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[Criptfeind]

Ummm. A thought came though the universe. The Nazath long asleep after using his powers to make the not dark was awake. He looked and saw. The Planets were stirring. His actions had created life. All came from light.  The light was life and so the dark… the dark was not life. What did that make Nazath? He was a darkness, but deeper than dark. Around him the dark was as bright as the sun. So he was not life. He was not death. He was UNDEATH. The opposite of light was Nazath.

He knew this but as he knew he felt. He felt the light. He had made it but it was not of him. He had made the Dark but it was not of him. He needed a place of not light and not dark.

So there was Nazathathul the place of undeath a realm of negatives laying past this reality.

He liked this new place for it was of him but it was not safe. Already it was decaying and falling. He saw that nothing can survive the entropy but the place of creation itself. So he went back to creation and made the Nazath Sphere. A massive sphere that only the gods themselves can comprehend at the edge of creation. There it feed off of the limitless energy of creation and chaos to keep his realm stable.

Nazath make a realm of undeath, a seemingly limitless plain of existence that is kept alive by the Nazath Sphere which is like a giant Dyson sphere only it goes around the universe instead.

That… most likely takes up more than two acts so I will wait and see how many I have left until I do more.

[IronyOwl]

Ha Gu Sa looked at his world. It needed more life, though the harshness of the world was proper. He added more raw materials, and then he added guardians: The first animals to touch his world, and also its caretakers.

Ha Gu Sa adds water to Obsidian's basins.

Ha Gu Sa creates ash bees, telepathic, slightly sentient creatures more interested in preserving nature than any sort of civilization.

Spoiler: Ash Bees (click to show/hide)

Ash bees look like large, very fuzzy bees colored with bands of dark grey and darker grey. They have no stinger, however.

Their preferred food is the sparse nectar of flowering plants, but they can theoretically eat almost anything, and resort to scavenging and trimming plants when they can't subsist on nectar alone, which is often.

Ash bees have many unusual abilities. They can produce blood honey, a bright red, translucent goo that's generally delicious and nutritious. The honey's exact properties depend on what it's made from, and while ash bees can theoretically use just about anything, they usually only bother with nectar, due to the low quality of mundane-substance honey. Most blood honey isn't made from just one substance, but rather varying ratios of base material.

Ash bees can chew up materials to produce a dark substance that hardens to form their nests. Usually they build these nests on ash trees, but they'll make them underground or beneath different plant leaves if necessary. They are capable of building them out in the open, but generally prefer not to, due to a variety of reasons.

Ash bees are far more intelligent than a normal animal, but they tend to not act much like sentient creatures. A normal, animalistic ash bee's eyes are black, but they begin to brighten to an inherited color as the bee gains intelligence, which they tend to do simply from thinking. Hence, newborn bees are black-eyed, while those that are older and have encountered more interesting and thought-provoking situations have brightly colored, even glittering or glowing eyes. Ash bee colonies are at least loosely linked in a telepathic network, which generally conveys rough location and status. Some are closer, able to transmit simple thoughts.

The color of an ash bee's eyes are a combination of inheritance and surroundings. Generally a larval ash bee's eyes set to whichever color it most often sees in its fellows, if it has the potential for that color. If not, it's generally the closest match. Hence, most colonies have a dominant color, with a handful of exceptions and a variety of recessive colors.

The most intelligent ash bees are easily sentient, but they tend to not act like it much. Ash bees instinctively pursue the same goals intelligent bees aspire to, so while a glowing-eyed ash bee might be an architect or colonizer, they're still fundamentally interested in ash bee affairs and not terribly much else.

Ash bees are loyal to Ha Gu Sa, but they're far more loyal to his creations and the natural cycle in general. They pollinate plants to get nectar, but also because they want to help the plants. Much of their free time is spent gnawing on solid rock in order to chew it into soil for plants to grow in.

Ash bees have no obvious defense mechanism, and generally prefer to avoid confrontation. When pressed, they swarm enemies, grip them, and focus raw heat out of their jaws. This can melt tiny amounts of stone, and while it take a few moments to charge up, getting "bitten" by ash bees is generally unpleasant to anything.

Ash bees can communicate telepathically with others at extremely close range, using gestures for emphasis. They can sometimes use this combination to pass basic ideas on to other creatures, or understand basic thoughts in return. They are theoretically capable of learning language, but true fluency would be far more effort than an ash bee would invest unless there was a very good reason for it. Fairly intelligent individuals that have to frequently deal with certain creatures often learn key words or similar "messages," such as growling or flattening ears, in order to allow simple communication. Some also adorn their hives with symbols to show which colony they belong to, or to mark borders.

Ash bees seldom fight against each other, but when confrontation is unavoidable, it's generally nonlethal wrestling, rather than their heat attack. Conflicting colonies often merge some or all members into a third colony, which occupies the disputed space or resource.

Ha Gu Sa saves his other Acts.

[Iituem]

Turn 3 - Proliferation

Ochita terraforms the planet Crystal with a species of crystalline grass that helps both regulate surface temperature and maintain atmospheric conentration. - 1 Act.  Crystal now possesses a Terran atmosphere, perfect for the proliferation of life.

Ochita creates a race of Elves and gives them Magic. - 2 Acts.

A thousand specimens of the race are created.  Although initially uncultured and living in hunter-gatherer societies, Ochita imprints upon the minds of a hundred of the firstborn Elves the basics of Essence Magic.  The Elves use it to enhance their hunting, as the telekinetic advantages mean that spears can be thrown somewhat further and with greater accuracy than usual.  Not so far or so much more accurate that an unskilled huntsman with magic can match an expert, but it definitely adds an edge.  More development in this form of magic will need to be added with Acts or independently researched by the Elves.

New Magic Created! - Essence Magic
Essence magic draws upon the physical Essence of the universe, the same force upon which the gods draw for creation.  In the hands of mortals, this force is rather less powerful and mostly can be used for limited telekinesis and manipulation of light and sound.  This is in part because although Essence is an unlimited and freely available resource everywhere in the Universe, it is also very hard for mortals to draw upon.  Magic using a more accessible power source might be more useful.


Garthor creates a metal world and populates it with multiform metal creatures known as Mecanids. - 2 Acts

The metal world, temporarily known as Iron (name your worlds or I will name them for you!), flashes into being, and before long the autonomous metal beings known as Mecanids come into being.  Garthor creates around a million specimens to start with.  Although they are capable of transforming themselves into almost any shape, the vast majority of shapes are unviable for reasons of efficiency, energy costs or susceptibility to predation.

With the initial problem being one of power, the original million Mecanids dwindle with worrying swiftness to less than ten thousand.  These ten thousand settle on shapes that derive energy from solar power, from chemical reactions with the various metals of the world, or by evolving drills able to penetrate deep enough below the planet's surface to draw the residual heat of the planet.

Once this stable base is established, the initial 'species' of Mecanids are formed, based solely on similar characteristics.  The Mecanid population then flourishes, with more predatory species developing that migrate between the various colonies of producers to feed.  Soon enough, a full ecology has evolved.


A Valan'anquin hero is born, Areos.
Not much is known of Areos' early life.  Like many of his tribe he was trained in hunting and gathering from an early age.  Areos learned quickly, becoming one of the most skilled huntsmen in the tribe.  Then, destiny called.

Areos' Stats  (These will affect different types of action attempted.)
Political: 12
Social: 12
Economic: -2
Military: 16
Academic: 4  (base -6, race modifier +10)
Religious: -12  (base -2, race modifier -10)


Death renders the souls of the dead unconscious. - 1 Act

The enchantment takes the form of a spreading silence, heard only by the dead, and renders them unto a dreamless sleep.  The enchantment will persist for three turns until a more permanent solution is found.

The Nazath creates the Nazath Sphere around the Universe and links to it a plane of undeath. - 2 Acts

The Nazath sphere encircles the entirety of the mundane Universe, but not Frostfel or the Plane of Undeath.  It does not do much except absorb Essence and the light from the Sun, and uses this to sustain the Plane of Undeath.

The Plane of Undeath exists alongside the Universe and is difficult, but not impossible, to reach.  Unfortunately, nothing actually exists there yet except for an endless, featureless plain of grey sand.


Ha Su Ga adds water to Obsidian's basins and creates Ash Bees - 2 Acts

Water floods the shallow basins of Obsidian.  Almost instantly, life begins to flourish.  The world is still harsh, thanks to the ever-present storms, but those same storms now scatter the much more available water across the world.  Ash grass and ash shrubs are now almost a common sight across the world as more and more regions of land are fixed by their roots, especially around the shallow seas.  The proliferation of life is having an effect on the atmosphere, rendering it more easily breathable for animal life.

The Ash Bees further this process aggressively, chewing up soil to proliferate the plants that are the foundation of their livelihood and society.  They form beehives commonly in most locations where plantlife already exists.

Minor Social Event: With Ash Bees already marking their hives and territory with visual and olfactory symbols, a culture develops of more symbolic artwork, often reflecting the beauty of the plants and world they are tasked to protect.  Ash Bee hives that sport such recreational artwork are more closely integrated.
Art developed amongst the Ash Bees! [+2 to Social rolls.]



Elves - A minor political event has occured!
The rise of Essence Magic resulted in certain citizens, most specifically those with the time and experience to develop proficiency in it, holding clear political advantages.  With every group of hunters wanting an experienced mage in their troop, these elders were able to dictate terms and garner advantages for themselves and their allies in the tribe.  Their general experience and knowledge of the world aided in their veneration, leading many to respect their judgement of worldly matters.
Elders have become prominent figures in Elven society. [+2 Politics]


Valanquin - A minor military event has occured!
Frustrated by political and military strife between Valan'anquin tribes, a culture of pacifism develops by word of mouth, spreading throughout Valan'anquin society.  War still happens, of course, but the populace has becomes less keen to support it and has grown closer as a result.
Pacifism is spreading throughout Valan'anquin society.  [-4 Military, +2 Social]

Spoiler: Cosmogeny (click to show/hide)

Sun  - A yellow star.

- Crystal - A world of solid crystal, threaded with metal veins.  Terran atmosphere.  Simple plantlife, modified to actively maintain atmospheric conditions.
 - Elves Sapient humanoids.  Nomadic hunter-gatherer culture.
 - Hunting is enhanced by Essence Magic telekinesis.
 - Culture: Elders [Political +2]
 - Tech: Essence Magic  (Power source: Essence)
   - Basic: Limited telekinesis, manipulation of light and sound.  [Military +2]
 Total Population: ~ 2000
 P2 : S0 : E0 : M2 : A0 : R0

- Obsidian - A world of dark glass with a hot molten glass core.  Moderate atmosphere.  Varied plantlife in increasing concentrations.
 - Ash Bees - Sapient hymenopterids, minus the sting.
 - Innate: Stingless [Military -10]
 - Innate: Social Dependency [Social +10]
 - Culture: Terraforming Imperative (Ash bees are dedicated to the proliferation and protection of life.)
 - Culture: Art  [Social +2]
 Total Population: ~ 220 hives
 P0 : S12 : E0 : M-10 : A0 : R0

- Terra - An earthlike world.  Moderate atmosphere, breathable.  Plenty of varied plant and animal life.
 - Valan'anquin - Sapient humanoids.  Long lifespans, agile minds.  Nomadic hunter-gatherer culture.
   Innate: Mental Acuity  [Academics +10]
   Innate: Scepticism  [Religion -10]
   Culture: Scepticism
   Culture: Pacifism  [Military -4, Social +2]
   Total population: ~6000
   P0 : S2 : E0 : M-4 : A10 : R-10

- Iron - A metal world.  No atmosphere, incapable of supporting organic life.  Varied mechanical life.
 - Mecanid Species - Highly varied mechanical lifeforms sustain a complex ecology.

Frostfel, the Plane of Shadow  Coterminous plane.  (tied to Astra'loth)
- Crystal Shadow - A shadowy, frozen copy of the world Crystal.  Mirrors atmospheric conditions, but much colder.  No life.
  - Bound to Astra'loth's will.

The Plane of Undeath Coterminous plane.
- Nothing exists in this plane except an endless plain of grey sand.

Code: [Select]

Astra'loth: 2 Acts
Ochita: 2 Acts
Ha Su Ga: 3 Acts
Nihilus: 4 Acts
Nazath: 5 Acts
Quoth: 4 Acts
Garthor: 2 Acts
Death: 3 Acts


[Ochita]

Add in generic herbivores and carnivores (Small)

[forsaken1111]

The Frostfel gives birth to shadow people. They are silhouettes of living beings who look across the veil at living entities and imitate their existence. Every living being spawns a shadow copy when it is created. The shadows cannot normally interact with their living counterparts, and can only be seen as fleeting glimpses of movement at the corner of the eye except by those with extraordinary sight.

Mirrors, though, have power. The face looking out at you from a mirror is your shadow. Normally it simply mimics your actions, but from the mirror it observes you. Those of weak will who stare too deeply into a mirror can find themselves influenced by their shadow, or even controlled. If one's will is weak, the shadows speak to him and make him believe.

And that is the key.

When a being truly believes that his shadow is real, it can take control of him through the mirror. The two merge, and the shadow's dark persona overwrites the creature's mind.

When such a thing happens, it is not obvious at first. The creature will go on living its life in an ordinary fashion until it finds an opportunity for great mischief or tragedy. It must move quickly, because beings of the Frostfel cannot live forever in the mundane world. The host will begin to die the instant the two merge, and has a year at most. Shadows nearing the end of this cycle will often turn to petty violence or other crime in order to satisfy themselves until the end, but most will wait until the perfect opportunity to cause as much death and mayhem as possible among the living.

Astra'loth creates a race of beings known only as the Shadow People. They have no name or culture of their own, and exist entirely to bring suffering to the living.

[dragnar]

Garthor looks upon the Mecanids and is pleased. They have adapted to their world, finding forms that succeeded where others failed. Now that they have mastered their simple environment, it is time for them to face new challenges. Garthor creates a number of meteors in orbit around the planet, which shall henceforth be known as cybertron Iragnal, and crashes them into it one by one. The meteors are composed of a special magical alloy, unimpressive in most regards, but of untold value to the Mecanids. A Mecanid that devours some of this ore will enter a phase of accelerated evolution, it's mind growing more complex as it nears true sentience.

Garthor sends an alloy to his planet that boosts the intelligence of any Mecanid that consumes it.

[Karnewarrior]

  Areos felt the grass crunch silently beneath his boots. He was hunched over behind a bush, stalking a deer. The buck was grazing in a field of long grass, ingnorant of it's impending doom behind the next bush.

  Areos tensed his hands. If only there were a tool to help him hunt... But no matter. He would do this as his father and grandfather did. With his bare hands.

  He leapt from the bush, startling the buck. The creature skittered back, thrashing about, but Areos found a gap in it's defenses and snuck a hand in around its neck. Five minutes later, a bruised and battered Areos strides happily back into camp, a massive buck hoisted on his shoulders.
 
  Elated, his tribe began to follow his advice in hunting, and eventually about everything else. Areos becomes the first chief of the Valan'Anquin.

[Iituem]

Areos makes a play for leadership.

Political action, political ends.  Pol: 12
The effort was a major success.  (93/100)

More so than Areos' skill, the young Valan'anquin's charisma proved his ally in his play for leadership of his tribe.  Backed by the young and by his admirers, Areos quickly replaced the existing leader of his tribe.  Impressed by his hunting of wild animals with fists alone rather than rocks or clubs, he was encouraged by his people to codify his techniques into a series of moves that could be learned by huntsmen.  Although this gained him great prestige, Areos' teachings would long outlive him as a lasting contribution to Valan'anquin society.

Valan'anquins have learned the Tech: Hand-To-Hand.  [+2 Military for ground battles]
Areos has become Chief of his tribe.  [Political +5, Social +5, Economic +2]

[forsaken1111]

The veil parts, revealing plants and animals across the icy planet. A biosphere supported at the lowest rung by lichen and moss which consume shadow and ice, all the way up to mighty predators which stalk the tundra. The planet knows life for the first time, savage and primitive though it may be.

Astra'loth creates a primitive ecosystem on the icy reflection of Crystal.

Snowmoss - This moss grows on crystalline chunks sticking up out of the ice. It cannot survive on the ice itself, but consumes snow which lands on it along with the shadowy half-light which permeates the Frostfel. Hard to distinguish at a distance, but deadly if stepped on as it can draw the heat out of a body very rapidly.
Glacial Lichen - This is a species of lichen which grows directly on glacial masses, eating its way into the ice and sending down root-like chutes questing for minerals or other sustenance. Can grow even in complete darkness. Harmless to the touch.

Floescrub - A small, scraggly white bush which grows in snowbanks and in ice cracks. Grows iceberries which are quite nutritious and have a natural insulating effect when eaten, producing a warming sensation.
Berg Lettuce - A species of lettuce which often grows out of cracks in the crystalline surface of the planet or near icy plains. Nutritious and delicious when cooked and prepared, but poisonous if eaten raw.

Frosthollow - A large tree which forms a natural shelter from the cold, as its trunk is hollow and its bark serves as very good insulation. Grows almost anywhere, very common. Bears no fruit, drops seeds which resemble small icy pinecones.
Icewood - Icewood trees grow only on bare icy plains, consuming and cracking the ice with their roots and flourishing in the shadowy half-light of the plane. Bears fruit known as Gelids which have a light, sweet taste and are nutritious. Edible raw.
Luminous Gemshaft - Rare tree which grows on the crystalline surface of the planet. It glows with an inner light, and radiates heat like a campfire. It bears inedible, small glowing gemstones which are warm to the touch and retain their light and heat for years before going out. Planting such a gem while it still has light has a small chance of growing a new gemshaft tree.

(I realize that my one remaining act cannot create an entire ecosystem, so I have detailed the plants. Next I will do the animals and so forth.)

[Ochita]

Ochita looked at his crystal planet, the elves had learned how to control essence, if only a small amount and had started to develop elder figures, still his planet was devoid of other animals and forests. He would have to fix this.

Ochita creates a type of tree called Grelak Trees, huge trees that dug thier roots into crystal effortlessly, they have thick trunks and thier leaves are good for rain catching, causeing pools to appear where they grow. They are common and usally grow into large forests, although they usally stop spreading after 5 miles. He then scatters the trees around the planet.

He also saw this mortal that had been born, he and his race did not belive in gods. He wondered, who would make something like this? He then considered a way to convert that person, it would not be pretty.

[Lordinquisitor]

"Eld, i have found something interesting!" The Lookout, Aritmir called down.

"Is it a rabbit or a deer?" Eldamian called back. Eldamian was the leader of the hunting party consisting of five people. They had made a good catch already, but more was always better. Especially since the trade bloomed and travelers were common now that there was less strife between the tribes.

"No, no. It`s something else. A building, a tower. A tower, just between the hill and the mountains." Answered Aritmir.

"A tower?" Damian, a spearman asked. "We hunted here just yesterday and there was no tower."

"Then let us find out why there is one now." Eldamian decided. It was already late, but it was important to know which tribe intruded into their territory. "Come down Arit. We`ll have a look."

Reaching the hill took nearly half an hour, for they had to be stealthy and wary. No one saw them, or at least they saw no one.

Eldamian had sent Aritmir ahead once again; He had the keenest eyes and the quietest feet. They waited a long time till he returned.

"It`s even bigger than i thought." He said, perplexed. "The tower is.. I was fooled by the distance and the light earlier. The tower is big. Nearly as big as the moutain. And it seems to be made of stone. I.. No one can`t build an tower that big, out of stone, in a single day."

The hunters exchanged nervous glances. Eldamian was worried, but he was sure that there was an explanation to this- Clearly a tower couldn`t appear out of thin air. "Did you see anyone? Guardians? Animals? Something."

"No, i saw no one. Not even a bird. Just the tower- It`s doors, or rather gates were open."

Eldamian was worried. No one would simply build a tower for fun and desert it. And if they were able to build such an big tower those builders had to be skilled, and numerous. More numenrous than them. Going ahead would be dangerous; but ignorance was even more dangerous. They had to go ahead, for the good of the tribe.

"We go. And we will find out who dares to intrude our lands. Damian, you guard the Rear. Sathir the flank. Arit lead us."

The Tower was indeed big. Gigantic, even, dwarving trees and hills. It stood next to a mountain, in a valley. Noble and magnificient it was, seemingly carved out of a single piece of marble, for no edges could be seen.

"Wizardry" mumbled Damian.

"Shut up, damian." Eldamian scolded him. They had had many discussions about such things in the tribe. The conclusion was that there was no magic, or gods, for everything could be explained with logic. But Damian was stubborn.

"We simply haven`t seen it yet. The valley is often clouded in mist, and we don`t come often here. It`s too far away from home and if someone comes here it`s often dark. It`s easy to miss something in the dark, especially if it`s shrouded in mist." It was a good explanation. Logical.

Finally they reached the gates; They were open as Aritmir had told them. Even now no creature could be seen.

"Are we going into it?" Sathir, asked.

"What else? We need to know who lives in there."

The Tower was huge. There were many rooms and hallways, but they were empty, pure, hewn out of white marble.

"It`s empty. Whoever built it, is gone now. We should go." Damian suggested.

Eldamian had to agree. It was late and they had to go back now if they wanted to reach their tribe again today. "Let`s go." He said and turned around.

The hall wasn`t empty any more.

"Greetings, hunters from the tribe of the Sha`ad`min." Said a man, neither young nor old, clad in white robes.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here, in our valley? Speak!" Eldamian challenged him, readying his spear.

"Your valley? How cute. How vain." Chuckled the man. "Put down your spear if you would be so kind and maybe i shall give you answers."

Damian was angered by his insolence. "You are in no situation to make terms." He said.

"Am i?" Smiled the old man and within the blink of an eye their spears were simply gone.

Eldamian took a few steps back. He couldn`t explain what had happened, and that frightened him. He looked around and saw that his companions were as frightened as he was, all but Damian, who stood still.

"Wizard!" Damian said. "You are a wizard!"

"I won`t deny it." Said the old man. "And you are now weaponless. It seems like i have the best arguments now."

A wizard? Eldamian had always believed that there were no wizards, no magic, no gods. What should he believe now? His whole world view had been shattered.

"I see that you are frightened. That`s understandable but unecessary. I won`t harm you. Instead i have an offer for you." The man declared.

No one spoke. They all were still too frightened, or shocked. Eldamian summoned up his courage and asked: "An Offer? What do you offer us?"

"Truth." The man said, and the word hung in the air.

"I could show you worlds far away; I could share with you the secrets of the universe. I could share with you the wisdom of the gods."

"Gods? There are no Gods!" Screamed Eldamian, desperately clinging to his old world view.

"Calm down, calm down." Said the wizard, soothing. "I know that this must be strange and frightening. But think logical, if there can be wizards, why shouldn`t there be gods?"

"I.. We never saw them.." Eldamian stuttered.

"You never saw an wizard, till you saw me." Pointed the wizard out.

That was true enough, eldamian had to admit. "How do you know all this?" He asked.

"To the exalted mind the universe holds no secret." The robed man declared. "I know the gods and every world and every secret in the universe."

"Then tell us; What are the gods? Do they watch us? Do they guard us?" Damian blurted out.

"Some watch us. Some Guard us. Most bring only sorrow, and woe, and war." The man said, his voice filled with sadness. "They create creatures out of shadow and use the mortals like puppets in their godly games."

"This can`t be! We are living in peace, and we prosper!" Sathir exclaimed.

"Because i protect you."

"You? How could a man, even a wizard, defy the gods?" Eldamian asked.

"Because i`m one of them." The man said, indifferent.

"You?" Laughed Sathir. "You are but a man. You don`t look like a god!"

"And how many gods have you seen lately?" The man sighed and turned into something... Different. He grew bigger and more noble; A inner light seemed to radiate from him. "Godly enough for you?" He asked, his voice echoing through the tower and their minds.

Silence. Awe. Damian dropped to his knees, then sathir and the rest. All but Eldamian.

"Prove it!" He said defiant.

And the man laughed. "Just like i love you. Sceptical. Well, i shall prove it."

Everything turned to black. And then pictures appeared around them, filling the emptiness; They saw the birth of the universe, the birth of the gods. They saw how they created whole worlds through sheer force of will and how they filled them with life. And then they saw how their world was created, how it was filled with life, how the first Valan`anquin took a deep breath. And more. They saw pictures of other universes; They saw a world of fire where every day was a battle, where everything tried to kill you. They saw an tentacled abomination, eating, devouring, another god. They saw creatures who looked like nightmares made flesh. They saw creatures suffering, they saw world destroying wars. And yet they saw more.

And then everything faded and they were once again in the hall.

"Were those.. Did we see.. Gods?" Eldamian asked, full of awe.

"Yes. And more."

"They were terrible to behold.. What do they want from us? Why did they create us? Why do they create something like us? Why do they leave us in the dark? Are we nothing but toys to them?" Aritmir cried out.

"To play with you. To increase their might." The man-god told them.

"And you? You are one of them. What do you want of us?" Eldamian asked, perplexed and wary.

"Nothing but your help."

"Our help? Why should a god need the help of mortals? You can create worlds with your will! How could we help you?"

"Even though i`m mighty i`m not allmighty. And i need to stay hidden, i mustn`t show myself to the gods. Not now. The time isn`t ready." The man explained.

"Why can`t you show yourself? What`s your goal?"

"My goal? I want to protect you. You and other mortals from the ruinous influence of the gods. From their tyranny. I want a universe without gods."

Silence. "Surely you want to be the ony one left." Eldamian concluded. "In the end, you want the whole universe for you alone."

"No." He said firmly. "I will leave the universe with my brothers and sisters. The universe will be my gift to all mortals, a compensation for the arrogance of the gods. Amends for aeons of woe caused, in this universe and in those past. I will give you peace, protection and freedom. I will give you truth and knowledge, my children. No god shall harm you, you shall be no ones toys. You have no prove that i will stick true to my word, but why shouldn`t i? If i would want to betray you i could easily erase your minds and enslave your souls. And what do you have to lose? You are free to decline my offer; You may choose to live on in ignorance. But you will always wonder.. You will always wonder what lies behind the horizon, what could have been.. You could be heroes.. Heroes that protect all mortals from the wrath of childish gods. Do you want that? Do i have your support?"

Damian nodded. Sathir, too. Then the two others. And finally Eldamian.


"Good, good. Now come, you have much too learn.."



---
Nihilus creates a new kind of magic, called "Exalted magic". Exalted mages "corrupt" the essence and use it for their spells. The corrupted essence is especially suited to be used by mortals. While exalted magic can theoretically be used to cast all kinds of spells it is mostly used to counter spells. Examples for exalted spells are: The ability to dispel spells and curses, the ability to banish magical creatures, or even the ability to tear holes into the reality.

In order to be able to use exalted magic one has to connect himself to the Nexus of Denial. New mages gain the ability to corrupt just a little bit of essence and draw most of their powers from the Nexus. More experienced ones are capable of casting spells without tapping into the powers of the nexus.

Nihilus creates the Nexus of Denial. A huge marble tower. The tower seems empty, but in truth it is a gigantic catalyst for exalted magic. A huge crystal channels essence and corrupts it. Those essence can be used by exalted mages to cast spells.

Nihilus creates the Order of the unveiled truth. Consisting of the five hunters at the moment. They are taught the secret of the exalted magic.

///



Order of the Unveiled Truth

The Order Headquarter is the Nexus of Denial.

The Order believes in the freedom of the mortals and hunts down magical creatures, servants of other gods and dangerous wizards.

The Order is led by Nihilus, but few see him. In his absence the Lord Inquisitor, Eldamian, leads the Order.

New Members are told that magic exists. They aren`t told that there are gods, though. Only those who acquire the title of Lord are told the truth and the secret goal of the order (To kill all gods.). Those who can`t cope with it, are killed.

The current goal of the order is to create a unified government, which keeps the peace. This is also the main argument they use when they try to recruit new members.

While everyone is encouraged to live within the territory of the order only a few are allowed to enter the order. Only those chosen by a Lord are allowed to enter the Order.


Ranks

Every Member is expected to hone his fighting skills. Additionally they are encouraged to learn and master the use of magic and to acquire more knowledge.

Each Member has three different ranks: One combat rank, one knowledge rank and one magic rank. The full title of every member looks like this:

[Combat Rank] [Knowledge Rank] [Magic Rank] [Additional title] [Name]


   Combat   Knowledge      Magic      Additional Title

I.    Minor      Brown      Acolyte   Lord

II.    Great      Grey         Negator   Inquisitor

III.    Grand      White         Purgator   Lord Inquisitor

IV.    High      Black         Vizir      

V.    Exalted   Golden      Saint      

Example Rank:

Grand Golden Saint Lord Tom

Members can only advance in their ranks with the approval of the majority of the lords.

The progress in one Category has no influence on the others. So someone who only studies magic, and nothing else, could become a Minor Brown Saint Lord, for example.

Lord is a honor title bestowed upon someone who reached at least rank III in a category. Inquisitor is a rank given to a lord who leads a minor branch of the Order (For example, a headquarter in some town.) The Title Lord Inquisitor is bestowed upon the leader (during the absence of Nihilus) of the Order.

Members are required to dress accordingly to their  knowledge rank. (e.g Rank I Brown Robes or clothing, Rank V golden clothing.)


The current Members are granted the rank Title of Lord, regardless of their current rank in the categories.

Ranks of the Current Members:

Minor Brown Acolyte Lord Inquisitor Eldamian

Minor Brown Acolyte Lord Aritmir

Minor Brown Acolyte Lord Sathir

Minor Brown Acolyte Lord Damian

Minor Brown Acolyte Lord XXX (Unamed in the case that someone wants to play as one of those guys.)



Orders for the Order

1. They shall try to convince their tribe to join the Order. If successful they shall move into the valley where they will build a new settlement. The Current Lords are allowed to live within the Nexus.

2. Each Member is required to train and learn each day.

3. The Order tries to convince as many people as possible to live in the valley. Not all of those are recruited into the Order; Only a selected few are chosen. Those who aren`t chosen live in the settlement and perform their duties as usual. They have the same rights as the members of the order, but don`t have access to the secrets of the Order.

[Iituem]

[Because mortal commands are being given, and I feel like doing commands directly rather than at the end of the turn because they are technically unlimited in number, I'll summarise Nihilus' action and the commands here.  The reason I'm doing commands directly is because the success or failure of a command might influence future actions, whereas Acts will always succeed unless countermanded.]

Nihilus creates the Nexus of Denial. - 1 Act.
The Nexus directly produces corrupted Essence in a physical form, taking the appearance of a dark, viscous fluid.  It can be carried in gourds easily enough for spellcasting, but is unpleasantly corrosive.
Nihilus institutes the Order of the Unveiled Truth. - 1 Act because of direct intervention to ensure the Order's construction, includes a +2 bonus to Social and Academic because of the order's structure.
Nihilus teaches the members of the Order the basic principles of Exalted Magic. - 1 Act.  Currently the magic can be used to counter other magic effects, but since these are of limited value it is possible to use spells to disrupt the fabric of the universe (very weakly) and interfere with the workings of living beings, damaging them.


Order of the Unveiled Truth
 - Tech: Exalted Magic (+2 Military)
 - Culture: Heirarchy (+2 Social)
 - Culture: Academia (+2 Academic)

(Stats in '[]' are after the leader's bonus is added.)
Pol: [3]  0 
Soc: [4]  2  (Heirarchy +2)
Eco: [-3] 0
Mil: [6]  2  (Exalted Magic +2)
Aca: [14] 15  (racial +10, Academia +5)
Rel: [-10] -10  (racial -10)


Leader: Lord Inquisitor Eldamian  (Half of the leader's skills are added to group actions supervised by him.  When acting on his own on behalf of the group, half of the group's skills are added to his own actions.)

Pol: 7
Soc: 4
Eco: -6
Mil: 8
Aca: -2 (before racial mods)
Rel: 0 (before racial mods)



Commands

1. They shall try to convince their tribe to join the Order. If successful they shall move into the valley where they will build a new settlement. The Current Lords are allowed to live within the Nexus.  Political action, political ends.  Action taken by leader.

Skill: 7  Difficulty: 0
The effort was unproductive.  (47/100)

Eldamian returns to his people, making an argument for the movement of his tribe to the valley.  Although the promises of power are alluring, the innate scepticism and desire to remain rooted prevents most of his tribe following suit.  Only a few families travel over.

25 Valan'anquin move into the valley, setting up a few huts and a small farm around the Tower.  This is not sufficient to get a bonus to Social activities, but the Order does not need to trade for food right now.


2. Each Member is required to train and learn each day.Academic action, academic and military ends.  Group action.

Skill: 14  Difficulty: 0
The effort was a success.  (78/100) 

Training is hard but productive.  Although not as academically-minded as his fellows, Eldamian is a hard enough taskmaster to drill the mages in adapting their powers to combat situations.

+4 Military bonus from Training for the Order.


3. The Order tries to convince as many people as possible to live in the valley. Not all of those are recruited into the Order; Only a selected few are chosen. Those who aren`t chosen live in the settlement and perform their duties as usual. They have the same rights as the members of the order, but don`t have access to the secrets of the Order.Political action, social ends.

Skill: 7  Difficulty: 5
The effort was a minor success.  (64/100)

Eldamian continues his mission to Valan'anquin villages to convince them to join him in the valley.  Although his position as a stranger makes it difficult to convince villagers to accompany him, Eldamian displays some of the more destructive powers of Exalted magic and awes one village into joining him.

1 Village joins the Order in the valley.  +1 Social bonus from manpower.



Order of the Unveiled Truth
 - Tech: Exalted Magic (+2 Military)
 - Culture: Heirarchy (+2 Social)
 - Culture: Academia (+2 Academic)

(Stats in '[]' are after the leader's bonus is added.)
Pol: [3]  0 
Soc: [5]  3  (Heirarchy +2, Population +1)
Eco: [-3] 0
Mil: [10]  6  (Exalted Magic +2, Training +4)
Aca: [14] 15  (racial +10, Academia +5)
Rel: [-10] -10  (racial -10)

[Ghazkull]

Quôth had watched enough. He would contend himself later with this Being who had the essence of Dragnar in himself, but now he had to summon his tools of work... it was a tiresome work to summon the weapon from another universe, but it was always worth it.

Quôth creates "The Carrier"- his personal Weapon of Choice. It's capable of dissolving and absorbing mortal beings and helps The Plague God in the production of diseases. Although the Scythe is extremely sharp and manges to cut even the strongest armors it's blade is completely rusted and covered in  pus, blood, excrements and vomit which make a perfect nuturing ground for the thousands of different diseases which are breeding on the blade. It is a horrible weapon which was not made to kill the target at once but to let him die a cruel and painful death by a thousand different illnesses at once...

[Criptfeind]

And so the gods moved in the dance of the eternal.

The Nazath looked upon his realm. Empty... It needed something... And so there was.

First there was a shadow upon the featureless plain, how it was there is unknowable, and it moved. Nothing was casting it and yet it started to move, to form, to grow. Soon the shadow was standing, a pit of darkness in the air, it took the form of a man, his features completely indistinct. The mockery of life started to move jerking about as it learned how to control its limbs. Soon it was joined in the dance of movement by more spirit men. More and more shadows joined until they were complete.

Then a rain came.

A cloud made of shadows moved across the landscape and the shadow men looked at it. It started to rain pure unlife, a viscus fluid that would kill anything living it touched and revive any dead thing as a horrifying undead monstrosity. Although it doing so it would use its essence and turn to water. Soon storms of unlife ravaged the landscape giving sustenance to the spirit people.

Sometimes, vary rarely, a pool of this unlife would form it would show a landscape from Creation, somewhere else where there was life. The shadow people, always hungry for energy, would sit around the pools and watch as alien landscapes went by. Most of the time the pools would merely show but, once in a great while, if the pool did not evaporate in time, it would start to leak into Creation, forming a pool of unlife that would connect to the pool in the plain of undeath.

The spirit people have found such a pool connecting them to the world of Terra. They sent a small number of their people though to see what was on the other side.

The Nazath has made the spirit people. Men of living shadow, they exist on the plain of undeath and are beings of undeath themselves. They have some powers such as the ability to suck the life out of the living, the ability to attache themselves to the living and act as there shadow, controlling their movements, they are also unkillable (sp?) as long as they are attached to someone who is living and are very hard to kill when they are not. When they are in bright light they lose all powers other than the ability to control people (although they can not gain control in bright light) and invincibility when controlling people. Basically if they are not controlling someone when in bright light they are as regular men. They are afraid and envious of life and will usually try to kill it right away, but they will still try to suck as much life as possible. They are not truly sapient at this time, but they mock sapient life quite well.

He has also made the rains of death, they give sustenance to the spirit people (although they would rather eat life) on the plain of undeath and will most likely kill anything that comes to it unprepared. It can also bring back the dead as undead.

He has also made the portal pools, they usually are just windows to Creation but once in a while they will make portals to it. Currently the spirit people know of one such portal and they are investigating it.

[forsaken1111]

Astra'loth and all of its creations vanish with a cosmic burp.