Lords of Creation in the Playground (IC)

[MetaKnightFan]

The Keymaster, Oxid, Zahav Zalal, Eucle, Yhrzallus - Dream Neutral Ground, The Moon

As the ground started to shake, being yanked from under their feet Eucle moved. Fast. His calmed static pose flowed into swiftness. He yanked one of his hands pressing it against the screen with force. The image readjusted as he went through it and started tampering with the data rich information cables behind.

"Oxid. To the council room. Now. Implement all safety protocols. Divert power from wherever it's necessary."

The Wealth Dragon extended his wings and raised flight. He had taken turns, lefts and rights, ups and downs, to reach the point they were now. This time though he just moved in a straight line. The city itself appearing to fold as Eucle's chosen delivered his will. Outside as Neutral Ground leaves the ground the city changes too.

"Plans take time and preparation Yhrzallus! Next time make sure all the citizens are in and that the city can wistand the void before doing something like this."

Despite his words the wealth god sounds almost excited. Perhaps he hasn't had as much time as he wanted to implement it but there was a plan in place. As the city ascends a stony webing starts surrounding the trees. Black, red, orange and purple coral starts to shape around Neutral Ground enclosing it.

Such colorful display takes power and lightning starts to fail within the Dream room of Neutral Ground.
Unconcerned Eucle extends his free hand. As he does a reed springs from the wall forming from the tree itself. He takes it within his hand and starts speaking.

"Citizens of Neutral Ground worry not. Connections to the ground will be made momentarily. I apologize for the waiting and I'm truly sorry if any of you got separated from kin. To those on the ground keep calm and carry on, we are coming for you. To those on the city would you kindly relocate to safe dreaming areas, don't stand outside unless you've got an Indigo security clearance."

Imachinary indicators start to form around the wealth god, oxygen level, temperature, power and coverage start to display complex numbers and percentages that only a God of Accounting can process at such blinking speed. When Neutral Ground finally reaches the Void and a Bismuth Moon starts to form under it the indicators are stable. All seem to be within acceptable parameters for the God sighs relieved.

"Master, there are two problems." Oxid voice sounds distant. "We've got you-know-what staring at us."

"Guns?"

"Guns"

"Divert as much power to the engines as possible within reasonable parameters. Wait. Get some engines. We will need some orthogonal engines in the four cardinals and ascending engines at the bottom. Magic can work too... Wait. You know that. Don't you."

"Yes. Might I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Send the one responsible as a diplomat. It won't hurt more."

"Good. The other problem?"

"Nothing bad, we've got some non dreaming visitors on board. I'll deal with it."

"Good. Keep calm and carry on."

Eucle then turns at Yhrzalus making sure that the reed is far enough not to catch his voice.

"Problem one of being here. Mortals can't survive on the void. I dealt with that one. Problem two of being here. Other things can and might be territorial. You deal with that one. I suggest diplomacy."

The wealth god smirks.

The Keymaster, Oxid, Zahav Zalal, Eucle, Yhrzallus - Dream Neutral Ground, The Moon

Yhrzallus nods to Eucle. "Future Secrets shall be warned. Though this Secret was meant to be told now, even if nothing forced it to. It is the unexpected that allows something to flow uninterrupted." With those words, the Sorcerer King simply ceased its presence in the Neutral Dream Ground.


The Keymaster, Oxid, Zahav Zalal, Eucle - Dream Neutral Ground, The Moon

With Yhrzallus gone, the Keymaster bowed respectfully to Eucle. "Worry not, Wealth God. A dialogue will be established with the other. We will be neutral, even when Neutrality is an affront. We shall become more than we are, even if we already are that in our own eyes. All shall see our premise." And so, he turned around and began pacing out of the Dream. "Until next we meet."


The Keymaster - Neutral Ground, The Moon

Now, out of the lucid dream of the city, the Keymaster made its way through the real world and its surprised inhabitants in the chaos created by the sudden shift, finding in his way those who had communed with Yhrzallus, who quickly flocked to him, seeing the Chamberlain return.

"My stay shall be short, but there is much work to do in behalf of my king." He spoke. "We are neutral. We are part of this city, but the city is now part of this new land. Our land. A place neutral and uninhibited by what lies outside its bounds. Even if all that lies outside may still inhibit us. Freedom has been given, for you to ascend into a new state of being. This new land, this Moon now resonates within you, as the World once did. My King requires one of you to listen to it. The first to let the power of the Moon within you, the same way you've accepted the Secret of Yhrzallus, and the Secrets of Wizardry and Witchcraft within you."

A woman amongst the Listeners stepped forth. "I will listen to the Moon." She was a witch, as appearance would suggest, having fully embraced it within herself.

And with that, the Keymaster reached for a key within his chain necklace, and crossed the mortal's chest with it, going all the way to her heart, as he then twisted the key and unlocked the power within the witch. The process did not harm her, for the key and its crossing through her body was nothing other than energy at that point, no longer tangible matter as the rest of the avatar's body seemed to be. And within her, the moon resonated, and made her shift into a different state of being. Her humanoid form shifted, twisting itself until it assumed the form of a large bird. And so, one of the first of Yhrzallus' lycanthropes had been created, the Raven Mother.

The Keymaster, Raven Mother - Neutral Ground, The Moon

The mortal experienced her new form by taking flight and soaring through the city, only to later land back near the other Listeners who observed this new being quietly but in awe.

"I am thankful for being gifted this Secret, Keymaster. What is to be done with it?" She asked.

"The secret is a gift, perhaps a curse. And as the first of those bearing it, you are tasked with offering it to others, others who accept our philosophy. Others who revere the moon and my liege for its creation. You shall be the harbinger of a new state of being for those willing. Never shall one unwilling either be turned or deserve it, though some may. For we are neutral, and to make it a pestilence would make your condition a sickly one. A banality, spread to any and all. It is not what my king wished when he imparted that Secret to you. As the one to hold it, you must be as him, and gift only the worthy and willing. Punish those who would seek it for pure self interest, with no notion of the weight of what they carry, of how different they shall be even if they remain at heart the same. That is your task, Raven Mother." He then presented the large raven with a feathered adornment upon her head, and gave her an approving nod.

"Now, other matters are pressing. You must carry on without our whispers for some time. Though he can and shall whisper to you, in due time, perhaps." With that said, the Keymaster moved to leave Neutral Ground.


The Keymaster, The Moon

As he stepped outside the bounds of the city, the Keymaster gazed towards the Visionary in the void, its cannons pointed at the newly formed Moon. It was a threat to neutrality, and so, he was to be the one to speak to it, if it could speak when he got there, and was willing to respond.

Gazing down at the soil, the Keymaster seemed to allow his body to once more surpass the material and become energy, his feet and cloak melding into a fluctuating gathering of energy, his head then once more pointed upwards, as he took off into the void.

The Keymaster, The Void

The Keymaster moved himself closer and closer to the Visionary, stopping close enough to speak to it, though distant enough to not trespass. "I greet you as the Keymaster, Chamberlain of the Sorceror King of Insanity, Yhrzallus, the one to ascend Neutral Ground and creator of the Moon that now floats so high above. My arrival is not a hostile one, and I seek peaceful talk in behalf of my liege and Neutral Ground."


The Raven Mother, Neutral Ground

With the Keymaster gone, the Listeners flocked to the Raven Mother who assumed once more her human form. Amongs the listeners, some were already willing to accept the Secret of Lycanthropy into themselves, and being loyal to her god, she extended them the gift. Those who watched the creation and had not yet joined with the Listeners, and those who had their interests piqued were also welcome to join and seek a part within Yhrzallus' cult, as a crowd began gathering around the Raven Mother.

Spoiler: The Raven Mother

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Spoiler: AP Expenditure

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11 AP = 6 + 5(rollover)
9 AP = 11-2 (Create Populace: Yhrzallus' Lycanthropes)
9 AP = 9-0 (Mark the Chosen: Raven Mother)

Spoiler: More Detail on Yhrzallus' Lycanthropes

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Yhrzallus, God of Madness and Secrets unleashed the Secret of Lycanthropy upon the Playground, allowing mortals who learn this Secret to attain a different state of being, and transcend their original forms and embrace an animalistic persona.

The First of his kind of Lycanthropes was the Raven Mother, one of Yhrzallus original Listeners, and also amongst one of the first witches. She has been tasked with extending the mad god's offer to mortals willing to embrace the ways of Yhrzallus. During the long nights, a form suited to withstand the cold is a tempting offer to most, although the contract comes at a price.

Lycanthropes do not sleep, for they are now both themselves and a Beast, sharing the same consciousness, but different forms. The Mortal poses as the 'day' form of the Lycanthrope, whereas the Beast is their 'night' shape. As such, when shifting to either form naturally (through the passage of day to night), the Lycanthrope is considered as if they had slept eight hours, and is once more invigorated to continue their activities.

However, Lycanthropes can still shift form at will (Under same DC's as standard Lycanthropes), though doing so will not restore their energy the same way as the natural cycle does.
Yhrzallus' Lycanthropes are all considered natural ones, not afflicted, as theirs is not a disease, but rather a different state of being. Therefore, Lycanthropy cannot spread to others by being harmed by one of their kind. (Essentially, the Curse of Lycanthropy feature is replaced by the Sleepless homebrew feature)

Yhrzallus' Lycanthropes are also permitted a form that is Hybrid, a combination of both forms, as other Lycanthropes are capable of achieving, with varying visual degrees of which form is most predominant. As such, some may choose to look more humanoid (Have less fur/feathers, beaks, snouts, etc) though they do retain the abilities of this form regardless, while others may chose to look far more feral though with a vague humanoid bearing.

Lycanthropes who mate amongst themselves must be of either a compatible animal form or a compatible mortal form in order to bear children. In case of matching animal, the child will be born of the mortal race of either the parents, but not both, though will share the same Animal form, while parents that have compatible mortal forms will have a child that is a hybrid of both races (if possible) or of the same race as the parents (in case of them being both of the same race, of course), though will have a random Animal form, most befitting of the personality of the child.

For all purposes, animal forms should be considered Neutral in matters of Alignment, as Yhrzallus does not see any animal as inherently evil or good. Aside from the changes listed here (the Neutral alignment, Hybrid form fluff and the switch of the Curse of Lycanthropy feature with the Sleepless homebrew feature, consult the 3.5 DnD info on Lycanthropy for stats, DCs and so on.)