Gods of Mortals - IC

[Ganurath]

"We are clever, cautious Kin;
We know there is no greater sin
Than hunting down the last of prey
So we can't hunt another day.
Each day, we strive to win."

Ur Alpha

The Kin faced a problem of hunts coming back with fewer results. Was it overhunting? Was it the risen dead to the west disrupting herd patterns? It would be difficult to say, perhaps impossible. Why it happened wasn't so much the problem to the beast of war, however. Ur Alpha was a solutions-oriented deity.

So, Ur Alpha took action. With force of will, the winds of the Kin's woods stirred to scatter seeds outward. He was attuned to nature, and he used that influence to encourage growth in the local flora. This, in turn, would allow the prey population to resurge, and the Kin...

Ur Alpha would have his hordes.

The Kin

The chieftains and their shamanesses conferred where the food supplies dwindled, and soon the shamanesses accessed the communal knowledge of the Kinstone network. They would need to distract the restless youths from their troubles, while teaching them to avoid the troubles. One clever shamaness suggested that they weave the lessons into rhyming stories to be taught to the young, and soon an oral tradition began to bloom.

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Act of God: Expand Forests

[Raz_Fox]

The Ranulf

As they wandered across Rashin's body, the Ranulf Farscouts brought back many new things - ivory, crimson emeralds, bone as hard as rock, dyes and paints. These were incorporated into the artwork of the Ranulf, and they prospered.

Iya, iya. Praise Rashin, the heart of the world, who blesses his children with manifold blessings. Merdici, lythe!


Ra[s/t]hin

And Rashin noticed that something had changed - for the better - on one of his bones. Greater clumps of fur were growing, but their growth was not of his doing. How interesting.

Rashin twisted one of the Wild Ways with but a thought, sending five close to his heart into this strange land hardly scouted by the Ranulf. They were cunning and swift, and the hearts of heroes beat in their chests. Yes... they would do well.


Scoutin' Out The Kin

"What are those things?" Jendevi crouched low on the cliff face, wings spread low for balance. "Don't know. We could find out, though." Aerris nodded at Ecatona's suggestion. "We're hunters! They're no match for us!" The leader of the quintuplet gracefully leaped down from his perch in a tree, platinum fur glittering in the sunlight. "Let's wait until night. We can see in the dark well, most likely better than they. It's easier to split a cub from the herd bloodlessly in darkness, is it not?" Jendevi nodded. "Got it, Sainbec."

[Ganurath]

We are most resourceful Kin,
'Tis not idle that we wear a grin.
We've many tools to fool the prey
And wield them well to win the day.
Above all, we strive to win.

Scoutin' Out The Kin

Sainbec was indeed correct in that the Kin had poorer night vision than most animalistic sapients, depending more upon nonvisual senses to locate prey. Such senses included an acute sense of smell, exceptional directional hearing, but perhaps most relevant would be the magic of the shamaness that allows her to sense the presence of living beings. For a small group to just appear was definitely worth informing the chieftain.

With his reluctant permission, the shamaness left the perimeter of the camp, heading straight toward the "hunters" at a leisurely pace, occasionally pausing to forage medicinal herbs. At the same time, a group of four Kin each split off from the camp perpendicular to her exit to come around wide. Once she was clear of the camp, two more groups of four left at relative diagonals as part of the chieftain's plan.

Once she was reasonably close, the shamaness glanced up into the trees. "Tongues, lifesight, the beast of war grants many gifts to the shaman."

[Smiley_]

The god looked down at his domain. Recent quakes had destroyed entire settlements and outposts and many of his people were dead. Progress had more or less halted. He adressed Kaeltha.

Oh, the games never end, but everything is ready for your wards to meet mine. I shall spread the word about your Deathincar to the oracles. I can forsee great things from this union...

The god buzzed excitedly.

Yakran Civilization

Now was the time for the Yakran fanatics to make their move. The land had a problem. Settlements had to be rebuilt, buildings repaired, and labor forces were severely understaffed. The Yakran priests had a solution. As repulsive as it was, the king was inclined to accept the offer. The labor was necessary for the well being of everyone.

Yakran priests and mages began to construct a new workforce from their fallen brethren. The people at first hated these shambling affronts to nature, but they learned to live with them. Aristocrats began to replace servants with skeletal slaves and workers used the animated dead for particularly dangerous tasks and menial labor. The undead were slowly creeping into society.

Yakru was pleased. He commanded his people to rebuild and, when they had rebuilt their settlements and cities, to build grander monuments: Walls, towers, fortresses, and aqueducts to turn this civilization into a true kingdom.

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The oracles have been alerted to the existence of the deathincar and informed as to how they should be approached. Also, Yakru passes several commands.

Command: Repair damage caused by earthquakes
Command: build more cities, roads and the like.
Command: Develop engineering methods to assist in construction
Command: Use the undead as tools and integrate them into society

[Raz_Fox]

Scoutin' Out The Kin

"How in Rash-" Aerris clapped her hand over Jendevi's mouth, as Sainbec sat back on his haunches in thought. After a moment, he signaled for them to stay hidden.

Sainbec dropped down from a rocky ledge before the creature, gracefully landing and rising. "Now, that is curious. This "gift of tongues" is truly a great boon." He crouched down to her height, unsheathing his claws. "Now, I planned to hunt this night, but perhaps we can speak instead? It's hardly custom to hunt those blessed by the gods."

Above the pair, Jendevi looked out with his keen eyes towards the settlement.

[Ganurath]

"'Tis not by breed we're known as Kin,
Nor by fur or fang or skin.
The bond is formed by hunting prey
From rise of moon 'til light of day.
'Cross the land, the strive to win."

Scoutin' Out the Kin

"And among the Kin, predator does not hunt predator. I will have to confer with the chieftain and commune with Ur Alpha to confirm your people are respectable, but until then you have no cause to fear us... At least, no more than we have to fear you." With those words, the two quartets of Kin closer to the main camp came out of hiding into the open, making their way back to the camp. "I'm sure both will be interested in speaking with you."

Jendevi would see what looked like a nomad camp centered around a rune-laden stone pillar. Spear-wielding sentries clad in leathers patrolled the perimeter that was briming with tents, whereas the interior of the clearing had a modest ring of campfires circling the cairn. Parents sat in tents telling lymrics to their pups, and maturing youths enjoyed the pleasures of intimate company by the campfires. Further in than the fires were three yurts, one of which had smoke coming out of a hole in the roof.

[Cpt. Soup]

Some weeks after the voyagers departed, the Choreographers realized that they hadn't made a means for them to find their way back home. A brief moment of silence followed to mourn the generally believed loss of the explorers, but very brief, because they really had to get back to work. the ocean exploration project was put on hold until they could find away around this problem.

The first voyage

The moral of the small fleet of ships, in their long months at sea, had run ragged. Already, dissension began to rear up in the crews. There were doubts about the mission, throughout the journey there was never a break in the blue horizon, those who still held the flimsy hope of otherlands were few and quiet when around the more agitated crewmen. One night fight could be heard breaking out on one of the ships, by the time other crews reached the railing to observe the conflict it was quickly cut off by a series of explosions that shattered and sunk the ship. Those few living Clackers retrieved from the wreckage, explained that some of the others foolishly used some of their cache of grenades in the battle. The respective captains and present Choreographers buckled down the the crewmen and kept a tight watch on their own incendiaries. As time spiraled on though, even that wasn't enough. The Choreographers among the crews in time saw that they didn't have a sure means of returning home, and eventually the rest of the crewmen saw this as well. Battle broke out on the remaining ships as the despairing crewmen fought amongst themselves, wisely though they kept the use of explosives out of this one. The more numerous deckhands won out and more officers surrendered rather then were killed. Their victory was a hollow one though as they had little idea as to what to do, continue on blindly? Hopelessly backtrack, but which was was back in the unchanging waters?

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The Clacker exploratory ships are lost in Slunush's crater at the coordinates (12,17).

[Johel]

Slunush

And so the Flame God saw their despair and He took pity, for He is a kind and caring god for all living things, even the most wretched creations.

This band of poor mortals, traveling on a mere raft with powers beyond their understanding... Already finding the "What" of Creation but still struggling with the "How". And they pretended to control the Spark ? without seeking his blessing ? Should He punish them ? But why ? For the creeping ones didn't even know he existed yet.

So the Lord decided that His hand was needed, as these mortals, without guidance, would eventually bring great misery upon the world. And if Kazko was to be their guide, Apocalypse would soon erupt.

Slunush's Crater

From the depths, pillars of liquid fire rose, rocketing through the salt water toward the surface. As they did so, water transformed into vapor, only to be cooled down immediately but this produced movement.

------
"-What the...??!!"
The Claker's words described perfectly the situation. Far away but clearly visible in the night, tall and narrow columns of flames burst toward the sky, quickly followed by the sound of tidal waves crumbling under their own weight as they advanced toward the ships.

The sea was too deep here for the waves to have any real impact but still, they were powerful enough to bring the whole fleet along, pushing it toward one of the islands at the crater's borders. There, they found an lush ground, as the seeds, carried by migrating birds, had grown well on this soil that the frequent eruptions fed well. The animal population, however, proved to be reduced.

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The Claker fleet is beached on a volcanic island, south of their position.
(10;18)

The Green Isle

R'aak's statue wasn't especially well-crafted, as Centaurs weren't good at those forms of arts. But it was a fitting memorial for the "Father of Teleportation".

It had taken R'aak 10 years to perfect his spell so to get back home but he had finally succeeded, only to die a few years later at the canonic age of 89. To his clan and tribe, he let a legacy of magical knowledge, as well as a crude map of "The Green Isle", which he visited back a few times.

In the Imperial Year 1107, the first teleportation circle was set on "Groeneiland", aka "Green Isle". Few tribes moved there, as the forests weren't exactly the best place for the horse-like creatures to run around. But this would soon changed.

Centaur race

It was the 45th calf which died at birth this year. And the priests were still powerless against the disease. Less than 1 out of 10 babies had survived and the adults themselves had died by the thousands, reducing the supply of milk and meat in such extend that the very future of Fi'rg and his tribe itself was jeopardize.

And they were the lucky ones : in ogre cities, the number of centaurs had increased as herdless shepherds were now begging in the streets. Word was that some tribes had even gone so far as to steal livestock from other tribes, hoping to start anew.

As the beasts weren't hunted anymore, their number increased but the natural selection became somewhat less harsh. It was inevitable that, as the centuries went by, the livestock became weaker against certain predators. But of all, it was the smallest which now killed them.


"-At this rate, the herd won't last another year. We must move North, away from the sickness."
"-The North has been stricken with droughts for 10 years, now. If all tribes move that way, there won't be enough grass or water for the beasts."
"-Then we'll get the more grassy hills..."
"-...And let our cousins die ?! No, brother. We must move but not North."
"-Where then ?"
"-Groeneiland. It's still mostly empty."
"-But the beasts won't survive in the forests."
"-They'll have to. Or we won't."

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Imp Year 1089 : Return of R'aak the Traveler. The colony of Groeneiland (53;17) is founded. That's merely an outpost for priests and hunters.
Imp Year 1107 : After much work, Slunush's priests set a permanent teleportation circle between (47;22) and (53;17)
Imp Year 1110 : Because of an epidemic killing the cattle, many Centaurs move to Groeneiland to find more reliable sources of food, starting a new life as hunters and lumberjacks.

Slunush

As He observed His children, the Lord wiped tears when the disease struck the herds. But He has already given His command, centuries ago. And because the Centaurs hadn't respect it, because they had settled under the comfy umbrella of the Ogre Empire, they now payed the price.

But still, the Flame God felt Himself bound by His word. And so, His hands reached for the essence of the Centaurs. Here are His words :

"-From now, thou shall be blessed. Ask for food, and the Creation shall provide. But thou shall not abuse of the Creation's gifts, for it shall taint thour body and pain thour soul for doing so."

In the following days, starving children found themselves surrounded by large quantity of foods and drinks, having cast the feast from nowhere, using the stagnant magic to do so. Soon, adults found out they could do so as well. Eventually, they thought they held the answer to future famine...but they were wrong : those among the tribes which relied entirely on such way felt sick after a few months of the magical diet.

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Imp Year 1115
Godly Act :
Each Centaur get the ability to cast a spell which conjure a feast, large enough for 4 Centaurs to eat and drink. The ability can be used once a day.

Though tasty, the food is slightly toxic. The organism will eventually process the poison and eliminate it but if a individual was to consume the magical food on a regular basis, the poison will build up. This can lead to death but the individual will be sick well before such an occurence.

[ArlEammon]

The violent famine rocked Star Dwellers to the core. The clouds would no longer produce hardly any substance for the Dwellers to consume at all. The Wisemen were contacted by Virgos to discover new ways to Warp energies from the mystic clouds in order to produce new crops. In addition, Virgos had thought it would be an interesting to make things easier for those who would follow Virgos'es commands and the wishes of the Elder Council during this time of famine.

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Command, the Star Dwellers are improving their natural powers ot warp the energies of the mystic clouds in order to fight the famine. Godly Act, the Star Dwellers who consistently follow the wishes of the Elder Council, use sexual restraint, and honor their parents/family, will experience blessings from Virgos. Sometimes blessings will come in the form of a huge harvest from the clouds, despite the famine.

[Krrth]

The Children and the Volcanic Isle


The underwater volcano caused a stir among exploration and construction party # 142. When they went to investigate, they noticed wreckage scattered around, and decided to follow it. When they reached the volcanic island, a strange sight awaited them. Creatures they had never seen before (not so strange) milled around damaged wooden.....things (somewhat strange). More importantly however, they were obviously intelligent tool users (Rather strange). The occasional use of devices to cause large damage was worrisome, however. How best to introduce themselves? Then a solution occurred to the group! The island was rather short on animal life, and of course no one could subsist on just plant life....so the group went fishing. It took a few days, but a net full of fish was left on the isle one night, hung from a tree where it would be found the next morning. The Children then watched from the sea and waited.

[Kaiser Omnik]

Orion

The Sun God visited Slunush. He looked worried,...as much as a ball of light can look worried.

"My friend, why have you been so hard on the Centaurs? Don't you want them to benefit from the wealth of the Ogre Empire?"

[Johel]

Slunush

"-I can't be blamed for their misluck, Orion. The oath I made with these mortals was clear : they were to explore the world, to always be on the move so as to never depend upon one single land feature and to remain strong."

He conjured a large plasma screen (REAL burning plasma) to show things in detail. The whole History of the centaurs went on fast-forward for gods to see. As it did, Slunush continue to talk.

"-Here they are, mere hunters for thousands of years, fighting an everyday battle against nature, only to survive one more day. They are hungry and cold but they are strong and independant. And with the community instinct they, like most species, have received, they help each other, no matter the cost."

The image made a speedy jump as ogre huts appeared, quickly crumbling as the years passed, only to be replaced by larger, more durable buildings.
"-Then the Empire comes and a Golden Age begins...but it also mean the centaurs aren't trying to better themselves anymore. They aren't exploring like I ordered them. They assume that the coasts are the limit while the priests know very well it isn't.
They have plenty of food and don't feel any need to travel anymore. They remain passive as their livestock grew weak...and it's only a matter of time before the whole centaur race itself become weak too !!"

The image froze, small sparks of plasma jumping out and in as the screen displayed the plains full of dead cattle, with swarms of flies and scavengers all around the place.
"-Don't misunderstand me, Orion. The Ogres and the Centaurs will do great together. And I'm sure our followers will help each other in dark times. But such help must remain a exceptional."

[Raz_Fox]

Scoutin' Out The Kin

Sainbec's companions came out of hiding, leaping down before the shaman. "Lead on." The five followed the shaman back to the village, Jendevi soaring above them.

[Ipphli]

Malrion

And so the dwarves learned to tame and domesticate the Rurm. In time, they even began learning to ride them. And so were the dwarves able to better explore their surroundings. Pleased with his children, Malrion sent his high priests and geomancers signs and visions that they should send forth expeditions to search out other peoples and other suitable places to expand to. To better keep this and other information for future generations, a written language was worked on.

Malrion had noticed that the dwarves were becoming more interested in the rocks and metals than with the living things all around them, mostly due to the ease with each they worked with such materials because of the Geomancers. And so Malrion searched for one amongst the dwarves to teach them another way.

And so it was that Malrion turned his attention to a young woman. A farmer and shepherdess by trade, the woman loved the plants and animals she grew. She often spent time wandering in the woods near her home. On one such trip, Malrion caused her to fall asleep outside under the boughs of a large oak. While she slept, Malrion came to her in a dream, telling her that she was to be the first of a new order, one which would revere life as he did.

He stressed that this new order of druids would not contend with the geomancers, but rather work with them. When the woman awoke, she wasn't sure whether she believed in the dream or not. Returning home, she went back to her life as it had been before. One day, a young calf was injured by an attacking wolf. After doing all she could, the woman was convinced the calf would die. Crying tears of grief and anger as she attempted to stop the bleeding, her hands began to glow faintly. Stunned, she watched as the wound closed and the calf climbed unsteadily to its feet as though nothing had happened.

Soon rumors spread of what the young woman did. Others began asking her to help them. Others asked how she was able to do whatever it was she did. Slowly, some of these began to learn to do the same. Thus was druidism.

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Godly act: Introduce Druidism to the dwarves.
Commands:

• Domesticate and learn to ride the Rurm
• Begin exploring their continent, with special emphasis placed on finding other races and places to colonize
• Create an alphabet and writing system

[Ganurath]

We are fiercely loyal Kin
Lest our ranks be worn and thin.
Show your respect to the alpha male,
And in your hunts you cannot fail.
When called, we strive to win.

Scoutin' Out The Kin

With the other quartets trailing behind from a safe distance, the shamaness lead the hunters of Rashin back toward the Kinstone camp. The guards came at attention as the group approached, but with a waving gesture of her spear they parted. "Did the hunting packs that came before me not inform you that the strange ones were hunters, to be appraised by the chief? Has the wisdom I've imparted over the seasons fallen on deaf ears? As you were, 'lest you wish for winter's chill between your hinds!"

That particularly colorful threat got the group to clear the way, allow the group to make an easy walk toward the central yurts, apparently toward the largest yurt south of the smoking one. "Easier to get an audience with the alpha male than Ur Alpha. At least, in our tribe. Ur Alpha's a very paws-on god."

"I prefer to think of myself as claws-on. It's how I made the Kinstones." The glowing orb of light pushed out of the shamaness's eyes, then formed into the shape of a fanged grin, aiming itself at the tribe's guests. "If the chieftain says your good, be sure to send my thanks to Rashin for the use of his bones."

[Cpt. Soup]

Clackers

Kazko noted this fault in his children, they were still unprepared for the open sky. It pained Kazko that he would have to intervene directly, to push his children onward, he liked to consider himself above other gods that mindlessly spoiled their own followers. It would be a small thing though, not like the frivolous showering of gifts that that his kindred indulged in. Kazko twisted certain small aspects of the Clackinglands, creating a new phenomenon that would be to the Clackers' benefit. Shortly there after he sent the Choreographers dreams of his act and lead their thoughts toward it's potential use. The Clackers were quick to make use of this gift, which took the form of a new mineral. The Choreographers learned that this substance was strangely attracted to the Clackinglands. When taken into the Outerlands, Clackers could feel the slightest of tugs from large chunks of the stuff, Small slivers placed in water would swivel automatically toward the homeland. Several years had passed since the failed first voyage, but this godly gift renewed the opportunity for discovery and expansion!

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Act of Kazko: created a material for the Clackers to build compasses that pointed toward the Clackinglands.

Finally having a means of navigation, The exploration project has been renewed, producing a new force of ships.

The first voyage (a couple years previous)
The shipbound Clackers were none to eager to be the first to set wheel on the strange island that emerged. Eventually though, they drew string and the loser was shoved overboard. There was a general wave of disappointment when the poor Clacker didn't explode or the island sink into the water again. The crewmen had to admit though that this was land, which meant that the venture was a technical success. The island's sudden emergence was a hot debate topic, more then one pondered if this was the work of Kazko. The crew decided that this was a matter to be decided by those that knew Kazko's businesslike and so the Choreographers were released and free to go on deck. Back in charge, the Choreographers went to the work of dreaming, reaching out to their very benevolent god. Kazko failed to reply in the next few days so it was decided that no, this probably wasn't groovy.

One night, Clackers scouting the odd island discovered a net, brimming with fish. When no one rolled forward to take credit for the net, the Choreographers inspected the net more closely. The making of it was certainly unfamiliar, woven from some sort of seaweed. This could have been a sign that there was something else on the island, an absurd notion, but armed parties of Clackers were sent to scout deeper through the island, they met with no success. some Clackers voiced the possibility that the catch could be poisoned so they left it along the shore to rot, preferring their small successes in fishing themselves. Work crews were setup to fix damage done to their ships, while armed lookouts were set up as a precaution against any perceived threats.

[Krrth]

Volcanic Island


The strange beings didn't take the gift, leaving it to decay in the sun. After much discussion, it was decided that these strange beings must only eat something they caught themselves. While an odd notion, they had come across predators that acted this way before.

One last attempt to contact these creatures was decided upon. A glass bottle filled with ink was left on the beach where it would be found, sitting on top of a hand drawn map. The map showed the outlines of the island, with the location of the bottle marked by a bottle, the fish by a fish, and an X about a quarter of the way down the beach.

Then, they waited. While they waited, they played in the waters off the island.

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The bottle is incredibly tough, able to withstand a full strength hit by a hammer. The ink is just that, ink. The Children are in Dolphin form, playing in the waters off the meeting point. There are serpents sleeping under the waves, but they don't get involved unless they have to.

[Cpt. Soup]

Volcanic Island
By the next day, repairs were moving along smoothly, the ships were nearly servable at this point and the Choreographers began working on a way to bring the landlocked ships to water.

A squad of scouts happened upon the bottle in the barren shore. They recognized the ink after a quick wiff, but the container was something unheard of, glass for Clackers was never produced as a mere container before. The leader snatched the map from another scout and examined the scrawls. He soon worked out the purpose of the item by comparing the lines and markers with the land around him. The x was worrying, and so the squad returned to get an opinion from the higher authority. The project leader, a Choreographer named Dravik Snapfoom, heard the scouts explanation and took a look at the map and bottle himself. Dravik took his time to consider his options, there weren't many and Dravik was very bored as is, he began preparation shortly.

Clackers were selected to accompany Dravik to investigate the x, they were armed with crank operated crossbows and spears, a few more level headed Clackers were given grenades. They came after dark so the uncomfortable sunguard goggles were unneeded. Dravik himself circled around the point several times until he settled directly on top of it. He looked out to the sparse fields for a sign of movement, when nothing came, he looked to the water. He could see the back and forth flow of the current was disturbed by random splashing creatures, he was loosely familiar with the shapes who he witnessed following along side his ship in the past months. He wasn't particularly interested with them as they had a bad taste, A quick scan of the surrounding land again gave him nothing. An absurd idea began to creep into his mind, what if these fish things here left the bottle? He scoffed at the thought and sighed, if nothing showed up soon he'd scrap this idea. After the ships were back in order and ready to sail, he may just torch the foliage to flush out the bloody things.

[Krrth]

Volcanic Island


They came! Of course, they seemed rather heavily armed, and that was a little worrisome. However they would give this a try. One of the dolphins shifted to humanoid form underwater and surfaced next to a sand bar. Once there, she sat down and started to sing.

[Cpt. Soup]

Clackers

The Clackers sent out more exploration fleets in the years to come. even with the homebound compass, some ships failed to return, presumably lost in storms.

Volcanic Island
Dravik was... surprised by the scene. His guard were quicker the Dravik in overcoming their own confusion and leveled their weapons at the fishy thing. The project leader gave them a sign to lower their weapons some, no need to be overly threatening this early right? Dravik then proceeded to listen to the fishy thing, It looked sort of womanish, he couldn't be too sure though, maybe they all look like that.

Dravik hadn't entirely decided what to do if he actually met with this other people, he supposed he could kidnap it and try to get it back to the homeland, alive preferably. While it didn't appear to have any protection, there might be something to those other creatures splashing nearby. If it was intelligent enough to doodle a map, maybe he could work out a way to communicate with it, but first he had to make it shutup for a moment, the sound it was making was absolutely nauseating to listen to.

Dravik rolled slowly over to where the thing was sitting, he kept a suspicious eye to the splashing creatures in the water.

[Krrth]

Volcanic Island

As the creature rolled closer, the singer stopped singing and waited. Noticing the being seemed...agitated, the singer waved and spoke.



Aloha to kā kāua Māmaka Kaiao. Kākou ʻōkupu hoʻokuʻikahi.

Eia kā ʻoe hoʻokuʻikah?


Sarathalus

Watching over his people, he noticed they sang and played. IN order to facilitate this, as well as communication with the other races, he altered the bloodlines of some of his Children. Music would be literally in their veins, and they could share that music with the world. Men of that bloodline would be called Tritons, and theirs was the power to command the beasts of the world. Women of the bloodline would be called Sirens, and to them fell power over intelligent beings.

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My parents would kill me if they saw the utter mess I was making of this. I probably should buckle down and learn the language....

Godly Act: Create Tritons and Sirens.

[Cpt. Soup]

Clackers

Not all exploration projects ended in failure or went missing. Two, there were two proud triumphs that out stripped any and all horrible instances of death and failure in risking the high seas. Two new lands were discovered, the one to the north (Clackers have no concept of north) was mountainous as far as the lookouts could see. The other fleet found a lands that resembled one big flat plain, the sky overhead was pleasantly dim. Neither project leaders put too much effort into scouting the terrain, they left a few days after and carefully marked out a route so that return would be possible for them.

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The Dwarf Continent and the Ogre lands have been discovered by Clacker explorers. interaction may follow in the next turn. On another note, that I neglected to mention in the flavor section of this post, after more then a thousand years of having black powder I think its safe to assume that they eventually got the idea of cannons.

Volcanic Island

Dravik naturally had absolutely no idea what the thing was saying. He supposed it wouldn't make sense for some alien creature to be aware of proper language, at least the thing said something that sounded wordish. The massive scope of this barrier had now occupied his mind and he began worrying less about the other creatures and more about the problem at hand.

Listen up Square,* I can't understand any of that wiggling you're doing with you're tongue or whatever you're gobbing with. Now, we're going to have to work something out here and now. Alrright...

Dravik leaned toward the Siren and tapped his hand against his chest several times

...Ddrrravvvvik....

He repeated this several times while tapping his chest, each time slower then the last. He then inclined his hand toward the Siren, if she doesn't respond he does it several more times then goes back to naming himself again.

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You know how charm magic and persuasion checks get penalties in DnD when used on something of a different race? Well best be careful, this is a Clacker you may be trying to manipulate, a Choreographer Clacker. Clackers I would say they are the most alien creatures in this world so far.

*Clacker language is entrenched with odd slang terms, deformed proverbs and metaphors. For anyone who hasn't lived among them the whole thing is quite baffling.
Square: referring to "something that isn't round" loosely meaning anything that isn't a Clacker, usually intended as an insult.
Listen up: meaning "pay attention" In a society run by unstable people playing with incendiaries, it never hurts to keep your ears and eyes open for falling debris.

[Krrth]

Volcanic Island


...Ddrrravvvvik....

Presumably that was the beings name, but why couldn't it speak a civilized language? No matter, at least it was intelligent. The singer tapped her chest and said:

Puʻukani.

She gestured at the surrounding dolphins, which were in the process of weaving an incredible aerial dance.

Kamaliʻi.

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The Tritons and the Sirens are just being born. Singer isn't one of them, although if she survives her children might very well be. I wanted to get the act in before the end of the turn, so I went ahead and posted it.

[Kaiser Omnik]

The Ogres

The Holy Empire of Orion had grown wealthier, bigger and more populous in the last few centuries. The majority of ogre chieftains had now sworn fealty to the Emperor. A few lords did rebel and tried to take the capital by force, but none were capable of defeating the mighty imperial army. All things considered, though, the Empire was relatively stable. The sujects of the Emperor generally loved him. While it is true that the ruler class practiced nepotism, showing favoritism towards relatives or friends, this seemed perfectly normal in a society as closely knit as the ogres'. Seven noble houses had imposed themselves since the foundation of the Holy Empire: House Dawn (the house of Arif and the Twins), House Zenith, House Sirocco, House Mistral, House Harmattan, House Okeanos and House Leo.

Realizing that crossing the ocean was a lot more complicated than they had anticipated, the Emperors decided to turn their focus to the waterways of the continent. The imperial navy was tasked to patrol the southern coast and the major rivers.

In the Imperial Year 1800, a new disaster shook the civilization of the Ogres. Severe sandstorms struck in the heart of the northern desert. Those sandstorms weren't only deadly, they looked alive. They didn't die down and vanished like normal storms; instead, they traveled from one oasis to the other, bent on killing all ogres that stood in their way. Several mystics who were able to escape the devastation suggested that the storms were in fact a physical manifestation of angry spirits of the desert. Fortunately for them, Orion answered their prayers and imprisoned the malevolent spirits behind a mystical barrier.

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I hope Feirgon doesn't kill me for including those desert spirits. The way I see it, they would have simply manifested in the world without the need for divine intervention. But they don't have to play a major part in the story after this.

Commands: Military upgrades (weapons and army),
Better irrigation to improve crop growth
Start the construction of a wonder (The Fortress of Tanarka)
Godly Act: Create an invisible barrier (dome) to seal the desert spirits

BTW, the military upgrades have nothing to do with the Clackers. It has been planned for a while now. The plan is to have a militia in every major settlement of the Empire, then to recruit among the poor to create units totally loyal to the Emperor that would serve as bodyguards and elite troops, much like the Janissary corps or the Mamluks. Also, with their knowledge of metals, the ogres should be able to improve their weaponry.

[Johel]

With the plague decimating any herd larger than a few hundred beasts, the traditional way of the centaurs was no more reliable.

The Northern Tribes

The luckiest tribes, mainly from the North, kept traveling across the plains, but trade represented now a larger part of their income, as meat was scarce. Through the Ranulfs, they heard tales of other continents and their old migration instinct triggered...but was to be unfulfilled, as the Sea stopped the horse people.

As the time went by, instead of ships, the centaurs created something else, directly linked to their very nature. Carrying their belongings on their back was rather limiting the payload, especially with the yurts. Pulling the things they couldn't lift was also exhausting. Making it glide on smooth surface was kinda easier. Making it roll, even easier. The idea came from the South but it was the nomadic centaurs who eventually invented the Wheel. The first use of it is difficult to assess but by the year 1630, a magnificent cart had been offered to the Emperor, as a mark of friendship from the tribe of J'irr, who had bought it from the Northern tribe.

Ogre Empire

For century, the tribe of Ji'rr, the Twice Blessed, had been serving as "the Imperial Riders". This role had been but a diplomatic way to link centaurs to the Empire. The tribe of Ji'rr had its own business to look after and had been sending only a few youngs at the Imperial Court to act as an honor guard to the House Dawn. But with the plague, said business crashed...and soon, the size of the honor guard increased by ten fold.

The Imperial Army experienced a similar thing, as thousands of young centaurs, whose tribes were ruined, lend their bows and lives in exchange for the Emperor's protection. Some went also to the Noble Houses as retainers, serving as scouts, messengers or simply escorts for the caravans.

And for those who couldn't find such a job, they set small restaurants, offering the tasty but slightly toxic "magical food" that Slunush allowed any centaur to conjure. These restaurants became quite popular among the rising upper class of the Ogre civilization.

Green Isle

Slunush had commanded them to explore. That was what they were doing. For centuries now, the priests had worked here, perfecting the ways of magical travel. And while it remained risky, A new wave of exploration was to begin soon.

The colony of Groeiland, having welcomed many refugees from the South, was now a thriving confederation of villages, most of them set along the roads that the centaurs had cleared across the jungles. Magic was common here, as most priests of Slunush visited the isle at least once in their life.

Many decided to settle here to study and, as the sum of knowledge became too massive to be simply taught orally, the need to draw it became obvious. The early drawing on muddy tablets soon simplify itself. Pictures became less elaborated and were associated with precise ideas as the adepts used them over and over for similar concepts. Soon, the very idea behind the picture disappear and only the sounds of such ideas remained. Concepts that couldn't be drawn were then expressed by combining the sounds of various ideas.

By the year 1500, the centaurs had developed their own alphabet and used it not only for mystical knowledge but for more down-to-earth tasks.
By the year 1650, as such thing was quite handful, it was widely used even among the southern merchants and businessmen of the Empire.

The Desert

An haunted place but centaur tribes were still crossing it, as it would have been too long to circle around it for merchants.

They knew of the ancient monument, this strange glass structure which reached for the skies. As the search for artifacts was going on, some clans, mainly new bands of youngs who wished to make a name for themselves, had traveled to it. It was one of such bands who arrived at the imperial capital in the year 1867, carrying with them a load of exotic plants. They wanted to speak to the patriarch of the tribe of Ji'rr and asked him for a audience with the Emperor.

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1110-1200 : The Horned Plague kill around 70% of the cattle on the continent.
1451-1488 : New outbreaks of the Horned Plague. 50% of the cattle die.
1630 : The wheel is common knowledge.
1650 : Centaurian alphabet is common knowledge.
1712-1715 : Last massive outbreak of the Horned Plague. 30% of the cattle die.
1712 and onward : massive enlistment of centaur into the Imperial Army.
1867 : Slunush's prophet asks for an imperial audiance.

[Kaiser Omnik]

Imperial Capital Agyar

In the Year 1867, Emperor Sidon IV was young and vigorous. He was an extremely busy man, always travelling across the Holy Land. Not too surprisingly, he still found time to meet with the prophet of Slunush. The centaurs were, after all, more than friends of the ogres now; many of them were honourable subjects of the Holy Empire, bound by the Laws of Orion. They shared the same destiny.

The Emperor welcomed the prophet in his palace.

[Smiley_]

Yakru

The golden god looked upon his creations with admiration. With the previous disasters, the empire was finally under his control. Yakran priests held the true power in society and the king was nothing more thana figurehead. But something was lacking. His creatures were nothing more than tools in their current state and were viewed as such.

Yakru gazed over the barrows where the kings of old had been buried. The place was in complete disrepair and the various mounds lay cracked and sunken from the recent bout of earthquakes. Yakru searched through the rubble until he found what he was looking for: a simple stone casket. He liberated this from the rubble and brought it to his sacred pyramid's central room. The golden ox had long since turned to dust, only the decorations Yakru made for it remaining.

Yakru bobbed up and down energetically as he took some of Kaeltha's necromancy and some of his own fate magic and wove the two together, imbuing the magical energies into his subject.

Varn

He was... awake? he could not help but feel cheated somehow. everything seemed to make sense, everything seemed to be in order and now this, whatever this was, had ruined it all. It was dark and the old king lifted his hand up. It struck against a hard stone surface. Now why would that be there? He pressed up against it and, to his surprise, it shifted and he could percieve that he was in a far larger chamber.

As he picked himself up out of his stone prison, Varn looked around. There was a large stone hand with two mirrors on either side, not unlike that which was in his own sanctum from his throne room. There was a pile of golden rings and dust in one corner and writing on the pillars in the chamber. He began to explore his surroundings and examined himself in the mirror. He was covered in bandages, it looked like. He tried to pull them away, but they simply crumbled into dust revealing skin that had long since been dead.

He pulled back in disgust and tried to utter a cry, but his lungs crumbled away and a dark cloud of dust escaped from his mouth. In panic, he stumbled away from the mirror and fell against the far wall, trying to get as far away from that image as possible. For a long time, he just sat there, eventually taking to reading the writing on the walls and pillars again and again to rid his mind of the awful fate that had befallen him.

Yakru simply watched silently. Unexpected, but still amusing.

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Goldy Act: To create the first intelligent undead with the first union of necromancy and fate magic. I have a plot based around this guy that might just blow up in Yakru's face, depending on the randomness table.

[Johel]

Slunush

Imperial Palace
The small party entered the throne room, escorted by members of the tribe of Ji'rr, as was the protocol. The lack of weapon aside, they looked like average centaurs :
Their upper body was covered with ritual paintings made with ocher, coal and lime. The hair of both males and females where long and set loose, though small decorative bones were tied here and there to show the tribe, the clan, the rank and the wealth of each individual. The only clothes were a patchwork of crude leather and wool but again, ogre-made clothes or ranulf-made jewels were a symbol of individuality and status.
The horse-like body was covered by a thin but wide canvas of textile, with many ropes to prevent it to fall, much like the belt for bipedal humanoids. Along said ropes, pockets and bags of various side were hanging on the flanks. The legs were protected with thick blankets of leather.

The youngest of them, the so-called prophet, step forward.
His hairless face and body were nothing but scared skin, still red from the recent burning. As the Court wondered how anybody could survive such ordeal, the centaur spoke with a hoarse voice :

"-Your Divine Majesty, I, T'oll, former member of the tribe of F'all, wish to offer you the blessing of Slunush."
As he spoke, two of his companions brought forward the Holy Flame of the Fire God, a small blue candle. The centaurs of the honor guard stiffen the grip on their weapons but T'oll ignored them, his hands forming small sigils in the air as the flame began to grow.
"-Will you be kind enough to advance and accept it...as I have accepted it recently ?"

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For the Emperor's reaction, imagine how YOU would react if somebody with fith-degree burns showed you a candle while telling you "-I found the light. Do you want me to share it with you ?"
By the way, thanks Cpt Soup for the inspiration.

[Kaiser Omnik]

Imperial Palace

At first, Sidon IV looked suprised, but now he was definitely angry. He gazed at the centaurs holding the candle, then at the scarred prophet.

"What is the meaning of this? Have you gone mad? It doesn't look like a blessing. I don't know if Slunush really had something to do with you transformation - maybe that was even a form of punishment, who am I to know? But something is certain: never would Orion let his children sacrifice their body in this way! So if you are trying to trick me, the Emperor of All Ogres, beware the wrath of the Sun Lord!"

One of the mystics from the noble court stood next to Sidon IV. He held two golden disks in his hands and seemed to be watching every move of the so-called prophet.

[Johel]

Slunush

Imperial Palace

The prophet didn't even blink as the mystic moved. Instead, the flame grew a bit larger and a fair bit wilder at the top of the candle. A smile appeared on T'oll's face as he walked one step closer.

"-Have faith, Your Majesty. Our Lord is a merciful god, who bestow many gifts to those who are willing to listen to His teachings. You may ask yourself why the Flaming God burned my body but while you question His ways, I thank Him for helping me to survive. Our Lord has plans for you, ô young Sidon. But He won't force you to obey His commands."

Again, he showed the candle.
"-Your hand, please...and your trust. Aren't you the Sun God's chosen legate ? Fire, even His holy one, shouldn't afraid you."

Among the centaurs, confusion was at its peak. the guards hesitated to act, as the prophet seemed to be indeed one of Slunush's adepts. But at the same time, they had pledge loyalty to the Emperor. Who should they support ? Their ruler or a god ?