Hidden and safeguarded in the close embrace of her protective cocoon, Slough could only react to the events unfolding around her with absolute obliviousness.  No sense of the sleeping deer’s escaped the shell to feel the brisk eddies of Zephyrion, to shiver at the shadow cast by Julkolfyr, behold the radiance of Ull’yang and Niciel, or hear their divine words.  For better or worse, though, the newly-summoned gods came, for the most part, to her.

First among the sensations to pour over her came stark whiteness, cast in the form of a bowl to carry her dormant, guarded body from its aimless place in the void to a spot close to the blueprint drawn up by another of the unknown deities.  Like a desk ornament Toun placed her upon the fateful paper, newly etched with the first inscriptions of an original universe, but the passionate perfectionist did not forget her.  Overcome with empathy for the ragged beast, so fragile and malleable, he offered her a simple and beautiful urge: to persevere.  Laced with no intent but caring and no design but preservation, the influence seeped into the egg, and the power within Slough imbibed it readily.  The first puzzle piece in the indeterminable jigsaw of the Rottenbone’s nature, Toun’s urge guaranteed little on its own, but at least made sure that Slough would not all entropy to reduce her back to nothingness.

In short order, that other thoughtful architect looked away from his grand project to consider the bowled egg stationed on his parchment.  Words flew from his mouth to surround the cocoon, but the witless creature within understood nothing.  Nevertheless, his tone reached through the insurmountable barrier that separated their minds, and Slough’s bestial consciousness felt as though a burden lay upon it.  The tireless journeyman’s request, that her creations when and if they came to be could seem wondrous, weighed upon her half-dead soul.  Senseless chaos could not be wondrous, merely startling and novel.  The ability to evoke marble lay in order, incredible order from the physical to the molecular level and beyond, deep, deep down.  The power in Slough sported a new, blind inclination toward the fulfillment of Teknell’s request: the intricacies of the orders of her living things would be so marvelous as to outclass any contrivable artifice.

When the perfectionist and the journeyman turned away to attend their affairs, along came a spider.  Nothing beautiful, orderly, or peaceful could exist in his watch.  When the others turned their backs, the shameless marauder ventured to touch the Rottenbone’s protective cocoon, activating its self-defense.  Midnight-black corruption poured into the egg, squeezed as if it were from the sponge, but the shell rebuked it.  Singling the corruption out like a disease, the power purged it as best it could, but even in defeat enough to leave the would-be victim inoculated against further infection, the corruption left its mark.  In the hearts of Slough’s living creations there would exist a reflection of the chaos, resistant to the order of domestication and forever inclined toward wilderness.

On the heels of Vestec, and with laudable intent to undo the damage done to the soon-to-be universe’s premier source of life, a luminous seraph descended.  The actions of other gods and goddesses, however fundamental in their miraculous effect on the all-important parchment from which the universe would arise, went ignored by Slough; they existed in a place unknown to her.  Having already been filled, like a stomach with food, by the touch of three other gods, the forceful instillation of light into the cocoon met stern resistance.  Refusing to be brought so easily into alignment, it fought the ablution, but just as with the blight of Vestec, this new intrusion left its own mark.  Kindness and virtue, an admirable pair of traits, would be embodied in a way not expected in the link that would now exist between Slough and her creatures: their suffering, at least in her vicinity, would wound the soul of their creator.

Next came a being of the cosmos, and from him issued words of encouragement and advice.  Again their purport eluded Slough, reclusive within her cocoon, and like water around a blockage the guiding light of the selfless starlight pooled.  Already engorged with the influence of young deities, the shell repelled Ull’Yang’s blessing, however benevolent its content.  It could not, however, withstand the force of his mighty arm.  Its swing tore a gaping hole in the egg, which shuddered like an animal shot with an arrow. Around his arm, however, the wound rapidly closed, but not before the influence of the stellar god gushed in.  The very next instant, the arm along touched the egg; to give Slough the opportunity to survive, Ull’Yang had martyred a part of himself.  Into the egg the arm was absorbed, reduced to a liquid not too different from Slough’s rot but entirely more palatable, and the Rottenbone accepted her benefactor’s enduring hardiness.  However, she also gained a semblance of vigilance: she would exhibit a greater resilience against harmful influences.  The meaningful sacrifice of Ull’Yang also, however, altered her rot itself.  To those in genuine need of her aid, her rot would be far more likely to heal than harm.  Moreover, when the universe eventually existed in its entirety, and Slough could truly live, she might find a strange sort of solace in the glory of sunlight.

More offerings came.  A discerning deceiver looked upon the damage done not only to Slough but to her future self and creations by Vestec and Niciel, and chided them both for it before humbly offering to the Rottenbone a concept entirely foreign and unintelligible to the power that consumed her from the inside out.  What, after all, could be as simultaneously simple and complicated as enjoyment?  Yet Slough ate of this sweet fruit, and for the first time knew joy.  Despite her pain, Slough would be playful when circumstance would allow it.  Afterward, the deceiver backed away, his intuitive nature for wrongdoing tarnished by an act of compassion.

Slough’s next visitor presumed to take something away from her cocoon, but what the beauteous virtuoso gave in return mesmerized the hurting soul of the beast in a manner utterly unprecedented.  From ideas and rest the muse wrought dreams, and from sound and feeling she conceived of song.  In her sleep, Slough dreamed of a place deep below earth, where a starlight heart beat out a memorable tune.  This very song would appear within the nature to come, perhaps in birdsong, or the lap of waves, or the wind in trees—nevertheless it would exist.

Following the revelation of song, there came a meddlesome eidolon, intent on following in the capricious footsteps of Vestec and Niciel in defiance of the warning of Vakarlon.  To the best of his ability he force-fed the infant divinity a smorgasbord of dangerous contradiction, endeavoring to negate if not upend all that had been given to her.  But Julkolfyr underestimated the resilience of the Rottenbone, and Slough’s shell defended her impressionable mind.  Still, Julkolfyr’s efforts would ensure that no living creature of hers could be innately inclined to either morality or amorality, and instead live in accordance with its nature.

Once this last encounter ended, the cocoon of Slough automatically reinforced itself.  No further influence, however well-meant or wonderful, would get through for a while.  This augmentation came just in the nick of time, though, for mere moments afterward the tempestuous breath of Zephyrion swept across the surface of the now-sprawling, intricate, and amazing parchment the egg of Slough lay upon.  As it flooded the plans for reality with life, albeit a different sort of life than the one contained in Slough and better characterized as ‘flux’, it caused the egg to fly from her porcelain bowl and roll across the surface of the map.  Where the fleshy, fibrous green skin of the mottled egg touched the harmony of creativity beneath it, another magic and primal glow filtered across it.  This fluorescence, more subtle than that of Zephyrion, promised as it spread through the whole parchment that the universe would be perfectly palatable for life of all kinds.  After a moment, the egg rolled to a stop, its journey concluded along with the conclusion of the great plan.  Sitting there innocently, alive with power, it could not help but give the impression that it was time to begin.

[hider=Rottenbone Slough, Bestial Life Goddess]
[color=PaleGoldenrod][b]Perseverance[/b][/color] - offered to Slough in the infancy of her life by the passionate perfectionist.  Though cocooned in a protective shell, she imbibed this urge, savoring its beautiful empathy.  Slough will neither wish for death nor submit to entropy, even her own, never ever ever.
[color=c2b280][b]Marvel[/b][/color] - asked of Slough in the infancy of her life by the tireless journeyman.  Already touched by another god's offering, and witless to comprehend words without profound feeling, she felt the burden placed on her.  Slough's unwitting creations will be wondrously complex down to the microscopic level of order and beyond, their superiority unattainable and inimitable by any artifice.
[color=brown][b]Wilderness[/b][/color] - forced upon Slough in the infancy of her life by the shameless marauder.  Already affected by the touch of two gods, the Rottenbone's protective shell rebuked the corruption, singling it out like a disease and purging it.  Nevertheless the taint of chaos lay within--an inoculation and a taint in one.  Living creatures made by Slough will be more difficult to tame and more wild in temperament.
[color=fff79a][b]Sympathy[/b][/color] - forced upon Slough in the infancy of her life by the luminous seraph.  Already affected by the touch of three gods, the Rottenbone's protective shell resisted the ablution, refusing to be so easily brought into alignment.  Still, she felt the touch of unifying light.  Living creatures made by Slough, if subjected to mistreatment and in her vicinity, will hurt her psychologically.
[color=00BFFF][b]Vigilance[/b][/color] - offered to Slough in the infancy of her life by selfless starlight.  The penetration of her protective shell, however easily regrown, permitted the idea of vigilance to wash over.  Though ignorant of her benefactor's sacrifice, she accepted his enduring hardiness.  Slough will exhibit a greater resilience against harmful influences; her rot will be more likely to heal those who need help; sunlight will bring her solace.
[color=red][b]Enjoyment[/b][/color] - offered to Slough in the infancy of her life by the discerning deceiver. Her heart reopened to benefice by self-destructive kindness, she ate of the sweet fruit of pleasure, and for the first time knew joy.  Despite her pain, Slough will be playful when circumstance allows.
[color=bc8dbf][b]Song[/b][/color] - played for Slough in the infancy of her life by the beauteous virtuoso. In her sleep, Slough dreamed of a place deep below earth, where a starlight heart beat out a mesmerizing tune.  In the nature that arises from Slough's power, there will be songs--odes to the music of the first dream.
[color=0072bc][b]Ambiguity[/b][/color] - forced upon Slough in the infancy of her life by the meddlesome eidolon.  Her spirit strengthened by love, self-sacrifice, and vigilance, the Rottenbone's protective shell withheld catastrophic contradiction, defending her impressionable mind against a suggestion that would have meant its end.  Still, little can be said for certain.  Presupposed morality will be nowhere in Slough's living creations.
-Quite by accident, Slough’s egg added to the grand universal plan a finishing touch, composed of all that had been accepted by her, to make the universe perfectly palatable for life of all kinds.
[/hider]