As the gods sleep, an age passes. From the island of Eden, animals and plants spread, slowly to the rest of the sphere, bringing air and water with them. The greatest of trees sink their roots deep enough to connect with the sphere itself through the dirt on top of it. Through these trees the Ents regard the growing world, though their minds, stretched out across the entire sphere, has become slow. Decades can pass for the group entity to think but a single thought. This vast, slow mind will be known as the Sphere.
The elves that was saved within the sphere also spread, though a new species competes with them. The humans begin to leave the island of Eden and spread also, though the race is still very young compared to the society of elves.
Not all elves live on the sphere, however. The seafaring elves and the trader naga was rescued on the back of Lazleth, and end up settling on a couple of asteroids. Lazleth flies off, carrying Urist and Iwo with him, promising to return in times of need.
The true naga continue to live in the Blue, traveling between the stars beyond the sphere, and enjoying the peace and quiet. The Crystal Spire is also among the stars, though it floats without any propulsion.
On the outside of the Sphere, instead of being coated with dirt, it is coated with rock, filled with air pockets, some of which are also filled with water, the sweat of Beanchubbs. Dwarves and gnomes dig their tunnels within the rock, creating living spaces and seeking out minerals and gems. The old generation of dwarves lament the lack of Beanite and magma, but their voice grows smaller and time passes.
For another change happens across the void. Death creeps into the lives of even those who live in safety. Death of old age. Starvation. Thirst. Lack of air. It creeps in slowly, and no race seems to really notice as they lose their previous immortality. The elves do retain an amazingly long lifespan, perhaps courtesy of the demonic residue within the species. Beside from those, longevity seems to derive from the age of the race itself. Dwarves grow the oldest, followed by naga, then cats, humans, and the finally gnomes which only live a half dozen decades.
While these changes are happening, some societies change, while some stay much the same. Among the elves, things does not change much, though the lack of elephants and dragons does make non-martial cultures pop up now and again. Hippies which live in harmony with nature, and hurt no living being, except for what is needed for sustenance. In most cases these cultures only last for a time, before being forced to take up arms against aggressive tribes moving into their vicinity, and either adopt a new martial attitude or get pressured into extinction. A dwarf would say that the elven society doesn't progress at all, as they continue to live close to nature, trying to fit into the circle of life. However, they do progress. Better techniques for shaping trees into dwellings, weapons and crafts develop. And elemental magic evolves too, as many elves begin to delve into the druidic tradition, that doesn't require blood sacrifice. Blood is still stronger, however, and the more aggressive tribes look down on the druids. The elven blood mages are the first to learn to summon elemental stuff, instead of merely influencing existing elements. These can summon gouts of flame, or water to drink, though large summonings are beyond the life force of a single elf. Summoning or contacting elemental creatures is also beyond them.
In the asteroid belt, the seafaring elves and trader naga form a society together. The seafaring elves also develop druidic magic, though they call it thaumaturgy. With thaumaturgy or blood magic it is possible to travel the short distance between their three asteroids, and carry an air pocket with the traveler, but it is dangerous and far beyond ideal. Magic is also used to slowly give the three asteroids an atmosphere and water. A few of the elves had some seeds on their person during the final apocalypse, and from these they also gain a limited ecosphere. Though rather than living in the trees, the belters have begun to live in stone dwellings, formed with elemental magic from the asteroids themself.
The belters have also discovered how to summon elements, and use it to propel craft across the space between the asteroids. These voidcraft are simple at first, holding only air and a few passengers, and using summoned air to propel them between the three close asteroids. The voidcraft are quickly expanded, however, and soon the belters begin colonizing other asteroids.
In the rock crust surrounding the sphere, the dwarves and gnomes dig, and one day their tunnels meet. The dwarves turn aside their usual wariness surprisingly quickly, and seem to accept the gnomes as an underground brother species. The dwarves find the gnomes to be even better diggers than themselves, excelling at intricate carvings, and retrieving gemstones whole, while the gnomes find themselves far surpassed by the Dwarven smiths, even when the dwarves have to use magic to heat the smithies. And the beanite picks that has been brought from the old Earth are much treasured by gnomish miners. Though the oldest established holds continue to be dominated by the founding species, new holds often end up being a mix of gnomes and dwarves. Some dwarven tunnels reach the polar vent holes, and dig around the edge, to come into the soil on the inside of the sphere.
In the crystal spire, the worshippers of 100killer9 consider their situation. They have been saved by their deity from the destruction of Earth. A tower seems rather pointless now. Instead they redirect their efforts. As they work, the slender spire gain a bulge in the middle, and the bulge continues to grow in size. Inside a cathedral is taking place, centered around the wall which 100killer9 usually inhabits. Towering crystal pillars and arches directs and refracts the light of the stars in shimmering colors. And still the cathedral grows under the care of cats and dwarves, gaining new antechambers and rooms and halls. A room for every soul within the walls. A great acoustic chamber where naga chant praises to the one true god. A honeycomb of passages and cubicles, upon the walls of which are inscribed the glories and successes of the one god. As the cathedral continues to grow, it drifts lazily through the depths of the void.
The belters continue to improve on their void craft, beginning to make craft propelled by fire rather than air. These long-distance craft require too much energy for blood magic to be practical, and instead carries a large supply of thaumaturgic components. Sulphur, which is mined from some asteroids, seems the perfect component for this kind of magic. With these craft their have the range to reach the sphere itself. And all belters have the blood of traders in their veins. An expedition will be launched, landing first close to the north polar venthole. The lower gravity near the pole should make it easier to take off again after landing.
Meanwhile, the dwarves had made the first hold with an exit to the surface in a long time. Skirmishing with the elves immediately began anew as the dwarves sought out trees for use in their forges. Close by, the elven Ashlec empire is on the rise, fueled by blood magic and a martial nature. This empire takes slaves, using them for labor to free up warriors, but also to sacrifice for use in great blood magic rituals. The dwarves are hard pressed, and many caught soldiers have found themselves on the altar. It is feared among the leaders of the hold, that the Ashlecs might soon be able to reach the hold itself, and the many civilians within.
Then in the middle of yet another battle, suddenly a craft, made from wood and stone and spewing fire, soars over the heads of the combatants. Aboard the voidcraft, the belters quickly confer with each other whether they should get involved. And get the decision taken from them, when an Ashlec blood mage launches a fire bolt at the craft, critically injuring the main thaumaturge and sending the craft plummeting to the ground in the middle of the Ashlec lines. The secondary thaumaturge tries to get the craft into the air again, but finds the craft too damaged. Soon he is forced to improvise combat magics on the spot as Ashlecs assault the craft. The other crew members take up whatever improvised weapons they can find. Only the cover provided by the hull of the craft, and the countermagics performed by the thaumaturge prevents the utter annihilation of the crew. But still, half the crew is killed, most are injured, and three dragged screaming out of the hull. Then the dwarven counterattack hits, and step by step drives the Ashlecs from the crashed craft. A grizzled old sergeant peers inside, and recognizing the naga, starts bellowing orders. Soon the belters are escorted back to dwarven lines.
Back at the hold, the belters explain their situation, and receive great sympathy from the local baron, despite the fact that two thirds of them are elves. The baron might not be old enough to have met the seafaring elves himself, but he knows the stories. Besides, the trade that is offered is very interesting indeed. Glassware would be a nice luxury good, but the stories of burning rocks is even more interesting. With a supply of coal, the dwarves might not need to venture into the woods on the surface. Of course, the flying craft also interests the dwarf mightily. In the end, the dwarves help the belters create a new void craft, so that they can return to the sky, and a new era of trade between dwarves, naga and elves commence.
Meanwhile the three captured crew members are interrogated by the Ashlecs, and start talking almost immediately. The army commander is disgusted by the weak-bellied beings, and has the two elven belters sacrificed, while the naga is sent southward to the empire's capital.
In the following years, the dwarves close down their connection to the inner surface, and instead create openings on the outside of the sphere, where belter ships can dock for trade. In addition to trading with the dwarves, the belters also find elven tribes, less hostile than the Ashlecs to trade with. The Ashlecs develop windcrafts, swooping across the inner surface of the sphere in wind-driven ships powered by the blood of slaves. Their empire soon covers the entire north, and expands rapidly southward.
Then they begin to make actual voidcraft, seeking to reach and dominate the belter habitats. The belters, never ones to be interested in violence, become alarmed when Ashlec privateers start to board and capture ships bound for the sphere. The naga part of the population consider breaking of trade with the inner sphere, rely on trade with the dwarves alone. However, among the elven part of the population, inner instincts are awakening. The Ashlecs are an imbalance, spreading unhindered. Withdrawing will only make it worse.
And so the elven belters start up the Solar Navy, designing ships of war, and beginning to train in the arts of warfare. In the search of trainers and allies, they seek out two allies. The dwarves, though having no stake in the conflict, do have a grudge. Combined with the coffers of the belters, the Solar Navy begins to take on dwarven mercenaries with the approval of the dwarven leaders. Secondly they seek out an old, old people. The Confederacy of the Red Maw. Currently fighting with the Ashlecs, the Confederacy is in steady retreat, despite ferocious battles. The Ashlecs has superior magic, manpower and weapons, including the windcraft, but the Confederacy harbor traditions from their dragon hunting days, and are among the fiercest warriors, and fiercest protectors of balance. Though skeptical of the Solar Navy, they sign up as allies.
And so the war begins. Void craft clash in the depths of space. Armies supported from the air crash on the ground. The belters pour equipment, dwarven mercenaries and Red Maw warriors into the battles between the Ashlecs and independent elven tribes. Battle pour back and forth across the inner surface of the sphere. They are never decisive. Always there are more troops waiting to join the fray.
Then comes the Lost Battle. A grand navy of Ashlec voidcraft rise from the ground, many of the craft being converted from ships captured from the belters. The Solar Navy scramble to gather its own craft as the Ashlec navy heads towards the three home asteroids of the belters. They meet in the void between the sphere and the asteroids. Elemental fire flashes between ships. Boarding teams brave the void to leap the distance through empty space. Ballistae track across the heavens. Voidcraft, in the tight and chaotic confines, resort to ramming, sometimes dooming both craft. Chaos reigns in the silence of the void.
Below, in the Ashlec capital, unknown to the alliance, Ashlec blood mages are at work. Hundreds of slaves are led to the altar, their blood drained into the magics forming a grand ritual. Two dozen mages stand in a ring, their eyes closed in concentration. The air itself seems to simmer with heat. Then, as one, they look to the sky, at the far and distant point where the flashes of the battle are barely visible.
A roar rips through the silence of the vacuum. A hole ripped in existence, from which fire pours, consuming a dozen Solar Navy craft. The hole closes, but the fire and the roaring stays. The first fire elemental in existence. A creature the size of the Solar Navy flagship, the elemental starts tearing into the Solar Navy. The call for retreat goes out, and the navy starts to scatter. But slowly. Too slowly. Ship after ship goes alight, as the elemental roars through the navy's ranks.
On the ground, the Ashlec mages are still looking to the sky, their faces strained with concentration. Behind them, more slaves are constantly poured into the spell, not only prolonging the creatures continued existence, but also its cooperation. The mages scarcely feel the first tremor of the earth. The second tremor, however, sends a few mages staggering. Far above the elemental lashes out and destroys an Ashlec voidcraft. However, few of the mages are concentrating on the elemental anymore. The entire temple rocks and jolts. As they look out over the city, they can see houses collapsing, and cracks tearing through the ground. The earthquake shakes the entire city, threatening to level it to the ground. The last thing the mages see are the roof collapsing on their heads.
In the void, the elemental roars again, and rips loose indiscriminately. Voidcraft, Solar and Ashlec alike, goes up into flames. Thousands of flaming hulks litter its path. Desperate commanders ram each other, this time in an attempt to get away. The destruction of both fleets seem inevitable. And then, suddenly, the elemental bursts from within. The shower of flame lights more vessels on fire, but these are merely normal flames. The elemental is gone. Too panicked and shocked to stop, the two navy's continue their retreat.
Current State of Affairs:Ashlecs: The Ashlec fleet, though devastated, retains approximately half its strength, though some of those craft will need repair. On the ground, however, the capital has been completely destroyed, killing the empire's best mages, and its royal family. Currently a civil war is going on, as they try to determine who the new emperor should be. Though there are hundreds of would-be emperors, there are only three leaders who really have the force and organization to succeed. The current size of the empire is approximately one hundred times the entire surface area of the old Earth (dysons are huge).
Solar Navy: The Solar Navy was devastated, with only a small percentage of craft returning to the belt. Though ground forces might take advantage of the inner chaos in the Ashlec empire, the Solar Navy does not have the craft to move or support those troops.
Dwarven Holds: Still remain below ground, and neutral to above-ground happenings, though they do continue to supply mercenaries to the Solar Navy. The amount of mercenaries from underground are steadily dropping, however, and most new mercenaries are actually dwarves who grew up in the belt. Most dwarves and gnomes these days don't care about the war, or the Ashlec, except for the fact that it impedes Belter Trade. By this day and age, the Gnomish civilization is so intricately incorporated into the Dwarven that they are practically one. At this day and age no gnomes have gotten involved in the war.
Belters: Due to the Solar Navy, the belter society also incorporates a bunch of dwarves, and a few descendants of surface elves these days. Most belters are civilian, and no naga are part of the Solar Navy. The civilian belters simply farm or mine their asteroids, or are crews on trade vessels to the dwarves, or far enough south to stay out of the war. Some entrepreneurs do risk trade close to the combat zones, and some of these crews include the more adventurous naga.
Humans: Living far to the south, and little known except to their elvish neighbors and a few belter traders. The humans are in steady conflicts with their elvish neighbors due to their habit of cutting down forests for farmland, firewood and building materials. Due to the elvish magical advantage, the humans mostly lose these conflicts, but the short-lived race also seems to have a short-lived memory. The only fact that has saved them from extinction is the fact that a local elven tribe has taken them under its wing, seeking to teach them harmony. The elves aren't doing all that well.
The Sphere: It took some time, but like the belter elves, the Sphere also noticed the Ashlec imbalance. And so it destroyed the Ashlec capital. The sphere also seems concerned about the belters, but can't reach them as they do not live on the sphere.
The Cathedral: The worshipers of 100killer9 continue expanding on their cathedral, which from the outside looks like a huge crystal star.
The Blue: If the worshipers of 100killer9 has a Cathedral, the Blue is like a monastery. The naga has retired into contemplation, apparently uncaring about the outside world. Meditation and reflection seems the order of the day.
And with this, the gods awaken.
ACTs100killer9: 1 ACTs
Beanchubbs: 1 ACT
Geb: 1 ACTs
Greenleaf: 1 ACT
Org: 1 ACT
Worth the wait?
Oh, and if I've forgotten about a species, please tell me. It's hard to keep track sometimes.
The Blue: 
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Topic: God Game (Read 28947 times)