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  1. - Top - End - #31
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    planswalker's Avatar

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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    Sozuchi - the Endless Riverways
    Sozuchi frolicked in the eternal depths for thousands of years, playing with the eddies and currents. Over time, he came to realize that he was not alone. Throughout the eternal expanse, others played too. Sparked to life by the playfulness of a god, these creatures swam through the deeps, emulating him. He came to find them to be the best of playmates. Like him, they enjoyed the chaotic rush of the river. Some eventually decided to see what was outside the River. They asked their elder brother, "Please, show us the world outside. We know it exists. We are curious."

    "Very well, but be warned: it is not home. Things there are static and boring. And dry. There is little water to be had."

    the Void, then Kamigawa

    An thus, Sozuchi led his lesser brethren through the Dragon Tail Ring and into the Void. The nothingness was so very different from their home. In it, their essences could not stay without a physical form long. Their elder brother taught them to make bodies for themselves, modeled after his own. Each of them chose a different shade of blue or white. When they ran out of new colors to do, the began sharing colors amongst themselves. In the end, each had a unique pattern of blue and white shades all over their bodies.

    Sozuchi watched his lesser kin quibble amongst themselves, fascinated by the interplay. Eventually, all were satisfied with their forms, and decided to go exploring. They found that the only things out there to explore were the big rock with mists on it, the shiny copy of it, and the spirit world. Feeling drawn to it, Sozuchi lead them to it. They found there entities which were both like and unlike themselves. From here, they also saw the rivers running over the island that Teikoku had made. Reminding them of home, many of them settled into these rivers, and began to frolic within them.

    Sozuchi, on the other hand, was far more interested in the shiny world above. He left his younger brothers and sisters to make themselves at home in Kamigawa. He went and meandered around on the strange, like-yet-unlike world that had formed over the one he had unwittingly helped make.

    "What an interesting place. Who lives here?" he asked to no one in particular.

    Spoiler
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    Sozuchi ap: 5=6-1(create life: river serpents)

    7 gp

    I am going to develop them to be the fey-like chaotic spirits of the rivers,and eventually the storms. Selenia, feel free to have your orderly spirits interact with them, even feel free to have more your-style spirits bonded to the rivers. I think it might be an interesting little tidbit if there were two varietites of river spirits, and which one was in possession of which river has an impact on the character of that river.
    Last edited by planswalker; 2010-11-09 at 08:09 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
    Much thanks to Ceika for the poketar!

    I'll be away from the internet from 1/3-1/8 2019. I swear I'm not disappeared.

  2. - Top - End - #32
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    Mondo, the Void

    What was this? These things growing like a cancer across the face of the world. At first, Mondo was appalled by what he saw marring the perfect balance of creation. After careful study, however, he realized that these "lifeforms" were as much a part of the world as Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. He accepted them for what they were, though he did not like them, the horrid, nasty things which caused endless change and chaotic changes to the world around them.

    To no one in particular, "Bah, those things are disgusting. Would have been better for our world to remain as it was before their creation. Perfect and pristine, unmarred by that."
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  3. - Top - End - #33
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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    Terran, the Void

    Terran too was watching as the other entities continued to tamper with his creation. In the Earth god's mind it was only natural that other entities such as himself would try and compete with him by trying to overshadow the scope of what he had just created. Well the other entities would soon find out that Terran was not someone who would pale in the face of a challenge. First off, he would show the others just how one such as Terran shapes the earth with his power.

    The god of Earth closes his eyes and focusing his will on the Material Plane, he raises his hand, as mighty earthquakes start to rock the world, causing new lands to be thrust above the foggy seas.. While the other lands were alien objects, thrown from outside the Material Plane, the new land came from the earth of the world itself. The land itself had several features, ranging from lush forests to rolling hills and valleys, to gaping canyons. However the most dominating feature was a mountain range which ran through the centre of the new land, and within it, the world's largest mountain, stretching majestically into the heavens.

    Mortals of the future would refer to this land as 'The Old World'.

    But Terran was not done yet. He watched as the other entities began to make more... organic creations. The god of Earth watched with great interest at these lower life forms. They clearly lacked the power to shape the world like he and the other entities could... yet were others say weakness, Terran saw potential, and thus decided that he too would create these lower life forms.

    Grabbing a small piece of earth, Terran holds it in his palm and with his finger nail, begins to scrape it, effectively moulding the earth into a shape that would please him. After a while, the Earth god looked at the small number of carvings he had in his hand. Smiling at his work, Terran breathes life into the carvings, and the god of Earth watched with great interest as the primitive creatures began to scurry around his palm. He refused to give these creatures a name, for that is something they would don upon themselves, yet centuries later, these creatures would take up several names, such as 'The Children of the Earth' or as they would be more commonly known as 'Dwarves'.

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    OOC

    AP3= 12-9, Create Land SR5; the Old World
    AP2= 3-1, Create Life (Primitive) Dwarves
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

  4. - Top - End - #34
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    Mondo, the Void

    Upon seeing the dwarves, "What is that? Hideous! Disgusting! Abomination!

    Foul, loathsome twisting of the natural order! You dare to invest the power of the very primal entities into the lower order?! How can you not see such a thing is detestable to the very nature of reality?

    Fie upon you, Terran! Soon, these little creatures or others like them will be a plague upon creation. You and that spirit woman are to blame for this! These creatures will never bear the blessing of my domain! A curse upon them! Never shall they walk under the light of my Eye in peace, never shall they leave the bowels of the earth without longing to escape from my hateful gaze!

    Know this well, no mortal shall ever have Fire. For all time, I forbid it to them! It shall burn and consume them, and they shall never tame it. It is my domain and my nature, and I will not share it will these undeserving lesser beings.
    "

    Goaded by fury, Mondo's eye begins to close, leaving much of the world in darkness, many of the stars also die. Though he cannot bear to cut off his own vision of the world entirely, thus the eye remains at least partially open and giving light.

    Mondo then gathers together the essence of Fire from the mortal realm and simply leaves. The sun and its light remain, but no fire will burn for the benefit of mortal kind.

    Tearing asunder the Void before him, a new realm opens, a primordial realm of heat and motion, perhaps the true origin of all motion throughout the cosmos. Here, much as the water god before him, he finds his native element.

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    Mondo
    AP 9 = 12 - 3(Create Plane: Pyrokus)
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  5. - Top - End - #35
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    Teikoku, Kamigawa

    Her creations were... imperfect. This fact irked he endlessly, but she understood that there was little she could do about it at the moment. The problem lay in the simple fact that when spirits housed themselves in flesh, their essences were subsumed by the base instincts and thought-patterns of their host. They were without organization, and attempts to impose order upon them had been proven futile.

    Compounding this was limited lifespan of their bodies. This had been expected - in fact, Teikoku rather appreciated it, as it released the bound spirits for other tasks - but too often, the spirits simply forgot their time clothed in flesh. Some were better about it - she noted that the lions and great apes in particular had a tendency to recall bits of their mortal lives - but it still made her future plans difficult.

    She had just about resigned herself to wiping the slate clean and beginning from a different base entirely (silicon, perhaps...) when she received reports from some of her loyal wind-spirits about a beast unlike any other seen before. This was a fairly common occurrence unto itself - spirits often made small modifications to their physical forms, which added up over time - but indications were that this time was different. Filled with hope once more, the goddess called forth her Sight, intent on confirming these reports.

    Sure enough, to her delight, she found them exactly as described. They took after the form of Teikoku herself, a fact she found rather flattering, but more importantly, they were carrying out the work of Order. They had done what no other beast had - they had tamed the elements to their will. They built huts of wood and grass, and tamed the wild plants into orderly fields, harvesting them for sustenance. Their numbers were small, and they were scattered across the Isle... but they were exactly what she had been looking for.

    There were nine tribes of these... humans, they called themselves... across the Blessed Isle. Each one received a message from the honorable spirits of the elements. Each one sent their leader forth on a pilgrimage, seeking the source of the mysterious summons. Each path was difficult and long... but none gave up, for each knew that the spirits were relying on her.

    At last, each of them came to the same destination. A great mountain, towering above the plain and hills... and at its peak, a tree unlike any they had ever seen. Its roots covered the mountainsides, and its branches grasped at the heavens themselves. They had heard legends... but until now, no human had ever set their eyes upon the Lord of All Forests - the greatest and most ancient life, from which all others had sprung. Together, they gazed in awe at the majesty of the sight... but they knew they had been summoned to the peak. And so they climbed.

    The nine of them scaled the great mountain, only to be greeted by yet another wonder. Amidst the roots of the tree, a great palace had been built, casting light from its windows into the darkness of the forest lord's shade. Murmuring in awe, clutching their own travel-worn woolen rags about them, the walked through the vast gates of burnished gold. Each of them knew it in their heart of hearts... they had arrived. Though they did not know it, they had stepped into another world entirely the moment they entered as well.

    They were greeted by a woman like them... and yet, unlike them in so many ways. Her every movement was carefully controlled, graceful... ordered. Her dark hair cascaded down her back, rippling with her every movement. And her clothes... the fine, clean reds and whites were unlike anything they had ever seen. Some of them, with their rough clothes, and bare feet, and unwashed bodies, felt bitterly ashamed in that moment... but rose their heads as the woman spoke.

    "Greetings, honorable chieftains. You have come far, through many hardships, to gather here and listen to my words. For this, I thank you, and honor you. You have proven yourselves these past weeks of travel to be prepared to learn what I have to teach."


    The lady's soft smile never left her face as she bowed gently to her guests.

    "I am Teikoku. It is through my works these past centuries and millennium that your people have come to be. You exist in a manner unlike the other beasts of this world - you think, you know, you remember. But still, in you passing... you lose all that you were. I can change that."

    "I can give your people the means to live on, even when their mortal shells fail them. You and your descendants shall rule this mortal world. You are the other half of the coin - long have the spirits worked to bring order here in Kamigawa, but they can not perform such a feat alone. You shall ally with them."


    The nine stood, stunned, as the goddess spun from air visages of the wonders their people would forge. Then they were dismissed, given the remainder of the night to make their decision. The were given food finer than they had ever tasted, tended by the silent serving spirits of this place. They were washed, and clothed, but despite the unsurpassed comfort of the sleeping quarters... not a one of them slept.

    They gathered once more, just before dawn. They had made their decision.

    "Anything you ask of us, my Empress, we shall perform."

    Teikoku's eerie smile parted as she gave her reply.

    "So be it. You shall be my Daimyo. Each of you are tasked with expanding your lands - claim this Isle for humanity. Make your oaths."


    None of them quite knew how they knew what to say then... but know they did. As one, they spoke the Oath to Order, and forever bound the fates of their people to those of the spirits. From that day forth, those who died were not gone, but lingered on an ancestor spirits, teaching and guiding their descendants.

    The nine returned, clad in armor and bearing the will of the Empress. They united and guided their people, and it was not long before they had disciples of their own. Empowered by the ancient Oath with authority over many sorts of spirits, these Samurai were combatants like no other. They could harden their flesh as stone, or strike with the force of a coursing river. Their strength served as a beacon for all humanity to aspire towards.

    And after the nine Daimyo had left Teikoku in her palace that fisrt day... she chuckled softly to herself.

    "Aha... Empress... you know, I think I rather like the sound of that... Empress..."

    Then her face shifted. For the first time in eons... her small, confident smile wavered, anger threatening to overwhelm her calm.

    "That petty tyrant... so he thinks to enslave my children of flame? I will... no..."


    She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. When they opened, her expression was one of pure malice.

    "No... merely defeating him is not enough. I need do nothing. He will be crushed. Humiliated. But not by me..."


    Spoiler
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    OOC: Actions!
    AP: 3 - 1 (Create Life - Humans) - 0 (Free action from Organized, Form Society of Humans and Spirits - the Blessed Empire) - 1 (Lead Populace - Humanity learns agriculture) - 0 (Free action from Leader of Men, Create Class - Samurai [Mechanically, the Crusader from ToB])

    Final AP: 1
    GP: 11/12

  6. - Top - End - #36
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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    The Inverted World

    As Sozuchi approached, Hal'Xaazar cast his form into that of the Water God, but off as he was, silvery and reflective, and he spoke with a soturn, tired voice.

    "This mirror realm... We exist here. Me and those of my creation... This is the Inverted World, and I am Hal'Xaazar."

    Then suddenly, Hal'Xaazar returned to his previous shape, gazing down to the mortal world, and around him, creatures like humans and dwarves rose from places that were not close, walking roads that could not be seen, but these beings were like Hal'Xaazar, faceless and strange.

    But in the same blink of an eye, he was in Sozuchi's shape again.

    "And these are the inhabitants of this world... The Nerra... Good name... Yes. Good name..."

    Around the two gods, the nerra briefly stood, until some of them gazed upwards and others outwards, and many of then vanished through the same unseen passages they had taken to arrive. Hal'Xaazar knew they were walking the worlds, many still in their own, mainly to the lands of the mirror world that matched the Blessed Isles, but a few gone to human lands, in the material world, where they would do what they knew to do best... Blend.

    "It is not... Safe... For you to stay... You might be... Reflected."

    Spoiler
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    3 AP

    1 AP: Create Race: Nerra.
    1 AP: Create Society: Mirror Empire (located in the Inverted Blessed Lands)
    1 AP: Create Class: Beguiler.

    AP: 0
    Growth: 12/12 (LEVEL UP!)
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    Homebrewing

  7. - Top - End - #37
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    DwarfBarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    Terran, the Void

    As Mondo throws his fit, Terran continues to play with the diminutive creatures in his hands, every once in a while poking one with his finger to see their reaction.

    "And there lies the flaw in your reasoning fiery one; You assume that the creatures need to bask in your element to truly be blessed. You sentence these creatures to remain deep in the earth, and yet it is within the earth that these creatures shall be blessed! From the earth shall they be nourished, from the earth they shall find warmth and when they have lived their days, they shall return to the earth which they hold so dear."


    Terran moves his finger back as one of the Dwarves bites the finger that was prodding it around.

    "More feisty than fire shall they be, yet immovable like the mountains! Their thirst for glory unquenchable by any waters of the world! There will be no depth nor height that they shall not pierce with their will! Today I give you the earth, from now on the earth itself shall be your inheritance! Do I not grant this to you myself?"


    Terran gently drops the Dwarves onto the Old World, next to the tallest mountain, satisfied that his creations would be tough and sturdy enough not only to survive, but to also thrive. It was thus, in obedience to their natural instincts, that the Primitive Dwarves themselves, rejected the surface world and its sun by first entering the caves which dotted along the mountain. Thus in accordance to Dwarven Lore, it was the early Dwarves themselves who rejected the Fiery One, and embraced the way of the Earth.

    Spoiler
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    OOC

    AP1= 2-1, Create Society; the Dwarves
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

  8. - Top - End - #38
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    Mondo, the Realm of Pyrokus

    Wandering through his new found home, Mondo felt it empty and in need of greater order. The occasional rock and debris floated through the void within, but the emptiness was in need of use.

    The Foundations of the World

    Reaching forth towards the mortal realm, Mondo plunged his writhing arms into the earth. Taking hold of the great veins of metal, the very bones of the world, he tore them forth and drew them into Pyrokus. True some metals had been left behind, but these were few and far between. Iron and copper instantly became more rare than platinum and gold had been before. It seems as if the mortals must now do without Metal as well as Fire, though without Fire they would never have been able to forge it into anything useful anyway.

    Mondo, Pyrokus

    Blasting the metal with his heat, Mondo worked and forged it into a great machine, indeed all of Pyrokus was now that machine. Great cogs, springs, gears, and valves filled what once was void. Great sinews of muscle and bone grew forth from the machine, connecting it all together as one. As Fire suffused its core, the composite of flesh and metal began to churn, to work... its purpose as yet unknown.

    Spoiler
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    Mondo
    AP 0 = 9 - 9 (Alter Terrain SR5, remove the metal from the mortal world. Goin by volume of land affected, this should more than work, as workable metal isn't really that common.)
    Last edited by Rizban; 2010-11-09 at 09:03 PM.
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  9. - Top - End - #39
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    Teikoku, Kamigawa

    "What is it, milady?"

    Teikoku opened her eyes, shaking off her contemplative expression.

    "Hmmm... it appears we have imitators. Yamabo, I trust you can oversee this on your own?"

    "Of course, milady."

    Bowing deeply, the old man went back to his work, overseeing the work to level the great mountain into tiers, upon which a proper city could be built. It wasn't easy, but the earth spirits were giving their all. It was only a matter of time.

    Teikoku had to admit, she had been impressed with the degree that humanity had integrated with the spirit world. It wasn't long before some clever and charismatic humans managed to persuade spirits to work with them without invoking the Oath to Order. At first, she had been wary of these casters - power outside her control was always a risk after all - but as generations passed and their numbers proliferated, she found them to be ever more useful.

    Of course, it would not do to have such power roaming amok. For that purpose, the three great Elemental Orders had been founded - Air, Earth, and Water. They taught and guided their brethren, providing spiritual guidance to compliment the physical prowess of the Samurai. These Shugenja were healers, teachers, mystics... and, in the case of the slight figure peeling from the shadows of the Elder Tree's roots... inquisitors.

    "Greetings to you Kiki. I take it you have something to report?"

    "D'aawww... boss... I can't just come to say hi? But yeah, we found more of those shiny people today. They aren't that tough to spot once you take away the illusions... still, it's really eating into the Order of Air's spellcasting reserves having to focus so much on illusion-busting, and I'm pretty sure that they know we know about them. On the bright side, the pointy shiny bits they carry around seem to be great for the stabbing and the cutting... woah!"

    The entire mountain seemed to lurch for a moment, disrupting the balance of even the nimble air caste. She would likely have stumbled to the ground had the goddess not caught her by the shoulder. Kiki shuddered at the look on Teikoku's face.

    "This. Is. Enough. The tyrant has gone too far. This ends now."


    With a single harsh gesture, the Empress of the Blessed Isle vanished, spirited away by the wind itself.

    *********************

    The god of earth was making no effort to remain hidden, and Teikoku found him easily. Alighting beside him on his perch above Creation, she gave a simple bow, and spoke at once. Although she never raised her voice, an observant viewer would clearly note that she was simmering with anger.

    "Lord Terran. I regret that we have to meet like this, but... the Burning One has gone too far. He seeks not only to deprive the world of flame, and incarcerate the spirits thereof, but to steal from your very element the stuff of crafts and tools. How long until he decides to use your dwarves for fuel, or decides to enslave them on a whim?"


    After a carefully timed pause, the goddess stuttered slightly and continued. Her expression wavered for a moment, and there was visible the faintest hint of a blush.

    "A-ah. My apologies, I have not introduced myself. I am Teikoku, ruler of the Blessed Isle. I come to you because... the spirits are my people. The Burning One is stronger then they, and seems to believe that this gives him the right to shackle them to his will. He is a bully... but alas..."

    She gestured at herself, a delicate motion that emphasized her slender build.

    "I have neither your strength, nor your skill at arms. And so... I come, asking of you your aid in this matter, that we might foil this villain's plot before it proceeds further."


    The goddess paused here, waiting for a response and attempting to gauge the monk's reaction.

    Spoiler
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    OOC: Actions!
    AP 1 - 1 (Create Class - Shugenja)

    Total AP: 0
    GP: 12/12

    Level up!

  10. - Top - End - #40
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    DwarfBarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: Lords of Creation: In Character

    Terran, the Void

    Indeed Teikoku finds Terran sitting in his usual meditative pose on an asteroid, mostly focusing on the Dwarven race. Even though he does not shift his eyes away from the material plane, it did not mean that he did not recognize the goddess' presence.

    "Indeed... the fiery one has caused me mild annoyance with his actions."


    Terran takes a deep calming breath before continuing

    "There... all gone now. I refuse to do anything while I have anger, no matter how insignificant, swelling within me. That is where the fiery one and I are at odds. He takes slight at the most insignificant of slights, yet failing to notice what is important."

    Finally the old man turns his gaze upon the spirit goddess

    "It is not you whom the fiery one blazes against, but against me. I am afraid that your mortals were simply caught unwittingly in our little spat. But I am not one to turn my back on those who are in a situation due to a matter that should have only concerned me. The fiery one craves for attention, and I intend to give him all the attention he seeks, by humbling him."

    Terran turns his gaze towards the Blessed Isle and rubs his beard.

    "Have your people gather their strongest and bravest of souls. Those who do not fear the prospect of hardship or sacrificing their lives in order to raise themselves from the common rabble and become my tool of humility."


    As the god of Earth waits for Teikoku, he once again casts a glance at the Old World, were the Dwarves were beginning to expand deep into the earth.

    "No credit shall be given to anyone but yourselves and the earth! The earth is your father, and so the earth itself shall serve you. What need do you have of such things, when I offer you mastery over all earth?"


    With that Terran simply breathes over the world. Within the Mountains of the Old World, the Dwarves are surprised to find the Earth coming to life, and serving and helping them part the ground as the Dwarves continued to dig deeper.

    Spoiler
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    OOC
    AP0= 1-1, Create Life: Earth Elementals

    GP:12 Level up!
    Last edited by Shmee; 2010-11-09 at 09:59 PM.
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

  11. - Top - End - #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Draken View Post
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    The Inverted World

    As Sozuchi approached, Hal'Xaazar cast his form into that of the Water God, but off as he was, silvery and reflective, and he spoke with a soturn, tired voice.

    "This mirror realm... We exist here. Me and those of my creation... This is the Inverted World, and I am Hal'Xaazar."

    Then suddenly, Hal'Xaazar returned to his previous shape, gazing down to the mortal world, and around him, creatures like humans and dwarves rose from places that were not close, walking roads that could not be seen, but these beings were like Hal'Xaazar, faceless and strange.

    But in the same blink of an eye, he was in Sozuchi's shape again.

    "And these are the inhabitants of this world... The Nerra... Good name... Yes. Good name..."

    Around the two gods, the nerra briefly stood, until some of them gazed upwards and others outwards, and many of then vanished through the same unseen passages they had taken to arrive. Hal'Xaazar knew they were walking the worlds, many still in their own, mainly to the lands of the mirror world that matched the Blessed Isles, but a few gone to human lands, in the material world, where they would do what they knew to do best... Blend.

    "It is not... Safe... For you to stay... You might be... Reflected."

    Spoiler
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    3 AP

    1 AP: Create Race: Nerra.
    1 AP: Create Society: Mirror Empire (located in the Inverted Blessed Lands)
    1 AP: Create Class: Beguiler.

    AP: 0
    Growth: 12/12 (LEVEL UP!)
    Sozuchi - the Inverted World

    "That sounds... Interesting! I wonder what a mirror-me would be like? How long did you say that it would take?"

    However, the mighty god of water did not stick around long enough to find out. Things were happening above him in the not-shiny world, and he wanted to see what was going on.

    He saw that some of the walking things had decided to work with the spirits and do stuff. Sozuchi found this to be a great idea, and decided to do the same with his siblings. He will give them nieces and nephews to play with.

    He also saw that Mr Muscles and Ms Ear had decided to create lands, and he decided that they were being silly. Land was no fun, water was!

    So Sozuchi set about to create waters that didn't have any boring parts to them. Unfortunately, he never could figure out how to do that. Despite his best efforts, some land was necessary to get the water moving. Thus did he make the land later to be known as Water World.

    It was a land filled with steaming hot springs that bubbled forth and spilled into rivers, which cascaded over waterfalls, which poured out into edge of the land, and was soaked into the earth, then below it, spilling out forever into the Void. More water filled the hot springs from the Riverways, keeping the springs eternally full. Strange was the plant and animal life that thrived above the waters, and stranger still was they who lived below.

    Spoiler
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    ap: 2=5-3 (create land: Water World (sr3, +1 to sr from artifact))

    10 gp


    Water World

    The River Serpents who had been mingling with their kin from Kamigawa heard the call of their older brother and went to stay in his land. They found it much more to their liking. They lived in the river as spirits, as chaotic and unpredictable as their older brother. When the Chepts would eventually find them, they would be called the Faeri Riversa, which means "free waters" in their tongue. Only to those who perceive the spirit world can their forms be seen. To all others, they are naught but a spirit of unpredictability in the waters. Those who wish to use of them must take care to make sure that the spirit of that body of water gets what it wants in return. Which can be rather tricky to determine, since the Faeri do not stay attached to any one piece of water but continually migrate.

    Sozuchi was happy that his siblings liked the land, but this land was only the foreplay for what he had in mind. He set about to create the very first of his children.

    He took a portion of water in his tail, the hands he once had long since forgotten and dropped off unmissed, and began to play with it. As he did so, specks of dirt and air mixed in with it. This was fine to Sozuchi, he did not care. For the majority of this being was water, and that was what mattered. The other bits just helped to make him different from his aunts and uncles. After not too long, Sozuchi declared it finished, and set it next to a hot spring in the center of Water World.

    And thus was Chept born. He had a head in the manner of the Faeri, in the likeness of a sea serpent. His body sported two strong arms, a solid torso, a lithe and muscular tail, and two strong legs. His flesh was a multihued patchwork of blue and white. When he opened his eyes and saw the water, Chept was very happy. This was what home should feel like. Syidon, a Faeri, approached him in a dream and told him about his heritage. Not long after, the Faeri came to love and dote on their nephew, granting him free use of Water World so long as he promised to live forever. Not realizing that he wasn't allowed to do so, Chept agreed.

    When Sozuchi realized what his son had done, he did not scold him, but summoned him before himself in the Riverways.

    "What you have done is forbidden by some of my siblings. They say that lesser beings should not be immortal. I, however, think that a stupid rule, just like all other rules that don't get broken from time to time. However, there are five of them and only two of us, so let's do things all right and proper, so they won't whine at us.

    My son Chept, Do you so swear that you will live forever, but only so long as you serve me as a messenger or forever ends, whichever comes first?
    "

    Not fully getting why this is important, but deciding to play along, the serpent-headed being agrees. "Yeah, I do."

    Done with ceremony, which Sozuchi considers best when short and to the point, he ends it by saying, "Good, now go back to Water World and have fun! The only message I ask that you tell any mortals you meet is this: Water is the Best!"

    With that, Chept returned to Water World, where he frolicked with the strange animals of the waters and the even odder aunts and uncles of his, the Faeri. They were happy, and all was well.

    Spoiler
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    ap: 1=2-1 (create life: Serpent-headed Chepts)

    11 gp

    The first one is called Chept, but he is not going to be the only member of the Chepts. How i'm gonna have it work is that each different head of the Chept race is its own distinctive species with its own racial traits. The first born are the Serpent-Chepts. Unlike most though, they are a unique breed. They do not age or die as most races do. However, each of them is hand-crafted by Sozuchi to be his messengers, prophets, and leaders in the mortal world. Only one serpent-chept will be created each week, using my mythic trait. The other five species of Chepts will be more like what one is expecting from a create life action: a set of creatures of one species which breeds more of its own kind, then dies. Each of my serpent-chepts, though will be my immortal heralds.

    so then, continuing with the bookkeeping: 0 ap: raise Chept to be my first hero (free from mythic trait)


    Kamigawa

    The Samuri found that not all the spirits were of their Empress' domain. Though most migrated to Water World, a third of the River Serpents did not migrate over there. They stayed behind to keep the water spirits of the land from becoming too boring. Those who did became known as the Kappa, the chaotic ones. Though not a large part of the human's society or mythology, they were present at the fringes, creating the slightest smudge on the perfect order within their society. Those who practiced communing with these chaotic spirits soon came to find that the Kappa loved to teach those willing to embrace their outlook on life. Combined with the human self-discipline, these oddballs of Human Society learned the magic of Free Water. They did not conform to the restrictions of their society, and often disobeyed minor edicts just to prove that they could.

    They came to be known as the Ronin, those who abandoned the way of their people and consorted with the disorderly spirits. The name "Kappa-Mul-Masulsa", literally "those who practice chaotic water magic" was branded to them as an insult, but they came to embrace it as a badge of their cause. The Kappa-Mu Ronin learned power quickly from their mentors. Capturing one proved as difficult as their patron spirits.

    Spoiler
    Show
    ap: 0=1-1 (create class: Ronin, mechanically an invocation class similar to dragonfire adept or warlock, but with less damage-dealing prowess and an aquatic flavor.

    gp: 0=11+1(ap spent)-12(advance DR to 2)

    weekly income is now 5. Will get 1 bonus ap next week due to spending all my ap this week and having the Impulsive feat.

    btw, Selenia, if a few chaos mages bother you, PLEASE talk with me so that we can figure out a peaceable solution to this.
    Last edited by planswalker; 2010-11-09 at 11:37 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
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  12. - Top - End - #42
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    Teikoku, the Void

    "Arigato, Lord Terran. You have the thanks of myself and my people. I shall do as you ask, and call upon those who seek to aid their fellows."

    Bowing deeply, Teikoku left Terran to him contemplations, vanishing with the same abruptness with which she had appeared.

    ***********************

    The call went out across the whole of the Blessed Isle - that the great Terran himself would train a chosen hero to free the long-suffering spirits held in captivity by the cruel lord of flames.

    From all corners of the land came the greatest of heroes, gathering at the base of the great mountain under the eye of the Empress herself. Each hoped to be chosen. There came Lady Arashi, the Crashing Wave, who could calm a tsunami through sheer force of will. There came Lord Asano, the Master of Ten-Thousand Needles, whose twin blades were said to move so fast they made the rain stand still. There came the Revered Jishin, head of the Shugenja Order of Earth, who could raise a mountain with a single word.

    And there came Buki, Samurai of the South. In his long years, bandits and troublemakers beyond count had fallen to his mighty daiklaive. His blows fell like the pouring rain, and his strength was like a mountain. His fury in battle was like an inferno, and none escaped his rage. The tools of his enemies broke against him. As far as some were concerned, he had already won the challenge, whatever it may be.

    Shujin was honored to serve as his page.

    It wasn't as easy as it looked, serving someone as demanding as Buki. You needed to be quick, think ahead... most importantly, you had to be good at reading people. But it would be worth it - in just another year, he'd have served his term as page with flying colors, and would be ready to begin his training as an initiate in one of the Shugenja orders. Maybe water... he'd always felt like he was a decent empath anyway, and water spirits seemed like agreeable sorts...

    Shrugging his pack into a more comfortable position, the page picked up his pace to keep pace with his master. They were very nearly there, and the banners could be seen flying in the wind at the tourney grounds...

    ********************************

    "This is merely idle speculation, but I am curious... why did you not volunteer?"


    Teikoku sat in a finely appointed viewing box, positioned a short distance up the mountainside and providing an excellent view of events at the base. It had been a trivial thing for the earth spirits to construct, and it was proving to be well worth it. Her question was directed at the youngest of the three Order heads... and the only one who had not attempted to join the group of candidates. Incidentally, she was also one of the few people Teikoku genuinely considered a friend, despite her... faults.

    "Meh. This whole chosen one shtick I can see going down three ways. Firstly, it could be random, in which case my odds would be awful, and I'd have to stand all day in the hot sun for nothing. Secondly, it could be an actual legitimate contest, which would be worse, because, "Hey, look at me, I can turn invisible!" isn't exactly as impressive as one of those people who uppercut hills."

    She leaned back, arcing her back from her kneeling position to stretch after so long sitting still.

    "And thirdly, Terran could already have someone singled out ahead of time, and this is all just for show. In that case, if it IS me, it gives him a chance to dramatically shout "NONE OF YOU!" and kick in the observer's box. And you know, who am I to spoil drama like that? Gotta go with the flow."

    "Anata wa taidana baka, Kiki desu..."


    "Guilty as charged, boss. Guilty as charged."

    Teikoku chuckled softly, and for once, her laughter was genuine. At that moment, the last remnant on the Sun's light vanished from behind the mountains. On cue, the goddess rose, her speech carrying across the valley floor, and into the heavens.

    "You here tonight have answered the call to place your people above all others. You do not fear death. You do not fear defeat. This is the final warning - beyond this point, you may turn back. Leave now, or commit yourself wholly."


    She gazed across the darkened plains. Great braziers of dry wood had been set up, though they could not be lit. None left. She had not expected them to. She addressed her next words skyward.

    "Lord Terran. The heroes of this land have gathered. Make your choice, by whatever method you so decide."


    The tension was palpable as people awaited the appearance of the earthen god. The moment of truth was fast approaching...

  13. - Top - End - #43
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    Terran, the Void

    Terran looks at the Humans who have gathered with great interest. So these were the best that the race could muster.

    "Very well... I shall determine who shall be your champion through the means of a test. Each one of them shall be given as much time as they want to complete it."

    With but a wave of his hand, the god of Earth causes a huge rock to be trusted from beneath the ground. With that, Terran issues his challenge

    "Try your best to topple it with your bare hands..."

    with that, he sits back to watch how the Humans will face this challenge.
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

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    The Void

    "Soooo boring, I know! I will create someone to talk to, some one to spend time with, someone to give LOVE TO!"

    His fingers twirled around creating a lean perfect creature. It danced with Julien, they kissed passionately. They then broke and stared into each other's eyes. Julien mouthed 'I love you' to his new creation. The creation leaned in and kissed Julien softly on his soft lips. The Love God moved away and repeated the process for many many more. He looked at his lovers, he had a name for them.

    "Beloved, my dear dear beloved."

    He blessed them with the ability to join him at any time they wished, just by feeling the love he gave them. And then he realized, he had many lovers but no place to enjoy them at. He waved his hand out gathering his air in his hand. It formed into a lovely cloud. He dropped it shaping it into a palace. The palace made of clouds, and rose peddles. He laid down on a soft bit of cloud and allowed the new Beloved to join him.

    "Look at the world, now around you, now to the world. Sadly, the world is not like here. But, if you were to go down there and spread my love, it could feel like it does here. Look at me. I have blessings for you. Now my blessings are diamonds. I am on a cloud."

    As he holds out his hand thousands of small drops of pure bliss fall upon the world. Wherever they land the was less full of gloom. The beloved floated down to the world, to spread the love of Julien.

    Spoiler
    Show
    Create Life (Elves/Beloved) - Create Society (The Lovers of Julien) - Create Plane (The Pleasure Palace) - Bless (Magnitude 3, only applies to Beloved who have the Diamonds of Julien, it blesses the next work they do with Julien's grace.) = 0 AP left.


    "I laugh at life, it's antics make for me a giddy game. Where only foolish fellows take themselves with solemn aim.”

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    Humans, Terran's Trial

    Some of the more brash contestants made for the stone at once, slamming into it with brute force. This was about as effective as one could imagine, and several disgruntled warriors stormed away in frustration then and there. The more thoughtful hung back, attempting to work out the nature of puzzling stone.

    The Head of the Order of Earth attempted a fairly straightforward solution - he commanded that the earth divulge its secrets, and tell him how to solve the test. Infuriatingly, the stone remained silent - Terran had apparently anticipated attempts to use spirit magic to crack the test, and had driven such beings from the testing stone beforehand.

    Numerous other methods were tested throughout the night, and well into the next day. Some, in retrospect, seemed rather silly (an attempt to shear the stone in half with a well-placed blow), while others were executed soundly, but thwarted by some preparation of the earth god (the head of the Water order, for instance, had thought to summon a waterspout to erode the stone to nothingness at lightning speed... only to find the material immune to such shenanigans). But one hero had not yet even tried, being lost in thought.

    At last, as the sun hung high in the sky, Buki stood calmly, the crowd parting to let him access the stone. He gave it a few experimental shoves, to no avail... then did something unexpected. Rather than attacking the stone itself, he cast aside his weapon and began digging furiously into the soft earth at its base. His arms were a blur as he tore through the soil, slowly deepening a narrow pit around the monolith. After a time, he stopped, bent over, and carefully examined the stone's base... when he rose, he glared at Terran with venom in his gaze and spoke a single word.

    "Fraud."

    With a gesture, he sent earth spirits scurrying to finish what he had started, clearing away the earth beneath and around the stone pillar. The crowd was filled with muttering at what the samurai had revealed - the stone was floating, immovable, even with all support stripped away.

    "I did as you asked, Lord of the Earth. With my bare hands, I stripped away every reason for that stone to remain standing. And yet it still does. Magic does nothing. Weapons do nothing. And, despite your insistence, bare hands do nothing. That stone cannot be moved, as simple as that. This farce of a trial was without meaning. I do not appreciate being lied to, Lord Terran, and will not continue on this meaningless endeavor. Find your hero elsewhere."

    As the earth god merely remained silently watching, many of the assembled crowd shook their heads in disgust, and the gathering began to disperse. Attempts at moving the stone had all but stopped.

    Still, as young Shujin helped his master pack up their tent and supplies, he had to wonder... why did Terran not respond? He had expected at least an acknowledgment of Buki's discovery - part of him had actually expected him to declare Buki the winner, with the discovery of the impossibility of the task being the true victory condition. The fact that Lord Terran still sat, watching the empty field implied... the condition had not been met. The young page jolted with the realization of an intriguing possibility. Something no-one had tried.

    "Lord Buki... may I have leave for a short time? There is something I wish to try."

    The old samurai was still grim-faced from the incident at the proving ground, but his look softened as he clapped his page on the shoulder.

    "Just this once. It was my foolishness that dragged us on this absurd endeavor, but still, it is not every day a strong lad such as yourself gets a chance to visit the Capitol. Be back by sunset - we'll be leaving with a caravan back south."

    Shujin nodded and grinned, racing from the tent back towards the by-now deserted proving grounds. Sure enough, the stone was still there, hovering impossibly... as was Lord Terran, still overlooking the scene despite the lack of challengers. The page took a deep breath, hoping this wasn't as monumentally stupid as it seemed in his head... and strode quickly towards Terran. Then he made his gambit, trying what no other contestant had.

    "Lord Terran... how would one go about moving that stone?"

  16. - Top - End - #46
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    Terran, the Void

    Having not said a single word through out the entire day,Terran finally breaks his silence, as he goes to answer the young Human

    "Little one, let me ask you a question instead; where is everyone else? Have they not already placed it firmly in their mind that the task is impossible and have thus quit at the first sign of hardship? They had already failed before they even began, because their conviction was not resolute."

    "They failed because it is simply glory they seek, and yet look around you... glory is fleeting. They focus on the all the trivial matters instead of looking inside them rather than try to bring out the true potential within them. That is why they could not move the rock."

    "So little one... what do you intend to do now?"
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

  17. - Top - End - #47
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    Shujin,Terran's Trial

    "I... I really don't think that's a fair assessment, Lord Terran. There were a few just here for the glory, sure, and yeah, most of them left when it was made clear that they had failed. But loads more stayed. Sometimes you can give something your all, and have it still not be enough, but there's no reason to keep failing at something."

    Shujin just kept talking, doing his best to imagine the mighty monk as one of his Earth Order instructors.

    "My liege, Lord Buki himself, gave the demonstration his all. Our strongest warriors and casters alike could do nothing to it. You say we gave up when the task seemed impossible - and yet you still have yet to prove to us that it is not. Just show us the solution. Go ahead and fail us - if we actually missed something, fine, we lost fair and square. But I don't like the thought of you coming down here and humiliating all these mighty heroes with a rigged challenge, when all they wanted was a chance to help their people."

  18. - Top - End - #48
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    Terran the Void

    "I don't think you are in a position to assess anything young one. Through out the entire day, when did you ever hear me of actually rejecting any one who tried the challenge? Oh no! They failed themselves, and as a result have only themselves to blame for their humiliation. I could show you the solution... but then what? Shall I for ever be holding your hand and teaching you how to breath? I can only teach you this much. If you feel that you have reached your full potential, then you may as well return home, satisfied that you have hit your peak. If not, then you must strive to reach it."
    Last edited by Shmee; 2010-11-10 at 03:16 PM.
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

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    Shujin, Terran's Trial

    "You may not have given any indication of failure, but you have certainly not given any indication that we have succeeded either. You gave your instructions - that they try their best to topple the pillar. Many tried. Not a one of them gave anything but their all. None of them toppled the pillar, but all of them tried."

    "Either they succeeded, or they failed. If they've succeeded, you have an interesting way of showing it. If they've failed, then surely showing them what they did wrong can only strengthen them in the long run. A good teacher doesn't hesitate to let his students fail, but he must also show them how to succeed - else, what is he really teaching?"

    "So... what was the solution to your test, if we failed so miserably? Or shall you simply leave us, having taught nothing?"

  20. - Top - End - #50
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    Terran, the Void

    "Indeed... they tried once, and convinced of their own failure they gave up in frustration, and began throwing the blame on others for the limit that they themselves have placed upon themselves. How can I teach anyone when none have the patience to seek to be corrected? Do you expect that any training may be done within a heartbeat? The earth itself is immovable... and yet, with the centuries, a little hill can slowly become into a mighty mountain."

    "You already assume that all have failed... but in my eyes, I see one with potential who has yet to try..."
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

  21. - Top - End - #51
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    Shujin, Terran's Trial

    "Who? Me? You haven't tried either, you know... okay, look, I'll humor you here. You obviously want me to break a leg or something..."

    Grumbling, the boy stormed over to the stone, still hanging in the air in the crater Buki had crafted around it. Throwing his weight against it... nothing happened. He summoned up each of his feeble cantrips in turn, giving a mental glare at his companion spirits when they questioned his logic. He spent a solid hour attempting to move the stone, to no avail, before stomping back to Terran, breathing heavily and covered in mud.

    "See? See that? There you go, I tried. And you know what? If I went back there right this second, right now, I'd fail exactly the same. I dunno about you, but humans can't suddenly do something after failing at it once! You want me to move a godsforsaken stone? Well, here you go!"

    Fuming in obvious frustration, the page grasped a small stone from the ground, tossing it at the earth god's feet.

    "And you know what? Maybe if we did that a million times, we could do it with a bigger rock! Whoopdee doo! I guess you're just going to wait here then, for everyone to go through whatever years of training they need to come and fail again? There's persistence, which is all well and good, but doing the same thing, under the same conditions, and expecting a different result is not only stupid, it's the actual standardized definition of insanity!"

  22. - Top - End - #52
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    Terran

    Terran looks at the young Human, and picking up the pebble, he gives a slight grin at the Humans response. All of a sudden, Shujin looks back and finds that the rock begins at first to teeter and then begins to collapse, threatening to crush him. As he closes his eyes, expecting the impact and his death, he stands still for a few moments before realizing that he was still alive. Opening his eyes, he sees Terran easily holding the stone up with one hand.

    "Exactly young one. With enough patience to try a million times in the end you may very well be able to topple that rock. Perhaps not the way you currently are, but with proper guidance, you shall be able to surpass what you think is your limit. From today, I take it upon myself to train you. I shall first teach you the patience required, and then in turn you shall take it upon you to train others."


    Seeing how Shujin looked perplexed, Terran explains

    "You succeeded were others failed because you kept insisting... you kept looking for a solution even in the face of the impossible. While others gave up, or called fraud, you did not stop trying to find a solution. If I am to train you, you cannot expect me to provide you with all the answers, that is something that you need to do alone, even in the face of frustration, if you are ever to unlock your full potential."

    "Now then... you have till morning to put your affairs in order, after that, you shall be mine to mould. Enjoy it while you can, in case you did not notice, I am quite a demanding master."

    Spoiler
    Show

    OOC

    AP0= 0-0, Use Mythic Power, raise Hero; Shujin the Human Hero
    "Do not anger a bard...for you are silly, and would make for a funny song."

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    Chept - Water World

    Chept was very happy. His aunts and uncles doted on him endlessly, and played with him. Together they learned much about the world around them. The odd plants and animals that lived here were ever so much fun to explore. However, eventually Chept grew bored. However, no matter how much he loved his aunts and uncles or how much they loved him, he was altogether a different sort of creature from them.

    He asked his father why it was that there was no one like him.

    Spoiler
    Show
    btw, Chept is a Ronin, which in the Chept society is simply called a spirit adept.


    Sozuchi always had time for his son. Chept traveled to the Waterways to consult with him. In the outside world, one year passed. In the Riverways, Sozuchi taught his son many things. Ten thousand years passed, and Chept learned the answers to many questions. The man who returned to Water World was not the same one that had left. He had learned wisdom and patience. Unlike his father, he had the patience to wait for the right timing.

    Soon, the time would be right, and others like him would share in his fun.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
    Much thanks to Ceika for the poketar!

    I'll be away from the internet from 1/3-1/8 2019. I swear I'm not disappeared.

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    Shujin, Terran's Trial

    "Wha... wha... uh, um, yes, master Terran! As you say!"


    Trembling slightly, the young page backed slowly away... eventually breaking into a flat-out sprint for the nearest Tori Gate. He needed to get back to his camp - it was almost sunset, and he could get back to Lord Buki, and they could get into that caravan, and he could forget this ever...

    "Oof!"


    Just as he was about to set foot through the vivid red arch marking the path out of the spirit world, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, yanking back violently and laying him flat on his back. He grunted again when a foot planted itself firmly on his chest - and scowled when he realized that his assailant was just a girl, not much older than him. With a wide grin, she leaned down addressing her captive audience.

    "Heee~eeey... where are you going right now?"

    "I was... umm..."


    "That was some impressive Drama back there. Really, I didn't expect that macho guy to be so big on obscure puzzle solutions... anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kiki, and you're..."

    She squinted a moment, then groaned and took her weight off Shujin's chest.

    "... a boy. Dang, and I was just thinking you looked kinda cute... anyway, the Empress wanted to give you this..."

    As the boy returned to his feet, he found a simple bronze pendant, embedded with a breathtaking ruby, being shoved unceremoniously in his face. Taking it, he gave a questioning look at the attacker, who continued cheerfully.

    "It's the pendant denoting the head of the Order of Flame. Will be. Would be, if we had an Order of Flame. Anyway, it bears the blessing of the Empress - if you can truly free the spirits of flame after all these year... it's yours. Also, you may not be the cute girl I thought you were, but given your general disposition when I found you... I think you could use this too."

    He deftly caught the second item she'd tossed him. It was another pendant... but it was much smaller. It was battered, and silver, and it showed signs of age. He liked it at once. Squinting through his nearsightedness, he brought it up close to his fact, reading out the High Imperial inscription that had been crudely carved into the back.

    "Watashi wa nigete wa ikemasen..."


    "When you find yourself thinking of doing something monumentally stupid, just repeat that until it sounds less stupid. Worked for me, anyway."

    "I... wait, what?"


    "No need to thank me! Good luck with your training, and... well, we're all counting on you. No pressure!"

    "Indeed..."


    Shujin gazed after the retreating girl for a moment, then at the two amulets in his hands. He stowed the great bronze disk in a pouch - it felt... ostentatious. But the little silver amulet he hung proudly around his neck, muttering the engraved phrase to himself as he viewed the gate in front of him with new resolve.

    "I must not run away."


    Taking a deep breath in, then letting it out, he set his face and made for Lord Buki's tent. He could spend the night explaining... but he would be back by dawn.

    "I will not run away."

  25. - Top - End - #55
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    Chept and Sozuchi - the Riverways

    The two of them, father and son, considered how best to alleviate Chept's loneliness.

    Much as he had with Chept, Sozuchi formed another being in the form that he had Chept. This one was more lithe, more graceful. She was called Banchept, and she was beautiful.

    Spoiler
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    Using Mythic power to raise Banchept up as my next exarch. She is the pretty version of Chept. The first Chept female.


    Chept and Banchept - Water World

    Chept at once fell in love with her, and brought her to the world their father had made. He showed her the wonders to be found within. Banchept came to love Chept just as much as he loved her. Together, they enjoyed the world.

    Much as they had with their first nephew, the Faeri doted on their niece. They found her to be the most beautiful thing besides the Riverways. They made the same promise to her as they had to Chept: live forever and enjoy the Water. She accepted.

    Over time, the two of them longed to create life on their own. However, no matter how hard they tried, they never could. Not with magic, not by the methods used by the lesser creatures, not even by the methods of their aunts and uncles, spawned by the Riverways. Although they had joy in each other, they found sadness in the realization that they could not create life on their own.

    Sozuchi, Chept, and Banchept - the Riverways

    Sozuchi saw how sad they were, and summoned them to the Riverways to ask them what was wrong.

    "My children, why are you sad? Is the waterways of water world not fascinating? Are your aunts and uncles not kind? Have my other siblings been mean to you? Eye, Ear, Muscles, or Lover? Has Mr Shiny threatened you? Tell me what is wrong you I can make you happy."

    Chept answered, "Daddy, you are very generous, and we have anything we could ever need. Our aunts and uncles are wonderful to us, and your other siblings have never shown their faces to us. However, we are sad because we cannot have children of our own. We cannot create life as you can, nor others spawn from the Riverways as our aunts and uncles do. We cannot even create life in the manner that the other creatures on Water World do. Why must we never have children?"

    Sozuchi grew serious for the first time in his existence. "My children, that is the price for immortality. Others have declared that the lesser beings must have an appointed time to die. However much I do not like it, that is how things are. I have found an exception around this, but even so, there is a cost. In order to not arouse the ire of Hal'Xaazar, there comes a cost to immortality. By accepting the Faeri's bargain and embracing the water to live forever, you must give up the ability to create new life of your own. There is no means to create more of you than by the exact same means that you two were formed. I must create more of you myself. However, nothing is ever static with me or my siblings. If you so chose, you can make a new bargain with your aunts and uncles, give up immortality and oneness with the Water to be able to have children of your own. However, should you do this, the Riverways will be closed off from you, and Water World will not be the paradise it is now. Your aunts and uncles will demand a price from you and your children each and every time you partake of their water. Alas, I cannot enter the World, for my being is too great to be contained within, and you would not be able to easily leave the World to enter my realm. Is having children of your own worth this cost?"

    When faced with the decision between their father, aunts, uncles, immortality and the Water itself or having children, the two of them cried. However much they wanted children of their own, it was not worth the cost of separation from everything they had ever known.

    Banchept answered for them. "Daddy, surely there is some other way? You say that we cannot have children and be immortal both, but what about others? Could you not make others like us who were not immortal? Could they not have children for us to dote upon, just as the Faeri dote upon us?"

    Sozuchi's eyes lit up once more with humor. He laughed the pure laughter of one who was just told the simple solution to what seemed an impossible problem.

    "Indeed, Banchept, indeed we can. I can make others like you, but different enough from you that your aunts and uncles will give a different bargain. Look out in all of Water World, the two of you, and select an animal. I will take it and form it into the likeness of the two of you. Those I make from them will be your lesser siblings, and they will be able to have children for you to love. Choose wisely, though, for not all animals are the same sort of parents, and those I make like you will take after the animal from which they come."

    Overjoyed at this new, the two lovers set out at once to decide which animal would be chosen. They eventually decided on the crocodile, for it was most like their aunts and uncles than any other creature in Water World.

    Sozuchi honored their choice, and formed from the crocodile the first chepts who could breed and have children. They had the strong heads and jaws of the crocodile, and bodies like that of the First Ones. Their tails were broader, thicker, than that of their older siblings, and the Faeri called them them the Croc'chept. They loved them, but not nearly so much as they did the First Ones. They allowed the Croc'chept to use the waters, and even commune with them, but withheld from them the full embrace of Water that the First Ones enjoyed. They asked in return that they make their older siblings happy, and have children. Thus did the Croc'chepts, who named themselves after their older brother, come to be. They came to revere the First Ones as immortal representatives of Sozuchi on Water World, and obeyed their every desire.

    Chept and Banchept found their lives filled with the joy of children. As some grew up and moved off to have children of their own, others would bring their children to them to be blessed by the First Ones.

    However, true to the common natures of all of Sozuchi's water relatives so far, the Crocs loved freedom the most, and every couple was independent of all others. No one answered to anyone else, and all enjoyed the bounty of the land.

    Spoiler
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    ap: 5=0+5(rollover)
    bonus ap: 0=1(from Impulsive)-1(create life: Croc'chepts, the crocodile Chepts. they will be the religious leaders in Chept society when I get around to making them a society. For now, they are independent family groups of no more than twelve hunting and fishing off the land.
    Last edited by planswalker; 2010-11-11 at 11:14 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
    Much thanks to Ceika for the poketar!

    I'll be away from the internet from 1/3-1/8 2019. I swear I'm not disappeared.

  26. - Top - End - #56
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    I wasn't expecting rollover until Sunday. That was completely unexpected, so I'm going to go ahead and use my Mythic ability from last week now and not count it off on this week. Please give some warning before making significant changes like that, at least two days because not everyone will be able to be on every single day.
    Pyrokus

    The great machine of Pyrokus hummed quietly to itself, twisting and clanking away in the fiery nether of the plane. After a time, great membranes part, and the diaphanous doors at the heart of the machine part. What emerges is vaguely humanoid but looks like nothing more than a great blue steel top with pointed metal "arms." Lacking legs, the thing hovers a few inches above the ground, its chassis coming to a viciously sharp point at the bottom. Jagged gears and a sickly green light can be seen through the small gaps in its armor at the joints, and a sense of malice and justice flows from within.

    Invictus the First Varakhut awakens to a life like state. Though not truly alive, the construct is animated by the elemental powers of Metal and Fire working in tandem. Its goal is simple and clear: Inevitability. The Laws of the universe must be enforced. Being dimly aware that it is only the first of its kind, it is concerned with enforcing but a single aspect of Law: the sovereignty of the gods. As long as Invictus the First Varakhut and his future brethren still function, no mortal shall ever usurp the power of the gods.

    Spoiler
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    Mondo
    AP 0 = 0 - 0(Mythic: Create Exarch - Invictus the First Varakhut)

    Varakhuts are Inevitables originally found in the Fiend Folio; however, I like this updated version better.
    Last edited by Rizban; 2010-11-11 at 12:52 PM.
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    Aldhaven - May 27, 2010 and ongoing.
    Aldhaven Rules and Homebrew (aldhaven.com)

    Character Repository
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    Quod tibi vis fieri, facias.

  27. - Top - End - #57
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    Hal'Xaazar

    So much time had passed. New lands had risen, and new peoples joined the world beneath. And always, always did the Inverted World follow suit.

    Deep beneath the caverns of the Inverted World, the nerra toiled in their civilization, a twisted view of the dwarven paradigm, the people of the mirror sent their agents to their mortal equivalents, like it had been done to humanity.

    Everywhere in the material, elves appeared, and scattering with them were the Nerra, but those proved themselves much less subtle than their kin, hateful to the extreme, in contrast to Julian's creation.

    And in a land that mirrored Sozuchi's, one poisoned by damp, alkaline substances the Nerra enacted atrocious designs, their powers and their magic unchecked, achieving new heighs.

    Spoiler
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    AP: 6 (5 Rollover + 1 Impulsive)

    1 AP: Create Civilization: Mirror Deep
    1 AP: Create Civilization: Mirror Tribes
    1 AP: Create Civilization: Mirror Defilers
    1 AP: Create Class: Warblade
    1 AP: Create Class: Sorcerer

    1 AP left (Impulsive).
    Growth: 5/15
    Last edited by Draken; 2010-11-14 at 05:18 PM.
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    Homebrewing

  28. - Top - End - #58
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    Chept - Water World

    Chept was very happy with his life. He had lots of children to teach, play with, and learn from, and had the most beautiful wife in all creation. However, he grew curious one day. Sozuchi had taught him about Mr Eye in his ten-thousand year discipleship, and he wondered what happened to the Fire. So, one day he decided to investigate.

    He walked between the planes of reality. This time, though he did not walk to his father's domain, but Mr Eye's. He enters the place without passing through it, merely materializing within. He approaches King Mondo and asks, "May I please have some fire to play with? It sounds like interesting stuff, from what Daddy says."
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
    Much thanks to Ceika for the poketar!

    I'll be away from the internet from 1/3-1/8 2019. I swear I'm not disappeared.

  29. - Top - End - #59
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    Mondo, Pyrokus

    Mondo seems slightly irritated by the intrusion, or perhaps mild annoyance is merely his natural state. Though his voice has a hint of patronizing scorn in it, it is mostly a kind and grandfatherly tone.

    "Little one, Fire is not for you. It will do you nothing good.

    Have I not given the world warmth that it might not die? Have I not given the world light that it might flourish? Have I not set times and days that you might have a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to be silent and a time to speak? There is a time for all things and all things in their time."

    These things are enough for you. What more is there worth doing than to be happy and do good while you yet live? Go now and find satisfaction in all your toil - this is the gift I have given you.
    "

    As Chept listened, the great machine that is Pyrokus continued to churn. From deep within, new things appeared, wondrous and horrible to behold. Constructs similar to Invictus the First Varakhut emerged, first the Maruts to enforce Death, then the Zelekhuts to enforce justice. These crossed the planes with strict intent and goals in mind, where the mortals came to call them Inevitables after their single-minded dedication to accomplishing the task, so too did additional Varakhuts emerge from within.

    Spoiler
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    Mondo
    AP 4 = 5 - 1(Create Life: Inevitables - Maruts, Varakhuts, and Zelekhuts)
    Spoiler: Links to my content threads
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    Aldhaven - May 27, 2010 and ongoing.
    Aldhaven Rules and Homebrew (aldhaven.com)

    Character Repository
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    Quod tibi vis fieri, facias.

  30. - Top - End - #60
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    Chept - Pyrokus

    Chept listened respectfully to his elder, then responded, "What you've given is nice and all, and is enough to be happy with, but your 'fire' thing looks like so much fun. May I please play with it a little bit? I promise to give it back."

    He attempted his best to show his inner sincerity. Sozuchi has never lied, and Chept doesn't see why he should either.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexanderML View Post
    get some of that excess AP you have before rollover used(spilled AP is worth feeling sad over).
    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    Yurhzorg is a nuclear warhead disguised as a playable character
    Much thanks to Ceika for the poketar!

    I'll be away from the internet from 1/3-1/8 2019. I swear I'm not disappeared.

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