "But I think I'll work on spreading you out a bit. The deeps and surface waters are good places for you to live, even if you are forbidden from harvesting fish at the moment. If I do decide to flee or fight, having tendrils elsewhere will be convenient."

She smiles at him.

"Do you know anything about which mortals rule in the city and how? You'll have to appease or usurp them to be successful, and I'll need to know which gifts they'll allow and which they'll seize or forbid. I was thinking of giving you ranching fish, for example, but cruel masters might not allow such a thing. That means I'd need a different plan."

Qu appears lost in thought, but with a nod returns to the present conversation. 'Perhaps we may learn from mortals. They are very curious. Mine have continued to perform their original task for many ages after their mistress abandoned them. These are godless mortals, yet they have found purpose without a master. What is the meaning of such perseverance? Why toil when the reason for that toil is long gone? Could that spirit be harnessed somehow, that drive to continue when there is no hope of reward or victory...?'

He trails off. Eyeing the others wildly, he continues. 'Any act of creation cannot be anything but part of a losing battle against the forces of entropy. Yet they are worthy even so. Even acts of destruction, however brutal, are only change, and change is not evil. Only oblivion is.'

Qu considers if he is being a normal and sociable participant in this conversation. Surely it is so. He is making fast friends already. The Lady Murietta had told him he would.

"Isn't that just their function? They were created to do something, so they do it. They are well-made and inflexible, but I don't see how that relates to us."

She tilts her head at his last comment.

"What is oblivion?"

"I was about to add a similar thought. If we rule mortals too tightly, then we will never foster anything new. All the work mortals do would be only a reflection of our own thoughts, and if our own thoughts is all we desire then we can just sit in a corner and save a great deal of effort. On the other hands," gesturing with his right arms, "when our plans tolerate or even include their capacity for self-invention the result is almost always greater than the god who initiated the effort would be when considered alone, even though it makes the task more challenging to complete."

This gives Dun pause.

"The point of mortals is to be pleasing to their gods, but I suppose more active mortals can accomplish more sometimes."

She smiles, barely visible on her transparent face.

"Thank you for that insight, I should try to retain free will and initiative in some of my property."

[Weirdsound]

Saga of the Dog

Koaring muses aloud. He's rather not share his self-doubts about the sudden increase in his responsibilities, but sees no reason to hide anything else from his first follower. Qīzi bears herself with competence, at least as far as guard duty, it would be foolish not to allow her to contribute when she knows so much more about the village than he. "Much as I expected on being handed charge of a run-down village. We can't afford to work the mines without more guards for defense and we can't get more guards without working the mines. A neat circle, suitable for a god's intervention. Eh, the wall was only a first idea, perhaps I'll learn more when I investigate the hags, I like that suggestion."

"Now tell me more about this Witch Hunter's Guild you're running, please. What was its purpose originally, and how did it come to be the authority here? No offense meant, but this building doesn't have the air of one intended for overseeing farmers or miners."

"After that I'd like a tour of the village. Is there any pattern to living arrangements, can we tear some things down and consolidate, for instance? Oh, and before I forget I especially want to see your source of water. Is it a well, a spring, a stream?"

Shizi puts a hand up when you mention a tour. "A tour is a bit much for now. We are supposed to be avoid exertion for the moment. Stick to conversation please. You may come back next age and do whatever you please."

After an awkward pause, the mortal begins to answer your questions. "The water table is high here. Every house has its own well. There are streams nearby, but they run out of the wicked woods, so just to be safe I discourage people from drinking from them unless necessary."

"As for my guild, it has branches in many of the cities of this world. It is believed to have originated from a splinter group of a monastic order called The Warriors of Light which fell apart terms and terms ago. I came into power here because the mayor fled, the captain of the local guard fled, and the people needed someone to step up and take care of them. We specialize in hunting down hags, monsters, and foul beings who have been abandoned by their foul gods." She frowns, "typically we sell our services to wealthy citizens and governments for a profit. They send idealists and adventure seekers like me, who would work for nothing more than the good of the people or the loot found in a hags layer, to remote villages such as this so we do not undercut the profits of guild members who charge an arm and a leg for their services. The city guild halls have much in the way of wealth, gadgets, and trained witch hunters, but they would have nothing to gain in sharing them with poor old Peanut Village."

High-Oyster considers the musings of his new goddess, before speaking. "Oh. I get it. They assigned you to me and my people because we share an interest in fixing others on a biological level. You just have the means to be far more ambitious about it!"

He ponders Dun's offer to be made into some sort of abyssal horror, and to the Goddesses mild surprise, he dosn't seem completely repulsed by the idea. "If you do not think yourself ruthless enough to deal with the gods of the city dwellers, abandoning the surface to be at the mercy of the Dire Orcas and their god may not be the wisest move. But, that said, I do not think my people face any existential threat at the moment. We can wait a few generations for you to grow in strength and stand up to other gods, either on land or on sea."

The Otter person smiles, "Of course, nothing says you cannot give us fruit, and then modify us to be able to digest it better. If you want to act with haste on our behalf, another option would be an exodus of sorts. Find or create a place where we could thrive, or that you could modify us to thrive in, and help us relocate away from gods and people we'd rather not deal with..."

Dun considers her new pet's advice for a few minutes.

"I don't think I'll run away right now," she finally says, "But I think I'll work on spreading you out a bit. The deeps and surface waters are good places for you to live, even if you are forbidden from harvesting fish at the moment. If I do decide to flee or fight, having tendrils elsewhere will be convenient."

She smiles at him.

"Do you know anything about which mortals rule in the city and how? You'll have to appease or usurp them to be successful, and I'll need to know which gifts they'll allow and which they'll seize or forbid. I was thinking of giving you ranching fish, for example, but cruel masters might not allow such a thing. That means I'd need a different plan."

High-Oyster considers the question. "They city of Pài is ruled by a parliament and a Lord Mayor. The parliament is split into three parties, each representing a different race. The fair skinned elves are the Snow Party, the Dark Skinned elves are the Spear Party, and the humans are the Sea Party. Each race has its own god. The current lord mayor is a strange outsider. An ageless creature that takes the form of a crimsion skinned woman with horns on her head and wings on her back. She keeps the peace as she has the power to seduce mortals. It is said she is the daughter of the human god, and lover of both of the elf gods. Before she came, my people would have some influence over the office of Lord Mayor, as we would hold the title of court physician, but she does not fall ill, and has thus dismissed us. As far as I can tell, she bears no ill will against my people, but has no reason to deny parliament when they seek to oppress us."

When the idea of ranching fish comes up, he smiles. "We used to be able to farm shellfish for meat and pearls. Hence my family name. Lately the harbor has become so polluted that we can only raise the Navy Scallop, which is labor intensive and yields poor quality meat."

[IronyOwl]

High-Oyster considers the question. "They city of Pài is ruled by a parliament and a Lord Mayor. The parliament is split into three parties, each representing a different race. The fair skinned elves are the Snow Party, the Dark Skinned elves are the Spear Party, and the humans are the Sea Party. Each race has its own god. The current lord mayor is a strange outsider. An ageless creature that takes the form of a crimsion skinned woman with horns on her head and wings on her back. She keeps the peace as she has the power to seduce mortals. It is said she is the daughter of the human god, and lover of both of the elf gods. Before she came, my people would have some influence over the office of Lord Mayor, as we would hold the title of court physician, but she does not fall ill, and has thus dismissed us. As far as I can tell, she bears no ill will against my people, but has no reason to deny parliament when they seek to oppress us."

When the idea of ranching fish comes up, he smiles. "We used to be able to farm shellfish for meat and pearls. Hence my family name. Lately the harbor has become so polluted that we can only raise the Navy Scallop, which is labor intensive and yields poor quality meat."

Dun's eyes begin sparkling as High-Oyster describes the Lord Mayor.

"Ohhhh! What a valuable mortal! I should try to create one like that! Let's see, I even have some... classmates, I believe? Fellow gods of a sort, but I am unsure of their exact relation to me at the moment. If I could create a mortal that was useful to all of them...!"

She wriggles with excitement at the possibilities.

"Oh, I should meet her, but... with the favor of three gods, she may well consider herself above me, which would be awkward. Ahhh, or maybe she'd try to add me to her collection, how flattering! I will need to handle this carefully!"

She starts petting the Elder enthusiastically, apparently in a good mood now.

"Tell me about the parliament. I take it the Sea Party is interested in suppressing you to avoid competition and drive up their fish sales? Do the elves care one way or another?

And what could be polluting the harbor? Haha, what a silly problem! I should be able to breed sea life to fix or thrive in such conditions."

[mightymushroom]

Saga of the Dog

Koaring looks equally uncomfortable as Shizi turns aside his chance to get out into the village.

"Eh, it's a shame we cannot expect more support from your Guild. Tell me, the mayor and local leaders abandoned Peanut Village, but are there any other principalities or kingdoms that lay claim here? Anyone at all of whom we might ask aid in exchange for a share of our profits; or anyone who might envy us once we start rebuilding?"


Saga of the Pig

"The point of mortals is to be pleasing to their gods, but I suppose more active mortals can accomplish more sometimes."

She smiles, barely visible on her transparent face.

"Thank you for that insight, I should try to retain free will and initiative in some of my property."

Koaring's confidence rises when he hears Dun voice a partial agreement with his position. He smiles in return, although he feels a bit more cautious than she appears to be.

"Safeguarding mortal will has worked out well enough in my home pantheon. I must admit it is quite old and well established, though. I have little comparison against other modes of operation, and I will wager that my teachers' philosophies will soon be put to the test in this more competitive environment. I think perhaps we aim in a similar direction, I never expected you to endure displeasure only for the sake of suffering through it. I only desire to point out that one may also alter the half of the balance that consists of one's own expectations."

[Weirdsound]

Dun's eyes begin sparkling as High-Oyster describes the Lord Mayor.

"Ohhhh! What a valuable mortal! I should try to create one like that! Let's see, I even have some... classmates, I believe? Fellow gods of a sort, but I am unsure of their exact relation to me at the moment. If I could create a mortal that was useful to all of them...!"

She wriggles with excitement at the possibilities.

"Oh, I should meet her, but... with the favor of three gods, she may well consider herself above me, which would be awkward. Ahhh, or maybe she'd try to add me to her collection, how flattering! I will need to handle this carefully!"

She starts petting the Elder enthusiastically, apparently in a good mood now.

"Tell me about the parliament. I take it the Sea Party is interested in suppressing you to avoid competition and drive up their fish sales? Do the elves care one way or another?

And what could be polluting the harbor? Haha, what a silly problem! I should be able to breed sea life to fix or thrive in such conditions."

High Oyster once again carefully considers his god's questions, and eventually gives answers. "The party names are many terms old, and have little meaning anymore. All three have ties to the fishing industry. They used to squabble with each other over fishing rights, but now the Lord Mayor assigns the right to specific species of fish to specific companies and everyone except for us is more or less fine with that arrangement."

"As for pollution, the fair skinned elves have invented an alchemical process by which they transmute the bones and shells of the sealife they catch into a substance that can be used as a fertilizer or explosive. A byproduct of their process is a toxic black sludge, which they dump into the harbor."

Koaring looks equally uncomfortable as Shizi turns aside his chance to get out into the village.

"Eh, it's a shame we cannot expect more support from your Guild. Tell me, the mayor and local leaders abandoned Peanut Village, but are there any other principalities or kingdoms that lay claim here? Anyone at all of whom we might ask aid in exchange for a share of our profits; or anyone who might envy us once we start rebuilding?"

Qīzi is quick to give you an answer. "There are no major nations in this part of Qiángdà. Just a good number of independent city states. Any road to civilization would have to travel through the city of Zhùtiě, and as such they would be the only city state likely to meaningfully interact with us. Zhùtiě is actually my place of birth. I could see the metalurgy guild there seeing us as either an opportunity or a threat if we get the mines working. There is also an academy of the Dark Arts which would likely be interested in launching expeditions into the woods, but as a member of the Witch Hunter's guild, I'm forbidden from dealing directly with such a wicked institution."