NDNESVI(Reboot): Myths, Legends, and Gods

THE ANATOMY OF THE “LESSER” CHROMARCH

Chromarchs are born after every rainbow, one at each end. There, where the edges of the rainbow fades into mist, the young Chomarch forms, and as the rainbow fades they grow stronger and more independent until, after the rainbow dissipates, they fly off, eager to learn more of the world they find themselves in.

Chromarchs are both shy and curious. They are simple minded and want to have new experiences and see new things. They are also somewhat self conscious and want to be liked, if they show themselves. Intelligence wise, they are between a cat and a human: perhaps around that of a 6 year old, depending on their age.

Chromarchs are composed of visible glowing cloud of steam/fog, and they may glow in any color or even all of them. Within every chromarch lies a rainbow “heart”, which can be found inside a semi-”solid” crystal-like structure within themselves, but can also be anywhere in their bodies. If this rainbow is severed the Chromarch becomes stricken, and most die.

Chromarchs absorb light to gain strength and size. They mostly do so during the day, and most hibernate at night. Some may stand vigil at night for various reasons, and may be mistaken/become known as will’o wisps. Others at night may cluster around lamps or other light sources like moths.

Chromarchs have passive telekinesis and perception. Both abilities increase the closer they act to their bodies. They can “speak” by vibrating the air in various ways.

Chromarchs have the ability to extend beyond their normal size, or compact under it. Doing so not only requires energy, but burns energy at an accelerated rate and may cause disorientation. However, this ability is useful with their amorphous bodies.

Chromarchs can also control how much light they output. However, they always output a minimal amount which can make hiding difficult.

Small Chromarchs can be caught and kept in jars (perhaps as a night light). This is viewed as the worst of slavery for most.

Chromarchs are all in awe of Tai, which many see as the greatest Chromarch or something similar. A few Chromarchs attempted to fly near Tai, but they would be repulsed by the Solar Wind. Even fewer might get a glimpse of Tai’s “human” form within the sphere of light.

Chromarchs technically can be slain by physical means, because dragging swords/arrows through their bodies scatter them and cause them to use their strength. However, one needs magic or cleverness to fight them on even ground. Conversely, it is difficult for a normal Chromarch to fight back, as their telekinesis usually isn’t powerful enough to cause damage. They would normally just fly away, or pick up and drop rocks. In a group they can pick up individuals and threaten to drop them from high above.


A REPLY FROM TAI

Before earth, there was the water.

Before life, there was the storm.

Before man, before the gods, there was the Sea.

Immortal, unyielding, almighty. She was the beginning of all things without an end. She was the gentlest wave and the mightiest storm, dancing together in gentle rhythm. She was chaos and order in flawless harmony. She was perfection. She was paradise.

And through your ignorance, you tore Her apart. Burned Her away in a fit of blind power.

Through Her pain, you undid it all. You destroyed paradise. And from that destruction, I was created.

I am the guardian of the ocean. I am the maiden of storms.

And through my strength, no harm shall befall the seas again.

Click to expand...

Before birth, there is nothing.

Before something, there was nothing.

Before my eyes opened, there was only me.

Then there wasn’t.

When I found the Sea, I was both newborn and eternal, ancient and young, powerful and powerless. When I found Her, I admit, I knew nothing. When I burned Her, I know, I did her wrong. When I left her, I cry, for I am sorry.

But I cannot return to the nothingness. The emptiness. The lonliness.

You may not have me, but you will not deprive me.

I will remain at my place. No matter what.

I cannot bear to turn away from this place.

Nothing will sway me.

Not even sorrow.

At first nothing.

An abyss, infinite in scale, yet with no one to measure it and nothing to occupy its space. Everything that would ever exist would be contained within this silent plane; titanic beasts, passionate lovers, and ambitious undertakings would all echo in their due time. But for a moment, nothing.

Then, a searing light from the heavens.

Tai, the First Sun, appeared in the sky, his gaze slicing through the abyss cleanly. As the heavy darkness dissipated, a vast primordial ocean was revealed. It is unknown whether this body of water silently sloshed under the darkness since time immemorial, or if it had formed the moment Tai’s light ripped through existence as chilling contrast to Tai’s searing radiance. Whichever the case, the oceans hissed and wailed at this new light. Coming too close, the First Sun boiled away entire seas, leaving bare land and molten rock in his wake. Horrified by the destruction he had wrought, Tai distanced himself from the world and took up a measured path around creation, unwilling to further mar what had only just come into existence.

The sorrow of the First Sun did little to ease the pain of the oceans; a mere show of sorrow could not bring back the crashing waves nor the roaring currents which had been silenced so abruptly. Harika, Goddess of the Seas and Storms, arose to ensure that such wanton destruction would never visit her waters again. Salvaging what she could of her lost oceans, Harika gathered their evaporated remains and crafted a tempest. Perpetually darkening the skies above her undersea realm, the tempest would both serve as a deterrent against those invading Harika’s realm, and as a reminder of that great calamity.

Yet out of this sorrowful tale, wondrous beings came to be. The sunlight of Tai, following the storms of Harika, gave birth to the first Chromarchs. These beings of fog and cloud, born in the wake of every rainbow, wandered around creation aimlessly. Unaware of the horrific conflict that birthed them, Chromarchs wandered both sea and land, hovering safely above choppy waters and scorching earth alike. Containing all the colors of the rainbows that birthed them, these benign clouds wrapped the world in a tapestry of shifting hues and glowing light. For a brief moment, existence had seemingly struck a balance between the salty depths and the blistering skies.

When Tai grew distant on his walks, the sky grew dim and the First Night paid homage to the primordial abyss. A vacant canvas which laid bare, waiting to be shaped into something far more fascinating. Achandasha, Goddess of Night, was more than happy to paint the heavens. Surpassing even the splendor of the Chromarchs, the heavens shone with such a multitude of colors and shapes that those curious clouds all at once brought their attention skyward and danced with what they could only assume were long lost relatives. While the stars and the heavenly bodies could not dance with them, it was a night of beauty and splendor that has not since been matched.

It is unclear when the new arrivals disturbed this idyllic paradise; perhaps Tai sensed them during one of his walks through the skies. Or their boats glided through Harika’s waters, her raging tempest the first thing these strange creatures saw as they wandered out of the abyss. Frightened and afraid of their sudden existence, maybe these beings were discovered and comforted by Chromarchs wandering the margins of the world. One thing was for certain; the arrival of man would herald changes even the lords of Sea and Sun could have not predicted.

Alongside humanity came their patron deities, no less powerful than Harika and Tai, yet strangely tied to these lesser beings. Nyubar, God of Life and Death, served as a gatekeeper to this new flock, greeting each human soul entering this harsh new world and comforting each soul that had shed its mortal coil. Nyubar did not know where those souls came from or where they went, for it was never Nyubar’s intent to have mastery over such things. Nyubar bestowed upon new arrivals the so-called Gift of Life, giving mankind extra grit, determination, and hope. It is said that, after braving the blasting sands of the south and the harrowing storms of Harika, a great body of mortals witnessed Nyubar hew his citadel into the top of a mountain. Those who had displayed immense bravery and wisdom throughout their difficult journey were welcomed to Nyubar’s citadel, home to unimaginably fertile gardens, exotic wildlife, and boundless joy.

The next great patron of humanity was...well… Patron, God of Ambition! While Nyubar served to comfort mankind before, during, and after life, Patron pushed humanity to achieve greatness, no matter the cost. Patron’s gift to mortals was “Chi,” an inner essence that could be tapped into when one’s emotions and ambitions ran white-hot. A mortal that managed to harness a large amount of Chi would be a figure worthy of legend; great feats both on and off of the battlefield changed the course of early history, and it became quite clear that humans with a mastery of Chi would dominate the annals of mankind.

In particular, the Yinshung rose to prominence in the songs and tales of mortals. Consumed by their own Chi and driven to accomplish a single goal, mortals that underwent the Yinshung transformation became extremely powerful, but also entirely single-minded. Undergoing the transformation left many a mortal traumatized, yet strangely empowered by their new purpose in life. Few Yinshung arose in those days, yet each became renown in their own special way. Regardless of villainy or heroism, these figures pleased Patron to no end.

Vash, God of Fate, came next, whose gifts were rare but unmistakable. Whether by chance or some choice selection by the God of Fate, a few humans every generation would be born with the gift of Vash’s magic. These beings, with significant willpower, could bend and shape the world with their minds. In time Vash would revisit some of these empowered mortals, and upon the greatest mages he would bestow the gift of dragonhood. Transformed into massive beasts of scale and fire, these mages possessed strength in body to match their magical prowess. Only a handful of dragons reached this lofty position, but upon reaching this status were seen as near-godlike in their own right, dealing death and wisdom from unassailable positions of power. Some began to whisper that a dragon of sufficient power could unseat a god, and that it was no mistake that a dragon’s might was so often coupled with an equally sizeable ambition…

Finally, an odd being totally unlike the others arrived with mankind. Some said that, given Rios’s nature as an arbitrary and random god, perhaps mankind was his creation and that he scattered his children throughout existence without a care. Whether or not these tales were true, Rios demonstrated very little favor for mankind as a whole, instead selecting five lineages at among the mortals at random. These families would bumble through the first ages of man, achieving dizzying heights of success, as well as comically tragic moments of failure. Yet these lines would never die out; one thing that even Rios could be depended upon to ensure.

Legends said that life beneath the waves mimics life on dry land, like a murky reflection in a deep, wet world. Not to be outdone by other gods choosing their favored servants and bestowing their blessings upon mankind, Harika took those men and women that treated the oceans with respect and blessed them with fins and scales. These beings, known as Typhans, would flourish in Harika’s realm and become her faithful servants. Swimming far and wide, Typhans became as widespread underwater as humans were on land, although the further Typhans went from Harika’s palace, the fewer companions they would find of their own kind.

From the north, whispers of giants and magical beasts echoed through the caves and huts of storytellers and shamans. Following those stories came cold blasts of air never before seen by the world. Entire seas froze over, to the horror of Typhan and Man alike, for Cold North had finally awoken. An embodiment of frigidity, Cold North wandered the northern wastes, spreading ice and hail wherever he tread. As the frozen titan reached the edges of his frost-covered realm, he shuddered at the thought of warmth, at the idea of heat. There was no joy to be found in a world like that. Determined to ensure his own survival and joy, Cold North undertook a great work.

And so from the north, biting arctic winds washed over creation. While the winds could not continue heading south indefinitely, areas closest to the north suffered immeasurably. Entire villages of Typhans found themselves suddenly encased in ice, frozen with looks of horror and impending doom on their faces. Forests in the north became harsh and dark; predators grew desperate to feed themselves, and lesser men fell to wolves and hunger. In these days, many new Nyubar’s comfort as they left this world. Giants, given strength and a desire for cold by Cold North(Kross in their language), followed these bitter winds and soon made themselves masters over weaker mortals.

The winds of Kross would eventually die out, only to revisit the southern lands every century or so. In time giants would settle on the northern portion of the southern landmasses, and their presence would become more than just legend. Their power would wax with the coming of the arctic winds, but brave warriors and mages soon learned that giants were mere mortals themselves, and during particularly warm years giants would migrate back to their homelands. Mages learned that the northern winds of Cold North possessed magical qualities, and those that risked giant-dominated lands could potentially harness those winds for their own use.

With death and violence following in the wake of the multiplying mortals, grim gods awoke in an increasingly brutal world. Rula crawled out of the seas, a shade spreading doubt and madness in its wake. Shattering mountain peaks and slithering into the deep, dark crevices of the world, Rula planted fear and doubt into the minds of all mortals. The champion faltered on the battlefield. The poet choked before his peers. The young romantic failed to proclaim his love. No longer could mortals freely dance beneath the stars without fear seizing them in the dark. Men asked “who knows what actually dwells under the night sky?” Many instead judged it better to stay inside with watchful eyes, and guard against the unknown.

In a bone-addled forest, Rula took on a physical form, and there Rula allowed mortals to seek advice and favor with the God of Fear. Radiating terror and uncertainty, the forest had a way of drawing especially depraved or hardened mortals under its grim canopy. Crawling with all manner of wildlife meant to terrorize mortals, only the most devout and twisted would ever reach the heart of the forest. There, Rula would be waiting, offering the purest terrors to be shared with the world.

For many in this harsh world, there was no justice. Against foreign invaders, there was no retaliation. Against the deserts to the south or the blizzards of the north, there could be no lasting victory. One man’s hero was another’s villain, and the strong could trample the weak and elude punishment. But one god offered an alternative. One god offered unfettered justice against the guilty, regardless of status or strength.

Fuku, God of Curses, shared the secrets of curses with spiteful mortals who yearned for a twisted sort of retribution. Through profane and sinister methods, Fuku demonstrated that he was willing to dispense justice, and his followers eagerly clung to a chance to strike back at a cruel world. Fuku cursed people based on his expectations of them. To Fuku, a thief was within his bounds to steal and could very well elude punishment, while an unjust king must face justice. While the savvy curse-weaver could find the tiniest slight for which to punish someone, Fuku’s curses worked best on those who had truly become arrogant and vain. While usually just leading to dramatic feuds within small communities, these curses gave raiding parties, murderers, and swindlers cause for concern about their transgressions. Despite the horrific fates associated with Fuku, many argued that out of all the gods, he alone helped humanity restrain itself.

No mortal would ever make the same argument for Nital, whose followers betrayed all sense of humanity and good-will force a chance at harnessing terrific power. A foul beast with an insatiable bloodlust, Nital nevertheless acted with some degree of subtlety. Like a great crimson smoke his whispers and promises wafted through the world, finally being inhaled by those ambitious or depraved enough to abandon their most basic morals. These followers learned the secrets of blood magic, which involved rituals of sentient sacrifice. These rituals brought immense power to those that practiced them, yet also earned these foul mages the contempt of even the lowliest thieves and thugs. Ostracized at best and viciously persecuted at worst (and more often than not), blood mages were forced to practice their dark arts underground.

Rios, outside of using his five mortal houses as playthings, constructed a great many portals spread throughout creation. Each leading to a different location and each possessing a different trigger to activate, these portals confounded most mortal minds and remained unused for the majority of their existence. However, mages of various types and levels of experience began to uncover the secrets of these portals, recording the triggers in their tomes and sharing that knowledge with their successors. However, the gods proved to be fickle beings; the portals also tended to blink out of existence when it was least convenient, and untold numbers of mages were whisked away to nothingness upon entering a portal. It was once rumored that the portals even allowed those who entered to travel into the past and alter the course of history. This was of course an afront to Vash, who swiftly locked time into a forward stream.

As mysteries multiplied with the undertakings of mortals and gods alike, many sought to bring that knowledge under their control and possession.

Achandasha brought all the secrets of the heavenly bodies into a gorgeous crystal, which was then placed underneath an island nestled in the southern seas. By touching the crystal one could commune with Achandasha herself and learn the secrets of the night sky. Though accessing the crystal proved to be exceptionally difficult, as Achandasha enlisted many mortals to guard her island. Each guard became blessed with immense knowledge and wisdom imparted by Achandasha herself. These inhabitants became largely nocturnal and marveled at the beauty of the night sky, although not once did these sentinels lower their guard. Typhens and men attempted to infiltrate the island, but such attempts were repulsed with extreme prejudice.

While Achandasha guarded her knowledge beneath an isle, Fuku carried his book of secrets wherever he went. A massive tome containing every mortal secret within its pages, the Book of Secrets could be a blessing or a curse for a mortal. Many a man had been reduced to a jibbering mess, attempting to page through its contents, desperate to find one morsel of relevant information in an ever growing sea of notes. These broken mortals wander Fuku’s temple, serving as both a warning to would-be appeasers and as testaments to Fuku’s immense power.

With mortals firmly entrenched in the world, gods continued to use them as tools to further their own motives. The Cult of Patron formed in hopes of serving Patron and awakening the potential of people who might please Patron with their ambitions. In its infancy the Cult managed to have several targets access their Chi. Despite their reverence for those awakening their potential, the Cult did not hesitate to put their targets through horrific trauma and hardship in order to get what they wanted. Severals members, beings, unable to break the pact with Patron and leave the Cult, chose to take their own lives rather than continue to follow through with their actions. The Cult continued to operate, but their numbers remained small.

Nital’s cabals remained largely ignorant of one another, although their particular type of tainted magic had a way of drawing practitioners to one another. Outcasts, cabals, and men masquerading as normal members of society all began to sense that they were not alone in their perversions, and soon they began to seek one another out. Paranoia washed over communities as evidence of increasingly depraved and disastrous rituals were uncovered.

While villages gawk and decried the actions of blood mages, tribes and villages shed ten times as much blood warring against one another. Dragons incinerated those foolish enough to challenge their might. Mages warped reality itself to smite their foes in excruciating ways, robbing men of a warrior’s death in combat. Yinshung launched genocidal conflicts to realize their dreams. Was it truly the mortals’ fault for the death and decay that permeated what was once a paradise? Or did fault lie with the gods who let it get this far?

The days of peace and idyllic beauty were gone. The mortals had arrived, and blood would flow ever after.
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Maps: http://imgur.com/a/Nv4yx
Since this was the first update, point amounts will remain the same. However, if a God were to be gravely injured, hugely successful, or something of that nature, a shift in their power would be noted here, typically.


Stats will be updated sometime tonight hopefully, and if you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to fire away. It's been forever since I've done one of these, so I am sure I made a mistake somewhere.

@Everyone The first cities are being built, and mankind is finally moving away from simple huts and villages. Since I feel like we are moving along at a fairly slow pace, I am going to extend the purely God-centric stage to 5 updates. I hope this is okay with you all, and if not, feel free to let me know.

@DoubleA Your penguins were not directly mentioned since I was trying to keep a somewhat serious tone, rest assured that there are some extremely terrifying wildlife to be found in this world ;P

@jackelgull Tried to shift Fuku's backstory to fit this world since, you know, there was no empire to oppress people horrifically.

yeah I don't mind, I liked reading about the other crap I did though

Excellent update.

I certainly liked the descriptions.

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(OOC: Yes this is crap but I wanted to at least do somehing despite RL problems combined with writer's block)

Avenger
Oko Ital had done nothing wrong.

That's what he kept telling himself, anyway. It was an obvious lie- he had to have done something wrong. Otherwise, why would Patron keep punishing him like this?

"Is this justice?" shouted a voice. Strange. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Is this what the Gods call righteousness? Murdering your entire family? How is that right?"

No, Oko Ital told himself. He couldn't think that way. It was not up to mortals to judge divine justice. Gods were better than mortals. Stronger than them. It was only natural that they took what they would.

Oko Ital rested his head against the door, smashing it open with a single gesture. Strange. Apparently he had chi now. He'd be more pleasing to Patron, at any rate.

"Patron betrayed you! You gave him everything he wanted and more!
And this is how he repays you?"

No! Oko Ital have given himself to Patron! It didn't matter what Patron did to him- he would always serve Patron! Whatever mage, demon, or even God was trying to corrupt him from his chosen path, it would never succeed!

"Did your wife give herself to Patron? Did your daughter?"

Oko Ital listened. And he awakened at last.

-------

Patron doesn't talk. At least, not directly. It (though Patron accepts "he" or "she") can transplant thoughts into a person's mind, but it doesn't have a mouth or face with which to talk in the first place.

But if Patron had a mouth, it would be smiling right now. Besides the obvious fun factor of corrupting perhaps the most difficult man in the world, the whole idea of a mortal so ambitious as to oppose the Gods themselves might have made him lick his lips in joy.

Oko Ital may have been something of a dumbass, but he had also been Patron's most faithful follower. He had outright declined Cult membership and the benefits it offered, all to serve Patron the better. He had given his life, totally and selflessly, to serve his chosen God. He deserved this.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am expecting orders in my inbox by next Monday. I'd also like to know if you guys are okay with extending the God-only portion of the NES to 5 updates, or if we should keep it down to 3?

Oh, and the front page has been updated!

Long before now, We knew an I.
Before there was a now.
Before the Light burned through Us, tearing Us to pieces.
But, oh, We were there.

(Unrelated) Story about humans encountering Rüla


So the Order of the Many Minds was born. A shadow organization that consists of mortals who wish to serve Rüla. Though there are likely about a dozen Wisps, only one is a member of the Order, the woman mentioned in the second portion of the story, by the name of Lea. Other mortals that gaze on Rüla for the most part drift endlessly through eternity, with some being too insubstantial to manifest as corporeal beings after the experience. Lea is the only person to have ever undergone the experience and to have been resurrected fully in control of her mind, and she, like all Wisps, has the ability to control spiders, snakes, rats, Ravens, scorpions, etc. Making true to her word, she went about founding the Order, based in the cave where Wisps are resurrected.
Dozens and dozens of mortals whose minds are corrupted by Lea's whispers seek the cave, and those that brave the treacherous mountains to find it are indoctrinated by making eye contact with her, where a remnant of Rüla's form remains. They are driven deep into madness, and live to serve Rüla. Despite that the Order is not known to anyone outside of it, it still plays a role in society, with many of the members acting as petty criminals and others performing rituals on creatures to send them as agents to lay eggs in cereal, bite small children, etc. These non-Wisps are quite weak, however, and have no powers beyond the ability to perform rituals to control creatures.
As to Wisps, there are very very few, around a dozen total, and of those few, only about half can in any way interact with the world. Of those, only two are corporeal, the two referenced in the story, and of those two, only Lea has any semblance of control. Wisps are not exactly magic users. With immortality and an ability to spread fear, see, feel, and hear thoughts and fears, and control creatures, each Wisp contains a fractured off piece of Rüla's power. However most are far too disturbed to make any use of it. Wisps are also technically undead, with a corpse buried in the Woods of the Many Minds. They are resurrected into a cave near the forest.

Got to pull out. I apologise.

Ninja Dude said:

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am expecting orders in my inbox by next Monday. I'd also like to know if you guys are okay with extending the God-only portion of the NES to 5 updates, or if we should keep it down to 3?

Oh, and the front page has been updated!

Click to expand...

I'm fine with either 5 or 3.

I'd also take either one, I like a longer one too. Longer time to build a better/more in depth world for the heroes of the next couple updates, right

Structure. Shape. Order. Form. Consistency. Scale.

Enact. Enforce. Pattern.

Shape. Place. Form.

Seek. Find. Shape. Fundamental.

Pattern. Underlying. Form. Shape.

Enact. Form.

The Gift of Magic.

The small boy, Aiden his parents named him in his infancy as they prayed at the shrine of Nyubar lifegiver, huddled now in the cold mud, the bodies of the slain, their eyes glazed over, stared from all around him, his mother, his father, his brothers and sisters, all who he held dear. His was a lamentable fate, for the giants cared not for the plight the humans when the cold winds rose in the north and flooded south in the long winter. He could still remember their booming laughter, as they delighted in the ruin of his small happiness in a world. He prayed to Nyubar to save him... but no solace was to be had from the gatekeeper, for all who perish pass through the gate to the beyond, or so it was told by the old priest who died when the cold rose up after summers end.

Suddenly, footsteps in the mud, the sloshing of the bloodied ground breaking the silence that otherwise contained the childs weeping. It was another boy, or so it seemed to the , clad in black raiment, his face covered by a veil. Aiden fearfully watched his advent, "Who are you?!" It cries, its voice calling out, only to be carried away by the biting northern winds.

The veiled one tilts his head, seeming to ponder the other childs words, and answers in a voice innocent and questioning, but yet filled with power.

"Who are you who lives and yet is not alive?"

The black clad child stepped forward towards Aiden crawled backwards, stumbling over the rigid limbs of the unrecognisable corpse that was once his father and cried out "Stay away!" in fear. For before the black-clad child the cold winds stilled, and the air became silent and languid filled with strangeness and feeling as sweet as the warmth of summer, but yet more biting than the heart of winter in the uttermost north.

"You lament your doom child of man, and yet you live on. Perhaps your fate is other than what you foresee?"

Aiden called out again, his voice quiet in the stillness that had overcome him "wh--who are you?"

"I am Vash"

Aiden knew not this name. He knew not the child that stood before him appearing seemingly out of nowhere and suspicious, pondered the one who was before. Vash spoke again.

"You know not my name human, but you shall receive my gift nonetheless."

The one called Vash reached forward and laid his hand upon Aiden, the whimpering childs, head, and all at once the world seemed filled with a great and awesome... silence. The winds became still, and all thought became as placid as primordial waters. And Aiden saw for the briefest moment, like a sun illuminating the darkness, the gaze of eternity and of infinite possibilities.

He turned towards the one called Vash and called out a third time "Who are you?"

And the one called vash lowered the hood of his robe and cast aside the veil, and Aiden beheld hair as black as the void and eyes shining with golden light. Vash answered once more.

"I am Vash"

and in that instant the golden-eyed child disappeared as if he never existed to begin with and Aiden cried out in alarm. After some time however, he got up and putting aside his former life turned his feet southwards, for he knew that he was changed, and that his fate was not to die in the ruins of his home lamenting the deaths of his family and friends. As to what that fate was, he would soon find out for the powers of magic cannot long be hidden in a world of tribulations, and many tribulations would Aiden undergo in his life. As to Vash, Aiden soon found out, for where the village child was ignorant of the world and knew only the kindly priest of Nyubar and the rhythms of life and death, the mage would learn of other gods, and find whispered in amongst kings and beggars the name of the one who came before him that fateful day. Vash the Changer, God of Fate.

Also, the map has been updated to be much larger. I'm hoping that this will give us more detail. No longer shall the gods require magnifying glasses to observe their mortal playthings!

Blank:

Climate:

Population:

Specific Locations:


Note: Climate map is pretty vague and will probably get worked on extensively for this upcoming update. Having only 3 climates is a bit strange

Fuku

Major: Climate in areas where the Fuku is strong becomes jungle

Minor: Yinshung are now cursed for their genocidal ways, they shall find their themselves under the thumb of an oppressive empire/kingdom where they are no more than second class citizens.

Alter races that choose to serve me - they will be marked on their brow, and only be seen when they want to be seen (ie have powers of invisibility).

I guess I'll rush with basic orders, I'll try writing stories later.

Cold North
Major: As I walk a southern walk I find the warmth is hard. Create a very tall mountain range at the center of the world going from the north pole to the south pole, with mountains so high their tops are always frozen.
Minor: Create the Ice Protectors - a form of monsters made of ice that protects major frost key locations in the north pole and the mountain ranges.
Minor: To find my way back home in the north, create a cross-arrow shaped star system that always appears in the north every night and leads anyone who follows to the north pole, where the star system will be right a top.

This is interesting. May I hop in next update?

Seon said:

This is interesting. May I hop in next update?

Click to expand...

Absolutely! I can get the update up Monday night or early Tuesday, depending on when orders float in. Then you should be all good to go!

I was away this weekend but should have orders in tonight.

TURN 1 ORDERS
1 Major: Evolution of the Chromarchs: Chromatai and Chromakin
1 Minor: The BrightskinTribes
1 Minor: Years and Seasons

EVOLUTION OF THE CHROMARCHS
As the years pass on, the Chromarchs grow older, wiser, and stronger. They grow bigger, shine more light, and have a further reach in telekinetic influence. Under Tai’s influence, elder Chromarchs begun to change into two parallel races.

First are the Greater Chromarchs, also known as Chromatai, or Lesser Suns. These Chromarchs are large spheres, and are most notable for three key characteristics. Firstly, they are incredibly bright naturally, making it hard to look directly upon, unlike the gentler glow of their younger bretheren. Chromatai’s natural light, unlike Tai’s, does not burn out eyes as quickly as our Sun does. Perhaps to the intensity of a floodlight? Secondly, their telekinetic abilities increase to a great degree. Most Chromatai can carry mortals of normal size. Some of the greater ones can even carry Giants, although most would writhe in incredible pain in such intimate contact. Finally, Chromatai begun developing an eye, or eyes, similar to Tai. Upon opening this eye, projected from their rainbow heart-crystal, they are able to perceive in much greater detail and clarity. However, they also project power directly from their hearts, firing a laser-like beam which can cause serious damage.

Not all old Chromarchs become Chromatai. Those Chromarchs who venerate Tai the most, who spend their time gathering His Direct Sunlight and conserving their own output during the day, among other things, are more likely to become Chromatai. Chromatai also do not have to remain Chromatai forever, depending on their energy expenditures. However, even if a Chromatai burns through their energy reserves in their rainbow heart-crystal, they retain their eye as a Chromarch. Sometimes, these regressive Chromarchs are called Floating Eyes. A Chromatai, through energy expenditures, can also take the form of a “Floating Eye” for exploration or curiosity.

The second are the humanoid Chromarchs, also known as the Chromakin, or the Bright Peoples. Chromarchs who have engaged with close relations with humanoids, especially humans, and after much experience, can slowly take the form of a humanoid for themselves. Their “skin” is a barrier of telekinetic energy, and they glow softly at all times, and can be described as “hard light.” Chromakin rarely also take the forms of animals. Living as a Chromakin takes a lot of energy, and they almost always need to sleep at sundown and be up right at sunrise, and often seek the companion of other Chromarchs or Chromakin to preserve or share energy. Chromakin rarely wear clothes, as it blocks their energy absorption, but they can use their color and light control to project various clothes or other fashion choices (like hair or tattoos) as needed.

[Am considering their life cycle, do they need a hibernation/meditation period? Stuff like that]

[If you want, you can think of Chromakin as like Gems from Steven Universe. They have a heart crystal/gem, can change their form, project energy, etc.]

Both Chromakin and Chromatai are more intelligent than the normal Chromarchon. They are also much much rarer. However, an average Chromakin I would say would be less smart than an average human, perhaps with more knowledge and history, but a lot more distractible.


THE BRIGHTSKIN TRIBES

Note: These are not a new race, just a new society and technology.

Several tribes begin settling in Tai’s Desert, also known as the Sand Sea or Blasted Sea. The first humans to survive here followed some of the first Chromatai, who were sunbathing over various oasis, gathering reflected sunlight. These humans learned to survive and thrive in the desert, and many worshiped Tai and the Chromatai.

With the emergence of the Chromakin amongst them, the Brightskin Tribes gain an identity and culture separate from other regions. The Chromakin are accepted and some even raised as shamans or communers. Most Chromakin wish to live similar to their human neighbors, curious and excited by the lives of the mortals, although their shyness, excitability and distractibility may make it hard.

Next to the lake of boiling stone, the Brightskin Tribes discover glass from the blasted and melted sand and eventually learn to make it for themselves. Although the main Tai’s Eye Lake is considered a holy site, the nearby smaller pools, streams, rifts, and such are considered fair game and soon, lucrative glass and metalworking workshops rise at their edges, using the sheer heat of magma in their craft.

With the discovery and exportation of glass, especially jars, the unscrupulous business of catching and selling small, young chromarchons as night lights have begin.


YEARS AND SEASONS

Unbeknownst to all, and to Tai himself, but Tai’s awesome power is not neverending. It slowly dwindles. As Tai walks around the world, as his light slowly decreases, the available light decreases every so slightly. Yet, that is enough for the catalyst (or exaggeration, or weirdness) of the first seasons. When Tai begun to notice his telesense blurring, he steps closer to the world, wishing still to watch in curiosity and in duty what occurs in the world below.

The cycle of Tai stepping forward may be regular, which when noticed may cause the first years. (We can also have ASOIAF style weirdo season cycles, combined with Erez’s century chills, for !!FUN!!)

EDIT: Are there even poles in this world? For all we know it is a flat world. Just joking around ofc.

EDITEDIT: I don't care 3 or 5, but 5 would let me spread out things a bit.

The Legend of Shisu and Mesym

A long time ago, there was beautiful Typhan princess named Shisu, a maiden of great courage and virtue. Sent off to be married to a cruel and calculating Duke, the free-willed princess escaped and fled to be with her true love, a peasant named Shiro. Furious at her actions and jealous of the true love between then, the wicked Duke plotted against them.

"To kill them will not be enough. Instead, I will hire Grum, the giant with a heart of ice, to steal her beloved away where she will never find him," he said.

And so the ice-hearted giant stole Shiro from his home, scooping him up in a great bag and stealing him to his castle on top of the highest mountain deep within the realm of man. A fury worthy of Harika herself built up within the princess, but she could not enter the land to save her beloved, for the worlds of Man and Typhan were not meant to interfere with one another. She wept bitter, furious tears and thrashed the waters in anger over the indignity.

The princess' actions caught the attention of a human named Mesym, a poor, starving man with only a great basin to his name, holding all his worldly possessions. Upon seeing the despondent Typhan princess, he was moved by her grief and spoke to her, asking what was wrong.

"A wicked giant with a heart of ice has stolen my beloved," she said, "And I've no way to reach him, for the water is my home and without it I shall die."

"I am a poor man, with almost naught to my name," Mesym said, "But with this basin I can bring the water with me up to the mountain, and help you save your beloved."

So with one great swoop Mesym took Shisu and the water she rested in, and took her up to the mountain on her shoulders. Together they ascended to the highest mountain, and when they met the ice-hearted giant Grum, the princess took up her blade and battled the mighty giant from within the great basin held by Mesym.

Finally, the princess struck the killing blow, and the great giant fell dead to the ground, and shook the earth so much that Mesym's basin shattered, the pieces flying out and cutting open the sack, leaving both Typhans on the ground. Mesym fell to his knees and begged the gods to save the two of them from death.

A great storm rolled in, and from within the clouds stood the great Harika, who heard the anguished cries of the lovers and the kind man who begged her to save them. She threw her spear at the dead giant's heart, shattering it and turning it to water, which flowed down from the mountains and all through the world, creating the rivers and saving the lives of the Typhans.

"Shisu and Shiro, noblest of the Typhans, you two I will entrust with the protection of the rivers. May you offer your protection to all life within it, and may you guide the humans who live by it and the Typhans who live within it with your love and courage."

"Mesym, noblest of man, your kindness has not gone unnoticed. From this day forth, the sea will reward man for your bravery. Because of you, the men who ply the sea for their trade and respect the life within will be given my blessing."

Thus the rivers were born, and man were allowed to ply the rivers and seas for their livelihoods.

TURN 1 ORDERS
1 Major: Fill the world with mighty rivers that flow to the sea, guarded by the immortal lovers Shisu and Shiro.
1 Minor: Allow Typhans to reside along the rivers as well as the sea, where they can mingle with humans.
1 Minor: Allow men to ply the seas for their trade, creating fishermen.