[h3]Vestec and Teknall, after Realta Invasion, before Xerxes showdown[/h3] Vestec was floating above the Venomweald, watching as the Grotlings proliferated through it at a rapid pace. The little friends inside of them were perfect for surviving the horrors of the Venomweald, to a certain extent, and their natural combative bloodthirstiness helped them thrive in it, to a certain extent. Nothing could truly [i]thrive[/i] in the Venomweald. But they could [i]live[/i] there and keep their population in check due to the sheer lethality of the place. Still. They were missing something. He just couldn’t put his finger on what. It was beginning to bother him. They had everything they needed. Adaptability. Toughness. Savagery. Magic to forge metals without risking burning down the forest. A ‘god’ to worship and build their religion around. So why did he feel that they were incomplete? Vestec stared at them for a while longer, before suddenly sitting up in excitement. “I know! I’ll bring in Teky. He’ll help me complete my little creations. He still owes me from the hordes anyway!” He reached out and contacted his brother, mentally poking him. “Teknall! Teky! I’m calling in that favour you owe me. You need to come to my location please! It’s time to make good on our deal!” There was a long and reluctant pause in which nothing seemed to happen. Then Vestec heard a dejected sigh from behind him. [color=Peru]”Fine. What do you want making?”[/color] Vestec whirled around at the sigh. “Teky! When did you get a taste for dramatic entrances?” [color=Peru]”I’d hardly call that dramatic,”[/color] Teknall replied dryly. “You appeared behind me, then ominously sighed. That’s dramatic.” Vestec replied, spinning around on his head. Teknall took a few steps and glanced around at the dense jungle around him. He could sense the presence of the Grotlings nearby. [color=Peru]”I see you have created a new species. I’m guessing your request has something to do with them.”[/color] “You’d be correct Teky dear! I call them Grotlings. They’ll be right at home here, violently surviving and all that. But they need a little more in the crafting department. Preferably weapons or armor, but whatever you think would help them best at doing their best. Which is, of course, violence and war.” [color=Peru]”Hmm.”[/color] Teknall clasped his hands behind his back and took a few paces off to the side. His eyes closed as he concentrated his Perception on the Grotling tribes. [color=Peru]”You want me to grant the Grotlings the ability to craft some kind of armament, correct? Do you have any preferences?”[/color] “No.” Vestec waved a hand. “I leave it to your expertise. You’re the one who knows what’s best for building things. I just roped you into a favour with me. So long as it’s something that helps them with fighting and what not, you can do whatever you please.” Teknall paced a few more steps. [color=Peru]”Well, you picked the right god for the job. No one knows more about weapons and armour and similar things than I do.”[/color] From his apron pocket Teknall withdrew a long thin stick and began sketching in the dirt. Vestec was in the privileged position of being able to watch the Craft God go through his design process. [color=Peru]”The Grotlings place particular cultural emphasis in combat, so some way for them to express themselves through their weapons would be appropriate. They also have quite a high population of spellcasters of various sorts, so magic can be used. It needs to be something simple, though, so that it is accessible to the whole population. Simplicity is a challenge, but it can be overcome. Some mix of Astartean Magic and Occult can fulfil those criteria and would produce some interesting effects.”[/color] Teknall put the finishing touches on the drawing, which was of a sword in the centre of a magic circle. Phrases that had been written on the Codex long ago could be seen in the designs, indicating the deep principles at work in the design. Teknall pointed at parts of the diagram as he spoke. [color=Peru]”A relatively simple ritual can create a permanent bond between a weapon and a Grotling. The occult ritual will involve infusing the weapon with the user’s blood during creation of the weapon, with some accompanying ceremonial steps. This binds the weapon to the Grotling’s soul, at least while the Grotling is alive. This connection steps into the domain of Astartean Soul Magic, which will allow for some special effects. Namely, the weapon will gain partial sentience on account of sharing a soul; it will refuse to be used by anyone but the maker; and it will express some simple magical property related to the individual. There are a few caveats, of course. Each individual can only have one such weapon, a ‘Soul Weapon’ we could call it, and they gain an extremely deep empathic connection to the Soul Weapon which [i]might[/i] override baser instincts, such as self-preservation, if faced with the prospect of losing the Soul Weapon. But, overall, these Soul Weapons would fill a special place in Grotling culture and provide unique flavour in combat.”[/color] “Perfect!” Vestec clapped his hands in delight. “I couldn’t ask for better Teky dear! Perfect!” Vestec spun around. “They’ll be the belle’s of the ball in the battlefield! But first, how do you want to actually [i]give[/i] them the magic. We could just magic it in their heads, but that might break them. We could just pass it from tribe to tribe, but that might result in unforeseen variations.” He sat cross legged next to Teknall, hand on chin. “How do you want to do this Teky?” As he considered his options, Teknall twirled the stick above the sketch. The lines in the dirt were illuminated in golden light, then the glowing image lifted from the ground and spun slowly in the air before Teknall. The holographic symbols drifted about in three-dimensional space, and Teknall prodded them, gently adjusting the text and images. [color=Peru]”The Grotlings are fairly religious. I can use that. The information can be spread to them via visions, including instruction for those who receive the visions to share that information to the others in their tribes.”[/color] Teknall looked out through the forest, Perceiving the Grotling tribes and constructing the vision to grant them. Surveying the entire population of Grotlings, even for such a short period of time, provided great information as to their culture and society, but there were a few details that Teknall found odd. [color=Peru]”Why did you decide to portray me as feminine?”[/color] His tone held genuine curiosity. Vestec looked at him, tilting his head. “Are they portraying you as a feminine? That’s funny.” He giggled. “I didn’t give them any genders to any of us. Nor any true idea that we were specific things. Just gave them the general impressions of our existence and let them run wild with the rest. Most of the ‘gods’ they’ve created don’t even exist. Ular, The Venomweald Writhe, Valun, Zalan, none of them are gods or exist. The only two they made parodies of are you and Kyre.” He shrugged. “I don’t know why they portrayed you as female. Maybe they felt they needed more female gods?” Teknall took a moment to contemplate this before shrugging. [color=Peru]”Maybe.”[/color] Teknall then swept his hand upwards and closed it, capturing the hologram and condensing its information into a point. [color=Peru]”After nightfall, I shall visit several select Grotlings via vision, appearing as ‘Tesnald’, which is how they have personified me. They will receive instruction in how to make use of this ‘gift’, and they shall share Tesnald’s gift with their tribes. Acceptable?”[/color] Vestec clapped his hands. “Works perfectly for me! Go wild Teky!” [color=Peru]”Good. Aside from that, my work here is done.”[/color] Teknall slipped the stick he had used for writing back into his pocket and scuffed out the sketch in the dirt with his foot. [color=Peru]”Was there anything else you needed to speak with me about?”[/color] Vestec shook his head, waving a friendly hand at the craft god. “I’m sure I’ll annoy you later at some point, but for now, go enjoy my lack of breaking your things.” [color=Peru]”Very well. Bye, Vestec.”[/color] With that, Teknall disappeared with a silent pop. [hider=A debt paid] After having made the Grotlings, Vestec feels that there’s something missing. He decides to cash in the favour that Teknall owes him to get something for them. Teknall appears (reluctantly), and Vestec asks Teknall to teach the Grotlings to make something to help them in fighting or whatever. Teknall goes ‘Well, I do know a lot about weapons and stuff’. [b]Teknall claims the Armaments Portfolio, -3 Might[/b] Teknall does some brainstorming, and eventually combines crafting, Occult and Astartean soul magic to invent Soul Weapons (see Tesnald’s Gift) (-1 Might). The method to create Soul Weapons is granted to the Grotling tribes via visions from Tesnald (who is the Grotling version of Teknall, and who also happens to be female). On questioning, Vestec says that he had minimal input into Grotling theology and they made most of it themselves. Job done, Teknall takes his leave before Vestec can pester him further. [hider=Might Summary] [i]Before[/i] Teknall - L5 - 20 MP (5.5 reserved by Workshop) - 1 FP [i]Spent[/i] -3 Might to claim Armaments Portfolio -1 Might to invent Soul Weapons [i]After[/i] Teknall - L5 - 16 MP (5.5 reserved by Workshop) - 1 FP [/hider] [hider=Tesnald’s Gift] Grotlings know of a special occult ritual, involving infusing a weapon with their own blood during the creation of that weapon, which makes a unique Soul Weapon. In making the weapon, the Grotling’s own soul and that weapon become intertwined, granting the weapon several special properties. The weapon is partially sentient (because it contains part of a soul), it refuses to be used by anyone but its creator, and it exhibits a single magical ability. This magical ability is specific to the creator, and is a direct consequence of Astartean soul magic. Examples include turning invisible, changing size, or having unlimited ammo. Each individual may only ever have one Soul Weapon. The Soul Weapon and its creator have a deep empathic bond, such that often the maker would rather die than lose the weapon. A Soul Weapon loses its magic when its creator dies and the creator’s soul passes on. The effects of the destruction of a Soul Weapon on its still-living creator is presently unclear, but likely unpleasant. While Tesnald’s Gift was given specifically to the Grotlings, other races can also make Soul Weapons if they discover and learn the ritual. [/hider] [/hider]