[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/FrBbmhd.png[/img] [sup][i][b]Casual, Advanced, Large Group, Nation, Fantasy, Historical, Military, Romance, somewhat post-Apocalyptic[/b][/i][/sup][hider=Aᴄᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ]Based on [@ActRaiserTheReturned]'s OldGuild 'Divinus' Terrific Banner by the Fabled [@Frettzo] Opening Post Formatting by [@Vec] the Vamper[/hider][/center] [list][*][b]GMs:[/b] [@Antarctic Termite], [@BBeast] and [@Muttonhawk][/list] [i]This RP was inspired by an OldGuild roleplay, by the same name, GMed by ActRaiser. It found new life in the early summer of 2015 and developed tremendously. We would now like to launch a new, reconfigured and refined version – [/i] [center][h1][color=ed1c24]Dɪᴠɪɴᴜs: Tʜᴇ Dᴇɪᴛʏ Rᴏʟᴇᴘʟᴀʏ (Mᴋ.II)[/color][/h1] [i]*** The Old Universe is Dead. It has been rent asunder. How? Why? By who? 'Tis a mystery. The world is empty, and [b]Amul'Sharar[/b] has summoned new gods to reign supreme. The 'new' world can hardly be called a 'world' at all. Nothing exists. It awaits the coming of the new gods. They will create – or perhaps, recreate – life. They will mold this virgin world, creating a universe in their image, molding it to their will and desire. Planets, creations, religions, ideals, nations, magic and more; they do as they wish, for they are gods. However, they must remember that the gods of the Old Universe were also gods, and they are now gone. To where is unknown, but two remain. One is a terrifying being, a watcher of an untold million worlds, far above the might of any newly risen god. He is known simply as [b]Amul'Sharar[/b]. The other is [b]Fate[/b], whose exact function is a mystery. These two act as guardians of the world, and though they are not occupied with the happenings in the new universe and its new gods, they are part of the mystery of this universe and the old. What they guard the new universe against is unknown, but guardians they are. But of what concern is the Old Universe and its gods? This is a new world, a new universe! This is your world. [/i][hr] Welcome, those of you who are new and those who have been here before. Thank you for giving this RP your time and passion. I know that dedicated RPers can create truly majestic and beautiful RPs. I don't aim for that, however, because even greater RPs can be created if we all aspire to enjoy ourselves to the full. So, welcome, and let's get this show on the road.[/center] [hr][h2][color=GOLD]Gᴀᴍᴇ Mᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄs[/color][/h2][list] [*][hider=Dᴏᴍᴀɪɴs ᴀɴᴅ Pᴏʀᴛꜰᴏʟɪᴏs]Domains are 'elements' of the universe over which a god rules. These 'elements' are very broad and can range from the obvious (the classic four elements of air, fire, earth, and water) to the far more obscure (such as 'fear' or 'fantasy'). A god can share a domain with many others - for instance, there can be many gods who have dominion over 'fire' or 'fear'. What makes gods more unique is their 'portfolio'. While many gods can share a domain, no two gods can ever share a domain and a portfolio, or just a portfolio. Portfolios are specific elements of a domain over which the god's powers are dramatically enhanced. A god whose domain is water will have power over all water, but if their portfolio is 'rivers' then their power over rivers is particularly potent and overrides the power of any other god - whose domain is water or otherwise - over rivers. Of course, this is very simple, for other factors will also be at play, such as the level of said competing gods and so on. But adopt this as a general rule, and exceptions can be explored in-game. As a god increases in power and their level rises, they are capable of adding new portfolios within their domains to their personal portfolios. A god of water (oceans) may - once they reach the required level, carry out the requirements, and have the Might to spare - add another portfolio, like (rivers) to their portfolios. Likewise, a god can also add another domain, though the requirements for this are for more stringent than for portfolios. This will be explained in more detail further down. It must also be emphasized that gods are not limited to their domains per se. These are powerful beings and all share a basic threshold of power. This moves us on to levels.[/hider] [*][hider=Lᴇᴠᴇʟs]All gods of level 1 have a basic threshold of power: [list] [*] They can control the weather, landscape, and other physical phenomena within their direct vicinity, which amounts to 100 miles (while gods whose domains are specifically geared towards weather, or earth etc. have a much-increased vicinity and power over these.) [*] They have the ability to appear in whatever shape or form they wish (though it is the norm for any individual god to switch between a set number of preferred forms, while those more geared towards deception and shape-shifting make full use of this power.) [*] A god cannot be harmed by normal weapons or magic. A god's weakness is usually particular to that individual god and a secret hidden with the utmost care and vigilance. However, gods can muster power great enough to hurt another god, and if united, a group of gods can even cause the 'death' of another god. The death of gods may well occur as this RP drags on, and it will be discussed in more detail below. [*] A deity has the capability of, at any time, knowing all things within their vicinity, including thoughts, feelings, holy sites and other gods. However, a god has the ability to cover their presence or block the senses of another god to their presence, abilities whose success rate depends on level and domain (portfolio). A deception god, for instance, would be far more skillful at hiding their presence than one who is not. [*] Any deity can create their own, private plane of existence. This can act as a private retreat or a manner to escape from other gods. These generally cannot be located by other gods unless the god in question allows them to find it. Those gods whose domain involves dimensions or space/time warps may be able to find said planes. These planes are very small - don't think you can go creating a separate universe in your own plane! [*] A god can travel wherever they wish, however they wish at speeds incomprehensible to other creatures. Being present at one end of the universe or the other is simply a step away. [*] A god's essence leaves a mark, or a trail, wherever they go. This trail, unless concealed, can be detected by other gods. Might can be used to strengthen a god's concealment, and detecting these trails requires the expenditure of Might by a god on their detection capabilities. Detection and Concealment begin at Level 1 for every god and naturally rise by 1 per level up. As mentioned, a god can spend Might to specifically increase their Detection and Concealment capabilities. These levels DO NOT take into account inherent Detection and Concealment capabilities of a god due to their Domain (Portfolio), they only build upon them (so, for instance, a Level 1 god of Trickery will be inherently better at Detection/Concealment than a Level 1 god of Light). [/list] As a god's level increases, so too will their powers with regards to the above list. For instance, each level causes a god's vicinity to increase by approximately 10%: [list] [*] 100-mile radius at level 1 [*] 110 at level 2 [*] 120 at level 3 [*] 130 at level 4 [*] 145 at level 5 [*]etc. [/list] Do not take this literally, but keep in mind that with each level up their level of awareness will reasonably increase so that, for instance, by level 10 a god's vicinity would cover a whole planet. Further, gods have a basic idea of what is happening outside their vicinity. They do not know details, but general things. For instance, of tensions rising, of wars in the making, of scheming going on (no details of said tensions or schemes, but a general gist. Very much like smelling food that you cannot see). Further, with each level a god's ability to manipulate landscapes and weather and other such things will increase. So whereas a level 1 god of Fire could not get away with creating a Himalayan mountain range without the usage of Might, they could quite possibly do so at level 10 (while a god of Earth can do as they wish in this regard from the offset.) I think this is pretty self-explanatory at this stage. If you do have further queries, do ask in the OOC and I will reply and add to this post as necessary. Higher levels open up new abilities. Of particular importance are the following: [list] [*] At Level 1, a god can create tiny creatures that have no magical properties, like ants, beetles, mice etc. without using any Might. These can reproduce, survive and thrive. [*] Once a god reaches Level 2, they can create unintelligent species of animals or other beings that can reproduce and thrive. This includes magical and non-magical creatures. [*] Once a god reaches Level 3, they can create intelligent species of animals or other beings that can reproduce and thrive (at this level, humans, elves, dwarves and whatever else you can come up with can be created.) [/list] A god's level also dictates how much Might Points (MP) they have to spare. Might will be discussed in more detail later, but here is a simple table [color=ed1c24](subject to change)[/color] which breaks down the amount of MP [i]required for each level up[/i]: [indent]Level 1-2: 3 Might Level 2-3: 4 Might Level 3-4: 5 Might Level 4-5: 6 Might Level 5-10: 10 Might Level 10-20: 15 Might Level 20-35: 20 Might Level 35-50: 25 Might Level 50-100: 30 Might[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Tᴜʀɴs]A turn is simply a game mechanism which functions to order the game and put some limits on what any one god can do at a given time. A turn, in-game, has no set time-limit. Indeed, one turn can have billions of years pass while another only a few days or weeks. In real-time, we play a turn out until it reaches its natural end and it is necessary to move on to the next turn in order to allow for the story to develop. Why? This is because MP is used up during a turn and recuperated once a new turn begins. The first turn will see all gods at level 1, meaning they have 4 MP to spend. Further, each god gets 1 Freepoint (FP) per turn. This is similar to MP but has reduced power, as will be explained below.[/hider] [*][hider=Mɪɢʜᴛ]Everything up until now has been hair and bones. Might is the meat of the matter! (Note, alliteration.) Might Points, MP or simply Might, are the units of power in the game. Particularly powerful miracles or actions will require Might. However, one must first differentiate run-of-the-mill god actions which require no Might at all. A god can, using their inherent abilities alone, raise a small island or mold and form land more to their liking and so on. However, using Might to, for instance, raise an island will very quickly find you raising continents instead - raising such large landmasses without a higher level or dominion over Earth requires Might as it is. Before going into more detail on Might, just a quick explanation of Freepoints. A god's actions can be split into three; those which require no power other than the god's inherent one (this becomes more powerful as the god's level increases, but in the beginning includes moulding small pieces of land, raising small islands, making a relatively normal item, like a sword or amulet etc.), second are those which are not great enough to require Might but too great for a god's inherent power and thus requires FP, and third is actions using Might. The Freepoint can be used for relatively low-key things like teaching people a simple idea (e.g. agriculture, reading, writing, loyalty, honor, bronze-working etc.) or creating an item imbued with magical properties - but NOT something blessed or divine. And other relatively low-power things. Going from Ug the Caveman to Ug the Tractor-Riding-21st-Century-Farmer is NOT how it works. If ever in doubt about whether an action falls under FP or Might, just drop [@Kho] or [@Rtron] a PM or ask in the OOC (it'll benefit everyone that way.) Now, MIGHT. So you're happy enough with agriculture and loyalty, but you suddenly have an itch to teach your creations something else. Something big. Like Magic. Or The Force. Or maybe you've already taught them Magic and the Force and want to teach them Jedi or create some other Order to go out and do your divine bidding. Or perhaps you want to teach them agriculture but make them particularly talented and skilled farmers (you shall conquer the world's food source first, and then the world!). You need Might for such things. But Might is not only limited to this. What kinds of actions require Might? Here is a (far from exhaustive) list: [list] [*] 1 Might: Teaching your minions/worshippers/humanity powerful and unique skills/abilities [*] 1 Might: Creating huge land masses or oceans, or stars and planets if a god is of the correct domain or above Level 5 [*] 1 Might: Create a Hero. These are exceptionally powerful individuals among your creations whose powers and skills are renown and well beyond the capabilities of normal members of their species or race. Those who gain such an honor also gain immortality, though a god may set conditions to this. Further, immortality does not mean they cannot be killed. [*] 1 Might: Bless or Curse. This is the will of the gods made manifest. A blessing can range from a Golden Age for the blessed, or an increase in population. The population blessed by a god will find its crops grow well and their ways smoothed, as the subtle will of the god is worked in their favor. A blessing is not limited to these and can range depending on the will of the god in question. The population cursed by a god will find their earth is barren and blighted, as the will of the god works against them. It depends, as always, on the will of the god (a population under a curse can find itself suffering from a frog infestation to far more sinister things, liking being devoured by Gremlins). Blessings and curses can be countered by other gods. [*] 1 Might: Censure or praise. This is very similar to the above miracle, but it is applied to individuals or small groups of people and are far more severe. For instance, one who is censured may turn into a stone or find themselves with green skin and snakes for hair, while one who is praised may be summoned back from the dead or in other ways blessed. [*] 1 Might: Form a society. A god may decide that his creations should move on in life beyond their nomadic or hunter-gatherer ways, and thus form them into a more organized society. Societies allow for created beings to make better use of the teachings of a god. There is only so much Ug the Caveman can do with knowing about armies and bronze-working, but King Ug, who has a whole village at his command, can begin organizing individuals into armies and allowing others to specialize in metal working and so on. This can also be used to form a highly specialized and well-trained Order - if you want to create the Jedi, the Knights Templar or the Valkyries, this is your port of call. [*] 1 Might: Create a portal. A portal is a permanent connection between two places. Deities and magic can create temporary portals, but you can use this action to create a permanent one for your worshippers/minions/everyone to use. Alternatively, this action can create a hotspot for mana from a different world. For instance, you could create a permanent strong magical connection between the dungeons of a castle and your world of death, leaving deposits of negative energy there and wreaking unknown mutations on whoever is unfortunate - or fortunate - enough to be there. [*] 1 Might: Create an Avatar. Being in the presence of a god in their full, divine glory, even a minor one, is enough to drive lesser mortals mad. To remedy this problem, a god has two avenues. They can simply take on a form which will not destroy the physical world by its mere presence. Or it may create an Avatar. These are small fragments of a god, which operate completely independently. Given the tremendous willpower of a god, they may give their full attention to all of their Avatars simultaneously, without suffering from any distraction or deterioration of abilities. In this way, gods may be in two or more places at once. Avatars are beings of extreme power. They can be devastating in war and boons during peace. Magically, physically and in many other ways, they are very difficult to match. Depending on the god in question, an Avatar's abilities and qualities will differ. These beings exist so long as their creator will it or a more powerful Avatar or god destroys them. Magic from mortal beings, if powerful, can harm and weaken them, so far as to force them to dissipate until they regain strength, but they cannot destroy them. If an Avatar is created, the next Avatar will cost double (i.e 2 Might), and the one after that will cost double again (i.e 4 Might) and so on. There is no limit on the number of Avatars a god can create, and Avatars are taken to be at the same level as the god in question. While a Hero can potentially defeat an Avatar, the level between the Avatar and said Hero must be extraordinary for an Avatar to be completely bested (unless the Avatar actually allowed itself to be bested for whatever reason). [*] 1 Might: Create a moon. [*] 1 Might: Level a Hero up. The number of levels is dependent on the current level of Hero. Higher level Heroes require more Might for each level up. a Level 1 Hero can be raised to level 7 or 8 quite easily with 1 Might. A Level 20 Hero may only be able to rise by 1 or 2 levels. A Level 30 may require 2 Might for a single level up. [/list] If, when a turn comes to an end, you find that you have not used all your Might, then the unused Might will move on to the next turn and be added to however much you recuperate per turn. So, if you have 4 Might per turn and only use up 3 Might in the current turn, then you will recuperate 4 Might in the next turn, and the 1 remaining will be added, giving you 5 Might in total. You may well find yourself having to save Might if you want to level up. As you know by now, leveling up is one of the ways in which you can increase the amount of Might your god recuperates per turn, each level up increases your total Might recuperation by 1. However, there is another way to increase Might recuperation. 'Holy Sites', which generate Might, can be created by a god. Half the amount of Might which goes into creating a Holy Site is produced by it per turn. So, for instance, if you spend 4 Might on creating a Holy Site in a given turn, it will generate 2 Might for you every turn thereafter. These Holy Sites can be destroyed by other gods, however, and non-godly beings can destroy them if they use powerful magic or apply enough force (for instance, a concentrated barrage by a good few catapults can bring Holy Site in the form of a temple down). Holy sites can range from something like a temple, a lake, a totem, and anything else you can come up with. Different Holy Sites will be more or less difficult to destroy, but none can be made invulnerable. Holy Sites are also places where one can expect creatures who revere the god to travel to in pilgrimage or live near to or within. A player must wait four turns after creating a Holy Site in order to create a second, and another four to create a third. After the third one must wait eight turns, and after the fourth one must wait twelve. One cannot create more than five holy sites unless one of the five is destroyed in which case it can be repaired or a new created. If a holy site is destroyed then repaired, the Might used on its creation will be lost, and the Might used to repair it will replace the original creation figure. For instance, if you create a Holy Site for 10 Might (meaning you get 5 Might per turn from it) and then it is destroyed and you repair it for 12 Might, you will now get 6 Might from it per turn. The rule applies if you build it for 10 Might and repair it for 6 Might. I am open to exploring in-game methods in which a god can produce extra Might (for instance, a particularly bloody god may have his worshippers sacrifice animals or other creatures etc. in a ritual). Before you go ahead and spend Might on such things, please PM me and ensure that you have my approval. And, as a final note on that, a god's power and Might are in no way related to how many worshippers they have. A god is an independent, mighty being, it does not draw its power from 'worshippers', but depending on the kind of deity, worshippers may well add to its power. If you believe your character is one such god, PM me and we can see to it. [indent]To clarify the above: It clearly says that there are 'in-game methods in which a god can produce extra Might' - we are talking about Might production here not temporary or one-time additions to Might. The example of a bloody god does not refer to a one time sacrifice, it refers to an ongoing ritual which would happen per turn and thus add to said god's Might per turn (for instance, a yearly celebration where enemies are slaughtered in the name o- BLOOD for the BLOOD GOD!). The key is that the ritual is dedicated to the god in the example - a huge battle would not add in any way to a bloody god's Might as it is not dedicated to them, is not a ritual and so on - even if its worshippers were involved in said battle. The fact that spending Might on creating such in-game methods is specified brings the mechanism closer to how Holy Sites work - you spend X Might and you get X Might per turn out of it. With regards to worshippers, it quite clearly says that a god is 'an independent, mighty being' that does not 'draw its power from worshippers'. This is to separate from gods in this RP and other gods in fantasy settings - like the Chaos gods in Warhammer and so on - whose power is purely generated by worshippers. The gods in Divinus, when stripped down of everything - Holy Sites, special weapons, worshippers etc. - are still very powerful, independent beings. BUT, under certain conditions 'worshippers may well add to its power'. A god is not dependent on worshippers, but that does not mean they cannot gain power from them per turn, just as a demigod does. Again, there will have to be special circumstances surrounding the god ('depending on the kind of deity', 'If you believe your character is one such god') in order for this section to apply.[/indent] So, to summarize. Per turn, a god gets Might depending on their level (i.e. at Level 1 a god gets 4 Might per Turn; at Level 2 they get 5 Might per Turn; at Level 3 they get 6 Might per Turn etc.) If a god is Level 0, for instance, they would get 0 Might per turn. Whatever your Level provides + any spare/unused Might from the previous turn + half the total Might spent on Holy Sites. One of the uses of Might is, as has been mentioned, to adopt more (Portfolios) for oneself and even Domains. Once a god reaches the required level, carries out the required actions and have the Might to spare, they can add a portfolio. The following are the requirements in order to add a (Portfolio): [list] [*] A god must have used at least 3 Might points in the specific (Portfolio) before they are eligible to adopt it as theirs. For instance, a Water (Oceans) god who wishes to incorporate (Rain) into their (Portfolio) must spend 3 Might points on (Rain) related actions before they 'unlock' (Rain) as a portfolio which they can add. [*] A god must spend another 3 Might points in order to incorporate the (Portfolio). So, the above god spent 3 Might points on (Rain) related actions, now they need to spend another 3 Might points to incorporate it, just as they spend Might to level up. [*] A god cannot incorporate a (Portfolio) which is not within their Domain. So, a Fire-type god cannot incorporate (Rain) as a (Portfolio). [*] Each (Portfolio) requires 1 Level to sustain it. For instance, a Level 1 god cannot sustain any more (Portfolios) than they have. At level 2 they can add a new (Portfolio). So, before being able to add a new portfolio, a god must reach level 2 and fulfill the above requirements, then they must reach level 3 to add another and have fulfilled the requirements and so on. [/list] These are the rules regarding portfolios. Domains are as follows: [list] [*] A god must have used at least 6 Might Points in the specific Domain before they are eligible to adopt it. [*] A god must spend another 6 Might in order to incorporate the Domain. [*] A god cannot incorporate a Domain which is a natural opposite to one of their existing Domains. For instance, a god with a Water Domain cannot then incorporate Fire. Earth cannot incorporate Wind, Light cannot incorporate Darkness and so on. If you are unsure whether a Domain is a natural opposite to one of yours, PM a GM or ask in the OOC. [*] Each Domain requires 7 Levels to sustain it. So once a god reaches level 7, they can only sustain 1 Domain, the one they already have. Once they reach Level 14, they can add another, and so on. [/list][/hider] [*][hider=Lᴏ~ᴠᴇ, Dᴇᴍɪɢᴏᴅs ᴀɴᴅ Mᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ]It is entirely possible that, as the RP trots along, unexpected developments will find you in the loving arms of a significant other (or in some cases, in the unrelenting grip of the bane of your existence.) Whatever the case, marriage is not a concept foreign to the gods, though individual gods have different approaches. Some feel incomplete and yearn to find their other half, others are not fussed either way and are content marrying should they find someone or living alone, and others still may avoid marriage like the plague – what do they want with such things! Moreover, individual couples may have very different approaches towards married life and its implications. Some may treat it as a bond as divine as godliness itself and not to be betrayed in any manner, a completely exclusive bond in every way. Others may go about as their lives before and rut where they like and with whomever, whether their partner approves or not. Naturally, where the partners are not in agreement the latter approach can cause significant scheming, plotting and divine drama (and no, divine does not mean ‘blissful’ here xD) for examples, see: Hera x Zeus; Aphrodite x Hephaestus. It is entirely possible, too, for whatever reason, that a god may take a liking to one of his/her creations, or the creation of another god and seeks in some way to seduce them. While this is clearly a most natural godly urge (a cough), do try to keep it PG13 and descriptions to the bare minimum necessary. However, know that this RP does lean more towards adult themes - there will be extreme violence, horrific immorality & lack of conscience and, yes, nudity. Now, on to the meat of the matter! As can be expected, such relations would naturally bear fruit, and for gods, these are not your run-of-the-mill fruits. Relations between gods produce upper tier demigods while relations between gods and created beings produce lower tier demigods. It does not cost any Might to create these demigods, but there is also a catch. Demigods are independent beings who are played by independent players – NOT by the player who controls their father/mother. Either a GM or a new player will take control of these beings and play them as the others play their god characters. If a good reason is given, however, there may be exceptions to this rule. Demigods are similar to Heroes but much more powerful. They have the ability, with time, to become full-fledged gods. They too have Domains and (Portfolio), although their power over these are much reduced and grow as they level up. Leveling up occurs for demigods as it does for gods, they must consume Might. Demigods, however, do not have Freepoints. Demigods, it must be emphasized are as different from gods as Heroes are to demigods. Gods and demigods are entirely different beings and wield nowhere close to the amount of power a god has. Unlike gods, demigods are purely physical beings, although as their level and power increases, it may result in a change to their form - they may become something more like [url=http://hd.wallpaperswide.com/thumbs/fire_demon-t2.jpg]this[/url]. As mentioned, demigods have a Domain (Portfolio), and they have great power within those. Unlike gods, however, demigods do not have any power over other Domains and (Portfolio). Thus, while a Fire god could still create, fashion and control water and do water-based things with skill, a fire demigod has no such capabilities. If anything, their opposites are usually their weaknesses and they can be expected to be extraordinarily vulnerable to being near or being attacked with, what is considered an opposite of their Domain. The extent of their power over their Domain increases as they grow in power, in the beginning, however, said power over their Domain is very restricted. A demigod of Fire could, for instance, create huge fireballs and withstand great heat, but they could not create volcanoes and open up the very earth to let lava spew out (note: lava-spewing dependent on whether a magma core exists or not.) However, demigods are not simply over-powerful Heroes, they have a unique baseline of abilities: [list] [*] Demigods exercise increasing control over their Domain (Portfolio) as they level up. [*] Demigods can add (Portfolio) and Domains to their already existing ones in the same way as gods do. [*] Demigods have greater initial strength and stamina than the average Hero, though not by much unless the demigod in question is somehow tied to martial ways or physical power. [*] Demigods can fly. [*] Demigods are capable of using magic and are usually naturally proficient at it. [*] Demigods have a phenomenal amount of magical energy reserves, in comparison to mortals. [*] Demigods are annihilated if they venture beyond the atmosphere, though higher level ones may be able to generate an 'atmosphere' of sorts around themselves should they wish to explore the empty spaces beyond. [*] While the presence of a demigod does not cause living things to be annihilated, the presence of lower level demigods can put a strain, or a weight, on people. The presence of higher level ones can cause terrific headaches - the effects of this vary depending on the power of the mortal in question. [*] Demigods have a limited ability to know things within their one thousand meter vicinity, including the presence of living beings, strands of thoughts and feelings, holy sites and other demigods. However, a demigod, unlike gods, does not have the ability to cover their presence or block the senses of another demigod to their presence. Those geared towards deception or stealth, for instance, would be capable of hiding their presence, though success is limited. Demigods cannot sense gods unless the god in question wills it. [*] Normal weapons are generally ineffective against demigods, and so too are all low-level magics. [*] Demigods, as a rule, cannot bend space-time and create personal planes or travel between dimensions of their own power. A god may, however, move them between dimensions or planes of existence. Thus, should a god wish to banish a demigod to another plane the demigod would be utterly helpless. [*] Demigods can create life, though this is generally not sentient and very basic - for instance, a carnivorous plant. Or an unintelligent hobgoblin who must be injected with purpose (i.e. defend demigod's lair, collect wood) [/list] God and demigod Levels and Might requirements are the same: [list] Level 1-2: 3 Might Level 2-3: 4 Might Level 3-4: 5 Might Level 4-5: 6 Might Level 5-10: 12 Might Level 10-20: 18 Might Level 20-50: 26 Might Level 50-100: 40 Might [/list] Demigods, like Heroes, can be aided by gods to grow stronger, and a god can use their own Might to increase the Level of a demigod. The higher the demigod's level, the less effective 1 Might is in leveling them up. Unlike Heroes, demigods do not level up naturally with time, Might MUST be spent. Demigods whose level is 15-20 can ascend to Level 1 gods, those whose level is 25-30 can ascend to Level 3 gods and those whose level is higher will ascend to a higher level, as will be decided by the GM. Demigods can use their Might in the same way gods use Might and Heroes use Khookies to teach, create and other such things. Demigods, like gods, can also build Holy Sites, though these are nowhere near as impressive as those created by gods. They are, however, an extra source of Might, functioning in the same way as those constructed by gods. Unlike gods, demigods can be affected greatly by worshippers. For each thousand worshippers, a demigod gains an extra Might Point per turn - when populations increase, the number of worshippers required for 1 Might will also increase. 3 or 4 Might Points will be the max a demigod can get from worshippers. This will happen by having the ratio of worshipper population to the amount of Might earned constantly change. For instance, those with anything from 0-3500 worshipers have a ratio of 1 Might:1000 pops. Those with higher will have 1:1500. It will keep altering to ensure that the max a demigod gets is 3 or 4 Might out of worshipers.[/hider] [*][hider=Aᴍᴜʟ'Sʜᴀʀᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ Fᴀᴛᴇ]Other than hanging about and being in every way more terrifying and powerful than you, Amul'Sharar and Fate also have a pretty decent purpose which relates to you directly (other than destroying you if they feel the time has come). They can be approached if you have questions about the game-world and the mysteries of the Old Universe and what they guard against. They will also intervene should they feel the need to, either blessing or cursing, praising or censuring. It is a mystery why they do this and what their reasons are. Further, and of further interest to you, they can be directly approached for favors and powers. How a god does so must be explored during game-play (you certainly cannot just waltz up to them ;P). If you RP well and show creativity in approaching them, they may take note of you and listen to what you have to say. These two may even be challenged – but as things are, any challenge to them, even should the new gods unite, will certainly be crushed. It will take a long time before such a thing can be considered, if you wish to consider it (if things get so far.)[/hider] [*][hider=Dᴇᴀᴛʜ]Before discussing the death or destruction of a god, a quick comment on combat is in order. Generally speaking, gods will usually engage in wars and combat indirectly, through their minions/slaves/worshippers and so on. Such wars and battles will take place like in any other RP: players can either have a good back and fro posting battle until strategy and best writing wins out, or they can discuss it and decide a plot line or they can collaborate on a post and write up something terrific to read. If battles should become direct, and one god takes up the sword against another, then the procedure will be much as above. However, in both cases the level of the gods involved must be taken into account, and so too must the amount of Might in play. For instance, if we have a battle between the armies of a Level 5 god and the armies of a Level 10 god, but the L5 army has ten heroes and is blessed and has various technologies, bringing the total Might spent on bringing about such an army to, say, 15-18 Might, but the army of the L10 is made up of hundreds of Ug the Caveman with absolutely no idea which is the sharp end of the stick and which is not, then clearly, the Level 10 god, despite being a higher level, will be really hard-pressed. So such things must be taken into account. With direct god battles, level plays a very major part, obviously, but so too does quality roleplaying. If the lower level god puts up a heroic fight and uses all the wit and power available, while the higher level merely plays on the fact that they are a higher level, the 'Forces that Be' may well step in. For me, quality roleplaying and gripping writing trumps statistics any day. Keep that in mind. Now, for god death. As mentioned earlier, a single god may be able to hurt, even badly damage, another god. However, unless the difference in level is huge (perhaps, 10 levels higher) then they will not be able to 'kill' the other god alone. Should a few gods, three at the least, gang up on one god, and they are all of similar levels, then they could potentially muster enough power between them to kill their victim. There is a difference between a god dying and god being destroyed. A god who dies merely slips from the current planes of existence available to any other god. In other words, they exit the 'World' guarded by Amul'Sharar and Fate completely. They are formless and without will and power, but they are still technically living. Their existence as whatever god they were before is permanently gone, but their essence lives on and can return as a new god with a different domain and portfolios. This is how old gods 'die' and new ones are 'born'. If, however, a god is destroyed, which is impossible for player characters in this RP to accomplish, then their very essence is destroyed and their existences all cease to be. While PC's may not be able to achieve this, be warned that certain actions may bring upon you the wrath of those who can and will (you will be warned if you are in danger).[/hider] [*][hider=Hᴇʀᴏᴇs]Once sentient, intelligent beings have been created, a god may wish to create Heroes. Heroes are creations who have been 'chosen' by the god and granted great power in order to go out into the world and do as their god has commanded them. The one playing the god who created the Hero also plays the Hero. Should the Hero be converted by another god, the original player will continue to control them. Heroes wield tremendous power and can be devastating forces on a battlefield and great, charismatic leaders. They may also be peaceable creatures, depending on their god, with very little combat knowledge or ability. Heroes are immortal and are largely impervious to things which would otherwise kill normal members of their species - such as poison, serious stab wounds, and magical attacks. However, this does not mean they are invincible. Potent poisons can kill them in large quantities while powerful magic or numerous serious wounds (or both) can bring about their death. Depending on the god in question, their Heroes can be more or less impervious to such things. While all Heroes have unique powers, all have a basic threshold of power, as listed below: [list] [*] All Heroes are, given potential conditions particular to individual gods, immortal [*] All Heroes are impervious, to varying degrees, to attacks, poisons, and magic [*] All Heroes have extraordinary strength, speed, and stamina, the extent of this depending on their god and level [*] All Heroes can cast magic, the type and their proficiency with it depending on their god and the Hero's level [*] All Heroes can Bless or Curse individuals, though the power of this grows with level and is not as powerful as a god's ability [*] All Heroes can to a very limited extent, mold their direct surroundings to their will - an inherent kind of magic rather than a divine capability [*] All Heroes can sense people, objects, creatures, and gods unless any of these are concealed, within their 100-meter radius [/list] As Heroes grow in strength, their own, unique abilities will grow, and so too will their basic traits listed above. Heroes level up using Khookies (or XP points). Beginning at Level 1, Heroes have 0 Khookies, and as they go about their daily life, they will earn Khookies. Khookies are earned by writing posts. [indent]- Every hero post will earn a base of 4 Khookies. - [b][i][u]After[/u] the first 2000 Characters[/i][/b] in the hero post (so the first 2000 characters DO NOT earn extra Khookies), every 2000 characters will earn 1 Khookie. - The maximum any one post can earn, including the base, is 10 Khookies. - If the post in question is a collab in which the hero plays a minor role, they will only earn extra Khookies by taking into account the parts of the post to which they were relevant. - If the hero in question plays a big part in the collab, then all the characters are taken into account when tallying the Khookies earned.[/indent] The following are the Khookie requirements for each level up, [color=ed1c24][b]subject to change[/b][/color], considering all Heroes begin at Level 1: [list] [*] Level 1-2: 2 Khookies [*] Level 2-3: 3 Khookies [*] Level 3-4: 6 Khookies [*] Level 4-5: 7 Khookies [*] Level 5-6: 10 Khookies [*] Level 6-7: 11 Khookies [*] Level 7-8: 14 Khookies [*] Level 8-9: 15 Khookies [*] Level 9-10: 18 Khookies [*] Level 10-11: 19 Khookies [*] Level 11-12: 22 Khookies [*] Level 12-13: 23 Khookies [*] Level 13-14: 26 Khookies [*] Level 14-15: 27 Khookies [*] Level 15-16: 30 Khookies [*] Level 16-17: 31 Khookies [*] Level 17-18: 34 Khookies [*] Level 18-19: 35 Khookies [*] Level 19-20: 38 Khookies [*] Level 20-21: 39 Khookies [*] Level 21-22: 42 Khookies [*] Level 22-23: 43 Khookies [*] Level 23-24: 46 Khookies [*] Level 24-25: 47 Khookies [*] Level 25-26: 50 Khookies [*] Level 26-27: 51 Khookies [*] Level 27-28: 54 Khookies [*] Level 28-29: 55 Khookies [*] Level 29-30: 58 Khookies [*] Level 30-31: 59 Khookies [*] Level 31-32: 62 Khookies [*] Level 32-33: 63 Khookies [*] Level 33-34: 66 Khookies [*] Level 34-35: 67 Khookies [/list] The higher a Hero's level, the more Khookies needed to level up. As there will undoubtedly be time-skips, it is important to know that Heroes naturally grow in power over time - which manifests in the form of a 'Timeskip Khookie Bonus'. Thus, after a time-skip, a hero will be granted extra khookies. The amount given will most likely be generic and apply to all, though GMs and Co-GMs may use their discretion if they believe plot demands that a certain hero is given more khookies. Such must be consented to by at least two GMs, and other players will generally be consulted on the matter to ensure that the measure is consented to by a majority and that it is fair. Khookies can also be used in much the same way a god would use Might. Using Khookies, a Hero can found a full-fledged Order without a god having to use Might, form societies and teach their people new technologies and ideas. A people who could previously not build stone houses may be shown by a Hero to do such things, one who could not use magic in a particular way can be taught, and a Hero could set himself up as a King, thus teaching them monarchy. Further, a Hero can teach ideologies - by building a temple to a certain god, he can teach them a religion and teach them laws and so on. The only difference is that unlike things a god does, they do not magically affect an entire species or people, merely those whom the Hero interacts with, and they must be shown to taken a substantial amount of time ICly, depending on the thing in question. Teaching people how to make Fire may take a few months, teaching people about Monarchy and getting them to accept a monarch's authority may take decades. Khookie usage: [list] [*] 2 Khookie - Teach people a basic technology or idea (stone houses, Monarchy, empiricism) [*] 5 Khookie - Form a village, tribe or other small settlement [*] 8 Khookies - Teach people an ideology (such as a religion or way of life, Code of the Samurai etc.) [*] 10 Khookies - Teach people a powerful magic or technology (Magic, The Force, Damascus steel, sword specialization etc. very unique boons to a people) [*] 10 Khookies - Form a full-fledged Order, complete with any unique skill or magical specialization [/list] It must be noted, last of all, that there is potential for Heroes, given extraordinary circumstances, to become demigods. There is no set route for a Hero to go about becoming a demigod and it is a matter of developing ICly, though one ingredient that is of utmost importance is to gain access to divine essence in some way. If an extremely powerful Hero were to harm an Avatar, for instance, and drink its blood, they would take in some of said god's essence present in their blood and become somewhat divine themselves (or at least close to it). It must be noted, also, that normal mortals or Heroes who are not powerful enough would be immediately destroyed upon exposure to divine essence. So any unworthy creature lucky enough to obtain divine essence, which then goes on to consume it, will quickly find itself the most wretched of beings before being completely annihilated. In cases where a god willingly gifts a worthy Hero with their essence, this will cause said Hero to immediately ascend to godhood. However, whether a Hero is worthy or unworthy is a matter for the GM to decide once the divine essence has been consumed...[/hider] [/list] [hr][color=ed1c24][h2]Some Rather Important Rules[/h2][/color][indent][color=GOLD][i]Tʜᴇ Gᴏʟᴅᴇɴ Rᴜʟᴇ: Tʜᴏᴜ Sʜᴀʟᴛ Nᴏᴛ Gᴏᴅᴍᴏᴅ[/i][/color][/indent]It's funny 'cause you're a god and all xD some people think that this means normal RPing rules don't apply, but they do. You cannot take control of another player's god, that's basic. However, there is more space for battling for control when it comes to creations, and it can make for some very interesting play - imagine creating a hero who is then influenced by another god and doing some of their bidding before returning to your true path after you guide them once more etc. [indent][color=BROWN][i]Tʜᴇ Fᴀɪʀ-Wᴀʀɴɪɴɢ Rᴜʟᴇ: Tʜᴏᴜ Sʜᴀʟᴛ Gɪᴠᴇ Fᴀɪʀ Wᴀʀɴɪɴɢ Bᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ Iɴꜰʟᴜᴇɴᴄɪɴɢ Aɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ's Cʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ[/i][/color][/indent]It's all good being able to influence another god's creation, but before doing any such thing, you must tell the other player that you will be influencing said character, either in OOC or PM. They MUST agree before you post in the IC influencing their creation. If you believe another player is being unreasonable and you should be able to influence a certain character, then bring the matter to either myself or Rtron and we will mediate. [indent][color=GREEN][i]Tʜᴇ Gᴏᴏᴅ Sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀɪᴛᴀɴ Rᴜʟᴇ: Tʜᴏᴜ Sʜᴀʟᴛ Sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀɪsᴇ Yᴏᴜʀ Pᴏsᴛs[/i][/color][/indent]Sometimes you read a post the writer finds fascinating, and which many others may also find fascinating too. However, others may well find it dull as dishwater. As a Good Summaritan, you should give a comprehensive and short summary of any posts exceeding 5,000 characters at the head of your post, in a hider labelled 'Summary'. You can also give these summaries for shorter posts if you are a Summaritan unparalleled. [color=ed1c24][b]We're all here to have fun, these are the three most important rules in my view and I don't need to spell out every rule imaginable, because RPGuild rules are generally the same. Use your common sense, come to the GMs if there are any issues.[/b][/color] [hr] [centre][hider=Musings and Important Additional Information] [u][b]On the Universe and the World:[/b][/u] Just remember, what we currently have is an empty 'World'. Before we can begin creating things (or, indeed, destroying what has been created or bringing about chaos, untold misery and destruction), we must create a 'Universe' within this word. The universe is basically the skeleton which we can then begin building meat upon, the husk which we slowly fill up, the empty cell membrane which we must fill with all those fascinating things which complete it. In the beginning all there would exist is a 'World'. A completely empty world where nothing exists - space, time, the universe as self-contained 'thing', 'plane of existence', or 'dimension', the laws of nature, physics etc. All that doesn't exist, it's not even a 'void' or 'vacuum' in the sense that outer space is a 'vacuum'. What must be created, first and foremost, is the 'Universe' as a new dimension or plane of existence within 'The World', Time must begin, Space as a thing must exist, the Laws of Nature and Physics must be brought about (default as they exist in our world). If you are confused, then think of 'The World' as outer space in god-terms, and 'The Universe' as planet Earth in god-terms, and a god's personal plane of existence as a separate dimension within 'The World' i.e. something like a satellite. [u][b]On Creating the Universe:[/b][/u] Now, for a universe to come about, all the gods must pool their power and create a 'Big Bang' effect. Through this Big Bang each god can then will things into being, such as galaxies, stars, planets etc. The power of the pooling together of energy, this moment of divine unity, as well as the Big Bang, carries their will forth and a universe is birthed which can then be built upon. For instance, once the universe is complete, we may find that something like water does not exist, or seasons, or fire. We can then go our separate ways and do as we like. While not necessary as the game develops, we might want to all focus on developing one planet first, and bring life to others later by replicating the first. So, some of us may be thinking, if the gods can barely create ants at Level 1, how the the hell are they going to create an entire universe? Even if they combine their power. The simple answer is, they can't. Not on their own at least. The raw power is not available. But there is more than simple gods at play here, there is Fate at play, and a new universe must come about. It is Amal'Sharar and Fate who will supply the power for the creation, [b][i]and the gods must all add their own power to it[/i][/b]. Each god, upon adding their power, gives the eventual 'Big Bang' something unique; Vestec may add something of an inherent chaotic element to the universe yet to be born, Vowzra may ensure that the chaos operates within a greater, ordered and [s]hormonal[/s] (O.O) harmonious whole and so on. The process of adding one's power consumes 1 Might if a god is level 2, but consumes 4 Might if the god is at level 1. Unless the level 1 god levels up before they give their energy, the strain of either giving their energy or the 'Big Bang' itself will force them to level up automatically. So every god will be at Level 2 and without Might after the creation is complete. The 'big bang' experience may well be different for each god, but one defining feature of it is that it will be BIG (hence, BIG bang). And it will be a bang (hence big BANG). Huge and noisy is the way gods like it xP. To qualify this, the very experience of the 'Big Bang' will be different. This is as much a physical 'creation' as it is a spiritual, ethereal, intangible one. This isn't just the beginning of the universe as a physical 'thing', this is the coming into existence of infinite timelines and futures, lives, orders, seasons, chaoses and so on. A god like Vowzra, for instance, may find it to be an awe-inspiring, overpowering thing, he may be carried off, mentally, into a thousand futures and see a thousand flashes of lives that could be. One like Escre (god of Life (Spirits)) may suddenly sense all the lives that will ever be within him, Vestec may be engulfed by all the powers chaos can muster and so on. It may create an epiphanical experience. On the other hand, it may be purely physical, perhaps the raw power and ear-piercing sound may drive a god to near madness, it may fill them with joy to know that this is of their doing, they may be filled with inexplicable terror and so on. [u][b]On the Scope of 'Creation' in Rules 1 and 2:[/b][/u] When we speak of 'Creations' in these rules, we mean important creations. Heroes, specific monsters, entire races, major temples, etc. If you create a race that naturally reproduces, another God could play around with a faction of that population (until another God chases them off that is) without seeking permission. If Astarte creates an entire race of Ug the Cavemen, Vestec can go convert a portion of them to his religion. Or turn them into forging cyclopes. Or just smite a portion of them. Maybe drive his own race to war with them. Whatever suits his fancy. Naturally, this might irritate the creating god and they can retaliate if they so wish. Vestec cannot, however, exterminate the entire race without prior permission. Nor can a god meddle with specific characters deemed important by a player without permission. In summary, you have to get permission to screw with major creations of a Player, but not for minor things. (If you feel something is minor, and the creator says it's major, talk to a GM. They'll mediate.) Now, for the sake of maintaining OOC peace and order, when you agree on something via PMs or OOC, use clear language which leaves no space for doubts. Things like 'Yes you can do that,' and 'No you can't' are examples of clear language. Things like 'Maybe,' 'You can try,' 'That sounds like it could happen,' 'Hmm,' are not clear. Moreover, if a player does godmod or goes beyond their remit or does something that requires permission, try not to post a revenge post of godly godmodding to get them back. Godmodding is an issue dealt with OOCly, attempting to take vengeance won't sort it, and the RP could easily devolve into godmodding bonanza if enough like-minded people are about. [u][b]A Comment on the Roleplay's pace: [/b][/u] Due to the fact that we're in the middle of the academic year, this RP's pace will be reasonably slow until the exams come to an end. Expect periods of absence and slow responses, particularly during examination periods. It is expected, however, that players will keep us all informed of how busy they will be and what we can reasonably expect. Disappearing for long periods (like, two weeks) without warning is unacceptable. [u][b]On Considerations for Combat:[/b][/u] Levels - mean that a god is inherently stronger, has more Might anyway and is just in every way more powerful than the other and therefore should, if they use their strength correctly, come out on top. At worst, they can force the other to spend all their Might and then take them out with their own remaining Might. Might - The more of it you have, the more powerful the strikes you can deliver. An attack which uses 5 Might as could obliterate Solar systems. If an attack using higher Might, or an army with higher Might, goes against one of less Might, it will generally win out, unless tactics and strategy are also at play. Tactics and Strategy - This is really about the individual and how smart they can be about their battle. If they are very intelligent about it and deliver one act of genius after another, whether they are high or lower level, things should swing in their favour whether due to their brilliance alone, or due to some kind of divine intervention in their favour. Writing quality - This is just a matter of pure writing quality. Is it gripping? Does it make sense? Is it well thought out? This will be a factor a GM considers when deciding who should win in cases where players cannot decide between themselves. Plot line/Player agreement - If the players have agreed what the result will be, then that will generally over-ride all the above (unless the result is absurd. Like a frail old mortal lizard which can't think and has no magical powers going up against a Hero and winning.) [u][b]A Comment on Creating Species:[/b][/u] No completely new species, upon being created, will have a fully functional social order or knowledge. Species must either be created and developed ICly, or the first post (detailing their creation) must also detail their development/evolution/growth to the present day. For instance, when humans are first created, they will have no knowledge of 'society' or 'magic' or even something like 'self', 'identity' etc. unless they are taught it or naturally develop it over time. These things can either be given them in the creation post (meaning the player would have to detail their growth, giving a reasonable time-frame) or they can be allowed to develop naturally ICly, with contribution from the original creator and other players. If a new species has evolved from a previously existing species, then it can be assumed that they have all the knowledge of the original species, as well as anything new that has been given them either directly by a god or by virtue of their evolution, and said evolution must be detailed in their creation post. Try, as much as possible, to ensure that we do not have cases of creation ex nihilo when it comes to species, intelligent or otherwise. Try to maintain a logical development of and building upon what has already been created. For instance: Big Bang -> Universe -> Planetary tilt, atmosphere, seasons etc. -> Development of fungal plants and germs -> Development of larger sea animals -> Sea animals develop ability to live on land -> etc. Of course, it is not expected that every planet will follow such a route, but the point is to develop and build upon what others have done. This is not a rule, merely an expression of preference by myself, for whatever it is worth. [u][b]On Balancing Game-Play, Plot & Character Development, and Technological Advancement:[/b][/u] Natural technological advancement should be slow and there should be a focus on the development and growth of the various civilisations in existence (growth of nations, conflicts, godly politics etc.) When granting technologies, players should be aware of the seismic consequences this will have on the game-world as a whole. Sometimes it is far more interesting to explore a certain technological period in depth before allowing for advancement in technology. Keep that in mind. [u][b]On Using More Might than you have:[/b][/u] This is technically possible (stat-wise that is, you will simply go negative) but is highly discouraged. Gods who over-exert themselves to this extent can suffer from some VERY serious side effects...(e.g. transformed into a very vulnerable mortal creature for a given period of time). What happens if, for instance, you create a very powerful Holy Site and go negative? Technically speaking, the Might you spent creating it didn't exist at the time you created it. It would be unfair if anyone could go negative in order to build an amazing Holy Site with what, 100 Might, and then get back into positive in 2 turns thanks to the return on it. It would break the system. Therefore, there will be an assumption that any positive effects on Might-gained-per-turn due to going negative will be taken into consideration until said god's Might naturally returns to positive figures. [/hider][/centre] [hr] [centre][color=green](A Far From Exhaustible) Technology/Ideas List, Just So We're All Aware of the Current Technological State of Things[/color] [hider] [url=http://i.imgur.com/e9yXnO4.png]Double Capybara's Helpful Tech Guide[/url] Self/Soul Emotions – disgust, love, hate, fear, anger, joy, trust, anticipation, surprise, shame, pity, jealousy, pride, patience, confusion Equality Beauty Boredom Entertainment Learning Creativity Chakra/Spiritual Energy Nodes Magic Knowledge Epistemic Virtues – attentiveness, benevolence (Principle of Charity), coachability, circumspection, conscientiousness, creativity, curiosity, discernment, discretion, foresight, intellectual honesty, intellectual humility, imaginativeness, interpretive sensitivity, objectivity, parsimony (Occam's razor), perceptiveness, prudence/practical wisdom, studiousness, tenacity, truthfulness, understanding, warrant, wisdom Empiricism – All knowledge stems from experience and evidence Rationalism – Where criterion of the truth/knowledge is not sensory, but intellectual and deductive Scepticism – It is not enough to have a belief, one must have good reason or justification for that belief. It is impossible to have good reason or justification. Materialism – Matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and all phenomena, including mental phenomena and consciousness, are the result of material interactions. Choice – Mentally making a decision: judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one or more of them. Free Will – The ability of conscious agents to be free to make their own decisions , free of any social, moral or political constraints. Society Civic Virtue – A series of habits individuals have which are important to the welfare of society and put the welfare of society above the individual. Friendliness – A pro-social set of behaviours seen in people who are pleasant, agreeable, interested in others, genial, empathetic, considerate, and helpful. Duelling in response to an intolerable insult has been considered a civil behaviour in many cultures, but it is not a friendly action. Etiquette Class and Class Consciousness The Common Good – A specific "good" that is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community. Universal Good – g Utilitarianism – It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong Common Sense – Basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things, which is shared by ("common to") nearly all people, and can be reasonably expected of nearly all people without any need for debate Morals – Conscience – An aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment that assists in distinguishing right from wrong. Moral judgment may derive from values or norms (principles and rules). Conscience is often described as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits actions that go against his/her moral values and to feelings of rectitude or integrity when actions conform to such norms. Spirituality Meditation Enlightenment – Full comprehension, awakening to the truth Debate and Discourse Distrust/Xenophobia – Xeno = foreigner/enemy or insect Duty – A term that conveys a sense of moral commitment or obligation to someone or something. Arises as result of being human; or one's particular place in life (one's family, one's country, one's job); or as a result of one's character; or as a result of one's own moral expectations for oneself Home/Dwelling Place – Tents, caves, huts. Humans no longer sleep under tree, but have their own dwelling places. A place to call home. As human advance into societies, their dwelling places will become huts and villages. Later, these will become towns and cities, and huts will become houses, manors and even castles. Fidelity and Loyalty Identity Justice & Injustice Just War Pacifism Oppression [hider=Stoicism] Claimed by Vowzra A way of life aimed at leading one to happiness by achieving the truly ‘good’ things in life, what are called ‘Virtue’. The supreme ideal of Stoicism is a combination of ‘Wisdom’ or moral insight, ‘Courage’, ‘Self-Control’ and ‘Justice’ which includes upright dealing with other people. By following the supreme ideal and achieving it, a man becomes truly self-sufficient; that is, immune to suffering and bad fortune. ‘Virtue’ is a personal characteristic, not one bestowed by class or position: thus, even a slave who has achieved ‘Virtue’ is free, because no man, not even a king, can affect him. Stoics believe in that, as all people live in a singular community under more or less similar conditions and restraints, all have a duty to live in conformity with the community. There are two main principles; 1) resigning oneself to Fate and; 2) living life according to nature’s laws. Although resigning oneself to Fate seems to mean that one should not try to improve the future, this is not correct: stoics put a high value on public service, for instance, or striving to better oneself. In the case of stoicism, resigning oneself to Fate means that one should not set too high a value on cursory, transient thing. By avoiding a fixation on the unimportant, man can find true inner peace and unshakeable contentment that does not rely on possessions or fortune. By accepting that things come and go, this contentment and peace will withstand the obstacles of ambition, luxury, and—most importantly—greed. As for living life according to nature’s laws, this can mean generally conforming to society, but is also deeper as a key tenet of stoicism is ‘questioning convention’. Living according to nature’s law are two-fold: [list] [*]Training oneself to live with only the bare necessities. A man should know how to live with just basic food, water, clothing, and shelter. “Set aside now and then a number of days during which you will be content with the plainest of food, and very little of it, and with rough, coarse clothing, and you will ask yourself: ‘Is this what one used to dread?’” [*]Stoics insist on developing the gift of reason. One must perfect their sense of reason to conquer their devastating inner emotions: grief, pain, fear (of death, especially), and superstition. Reason allows one to escape from and discipline their passions, understand that ‘nothing is good or bad, only thinking makes it so,’ and to generally accept the mind as a greater source of truth than the body or emotions. Stoics are famous for their idea that ‘the shortest route to wealth is the contempt of wealth.’[/list][/hider] Mercy – A broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of contexts. Names Nation Nature War & Peace Philosophy Property Ethics Golden and Silver Rule – One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself; One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated. Good & Evil Fire Stone tools Fur Clothing Mining Logboat String Painting Ceramics Bone Flute Animal Domestication Sewing Rope Plant Domestication Brick Spindle Metalworking Salt Cultivation Leather Irrigation Equestrianism Weaving Loom The Wheel Spear and Javelin Spear-throwing/Javelin-throwing Boomerang Club Bow Small Settlements Wooden Walls Sundial Language Alphabet/Writing Reading Mummification Papyrus Ard plough Glass Making Galley Pottery Bronze Forging Plumbing Abacus Iron Smelting Arch Calendar Mapmaking Steel Saddle Aqueduct Archimedes Screw Crane Watermill Paper Horseshoe Sword Chariot Ram Bow (for galleys) Incendiary Arrows Crossbow Catapult Sarissa/Pike Stirrup Scorpio [/hider][/centre] [hr] [centre][hider=FAQ] 27. I wanna join. Introduce yourself in the OOC, and once a place opens up, you can play a demigod. Feel free to join in all our very serious conversations, heated philosophical debates and other very, very serious stuff we tend to very seriously do in this very serious thread about very serious things. And on that very serious note, don't forget to read the OP and second post! If you have any ideas concerning your potential future character, wrath you would like to one day unleash upon the universe, comments on anything, or any questions at all, don't be shy. 1. Do we have to use Might to level up? Yes. 2. How much Might is required to level up per level? Second hider down, beneath 'Game Mechanics', under 'Levels'. 3. How much extra Might do we get per level up? Each god begins at Level 1 with 4 Might and gains 1 Might per level up. 4. Can I just level and save Might? You can do as you like. 5. I want to make a few creatures another character made loyal to me. You can convert a small number of another character's creations without asking. Bigger actions against important creations require that you seek permission from the player in question. 6. I want to create a species which is mega-loyal to me and is immune to the approaches of other gods. You can create races which are blind loyal to your character, whose loyalty is basically gene-encoded. You cannot make them immune to being messed with, converted or in any other way affected by another god. 7. So, is there any posting order or can I just get working o my post? There is no posting order or limit, you can post in any order and as many times per turn as you can. Do try to allow two players to post after your last post before you post again though. 8. I want to create a species that goes 'Harungamunga' upon emerging into the world. That is scientifically impossible. The Inherent Laws, the Fundamentals of Existence, the Alpha and Omega dictate that the first thing any creature can say, upon emerging into the world, is 'Wow'. Your creatures can say 'Harungamunga' all they want, but their first sound must be 'Wow'. 9. How do I know a new turn has started? An IC post will come up which will say 'Turn [insert turn number here]' in big, red writing with a summary of how much Might each character has available. 10. Why doesn't the spoiler work anymore?! ...click on 'Toggle' below the writing box and the formatting cheat sheet will appear to help you out with that. 11. What are Khookies? They're mine!! All mine! *Crazed laughter* (See the 'Heroes' hider above) 12. What is this 'fire whip' everyone seems to fear? Fear it. 13. I want to create another planet! You can if you so wish. However, there are billions of barren planets about, creating a new one from scratch may just be a waste of Might... 14. I feel like reading some poems. [url=http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174819]Weirdo...[/url] 15. Do we have a sun? Yes. 16. Do we have a moon? Yes. 17. Does the planet Galbar rotate? Does it have gravity? No it doesn- OF COURSE IT DOES YOU, MINION! 18. If we get to level 3, can we create unintelligent creatures without spending might? It depends on the creation. Creatures like ants don't require Might at all, from the very beginning. When it comes to creatures like the T-Rex (or other terrific real life top predators), that do not have any magical properties; then 1 Freepoint is capable of creating one, and 1 Might considerably more. When one reaches level 10, these creatures no longer require any Might at all. If it is a powerful creature with magical capabilities, you can create 1 such species using 2 Freepoints. At level 10, you can create 4 using 1 Freepoint. At level 15 you no longer need Freepoints to create them. Intelligent species require 1 Might regardless of level. 19. I want to do more than one thing with 1 Might Point. It is entirely possible to do more than one thing with 1 Might. You can teach an intelligent species more than one idea, concept or technology using 1 Might alone, and create a few species with 1 Might. Feel free to experiment in-game in this regard. Remember, the more Might you use on creating something, the more powerful it is and the more difficult it is to tamper with by other gods. 20. I'm confused about the Freepoint. Read its function above, under the 'Might' hider. If you are still confused, ask. 21. Is it possible to destroy, steal, take, appropriate, eat, put out, bury, dodge, parry or in any other way reduce the catastrophic damage of the fire whip? *Gets fire whip out* 22. I just created something! Awesome! Great, now go fill out one of the sheets in the second post you miserable minion. 23. How long are the days and years on Galbar? Assume Earth-like statistics unless otherwise specified in-game. So days are 24 Earth hours, a year is 365 Earth days. 24. What is this Undatec/UNDATEC/undatec/Undawhatsisface some people keep mentioning? Just some slave who will soon be consumed by the mighty Thulemiz. 25. What is this Thulemiz? You shall find out very, very soon... *Ominous, rather disturbing laughter* 26. Kho has mentioned this 'Astartian philosophy' a few times. What is it? That is a mystery before which all mysteries wane. A paradox amongst paradoxes, the enigma of enigmas. Only those who come humbly before their Mother Astarte and ask can ever come close to finding out. As of yet, this is all we have: [quote=Astarte]"You're all mad. The only Reality that exists is everything you experience in the present, the rest either ceased to exist or doesn't exist yet. Concepts like Chaos and Order are useless, created by mortals and gods to explain things as simple as patterns of actions and strings of moments. Nothing but what you're perceiving truly exists to you in that moment."[/quote] [@Frettzo] 28. Cyclone, can you post the stat file damnit? No, ask Kho. 29. Kho, can you post the stat file damnit? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b7-wNsRXRE7roq2eZMGUSkGQJ9iYiYHTHgpC4TauGJw/edit?usp=sharing 30. Is there a wiki for this RP or something? http://divinus-ii.wikia.com/?wiki-welcome=1 [/hider][/centre] [hr] [list][*][hider=Cʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ sʜᴇᴇᴛ (Rᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀ)] [center][h1]NAME[/h1][b]ALLIAS[/b][sup] (IF ANY)[/sup] [b]AGE [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] | GENDER [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] HEIGHT [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] | WEIGHT [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup][/b][/center] [u][b] Dᴏᴍᴀɪɴ & Pᴏʀᴛꜰᴏʟɪᴏ [/b][/u] [indent]e.g. Water (Oceans)[hider=Description]Tell me a bit about your Domain, what specific powers it entails. Likewise for your chosen (Portfolio).[/hider][/indent] [u][b] Aʟɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ [/b][/u] [indent]Good, Evil, Indifferent or some kind of variant of Good or Evil. For example, if you are a god who is extremely into law but who is also benevolent and uses law for the 'good', Lawful Good is your alignment. If you are a Jackboot fascist, you are Lawful Evil.[/indent] [u][b] Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ [/b][/u] [indent]Their personality etc. the way they see themselves.[/indent] [hider=Aᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ][indent]Pictures, descriptions or both are fine. You can specify preferred forms and what forms they adopt in particular circumstances.[/indent][/hider] [u][b] Dᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ [/b][/u] [indent]What is the essence of the character? For example, if they are a god of war, are they a savage killer, a shrewd tactician or warrior king type of war god? If they are a god of magic, are they a wise type of mage, or evil and wicked? This is more about how they are viewed by others, what kind of aura do they give?[/indent] [u][b] Mᴜsɪᴄᴀʟ Tʜᴇᴍᴇ [/b][/u] [indent]Lets add some spice.[/indent] [u][b] Cᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟᴍᴇɴᴛ & Dᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ Lᴇᴠᴇʟ [/b][/u] [indent]Did you read the OP? Did you read it properly?[/indent] [/hider][*][hider=Cʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ sʜᴇᴇᴛ (Cᴏᴅᴇ)] [pre][center][h1]NAME[/h1][b]ALLIAS[/b][sup] (IF ANY)[/sup] [b]AGE [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] | GENDER [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] HEIGHT [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup] | WEIGHT [sup](IF APPLICABLE)[/sup][/b][/center] [u][b] Dᴏᴍᴀɪɴ & Pᴏʀᴛꜰᴏʟɪᴏ [/b][/u] [indent]e.g. Water (Oceans)[hider=Description]Tell me a bit about your Domain, what specific powers it entails. Likewise for your chosen (Portfolio).[/hider][/indent] [u][b] Aʟɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ [/b][/u] [indent]Good, Evil, Indifferent or some kind of variant of Good or Evil. For example, if you are a god who is extremely into law but who is also benevolent and uses law for the 'good', Lawful Good is your alignment. If you are a Jackboot fascist, you are Lawful Evil.[/indent] [u][b] Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ [/b][/u] [indent]Their personality etc. the way they see themselves.[/indent] [hider=Aᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ][indent]Pictures, descriptions or both are fine. You can specify preferred forms and what forms they adopt in particular circumstances.[/indent][/hider] [u][b] Dᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ [/b][/u] [indent]What is the essence of the character? For example, if they are a god of war, are they a savage killer, a shrewd tactician or warrior king type of war god? If they are a god of magic, are they a wise type of mage, or evil and wicked? This is more about how they are viewed by others, what kind of aura do they give?[/indent] [u][b] Mᴜsɪᴄᴀʟ Tʜᴇᴍᴇ [/b][/u] [indent]Lets add some spice.[/indent] [u][b] Cᴏɴᴄᴇᴀʟᴍᴇɴᴛ & Dᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ Lᴇᴠᴇʟ [/b][/u] [indent]Did you read the OP? Did you read it properly?[/indent][/pre] [/hider][/list]