Gods of a nonexistant world IC

[supernerd]

"How about 'A death dealt by a mortal is not a permanent death. Resurrection for other mortals and reconstitution for those of us?' That could be fun, make sure that the real death is still age. Of course, that's still just an idea. I'd really like to see what the world itself turns out to be like. When we get to that, I've got some cool maps that I've brainstormed. I got bored and there are lots of cool battle venues. Also, how many of you already have your holy texts written up? This will be fun, I hope. I hope the mortals that come out of this are able to get their just lives." Dorian was always of the opinion that divinity with too much serious is still boring.

[drack]

Power ripples through the vacant space as your respective divine realms continue to grow with your maturing powers.

Spoiler

Show

Divine rank 1. Yes, I too am disappointed that it couldn't come amidst some combat or another.

"So, seeing as we've settled free will, lets move on to the next controversial issue. Magic. I quite enjoy magic myself, though I could live without it."

Verdamut speaks immediately, despite the already apparent celerity of his stance. "I will not sign a contract that brings magic to this new world. Never."
Free will tally

Spoiler

Show

free (DoctorFaust)
Mondfly (NPC) is neutral
Dorian (supernerd)
Astrid ( Drako_Beoulve)
Anankê (Mechanix) In favor of magic?
Lecerat (Starmage21) All mortals must have the ability to wield magic. Without it, warfare is so much less interesting.
Yanish the Caller (greenpotato) - /???
Verdamut (NPC) will not sign a contract that brings magic to this new world. Never.
Sillthiss is silent on this issue

[Drako_Beoulve]

"I vote in favor of magic, without it is like create birds without wings. Magic is the essence of everything we know, without it, we won't be here."

Astrid turn to Verdamut: "Why you don't want magic"

[drack]

Verdamut smiles ironically. "Because magic is unnatural, and all who use it are abominations. Magic claws its way into people and things, why even into ourselves of late. It is a savage and cruel thing that twists and distorts the truth of man, and ultimately it also serves as the death to all who grasp hold of it. To have a world without magic is as if to have a world without parricidic world-consuming unstoppable plagues that can neither be killed nor contained. To be clear I am also against us intentionally creating entities with our power threefold bent only upon the destruction of all which could ever be created, yet somehow the thought has never occurred to some that magic is itself just that but with a familiar face. So that, that is why I oppose magic. Care to recast your vote?"

[greenpotato]

Yanish chuckles Oh the irony, that you, a being who consumed the corpse of a god so that he could gain it's power wishes to use his magic to recreate the universe so that no being may use magic. Maybe hypocrasy is more appropriate than irony in describing your actions, why, one could even see an argument for you being a power hungry tyrant, using his magical power to ensure that no others have it so that he can rule over the mundane with no challengers"

She turns to the scribe-god

"I am in favour of there being magic available to mortals, although how it is distributed is something that I am wiling to hear ideas on. Should all creatures have the chance to find a magic spark in themselves or should we decided who gets a portion of divine or arcane power?"

Yanish can feel the divine power within herself grow, she says nothing though but quietly observes the others to see if they too have grown in power.

[drack]

Verdamut frowns, his irritation clear in his voice. "I did not consume corpses of gods to gain power, I destroyed their existence to be rid of them and to be freed of the foul curses they had placed upon the land. Again I will emphasize my stance that magic not exist at all, this includes the magic of the gods themselves. I doubt any tyranny of my actions would begin to compare to your efforts to doll out magic only as the lot of you see fit."

[supernerd]

Dorian felt the the new surge of power, passively listening to the bickering spurred by only Verdamut as he played with the ripples he could make now. There were only two blatant effects, a flash of light and an aura filled with faint snow.

Spoiler: 33 Rounds of Bickering

Show

Alter Reality: Wish Myself up +5 Inherent Bonuses, cast Inner Beauty on myself, I'll make it permanent later. "Wish" my Bow to (+5) Composite to fit my new Strength
Domain: Snowsong SLA

Statblock Updated.

"I'm so sorry, but you won't be able to sign regardless on that platform. With no magic, there is no reason that the contract should hold our reality, for it may become just a piece of paper. Furthermore, it is possible that life itself is the manifestation of magic and material, as many creatures are suspended by magic, and the soul is far from a physical phenomenon. You may very well erase the capability of life if you were to eliminate magic. How can you say magic is unnatural when it is woven into the very fabric of existence, that you need to explicitly take it away. It flowed all through the old world and it suspends the very beings that created realities past. How is that primal force anything but natural. Yes magic can cause calamity, but also can it provide salvation. Healing can cure such suffering. Evils can be stopped. You only observe the evil of magic because it appears in short noticeable bursts. To create a world without magic is a paradox, because it is magic that makes the world stable. I didn't know you were also the god of Stupid. I'm sorry if you're offended, but I say that every mortal should have the right to chase after magic. If they grasp it, then it is theirs to keep. So if they choose to seek it out in the fashion of a God's clerics or an arcanists manipulation of the ambient energy suspending the planes, then let them succeed. There's no need to deny the scholar his best means of defense."

[Mechanix]

The dark-haired woman calling herself Anankê nods slowly at Dorian's speech in tacit agreement. Only when he has finished speaking does she turn to face Verdamunt, one hand resting on the pommel of her sword.

"There will be magic in this world, or you will perish here and now by my hand."

[DoctorFaust]

Free throws his hands into the air at the dark-haired woman's decree and groans. "Know this: If you lay a hand on him, I will respond in kind. I vote to create magic, but not give anything but the potential of it to the denizens of this new realm. Let them seek it out, and grasp it for themselves if they so desire it."

[drack]

Dorian felt the the new surge of power, passively listening to the bickering spurred by only Verdamut as he played with the ripples he could make now. There were only two blatant effects, a flash of light and an aura filled with faint snow.

Spoiler: 33 Rounds of Bickering

Show

Alter Reality: Wish Myself up +5 Inherent Bonuses, cast Inner Beauty on myself, I'll make it permanent later. "Wish" my Bow to (+5) Composite to fit my new Strength
Domain: Snowsong SLA

Statblock Updated.

"I'm so sorry, but you won't be able to sign regardless on that platform. With no magic, there is no reason that the contract should hold our reality, for it may become just a piece of paper. Furthermore, it is possible that life itself is the manifestation of magic and material, as many creatures are suspended by magic, and the soul is far from a physical phenomenon. You may very well erase the capability of life if you were to eliminate magic. How can you say magic is unnatural when it is woven into the very fabric of existence, that you need to explicitly take it away. It flowed all through the old world and it suspends the very beings that created realities past. How is that primal force anything but natural. Yes magic can cause calamity, but also can it provide salvation. Healing can cure such suffering. Evils can be stopped. You only observe the evil of magic because it appears in short noticeable bursts. To create a world without magic is a paradox, because it is magic that makes the world stable. I didn't know you were also the god of Stupid. I'm sorry if you're offended, but I say that every mortal should have the right to chase after magic. If they grasp it, then it is theirs to keep. So if they choose to seek it out in the fashion of a God's clerics or an arcanists manipulation of the ambient energy suspending the planes, then let them succeed. There's no need to deny the scholar his best means of defense."

"It is possible?" The god spits. "Your certainty in the uncertain is ridiculous..."

The dark-haired woman calling herself Anankê nods slowly at Dorian's speech in tacit agreement. Only when he has finished speaking does she turn to face Verdamunt, one hand resting on the pommel of her sword.

"There will be magic in this world, or you will perish here and now by my hand."

...and your willingness to kill and die for your magic is all the more proof of its corrupting influence. Those who heal by magic often leverage a similar response from others, using what short term good they might do to create a longer lasting evil. Even the gods of good recruited into their holy wars through such means.

[supernerd]

"It is possible?" The god spits. "Your certainty in the uncertain is ridiculous..."

...and your willingness to kill and die for your magic is all the more proof of its corrupting influence. Those who heal by magic often leverage a similar response from others, using what short term good they might do to create a longer lasting evil. Even the gods of good recruited into their holy wars through such means.

Dorian chuckled, but made sure it was good hearted, "So is your willingness to strip the magic of mortals and of the gods by using the magic of the gods. This paper is soaked in deific power we couldn't even dream of, and yet you want to use it when you claim its power to be unnatural and abomination. A piece of paper that controls existence through the right of divinity? Sounds pretty magic to me. I'm not certain in the uncertain, I just know that there are unexpected consequences to every decision, especially those that remove a basic aspect of a world. Now, Free hit things right on the money, and I will say that if you're not upset enough to fight, there's no reason to start one. But we have everyone, or almost everyone else om board to give mortals the potential for magic, but then you are proposing that we use this magical artifact that is probably more powerful than ourselves to erase mortal magic and the sort of magic it is most likely made of. I don't know if it's irony or what, but it's pretty funny to me." The little flower shrugged.

[drack]

Verdamut chuckles scornfully. "...and you thought to call me a god of stupidity? Look again, or are you blind too?"

Slowly, tenderly, Mondfley unfurls a blank sheet of paper from the sleeve of his robe, and lays it at the center of the gathering of the gods. While the paper isn't magical in nature, you do sense a power within it, clearly the page is an artifact from an age long lost.

"Of course there will be unpredictable consequences, but there will be unpredictable consequences regardless, we're creating the MULTIVERSE, every breath we take right here and now has unpredictable consequences tethered to it. You know what the thing about unpredictable consequences is though? They're unpredictable, they could be catastrophic, sure, but they could also be great enough to spread everlasting euphoria of greatness across the land. Don't tell me you'll sit here and do nothing at all just because you might be disappointed at the worlds that are made today."

[Mechanix]

"Enough," Anankê says with a voice of finality. Her irritation with how long this particular topic has lingered is visible in her features; her knuckles clutch the hilt of her sword so strongly as to appear white.

"I have no interest in discussing philosophy with Verdamunt when he has been the enemy of all I stood for during my entire existence. Let's put this to a vote. I vote for magic."

[DoctorFaust]

I vote nay, if you will not be any clearer than that, Free says, his voice flat.

[supernerd]

"Was the most popular opinion to make magic a possibility for those who sought it out? If we vote for magic to be available to those who wish to find it then I'll vote yea." Dorian sat on his desk, writing a few things down. He looked to Verdamut. "Less blind, more not connecting your goals and your platform. There is no reason peace and prosperity cannot be obtained with magic in the world. And even if we put it there, I think you would do a good job of preventing the calamities you forecast."

[drack]

"Nonsense, my goal is to eradicate magic, peace and prosperity to all is merely a counterpoint to the implied calamity it seems many think it may bring. Surely you could also have your interesting or your diverse worlds without magic, yet still I see you standing for it. Tell me, how is the fascination of so many of you gods tied solely to the existence of magic? Why is it that you think you would tire so soon without it? Life would be short lived, but it would be vibrant, exciting, and eventful. Isn't that what you're claiming to want? And perhaps you want it unending, reincarnate without your memory and it will all be fresh anew!"

Verdamut drew himself up, for a medium sized creature he certainly had a presence. "In case my stance was unclear, I vote against magic of all forms."

[Drako_Beoulve]

"That means you will try to kill us and then, if you succeed, you will commit suicide?!" Astrid looked at Verdamut with his golden eyes. "Or at least try to strip us from our magic?"

[drack]

Verdamut frowns, his voice wearied and mournful. "The Warrior has shown us this is no solution. Better that we end it as one then fall to such petty divisions."

[DoctorFaust]

Free breaks out into laughter at Verdamut's remark. "Hah! Nonsense! Here, today, we have a chance to open a hole in the universe. And that hole with be a path for all those behind us. The dreams of those who have fallen! The hopes of those who will follow! These two sets of dreams weave together, charting our course, forging a path towards tomorrow. That is what we have the chance to do here today. Our dreams will be the dreams that CREATE the heavens!"

[supernerd]

"For the purpose of clarification, are you opposed to anything supernatural, like dragons, or are you opposed just to spells and their likes? There are a lot of wondrous things that depend on magic. But I still don't see how the whole eradicating magic thing has basis as a thing we should do. Some people search for strength elsewhere when they are not suited for a sword. Does that mean they have contributed to abomination? What is your evidence that it is an abomination? Yes, magic can kill, but so can the sword. Some mages never harm a soul and some swordsmen kill thousands."

[drack]

"Any man might train for years and learn to swing a sword, but whenever he enters the field a stray arrow might yet end him, and that must be a risk he would take. For a mage it is different. Mages garb themselves in heavy wards and fight with forces that often they themselves don't even understand. Like a spoiled child with a flask of alchemical flame they toss about destruction and healing without a thought. It is not however the effort that they invest which appeals me most however, it is that almost no man will ever slay a true mage with sword alone." As if sensing a rebuttal of his own prowess he emphasizes once more. "Almost no man."

Spoiler

Show

Plot twist! Vardamut might agree to allow up to ten level 1 mages to walk the land at any given time to be ridiculed, persecuted, and hunted down by soldiers only to die before ever reaching level 2!

Somehow there seems to be more too it then that though, by the cress of his brow, shadows of his past perhaps. It was after all not rare to fine one who's life had been influenced by workings of the craft.

[greenpotato]

"I propose a new vote, all in favour of mister no-magic not being a part of own pantheon vote aye." She chuckles at first but then her face hardens and she looks Verdamut straight in the eye "I don't think this is your crowd, why don't you just f*#& off?

[Starmage21]

"I propose a new vote, all in favour of mister no-magic not being a part of own pantheon vote aye." She chuckles at first but then her face hardens and she looks Verdamut straight in the eye "I don't think this is your crowd, why don't you just f*#& off?

Lecerat speaks, finally tired of the bickering on a single subject, as we have one among who will be against it.

"You powers-that-be are bickering for no good reason. I propose a compromise that will allow all of us to have our individual happiness. We're talking about a multiverse here, not a single world. Of the worlds that will exist, there will be those with varying levels of magic, including certainly worlds of dead magic. However, even in dead-magic worlds, there must be natural vortices that lead to the greater cosmology. Even in places of dead magic, deities will still maintain their power, else they be powerless to maintain the world."

He sighs

"That said, there will be no issue on which I will refuse to sign the contract. I am committed to the creation of worlds which will allow us to exist in more than formless chaos for all of eternity. Refusing to sign means risking that fate."

[drack]

Power once more surges through the not-yet-a-world, the divine realms spread outwards, a full twenty feet from their respective deities, and now several of the realms overlap, boundaries of different fundamental planer traits forming between the gods where they do.

Spoiler

Show

Divine rank 2

Mondfley chooses this moment to speak up. "This topic seems controversial enough to cause infighting, so how about we go on to discuss how it would be if there were to be magic in the world, and perhaps cast a vote as to if we would prefer to leave the planes as they are or to re-enact a planescape cosmology.

[supernerd]

Dorian sighs and enjoys the change of pace. "Yes, lets. I don't think that removing anyone from the pantheon will do much good when Mondfley said it took half the gods in existence, so I welcome the new new subject. I always adored the Great Wheel. Can we have it back? Or at least something similar. I always liked the maps and how you had to put disclaimers that each plane is technically both finite and infinite. And beneath the Spire, even the salient divine abilities we possess cease to function. And we can make even more sites for the kinds of communities that Verdamut might approve of." He then touches his sword and bow.

Spoiler: Yay God Magic

Show

GMW on Sword and Bow.

[drack]

The divine power building through each of you continues to grow, bubbling up within you like magma beneath a crust.

Spoiler

Show

Divine rank 3, what a long IRL day ay?

Nodding Mondfley writes up a rough contract (on normal mundane paper) and transcribes numerous copies of it as an automatic action, tossing them vaguely in the directions of each respective deity. "So now that we've dealt with the controversial topics to some extent, lets see if this contract would pass. That will give us a better idea of where we stand."

Solemnly he raises his hand to signal acceptance.

The contract

Spoiler

Show

Now, wait, if you would rather vote blind, here's your chance, read no further, explore your neww chaotic alignment and feel its liberties to the MAX!
(only half joking)

Spoiler

Show

The contract dictates the world to be a planescape, that there will be both magic and free will in the world as a whole. Following with Lecerat's suggestion however, it dictates that each deity may exercise the right to create their own planes and races. It allows for all powers, incarnate, ect. It dictates that there will be psionic magic transparency, that there will be compulsion magic for some to control the fates of others while the subjects of such attempts will be permitted to resist them through sheer force of will alone. (Will saves are always offered with any serious mind compulsion in D&D.)

The bottom line however is that on the thirteenth day and every time the world doubles in age each deity will be permitted to:
* Create one plane of radius 5 miles or expand an existing planes radius by 5 miles, dictating planer traits. To maintain balance between the gods the time trait of the plane will remain constant throughout all planes with the exception of dedific realms in which time will pass ten times as fast. These planes may contain constantly active magical effects such as a compulsion to obey ___________ or the absence of magic entirely at the will of their creator.
* Create one or more races of a standardized power. (GM will balance reproductive rates, individual inborn traits, and potential for development, ect. this will be done fluffwise in the background to prevent a variable god-race so to speak, the more races you make with this action the lower their potential.)
* Champion an individual who worships them, make up to three heroes of those who worship you, or craft 10 minor artifacts, or craft 2 major artifacts regardless of craft skills, gain the power to cast up to two powerful curses or blessings upon either a race or the inhabitants of a plane without any effect on deities caught within it, or create two sacred locations for yourself. (note that artifact here is separate from the definition provided by deities and demigods which calls them items with stats higher then epic items can posses, for instance a +20 enchanted sword, but instead these are meant to be items with some sort of thematic power to them, run them by me upon creation.)

**Deities will be created or strengthened by the worship of 10 divinely created races.
**The world will begin with standard vegetation (trees, fauna, ect, not plant monsters), and standard animals (Think the animal section of the SRD) all placed on an original material plane which will exist at the "center" of creation. This plane will be considered a divinely created plane, though its size will be able to be influenced by the most powerful of non-dedific magics.
**Divinely created planes will not be able to be destroyed unless their creator-god is dead forever. The most powerful of mortal magic however (level 9+ spells) will be able to create up to a 20 acre plot of land at the edge of the material plane or an existing non-divinely created plane, or will be able to create a plane of the same size with a years work at it. These mortals will have less control over their planer traits then dedificly created planes. Through magics of the same caliber the same can be undone.
**Each deity will be given(/make as the contract is signed) one weapon that can slay deities to do with as they will, and while deities will be able to slay each other without them, however non-deities must use such weapons to slay a deity even if their powers are equal.
**The souls of the dead will pass on to their deity-creator, and all the souls of any two races may be reforged by their deity-creator into a new race.
**The power from the equivalent of 100 major artifacts may be consumed through a ritual to ascent do godhood.

Sillthiss Signals affirmative after a moments through, and almost as soon as Verdamut reads the contract it bursts into flame vanishing from sight as he glowers at Mondfley.

[supernerd]

Dorian looks over the contract. "Well, I think this looks pretty reasonable. Is sign it. So when it says, when ever the age of the universe doubles, what is the unit we're working with?seconds, hours, days? And is that every thirteenth day or just The Thirteenth Day?"

[drack]

Mondfley begins counting the instances on his fingers to better illustrate it. "Well on the thirteenth day the new multiverse begins and we can begin creation, on the 26th we may create more. Then at the end of the first year, then at the end of the second year, and the fourth, then the eighth, and so on.

Spoiler

Show

To be clear, contract covers all the important bits we choose not to discuss too making for a mostly standard cosmology. Just outlined the bits that seemed more relevant.

Anywho, acting on these "turns" before we go on means there will be more and more going on with whatever you create between each "turn" and the one before.

[supernerd]

Spoiler: On Animals

Show

I assume you mean all real life animals, and not just SRD/MM Animals. I like some species that have never been included in the books.

"Ah, so our active bouts of creation happen on the increments of 13. Sounds like we can make it into a ritual holiday after we get past 32 years. I can't wait. Now what to pick first!" Dorian looked back to his shelves, looking through a few books and trying to pick out what all he wanted on his list.

[Starmage21]

"Exponentially increasing increments of 13. It presents a quadratic advancement formula that is not necessarily supportive of active development in the long term. And by long term, I mean millenniums will grow to epochs before many iterations. It does mean that initially there will be huge amount of development, but once that is over things will quickly stabilize."

"I propose these amendments:
A significant amount of energy can be invested to perform acts of creation outside of the appropriate periods. This activity should carry a cost to the creator that will prevent it from being abused. Mortals move quickly, and days of rest can be significant.
Furthermore, god-killing weapons is a bit excessive, in my opinion. There should be a central meeting place where gods can meet as equals, where all deific powers will be surpressed, save for the ability to come and go at will, including the ability to cheat death. This will be the neutral ground for the meeting of gods and the decisive actions where those deific powers can be a detriment. Mortals should not be able to gain entry to this place without the assistance of a power. Outside of this place, powers should be unconcerned with death from any but the most extreme circumstances, as they were before we were all chucked back into formless chaos.
"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Stuff deities can do as normal in deities and demigods towards morphing the planes or creating things. Also, creation of a neutral ground.