Lords of Creation

[Mechalich]

Multitudes of Droplets

Ecie watched the countless inner worlds from within the heart of the Droplet Web. She saw them grow, change, link, and evolve, all of which pleased her, a connected network of beautiful nodes, each one unique, yet sharing features with all others. At the same time, these worlds were linked to mortals, and when those lives ended, so to the worlds they'd formed. Droplets evaporated from the web, their worlds lost, incomplete and unable to unveil their true potential.

The goddess was saddened by this. For a long while she considered many solutions. It was possible to lengthen the lifespan of mortals, but that would carry many cascading consequences. Nor would it serve to halt the ever-increasing number of deaths due to violence that cut short lives that ought to be prolonged. Worse, such a solution would not produce worthy stewards eager to guide and cherish the worlds within them, it would simply make mortals who lived longer. A partial and inelegant solution at best.

Looking out upon the First World, she took a page from her children, and sought to seek a process there that would, when emulated, provide for the needs of the Droplet Web. Sending her tendrils far and wide through the connective tissue of reality, she soon found what she sought by reopening a connection of old. The Kami, that was the solution. They were immortal beings tied to the land, who shared its gains and losses, its trials and victories, and were ever stewards of that which was, in the end, an aspect of themselves.

Ecie reached into the Droplet Web and touched the essence of the worlds there. Tendrils of divine silk spread, wrapping about each world and introducing a seeded pathway within, invisible, immaterial, comprised only of essence and will. A path to allow those who valued their worlds to persist within them, not as mortals, but as the kami stewards of their own internal realities. By abandoning a purely physical existence this ascension could be unlocked, and the world persist without a mortal custodian, potentially forever.

The path would not be easy. It would take great enlightenment, a willingness to put the world and its needs above the desires of the self, to ascend beyond mortality in this way, to become not a god, but the spirit of an entire world. Many who tried would fail, and their worlds would yet fade upon death of the mortal form. Some, however, would persist, and in time grow to worlds of such bounty and expanse as to rival the First World itself, all of them linked together in endlessness.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Create Mystic Concept (4AP) – Kami Transcendence: any being in possession of an inner world can attempt to slough off their mortality and merge with said world in order to become the singular kami of that world, a world spirit. This process is extremely difficult and has a very low natural rate of success (<1%), though expanding the world to make it larger, stronger, and more diverse makes things easier, as does more time spent as the mortal custodian of that world and time spent within the inner world as opposed to elsewhere. Any mortal who becomes a world spirit Kami is immortal, but they are bound to their new world and cannot leave it. They are still, however, able to communicate with other worlds via Inner World links and can form new ones. [Life (Evolution] 9/10]

Starting AP: 3 Rollover Gain: 6 Spent: 4 Remaining: 5

[AlexanderML]

Echo of the Estheric Isles

He knew that he had died suddenly while traversing the water between his icy home and the space where the great Maiden Arrienal lived; the man was certain she had the answer to his quandary. Yet when he came to on the shores of her island he found a strange sight.

Dozens of others were here, a few with the shining light of purpose still in their eyes, yet most carried a morose air with eyes that had given up. A few were openly weeping, uncaring that others could see them. Some had manic eyes that had them laughing and screaming for the Maiden to save them, looking towards the glade with a fervent expression.

Disturbed and curious, the man decided to make his way into the interior of the island, hoping that the Maiden would give him her guidance even if his hopes were almost completely dashed by this point. As he moved through the underbrush he could feel his weakness, or more… simply observing it as moving aside the brush was harder than expected. Chalking that up to being the work of the Maiden’s power pushing people away he paid it little heed as he walked into a large open glade where a massive flower circle rested atop a hill-home.

There were a great many others here, some surrounding the red-flower Maiden Arrienal that the man had come to speak with. She appeared to be ignoring most of them, paying attention to only one of them who appeared to be similarly ignoring the chatter around them. What they were talking about was unintelligible, though the man chalked this up to him being too far away.

Eventually the Maiden stopped paying so much attention to them and gave a sigh. The man was among a few who took the opportunity to approach closer, but the Maiden only gave them a distant, weary look and a sad smile.

It was when some of the others around the man screamed, cried out in anguish, and otherwise acted with such violent emotions that it scared the man. Was this the Maiden’s power?

Taking a moment to study his surroundings, specifically the flower garden around him, the man familiar with the omens and signs they produced felt sick in his stomach; an illusion of the mind perhaps…. Since the circle around him was clearly stating that those that go unacknowledged by the Maiden are dead. He supposed that explained the others' frantic behavior… and the others on the beach as well.

The man felt a sudden despair grasp at him as he tried to brush aside a pebble, just to see it begin to wobble back to the spot he nudged it from. What was this? Then he heard screams coming from the beach.

Rushing back there took too long for him to see most of it, but when he arrived he saw a few men and women on the beach that appeared to be of the same tribe disappear, fading into the background.

He also looked off the island and saw… something monstrous. A group of formless creatures that moved about off the island, keeping their distance but observing them. Were they here to consume their souls? He barely knew souls were a thing that existed, do they fade away? Is there a third life after another death?

A hopeless gloom pervaded across the man, remorse and regret. He felt like he had nothing to give, no purpose left with the Maiden not answering him and those monsters existing around the island.

Then he saw Her standing above them all. Her skeleton bare and beautiful, Her veil the night sky, Her form whole and real in this pale place. It was enough to make a man’s inner palace shiver with hope despite what Her appearance might have been, with the hundreds of heads that made up Her dress.

Many souls screeched out pleas, and the man almost did… but he let go. While She was perfect, he held onto the memories of another. Her presence reminded him of her, which now… stung. To distract himself, he began to sing a little. Of his work, his travels, his rivals, and his beloved; tweaking the song with each rendition for some enjoyment on this cursed island.

She did not notice him that day. Yet when she returned She glanced at him, still singing. The next day, She took in his image. And then finally, after many days had passed with of his singing She came down to his level and stared in his eyes.

“D-do you love me?”

The forward question man him stutter, but he was not in a habit and… had learned that he likely did not have much more time left after observing the coming and going of people here.

“Am I n-not…” He did not know what she was trying to say before shaking her head. “Love me.” She said, her eyes bright echoes of color and possibility, the heads on Her dress a hundred beautiful expressions.

Yet the man continued, his time was near, he was about to be gone forevermore. With a drawn out note to his beloved he missed, he let his pale existence fade away.

However his brief period of non-existence was cut short when the concept was violently torn away from him. “No! Love me! See me, know me, I-I can give everything! I love you!”

And with that he was gone to a place far away. At the same time many others had the same experience, ending up in a place that was so unlike their homes.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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AP Action Plan

17/20


-1 Create Sub-Race (Souls -> Embraced Souls): Those souls corrupted by Lilia's Love turn more and more black on the outside as they are tainted, with those fully consumed by it changed fundamentally. The tuatha consider these souls to be distantly related to them, as each one’s embraced soul is then made of the same semi-real substance as the fantastical landscapes, which gives both a minor sense of understanding of the other.

Embraced souls lose their facial features to shadows (they are still there, just not visible), but gain the ability to interact with objects (with notoriously feeble strength). Embraced souls can avoid fading away but are entirely dependent on the Lilia's Love in them, being physically weak even with it fully corrupting them; likely immediately dying if it was removed from them. Furthermore they must consume flowers with Lilia's Love inside of them to replace parts of their soul that fade away or are used on a regular basis.

While each embraced soul is essentially the same person as they were in life, each suffers from the mood swings and envious feelings that those with Lilia's Love are burdened with. Something that they bury away within themselves better than the tuatha, but nevertheless can never fully overcome.

Embraced have a strange reaction to the light of day on the First World, their forms and possessions they brought with them fading away into the Echo when placed under the light of the sun.

1/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

-1 Bless - Soliloquy of the Echo: Aware of their surroundings inside the Echo, most souls are able to perceive what has happened to them and the impending fate to non-existence that awaits them. Many souls accept this for one reason or another, yet among the dissatisfied and fearful the urge to lay bare their existence to the world comes to them- the Soliloquy of the Echo springs to their minds and they may sing.

Those that give into the song sing about their life and death repeatedly. The process slowly fills them with Lilia’s Love and eventually turns them into an embraced soul that fades into the Magi Realms inside Desire Heart.

Souls content with their lives rarely feel the soliloquy, and don’t give into the urge to sing it.
1/10 Community (Magi Realms)

-(Artifact Charge) Bless (Outer Plumes): Planted in the Echo by the goddess in her attempts to enter the First World, Outer Plumes appear as small gray feathery plumes that appear to bend against some invisible current. Outer plumes can be purposefully planted by embraced souls or echo servants with some effort, in either the Echo or any other plane besides the First World.

Furthermore when plucked they do not immediately disappear, though outer plumes do begin to fade. Within a day of being plucked someone holding an outer plume flower may transport themselves the First World, Echo, or Desire Heart with a proclamation of some kind (be it vocal ‘I go now to the Echo’ or something as simple as a hard stomp of the foot with the intention to go to the First World).

These flowers give a miniscule amount of Lilia's Love to those that use them at the time of planar transport.

-2 Create Society (The Magi Realms): Also known as the Deadlands, the Twilight, and other distant monikers. Located primarily ‘around’ Lilia’s Heart it is where most of the embraced souls make their home, with members of First World species making their homes there.

A few outposts are created within the Echo and the Estheric Isles composed of research institutions and their support networks.

More info on them can be found here (eventually).

3/10 Community (Magi Realms)

-(Artifact Charge) Alter Land - The Magi Realms: Inside Desire Heart the embraced can use their own inner delusion to enforce set domains (or Realms as they call them), these domains grow in size the more embraced live in the same one. Here space is more stable, with rough distances and mapping able to be accomplished within domains, though connections between domains needs to be agreed on by the rules of both, otherwise the distance between them can be as chaotically long or short as travel between any other part of Desire Heart.

-1 Teach Advance Concept (Architecture): One of the skills that the embraced bring with them to the Magi Realms is that of the styled architecture. A multitude of different styles are used in the Magi Realms, with each one inspiring the others to greater achievements through admiration or spite depending on the day.

2/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)


-2 Create Mythic Sub-Concept (Wasteland Pact Magic -> Delusion): Through dealing with the tuatha pact masters have discovered that they can garner the tuatha’s flesh, the semi-real substance better known as Delusion. Typical deals involving the exchange of Delusion involve the pact master giving made goods or rare materials to the living landscapes (few tuatha wish to waste delusion on making clothes for each of their individual minor souls playing background roles); though other arrangements can be used instead.

It is possible to harvest delusion from an unwilling tuatha, taking objects/creatures made of their delusion out of their bodies without permission and having a pact master break it down. Such material is much harder to work with and is thus less desired overall.

When properly shaped through verbal and symbolic commands, delusion can be transformed into what the pact master desires materially, even bending or ignoring laws of physics that would get in the way of a particular project. Though it is easier to work with existing material that is as close as possible to the end product that the pact master desires.

An example of this at work could be trying to create a functional crossbow with delusion. Starting from nothing would take an excessive amount of delusion, it would take a little less to have a wooden block act as a medium, and far less if you take a hammer, nail, and some string to get something that already vaguely looks like a crossbow.

Examples of delusion placed on a location could be ever-flowing fountains, floating structures with zephyr blooms holding it up, gravity defying pathways, and gardens that always house sunlight. Examples of items made with delusion could be a lantern that never runs out of fuel, a wineskin that refills itself, or books that glide over to their owners on command.

The process of accurately ‘telling’ the delusion down in the right location and keeping it stable is a long and tedious process, so despite the fantastical possibilities a pact master may apply to a project delusion rarely speeds up any construction process; more often being a part of a creators list of resources when designing a building or object. A very important resource in locations like the Echo where workable material is so rare.

Witches and those of the Magi Realms house many experts in the use of delusion, but individuals in other societies or organizations can become experts as well with time.

7/10 Community (Witch)


-1 Teach Mundane Concept (Textiles): Those embraced with exceptional skills in weaving are seen as artists in equal measure to craftsperson. Each piece of cloth should be made with the intention of exceptionally long use in both artistic and practical applications.

Espionage (Plagiarism) 3/10

-(Artifact Charge) Create Monster (Giant Silk Moth): The first swarm of these creatures being created after a single larva of a similar creature from Adanat that spun a silky cocoon was thrown into the Delusion Cauldron. These massive flying creatures can be found in many parts of Desire Heart in the wild, or being used as mounts by the Magi Realms.

When in their larval state these creatures consume large portions of trees to create massive silky cocoons that are incredibly durable. After metamorphosing into their adult shape they are docile creatures that have a horse’s bravery, needing to be trained to fly even when frightened.



-1 Teach Advance Concept (Sericulture): Learning from the formally lolat and onna members of their society the Magi Realms members typically can be found covered in silken garments made from a variety of creatures. It serves as armor for the frail embraced, replacement material for some tools, and a variety of other tasks that many inside the Realms value.

4/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

-(Artifact Charge) Create Mundane Concept (Magi Tongue): Chymes has recorded a vast array of differing means of communication across the world and has developed the use of a new purposefully designed language for the souls coming from so many different places in the world. The Magi tongue can communicate basic concepts in spoken form to all existing First World languages cultures, its written form is the same used in the Great Library.

The Magi Realms adopts this language, with witches from other lands often picking it up in their training.

-1 Teach Mundane Concept (Natural History): As history progresses there are those among all societies who look to the world around them in general scientific wonder, trying to observe new secrets from what’s around them. (Note - This concept is taught to all societies by default)

5/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

-1 Teach Advance Concept (Scientific Method): While lacking in some of the precise instruments they are accustomed to, the embraced from onna (especially those of yuki onna) bring with them a rational mindset that seeks to thoroughly understand the world around them to the Magi Realms and the witch orders that frequent it.

6/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)


-2 Create Mythical Sub-Concept (True Alchemy -> Scientific Instruments): Forced to work with inferior versions of their previous home’s technology while living now among a world of fantasies, the scientifically minded of the onna embraced and those among the Magi Realms they inspire work to understand the world anew through diligent scientific study. With the witches' help they are able to begin developing proper instruments for the task as the embraced are introduced to alchemy.

This concept represents the beginnings of advanced measuring and detection apparatuses being created; which is developed simultaneously by the witches, Magi Realms, and the people of the Chain.

9/10 Community (Witches)


-1 Create Sub-Monsters (Tuatha -> Familiars): Developed by the witches of the Meadow Bloom through the use of alchemy to create a living vessel for Delusion to animate have discovered that life can be made. The process involves a corpse of an animal to act as the base shape of the familiar, some blood (or other vital substance) of the creator to bring it to life, then delusion to animate and expand its capabilities.

Craftsmanship on every level matters when creating a familiar. From outright failures that fail to animate, minor animal companions that are little more than regular pets, to massive magical companions with impressive delusion granted capabilities. The more skill and resources invested, the greater the resulting creature will be.

Familiars are inherently loyal to the alchemist whose blood was used to create them, with the familiar’s life ending if the doner’s life ends.

Tuatha can create familiars with just an animal’s corpse, placing a minor soul inside to animate it. These creations may leave the Tuatha’s body and are a common means for the living landscapes to attempt to harm or impress mortals a distance away from the tuatha.

10/10 Community (Witches)

-(Artifact Charge) Create Organization - Tome Guardians: This order of librarians primarily consisting of embraced souls are tasked with keeping the Great Library under the sovereignty of the Magi Realms and to provide education for the children the realm produces.

The organization is split between three subdivisions, each with their own leader that comes together to make decisions on the laws inside the Great Library; the crimson guardians, the silver scribes, and the ebon professors.

The crimson guardians keep watch over the library inside and out, and are primarily the ones outsiders trying to enter the library speak to. While capable of violence when the laws of the library are threatened or a loophole is found to be exploited; they are also explicitly assigned to understand the needs of those who come to the library. They often give recommendations or guide outsiders to parts of the library they are looking for; so long as it is not study season and the visitors follow the rules.

The silver scribes primary role is to organize the Great Library’s many tomes and to create copies for the outside world. They are notoriously rude to outsiders, rarely responding well to those seeking their aid while they are in the middle of an assignment (which they frequently are).

The ebon professors are primarily tasked with the oversight and education of the children of the Magi Realms. For a little under half the year they are extremely busy, as they prepare for the children’s arrival, oversee their education, then clean up and evaluate that year’s study season. Ebon professors are flighty and nervous of outsiders during this busy part of the year, but become open and amiable afterwards for most of the year; many taking the opportunity to garner gossip about the outside world to tell the other two divisions.

-2 Create Advance Concept - (Formal Education): Due to the embrace being the supermajority inside the Magi Realms, the labor of children is far less needed and is seen as something of a waste when they have such a long period of time available to grow and enjoy their life before their first death.

To ensure that children are able to both grow into proper members of society and learn necessary skills for their futures they use Outer Plumes to transport themselves to the Great Library to learn from the professors there for at least one season a year. This education typically lasts from the ages of 8-16 for those with human lifespans, though further education is available to those families with the resources to sponsor the Tome Guardians work.

5/10 Community (Magi Realms)

-1 Counteract (Ambient Energies): The Tome Guardians are able to enforce their laws upon the Great Library through the manipulation of the ambient energies that run through it. Able to empower or disempower those that break the rules set by the three sub-divisions. Death for echo-servants is something that is rarely given out, most often warnings are sufficient or a weakening of the ambient energies given to them to force them to leave. Children are often restricted from using magic for a time if they break any rules.

6/10 Community (Magi Realms)

[DasIrrlicht]

Naseki, timecrunch
So I put the fluff in the actions and will instead add a extra post later to describe em al natura. Sorry.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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9 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART
1 AP - Advanced Concept [Water(Travel) 1/10 & GUA Charge]

Navy
The trade with someone across the ocean could not be kept secret forever. Especially that not only Port Tale was involved. The important point to take hold however was that the oceans are no longer a reliable barrier against potential invaders, even as it had been kept dangerous. Improvements in ship-building, training of sailors, group-exercises that should prevent people jumping overboard to join the seafolk, training how to use the mounted weapons... And of course, improvements in sea-worthy foods that do not taste absolutely terrible. It all comes together to form a force able to defend the chain from dangers below the waves, and the dangers above the waves they fear will come soon. Of course, there is potnetial to use it offensivley as well...

1 AP - Sub-Monster (Of Slimes)[Creation(Alchemy) 8/10]

Bloodclot
Slimes consume decayed flesh just as well as fresh one. However, extensive exposure to uncountable corpses on battlefields and mass-graves resulted to the vital energy of the blood reacting with the creatures. A 'Bloodclot' is a rust-red, oozing pile of alkaline fluids & severed limbs halp-hazardly healed back into a form. Like a porupine it covers itself in broken blades, armour-pieces and other weapons it will use to defend itself and, in some cases, attack with.
They do exhibit some unique behaviors, as they seem to activley seek out the creature that caused the owner of the 'donor-limbs' the most suffering, in order to kill them. Its not certain if they are aware of the reason, but as they move, they grow in size as they collect more and more spare parts. Unlike normal Slimes, they do not reproduce, and as such grow until eventually slain.

________
11 AP Left
1 MUA Charge (That is gonna go poof.)

Progress:
Creation(Alchemy) 8/10
Water(Travel) 1/10

[Zelphas]

Life in the Sky

It was almost time, Salet felt. It was nearly done with its presence, for the moment. And so, it tried to make some things that would last, away from the mess in other places.

Collecting some eggs from Adanat was simple enough, but modifying them took more time, and it had to modify their new homes as well to accept them. Gifting the people of the sky the powers that those underground already held fit well, and Salet noted with a distant sense of sadness that it was slowly beginning to use the actions of its other half. Perhaps it should end its time in a similar way as the other, then.

Any who were watching the Sky Whales would notice some strange moments with them; they would sometimes sail into a cloud... and vanish. Then again, some clouds seemed to simply create new Sky Whales out of nowhere, so perhaps it balanced out.

White Feather of Battle

The Cloak of Many Feathers shook, dropping its light load to the First World once more. This feather, rimmed in cool blue light, landed atop the head of a vulture upon the fields of battle. The vulture barely changed, but the blue light spread from it, dampening the sounds and cries of battle. Somewhere nearby, a baby goat let out a piteous cry. The Volcra spread its black, oddly blue-tinted wings.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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0 AP + 5 AP + 5 AP = 10 AP

Create Subrace (1 AP, from Yloch) - Choly: The Choly are still wormlike in form, but they are born and live within Sky Whales. They form a symbiotic relationship with the Sky Whales, protecting them against infection and other dangers and strengthening their muscles in return for a share of the Sky Whale's food and energy. This relationship is imperfect and often ends with either the Choly or the Sky Whales killing dying from the other, except when the Choly are inside... [Life (Symbiotism) 1/10]

Create Subrace (1 AP, from Sky Whales) - Lifeships: A Lifeship is a specific kind of Sky Whale that has adapted to not only permit, but require other lifeforms to live inside it, creating both "rooms" within its body and "doors" into and out of its inner workings. The Choly and Lifeships work in nearly perfect synchronicity; in a very simple form, the Choly form the ligaments, nerve endings, and brain of the Lifeship, while the Lifeship forms the skeleton, muscles, skin, and organs. [Life (Symbiotism) 2/10]

Teach Mythic Concept (2 AP) - Lifeshaping: The Elves that live upon Sky Whales now know how to use this power; it is extremely beneficial in both protecting and healing Lifeships, as well as turning regular Sky Whales suffering under Choly infestation into new Lifeships. [Life (Symbiotism) 4/10]

Weave Plane (3 AP) - Endless Sky: A plane of bright blue skies, warm winds, and gentle rain showers from cumulous clouds, extending in every direction. [Life (Symbiotism) 7/10]

Bless (1 AP) - Endless Life in the Sky: Those who find their way to Endless Sky find that their basic needs are endlessly replenished by the fabric of the Plane. [Life (Symbiotism) 8/10]

Create Portal (2 AP) - Cumulous Clouds: Large, fluffy cumulous clouds sometimes transport someone passing through them from the First World into Endless Sky, and the clouds in Endless Sky sometimes do the opposite. The place where a person enters or exits from one Plane to the other is essentially random. This portal does not include the large cloud bank in the center of the Triangular Chain. [Life (Symbiotism) 10/10; Domain get! Intermediate Deity Achieved!]

Create Monstrous Life (0 AP, from CoMF) - Volcra: Volcra are remarkably ugly looking vultures with an odd bluish sheen to their feathers and their bald heads. Their presence has a calming effect on emotions, allowing those near them to think clearly (and those close to death to surrender more quickly). Volcra share an instinctive hatred for ghikit; while they are normally scavengers, they will actively hunt and kill ghikit if they can find them.

10 AP - 10 AP = 0 AP Remaining

[Demidos]

The fog lays heavy over the northern coastline of Yalasere as a small ragtag detachment of Kish Eru’s army desperately fights for their lives. For the last two days, this detachment has held off a unit of cannibal cultists twice their number. Their lone inksworn’s defensive capabilities are middling at best, creating invisible beasts of fear that would be of great use against any other foe but only slightly affect the Empire’s fanatics. Only their dug-in position allows them to hold on – their post is atop Sawtooth Peak Overlook, a singular jagged rocky spire that pierces high into the sky, part of a newly established early warning network to warn Kish Eru of any incoming cultist incursions. The younger members of the detachment shivered in the pre-dawn cold.

“When are reinforcements coming??”

“With the signal fires sabotaged, we’ll be lucky to get them by tomorrow. For now we just have to hold on, we don't have any other choice.”

The sergeant was grim, but resolved. She’d seen heavy fighting in her mercenary days, but accepted a commission in the city’s army hoping to find a more stable company, something that was now coming back to bite her. Typical, really. At least sunrise shouldn’t be more than a few hours awa….

“Sunrise at last!”

….what? Sergeant Kell turned to where her newest recruit stood pointing off towards the horizon. The wrong horizon. A bright glow was coming from where tree met sky, but it looked like a riot of rainbow colors rather than the usual sunrise. The glow grew brighter and brighter.

“Wake the Inksworn! Get away from the ledge, something is coming! We don’t want to be caught with our pants down.”

And then from one moment to another, it arrived. It had the outline of a sea-folk but floating in the air, anything else was impossible to determine. Light poured from their eyes, pooled from their fingers, and drifted down from their toes. Ink spiraled in graceful patterns around its head. In its hand a prismatic light shines like a bonfire, rendering the nearby forest pale and colorless by comparison. Tongues of red, blue, green and other hues without names spill forth, painting the trees and subtly editing them in ethereal ways. Branches straightened, and leaves deepened their shade.

Empire cannibals ran screaming for their lives. Those who the light touched collapsed into gibbering wrecks, or attacked others in a frenzied fury. Neither were the Kish Eruvians spared, multiple beams striking one who blinded jumped, screaming, from the peak. Others stood staring into the distance, eyes vacant. Only Sergeant Kell’s quick orders saved the bulk of their soldiers who huddled deep within the caves on the peak.

It was over as soon as it began, the light outside fading to a darkness more in keeping with the early hour. A few brave soldiers ventured outside. They were met with chunks of melted stone, a forest strewn with dead cultists, and a few pockets of stones that still glowed, each with a different colored light. In the gloom the soldiers looked at each other as fireflies began once again to dance in across the forests and peaks below.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know, but if there are more like it, they could change the course of the war. Gather some of those stones and let headquarters know we’re coming back. Check the astralobe, ensure we have a path charted home. This report isn't one that can wait.”

Spoiler: AP Actions

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5 AP Create Legendary Race: Luminals are created by humanoids of any kind that are exposed to the Lantern of Myriad Truth’s light but for some reason or other resist its corrosive truths and emerge stronger for it. Luminals constantly emit light from all parts of their body, and are able to fly and manipulate light in addition to the abilities of their base race. This light can be used to emit searing beams of fire to cloak themselves in camouflage, or even to heal themselves. At the moment there is only one, which is quite mad, but over time as more are exposed to the light of the lantern more will emerge. Other Luminals need not necessarily go mad if they have a strong mind and will. Wonder (Illumination) 5/10

2 AP: Raise Hero: Ley’ria the Luminal, Archon of Madness: An old seafolk hermit driven mad by the truths of the Lantern, Ley’ria wanders the northern coast of Yalasere in search of something only she can see. She is neutral in the battle between First City and the Empire, but her presence is known to the City who does their best to limit Empire knowledge of her, hoping to bait them into sending an army into the way of destruction and madness. She is Inksworn, as evinced by the crown of ink dancing around her head, but no one knows what her Title might be. Magic (Inksworn) 10/10

Lantern of Myriad Truths MUA Charge: 0 AP – Develop Astrology: The light from the Lantern accidentally landed on several texts from a small merchant ship while Sagmi was first bringing the Lantern to the First World. One of these texts dealt with Astrology, the study of the movement of the great star mantas and their characteristics. Since then several books dealing with a variety of fields have been sold in Kish Eru each causing a small uproar and leaving the merchant transporting them very, very rich.

1 AP Bless: Lightstones – Magical semi-precious stones first created by the wanderings of the mad Hero Ley’ria, these stones resonated with the Lantern’s truths and began to emit their own light. Other semi-precious stones exposed for long enough to their light may also become light stones. When exposed to daylight or moonlight, these stones will slowly become permanently brighter. Sawtooth Peak in particular seems to hold many of these stones. Wonder(Illumination) 6/10

Song of Heroes GUA Charge: 0 AP – Bless Fireflies: No longer are the nights of Yalasere dark. Instead, massive swarms of fireflies dance and twirl across the night skies, entrancing watchers with their unearthly glows. Visitors and locals alike marvel at the beauty of this natural phenomenon. Wonder(Illumination) No points.

AP Accounting: 11 AP + 4 AP (Rollover) - 8 AP = 7 AP

[Fuzzy Math]

Hoc est mundum, hi sunt populus tuus
Potes vivere tibi hodie, aut auxilium aedificare cras omnibus.
This is your world, these are your people.
You can live for yourself today, or help build tomorrow for everyone.


Cycles of blissful slumber being momentarily interrupted by begrudging awareness led to fleeting dreams of the world that Rel was helping to shape. The visions themselves were not memorable, but it was the undercurrent of feelings, that something designed by his hand was beginning to fail, that kept him from a deeper sleep. Like a sōzu being filled at intermittent speeds, the cycles were rhythmic enough to not cause immediate alarm, but the irregularity of the timing was stirring his subconscious into irritability. The frustration finally reached a point where any moments of drifting deeper kept getting shorter and shorter, when he opened his eyes quickly and grumpily.

“The fek is it now?” Rel growled, uncharacteristically perturbed.

Getting off his lounge, he looked down at the sound of the stale toast hitting the floor, frowning. It had only been a few hours of rest, hadn’t it? Squinting at the jam stain on his robe, he noticed that it was a hardened mess, with crystallization setting in. He scratched at his beard, now wondering just how long he had been out, when he felt another pulse vibrate through his mind and paused mid-scratch. He hadn’t felt this before his nap, this irregular throbbing must be caused by something recently done. The feeling ebbed away again before he could get more familiar with it, but it was definitely tied to him somehow. Not bothering with a customary snack, Rel walked out of the bungalow, his pace determined as he moved toward the hedge gate without noticing the new bamboo water feature in his garden. Opening the gate and going through, he instinctively brought up the veil of secrecy; as much as he cared for the little ones, he wouldn’t be able to focus on sussing out the problem if they wanted to talk and play. There would be time for that later, Rel hoped.

Relloc’s face turned to greet him as it sensed his presence, then merely nodded as they noticed Rel wasn’t being noticed by the Hiplings or causing a disturbance in the environment, as if he were a Kami watching its environment. Nodding back at Relloc, Rel placed a hand on the Protector’s trunk and cast himself within his avatar; connected as it was to the island, this would hopefully be the quickest way to diagnose the issue. He felt Relloc join his consciousness, separate but whole, wishing to ask what has the Dreamer so concerned. Before he could address the question, there was another pulse, but it felt weaker this time. It wasn’t anything with the Hiplings; they were busy playing and learning from the Kami, sharing stories and food in return. Nor was it Relloc, though they did seem slightly less vigorous than the last time a conversation was shared. Maybe? It almost felt like a sense of fatigue, as if whatever was causing it had been compensating for an impairment of some kind, like a creature struggling to breathe. Rel’s eyes widened as the realization blossomed.

“The Aquaeductus! Damn! I guess the Sun didn’t feel like helping after all or maybe I was just blowing sunshine up my a-“ He cut himself off after hearing Relloc’s bemused chuckle at the euphemism. “Either way, I think I’ve got enough in me to make this happen. I hope…” Rel grunted as he gathered up a larger portion of his essence and pushed it through Relloc’s roots, out past the island into the Aquaeductus proper. Outside of this space, Relloc’s massive body shone brilliantly with a silvery light, garnering the attention of the Hiplings and Kami alike. He continued focusing on releasing the energy until he felt it return to him on the other side, then continuing to flow through him in a stable cycle, completing the circuit. Slowly letting go of the current, one finger at a time just in case it started failing again, he visibly reappeared outside of the great tree while brushing his hands off and grinning at all those now gathered. “A lovely morning to you all! Nothing to be alarmed by, just had to fix something. What’s for breakfast?”

After joining the mid-morning Pile and breakfast, Rel walked amongst his little ones and the Kami, listening to their adventures and what they’ve learned. Apparently, there had been quite a few discoveries while he was resting; he was proud of their accomplishments that did not require his intervention or guidance, they were starting to show signs of being able to take care of themselves and each other. He knew the day would come that they would leave the safety of the Pocket, ready to explore this world being shaped by many Dreamers, even if it was going to result in them being frightened and most likely harmed, if not outright killed. There was always that risk, to be honest, but they were starting to accept that they should meet the world on their terms before it came to them while unprepared. To that end, Rel was genuinely surprised; observation combined with relaxation leads to inspiration after all, but the methods of perspiration they came up with on their own were unique to their understanding of how the world works.

The first thing he learned of was the refinement of the Hiplings’ respect and reverence for the Kami. By extending the perspective of the essence of the Kami to the natural surroundings they inhabited, the Hiplings began showing a greater deference to the world around them, basing decisions on how their actions would more positively align with nature. While this applied to all of the Hiplings, some took it further, whole-heartedly committing their way of life to this concept. They studied the movements of life on the island, observing the lifecycles of plants and animals, doing their best so as not to disturb it as they went about their lives. These Hiplings would gather in groups to share their observations with each other and think of ways to guide others who wish to live as they. They came to agreement on established best methods, practices, and what their beliefs stand for, dedicating it to memory, to teach others should they choose to listen. Rel may not have been a Dreamer of the Wilds, but he could appreciate the concept of innovations evolving with the environment rather than simply using natural resources for the sake of innovation. He held out his cupped hands, willing a portion of his Dreaming to take the shape of an yvapurũ sapling, and beckoned them to follow. Once again with a destination in mind, his steps quickly brought him within sight of the left river, only this time he brought the Hiplings with him. Glancing about with wide-eyed wonder at where they were and how quickly they arrived, they let out little chuffs of surprise, their ears wiggling to signal amusement; it would have taken them almost two months to walk this far.

While holding the sapling in one hand, Rel pressed his free hand to the ground, willing the soil down deep enough for the tree to take hold. Placing the sapling into the newly created hollow, the soil shifted back into place to hold it secure, and he stepped back. As the Hiplings watched, the tree grew to its full fifteen-meter height in a matter of minutes, with white spindly flowers growing all along the trunk and branches. Those flowers were then replaced by large, dark, almost grape-like berries. Rel turned to face the Hiplings and nodded to them. “This is an yvapurũ and it is to be a symbol of your group. While it stands tall, the roots are small and strong, much like yourselves.” He plucked a handful of the berries off the trunk and gave a berry to each of the little ones. “These are sweet-foods, go ahead and try them.” Rel popped a berry into his mouth, enjoying the tart sweetness with a smile, and the Hiplings followed suit. Continuing while they ate, he opened his arms in an encompassing gesture. “You will be the stewards of this island which I call The Pocket, but you are free to name it for yourselves, defending it from harm with Relloc’s help. This shall be your sacred grove, that only you and those who wish to follow your ways shall be able to find and enter, where you can find the quiet necessary to explore your connections with the land. By the berries you have eaten, you now have access to a portion of the Dream within you; with it, you will be able to do many things like I can, only within your limits. Perhaps the Kami will be better able to help you shape your power; the ways of the Wilds are not in my Dreams like they are in yours.” Rel crushed a berry in his hand, using his thumb to wipe the juice across their closed eyes, marking their skin with a deep purple band. “This is how the other Hiplings shall know you and your purpose, by the bands of the yvapurũ; guide the Hopeful well, towards a better future that builds with nature and its preservation in mind. Now, let us get back to the village. I don’t want any of you to miss lunch!”

The Yvapurũ dispersed amongst the village in Relloc’s branches once they all returned, eager to tell the story of their adventure with Rel, the Eldest. Rel chuckled at that, sometimes forgetting that his appearance in the minds of the viewer is that of whatever race they are most comfortable with. “I suppose I am the Eldest of the Hiplings, what with the voluminous beard and my calling all of the Hiplings ‘Little Ones’. Hmm, I wonder what’s next on the agenda? It’s not even close to the mid-day feast and Pile yet, so let’s just pick a direction and wander. Hasn’t failed me yet!” He turned to walk to the outskirts of the Great Tree’s shadows and meandered towards the western cliffs, blending in with the scenery. Halfway there, he came upon an interesting scene; a Hipling and a Kami just sitting on a fallen tree chatting while sharing breakfast. This particular Kami had taken the shape of a Hipling, formed of reddish-yellow petals to match the light orange, almost peach-colored, skin of its log-mate. He was unsure if the Kamii even needed to eat, given their more elemental nature, but it still brought a portion of its shared meal to its “face” only to have the food break down and flow into itself. Rel smiled warmly at the sight; rather than just take the food and do nothing with it, the Kami understood the importance of eating shared meals to a Hipling. They also seemed to have learned how to communicate with each other as the Kami chuffed happily and excitedly wiggled its “ears” while the Hipling was talking.

“So, there I was, standing at the Eldest’s gate waiting to see if he was ever going to come out again. It had been months since his last visit, right? I started to wonder if maybe he had gone off to the Far Away, watching the Bigguns to see if there were any new things that happened. About that time, I pushed the gate open and wandered through his orchard to grab a fallen mango on my way to his home. Speaking of, I brought some with me! Here.” The Hipling known as Blossom reached into her pack, handed the Kami a few slices of dried mango, and continued with her story. “So, I head in there as the door was slightly open, wondering if I should have knocked on the doorway first, when I see Rel passed out his bench-chair thing. Just completely gone, like he ate five big meals and couldn’t fight off the sleepiness; that’s probably something you’ve never experienced, is it? Oh, it’s a glorious feeling, that long nap after eating just a little too much.” Blossom rested her head on the Kami’s shoulder and sighed contentedly, remembering her last long nap. The Kami, in turn, tilted its head to rest gently on top of Blossom’s head as if giving a gentle hug with its cheek. After a few moments passed, Blossom’s story perked up again, keeping her head rested where it was. “Toast on his robe, plate on the floor, snoring as loud as twenty Hiplings. I was about to get closer, to try to wake him, when he brought his leg up and let loose a mighty wind with a sound that would put the loudest river frog to shame!” Blossom started laughing as she pantomimed the action and tried mimicking the noise with her mouth, which only made her laugh even harder.

The Kami looked startled at Blossom’s reaction, not having the base of knowledge to understand what she was talking about, then it made a sound like quickly rustling leaves. This is the first time Rel had seen a Kami draw knowledge from Relloc and heard a Kami laugh along at a story; of course, it had to be about him being a little gassy after eating too many nuts. He reddened a little with embarrassment, but if it could lead to a shared experience between Kami and Hipling, the chagrin at his expense was well worth it. Shaking his head, he listened on as Blossom gained control of her giggles and went on with her tale. “I ran out of there as quickly as I could before my laughing could wake him; just wouldn’t be kind to wake up with someone laughing and you not knowing why. Thankfully, there were a couple of starbirds up in the trees as I barged through the gate, otherwise the walk back home would have taken forever. A few nuts and berries were all the coaxing they needed to grab my vine ropes and carry me back.” She giggled slightly, reminiscing about that bit of fun, then squeezed the Kami gently with a hug. “As much as I love our morning talks, I should probably get back to gathering the cachoos and berries. Hmm, I don’t think we have ever given each other names. My name is Blossom, what is your name?” The Kami made a sound like a gentle breeze and shifting river sand. “That is going to be hard for me to say properly, but I will practice! Would it be alright if I gave you a name that’s just between us, so if I don’t see you I can call out to you when I’m nearby?” Nodding, the Kami rested its chin on a hand, waiting to hear what it would be called. “Puká-iwitu-iwikũĩ. That is First Hipling, what our eldest spoke before Rel awoke from the Dream, that roughly means ‘Laughing Wind Sand’. I think that fits well, yes? Bit of a mouthful, really, so I’ll just call you Puká for short.”

At the end of Blossom’s naming, ‘Puká-iwitu-iwikũĩ’, the Kami’s head lifted from its hand with a look of surprise, and it made a quiet and sharp sound like a branch snapping off in the distance. Its essence felt subtly changed; more unique and defined, connected to this particular Hipling of the Hopeful, able to understand its words, intentions, and being without needing Relloc’s guidance. It nodded in enthusiastic agreement at the gift of a name between them, then it did something that Rel, the Hiplings, perhaps the entire First World, has not ever experienced. It physically spoke back with only slightly accented Hiplish, in a voice like Summer’s tender breath. “Tsoromind nieir fier sulntik,” Blossom felt a warmth spread throughout her body upon hearing the words, sensed a deeper connection to the life around her, her mouth opening slightly in wonder. “This is my name-gift to you, little Hipling. It means ‘Blossoming Flower of Friendship’ in the wordspeak of my kind. It will be only slightly less difficult for you to speak than the sound-meanings of my name. As you also gave me ‘Puká’, I shall give you ‘Tsoromind’. This giving of names makes me happy, Tsoromind. The one you know as Relloc tells us that the Others outside of the pocket only speak with us to bargain for our blessings, if they speak to us at all; give and take. You and yours do not ask anything of us; you share with us your stories, kindness, and ‘food’, which Relloc tells us is one of the most important aspects of offerings amongst your kind. You include us in your daily activities, in your play, in your decisions. You treat us as equal to you, even though we are both more and less in comparison, showing concern for our well-being by not destroying our physical connection to this world.” The Kami paused for a moment, searching for the words. ” We have kinship amongst our kind, Kami and Hipling, what you call ‘love’. I, and mine, are thankful for this, Tsoromind. Come, let me show you what it is to be Kami, and you can show me what it is to be Hipling.”

Rel stood there in open-mouthed astonishment as the pair walked off, feeling slightly lessened in spirit, as if that resonance drew its existence from him. When he explained the importance of the Kami to the Hiplings, he did not realize his guidance had planted such a bond between the two, for their sparks to resonate as one. His heart swelled with joy at the unexpected outcome, and he felt his connection with his avatar grow stronger. ”I’m sure you sensed this interaction, Relloc. In their own way they have become like us; bonded physically and through essence. Can you share this knowledge with the others, both Hipling and Kami, so they may continue to grow their commune together?” He exerted a bit of his will through to the great tree, to provide the necessary energy to empower the future bondings, and felt his avatar spread it out to the Hopeful. With that small effort made, Rel’s reality flickered, as if he were in both the Void and setting foot upon the First World. Closing his eyes and taking in a calming breath, he waited for the sensation to pass; he had been sleeping for months at a time before now, his physical body was getting easier to exhaust the more he distributed his Dreaming and an unalterable knowledge filled his mind. He was a dream of the Void made manifest, a godling on its way to achieving ascendancy in the hierarchy of existence, and soon he would be unable to share in the simple delights of his creation. He drew a sharp breath at this realization, this inevitability, and slowly released it as he came to terms with the idea. ”It is what it is, my man. Remember what you thought before, ‘You can't stop something from happening, you can only redirect its course, hopefully into something useful. Go with the flow, enjoy the ride while it lasts. Sometimes the journey changes you, forms you into something more beneficial for the world around you, letting it grow from your journey too.’ The little ones can still come to you at the Bungalow and you are able to join with Relloc; nothing is lost to you, just changing how you can interact with it. Besides, there’s still time to appreciate these finer details and the closeness with the Hopeful, so just live in the now. Is-ness, Rel, is-ness.” Opening his eyes, he was firmly back in the First World, and he strode off with renewed purpose.

On his way back to center of the Pocket, he watched as a group of Kami calmed a gathering of Hipling trappers and a jumping spider with a missing foreleg that was attempting to abscond with a rodent the little hunters had snared. Through images, the Kami explained that the spider was a hunter like them, trying to survive just as they were. The spider chittered curiously at the trap, trying to figure out a way to get at the prize inside, while the rodent stood stock still and breathing rapidly. One of the braver Hiplings came forward slowly, rationalizing there was plenty to go around for they could always trap another, and looked up at the spider cautiously. The spider’s chelicerae twitched as the Hipling approached, unsure if it should flee or strike, when one of the Kami laid a hand upon its cephalothorax as if telling it to be at ease. It released the trap from its pedipalps, backing away from it and the hunter, as the Hipling flipped the trap up to face the latched gate toward the spider. Climbing on top of trap, careful not to expose any limbs to the captured rodent, it waited for the Kami’s instructions. Acting as a translator between the arachnid and the hunter, it revealed to the spider that the little two-legs would share their meal with it, should it not bite at them or try to spin them up in its strands. It waved its abdomen as if in acknowledgement, then lowered its body to the ground, all of its eyes now focusing on the rodent inside. While the other Hiplings watched nervously, the brave little hunter quickly flipped the latch which raised the gate and they dropped behind the trap, for it to act as a shield just in case. As the rodent tried to quickly climb free, the spider was quicker, darting forward to sink its fangs into the creature and jumping back with its prey still clutched close in its pedipalps. The Hiplings watched in stunned silence as it ate; they always escaped into their pocket places when the big things got too close, so this was their first time seeing one of the spiders eat. After the initial shock wore off, they reset the trap while the arachnid was occupied with its meal and scampered off to check the other traps for today. As they went along, an Yvapurũ joined them and the hunters shared their story; it was agreed from then on that one of the Yvapurũ would join a group of hunters when they went out, to speak to animals as the Kami did, and so it went at three other traps. It seemed the same spider was following them, as there could not be many missing the same leg, circling ahead of them as it sensed the successfully trapped rodents. While not a successful hunt in the traditional sense, the Hipling hunters gained the trust of a new friend by adapting their sharing of food in a novel way and with the help of both Kami and Yvapurũ alike, gradually being able to work up their courage to pet it after a Kami was able to explain to it that the hunters were not a threat and wanted to show affection. Keeping his distance, Rel observed this adventure play itself out with only a little trepidation; had the Kami or Yvapurũ not been there, things would have likely gone very differently. Hopefully, the addition of either a Kami-bonded Hipling, the purple-banded ones, or possibly a Kami-bonded Yvapurũ will become procedure for every hunting party, as some of the beasts of this world may not be as docile as a jumping spider. He shuddered at the thought, and feeling a little wearier as the day seemed to be moving faster than he would have liked, he continued on his way to speak with Relloc about the upcoming changes for them both. He also wanted share what time he had left with his little ones, since their age of exploration was drawing near and his ability to be among them in this current fashion was coming to its end.

While all of the Hiplings were quick to learn, a good few of them were quicker than others and shared in Rel’s capability of performing mental calculations just by looking at drawings. After conversing with his avatar, he asked these inventive minds to make a visit to the Bungalow, wanting to see just how capable they were. They arrived the following morning as the sun was rising, looking very excited; whether because of the invitation or their first time travelling at Kami-assisted speed, Rel wasn’t sure. He smiled as he watched the Kami come to rest upon them, taking the form of woven vine wide belts, rings of copper, floral headdresses, and in the case of the Yvapurũ, a spider silk necklace ornamented with a teak symbol of their sacred tree. ”Come on up to the deck and enjoy a second breakfast with me, we will get to why I invited you as you eat. Fruits, nuts, fish, nectarine juice, and something special to drink that clears the mind fog after waking up when it’s just too early.” Pointing in the direction of the low tables with assortments for them to sit at on the deck, Rel walked into his home for a few minutes, then came back out with a large beetle shell tray with steaming wooden cups. Placing one in front of each of his guests, he took the last one as he set the tray down on his workbench, holding the cup in both hands to bring it under his nose and inhaled slowly with closed eyes before opening them again to watch all of them. They all did the same, then opened their eyes in happy surprise. This new drink smelled good! One with a beard almost as bushy as Rel’s went to take a sip when the other assembled Hiplings snorted once in protest, making the over-eager Hipling pause, and follow their gazes to Rel who still had yet to take a drink. A matter of politeness amongst the little ones, they only begin their meals until after the eldest one among them takes a bite or sip. Rel was not above a little mischief, so he kept them waiting, still watching. After a few more moments, he chuckled with an impish twinkle in his eyes and nodded at the bearded Hipling. ”We don’t have all day, longbeard, take a sip so we can begin!” They all grinned at that, wiggling their ears delightedly as the second eldest took his first sip, and waited to see his verdict. The longbeard’s ears twitched erratically once, twice, before he took another sip and grinned widely. Rel took the time to explain how to make the drink, from the shrubs as tall as trees where the fruits were found, the planting and growth cycle, their harvesting, the roasting, down to the exacting details of proper grinding and preparation. Once he felt they had a firm grasp of the concept, the morning feast truly commenced. This was going to be a good morning, indeed!

Rel laid out his sketches on the workbench while the others were enjoying their breakfast and the new drink called coffee, or as the Hiplings called it, “Jitter Juice”. He sipped at his own cup, sighing happily, as he let them finish before going over the ideas he had. Pointing over to the right of his home, there was a small-scale mock-up of the Rest, complete with the new addition of the Triangle Pass, though the term small-scale was relative. It was about the size of a five-storied human building made of stone, with two “rivers” running down the sides, and the Pass was two stories high and twice as wide at the top. He then motioned over to his sketches, bringing them over to the work bench for them to take a look. In the drawings, there was a switchback set of stairs leading from the base of the mountain up to the opening, multiple rooms large enough for the biggest Hiplings carved into the sides of the Pass, tubes dug through the stone of the mountain leading to basins on the walls that could be controlled by lifting a water stop and finer tubes within the ceiling to provide a nearly continuous gentle misting, and numerous planter boxes on the sides and ceiling for insect-attracting plants to be grown in. Near the bottom point of the Triangle there would be anchor points for ropes to be tied around, either to aid in climbing or some other purpose known only to Rel. Within the rooms there would be places for beds, river-fed pools with drainplugs, and food preparing spaces. Along the outline of the triangular openings on either side of the mountain and equidistant rows on the sides within the Pass, would be seams of orichalcum, sun-rock to the Hiplings, and a line drawn to Relloc. The Hiplings scratched their heads, looking at the drawings, wondering what the Eldest had in mind. It took them a few more seconds of contemplation before the discussions and plans started to pour forth; a lookout point, a resting area for those who want to climb high, a mountain retreat for those who need to contemplate what it is like to be among the stars? There were benefits to any and all of these ideas, but they didn’t know what the end result should be. The knew Rel was asking them to build something, though, so why not build one thing that encompasses all these projects? They hurried over to their “little” Rest and got to work on implementing Rel’s designs with the assistance of the Kami’s nature-shaping abilities and the input from the Yvapurũ on how the overall plan would best suit the ecology of the mountain.

Rel watched them as they worked, nodding as the little ones worked together to make the work not only go faster, but also allowed for collective suggestions for amendments during creation which saved them from revisiting ideas later. Once they were done, he marveled at their creative ingenuity, they actually improved upon his design. Creating two sets of stairs with a tightly corrugated ramp in between them and adding guardrails to the outer edges. When asked why they did this, they said that they may need to bring carts with them; the ramp was ridged like it was to provide extra traction if needed and by putting stairs on either side it allowed for better control over heavier loads. Rubbing his chin, he then pointed to the rooms carved into the mountainside along the stairs, to which they explained that a place to rest may be needed as there were a lot of stairs to reach the Pass. He looked at the deep-set caves next to the rooms and they followed his gaze. Before he could ask, they added that there could also be heavy rain which would make things too dangerous for carts or could damage the contents of the cart. Looking even closer, he noticed many small holes in the expansive flat landings where the stairs switched directions; they had managed to add drainage channels under the stairs which fed back into the river via underground stone pipes from the base of the stairs, preventing any flooding at ground level. Walking up the stairs to their end, he discovered that that they curved gently into the mountain itself, with orichalcum beams running along the walls and ceiling giving off enough pale silvery light to illuminate the inside of the tunnels. Rel paused, scratching his beard while looking up at the lighting. One of the Yvapurũ revealed that they discovered, depending on which root of Relloc the sun-rock touched, it was either a sun-rock or a moon-rock. The golden glow of that much sun-rock would be too harsh for the confines of the stairwell and inner rooms, but moon-rock provided enough soft illumination to recognize faces and allow for easier sleeping.

Every room on the sides of the Pass could be accessed from both the stairs and the outside, with a long balcony connecting each of the rooms on that particular level. Within the wide stone railing of the balcony rested the water basins with flowing water, but he didn’t see the water stops, which confused him until he got to the end. He saw that they designed the basins in such a way that they would fill until reaching an overflow drain. A well-pleased grin crept across his countenance upon seeing this; he didn’t even think of that as a possibility, yet here it was, and he was happily upstaged by his Hopeful! Gazing up, Rel saw another deviation from his original plans, seeing that they built the planters within the bottom of the balconies directly under the basins. Tilting his head to the side, he didn’t comprehend the why of their design. Turning to them with a look of confusion, they just grinned at him and looked up behind him, their ears wiggling with excitement. With a bemused smirk, he did as they wordlessly directed, and kept looking. He caught a faint glimmer of light fall from the balcony into the planters and now that he knew what to look for, he saw many falling glints of light. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, having realized that the overflow drains down into a droplet system inside the balconies. It prevented the plants from being overwatered and the soil just moist enough for the plants to thrive. Clever, very clever! Thankfully, for what little bit of ego he had, they kept the misting system and the orichalcum lighting seams the way he designed. For now, at least, until they could come up with a better idea. He turned back to face them, his eyes glistening under the moon-rock dispensed light, opening his arms wide. They all gathered in for a group hug, feeling Rel’s joy and satisfaction with what they accomplished; they understood what he wanted, gave him more than what he asked of them, and more importantly, came up with ideas of their own with minimal to no guidance from him. They were well on their way to being little Makers themselves, taking their first steps towards improving their world and perhaps the lives of the other races on the First World, ready to show them what it meant to be Hopeful…

Easing his embrace, they were all back on the Pocket proper along with the mock-up Rest, at the right distance for a bit of perspective. Rel stood in front of the model, growing to a height where he could grasp the sides of the small-scale mountain and pull it back just enough to where it lined up with the real mountain, using the Triangle Pass as a guide. Once the openings matched up, he placed his hands flat on either side of the model and exerted all but the last of his earthly power with closed eyes and a grunt. He opened his eyes when he heard them all gasp, no longer feeling anything within his grasp and saw that mock-up became one with the Rest, everything to scale. The mock-up was one thing, actually constructing all this on and in the mountain would be too monumental a task for hands as small as theirs in the timeframe he suspected he had left to him. Shrinking back down to their size, he smiled sheepishly at them and shrugged. ”You came up with a better design than I did. The least I could do was make it real for you. Let’s get back to the village, we wouldn’t want to miss lunch, would we?”

After spending the rest of the day with the Hiplings, joining their feasts, Piles, and sharing in their tales, he rested for the night in a combined state with Relloc so he could be with all the Hopeful at once. Rel joined the Hiplings in their dreams and manifested near the Kami of the Pocket, relaying how proud he was of them and the progress they had made both individually and together. He explained, as gently as he could, about his impending transformation and what that would entail for them. That he would still be able to visit them in their dreams or as the Great Tree Relloc, and that they would be able to visit him anytime they wanted at his home. ” I love you, little ones, more than I can express. And to the Kami, while I am not your creator, you have just as special a place in my heart as my Hiplings. To me, you are one and the same, equally deserving of affection and respect. I’m not leaving any of you, I’m just going to be having more responsibilities watching over you as you get ready to explore the world of the Bigguns and making sure you are as prepared for this adventure as I can, and that means I have to stay focused on a much bigger picture. Think of it like this; from up in a tree’s branches, you can see more of the ground below than you could if you were down in the bushes, yes? That is what I will be doing from my home, watching all of you, no matter where you are. But not yet, not tonight. Tonight, I am going to listen to all your songs, stories, and jokes. I will play any game you want me to play. Answer all questions you may have to the best of my ability. There is much you can teach me as well; while I may know quite a bit, I am not all-knowing. I want to learn what it means to be Hipling, what it means to be Kami, from your experiences and perspectives. You have my full attention tonight, my Hopeful, show me how to truly Dream!”

Spoiler: AP Spending

Show

AP Remaining After Rollover: 12
Refund from original Divine Magic posting: 2
AP Total: 14

Create Mythical Concept (4AP) - Divine Magic: Divine Magic is a fraction of godly essence/power gifted to those who offer reverence to deities, avatars, concepts of nature, and/or true devotion to a philosophical ideology(Law/Chaos/Good/Evil), enabling the gifted to perform actions similar to Gods but on a much smaller scale, while bearing the "signature" of their chosen belief structure(left up to the player/writer what their god's "signature" might look like). Anyone can tap into Divine Magic if their faith is strong enough for their god to notice, but the truly devoted can be granted a Domain themed ability suited to their chosen devotion, while Heroes can be granted two. [Dream (Inspiration) 8/10]

Create Mythic Sub-Concept (2AP) - Druidism (Divine Magic): Druidism is an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. Its followers claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature’s indomitable will. Revering nature above all, believers gain their powers either from the force of nature itself (Kami) or from a nature deity. Many pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. Practitioners are also concerned with the delicate ecological balance that sustains plant and animal life, and the need for people to live in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it. Leaving the powers unlisted so others have room to adapt for their purposes, but the powers should reflect a connection with nature; shapeshifting into or speaking with animals or plants (including animals/plants created with the Create Monster action such as jumping spiders, auroch, and banyan trees), causing plants to grow larger, quicker, or perhaps deadlier, localized (200 meters) earthquakes and weather effects, etc... These powers are in lieu of the domain-themed abilities granted by Divine Magic. [Dream (Inspiration 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Create Organization (1AP) - The Yvapurũ: A druidic order of Hiplings who have been tasked with the protection and preservation of the land within the Pocket, guiding the Hopeful towards building their civilization with the conservancy of nature rather than solely consuming resources for their needs. If they happen to come across races other than the Kami and Hipling, who are of like mind, they would be willing to teach once the language barrier has been removed. [Creation (Bounty) 5/10]

Create Mythic Sub-Concept (2AP) - Kami Bonding (Divine Magic): Currently locked to Hiplings; through the equal treatment between Hipling and Kami, the Hipling reverence towards the Kami (plural being Kamii?), and the Kami appreciation of the Hiplings' innate kindness, the two races have formed a spiritual bonding that benefits both. When a Hipling and a Kami give each other a meaningful name, their sparks/souls resonate with each other; at that point the Hipling can utilize some of the abilities of the Kami (such as blending in with surroundings, not leaving behind physical scent or tracks, limited elemental and/or environmental shaping/attacks/defenses, methods of mobility) while the Kami can consider the Hipling to be an extension of their environment which allows the Kami to travel outside of their usual boundaries to explore the greater world. Should the need arise, the resonance can be severed by either party, with the Kami instantaneously rejoining their local area. For example; if a Hipling realizes they are about to perish, the resonance can be severed, and the Kami appears at the place of initial bonding. [Community (Family) 5/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (1AP) - Beast Taming: With gentle guidance from the Kami, the Hiplings learned they did not always need to fear the bigger animals; more often than not, they just wanted sustenance, much like the Hiplings themselves. Using a food-based reward and training methods, the Hiplings began the process of befriending animals of all kinds. [Creation (Bounty) 6/10]

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Engineering: While studying with Rel, many of the adult Hiplings were gifted with the understanding of how to solve technical problems, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve systems whether through building something new or improving on already existing structures and systems. [Creation (Bounty) 8/10]

Create Advanced Sub-Concept (1AP) – Civil Engineering: Combining the teachings of Rel and the Yvapurũ, the Hipling engineers have mastered the application of physical and scientific principles for solving the problems of society through design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, sewage systems, pipelines, and structural components of buildings. [Creation (Bounty) 9/10]

Create Mundane Concept (1AP) – Coffee: While some of the effects may be antithetical to the love of relaxation, the exacting process of preparing the perfect brew can be calming and there are rare occasions when heightened alertness is necessary. While the Hiplings have mastered the process of growing, harvesting, roasting, and preparing the fruits necessary for making “Jitter Juice”, they will be quick to offer a cup, with food, as a gesture of friendship. [Creation (Bounty) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

AP Spent: 14
AP Remaining: 0

Progress:
[Creation (Bounty) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]
[Dream (Inspiration) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET! Lesser Deity status achieved!]
[Healing (Repairs) 1/10]
[Community (Family) 5/10]

[DasIrrlicht]

timecrunch

Naseki, Water & Blood
The first true warships have left port. The Noble has dabbled with the concept for a while, to create some ships to escort merchants and collect people who decided to attempt a ocean crossing. Able to defend itself against attacks from Seafolk Leviathans, and at least hold itself against dragons long enough to have other ships escape. Maybe even defeat some if grouped up. Its sails made from the wool that has become cheaper over time. Its rigging using the thick silken strings the Spiders have been able to produce. Its armament using both freezing and incendiary scorpio-ballista, as well as faster to shoot rocket-arrow-arrays. Truly, the defenses as normally only a city or a army can provide, spread around ships of different sizes and purposes. Real beauties.

---

"Hey, keep the children away from that mountain!" The sheepherd shouts at the traveling troupe of musicians and their family. "What, do the Necromancers not watch their servants correctly?" "I wish. No, the nobles have gotten the absurd idea of taming the jumping spiders, permanently. It is... Working, somehow. They got a whole swarm there. Won't harm you, but your small ones may be not that lucky. The way some of them eyed my sheepdogs has me a bit on edge..."

---

The pile of limbs was moving. That alone would not have been to unusual for the forest of Bahl, but this pile was not cursed by the members of the warhost. No, this one was a creature of its own, a ooze made up of thick blood and flesh fragments, arms, legs and even some heads with their mouths agape occasionally poking out. Most of the hands where clambering to weapons they wielded when their owners still lived, and a uncompfortable ammount of arrows has collected along the creatures back.

The clot has been wandering a recently destroyed camp, weaving off-path to consume more bodies and add their limbs to its outer shell. In truth, however, it has a goal on its fragmented and simple mind. A face, a person, who has caused a lot of suffering to the prey this slime consumed. How the Bloodclot knew where the person was is unknown, how the fact that the person even exists at all is known to it is a absolute mystery.

Yet something about the suffering drove it. A pile of ooze and corpses wanting revenge for a crime they are unaware they where a victim of, heading deeper into the forest, absorbing more stray suffering as it approaches the hideout of its target...

---

The deal was simple. She would be leading a group of settlers and soldiers over to the east, once again. This time, however, she would recive backing from a number of different cities, in which name she should be founding a new one. Unlike Port Tale, which has grown organically after a troubled begining, this new city will be stamped out of the ground artificially. A defensive fortress from wich the Chain will spread its infulence in a new, yet oh so old land...

But first, they will need to travel the distance. A actual fleet worth of vessels, large transports and many a warship. In tow, fisher boats to establish a early food production once landed. Small herds of Sheep and a swarm of Domesticated Jumping Spiders. Barrel after barrel of raw materials. Tools and plans for heavier designs. Experts in magics of different kinds. Uncountable workers, mercenaries, sailors. Humans and Gelaton alike. Even a Cultivar of the Medow Bloom takes part in the expedition.

And what they all had in common was a Oath sworn to their leader. The black-as-ink Gelaton mostly goes by 'The Lady' both for her followers and anyone else mentioning her. Trough she does apparently have a name from before she became a Inksworn, and does carry an actual title from the abysal labarinths of sorts. Yet nobody seems to know what her actual title is.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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11 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART
0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

(Sheep) Herding
Naturally, sheeps and goats are the most obvious choice to Herd. The lesser cows and even the rare herd of Aurochs exist as well. Most herds are keept for their wool or milk, throwing of some meat as a side business as lambs get sold of to be butchered. There are rare cases of more 'special' herds, breeding to sell the animals of whole for different uses, or herding rarer animals or even monsters.

1 AP - Sub-Monster (Of Jumping Spiders) [Creation(Alchemy) 9/10]

Domesticated Jumping Spiders
Always tameable, it was manipulation of their feed and breaktroughs of selective breeding that made the commin Jumping Spider more useful to Society as a whole. The resulting arachnids are much more pack-oriented and prefer to consume more, but smaller prey which they can also feed their offspring. This, in turn, makes them less a thread to people... If not directed by people, that is.

Despite their changes in behavior, they are still far from harmless. Both suitable to ride the jagged terrain away from the roads of the triangular chain, and able to shoot rope-like silk strings at a moving target, they are well on their way to replace Aurochs as the beast of choice for most non-agrarian purposes.

1 AP - Teach Mundane Concept [Creation(Alchemy) 10/10]

Textiles
Textiles are not new to the chain. Most clothes on the triangular chain come from wool, leather and petals of the bovine lotus. But over time, the treatments improved, so the current cloths are not behind in durability of strength. Their weight however still tends to be on the heavier side.

2 AP - Raise Hero [Water(Travel) 3/10]

The Lady, Inksworn of Oaths
A surprisingly old, yet forever youthful Gelaton of ink-like complexion, the stains not being limited to their hands as it has spread trough her whole body. The gel-body emulates that of a human in most features, but she forgoes forming any facial features, making her hard to read at times. Both her name and her title are keept secret, even by the ones that know them, but one can infer rather easily that it has to do with the process of swearing a oath, a binding promise or agreement of sort to fulfill tasks or embody certain ideals, made willingly.

After the mixed success of her first expedition, she has started to get quite a following, as well as some wealthy backers. The Lady seems to prefer to avoid fighting when words can solve a problem peacefully, but if that fails, or a foe is seen as to deeply corrupt or evil to attempt and compromise, a Sword and shield are her weapons of choice. She does dabble in the magical arts, but it does not seem like she found the ones right for her yet.

________
11 AP Left
1 MUA Charge
1 GUA Charge

Progress:
Creation(Alchemy) 10/10
Water(Travel) 3/10

[Zelphas]

Turn and Turn Again

Salet had run out of time. It knew this. And so, it returned to its place. The rock that had been and would be Telas was still in its place, though the place had changed much. Perhaps its other would enjoy the change. Salet knew it was no more its concern. And so, Salet returned to where it came, wondering, only for a moment, if it would come back again.

...

..they could rest and watch for a time--

Telas became abruptly aware that they had lost time, somewhere.

Their surroundings changing drastically, the stamp of a different god upon their place, was something they accepted and set aside; they had hoped to hide within another being's choices, and this gave them the opportunity to do so. They would look at this later. Instead, their focus went to the creatures they had been watching most closely, before... before something had happened.

Much had changed with the Yloch.

Telas watched as the Yloch traveled a vast underground space, larger than they could have made themselves. When had this appeared, and how could it have come to be? They watched as sinkholes appeared on the surface, small and fleeting, dragging flora and fauna into this underground cavern. Vast stretches of the caverns were covered in thick, moss-like growths in a multitude of colors; these growths fed on one another and were eaten by everything underground, yet always returned.

Telas saw a vaguely spiderlike figure made from stone, which lived with others of its kind shaping stone into alien geometries. This figure came upon a fallen human with some delight, gathered it up, and dragged its form towards an obelisk, pushing the struggling creature into the stone as if the solid surface was water. The obelisk morphed, slowly, around the human inside it, then stepped from its pedestal and began to move, another stone spider. Telas sensed that these creatures were related to one of their earliest creations. How did this happen?

In their sight, Telas watched another event unfold; a strange, pale figure, a mess of limbs and appendages, stalked a small group of surface creatures. When one of those creatures separated from the rest, the pale monster engulfed it, then walked back to the group. In panic, the group attacked it, and it became angry and attempted to engulf them all. What could that be?

They saw tiny, blind creatures with two legs, short tails, and wide mouths hunt; each one was frail, but working together they overwhelmed foes. They saw what looked like a normal cave; when creatures walked into it, the ceiling fell, and then rose into place, leaving nothing behind. How had all of this happened?

Spoiler: AP Actions

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0 AP + 6 AP = 6 AP

Funeral Rites: Salet has died! ...For the moment. 5 AP for each of their Domains gives me 41 AP total. Spending 20 AP to buy the Domains and Portfolios of: Chaos (Change), Craft (Tools), Earth (Wastelands), and Emotion (Addiction). Also, spending 11 AP to buy back: The Caverns of Yl, the Yloch, Yloch Ratum, Boulder Worms, Wormwalkers, Deep Delvers, Teach Beast Taming, Yl's Escape, and Yloch Controllers, thereby getting the Life (Worms) Domain and ascending to Lesser Deity!

Telas is back, with 10 AP. Using that to do this:

Create Land (2 AP) - The Deepness: A massive series of labyrinthine tunnels stretching across the known world, wedged between the surface and the endless sea beneath. There are only a few direct connections to the surface world; Yl's Escape and the Caverns of Yl are one such connection. The Deepness would be barren without connection to the surface, or covered in Triffilids (see below). [Nature (Parasites) 3/10]

Curse (1 AP) - Sinkholes: Minor, random sinkholes open throughout the world from time to time, dumping whatever is underneath them into the Deepness. There are no more than five sinkholes open at any time, and they remain open for no longer than ten minutes before closing again (most open and close within seconds). [Nature (Parasites) 4/10]

Create Monstrous Life (1 AP) - Triffilids: Triffilids are multicolored growths of fungus-like material that proliferate in the Deepness, especially near water. Nearly anything can digest and gain nutrients from Triffilids, including other Triffilids, and they are able to regrow from miniscule deposits, meaning that they are never truly eradicated and will consume themselves to continue growing if necessary. [Nature (Parasites) 5/10]

Create Subrace (1 AP, from Rock Wights) - Gargoyles: Gargoyles are what happens either when a Rock Wight has eaten enough sentient prey to gain sentience itself, or when a sentient creature is placed alive into especially-prepared stone by another Gargoyle. Spider-like creatures (with ten limbs instead of eight and no visible head), Gargoyles can manipulate solid rock easily, forming it or moving through it as if it was air or gas. While they are sapient creatures, Gargoyles do not see anything but other Gargoyles as sapient, considering flesh-creatures as food, or as essentially a means to reproduce. [Nature (Parasites) 6/10]

Create Racial Society (2 AP) - Beauty: Since Gargoyles only eat rarely, do not sleep, and have a solid understanding of when they will die by monitoring their own life-force, Gargoyles in the Deepness have dedicated themselves to one pursuit: beauty, which to them means shaping alien labyrinths out of stone and finding the best way to trap flesh-creatures and display them until use. This means that Gargoyles are often somewhat solitary, though they keep in regular contact with each other in order to admire one another's "art". [Nature (Parasites) 8/10]

Create Monstrous Life (1 AP) - Mockeries: Mockeries are aberrant creatures that attempt to mimic other creatures (especially sapient ones) and live with them. The problems in this bizarre way of life are manifold: in the first place, Mockeries first kill and replace one sapient creature in order to blend in. In the second place, a Mockery cannot tell one sapient creature from another, and so their attempts to mimic a creature end up with them displaying a horrifying mishmash of every sapient creature they have ever seen. In the third and final place, when they are not immediately accepted by the group they are trying to join, they grow angry and try to kill every creature in sight. This means that they are less "terrifying mimics" and more "nightmare murderers" in the eyes of most sapient life. [Nature (Parasites) 9/10

Create Monstrous Life (1 AP) - Nipjaws: A nipjaw is a bluish black teardrop-shaped creature standing on two stumpy, thick legs, standing about one foot high on average. the wide end of the teardrop is split in half by a large, tooth-filled maw. Ravenous pack hunters, a single Nipjaw is too weak and fragile to be a credible threat, but several Nipjaws are a formidable enemy. [Nature (Parasites) 10/10; Domain Get!

Create Monstrous Life (1 AP) - False Caverns: A False Cavern, at first glance, looks like the ceiling of a large cave. Closer inspection would reveal that all of the stalactites are oddly uniform, and the air of the cave is too warm and wet compared to the tunnels leading into and out of it. When enough creatures to make a meal for the False Cavern walk under it (this is variable depending on the size and hunger level of the Cavern), the False Cavern simply falls, crushing and absorbing the creatures under it before taking its place back as the fake ceiling. False Caverns can be killed, but preparation and skill is needed due to their size and tough hides. [Life (Mockery) 1/10]

10 AP - 10 AP = 0 AP Remaining

[MutantDragon]

Enemies of the Mind

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of warriors mad with a lust for slaughter gathered in the forest. Drakes and their riders gathered in numbers never before seen in one place. At their head was Harkit, resplendent in his armor and crown, deadly sword hung at his hip. All knew that when that sword was unsheathed the enemies of the sun would tremble in fear of its flaming might. And all knew that the day soon came when Harkit's blade would once again feel the open air and taste the blood of heretics. Hundred, perhaps thousands, of warriors mad with a lust for slaughter marched in the forest, chanting hymns to the sun with an eagerness that would startle most other creatures. The whole of the forest was filled with the sound of their chants, the thunder of their footsteps, and the roars of their beasts, and any who heard was filled with dread.

---

Deep in the shadows of Bhal'nabool, a spark burst into a flame. It was small and dim, but its glow could be seen clearly in the gloom of night. It flitted about the darkness with the sense of levity one would find in an otter. It was soon after its formation that the lone survivor of a small scouting party from Kish Eru that ran afoul of the flora and fauna stumbled into the clearing where the light played. Despite himself, he couldn't help but watch as the flame darted about. He couldn't for the life of him recall where he was, but he knew this wisp was pretty and playful. What was the harm in watching it? And so he watched, and, as it drifted away, he followed. He didn't't bother to look where he was going, he simply followed the light. He never even noticed as a giant insect crawled out from the underbrush.

---

Junit was not a normal girl. The other children were scared of her. Her siblings were scared of her. Her parents were scared of her. They weren't always scared of her. They mocked her or worried about her once. They thought she was always spacing out. She wasn't. She was just looking at the dead people. They were scared, the dead people. They were dying all over again. It was sad. Then she started to hear the voices. Not the dead voices; she had always heard those. No, she was hearing the voices of the people around her. Their inner voices. And she talked with them. But they didn't understand. Others would mock her when she spoke in response to thoughts, but the people spoken to became scared. It disturbed them. An older girl hit her for it. So she made the other girl hurt. She made the girl scream. She didn't hear any thoughts from the girl anymore. Now everyone was scared of her. She could hear them. She could hear all of them. They were shouting with their outer voices and inner voices. They were scared and angry and loud. It was too much. They were too loud. So she shouted back. Not with her outer voice, but her inner voice. And suddenly, they were all silent. No more shouting. Just quiet. And as she looked at the dead people, she saw more familiar faces than ever. And, she supposed, they were scared, but at least their wails were quieter now.

---

Carnok was gifted. He could move small objects with his mind and listen to the thoughts of the people around him. Carnok was cursed. He could move small objects with his mind and listen to the thoughts of the people around him. He walked a narrow line between madness and lucidity, but he remained sane for the time. He wondered how many of his peers could have done the same. But, still, his powers had their good parts. Why just the other day—TERROR! He staggered under the weight of his fellow villagers' fear. He stumbled from his cottage, mind cracking under the strain of so many minds crying out in fear. In pain. There was something new, too. Something small, and primitive, and chaotic. But it was drowned out by the cries of larger minds. By the time he disentangled his consciousness from the psychic stampede, it was too late. The goblin was already upon him.

---

The goblin was different than the others. It was spawned from one of the gifted. It lacked the intellect or will for true psychic perception of proficiency, but it had raw power that leaked from its simple mind, lashing out at everything around it. Most of the humans it chased doubled over in pain or became consumed by madness. This power could not save it from an arrow, however.

Spoiler: OOC

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Rollover x2! 8AP + 10AP = 18AP

Create Mundane Concept (War Chants) MUA: The armies of the Empire of the Sun have taken up the practice of war chants meant to strike fear into the hearts of enemies.

Create Monster (Will-o'-the-Wisp) GUA: Within Bhal'nabool, the Darkness Weaver's dreams spawned this creature. They appear to be small balls of colorful flame that dance about with a seemingly playfulness. This is a deception that, combined with minor hypnotic magics, draw the weak willed into following the wisps, which then lure their victims towards natural hazards such as deep water or hungry predators. The few People of the Chain who have had occasion to learn of them have taken to referring to them as Irrlicht.

Create Mythic Concept (Psionics) 4AP: Sapient people of every race across the first world are occasionally born with psychic powers. The exact nature and strength of these abilities various depending on the individual, with "common" abilities including telepathy, telekinesis, and the perception of the Echo Plane, though a wide gamut of abilities can be found in particular individuals. These abilities are known to erode the sanity of the users, though it is often unclear if that comes from the abilities directly destroying the mind of simply the added terrors and stresses the powers often add to the lives of "gifted" individuals. [Mind (Insanity) 4/10]

Create Monster (Mind Goblin) 1AP: Mind Goblins are created when psychically gifted individuals are turned into goblins. The goblins created from the psychics posses some of that psychic's power, but none of their control or refinement. This cuts them off from the normal hive mind. Regardless of which abilities the psychic may have possessed in life, the mind goblin vents pure mental energy, overloading nearby minds and causing extreme pain or madness, though these effects can be overcome through enough will or opposing psychic force. The strength of the mind goblins psychic assault is determined by the strength of the infected psychic. [Trickery (Corruption) 10/10] New Domain Unlocked!

18AP - 5 AP = 13 AP
0GUA
0MUA

[Mechalich]

Cleaning the Web
Ecie, in looking upon the worlds within the Droplet Web, scowled. There were fine worlds to be found within the cores of Elves, Hiplings, Humans, Lolats, and especially the Onna who had been pushed towards this path. At the same time, there were also problems. Many worlds, far too many, were either stunted by the influence of internal discord or hideously tainted by devotion to external influence. Though it was in her nature to welcome connection and joining, Ecie’s mind hand expanded since her early beginnings. There was connection, and then there was corruption. Where one took two things and bound them together to create a greater whole, the other’s influence pushed on thing into dominance over the other, disrupting uniqueness and leaving behind something lesser than there had been to begin.

By this point, she struggled to full extend her awareness to the First World, so full of corrupt connection and discordant consumption as it was. So many creatures that tore and tore, and others that warped and twisted inward. She did not think it would last much longer. A sad thing, but not, in the grand scheme, especially consequential. There were many, many thousands of worlds now. The loss of one was merely the elimination of one node in the web. However, it would not do to allow such corruption to spread to the Droplet Web. It was, she saw, like that concept mortals faced: disease. The Onna had studied this, and learned to respond to infection, to the poisonous cancer of corrupted cells, through extraction, the removal of the damaged flesh to preserve the whole. It was something Ecie had absorbed herself.

The web required a cleansing, more, it required agents to protect it, to maintain a constant cleansing pressure. They would, she realized, perforce need to be potent creatures, for worlds were not some small matters to handle. It would even be preferable, she realized, if these protectors could also guide and teach, aiding in the growth and transcendence of the worlds within. As such, they would need wisdom in addition to strength.

It took some time, but eventually she grasped the form desired, and shaped these new guardians from the core strands of the web itself, empowering them within its bounds immensely. Outwardly the possessed the form of Hover Wasps, maneuverable creatures capable of removing items from spider webs, but they were formed from the very fabric of the plane itself, possessing vast size, immense power, and a slow, calculating intelligence capable of alien inspiration and pattern discernment far beyond that of mortal beings. They chose to call themselves Parischnas.

The Parischnas quickly spread throughout the Droplet Web and sliced free corrupted worlds with mighty snaps of their mandibles. Such lost inner realms were not harmed, but they were returned to the void where they resided before, unable to touch or contact any others. All those consumed by external influence were removed in this way, and a vigilant watch was kept accordingly should new damage arise.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Create Legends (5AP): Parischnas – these beings are mythically augmented hover wasps (Parischnogaster sp.) that dwell in the Droplet Web. They have the ability to cut the fabric of the web itself, severing connections between inner worlds and, if they desire, removing such worlds from the web entirely. They are extremely sensitive to the nature of these worlds, able to discern a great deal regarding the identity of the owner from simple contact. Per the mandate of their creation, all worlds consumed by 'corruption' are immediately purged from the web. This includes any world belonging to a being lost to cannibalism, anyone who has conducted a Pact with a Temptation of related entity, all Inksworn, and anyone whose mind is subject to Lilia's love, among others. [Law (Judgment) 5/10]

Starting AP: 5 Rollover Gain: 6 Spent: 5 Remaining: 6

[AlexanderML]

In the Magi Realms there exists many different realms living amid a number of colorful flower-themed terrains. Yet standing out for both their choice of home and for being one of the oldest Realms founded is that of Mo'Orical.

Founded by those who wished to live outside of where the Tuatha made their home, the ruler of Mo'Orical founded his first outpost amid the dark dry expanse of the waste.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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6/20

-(artifact charge) Create Organization - Mo’Orical, the Wasted Realm: A magi realm that resides inside a wasteland portion of Desire Heart. Its population mainly consisting of those embraced from the Chain; they have turned this realm into an exporter of orichalcum and glassware. Its capital, the Shining City, is located next to an artificial lake that also borders the Lustrous Caverns.

-1 AP - Teach Advance Concept - Glassware: ‘Inventing’ the methods themselves the people of Mo’Orical discover and then master the art of creating glassware for a variety of uses. While they attempt to keep many of the trade secrets to themselves, this concept inevitably spreads to all of the Magi Realms. 7/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

-1 AP - Teach Advance Concept - Optics: While other magi realms can replicate most designs of Mo’Orical on their own, the ability to design and create something that manipulates light to a complex and precise degree remains a specialty of the realm. 8/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

-(artifact charge) Create Mundane Concept - Orichalcum Lamps: These lamps are designed with a small shard of orichalcum placed among a set of mirrors to maximize its luminosity. While essentially only made in Mo’Orical they are exported to other realms and beyond as durable sources of light that require no fuel or delusion.

-(artifact charge) Alter Land - Lustrous Caverns: These caverns located in the wasted realm of Mo’Ocrical are home to long veins of orichalcum. It is dangerous work, as the cavern twists and the light of so much orichalcum has been known to make embraced or living alike suffer a number of medical conditions with time that requires magical intervention. The people of Mo’Orical tend to view it as a prized possession, its shifting walls always appearing abundant.

The fact that it exists in Desire Heart has those few scholars who know of it and the source of arcane magic puzzled. The concept of ‘mass delusional phenomena’ is beginning to make its way around the silver scribes.

-(artifact charge) Bless - Mist Blooms: These flowers were given to the ruler of Mo'Orical as a gift from Chymes when he visited. They produce a soft mist that is regulated to meet the needs of any garden, the flower naturally never letting drought or flood harm plants within a garden. They have a lesser effect when carried around by humanoids, with a soft mist regulating the temperature to keep things comfortable for the wearer, though it cannot stop drowning or extreme sources of heat and cold.

The mist these flowers produce contains a small amount of Lilia's Love that is transferred to the creatures it touches. This is an even more insignificant amount than most flowers of Lilia, though when worn for long periods of time it becomes comparable to other flowers.

-(artifact charge) Create Monstrous Life - Chimeras: Formed from an animal’s soul placed inside the Delusion Caldron, with the creation leaving an after effect that nature recreated. Chimeras are the culmination of numerous animal souls conjoining after death, their souls unable to persist alone yet conjoined together through the delusion they are gifted by the Soliloquy. This gives them more mass than embraced souls of mortal species, yet their minds are twisted and torn in multiple directions at once. Without a tamer these creatures act unpredictably, mostly doing nothing yet capable of fierce violence or fearful flight depending on the souls that make up the chimera.

Upon death chimeras produce a small amount of Lilia's Love in the air around them, something that counts as having eaten a flower with Lilia's Love for the embraced.

Rarely through unknown means a Chimera will suddenly be transported to the First World. Many die by drowning or falling from too great a height, but some manage to survive the transfer.

4/20 remaining

[Athedia]

The Lolat airships watched the boats retreating below them. Who would be reckless enough to to get that close to the ocean? Even from this height a small number of them had felt the pull. From their height they could not see the figures on the boats nor their true size. But Glikmora had spoken with the Captain of the Fleet and word had been passed. These were Humans. The people of the Triangle Chain. If they followed the boats path, they would soon reach their 'town'.

The concept of a town took a while to explain to the Lolats, never ones to remain in one place to long. The entire concept of humans was still strange to them. A people that raised their young? Like animals? The concept of children, of permanent houses, of parents, of not sticking as a people but splitting into small 'families'? It was a strange world filled with even stranger people.

As they approached the Triangle, they could see the Great Hand approaching. Glikmora had told the Captain of the Fleet to head north once they skirted its shadow, there they would safely find the town. And so they did, a place of stationary sledges and floating boats. Long wooden structures stretched out into the water, the boats seemingly attached to them. The Lolats murmured to each other. Were these people immune to the ocean? Or simply did not understand what the call meant?

The Captain of the Fleet let out a call. A landing site had been found, up a cliff behind the village. The plants were to be kept fed and the bare minimum gas bled off. If needed the Fleet would be able to quickly launch.

---

The fishers managed to return home rather quick, losing sight of the skyboats for a moment as they came to tell their families what they saw. Of course, the natural first reaction to flying boats was 'You are tired, you where to long on the ocean, you must have imagened being underwater already', but that was quickly rectefied as the skyboats came into view of the village. They only could make a rough guess about the size, before they seemed to come down on the closeby cliff. Boats on Land is just as weird as boats in the sky, obviously, but that should not stop some of the fishers to get some things together and prepare to meet them as they touched down.

A handful of people took the winding road upwards, each person slightly different. A old fisher, who wants to see something new in her advanced age. Some young deckhands, who only recently joined with this small town. The local gelaton, who despite their kinds distaste for water commited some research in the coastal plantlife in the hopes to make some new discoveries. And a small, hunched old man who took care of the local fish market and had his curiosity for the new outweigh the need to keep the shops staffed.

They must have arrived just as the boats touched down, for nobody seems to have left them yet to tie them down... If one even ties down skyboats... However, they could not see the heads of any people poking over the railing either?

---

Glikmora held back, wanting the Lolats to make the first contact with the new people. But there was fear. These people were giants, and there were no Dona who would be able to stand against them if they were a threat. But the Captain of the Fleet, reassured them. The gas plants were ready and there would be enough on board to take off at the sign of any threat.

Bags were gathered, filled with both live and boiled insects from their stores. These bags were large for the Lolats, over 10 cm deep and carefully drawn shut. A contingent from the flagship was chosen. The Captain of the Fleet and 15 other Lolats would emerge and meet these giants.

And so they emerged, wearing the light silk coverings developed for living on the airships (with loops and pockets to help connect them to the ship in rough weather, feet and hands uncovered to improve grip). The Captain looked up at the gathered giants as the other Lolats held aloft the gifts of food. The Captain spoke in the Lolat's native tongue, a round bubbling language that flowed together almost seamlessly. They expressed their joy at seeing this land that was described so long ago and a desire to know the strange peoples who lived in it.

---

They did not know what they expected, but it was not... frogs. Or at least something looing like well dressed frogs. Yes, before them was the kind of creatures that would be usually found in stories told to children. The sounds they made where not animalistic in nature however. The awnser from the humans was... a bit gruff, the voice of someone who worked their whole life. The fisherwomans language relies not much on tone and much more on the actual words spoken, stopping and starting at certain points to let words hang in the air, sometimes with longer breaks and slight swings in pronounciation to signal a new 'topic' or 'concept' starting.

Bowing down to the ground, if mostly using their knees so one can stand up again quickly, they inspected the offered pouches. Fine material, well worked. Valuable for sure... Given, a quick glance at the contents revealed them to be less exciting. Bugs, mainly. Dead, some apparently having been fried or cooked. Maybe bait to catch greater prey, but given the size of the visitors, one could not be sure.

The Gelaton tried to replicate the sounds the frog-people made, and did so surprisingly well. However it was clear that that was just parroted and not a exact understanding of the language, before they returned to say something in the same language as the fisher... If not anywhere as gruff. Either way, the Fisherwoman put the pouch to the side, and extended a hand towards the frogs. A gesture of greeting maybe?

---

The Lolats looked at each other in confusion. The one at the front stepped forward and held its hand out in front of it in the same manner, imitating the actions of the large woman. Behind it the rest of the Lolats mimicked the gesture.

Glikmora moved behind the crowd of people, examining them. She had never truely processed the difference in the languages during her travels, automatically understanding and being understood. But mortals did not exhibit this ability. A disappointing discovery. She watched the awkward meeting as both groups confused the other with new customs.

She would need to figure out a solution. Something near universal that both these people and hers could use. Her eyes widened, the rains. She reached out to her creations brewing in the sky, the traveling storm and the seasonal one. They would now, from the time their waters churned in the clouds seeded with her divine energies until such time as they touched the ground, bless all those that drank of them with the understanding of any word spoken to them. As would all future Pure Rains.

---

The human took the hand of the foremost Lolat in theirs, and as gently as they could manage, moved it a little up and down. For a person their size, that is barley any movement at all. For the Lolat, their arm got gently but surley dragged up and down a bit, before the very loose grip was released again... The hands sticking together a uncompfortable moment longer thanks to the skins different makeup. As the different peoples stature relaxed a bit with the peaceful greeting completed, their bared teeth in a smile may are a bit off-putting, but apparently just as not-hostile as anything else so far. Either way, it was a impass.

---

The Lolat's behind the Captain of the Fleet hurriedly lowered their hands. They looked uncertainly at the strange people baring their teeth. The small creatures stood an impasse until a voice spoke. It rolled with the language of the Lolat's but with the tones of the humans. Words uttered by a hooded figure at the back of the group. Hurriedly the Lolats in the back disappeared into the ship. They swiftly returned dragging out one of the spare balloon silks and held it up while staring at the Gelaton, unknown speech tumbling from their mouths. While they did this the Captain of the Fleet took a large auroch horn and blew into it.

Slowly large drops of rain started to fall from the sky. This wasn't the season for the traveling rains, but still it was falling. Slowly at first, but in a way that signaled a downpour would start soon. It didn't take much time to notice that the space under the silk was staying dry, having been waterproofed in some manner.

The Gelaton would be the first to notice as painful rain drops dissolved into its skin. The round language was still being spoken but there was understanding to the words now. The small frog creatures were speaking to it. "Gift from the Smiling One, to keep you safe. The rest must drink."

More and more Lolats were emerging from the ships, each turning their heads upward to drink of the falling rains.

---

It only took minor encouragements from the gelaton for the humans to cusp their hands and drink from the falling, out of season rain. As they do, the slimeperson hefts up the held out silks to wrap themself in them with a simple folding pattern. "That is most curious. Its the rain that does it?" The woman who shook the hand is the last to drink, for they had to clean it of on some cloth first from combined skin substances. "Well. That is new. As are you, ehm... What should I call you?"

"Captain of the First Fleet of the Adanat Lolats."

"Well then, Captain, welcome to the triangular chain!"

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Current Domains: Luck (Gambling), Amphibians (Bipeds), Fungus (Mold)

Bless (1AP) Language Rains: A new effect of the Pure Rains is that the water consumed from them grants the consumer the ability to understand other languages. Things such as metaphors might still be lost, but the general meaning will get through. The water must be consumed before it touches the ground, however if caught in glass bottles that are clean of impurities it can be bottled and stored for later. The effect is not permanent and wears off after an amount of time proportionate with the amount consumed. A few drops only lasting a few minutes, and a mouthful lasting a few hours. [Weather (Rain) 3/10]

MUA Use: Bless to call Pure Rains to location.

12 AP - 1 AP = 11 AP

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 2/10
Truth (Deals) 5/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 8/10

[DasIrrlicht]

Naseki, the Landing back in the Ancestors Home
The travel was swifter then last time ocean was crossed to unknown shores. But that was to be expected being that this time, she got real ships, with real sailors. There was a minor confrontation with the seafolk, but just the pure size of the fleet was a deterent for the small raiding parties. The leviathan, however, presented a bigger problem. Took one of the smaller ships out before it was blinded. Heavily damaged one of the transports before its wounds stopped it from advancing. Took another hour of fire until its carcass started sinking to the bottom of the ocean as a unmistkable message what happens if one attacks a fleet from the chain from now on.

And the land they landed at was a interesting little place. A island of varied plant-life and wildlife, some familiar like the jumping spiders, others foreign yet mundane. Yet what mattered the most to the landing parties was the topography. Formed like a misshapen half-moon, pointed with a large bay towards the continent just about in view. The coasts where nearly all the way around cliffs, making landing hard but not impossible if given some time. Further in a few higher mountains would make a great place for a proper city in the traditional style of the chain, yet first, they had to sweep the place... Who knows, maybe the scourge of their ancestors has root in this island as well?

---

In Bahl, the Alchemists and Siege-Opperators where quite busy. The army moral was not standing great, even with the new road back towards the city secured. Whatever made the clear cut line could strike again at any time a far as they knew. Maybe that is the reason they have lost contact with some of the forwards camps as well? But, something to brighten up the chances had been worked on... Using the new route some materials could, under heavy escort, be moved up to the camp. The plans where simple, but precision was needed. A new weapon intended to change the outcome of the current seeming standstill, where the Empire attacks and vanishes again, while the army can do little more then hold the position at the time.

Well, calling it one weapon may be a bit wrong. Its one new weapon combined with some novel application of it. The Cannon, as they called it, was like a elongated metal barrel, with thick walls, mounted on a frame. Several test shots with mundane balls made out of the local stones where made, every now and again some cultists in the forest would find this ammunition and wonder what kind of catapult could have shot things this far, and at what. But here, a different application was planed.

Once the Opperators where certain to have figured out what mixtures and ammounts of the alchemical fluid-bags could be used for what ranges, a small battery of the weapons was pointed into the direction of a suspected camp of the empire. Scouts reported a increased amount of abominations in that area, and most that did not report back to begin with where headed that way to begin with. The bags where loaded, glass spheres coated in a very temporary mixture that would delay their shattering just long enough where used as ammunition, inside of them, a mysterious mixture. The alchemist they had to thank for it had already departed, but that Galotian was trusted, apparently everyone in the merchant guild would be willing to give their life for them if they asked for... Given, that may just be hyperbole.

---

The cannons where fired.
The orbs soared trough the sky.
High. To high to directly hit the target?
The orbs shatter mid-flight.
The mixture inside reacts with the air.
Clouds, small ones, temporary ones.
And then the clouds break appart, hailing down ice like spears.
Trees break. Animals scream. The sudden swing has even taken the enemy by surprise.
The ones that could find cover had to wait in fear of the next spear hitting directly on top of them.
The ones that did not get covered started to bleed as sharp hail-fragments followed the spears of ice.
Sudden. Brutal. Impersonal.
And then, after a few minutes, it stopped.

---

The little guerrilla camp was devestated, as was the surrounding area. Yet there where many survivors, most if not all of them wounded to some degree... Some had their limbs torn, most had heavy flesh wounds. A few unlucky had their full skin flayed from the razor-sharp hail, and the following freeze-burns. As the Soldiers arrived soon after, they found some treating their wounds. Others had already started to canibalise the ones they believed would not make it. Regardless, both kinds of Cultist that failed to leave when they had the chance where cut down with no mercy. The Mercenaries took no prisoners, the Adventurers had no facilities to keep any, the odd smaller groups attempted to extract some knowledge out of the ones just to get the empires usual incoherent madness and desperate pleas of ones that had more sense...

---

In the south, on the crescent shaped island, some (mostly) less grusome scenes play out. Under the lead of the Lady, mutiple parties are cutting trough the woods, making slow but steady paths, searching for any local villages there may are. The Tribals on this island are mostly cut off from the more violent mainland, but that does not mean they don't have simelarities. Sun-Worship is nearly as popular here as it is over there, if to a more... primitive degree. Sacrifical murder is also a thing that has sadly taken hold in some of this tribes, the ones that present themself as the strongest of the locals even.

However, their strength is nothing compared to a organized military, metal weaponry and a certain... Disdain... For the local practices. It took a mere day for the largest tribes to be broken up, and a example to be made of the treatment Sun-Worshiping-Murder-Cultists are to get. Smaller Tribes, and ones that did not follow the murder-part of the routine, tended to see the new arrivals as saviors. Even if 'Praise the Sun' quickly got a new knife at their throat, but they adapted quickly. Speaking themself of from the religion, or hiding their feelings about it in favor of the promises of a saver and better life with the newcomers. The next few days where spend with hunting down the ones that had gone into hiding instead, as the constructions of the piers began.

Weirdly enough, they soon found under the locals a unexpected alchemist. A weid, small human in heavy coats much more civilised what the others wore, speaking the dialect of the chain with a fluidity like they heard and used it their whole life. They made a offer to the Lady, which she felt right to take. Help with the islands still mostly unexplored parts. Help making it a true Fortress of a size the chain did not know.

Much of the land would keep its flora and fauna, but roads where soon established to reach every point of the coast from the center in the shortest possible time. The cliffs faced some heavier alterations. The Strange Alchemist and a surprising number of what seem to be Functionaries where day and night forming it up. Explosions concocted by small vials that should never hold such a force shattered away overhangs. Large rocks started spiking out around the island over the weeks as large rocks moved up to make any approach via ship not headed directly towards the bay difficult. The tops of the cliffs where flattened out, as towers of wood, stone & concrete, well decorated but primarily functional, get raised along the whole line. Each tower in sight of the next, and each with small barracks at the base, and some siege equipment afixed to point sea-side.

On swiffels, the new cannons got mounted, aiming towards the sky in case of a dragon attack, and able to be lowerd towards the sea should the ability to build proper ships fall into the wrong hands. The local tool-makers have found quite a interest in this cannons and their workings, and some attempted the daring task to make them work when smaller. Some of them even succeeded, and quickly sold of their new creations to the Mercenaries and Soldiers. Trough the price was high on its own, making them artful was quite desired. A symbol of a certain status, was such a firearm.

At the center of the island, multiple walled cities got build. Kind of. truly, it was just one walled city with many smaller, walled towns laying around it dedicating themself to produce something or another, and send it back towards the city at the core. There, a new Organization was formed to handle the Chains affairs in their (human) ancestors home lands. Lead by The Lady, a Inksworn of a Title well kept secret, the group called itself 'The Order of our Ladies Mercy'. A name as double-edged as the metaphorical sword, as their 'Mercy' heavily depends on who they are dealing with. Their members are all showing some ability to produce magic not unlike that of an arcane mage, yet eerily like an alchemists concoctions. Lower members, or ones working the more peaceful side of the organization, tend to produce healing salves from seemingly nothing, or can call out for a Functionary to do simple tasks, yet not with the skills a traditionally called for Functionary usually displays.

The more militant side however is leaning towards smoke-trails that explode away, flashy strikes of their weapons with unusual effects, or even calling forth the soul of a fallen comrade to temporary lend them their skills. People that showed no skill for the magical arts tend to pick them up after joining, and ones that before already knew much about them see theirs shift as they are in service to aline more with the 'style' of the order. At the time, they still follow up on securing 'Caer Avitas'. Yet the plans to bring the fight to the continents mainland stands, and is crystal clear to anyone who joined the expedition from the very beginning. The Cultists, and their Empire, need to fall.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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11 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART

1 AP - Advanced Concept [Society(The Chain) 1/10 & GUA Charge]

Cannons
In theory, a rather simple concept: A projectile, a explosive & a preferably re-useable tube. The explosion propels the projectile at speeds much greater then traditional mechanisms. That increases range, lethality, ecetra. Explaining what a cannon is is a moot point, one knows it once one saw it.
There are many more ways to do 'cannon' then one would expect. Chemistry, Alchemy, certain Magics. A lot of things can supply the instant force needed, but some are naturally more suited then others. In the same way, the nature of the 'tube' can vary a lot as well. Metal is a natural fit for something one can use multiple times, but it is not unheared of to use more fragile materials, like Wood or Stone. Glass makes a poor choice however, for obvious reasons. The projectile varies the most, stone balls are common, as are iron ones in places that can spare a lot of the material. Loading many small projectiles as a grapeshot, or even full-metal, arrow like flechettes offer a deadly option against flesh and wood alike. Firing a different explosive is also a option, if one that tends to be more risky by its nature. The biggest point of failure is in the propellant, of course. A explosion to strong will shatter the cannon and likely kill the users much better then whatever it was targeted at. One to weak will make the weapon ineffective, and suffer a long and tedious removal of whatever is left in the barrel before one can attempt another shot.

The Alchemist-Cannoneers of the Chain prefer metal cannons mounted on frames that can fire surprisingly far up and down. They prefer to load alchemical bombs that can be detonated high above a target and have the effects rain down on them instead of aiming more conventional ammunition at the foe, not at least because the more mobile variants are ill suited to quick movements. On their ships and stationary defenses much more suitable to be angled and tilted on the fly, Spider Shot, a variation of Chain Shot, proofs effective at destroying sails, fins and wings alike, forcing severe disadvantages on foes.

1 AP - Mythical Sub-Concept (Of Divine Magic) (Shared with Lilia) [Society(The Chain) 2/10]

Orders
A Order is usually founded with the approval, or even direct involvement, of the deity which powers it utilizes. Members are usually not judged by the divine directly and instead must measure up to a code or laws given with the founding. They undergo some form of ritual to join or raise in the ranks, which usually involve tests of character or the swearing of a oath. This in turn means that while much more people can utilize some amount of divine magic, they are usually more restricted then someone who truly caught a gods attention, with the exception of their highest ranks.
While the Organizations that make up any given Order are usually lead by mortals, and follow a large number of additional rules that get added or removed as times demand, the core principles or ideals given to them by their deity are usually unchanging, and the magic recognizes a break of them and can cut of individual members from it in a instance should they sufficiently violate them.
Because of their heavily divine intertwined nature, a teach action is required for a organization to utilize this, as cultural exchange does not really cut it.

1 AP - Alter Land [Society(The Chain) 3/10]

The Fortress Island, Caer Avitas
In the South West of Yalasere (On the map represented as Purple, 11) the Settlers from the chain landed, and with the help of an alchemist that claimed to already have been on the continent for some time, the place has been considerably terraformed. Besides the large central bay, the waters around the island are filled with sharp rocks able to tear open most ships. The coastline itself is dotted with miniature forts able to spot and defend against attackers of any orientation of a compass, or even from the skies above. Further inland, between the large sections of the rainforest and connected up with roads in both directions, are small towns, walled to rival any city of the chain, producing food, clothing, weaponry, and exploiting the natural resources by cutting down wood, mining, or collecting plants that grow in the more natural parts of the island. Then, at the center, build around the tallest of the mountains this place offers, is a true city.

Like all Cities that the People of the Chain build, it is walled with concrete, and lighted by alchemical fires. Unlike them, however, it is much heavier defended. layers further up can shoot from their walls back down at the lower ones should they fall, and as one goes higher, more and more rooms are mined right into the mountain itself, forming a vertical maze of sorts, where civilian workers, tribesman that get integrated into civilized society, Soldiers, Mercenaries and the new folk, 'The order of Our Ladies Mercy'.

1 AP - Advanced Sub-Concept (Of Cannons) [Society(The Chain) 4/10]

Firearm
You take a cannon, you shrink it so a single person can use it reasonable easy. Their barrels are near universally made of metal, and their ammunition is usually a single simple projectile or some even smaller shot. They are, at the time, considered quite rare and novelties, trough if they appear they do so usually in some numbers. Accuracy at range still leaves much to be desired, you typically have only as many shot as you have barrels if you can not find the time for a lengthy reload. However, if a hit is scored it has the potential to end a confrontation before it even began.

1 AP - Organization [Society(The Chain) 5/10]

The Order of Our Ladies Mercy
Founded by a agreement between 'The Lady', a Inksworn Gelaton, and Naseki, a deity that claims to have kept a helping hand out for the People of the Chain since their inception, and before its own somehow. While Nasekis involvement is kept a internal secret, the name will sometimes still escape and be connected back, even if it does not mean much to most humans.
The members of 'The Order of Our Ladies Mercy' follow a number of strict codes, outlawing, prosecuting or even persecuting certain practices while encouraging or demanding others from themself. To uphold their standards, the swearing of a oath directly to the Lady is required, even if the Ladies presence is not.

While there is no exact list anyone outside can look into what they swear themself to hold to, not at last because a certain secrecy seems to be part of it, a number of points can be easily interpreted. Helping those who have been done unjust harm, offering foes a surrender (Given, the exact details of when someone counts as a new foe and when not are weird), aiming for either a quick, or a painless death, a fundamental opposition to the practices of cannibalism and sun-worship, (given, the later can be recovered from), as well as a vauge desire to 'bring civilization'. Civilization IV was the best one.

From this oath they can draw a variety of powers, starting at simple things, like the producing of healing salves, calling forth of a Servant not-unlike a Functionary, coating their blades and bullets in solutions that cause devestating effects when coming in contact with blood... To more impactful magics, like calling on the skills of a deceased member, summoning massive Beasts of Ooze, or even turning someones body or bodyparts into a fluid, be it in order to slowly fix a torn-off limb or mortal wound, or to permanently disfigure someone...
Weirdly, every member seems to have a instinctive understanding with the more primitive ooze creatures, and if not outright provoking them, won't be attacked by any member of the greater Slime Family. Some even seem to be able to talk and direct the wild ones.

The uniform of the order usually consists of a coat half white lotus leather, half a treated teal leather, which gets combined with a simple chest plate and open-faced helmet for the more militaristic members. Their preferred weapons are the Sword and Shield, trough any of the higher ranks or longer standing members tends to also carry and use a pistol to open a fight once demands fail.

________
10 AP Left
2 MUA Charge

Progress:
Water(Travel) 3/10 Dropping Progress in this one, for I think this one is to restrictive for my current plans.
Society(The Chain) 5/10

[Mechalich]

Exodus
War spread across the world. Not war against goblins, or monsters, or the tempters, or any of the other horrors, but war of person against person with readiness and vigor. The Sisters reacted to this with horror, for was not the First World beset with suffering enough? Nor did they feel that they possessed the capacity to resist it much longer. The growing strengths of magic and the strange mutagenic alchemical methods, despite the residues and limitations they produced, reached beyond a likely capacity to resist. At least, not without cruel transformations to tear the world further. Some Bloodsilks counseled that path, but all others disagreed. Even if victory might be obtained, the losses entailed in such a conflict would obliterate any justification. They were people, not ants, and sacrifices of the self were not to be made lightly.

Certainly not when there was an alternative available. A course was determined, agreement obtained, and in the end decided with unanimity. They chose the date of the spring equinox, considering it appropriate, and put matters in order accordingly. Some small provision was made for those left behind, in the hopes that they too might seek this alternative approach, though it was little expected. Instead, they simply resolved to keep the lessons among their own, to avoid making the same mistakes upon the worlds they now took as their sole focus.

The people of Port Tale were the first to know, as they woke the morning after the equinox to see a small sign of carved wood posted outside the bounds of their city. It read only: ‘We have gone to the Web and shall not be coming back. If you have the will to follow, and strength of self to meet the judgment of the Parischnas, we will welcome you among the gathering of worlds.’ Those who walked out into the concrete dwellings there found all things packed away and stored, totally empty. Others, including Sea Folk across the lengthy coastlines of Eresalay, discovered the same. Empty concrete towns, quietly left as if everyone had simple gone on a journey for a while, but no Onna anywhere.

In the Droplet Web, worlds swelled, entwined, and adopted endless colors as their custodians focused their full and complete attention upon them, unencumbered by continued attachment to their mortal shells. Ecie looked upon this and smiled, though she knew this development remained incomplete. Carefully, she twisted and wove strands of the web into great spheres, hollow and full of passages. These provided nests for the Parischnas, allowing them a place to rest, and solid ground rather than strands in the network for the first time.

With the web thus secured, Ecie turned her focus to those left behind. The Humans, though they were of her making, she deemed lost, at least as a group. Perhaps individuals could overcome the difficulties they faced but given the level of attention others imposed upon them, she remained highly dubious. Not a place she chose to focus her energies. The Hiplings, Lolats, and Nimbis had their own divine patrons, and she was loath to interfere with such evolving systems. Perhaps later. The elves, high in the skies, and the sea folk, in the depths, where the clear choices with which to begin.
In the end, she chose the skies, for the plight of the elves seemed grave. She took two of her creations, Onna and Parischna, and bound them together alongside a piece of herself. This emissary, called Kleodirae, appeared as a melding of woman and wasp, black and yellow in color and able to shift between states. On crystalline wings, she traveled between the soaring whales, seeking to teach the timid people living upon high and guard them from the monsters of the sky with the exertion of her divine power and deadly mandibles and stinger.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Alter Land (1AP): Web Nests – the Droplet Web now contains world-sized nests made of planar webbing that serve as resting spaces of the Parischnas. This provides a solid, non-sticky surface that might serve many purposes in the future. [Life (Evolution) 10/10]

Create Avatar (3AP): Kleodirae – a divine werewasp, Kleodirae possesses ordinary humanoid size, but can shapechange from the image of a yellow-skinned Onna woman, a humanoid-sized black and yellow striped wasp, and a deadly hybrid form. She has gone to live among the elves in the hopes of guiding them to develop inner worlds. [Law (Judgment) 8/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP): Natural History – Kleodirae has taught the basic principles of natural history to the Elves, including knowledge of lands far below. [Law (Judgment) 9/10]

Teach Mundane Concept (1A): Writing – Kleodirae has taught the Elves to write and record, allowing the spread of knowledge and messages throughout their society on a permanent nature. [Law (Judgment 10/10]

Domains Acquired: Life (Evolution), Law (Judgment)
Domains Possessed: Animal (Spiders), Animal (Transformation), Community (Sisterhood), Law (Judgment), Life (Evolution), Plant (Vines), Protection (Cleansing), Protection (Shelter), Water (Rivers). With 9 Domains Ecie ascends to Greater God.

Starting AP: 6 Rollover Gain: 6 Spent: 6 Remaining: 6

[Athedia]

Glikmora's Wail saw the Lolats starting to explore more, their crafts growing in speed and size. It feared the influence of its siblings. More Temptations had been coming to places the Lolats congregated and the young still unnamed ones were often easy prey.

So Glikmoras Wail reached out, used Desire Hearts deep paths to spread the word. Ones name, their true name held power. It wasnt the destructive power of arcane magic, nor the love Lilia spread through the world, not even the divine magic that twisted round the pathways of arcane.

This was a Truth. Ones word freely pledged with ones true name would cause the words to be woven into your future fate. A promise that would shape yourself.

Spoiler: AP actions

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11 AP + 4 AP = 15 AP

Current Domains: Luck (Gambling), Amphibians (Bipeds), Fungus (Mold)

Create Mythical Concept (4 AP) Namebinding: A different form of magic, this (currently) can only be cast on oneself. By expressing ones true inner name and making a deal invoking it, one must fulfill their oath or suffer their life energies wear down, grow threadbare. [Truth (Deals)9/10]


15 AP - 4 AP = 11 AP

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 2/10
Truth (Deals) 9/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 8/10

[MutantDragon]

An Eye for Fire, War, and Madness

Far above the First World and in a hole beyond the Void Slintoch watched events unfold. The war pleased him, for it drove the mortals to new heights of slaughter. Yet still, he observed from a world away and that would no longer be satisfactory to him. So, with a great and terrible roar, he ripped open the Void once more, reopening the tear that was used in his realm's creation. This tear was then filled with raw divine energy that prevented movement between worlds unless opened by Slintoch's will. As the final touch of this window's creation, a wreath of fire and wrath burst into being, surrounding the hole and forming the shape of an evil eye made entirely of fire. Though smaller and dimmer than the sun, the eye would shine in the night with a presence and intensity to rival the full moon and any whose eyes lingered upon it would feel the the fury of his gaze.

---

While marching towards battle, a contingent of Harkit's army caught a glimpse in the sky of what would surely bring about wintry doom. Whatever mages the heathen armies deployed were truly masters of their craft, able to launch death-dealing ice-spears from far beyond the horizon. Yet, as now, the imperial forces were learning to spot their approaching doom moments before it came. As soon as the balls that would bring about nearly unrivaled destruction were spotted, a horn blasted out and the marching soldiers halted and raised their shields with an almost supernatural haste. No sooner were their shields raised did the ice fall down upon them. Their shields were strong, as were their bodies and resolves. Yet still, many fell beneath the awesome powers unleashed upon them. Shields were punctured and bodies frozen by seemingly arcane blasts spawned by the icicles of doom. Yet the cultists persisted, meeting ice with steel. When at last the barrage was through, their marching and chanting resumed, the fallen left for the goblin slaves of the Crimson Bloom Champions to collect for later consumption and equipment retrieval.

---

On the edges of the Bhal'nabool, unseen by any mortal eyes, shadows condensed into a new horror. As this new beast stalked through the forest, it came upon a small camp of intruders. They were nervous and vigilant. They feared this forest and its inhabitants. But they were armed and they were prepared. They thought they could survive the night and return to the larger camp with their scouting report in the morning. That's how it was supposed to be. Yet their noses were assaulted with a stench far worse than any they had ever smelt before. Somehow, it eclipsed the horrific odor of decaying bodies that they had become so familiar with. Their eyes watered and their heads grew faint as they hurried to block the smell, all the while alarmed about the possible source. That's when they saw it. It was an ape-like beast, perhaps six feet in height with one eye in the middle of its grinning head. Upon its body it carried another maw filled with vicious fangs and its hands had large claws reminiscent of a sloth's, though far more sharp and wicked. With a snarl, the beast lunged forward, easily overpowering one of the soldiers and rending her with those savage claws. It leaped upon the next and hugged him tight while its abdominal jaws devoured him. The soldiers screams filled the air as five of the others rushed forward; the final two fled into the night and were never heard from again. They attempted to surround the beast and jab it with their spears, but its hide was extraordinarily resistant to their attacks; none of the spears penetrated deep enough to deal significant damage if they even pierced its skin at all. With an annoyed grunt, the creature flung its half-chewed victim at one of its assailants while lunging forward to send another sprawling to the ground with a terrible gash. It then spun around, knocking one soldier's spear away while doing so, and lunged for another of the humans, though, this time, the attacked soldier's spear thrust out and into the monster's eye, causing it to reel backwards with a terrible screech. The others capitalized upon the ape-creature's injury to stab at it again with their weapons, though it was a needless effort; the beast was already dying. And yet, many more emerged from shadows all around the forest...

Spoiler: OOC

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Rollover! 13AP + 6AP = 19AP

Create Portal (The Great Eye; Between Inferni and the Void) 2AP: The Great Eye is a flaming hole between worlds held open together by Slintoch's power. Currently, there is a fiery wall of energy that totally prevents physical passage between the Void and Inferni through this hole, though this wall can be dropped if Slintoch so desires. The Eye is visible on the First World at night. [Mind (Insanity) 6/10]

Curse (Gaze of the Great Eye) 1AP: Slintoch watches the world through the Great Eye and anyone who stares back at it can sense his gaze and his malice. This causes some mental distress and can eventually drive individuals insane, though this would only be after years of prolonged observation. [Mind (Insanity) 7/10]

Create Mundane Concept (Shield Wall) MUA: In response to taking artillery fire while on the march, the armies of the Empire of the Sun have devised the simple strategy of forming up tightly and interlocking their shields above themselves. While far from totally effective, this has worked to reduce their casualties from current artillery bombardments and could potentially be used effectively in other combat scenarios.

Create Monster (Mapinguari) GUA: Mapinguari are ape-like monsters with singular eyes and an extra maw set on their torso. They additionally possess sharpened sloth-like claws and have an odor more offensive than words could properly describe. They exist within Bhal'nabool and instinctively seek to defend it from intruders. While they're highly resistant to most injuries, attacks to their eyes can successfully fell the beasts.

19AP – 3AP = 16AP
0MUA
0GUA

[AlexanderML]

Blooming Ice

(♪)The estheric isles are a marvel, the shores jagged ice, the land holding trees that sprout from cold ice and flowers bloom in shadowy caves; yet all these are well traveled by the people known as pale ones. Frequently one could see their tiny crafts move between the icy islands under gray misty skies.

The pale ones lived relatively simple lives amid the subarctic isle that grew and shrank with the tides and seasons. Semi nomadic the pale ones built great log houses for the long winter and tended flower gardens under the guidance of the wise flower maiden Arrienal, traveling under the night sky to hunt and gather during the short summers.

One of the things that set pale ones apart from regular humans were their muted emotions, dulled and hidden away in the inner palaces of their souls. Few pale ones saw this as a detriment, with most finding themselves thankful for the more clear headedness this provided. Yet due to their collectively distant hearts, when something did reach them, they deeply treasured it; many stories of a warrior or moon-touched being driven by romance flourished in every log house.

The pale ones believed in a single goddess who had shaped the isle out of love into ice, gifting it to those who saw her call on the shores. Once a man named Tabitha had been smitten by her daughter and shed his blood upon the shores, giving them life even as the interiors remained solid ice. Moved, the maiden gave the first ice flower to him, with others later on being gifted to other pale ones for brave deeds or passionate action.

Flower circles are common sites upon the estheric isles, most hosting powerful flowers to help with daily life. For hunters know to gift the blood of their kills to the crimson blooms so that they might fight off winter’s chill, fishermen knew to grow zephyrs blooms to propel them across the waters more easily, gardeners to let the mist blooms cover their gardens to keep winter’s bite or summer’s drought away, and others that had been introduced to them.

It was simple with slow changes that arrived with the coming of great events in the world. Yet this small cut-away part of the world had a startling new development.

Under the starlit night sky, upon large winged insects who carried majestic lamps, the shadows of their ancestors appeared with words of wisdom and held wonder in their hands. They told of the world beyond death, of the terrible and magnificent realms, and how much they missed their people.

Shock, rejoicing, rejection; extremely mixed and powerful emotions swept across the people of the isle who saw and heard of their ancestors return. Loved ones embraced, rivals counted scores, and many celebrations were held for the star-gliders honor.
Yet that could not compare to when She appeared.

As if walking straight out from the stars She graced one celebration after another, Her veil hiding the tears that strewn down across her face until they fell upon the ground. For many nights She appeared at feasts and celebrations, amid barely tended to flower gardens, and the peaks of each and every island in the isle. While it was hard for them to remember clearly, it was common belief that She smiled at them like a mother feeling relief as She bid for the ancestors and living to learn to know one another.

(♪) Yet as the people of the Realms and the pale ones grew closer together, the shadow that was Lilia stood in the Echo staring at it all. With an unsteady hand she reaches out to a child… and retreats her hand back into the Echo as the girl turns around confused. Lilia stared at this girl with her glowing white hollow eyes amid a black shadow.

“Why not join them?” A voice came, lacking malice but also curious.

Lilia turned around towards them, her skull barely visible due to the light coming from her eye sockets inside the deep shadow. She twisted and turned, but ultimately gave a sad sigh “I-I can’t they’ll think I-I’m so ugly.” she said unable to calm herself.

The man whom she faced wore a white and gold styled cloak from the magi realms, his face marred by the flowers that grew from inside him. He nodded in the negative “I can see why you're worried, but shouldn’t they be unable to see such… sacrifices you’ve made?” he asked. He himself was only too aware of how oblivious one’s heart became to the faults of Lilia, it taking a great deal of logical thinking to even properly tell what would upset others about Lilia’s appearance as it did not bother him in the slightest.

Lilia was silent at his words. Her embraced were fully unable to see faults in her, her flower maidens much the same; yet mortals, even ones who frequently used her gifts… they would be unable to not spot the… blemishes. Thus was the reason given to the flower maiden who went in Lilia’s stead.

The man who stood next to Lilia felt a pang of guilt as the goddess looked at him and said “Do you love me?”

“...No” he said looking down at a small ring on his hand. He could not look at Lilia’s expression as he said that but still felt an enormous storm of emotions flood his inner palace. Overwhelmed tears were in his eyes as he looked away towards the little girl, who was slumping against the door to a log house looking dejected. “I love another. I think I’ll see what that child is doing there. It would be good for you to join.” he said before stepping back into the world of the living.

His inner palace could not contain all the emotions Lilia was giving him, with it almost bursting when she gave the whimper “D-don’t go…” yet her feelings could no longer touch him in the mortal realm… even if her sad eyes could be vaguely seen.

The girl for her part gasped at the sudden appearance of the man. After a moment assessing him, the girl’s gaze became more relaxed. “Mr, are you a star-glider?”

With a smile the man gave a nod “I travel on foot, but I am of the same house as them now.” he took a step forward and knelt down to look the girl in the eye “I am Alaion.”

“Are you Maiden Arrienal’s brother?” the girl asked with a mildly curious look, by human standards.

Nodding in the negative Alaion, rubbing the flowers growing on the side of his face “I am a Maiden myself, but no brother of the great one. Why are you out here, besides this cold house… who is inside?”

Grief, loneliness, fear Alaion felt entering his inner palace, it hit him surprisingly hard and he looked down as the girl gave the choked out response of “No one, I’m waiting for them to come back.”

‘Come back’, Alaion knew that the odds of that happening, especially anytime soon, were not favorable even here. He did not look back up, but the girl noticed a few tears landing on the ground.

“Mr Alaion…?” she asked, reaching out a hand towards the man who was showing a startling amount of emotion.

“I’m fine.” he said with a smile, tears still there as he held the girl’s hand. The bitter cold on her was brushed aside, scrapes healed, and she felt energy return to her; yet he did not let go and continued to pour more of his emotions into this.

“Are you ok, Mr?!” the girl asked at the show of emotional outpour.

With a sigh Alaion nodded “I am. I believe it's healthy to pour out feelings that overwhelm you. Worry not, you did not overwhelm me yourself.” noticing that he was still holding the hand of the girl he gave a small smile “Would you be willing to forgive me for showing you this side of me if I help find those you're waiting for?”

“But… what if they come back before then?” the girl asked, shocked at the offer coming out of nowhere.

“I’ll take responsibility then. As things stand… I would not have you follow behind them if I leave regardless. A man should not leave a grieving girl alone.” His smile looked forced as he had poured everything he had in his inner palace out, but the girl blushed and had a hopeful look in her eyes as she stared at the swaying flowers on his face.

After a drawn out moment like this she nodded “I’ll trust you, Maiden Alaion.”

Nodding Alaion stood up, helping the girl up as well. “We go to the realms beyond, first the mists between then Stygia. Do you have anything you would like to take with you?”

Taking a look at the log house and the place around her, the girl shook her head in the negative.

“Then let us begin. Stay close to me, and you will be safe.” He said as the pair disappeared from the mortal realm.

---

Developments of the Magi Realms

-The issue with having a lack of arcane energy inside of Desire Heart is something that the silver scribes work hard to find a solution to, for many arcane practitioners despair at how little mana the Realms natively have. While alternative methods are considered, the extraction of arcane energy from orichalcum is utilized.

Through painful trial and error it is discovered that without a medium between a practitioner and the orichalcum arcane explosions will automatically occur after a successful extraction. Yet through carefully integrating the orichalcum into a medium made to extract the energy, it can be done safely with numerous benefits; at the cost of the physical feedback that tells an arcane practitioner when they are close to an arcane explosion.

-Physically weak without the chance to grow in that direction, many embraced in the Realms have taken to learning how to move and manipulate objects or people with just arcane magic. While spells of this sort have existed before, the science of it is perfected in the Magi Realms as true telekinetic magic is crafted.

-Through unknown sources the silver scribes have produced a number of specialized arcane techniques that focus around the manipulation of life forms. Different from the cultivary that witches are familiar with, less subtle and considered brutish by some, the power of lifeshaping is readily integrated into the magi realms. Be it for adapting plants in a garden for different environments, to giving faces to the shadowy embraced, or morphing chimeras into less dangerous shapes.

-The Great Library and its many scribes and visitors demand a great deal of paper and ink for it to properly function. Chymes and the professors come together with some help from the Onna embrace to fill these demands.

Spoiler: AP Action

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10/20

Spoiler: -1 AP (Split with Kona Öldunnar) Create Mythic Sub-Concept (Arcane ->Arcane Mediums):

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One shape does not cover all, for these arcane mediums can be more than staffs!

Through the incorporation of orichalcum into an object arcane practitioners can create devices that can independently channel arcane forces outside of the flow or leylines of the sun. An unexpected side effect of this is that arcane intoxication is far less prevalent as the arcane energy touches the caster when an arcane medium is used, yet the limits to an arcane explosion can be harder to estimate for the untrained due to the lack of physical feedback. Besides creating a means to use arcane magic in sunlight deprived regions arcane mediums can be crafted in such a manner as to overcome certain limitations in magic. Some are crafted to channel arcane magic silently without extra energy input, delay the release of a spell, widen the area the magic affects, or automatically maintain magic a arcane practitioner would normally maintain through concentration. Inside the Magi Realms most arcane mediums are created by having a lotus tree sapling grow in soil enriched by orichalcum dust, cultivating the saplings to grow quicker than normal through lifeshaping magic. The wood from these trees is then carved into staffs and wands. Purer orichalcum rich soil, embedded orichalcum and jewels into the staff, and delusion application on an arcane medium are said to make better arcane mediums by the people of the magi realms. While uncommon other variants of arcane mediums are present in the magi realms; rings with orichalcum to channel magic silently, hair pieces made to look harmless, or outfits whose sparkling designs hold spells to be unleashed. This concept spreads to the Magi Realms and the witches blooms that visit it. Kona’s seafolk also learn it upon the concepts creation. 7/10 Community (Magi Realms)

Spoiler: -2 Bridge Plane (Desire Heart - First World) - The Estheric Sky:

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The night sky holds the secrets to new connections.

Those that travel the starry night sky above the Estheric Isles will find that the sky gives way to Desire Heart with but a blink of an eye and a simple will to go there, similarly those in the night sky on Desire Heart may enter the sky of the Estheric Isles through the same method. Animals, vehicles, and other things they are either riding on or carrying cross over with them so long as all sapient creatures in the transfer cannot see clearly and desire to transfer to the other plane. Visually this bridge appears as something similar to an aurora in the sky, though a muted one with patches of darkness with no stars in them. Most of the sky is still visible through them and effects that require moonlight (such as solstice arts) still function. Creatures entering Desire Heart from the Estheric Isle can choose which Realm they are entering, or into the wilderness of Desire Heart. Those from Desire Heart can give a specific island they wish to fly over. Through this the people of the magi realms begin to think of the estheric isles as ‘the mortal Realm’, just another Realm that they can travel to; if a particularly annoying one due to the sun’s rays banishing embrace who linger too long in the open into the Echo. The bleeding effect between Desire Heart and the First World extends to all of the Estheric Isle for effects that care about the distinction. 9/10 Community (Magi Realms)

Spoiler: -(Artifact Charge) Alter Land (Blooming Isles):

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Beautiful though it might be, it is unwise to away from the path if your not ready to see what shape delusions can take.

With the coming of one wearing the Flesh and Blood of Lilia the estheric isles have the tainted mana flowing through it fully bloom. Where once the inner reaches of most islands were ice, flower fields and forests of white flowers grow. As the estheric isles come closer to the Magi Realms chimeras more frequently appear in the wilderness and tuatha begin to set themselves down where they believe they will entrap the most mortals.

Spoiler: -(Artifact Charge) Create Organization - The Estheric Realm:

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Orichalcum lamps light every home and street among the first true villages to spread among the Estheric Isles.

The only living majority Realm, and the only one on the First World, the Estheric Realm borders all of the other Realms inside Desire Heart by virtue of the sky. While first found by and introduced to their own ancestors; other Realms begin to have individuals visit and trade with the people of the Estheric Isles. Arrienal acts as the Estheric Realm’s leader, though she has no authority over the shape of the realm or where it borders; she simply acts as a figurehead. Her presence does let the pale ones rapidly adapt and adopt changes to their lifestyle they would otherwise never accept, such as letting their children go to the Great Library to learn reading, history, magic, and other skills that were/are seen as secondary by traditional wisdom. Towers with few windows appear on the Estheric Isle, housing the embrace during the daylight hours so that they are not forced into the Echo. Around these towers villages begin to form with folk either seeking the aid of the occupying magi or are being paid by them to support them.

Spoiler: -2 Create Mythic Sub-Concept (Arcane Magic -> Telekinetic Magic):

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The power to lift a heavy rock seems so simple when your arms are not literally ghost matter.

The magic of lifting and moving objects. If one wants to find out some of the inspiration for specifics look here. http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/telekinesis The Magi Realms and the witches of blooms that visit it learn this concept. 2/10 Emotion (Vanity)

Spoiler: -2 Teach Mythic Sub-Concept (Lifeshaping):

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You wish to be beautiful? Very well get in line.

“An offshoot of Arcane Magic, Lifeshaping focuses on altering the physical body of living creatures to serve specific purposes. Lifeshapers can enhance or remove muscle, add gills or lungs, or even alter brain chemistry and develop entirely new limbs--if they have the power and the skill to do so. Lifeshapers are unable to alter their own body, but can alter the bodies of others given enough time and Arcane power.” Those that specialize in lifeshaping in the magi realms can find employment in a number of fields. Face-sculptors who give shape to the delusion that make up embraced bodies, giving some visible facial features and others complete body reworks so that they appear as mortals. Gold Shapers who specialize in creating orichalcum infused wood, sometimes creating the mediums all by themselves. Garden Shapers who rival themselves against witches who prefer cultivary techniques, seeing them as slow and too narrowly focused on just plantlife. 10/10 Espionage (Plagiarism)

Spoiler: -1 AP (Shared with Naseki) Create Mythic Sub-Concept (Orders):

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Adored is so cute. If it wasn’t for the blooms vows I’d…

The organizations of the maiden cult are considered active Orders by this concept, with members receiving divine power in addition to the pact magic they would normally receive while rising through the ranks of devotion. (Specifics on each one to be detailed later) Emotion (Vanity) 3/10

Spoiler: -(Artifact Charge) Create Mundane Concept - Ink:

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It's impossible to make a book without something to make letters with.

Chyme’s shares from his notes a variety of different ink recipes, with some better for mass production while others are better for preservation. While of secondary importance this concept includes colored inks. Due to the inkwells of their home the witches of the old bloom and kish-eru as a whole learn this concept as well.

Spoiler: -1 Teach Advance Concept - Paper:

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Books also need something to write on.

The Magi Realms begins to set up a great many paper making workshops to meet the demands of not just the Great Library, but the many scholarly inclined patrons of the Realms. 10/10 Community (Magi Realms)

Spoiler: -(Artifact Charge) Bless (Flora Arcane Balance):

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Goddess protects!

Due to the presence of Lilia’s Love inside of flower trees, arcane mediums created with them have the special property of turning arcane explosions into a miniature blooming effects similar to what the Flesh and Blood of Lilia induces on a wide scale. This wears away at the arcane medium, but most members of the magi realms and witches see it as a price worth avoiding the dangers of arcane explosions.

Spoiler: -(Artifact Charge) Create Monster - Bloodhost Swarm:

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A drone looking for a meal.

While the first native bloodhost queen was slain by the Maiden of Glamor, by throwing the bones of the beast into the Delusion Cauldron new (if smaller) queens emerged that she controls. Such beasts live in large hives similar to wasps, their large mouths containing acid that melts metal; with the queens being able to spray it on those that attack their nests. These creatures are able to be controlled by the Crimson Champions, but only vaguely with them being deployed when stealth is not required in the least.

0/20 AP

Gain Community (Magi Realms) and Espionage (Plagiarism) domains!

[DasIrrlicht]

Naseki, Removed, Discarded, Abandoned
When the Onna put up the sign in the night and then vanished into thin air, the guards atop Port Tales walls gave it little attention. That is a thing the Onna did occasionally, afterall. Vanish into their own little worlds and then pop up out of nowhere again later. The details where not given to much attention when it was described, not at least because the way of the Onna has kept interactions basically to a level of pure business of the few lucky enough to have something they show interest in. The surprise in the morning when the news came that Onna all along the coast seem to have vanished was a bit more sudden then. And if the one, pitiful wooden sign they put up was to be believed, with no intends to return. "So they have gone to live in their little fantasy..."

---

As the people suddenly vanished, the echo-servants and souls witnessing it from their plane had a increased worry. Afterall, what was happening, and why that whole race seemingly left at once, it was basically impossible to inderstand from their perspective. The souls of Onna that had died however where able to explain. Inner Worlds, a concept lethal to the Servants and denied to the Souls, and in extention, the droplet web. That is where the Onna have left to, all of them... nearly all of them. The dead could obviously not follow, but over the day, and the following week, another phenomenon seemingly swept over Eresalay: Onna that pop up on the first world, in their homes, just to vanish again. Repeatedly, seemingly more desperate each time until they finally gave up, and attempt to scratch together what is left of their life in the empty towns.

Spread over the continent, small groups of the different kinds of Onna banded together, cursing out at the moon as they once cursed at the human foolishness and the suns monsters. For they had the missfortune to be cut away from the web, the zero-tollerance of the Parischnas has caught them out as they have gathered miniscule amounts of 'corruption', merely from interacting with the world just as any other person did. Their inner worlds had been detached from the web, and they could not grasp the reason why... For them, it was little more then a betrayal of the sisterhood of the moon.

---

As the Cut-Off Onna start searching for what is left to help them live in a place they thought to leave forever, another organization has come in to take anything they can get their hands on. Always opportunistic, the Merchant Guild decided to go where the People of the Chain refused to go. A mass vanishing naturally starts the worst kinds of rumors about places afterall. Groups of Humans, Galotians, and even the odd Seafolk, with Aurochs and Spiders carrying their loads and collecting more and more odds and ends that where left behind by the Onna as they suddenly left this plane.

Underway, they started to study the unimpressive architecture to find it surprisingly sturdy and complex in the ways they are designed. Further, many a thing was deemed to bulky, to unimportant or simply forgotten and was not taken with them to their little paradise. The odd Onna they meet in their expeditions usually greeted them with fear and desperation, ready to fight for their life... Yet sometimes they had already resigned themself to their fate, and forced themself to take the friendly hand of a stranger they had disregarded as a savage for their whole life.

---

Within the Merchant Guild however, one 'person' has managed to raise along the ranks. Yes, most people could not come close within a lifetime towards the top, but this one had not such a limitation, for his lifetime was seemingly only limited by his impulse control. Something he managed to keep a grip on out of pure spite already. His true identity is a mystery to most but his closest servants and confidants, but he has gone by many names and many faces, faces he seems to switch on a whim.

Names & Faces he bought, for he was not even human. Or Onna, or Gelaton, or a Inksworn or a Beloved, and especially not a Embraced Soul walking the light of the sun, yet he was able to obtain the face of any of them. The Emperor Merchant, the Holder of a thousand Souls, the Master of the Hoard, Collector of Originals, Connoisseur of the Unique, Assassin of highest Position, and Once Scourge of the Western Hand, Vanratros

A Dragon, or rather The Dragon, that has raised trough the merchant guild after becoming bored with the destruction he brought the west of the triangular chain, from up high perched on a hand outstreched. Having fought many a Inksworn, burned at least some Cities whos names he can not remember, crushed plenty of Adventurers and killed enough of his own Kind, he found himself to attempt something new. Hold back, against his mind telling him that holding back was impossible and observe, despite the knowledge that nothing the puny creatures could do being able to impress. And most of all, be proven wrong, and admitting to that fact despite the burning rage that caused it in him inciting him to destroy just as he always did...

Yet, 'just as always' was his tipping point. The puny 'people' have proven to be more then they seem. And despite it only being he himself that will ever know, he won't be outdone by them, and just be as 'any' of his kind.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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10 AP LEFT

0 AP - Blessing/Curse [MUA Charge]

The Cut-Off
Onna that unknowingly accumulated enough of the worlds 'corruptions' to get removed from the inner worlds droplet net by the zealous Parischnas. Now that the race as a whole left the first world, they found themself alone in their Inner Worlds instead of the community they expected. As a result, small aimless populations of Onna of all kind are still present on ⁠Eresalay, sisters of broken faith that struggle with the abandonment after seemingly being banished for no reason they could possibly understand. It is still a open question how the people of the first world will treat them, now that the protection the large sisterhood and the bloodsilk order promised are gone.

0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Scavenging
As Simple, yet not very elegant progress of taking anything that could still be useful and distinguishing it from what is not. Wrecked equipment on a battlefield, ruins abandoned, the whole continent of Eresalay... All places where Scavengers out of need or desire roam to use their good eye and judgement to part the refuse from the reuse-able. Be it for survival, or simply profit.

1 AP - Teach Advanced Concept [Society(The Chain) 6/10]

Greenhouses
Especially interesting to anyone of statue, and especially the ones living in more hostile environment or of a exceptionally vain nature. Combined with the powers of Cultivary one can grow many a flower in a place it does not belong...

1 AP - Teach Advanced Concept [Society(The Chain) 7/10]

Optics
On a small scale, the benefits of this could be traded for, but now that trade with the Onna has become impossible, the scavengers pick clean for any examples left behind. Especially the simpler, more direct variatons and the places they where produced and disregarded notes of apprentices of the craft that failed to be taken where invaluable finds, as the own production can now be started... The humble Telescope being one of the first and most important creations, yet the way of 'glasses' will help many people across the world who where born unfortunate.

1 AP - Teach Mundane Concept [Society(The Chain) 8/10]

Carpentry
While the Onna seem to have disregarded this skill in favour of their concrete, the examples that withstood time and disuse are valuable things to learn from. Since the Chain usually prefers combining things instead of replacing them in full, the methods will be of great use to their architects. But other uses the Onna would have looked down upon, such as improvements in mining, ship-building and even as little as better spears & crossbows will be of great use.

2 AP - Raise Hero [Fire(Smoke) 2/10]

The Emperor Merchant, Vanratros
A Dragon from the west of the triangular chain that decided that the Dragon Lifestyle was not enough. Instead, he spends his possible immortal life to the gathering and collection of... Things. Originals, Unique Objects, Skills, anything not possible to be replicated. Vanratros has spend great time to Arcane Magics to improve on his already formidable powers as a dragon, and to understand the psyche of people to make them part willingly from their belongings if possible, so they may create more objects for his collection.

Despite the heavy use of the Arcane and the fractions of Lilias Love that sneaked into his soul over his lifetime, his utter refusal to give anything he believes can not be regained shows itself, as he succesfully holds himself against the corruption of his mind or body, and even the spontanious effects of the accumilated arcane magic get supressed until he deems them fit to unleash, in a spectacle that then become oh-so-more impressive.

One of his most common, yet most unique parts of his collection is that of Soul Coins, for he has found a particular liking to what they represent: The accumulation of the lifetime of a person, and according to some, even beyond that. Unlike most merchants, he never sold his own soul, and does not use the ones he bought for any purpose either if he can avoid it. This made him owner of the second largest collection of Soul Coins in the Treasury, only rivaled by That of Naseki themself. Vanratros however has taken a habit of using the guise of people long dead, whos image and name he conjures up with the soul coins (without spending them, even), a trick he holds uniquely to himself as spreading it would decrease the value of it in his eyes.

He uses this disguises to deal with the people he believes can not handle the truth, and to slip into places undetected when he participates in more... hands-on trades. Of course, he still uses his real, dragon form plenty, be it to deal with trusted people, or to deal with people no longer trusted. And it can be extremely convenient to just burn down something oneself.

________
5 AP Left

Progress:
Society (The Chain) 8/10
Fire (Smoke) 2/10

[Demfro]

Born from the Fractures
Kona Öldunnar

Deep within the darkest recesses of the abyss, power collects from the divines who once guarded and protected the seas, merging and collecting with runoffs from rivers and emotions caught in the tide. Heartbreak poured into the ocean from the families who were torn apart by the song of the deep, anger from the sea dwellers who wish their ocean stay their alone for all eternity, and abandonment from those that served the gods that now lay as silent as the sea they commanded.

Among these emotions and fractions of divinity left behind by the gods that once ruled the rolling tides, a harsh pull emerged, tugging kelp, rocks, and what little life the abyss had to offer, the tug of their creation creating a whirlpool above the Abyss' entrance, until finally once enough had been absorbed into the celestial black hole their body was formed, kelp compacted and molded into her flesh, clam shells broken apart and shifted into place to make her ceramic-like skin and sea grass fused together to create her long flowing hair, with the final feature being granted by a pair of pearls for her eyes, simmering white with nary a pupil to be seen.

With power coursing through her body, and sentience forming quickly, she looked above through the darkness up towards the tribal people of the sea who merely survived, not thriving as those on the land. This injustice could not stand, they chose to leave their lives behind, even if they were influenced into doing so. They should not be struggling to survive. With this mission in mind, she raises her hand to the very top of the abyssal entrance, coral forming from one of the sides and curving downwards, creating a massive shell, the bottom of which was nearly completely solid, anchored to the wall so that her children could build atop it, finishing the construction with a layer of poisonous anomone that did not harm the sea folk or shark-like kind. With the land made, she called upon the sea folk to introduce them to the new land, granting them the secrets to growing and using coral as a building material, making them no longer traveling packs, but rather a true civilization that could call somewhere home.

Spoiler: Actions, 7 Leftover

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1 AP, Alter land, Coral Abode. Kona creates a massive bubble-like structure of coral, large and sturdy enough to hold several buildings and hundreds of people, the abode has poisonous anemone covering the outside which will painfully poison anyone who comes in contact with it, if they try to move through anyway, small fish and other weak creatures will often die, while larger creatures tend to just be weakened.

1 AP, Create Basic Concept, Coral Farming. Imparting her knowledge of Coral onto the population of sea folk, she grants them the ability to plant and nurture coral to be a sustainable source of building materials.

1 AP, Create Basic Concept, Coral Masonry. Expanding upon the knowledge of coral she provided, she teaches them how to use this coral in order to create solid structures, as well as rudimentary tools and weapons such as spears, hammers, and pickaxes.

1 AP (Split with Lilia) Create Mythic Sub-Concept (Arcane Magic -> Arcane Mediums): Through the incorporation of orichalcum into an object arcane practitioners can create devices that can independently channel arcane forces outside of the flow or leylines of the sun. An unexpected side effect of this is that arcane intoxication is far less prevalent as the arcane energy barely touches the caster when an arcane medium is used, yet the limits to an arcane explosion can be harder to estimate for the untrained due to the lack of physical feedback.
Besides creating a means to use arcane magic in sunlight deprived regions arcane mediums can be crafted in such a manner as to overcome certain limitations in magic. Some are crafted to channel arcane magic silently without extra energy input, delay the release of a spell, widen the area the magic affects, or automatically maintain magic a arcane practitioner would normally maintain through concentration.
Within the Abyss, arcane mediums are the only reliable source of magic, crafted from Orichalcum veins found within the walls of the realm, this orichalcum ore is used in several ways, the most often of which being used to grow coral, fusing the magic into the plant and gently guiding it into a usable shape such as a staff, gauntlet or spear. The more rare and sought after are orichalcum pearls, created through processing orichalcum into fine dust and carefully injecting it into a clam. Care must be taken however to avoid overfilling the clam with orichalcum, clams given too much magic can result in monstrous transformations.

5 AP Greater Utility Artifact, Acropora Shield (Alter Land): Breaking off an outcropping of Coral from the walls, Kona's mind alights with an idea, collecting Acropora Coral and condensing it together into a solid disk-like shape, the curves and gaps forming to create her holy symbol of a bubble with sharpened teeth, the turns and curves making each tooth seem jagged and serrated. Using her newly created device, she pushes it through the water, collecting any remains of passed gods and infusing their essence into itself, filling the curves with a shimmering divine power. With the power of the divine, it's strength shines through as Coral begins to spring up within it's proximity, controlled by the wielder.

[Demidos]

Despite their historical isolation, the events precipitated by the departure of the Onna rippled across the fabric of the world. Suddenly, Ereselay was entirely devoid of civilization, and already scavengers among the Sea-Folk and the first probing touches of roving merchants were beginning to touch upon its shores. But it was not right that this continent pacified by the gentle touch of the Onna should give up its secrets so easily to newcomers, that its secrets should be exploited with reckless abandon. So Sagmi sings to the Star Mantas, and her music crystallizes as a flute burning with passion, and a symphony tracing the cold dance of the Mantas through the endless Void. The flute falls towards Yalasere, but the Symphony comes to rest in Eresalay, waiting to be used. Then Sagmi takes some of her siblings’ creations, the will-o-wisps, and stretched them with her songs, molded them into a new shape, before releasing them into Ereselay. In the day these creatures would be graceful unicorns, bound to light and the protection of the forests. At night, the accumulated sunlight would disperse from their forms as fireflies, leaving only the darker impulses imposed by the Darkness weaver. Appearing as demonic horses glowing like cinders, they would hunt those they judged worthy prey. It is said that the surest sign of death in Ereselay is to see a burst of fireflies appearing in a forest at night, followed by a red glow between the trees.

Meanwhile in First City, the Onna have been spotted for the first time – not one, but three Onna have appeared through the Abyssal Dungeon of the First City. Bitter at having been left behind by the exodus of their kin, they are swiftly introduced to a research project once known only at the highest levels – a project once graced by Kalabash the Hero, before their disappearance, but now led by a consortium of witches of the bloom and the Inksworn Sees Within Himself. A research project now kicked into high gear by the arrival of war. A secret way to splinter a Kami or another supernatural being into shards and implant them into one’s Inner World, allowing them to grow within oneself and achieve a symbiosis with them. A living Kami able to sheathe the body of a warrior in its own living golem armor that could repair itself and lash out with lashing brambles or even gouts of fire, as dictated by the type of spirit. From this grew a new elite unit of the Kish-Eruvian army, the War-Walkers.

Fortifications sprang up around the First City. Although walls were not useful due to the nature of the watery terrain, six massive towers were constructed, each housing a single will-o-wisp bound by Pacts and surrounded by hundreds of lightstones, feeding light from will-o-wisp to lightstone and back again, creating powerful beams of light capable of burning creatures trapped within the light alive. Two more were constructed at the port town, now christened Ki-Uru, their powerful beams able to guide ships to safety or destroy those who might threaten the new town. The techniques for these constructions, as well as were said to have been discovered in a book touched by a strange beam of light while at sea.

Lastly, a refugee arrives from the south of Yalasere. A boy, only just becoming a man. From him, the First City learns that the depredations of the empire have reached far beyond their borders, destroying and pillaging. The boy speaks of a monstrous being, beyond any other in power, that turned his village against each other with only a few words, and fed upon their anguish. Only the boy escaped, having been herding his family’s cows and watched his family consume each other from afar. The boy’s eyes burn with vengeance, and the Inksworn power that helped him travel half the continent earns him a commission in the army and a high place in the endless duels of the Guild of Ursa. His power is undeniable – after all, He Calls to Stone.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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1AP: Create Monsters: Stygian Unicorns – The first unicorns are formed by twisted will-o-wisps bound into the shape of massive glowing horned horses. Their horns are formed of concentrated sunlight and are formidable weapons. These unicorns protect nature, using their illusionary powers on the nearby forestry to confound attackers. At night, their accumulated sunlight disperses into the sky as fireflies, leaving behind Nightmares, will-o-wisps given new form in the shape of demonic horses. They are incredibly clever for monsters, able to create and utilize traps and primitive strategies, and will use their senses and illusions to hunt down and murder anyone they deem intruders into their territory (basically everyone). Both the unicorn and nightmare forms are most dangerous when they have had time to build up power, for the unicorn in the form of concentrated sunlight and for the nightmare in terms of prepared traps. Wonder(Illumination) 7/10

2 AP: Create Advanced Concept: Lighthouses – Massive constructions utilizing techniques described in a book altered by the Lantern of Myriad Truths, these constructs can light the path for many miles or burn enemies from far distances. They work equally well at night or in the day. Wonder(Illumination) 9/10

2 AP: Pact Magic Subconcept – Hymns of Binding: Expanding on the Pact Magic that is by now familiar to the First City, they develop a new form of Song-based Pact Magic, chants and hymns that can trap supernatural beings into contracts or mundane beings into subjugation. They use this to build their Lighthouses, arm their War-Walkers, and tame the native Soottooths and creatures of the area. Arts(Music) 9/10

1 AP: Create Organization – War Walkers: Soldiers encased in golem-like Kami bodies, these are the cream of the Kish-Eruvian army, able to deal out death with near impunity from their constantly regrowing living armors. They accomplish this by taking the splinter of a Kami and fusing it into their Inner Worlds. They can also call on the powers of the specific Kami splinter they have bound, often granting them fantastic abilities. Arts(Storytelling) 5/10

2 AP: Raise Hero: He Calls to Stone – A young man driven nearly to insanity by Slintoch’s Avatar, he is an incredibly powerful Inksworn, able to travel through miles of stone in an instant, throw boulders with a thought, and trap his foes within a morass of stone turned liquid. He holds a grudge beyond all grudges against the Empire and any who defend them. Arts(Storytelling) 7/10

2 AP (Reduced by GUA): Create Split Artifact – The Solar Flute and the Symphony of Stars. This two part artifact is mechanically a single bless/curse artifact (respectively) that alternates curses and blessings every other week. They take intent and crystallize it into action, though it is not always what the user may expect. If they are not used by their wielders they may sometimes activate themselves. Piracy(Discovery) 2/10

Still need to figure out domain/action pairings but i'll put them out soon!

[MutantDragon]

Madness Reigns

Deep in a forest on the continent of Eresalay, curses filled the air. She was instructed to leave this ruined world for paradise. But she weren't allowed access. Abandoned by her sisters. Abandoned by the moon. Naleena was among the esteemed Bloodsilk Order. She fought, bled, and killed for her sisters. And now she was cast off as a snake sheds its skin. And she cursed the moon with all the fury she could muster. As her throat became raw and her curses subsided to mere hoarse whispers in the night, her gaze shifted to the giant blazing eye that rivaled the duplicitous moon's brightness. And as she gazed upon it, something gazed back. Something angry, and hateful, and evil. And Naleena laughed, for she saw herself in this strange new evil eye. She laughed as her spirit withered. She laughed as all the love and loyalty she once felt turned into bitter rage and hate. She laughed a manic, unhinged laugh as her body shifted and grew, bones snapping, growing, and rearranging. She even laughed while her hands sprouted cruel claws and her face morphed into a snout. And, finally, her laugh became a howl.

---

Elsewhere on the forsaken continent, in one of the empty concrete homes, the shadows of night gathered into a new shape. One of the Onna left behind entered the home soon after, seeking solace in her home from before her abandonment. She was greeted by a child. Small, no older than six. The child was crying. Poor thing, thought Lenil, to be abandoned at such an age. She moved without thinking to embrace the child, to comfort her. That's when the weeping child lowered her hands from her face and revealed a maw filled with deadly fangs.

---

High above the clouds and on the back of a sky whale, Vlint stared up at the eye in the sky. It was beautiful. Most of the others didn't understand, they didn't see it like he did. They saw it as evil. He saw it as truth. Absolute. Pure. There were some who saw it as he did. Who saw the majesty of it. They grouped together. The others couldn't see the truth, but that would change. Soon.

---

On an island off the coast of Yalasere, a haggard looking man stared into his reflection in the pond before him.

"Why am I here?" the man asked, thinking back to the home he left behind. Why would he leave it all behind to come out here into the savage frontier? He certainly didn't need the money. So, he looked to his reflection for an answer. And, with a short chuckle, his reflection shrugged.

Spoiler: OOC

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Rollover! 16AP + 6AP = 22AP

Bless/Curse (Lycanthropy) 1AP: Embittered individuals across the First World who lose themselves in the Great Eye's hatred transform into merciless monsters with bestial characteristics, usually those of a wolf, for which the affliction is named. Affected individuals become violently unhinged, often stalking and murdering everything they encounter, though sometimes forming packs with other lycanthropes. In addition to the mental and cosmetic effects, the lycanthropes gain supernatural strength, speed, and resilience, as well as most of the advantages possessed by the animal they imitate. [Mind (Insanity) 8/10]

Create Monster (Weepers) GUA: A weeper is a monster that takes the appearance of a young child. It covers its face with its hands while it mimics crying to lure in prey and hide its more sinister features. When a victim approaches, it lowers its hands, revealing an unnaturally large mouth filled with over-large fangs that it uses to slay the unlucky victim.

Create Organization (Eye Watchers) 1AP: The Eye Watchers are a group of elves driven mad by the Great Eye. While they have yet to act openly, they are a deadly predator waiting amongst an unsuspecting herd, merely biding their time for the perfect opportunity to strike. [Mind (Insanity) 9/10]

Create Monster (Reflectors) 1AP: Reflectors are strange creatures that can randomly be created whenever a sapient being casts a reflection. They appear to replace the normal reflections and act according to their own wills, wills that are, at best, mischievous and, at worst, malevolent. While extraordinarily rare, they can be quite unsettling and, in even rarer cases dangerous. In these extra-rare cases, the reflectors can briefly exert physical force on the creatures they reflect, leading to scenarios such as a reflection in a lake dragging someone into the water and drawing them or the reflection in a mirror banging a victim's head into a nearby table's sharp corner. [Mind (Insanity) 10/10]

22AP – 3AP = 19AP
1MUA
0GUA

[Mechalich]

Retaliation

Ecie watched as certain of the Onna were bounced back from their Inner Worlds for reasons she did not understand. This should not have occurred. She was fully aware that those worlds were no longer joined to the web. But this did not matter, they were still part of those sisters, and still welcoming, still an opportunity for immortality. This outcome had been known, predicted, expected. All had still agreed to go. Why had this happened?

Carefully, she traced the joins, one by one, until it became clear what had occurred. Another deity had intervened, one who claimed benevolence only to act with great cruelty. "So be it," in her rage, Ecie spoke, something she almost never did. If cruelty was the currency of the First World, then let it fall.

Her tendrils reached out, touched all those left behind, and squeezed. As one, all Onna cut-off and sent back perished, instantly, painlessly, permanently. Their existence, beyond their inner worlds, was eliminated.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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Counter (2AP): The Cut-Off - All beings impacted by this curse die, instantly, within days of it taking place.
Starting AP: 6 Rollover Gain: 7 Spent: 2 Remaining: 11

And, I'm done. Should have left weeks ago. This enterprise is not worth it.
[/B]

[DasIrrlicht]

The Strike of the Chain, start of a long, starless night.
The ships sailed slowly, taking a wide turn. They came closer to the coast of Eresalay then the traders usually go when passing Yalaseres northern coast... A long chain of different warships, different sizes, irregular distances. Each outfitted with different weapons, crews, some of different believes and some simply payed for the service. They could barley see each other, even with the telescopes they recently got issued. Orders was to sail in the dark, move with the night as the hole the sun burned into the sky kept starring down on the procession. Of course, there was no hiding from the eye in the sky for the vessels, but a certain hope remained in the crew that the lightless travel made it focus on more interesting visuals instead...

---

In the far south of the continent a small group of devoted individuals left from the fortress island. Of course, they know they are far away from the cult they aim to fight where they are now, but its practices have soaked trough it all. Canibalistic tribes hide all around, preying on the weaker ones that hoped the distance to the empire would protect them from such degeneracy. On the map are a number of markings. The Fortress Island in one corner. A place called 'Kish-Eru' they heard fought against the canibalistic empire in the opposite one. The north coast, to a large part, was enclosed with vauge lines of expectations, a guess of where the empire may all extend to.

But this day, a different course was drawn. The order would move along the south coast, west to east, and weed out the irredeemable from the mislead and mistaken. A slow move, methodical, finding any tribe they possibly can and observing them for a mere day before judging them. Extermination, or the chance to turn away from their sun and live without the fear of being smitten down by the followers of a hateful god every day, and every night...

---

The moon nearly was in line with the eye, hopefully blinding it for a few valuable hours this decisive night. The ships all along the line got the signal, and they changed curse south to deliver their valuable cargo. Each ship, additionally to their existing weaponry, had a special cannon mounted to their main deck. Larger then most of the ones seen elsewhere, unable to turn on its own, and fix pointed at a certain angle towards the sky. To be fired they had to be swung open, so a full barrel could be inserted to serve as the explosive force for the projectile to soar into the sky. Barrels and Projectiles of which many, and many more where savely stored below deck. Each contained the same mixture, ingredients that are so rare most of the alchemists that where involved in divising the mixture did not know of their existance, and would not be able to recreate it if they tried. Some claim the ingredients are not even all from this world. Some say they did not even all exist before the plan was concived.

---

In one of the camps of Bhal, a camp further south then most of them, Vanratros was enjoying a simple tea with the local garrison. The actual army of the self proclaimed 'First City' has gotten some new toys of their own recently, and it was a delight watching the War Walkers deploy. They matched so wonderfully with the bombardment of the cannons he has brought to this more remote encampment in the name of the merchant guild. One strikes the air, shatters the sky and has it rain onto the lands below... The others march out to pick up the pieces, wipe away the ones that thought they could just hide below a shield or seek cover in a cave.

He exchanges rumors about a certain 'Symphony', able to cause great suffering upon ones foes... How one can be the specific and only person in control of a piece of music is a concept nobody was able to explain to him yet, but it intrigued him. A song only one person could possibly sing at a time has a certain charm to it, afterall... However, the musings got cut short when a special carriage arrived. To large to fit onto one wagon, pieces have been coming in for days. Now however the final one arrived: The Ammunition. Spheres of uniform size, engraved with a single ominous word. 'Nox'. Not the Tongue of the chain, not the Dialect of Kish-Eru either. Yet its meaning was clear to anyone who read it.

Night.

---

Midnight. The Moon at its highest. The Eye burned into the night just out of view, at least for a few moments. The silhouettes of the ships have just been spotted by the empire, still far from their coast, but alarmingly many, and wide spread out. Ships like this where unknown to them, but it takes no genius to figure out what they are. Vessels from across the ocean, unlike the ones of the soulless merchants they tolerated so far. As each and every one of them, in a long line, lit the lights on deck it only became clear how large that operation was. Single ships, each far from the next, but spread along the coast from the western edge all the way to the forests of Bahl. The smarter would already know that this could not have been a landing, their own conquest of some small islands of their coast thought them how a landing looks. But what could it be? A display of power? A threat? A blockage?

The more foolhardy among the coast, far from where the empire hunted the lessers for food, quickly attempted to attack some of the ships via boats... Sometimes, explosions where heard, othertimes, it was silent in the distance, but this attempts universally ended with the boats sunk. The ones that made their way on Firedrakes back however had more successes, of some kind. Many of the ships where prepared for the attack from above, firing their strange cannons with special shot, or filling the general direction with bolts of countless ballista, yet a giant fire-spewing lizard can do plenty of damage even in their dieing moments. Enormous sails burn away, masts break of, some weapons get smattered... But before the next drakes arrive to pick up where the last failed, the first salvo started.

---

They have prepared for this. But even the sailors enacting this where not totally sure what to expect...
As they lit the torches and lanterns, the Empire they heard stories about send out their first people. Small boats, filled with madmen, sunk without hesitation or incident. The second ones, the Dragonriders, where a rumor they in circulation for a long time that proofed itself true in the most direct way it could. And more where to come, and who knows what monsters they would bring forwards? But there was no time to think, as the captain gave orders. The moment has come to load the cannon. The grand plan of the Chain, hatched in secret over many weeks between nobles, merchants, the order in the south, mercenaries, and if its true even Kish-Eru was in the know. 'Nox' got loaded, as it was on every ship this side of the continent, and many of the camps of the fights in the forest of Bhal'nabool.

More Firedrakes get spotted raising from the coast.

The final second of Silence.

---

The explosions where nothing short of deafening, as the ammunition was shot far into the sky, high above the coast of Yalasere. There, uncountable second detonations occured, leaving a faded black fog, hanging in the air. It repeated, another salvo, and the clouds got thicker. Hours on end, as along the coast the empire attempts to sink as much of the fleet as they can, yet thats a form of combat they where inexperienced in. Few and far between, they manage to seriously damage ships, yet even as the decks are lit aflame their central mounted cannons keept firing. More hours in, as the sun starts rising over the horizon, the dark clouds bend the light towards a sickly orange colour...

Some of the ships have been managed to be weathered down, as they start sinking, the rest of their payload detonates leaving think clouds of smoke where they anchored before. Yet still, the rest keeps on firing. No boats are send to attempt to pick up survivors, for the cloud would have made finding them impossible. No light enters this spots, and none leaves it.

The hours advance, and the fire continues. As the morning sun raises towards the day, it got darker. The smoke filling the air formed a seemingly solid blanket, yet the cannons kept firing, and the sailors fought for their life in their first contact with the enemy.

The camps of the army of Kish-Eru had a simelar picture, as Mercenaries manned the giant guns, and the sky as well is covered in the thick mist cutting of the sunlight. A certain fear has spread out among the soldiers. Blocking out the Sun? A measure this extreme? For now, it was pointed against their enemies, but what kind of organisation would they be facing if this 'Chain' ever turned against them?

Fireflies are out at day, providing their meager light under the thundering cloud. The cannons have fallen silent, yet still explosions occasionally hall from the thick black carpet between the open skies and the sun-cursed lands below. The weather already started to become noticeable colder, with some of the reliable rains being replaced by a black snow, leaving a film of soot on whatever it lands on, waiting to be washed away by a rain sure to follow suit soon.

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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5 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART
3 AP - Blessing/Curse [Fire(Smoke) 5/10]

The Starless Night, a Storm of Smoke, Soot, and Ice
Plans made by mortals and methods enhanced by the divine, most of Yalasere has been covered by a dark storm, a layer of clouds black as smoke, cutting of daylight, moonlight, and even the light of star-mantas and the burning stare of the great eye in the sky (if not Slintochs actual view, for a god may see what they want). Thunder occasionally roars trough the clouds, often accompanied by a orange lightning before black snow or hail falls over the regions, covering everything it touches with a film of soot easily wiped away.

The region covered is roughly the size of Yalasere itself, possibly a bit smaller, but displaced to the North West. This means the empires main lands, Bhal'nabool, and vast surrounding swats of 'unowned' land are covered by the storm. The south and east coast of the continent (including Kish-Eru, naturally), are spared its presence as anything more then something to see on the horizon. Any area covered by the clouds is at a lower temperature, the switch between night and day only noticeable by the fact that the nights often become freezing as the days are simply 'cold'. Arcane Magic is naturally more reliant on the casters own powers as the lack of sun-contact weakens its infulence, but thanks to Leylines it never gets fully snuffed out. Fire magics in specific seem to struggle with the circumstances more then other kinds.

Occasionally, normal rain still makes it trough the covering, which is possibly the only good news as many plants are unable to handle the shift in the weather, and start to slowly but surley die off. Vegetation that stood in the shadows of the great trees all their existance however seem to be ready to pick up the slack... How badly this will affect nature is unclear, and most likely depends on how much time will pass with the clouds hanging thick over the continent.

________
6 AP Left
2 MUA Charges
1 GUA Charge


Progress:
Society (The Chain) 8/10
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

[Zelphas]

A Game of Society

The Temptations had known who their creators were. They saw how Glikmora wept at leaving the First World, and focused on the Lolats and their society, and were confused. They saw how Telas vanished, and refused to take part in great things, and were disappointed... but some were instead impressed. And they, in turn, slowly convinced others that what they saw in Telas was not sloth, but craft. A craft that they could take part in, if they chose.

And so, those few who sought out Temptations, instead of finding lonely hermits and beautiful ascetics, were introduced to a society of glitter and artifice, where great gain and great loss were offered. The society had rules--many, maddeningly many rules--but all knew by now that Temptations could not lie; they need only ask, and it would be explained. They could not explain all the rules, of course, but they always explained what was "relevant" to their guests, their prey.

One rule that was never relevant to the guests was true in all the First World and beyond: the Temptations need not follow their rules, and could change them on a whim, so long as it made the game more interesting and did not break the deeper rule: always give the prey a chance.

The Mind Behind the Mockery

A pale, indistinct figure wobbled away, dissatisfied. It did not have the intelligence to even know what it desired, only that it could not achieve it. It had played its part, it had been rejected, and it had killed in anger. Such was its life. No longer.

The creature it came from took the experiences and stored them away, leaving a blasted wreck behind. It sent out a more sophisticated shard of itself... or so it thought. All it had given was power, and intelligence. Still, there was no understanding. But it was trying to learn.

Firewater

Deep beneath the earth, there were caverns. In some of the caverns, there was fire, lava that flowed and burned and boiled. Deeper still, there was water, endless and deep. Where the two met, there was steam, and fog, and deeper darkness. Somehow, two inhospitable places became livable, though what came out of them was often odd...

Telas

Telas settled back from their survey. Things were very strange indeed. Strange... but interesting. Perhaps all that was left to do for them was to watch.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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0 AP + 5 AP + 5 AP = 10 AP

Create Legendary Society (4 AP) - the Glamorous Association of Magnificent Extravagance: The Association consists of Temptations, who pretend at high society while constantly changing the rules and working to mess with any mortals that are introduced. There is a legitimate chance at great riches and power for mortals who enter the G.A.M.E., but the risk is just as high, if not higher. [Life (Mockery) 5/10]

Bless/Curse (1 AP) - Joy of the G.A.M.E.: The strange and wondrous society of Temptations has tempted mortals towards them once again, causing a bump in missing people and in dangerous changes in power. [Life (Mockery) 6/10]

Create Legendary Sub-race (3 AP, from Mockeries) - Shards of Travesty: A Shard of Travesty resembles a Mockery in basic form, with perhaps a slightly better grasp of "normal" mortal forms (though still no real understanding of how to differentiate one mortal from another). They have also mastered mortal speech and are excellent mimics, though they speak gibberish as often as they say coherent sentences. Their form is still terrifying and obviously wrong, and they are orders of magnitude smarter and stronger than Mockeries; an encounter with a Shard of Travesty is generally survived only if the mortal can accidentally satisfy the Shard's utterly alien, half-formed desires. [Life (Mockery) 9/10]

Alter Land (1 AP) - Firewater Oases: The lava that congregates in the Deepness and the endless water of the Abyss are inimical to most forms of life in roughly equal measures. However, where these two things meet, the resulting steam and moisture creates places that are (by the standards of the Deepness) practically paradisical. This attracts survivors, dwellers, and predators in roughly equal amounts. [Life (Mockery) 10/10; Domain Get; New Deity Level Achieved!

10 AP - 9 AP = 1 AP Remaining

[Fuzzy Math]

Cocum bonum esse habes quod amor boni, amor laboris, amor creandi habes.
To be a good cook you have to have a love of the good, a love of hard work, and a love of creating.


The Yvapurũ had gathered in their grove along with the Kami resting about their necks, the overall mood being of pensive excitement. They had been busy since the Elder joined their dreams; with their newfound connection to the land, both from the Kami and their expanded harmony with the world around them, they set out to map the entirety of the island. One of the eldest gathered brought his arms up when everyone was settled, causing the ground between all of them to rise up slowly, taking the form of the island with their discoveries having been shaped out previously. For a non-Hopeful, all they would see in this shaping, outside of the extensive greenery of the trees, would be immediately identifiable landmarks. The massive tree at the center of the Pocket, the great mountain with the Triangle Pass, the rivers running along the north and south curves, and the massive cliffs rising from the ocean. To the Hiplings and the Kamii, however, they knew how to see the finer details by centering their attention on specific areas which brought that section into sharper focus. A white flower here, an indicator for a coppice of Jitter-trees. A splash of yellow leaves there, tasty fruits grew. A cachoo nut? The little druid that added that wasn’t the most imaginative, preferring a more direct representation; that indicated a stand of cachoo trees. So on and so forth, from eldest down the line, they all added their particular findings to the Grand Atlas.

The youngest member of the group, just barely considered an adult, waited for their turn to contribute, running their thumb along the crystal shard tied to their waist. When the time came, they brought the Rest into focus, then the rooms within the Triangle Pass. Walking up to the depiction, an extremely large room was added on the northern slope of the Pass, with an almost hidden entrance point as it was covered by a thick moss the grew along the entire length of the Pass at the bottom point. Bringing the tethered crystal up from its place, they used it as a drawing stick, doing their best to get the picture just right before stepping back. The other Yvapurũ chuffed in curiosity at this new addition, asking what this was and how it came to be, to which the young Hipling could only shrug while explaining that they discovered it on accident when trying to put another plant into place. They did know, however, what the crystal appeared to be able to do. Motioning for the others to gather around, they held the shard up and asked to learn about coffee, to which an almost-realistic visual projection spread up from the scintillating object. It depicted a wooden cup of coffee with steam rising from the delicious brown liquid before it spoke in a crisply knowledgeable female Hipling voice, welcoming the viewers to learn about all things coffee. The view rose directly above the cup, then zoomed down through the liquid to reveal a mature coffee plant growing in the foothills of the Rest, beginning to relate how coffee is grown to the shard’s rapt audience.

Shards soon found their way to the rest of the Hiplings, answering all of the little ones’ simple questions such as how to make simple traps, why do certain fruits taste better when left to ripen, and how to draw a pokbogbobobo. Most of the Hiplings had their shards tethered to the vine belts, though the Yvapurũ added a second necklace with the shard as a pendant, to go along with their resting Kami group symbol. Inevitably, one question rose above all others over and over again, usually after the Feastings. How to not get burnt food when using fire to make it taste better; they understood that roasting coffee fruits takes time, but when applying the same methods to other foods, it almost always resulted in something barely edible. After much back and forth between the Learning Crystal and Hiplings, trying to understand the question, it would explain how to create dishes using various methods, utensils, and surfaces to produce optimal results. There were more than a few Hiplings that took to this new process of cooking with a heart full of passion and curiosity, mixing ingredients to create more exciting meals and Feasting experiences overflowing with delightful flavors. From these lessons, the Hopeful would intuit how to produce ceramics, working with the Kami’s assistance rather than building kilns. This also allowed them to repair broken wares rather than create new ones, in the spirit of preserving the resources of the land, even if it was only clay.

Spoiler: AP Spending

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AP Remaining After Rollover: 10
AP Total: 10

Create Minor Utility Artifact (3AP; Create Mundane Concept) – The Learning Crystal: Discovered in a cavernous (approximately 61m by 30m by 152m, 200ft by 100ft by 500ft, in size) room in the Rest that was not created by the Hiplings, accessed from the northern angle of the Triangle Pass. The crystal itself takes up almost the entire back half of the room, though not quite reaching the ceiling, and pulsates in scintillating colors. When touched and asked a question regarding basic concepts, it will project an image and describe the subject matter in a language spoken by the creature touching it, with word complexity depending on their level of general understanding. If the crystal does not understand the question, it will ask for clarification. Pieces can be chipped off the crystal and they will still retain this functionality, although the projection and sound will be more personal, shared by a handful of creatures at most. [Community (Family) 8/10]

Create Mundane Concept (MUA Charge) – Cooking/Baking: The act of preparing food for consumption. It involves a range of skills and techniques that are used to cook food, such as boiling, frying, baking, and roasting. While the Hiplings understood the idea of applying food to open flames, which smelled delicious, it usually resulted in mostly charred meals with only a small portion still edible. Taking the lessons from coffee production and adapting them to other foods, they can now reliably apply basic cooking practices to produce entirely edible meals.

Create Advanced Concept (2AP) – Culinary Arts: While cooking made food taste better and easier to eat, there were those who wondered, “This is good, but can we do even better?” Through experimentation with ingredients, preservation techniques, and cooking methods, these Hiplings have mastered the artistic science of cooking. (Granted, without understanding the actual science behind it; they just know how to make food look and taste its best through trial and error, remember the process, and pass it on through the telling.) Every aspect, from the presentation on the plate to the aroma, flavors, and textures in our mouths, contributes to the uplifting of a simple meal. While currently limited to the foods of the Pocket, they will be most interested in other techniques and ingredients once exposed to them. [Community (Family) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

Teach Mundane Concept (1AP) – Ceramics: Crafting and vitrification of pottery from clay. [Healing (Repairs) 2/10]

AP Spent: 6
AP Remaining: 4
MUA (Mun. Con.) Charges: 0

Progress:
[Healing (Repairs) 2/10]
[Community (Family) 10/10; DOMFOLIO GET!]

[MutantDragon]

Empires Old and New

This was an affront beyond any blasphemies previously found on Yalasere. The sun was blotted out by a wave of...smoke? This could not stand. It needed to be punished. The perpetrators had to be exterminated. And all the while Slintoch laughed, pleased at the new avenues of carnage for his chosen puppets to explore.

---

A thread of divine power invisibly snaked through the black clouds before splitting apart and latching onto inland semi-aquatic reptiles called "crocodiles." The reptilian predators were torn asunder by this power, their physical forms shredded into energy that flickered through a state of nonexistence before forming again on the coast as something...different.

---

Sarjur stood with his fellow sun-followers upon the coast, preparing himself for the bloody vengeance that would be unleashed upon the fools who dared defile the sky and obscure the sun with their wicked crafts. Just as he was working himself into a frenzy of anger and insanity, a massive shape emerged from the water in front of him. It was far larger than any firedrake he had ever seen and appeared much like one of the crocodiles found in the rivers and swamps of the Empire. The size, however, was not the only thing distinguishing it from a normal crocodile. Its scales took on the appearance of a heavily armored carapace, and its legs were much longer than usual in proportion to its body, ending in sharp, hooked claws. As the titanic reptile emerged from the water, it reared up on its back legs and, with an ear-splitting shriek, it blasted from its jaws a jet of flame that scorched the air and briefly illuminated the beach the stood on. It then fell forward onto all four legs once more and fixed Sarjur with a lazy stare as more just like it emerged all along the beach. And the sun's champions grinned and howled with glee, for these beasts would bring their wrath to the hated ones who dared to strike at the sun.

---

On another coast of Yalasere, this one far to the South and somewhat East, a young woman named Miral played with her toys. These toys were not made of cloth or wood, nor of straw or glass. They were crafted of flesh and blood and thought. The Zealots of Zargog. They were simple creatures, broken by the creature they worshipped or by its other followers until there was only a strong shell containing little else but hatred and violent intent. They were so easy to bend to her will. With but a flick of her mind she could send any dozen off to do whatever she desired, her every whim carrying the weight of an unshakable command coming not from without, but within. What she wanted, they did. And what she wanted was beautiful. It was a city, one of spires and glass, of metal and concrete. The blacksmiths and glassblowers, taught their trades by their mistress, who herself learned from the eye, worked day and night to create weapons and baubles for Miral's fledgling society. Meanwhile, the beast tamers raised flaming kittens that would one day strike fear into the hearts of Miral's enemies. And all the Zealots were drilled in combat and conditioned for total obedience, with or without psychic enforcement of it. Where once the Zealots were chaos, they now were the very picture of order. And they were preparing for the day they would conquer this world for their mistress...and Zargog, of course.

---

A howl pierced the silence that had settled over the camp. The soldiers tensed, ready for battle with whatever might come, be it a rabid beast or a host of rabid men. But no monsters assailed them, and those not on watch settled once more. It was a cold night. At least, they thought it was night. It had become hard to tell ever since the strangers on the sea turned the sky as black as ink. Regardless, the soldiers were cold, though they refrained from lighting a fire in case such a blaze would alert the enemy of their presence. Instead, they hugged their blankets tighter about themselves and tried to get some rest, though a few reluctantly rose from their spots around camp and stalked towards the makeshift watch posts established just beyond eyeshot in the dense forest brush. They did not find the companions they meant to relieve. Instead, they found their intestines. The night belonged to the wolves.

A scream pierced the silence that had settled over the camp.

Spoiler: OOC

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Create Monster (Zaluks) 1AP: A zaluk is a massive crocodile, measuring as long as fifty feet. Their hides are extraordinarily strong and they are capable of firebreathing comparable to a firedrake's. Additionally, their elongated legs and talon-like claws allow them to rear up on their hind legs in a crude imitation of bipedal anatomy for brief periods of time. The Empire of the Sun has begun taming them for use in coastal combat. [Travel (Conquest) 1/10]

Raise Hero (Miral) 2AP: Miral is an ordinary looking young woman, though she possesses extraordinary psychic powers and has been driven quite mad by the Great Eye and her own powers. Leveraging her prodigious telepathic talents, she quickly gained control of the Zealots of Zargog and now directs them as she pleases. Though her telepathic talents are the most immediately obvious, there are many more psychic talents, as any insolent fool able to resist mental invasion would quickly discover. [Travel (Conquest) 3/10]

Create Racial Society (Imperium Animi) 2AP: Imperium Animi is a society created by Miral by way of her slaves, the Zealots of Zargog. It is a strange society, being both extraordinarily orderly despite its population and its ruler's insanity and extremely beautiful to behold, working glass, steel, and orichalcum into many breathtaking public structures. Despite this, it is still a land of terror, controlled by a lunatic despot and her brainwashed cult of cannibalistic warriors. The buildings may be pretty, the streets may be clean, and the consumption of human flesh may now be done with elegant utensils at the ruler's dinner parties, but the roots of Zargog's cult are still firmly entrenched. [Travel (Conquest) 5/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (Architecture) 1AP: Slintoch, by way of the Great Eye, implanted much more than madness in Miral's mind. Among her favorite topics she was granted mastery over, fine architecture was one of the first tasks she set her workers to when constructing the Imperium. The Imperium's style is characterized by its spires, arches, delicate-seeming structures that would baffle lesser societies in their ability to remain upright, and by its prolific use of metal and glass. [Travel (Conquest) 6/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (Glassware) 1AP: Another of Miral's favorite crafts, glassware in the Imperium is commonly used in architecture, though it is also employed for the creation of beautiful trinkets for the crazed empress. [Travel (Conquest) 7/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (Concrete) 1AP: A necessity for the realization of Miral's most ambitious architectural visions, the making of concrete was another secret The Destroyer whispered in the psychic's mind. [Travel (Conquest) 8/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (Steel Making) 1AP: Steel is used by the Imperium largely for the construction of weapons and armor, much as it is in other places, though the Imperium's metallurgy also finds uses in the civilization's architectural pursuits. [Travel (Conquest) 9/10]

Teach Advanced Concept (Beast Taming) 1AP: The Imperium also engages in the practice of beast taming, currently focusing on the beautiful and astonishingly destructive flame tigers. [Travel (Conquest) 10/10] Domain Unlocked!

Create Organization (Night Howlers) 1AP: The Night Howlers are an elite force of werewolves within the Empire of the Sun engaging in guerrilla warfare. They use their lycanthropic talents to devastating effect against the armies of Kish-Eru, especially now that their enhanced senses provide them a constant decisive edge, though this particular advantage is very far from being something they revel in. [Darkness (Terror) 1/10]

19AP – 11AP = 8AP
1MUA
0GUA

[DasIrrlicht]

Naseki, new routines.
With the Starless Night in action, it was time for the ships to fall back, regroup, and then start their patrols around the Empires coast. Small groups, traveling together to be a harder target, and taking slightly different routes every time. Its taking clues from the chain and the forests of Bhal, applied on a different scale. In fact, with the reliance on stationary defenses the People of the Chain have gotten rather good at, it was just natural that they developed a good system to hold area outside of them.

And while this started with the ships within the Operation itself, over a short timespan the massive cannons mounted in the center where removed. The sky is already blacked out, it was no longer necessary to have them there, and carry their enormous weight with themself. That should also help fighting of the Zaluks, which while of much less size then the Leviathans of the waters further out, their nature of being essencially water-firedrakes came with the caviat that they where also handled like such, and could be usedfor much more dangerous strategies then the simple ones prefered by mere unaffiliated seafolk raiders.

---

The patrols in the area however came with a slight downside. The Trade Routes of the Merchant Guild had to be capped. The last few shipments sneaking in and out carried a unusual number of people with them, as before they had to leave permanently, they wanted to milk the Empire for what it was worth. Plans, kidnapped or bribed Architects, Workers that dedicated their life to the Steel, now stolen away. It took not long into the starless night before one had to cut their losses however.

And the people of the Empire finally seem to have wised up to the nature of the Soulless Merchants that brought in raw materials and vanished again with weapons that now, slowly but surely, appeared again in the bloodied fields in the east. Heightened Xenophobia caused by the most recent attack did not help either, of course, as some started to point to them as the guilty party being they just stopped appearing once things started to go down over the empires homelands...

But this will just be a temporary setback. The knowledge stolen will be applied elsewhere, and other trade-partners will be found for sure.

---

Their reflections of the sun made them easy to find targets. Glass Spires that have been errected just further down the coast, the Order of their Ladies Mercy continued their cursade along the southern side of Yalasere to find something resembling civilisation at last. Any ultimatum however has fallen on deaf ears, as the people there where like in trance to the Chains extended arm. And soon after meeting the first of this people, they meet the first of their soldiers: Clad in steel and Loyal to someone the Cursaders have not even heard of before, the interactions soon turned as bloody as was to be expected.

Bullets shot and missed shattered glass panes many buildings further away, and alkaline spells seeped below armours and melted away at the muscles supporting them, all the while steel blades and spears came to pierce leather coat and iron armours, as Canibalistic Zealots and dwellers of the fortress clashed near the border of the territory. Given, to the people of the Chain, the Zealots where just as much 'The Empire' as the ones to the north.

---

With the amount of 'real' things increasing in the Echo, both from the first world and places that never even had contact to the first world, the plane started to slowly but surely become twisted, yet more accurate. Displaced area of outposts of the Magi Realm showed less resistance then originally, and sometimes echos just faded trough them instead of making proper contact as they should. Souls & Servants medlling with random objects and things of magical value, as well as a increase in copies made from the library instead of the before more sparringly aquired originals made the plane recognise things slightly better...

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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6 AP LEFT
0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Patrols
Standing Guard, Patrolling a area, Timetables, Instructions for certain situations, ecetra. To get good at organising and planing patrol routes, how to break them up to not become to predictable, training the people involved. It means being good at holding more area with less people, less resources, and less risk involved. (I am sadly not enough a military buff to get into deeper explanations.)

1 AP - Teach Advanced Concept [Society (The Chain) 9/10]

Steel Making
Whats better then Metal Working? Steel, of course. Stolen Secrets of Steel, in this case, to the benefit of the Chain. The fact that mining betters their access to the materials needed for the process does naturally lead to a fast, widespread usage.

0 AP - Blessing/Curse [MUA Charge]

Still Image and Blur
Objects that are in motion on the first world are of less consistency on the plane of echos now, making impacts of a Echo against anything else less... impactful, and in some cases, simply phase trough as it transferes barley any energy at all. In turn, things that are mostly stationary have started to increase in details, such as signs and open books becoming more easily readable, and a sleeping persons facial features becoming easy to grasp.

1 AP - Advanced Concept [Society (The Chain) 10/10 & GUA Charge]

Cryptography
As actions of the chains forces hit all over the neighboring continent, a increase in code-speak among the members of its different organisations has become more frequent. Ciphers to hide the contents of a written message, code words to inform a second party without informing the third of its content, signal fireworks shot into the dark skies that inform about the status of pre-planned actions or expected irragularities. Of course, every society can grasp the general concept of secret messages. Some are just better at making and breaking them then others.

________
4 AP Left

Progress:
Society (The Chain) 10/10
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

[Athedia]

Glikmora's Wail felt the ripples through the world as the Onna disappeared and a new wasteland was formed, devoid of peoples. It left its charges to their building and journeyed through Desire Heart to see what had been wrought on this unfamiliar land. A strange wasteland, as animals and creatures still lived the same lives, but one empty of the people who had shaped it.

Until one came back, a scared frightened thing. It looked at Glikmora's Wail and fear and uncertainity passed before its eyes before all life left it. Not in a natural way, Glikmora's Wail could see the trails of divine power retreat back into another plane.

But Glikmora's Wail was a child of Glikmora and felt anger, these reborn creatures were given no chance on their lives. No respect for the cycle of the world. And so it split, divided itself to meet every reborn creature in the moment they returned and offered them a coin. Transformation or death. A chance at something else. Some refused the coin, some pondered the decision for to long. But others understood the gamble and flipped it.

---

The tall hooded figures gathered at the edge of their old homeland. They had memories of what the land had meant for them, of the sisterhood and community it stood for. All lost now. The worlds that had once connected them had shattered, instead the threads woven together to form a mental link. Glikmora's Wail had given them no task, but they had decided on their new meaning. They would travel the world, weeping for their lost sisters and all those who died. Remembering all that had been lost.

Mourners. For themselves and for the world.

A close land drew their attention first, a land filled with death and sorrow.

Spoiler: AP Actions

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11 AP + 4 AP = 15 AP


Create Legends (5AP) The Mourners: These tall pale figures are often hooded and travel alone or in small groups. They are the transformed remnants of a lost race gifted long lives and long memories. They have a joint purpose of wandering the world and absorbing the sorrow from it through the stories of people. [Emotion (Sorrow) 5/10]


15 AP - 5 AP = 10 AP

Water (Wetlands) 7/10
Weather (Rain) 3/10
Medicine (Toxins) 2/10
Truth (Deals) 9/10
Magic (Necromancy) 6/10
Travel (Air) 8/10
Emotion (Sorrow) 5/10

[DasIrrlicht]

Naseki, return to form: Slice of Life
"So you eat bugs? I mean, I guess one can do that but lets be fair, who would get that crazy idea to begin with?" The Human merchant was toasting their glass to the miniscule glass of the just as small amphibious creature. "You say that as out there you literally dance their dance of orders and instructions on ships directly touching the ocean, as if it was not deserving the fear or respect it is owed." The Lolat swirled the clear rainwater in their own glass, apparently one could bottle the pure rains if one was clever enough. "Ota, I am insulted! Some of my best business partners are Seafolk." The frog-creature instinctivley wanted to apologise for the insult before quickly reminding itself that it is merely a turn of phrase and not an actual statement of being hurt. "And I am sure you would like the fish if you try it. And I am just as sure the fish Roe is gonna taste at least simelar to the 'Worm Eggs' you claim are delicious." "Insects are not bad actually." A gelaton perks up, leading the conversation back on track. "Small, Nutritous, don't resist much as they wiggle around inside." The Human Merchant and the Ota Lolat look just slightly disturbed at their companies dietary habits, as from even further back, a Functionary chimes in, "I don't eat at all!" "You don't count!" And with that the Merchant turns back to the current trading partner. "What do you say, we will give the insects a shot and you try some of our fish? I am sure I can find some of suitable size." "I think the glass is much more interesting then the fish honestly. The ease with which you got something in my size is wonderful, and yet it is so sturdy..." And a very small 'ping' sounds trough the room as the glasses meet. While both hold Pure Rain Water, one was normally meant for juice, and the other a shot glass.

---

Despite the cloud hanging high in the north of the continent, passing directly by the emperors territory was still the savest and quickest way towards Kish-Eru. Simply time yourself that you get some extra protection by the patrols and you can relativley safely pass the dangerous lands until you can see the star mantas in the sky again. From then, you just stay along the coast until you eventually see the star near the ground: A Lighthouse. Once you see that, safe Habour is just a Spiders Leap away!

---

The scavanger group had been exceptionally lucky, recently. One of the Onna that stayed back was willing to talk, yes to cooperate even. She was able to point out some of her old work-place, and even started giving the group a small tour as long as they would not leave her side... There was a fear in her voice, a fear she did not know she had before she faced it. The fear of being alone. She was just finishing up showing them a book about anatomy, as something seemed to hit her.

She was dead. Instantly. Nobody in the group was able to do anything as it happened, yet their budding friendship was already being sniffed out before it had time to grow. Deseperatly trying to make sense of the books of Medicine they had been pointed out, they tried anything to delay the decay to set in. Onna treatments where advanced. They could even cure the goblin infection if it had hit their people. If one could just keep the body as it is maybe something in this books can save them from staying dead as well?

But besides of the many things the Onna could cure, death was not one of them. Days passed, as hopes had fallen... At least in the final moment they preserved the Onna seems to have been happy. Smiling at having found some willing audience, to listen to their rambling, possibly happy that her life was not as over as it seemed when she was alone... Even if that turned out to be so deadly wrong...

Spoiler: Naseki AP Spending

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4 AP LEFT
4 AP ROUNDSTART
1 AP - Teach Mundane Concept [??? (???) 1/10]

Insect Farming
With the arrival of the Lolat came their cuisine, which is exceptionally weird to the people of the chain for all that matters. However, it comes with some benefits, being both cheap and easy to be done on different scales. Most insects farmed on the chain are however used as food for raising Spiders or as novelty in combination with alcohol, sugar or for some unholy reason, life for some Gelaton, who keep showing some facettes of their slime ancestory that most humans seem to forget they have this days...

1 AP - Teach Advanced Concept [??? (???) 1/10]

Glassware
Sturdy, Clean, able to be looked into, Glass is of quite some use for the Lolat. Thanks to a small chain of trade and translations of some written records the secret to make glass in proper quantities and reliable quality ends up eventually in the hands of the amphibians... The need for the correct Sands and a reliable way to heat and cool the material fast forces the Lolats that dedicate themself to glass-making to travel near and sometimes into Telas's Promise.

0 AP - Mundane Concept [MUA Charge]

Embalming
The first use of the process was crude, and fast. It possibly could even be regarded as a failure as the ones practicing it where unwilling to attempt and remove the organs, making the process of decay for them merely delayed instead of stopping it indefinitly. Liberal applications of the pure alcohols they sold the Onna before for 'medical usage' and different methods each taken and adapted half-way out of missunderstood texts did however create something of a process...
While its original attempt was of little use, others from the chain soon learned from it. Some people let themself be preserved after death intentionally, for varaieties of reasons. Others signed agreements with Necromancers to have their body be preserved after death for a fee, so that the living may earn some extra coin as the dead toil many years longer then would normally be possible for a simple raised corpse...

1 AP - Teach Advanced Concept [??? (???) 1/10]

Medicine
While the medical field stays dominated by Witches and Alchemists, on the chain many now start to pick up the ideas of the dead race. Cleaning things, especially with alcohol, as well as practices of surgery to fix the position of bones before applying the tinctures or cut of limbs that can no longer be saved in a way much less risky for the one losing a limb start to take hold. While the idea of immunity to certain illnesses and wild concepts of using molds keep popping up every now and again, it is however hardly the focus as the field of medicine as one to study ends up focusing mainly on surgery as other methods mostly successfully fill the niche. While transplanting is still a idea far of, re-attaching limbs has suddenly become a feaseable thing to do after accidents or in rare cases, combat.

________
5 AP Left
1 GUA Charge
1 MUA Charge

Progress:
Fire (Smoke) 5/10

[WindStruck]

A New Goddess Awakens

Existence before was impossible, before people existed, before things existed. But as the world took form and shape, and life and souls began to flourish, so too did disparity. Without light, there is no concept of darkness, and without warmth, there is no concept of cold. Without victory, there can be no defeat. But without a chance of defeat, victory is meaningless. Various civilizations bubbled to life, and then, as if suddenly experiencing countless past lives..!

Penia awakens, as if coming to from an incredibly involved and vivid dream.. and yet unable to remember any details whatsoever. She sits up and looks around, attempting to shake the cobwebs from her head. Her surroundings were bleak, full of death and decay. She took note of her humanoid form, which was all plainly mundane and quite human. Her arms and legs were covered in dirt and scrapes, her body was hardly covered with flimsy rags, and her head hurt. Looking around, she seemed to be at the bottom of a depression, with steep hills climbing upwards on nearly all sides. Around her, corpses of men and women, many armored, and with swords, shields, and spears littering the ground. Some kind of battlefield?

Examining the bodies, she noticed distinct symbols among many of the fallen: one, which clearly depicted the Sun. Another symbol: that of a burning eye. Upon fallen banners, blood-encrusted tabards, and shields scuffed beyond recognition, even more heraldry could be found, depicting fantastic creatures and other flowery symbols, though at the moment Penia could make neither heads nor tails of it. She didn't know why she was here. Her first instincts may have been scavenging? There was much here that could be salvaged, though where to take it and how far was a mystery.

Then suddenly, a sickening slurping and squelching sound caught her attention. Along the bottom of this depression came a blood-red, disgusting blob of limbs, heads, other body parts, and weaponry. As if noticing the young girl, it quickened its pace, engulfing the fallen bodies and continually adding more to its mass. The thing was huge, now nearly overflowing the ridges of steep hills themselves. Penia cried out and tried to flee, running into a dead end. The only way out of this mess was to climb the steep and muddy surfaces. And climb Penia tried. She scrambled with all her limbs to climb out of this horrible depression she found herself in, trapped with some horrible monster.

Nearly making it to the top, her torso is impaled by a spear, and as she is locked skewered in place, more weapons move to dice at her limbs, and grotesque hands pull her into the mass of alkaline jelly. She screamed. Everything is pain, so much burning pain, and suffocation, and darkness.

---

Then Penia wakes again, startled by the clap of thunder. Or at least, she thinks she wakes. Everything is still dark; she can't see anything, even though she believes her eyes are open. There is no more pain, no more burning sensation. Instead, there is cold and numbness. Penia begins shivering involuntarily. She can hardly see anything, barely even her hand outstretched, but as far as she can tell, it once again feels like she is barely wearing anything, completely unprotected from the cold. Her lungs feel irritated; there's something in the air: smoke? Eventually the obstruction to her vision relents, somewhat. She and everything around is covered in soot, or whatever this smoke was. The surroundings still seem incredibly gloomy, and visibility is reduced.

So Penia wanders the land, in search of warmth, and food, and light. Seems she is a young human woman, but still ill-equipped for traveling in the wilderness as her bare feet step painfully on rocks and sticks. Eventually she comes upon a camp of what looks like warriors; they wear the emblems of the Sun proudly. They question her, and she can answer, speaking their language without thought. Her presence, however, still draws much suspicion and mistrust, and her answers are vague. One of the men stands and advances with his blade drawn, hurling insults and threats. They will not tolerate insolence, nor a woman that has run from home, especially one that clearly could not bear children. Something like that. Perhaps because she was so scrawny.

Penia manages to flee from this encounter, losing her pursuers in the perpetual smokey night. Days, or weeks seem to pass, it's hard to tell. The young woman still manages to survive, despite having no food nor warmth, though her existence is misery. Eventually, however, the dark skies relent and she comes upon a shining city with mystifying spires of orihalcum and glass. It was truly awe-inspiring and beautiful - at least from an objective standpoint. But something inside Penia didn't like this...

Nevertheless, in order to quench her needs, her primal desires, she approaches and enters the magnificent city. Even as she walks, she leaves behind a trail of soot and dirt in her wake, as she is still covered from head to toe in the smokey residue. The streets appear empty at first, though she does eventually meet someone, who shows her kindness. They promise her food, and clothing, and a bath, and lead her inside. A bath Penia gets, but it is the last thing she receives. After becoming reasonably clean, and the water is changed out one last time, suddenly the lid clamps down and locks. The truth is that she was now trapped in a pressure cooker. Her cries and pleas are drown out as the heat is increased and she is slowly boiled alive. A fine meal, the Imperium Animi have found, dining on the flesh of a Goddess that night. But they did not know it, and her spirit moved on to yet another vessel.

---

This time Penia awakes with a start, the hot and humid air still clinging to her lungs, as if she was still boiled alive. Yet the heat and humidity is not so extreme, and the environment is more soft and serene. She now finds herself in a jungle. Getting her bearings once again, she finds her form somewhat small.. and stubby. Compared to the previous forms she experienced, her skin was much thicker and a shade of pale blue. She had tiny protruding ears, and a longish, round snout with a much larger mouth. It was at once, a form that was utterly foreign, and yet so familiar.

It was at about this time that she began to truly realize what and who she is. She was one of many forms and variations, yet they all had commonality. And the reason she felt discomfort - no, disdain - with that city wasn't merely because the one person she met, who feigned kindness, turned out to be some backstabbing cannibal. The very nature of the sparkling towers of glass, the sheer opulence, was diametrically opposed to who she was. Penia realized this, and began to understand. So much information came flooding into her, from all her past lives, and she realized what she may be capable of. Not only that, but now she feels a purpose to her existence. She was no longer driven by cravings of food and shelter; for one thing, they were utterly inconsequential. No, she would embrace her current state, and share her "gift" with others.

And so, she sets off toward what looks like the closest and most important thing around: the giant tree, so tall it rivaled the nearby mountains. Nimbly plodding along on stubby legs, she soon arrives at a village of Hiplings, little pygmy hippopotamus people of all different colors. And yet immediately, the other Hiplings know something is off. Penia is in the form of a Hipling with pale blue skin, but she is a complete stranger, unknown to anyone in the village. Perhaps that could have been passed off as a distant cousin of a friend of a friend who lived on the other side of the island and was just visiting. However her appearance was also a bit unsettling. As most Hiplings enjoyed the bounties of life and ate feasts aplenty with no care in the world, this particular newcomer Hipling looked starved, emaciated, almost skin and bones. And considering the jungle environment and primitive tools and adornments this society possessed, her version of an impoverished Hipling was completely nude, with no belts, bangles, nor other forms of jewelry. To the others, perhaps this Hipling that Penia took the form of looked like some sort of outcast, or someone abandoned at an early age, having never learned to hunt and forage. Or if that was even unthinkable for the little ones, perhaps she merely got lost in the jungles for a long time and lost all her things??

The Hipplings (Rel bless their little souls) were of course still kind and compassionate creatures. Before Penia even had the chance to do the token acting of begging, to judge how this society treated their worst off, she was already offered food and a place to rest and vines to cover her loins. Such eager kindness made Penia suspicious, as it reminded her of the last time she was boiled alive. However, she eventually relented and cautiously accepted some food, at least. It would temporarily ease her hunger pains and never-ending weariness. But for now, she was still observant. There was still much to learn, as she had not even been in the village for five minutes.

Still, something wasn't right. These creatures seemed so exuberantly kind.. They hardly had anything like 'wealth' that she had experienced in other lives, yet they so willingly and freely gave so much kindness to a stranger. Why was this? What would motivate them to be this way? Then it hit her: their life is too easy.

Even as Penia lie there in thought, doted on by Hiplings who encouraged her to eat far more than she was ever used to, and pestered by an unending sea of questions, the divinity within her is noticed, and Relloc stirs...

Spoiler: Penia AP Spending

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