[centre][img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/divinus-iii/images/d/df/Shengshi-logo.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20190112093445[/img][/centre]
[centre][h1]Shengshi[/h1][/centre]
[centre]0MP/4FP[/centre]
[centre][@DracoLunaris][/centre]


A long flight from the Dragon’s Foot to the unending lands of Atokhekwoi had managed to calm the snake down considerably; however, he was still far from tranquil. He thought he had been adaptable enough for the most part - that was until that barbarian so perversely destroyed the tea his servant had spent its precious time making. The snake considered himself a creative creature, yet he could not for the life of him think of a crueler, fouler and unexpected insult. However, that was no longer a concern. The deed had been done - the alliance was shattered and the snake found himself strangely relieved. Now he could completely forget about that hairy barbarian and his odd homeland and instead focus on tasks of importance, like his divine duty to see the world populated with life. He had landed in his beautiful creation, the Kangjiang, which waters bore near-syrupy levels of nutrients from the mountains. It had grown verdant and ripe with life, its banks leaving no space for sand and dirt, but instead forming an overgrown crust of bloated life that supported innumerable trees. The wildlife here grew so closely that many branches intertwined. For a moment, Shengshi pondered whether the river simply was too nutritious, seeing as it formed a near impenetrable wall around itself with the nature it fed. He then shrugged. Prosperity was, after all, the greatest goal. 

His eyes followed the stream to its tributaries, which themselves trickled down the oppressively massive mountain range that stretched from the horizon to the north all the way around the bay to the far east, walling the land and sea off from the crippling cold of the south pole. The peaks and crags that eventually met forest around their feet looked dreadfully empty, almost ghastly so. The mountains harboured no life at all. The snake thus smiled as he looked up at the mighty peaks - they were maybe the tallest in the world.

“Yes,” he mumbled to no one in particular. “These mountains are ripe for the introduction of life.” With that, he curled his tail and kicked off, soaring far up into the sky with such force that the ship quaked and took nearly thirty minutes to restabilise, even in the lava-like river.

The snake landed gracefully atop one of the snow-clad peaks. All he could see around him was white snow, contrasted by occasional shadows indicating terrain or rock spikes without snow on the underside. All in all, it was indeed quite ghastly after all. That would have to be changed posthaste.

The snake slithered around for a while, over plateaus and jagged top, under stone bridges and ice roofs. The mountains were steep, but not that steep - furthermore, there were plenty of flat surfaces and potential spots for species to thrive. The summer seasons could potentially see the snow melt away - that was when the lands here would thrive. The issue was the length of the winter. 

The snake cracked an icicle off the underside of a cave opening. He gave it a quick lookover, turned it around in his hand and pursed his lips. He patted some snow around its thickest edge until it resembled a bulb-headed club. Satisfied with the work, he breathed life into it and watched as the ice became a thick, brown and black stem and the snow became a black and red, porous bulb. The snake planted it in the stone underneath the snow, and immediately the flower began to melt the snow around it. 

“Huh. It worked! Right, little one. Are you content with the quality of this rock?”

The flower flashed a lava-like red momentarily. The snake nodded. 

“Very good. While you chew on that mountain, I will continue my work.” The snake slithered on and watched as more and more plants like it spawned throughout the region, melting the snow around them. This plant ate the rock it grew it and turned it to lava inside, unleashing insane amounts of heat. The snake noticed, however, that at the higher altitudes, the plant simply could not dig through the packed snow and ice - meanwhile, as the snake gazed downwards, he observed the plant nearly immediately overheating and melting itself apart. He let out a grumbling hum, but at least he had several snow free plateaus to work with now. He picked up a rock still moist from the melting snow and ground it into sand in his fist. He cast the sand to the wind and observed as it became moss and lichen on the mountain. He smashed apart an icicle and threw it to the wind - it spawned as flowers and simple grasses atop the moss and lichen. A fistful of snow to the wind became small pine trees and massive shrubberies. He imbued all these plants with powerful roots that could out the rich nutrients of the mountain and, eventually, grow in the humus that they would become in time. After a while, the entire range became a mixture of red, green, brown and blue, contrasted by the white peaks and glaciers. Now, the snake could see to it that life could graze in the spring and summer without interruptions. 

The snake tugged at his beard. Only one kind of animal could survive here, and it would likely be similar to the ones he had made back on Istais - thick fur coats and agility in the mountains and snow. The snake stopped himself, however, and grinned smugly. These mountains were nothing like those on Istais: They had been rough and pointy. These, however, were flat and orderly. Closed his eyes and let his imagination take control. Yes, yes… One day, these mountains would be the home of a great empire, he was certain of it! To reflect this, he thought, the animal kingdom here must itself be as grand as such an empire would be!

The snake went over to a small hilltop, one that was rather isolated from the rest. He placed his hand on it and sucked in a deep breath. As he removed his hand, the hilltop began to crack and shatter like an eggshell. In a great burst of power and might, the stone covers cracked and revealed a great flock of enormous wooly mammoths, these with powerful, flexible legs that even allowed for climbing. They hooted an earthshaking cacophony and thundered outwards across the mountain plains, eager to revel in their new life. The snake grinned at the stampeding beasts, but there would need to be lesser animals, too. So he went from stone to stone, clapping at patting them until they hatched all manner of creatures. 

From one came a thick-furred goat with a powerful mane and two curled horns, bleating curiously at the new world; 
From another came a flock of great, long-horned yaks that began to graze on the grass; 
A third cracked into a myriad of mice with such a fur coat that they appeared almost like circles; 
A fourth became a pack of lynxes that immediately gave chase to the mice; 
A fifth became a flock of eagles that would lay their eggs here in the spring and hunt mice from the plateaus or fish from the seas far below; 
The sixth became great lions with a powerful, curly, woolen coat and razor sharp fangs.
The seventh cracked into a pile of stone-eating worms, blood-sucking flies and moss-eating beetles that began to go about their business.
The eighth and last stone hatched to reveal a flock of white rabbits that immediately began to sprint away from lynxes and lions.

Satisfied with the new state of the mountain, its endless green and red hills full of bleating, mooing, roaring and hooting beasts, the snake shook his head happily and hopped back down to his ship below. Many of these would likely migrate down from the mountain in time, too, he reasoned. The enriched biodiversity of this continent was much needed - after all, this world was still quite empty.

A servant came over to him as he landed gracefully on the deck of his veranda and offered him a cup of steaming hot tea. The snake took the cup with a bow and sipped it calmly.

“Ah, just what I needed. Thank you so much, dear He Bo.”

The servant nodded. “Of course, My Lord. If this servant may be so rude as to ask, where does His Lordship wish to go now?”

The snake tugged thoughtfully at his beard. “Maybe we ought to go visit some of these selka? After all, it was about time I met some actual mortals.”

“A sound plan, My Lord,” He Bo agreed.

Suddenly, however, a servant came sprinting up to the snake, shouting, “Your Lordship! Your Lordship!” She fell to her knees and hands with ragged breath before the snake who regarded her with concern and curiosity.

“What is the matter, dear servant?” the snake asked. “Please, share with me the news.”

The servant refused to look up, but even as she faced the floor, Shengshi noticed her face was glistening with anxious moisture. 

“A bejeweled bird came to these servants in His Lordship’s absence, speaking of a terrible fate after death - a purgatory in flames.” The snake’s skin paled and his eyes at first went wide with shock, then sharp with rage.

“What else did it say?” he demanded, his voice like a gust of blades. The servant trembled, tears pattering against the deckboards. 

“It-... It offered an alternative - a postmortum stasis until a better solution was found. However, that option would require our consent. It spoke of crystals and--and secret chambres, and--” The servant choked on her tears. “F-forgive this insolent one, Your Lordship - is it true? Is fire all that awaits these servants as we swim ahead?”

The snake shattered the teacup in his hand. A vicious bile of fury rages in his throat and through grit teeth, he cursed the culprit’s name. “Azura…” he hissed. He looked once more down at the shivering ball of kowtowing servant on the floor. Momentarily, his rage subsided and he reached out a hand to squeeze her shoulder affectionately. The servant froze, her head slowly rising to look the snake in the eyes, a feat that nearly made her faint.

“Loyal one, valuable one, worthy one,” the snake praised her. “Thank you for telling me this… Now, I want you to gather every servant aboard onto the deck for me. Can you do that?”

The servant, deep in tears, nodded frantically, awestruck to the point of near loss of motor functions. “I-in His Lordship’s name, this servant obeys!” she said and set off in a full sprint back into the palace. He Bo calmly swept up the clay sand that had once been a rather nice teacup, though his face was riddled with worry. 

“Forgive this useless servant - it was not present as the bird came and attempted to corrupt its people. This servant understands if His Lordship wills its demotion--”

“That is enough, worthy He Bo. This sabotage was and is not yours to repair. It is I who have failed all of you.”

He Bo’s brow furrowed together and he prostrated himself before the snake. “H-His Lordship cannot possibly blame Himself for these servant’s susceptibility to this heresy--”

The snake held up a hand. “Your loyalty and humility are worthy, dear He Bo, but this is a matter I must clear up - you all deserve to know.”

He Bo swallowed a clump in his throat and nodded. “Yes, My Lord - thank you, My Lord.”

[hr] 

It did not take long for all the servants to gather on the deck. They were nowhere near the ten thousand they had been before the attack, but the children of the massacre were beginning to grow up and once more, the crew was nearing its full potential again. The snake sucked in a deep breath and slithered over to the edge of the veranda. As one unit, one mind, the servants all descended to their knees, held out their hands, and kowtowed as they shouted, “TEN THOUSAND YEARS AND MORE TO HIS LORDSHIP SHENGSHI OF THE THOUSAND STREAMS!” Then, they did it again, and again. After the third time, the snake held up a hand and the servants remained prostrating. He frowned and shot out a sigh through his nose. He lowered his hand and collected them both behind his back.

“Loyal servants, worthy servants, amiable servant - Your Lord wishes upon you fortune and well-being for eternity. This, and more, was promised you upon your creation in exchange for your services. Your part of this agreement has been upheld with stellar conviction and dedication, and I am no less than deeply honoured to have you with me - no one and nothing else could measure up to the Servants’ hard-working soul. All of you, every single one of you, have been true to the Way of the Flow, and this loyalty is deserving of eternal rewards in Fengshui Fuyou.”

Several servants were weeping below. The snake felt a clump in his throat.

“However, I have not been truthful to you about what happens to those who swim ahead,” he continued shamefully. Many servants looked up, wiping their tears in the process. The snake pinched his lips together in a frown. “The bird that came to you spoke true - what awaits you after death is the flame, the flame of the Pyres.” He pointed to the starry skies above and many servants looked up with terrified eyes. “Each light up there is a bonfire awaiting a dead soul, and each dead soul will burn away until all that remains is the mindless ash…” Many servants screamed; others began to weep; even many of the children who were too young to understand began to squeal. The snake sighed again. “And yet,” he continued, the panic below falling silent, “it is a necessary measure.” 

The snake held out a hand. A beam of water from the river below skipped up and splashed into the palm. The blob twisted and turned, forming legs and arms attached to a torso and hips. Silk from inside the bedroom behind him came flying out and wrapped itself around the humanoid; mud from the banks below snaked its way up the side of the ship and coated the person’s watery form. The newborn servant blinked to life as the snake sat him down on the deck beside him and gestured to him. 

“Servants! Without soul ash, life in this world would not be possible! This servant only lives because it was infused with the ash of souls.” The servant froze as it realised it was the centre of attention and immediately threw itself to the ground in front of Shengshi. The snake waved dismissively and the servant hurried downstairs. Meanwhile, the deck below hosted a lot of grumbling and mumbling. The snake continued: 

“The ‘solution’ Azura offers to solve is the issue is a hoax! There is [i]no[/i] solution! She offers a temporary alternative for the weak-willed, the fearful, the ignorant! What will happen to life once all the souls have been crystallised? It will freeze, halt! The Goddess of the Wind sabotages the continuation of life - it clips the wings of harmony betwixt life and death!”

Many grumbling servants began to roar with outrage and betrayal. The snake raised a fist.

“I, for one, see this not as aid for you, dear mortals, but as a declaration of war disguised as a blessing.” The crowds were now all on their feet, punching their fists furiously up into the air. Shengshi spread his arms out and looked to the sky. 
“Katharsos and his Pyres form the backbone of this universe - there is no other way! Her quest is a selfish one - one spurred on by emotion without a speck of rationality! Nay, I say, for life to prosper, we must all do our part!” He grabbed the railing with one hand and pointed to the crowd. “Know this, dear servants - even I, Your Lord, would gladly, desperately even, give my soul to Katharsos’ flames if I could see this world subsist. If my divine soul could bring about the births of a billion more plants, beasts and mortals, then slay me, I say - slay me and have me bring about a boom of prosperity the likes of which have never been seen in this universe!”

The crowds thundered with cheers and roars, slowly becoming a repeating chant of “Harmony, prosperity, eternity!” The snake folded his hands over his head. He Bo and a few more servants came out of Shengshi’s chambres with the Alma in their arms. The snake gave it a hateful glare and snatched it in a tight grip, its crystalline eyes staring daggers back at him. Shengshi held it up for all to see. The servants growled and screamed at the bird, shouting ‘betrayal’ and ‘demon’ at its helpless visage. The snake grabbed each wing with his hands and held it up over his head.

“Let this be our declaration! From now on, Azura is an enemy of nature - a villain to the guardians of life! With this, the rivers of Galbar with bring war against the wind! Death to the enemies of harmony!”

The servants echoed the snake’s call: “Death to the enemies of harmony!” they shouted in a rage-filled chorus. With a mighty, two-sided tug, the snake ripped the Alma in two for all to see, the crowds below cheering maniacally. 

The snake collected his bloody hands behind his back while several servants surrounded him and began to pat the blood and gore off his visage. It was done. An alliance was broken, and another war had begun.

The way to prosperity and harmony would be paved with blood and skulls.

[hider=Summary]
A slightly less livid snake arrives on eastern Atokhekwoi, ready to spread the gospel of the river. As he’s inspecting old Kangjiang, he lays his eyes on the mountains of Eastern Atokhekwoi and decides that they could use some lovin’. Thus, he hops and skips up to the peaks. There, he realises that the mountains actually have a lot of nice plateaus, but that the snow may be in the way of life. He thus first makes a plant that eats at the mountain below to produce magma inside itself, melting the snow around it. Once the plateaus are considerably less snowy, Sheng introduces moss, lichen, grasses, shrubs and trees. Then he introduces mountain-climbing mammoths, tahrs, yaks, thick-furred mice, lynxes, eagles, mountain lions with curly wool, stone-eating worms, bloodsucking flies, moss-eating beetles and rabbits. Content with his products, the snake hops back down to the ship, has some tea and decides to meet and greet some local selka. However, thanks to the big broadcast from Azura, Shengshi’s now absolutely livid again! He addresses his servants about the whole shebang, calling Azura a traitor to the harmony of life and death. To demonstrate the need for soul ash, Sheng makes a new servant out of thin air and explains that it needs ash to live. He convinces the servants that Azura is an enemy and declares war on her by murdering the Alma that delivered the broadcast to the sound of cheering servants.
[/hider]

[hider=Point Summary!]
Start: 0MP/4FP
4FP on large ecosystem to fill all of the Eastern Atokhekwoian mountain range.
End: 0/0.
[/hider]