[centre] [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/divinus-mk4/images/3/3b/Afc6efa58bae4f9c3be8ed679a7ac131.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20200229065521[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/CatDIhj.png[/img] [h2]Gibbou & Artifex[/h2] meddle in [img]https://i.imgur.com/TiC9fEF.png[/img] [/centre] Gibbou sat on a bench in Antiquity, mopingly sipping on a cup of tea as she observed the brutalisation of the Western Highlands at the hands of Ha-Dûna. Her helmet sat low over her brow, giving her whole face a brooding shadow. Her lips slurped grumpily at the rim of her cup for every time she saw a Dûnan warrior strike at civilians, only for their weapon to vanish into dust and leave the warriors dumbfounded. Part of her was relieved that the curse was working as intended, but most of her was furious that she had had to implement the curse at all. When wouldn’t these baffoons just put two and two together and just realise that you shouldn’t butcher innocents? She needed a break. These thoughts were not doing well for her positive energy and she couldn’t risk becoming jaded at a time like this. She finished her tea, snapped the cup out of existence and went for a stroll. Passing by temple ruins and places where portals popped in and out of existence, she came upon a large, rectangular notice board. She wondered for a minute why she hadn’t caught sight of it before, it being so woefully out of place. Her eyes took note of the announcement on how to make avatar and she couldn’t help but offer a quiet giggle. [color=lightblue]”Huh… How about that…”[/color] Then her eyes looked up to see another note. She leaned in to read the print. [color=lightblue]”... ‘What kind of god are you? A survey for the good of everyone’... Artifex? Is that someone I haven’t met yet?”[/color] She rubbed her chin with a metallic glove and noted that the bottom of the note had a row of untouched tabs one could rip off. The tabs were labelled with instructions on how to find this Artifex’ portal. Gibbou shrugged. [color=lightblue]”Well, might as well give it a try!”[/color] She nipped off a tab and followed the directions, only getting lost three times in the process. Finally, she reached the god’s portal, a radioactive green circle radiating inviting levels of warmth and bug noises, all while showing an imagine of what seemed to be buildings upon buildings upon buildings. Gibbou breathed in deep and stepped inside. [color=lightblue]”Mister and/or miss Artifex?”[/color] she asked the long underground street (built in the style of 1300AC Sancta Civitan architecture but lit by industrial era street lamps) she found herself in, drawing the attention of the insects, gigantic and small, presently using it for just a moment, before most continued on their way to destinations unknown. The one exception was a fuzzy pastel green moth with a ruby trim and small two trailing tails that fluttered towards her. [color=lime]”It would be mister Artifex.”[/color] came a loud voice from the tiny insect as it hovered before her [color=lime]”I see that I probably should have put gender on the cards, if that is indeed what brought you here. Ah well, what is done is done. To whom do I owe the pleasure?”[/color] it asked Gibbou gasped and brought a hand to her cheek. [color=lightblue]”Aaaaw! You’re a moth! I love moths!”[/color] She stopped herself from reaching out to poke at him and straightened herself up instead. [color=lightblue]”I, uh, I’m Gibbou. I live on the moon and mostly just sit there, looking at Galbar below. I, uh, I saw your post about the survey.”[/color] She waved the tab in her hand. [color=lime]”It is delightful to meet you Gibbou”[/color] the moth replied, before asking [color=lime]”Ah the survey, glad to see it’s already caught an eye or two. Did you have questions about it? Suggestions? oh and would you like to move our conversation to somewhere more comfortable than the front door?”[/color] Upon asking his final question the doors to a house just beside Gibbou swung open revealing a small brightly lit room, [color=lime]”If so please, step inside this elevator and we can be there in a flash”[/color] Gibbou swallowed. [color=lightblue]”Elevator! Riiiiight, let me just… Step inside. [sub]Uh, cramped spaces…”[/sub][/color] Her fully armoured form forced her to take up the majority of space, her shoulderpads and cloak nearly doubling her width from the torso and down. Her ceremonial blades sticking up from said shoulderpads scraped at the roof. [color=lightblue]”Sorry…”[/color] [color=lime]”It’s quite alright”[/color] Artifex replied as the moth fluttered in with her and then bumped into a button on a long long list of available floors. The doors shut, but revealed themselves to be one way windows, still allowing a view of the street for a moment before the elevator lurched into motion and began ascending. Layer after layer of subterranean infrastructure began to flash by the small viewing window until they suddenly breached the surface of the city planate. they kept rising, sailing up a grand tower that loomed over the endless fields of buildings, monuments and streets made in a thousand and one styles from all across Galbar illuminated by a flawless (literally) copy of the lantern moon hanging above on high bathing the realm in twilight hues. The moon goddess blushed and felt included. Finally, the elevator stopped and opened, revealing a cozy drawing room one of whole’s walls was entirely glass, allowing an unobstructed view of the city. Inside it held comfortable trappings such as a fireplace, a shelve of scrolls and tablets, a central table with a pair of cups and a flagon sat upon it, as well as comfortable sofas and recliners. It also featured a one eared goblin, dressed in a smart ruby jacket, yellow waistcoat, an onyx brooch with a pair of thorned horns enblazened upon it in silver and a practical pair of leather trouser and boots. He was wearing a blacksmiths apron over the top of his fashionable attire and hammering away at the cooling form of finely crafted, if heavy duty, throne made from steel adorned with silver decorations. With a final strike the last leg of the throne was bent into place, after which the goblins tepid back and snapped his fingers, causing the throne to be finalised with a covering of thick light blue upholstery. As the goblin put away his tools into a series of belt pouches and tossed aside the aporin the moth fluttered over to him and landed on the side of his head where it was missing an ear. In the blink of an eye the moth was gone and the ear was back, completing Artifex’s goblinoid form who reached out, and up, a hand to shake Gibbou’s. [color=lime]”Welcome to my parlor. Please, take a seat.”[/color] he said, before gesturing to the freshly forged armor proof chair. Gibbou blinked and shook the hand politely, needing to bend her knees and back slightly to reach down. [color=lightblue]”This all really is somethin’. Did you build all of this yourself? Including this, uh, parlor?”[/color] She took a long route to the chair, staring out the windows down at the millions of architectural schools competing for her attention. [color=lightblue]”I happen to be a sucker for marble and glass myself, by the way - that’s a plus in the book from me.”[/color] She gave him a wink as she sat down, her armour scraping as quietly as possible against the texture of the chair. [color=lime]”An excellent pairing,”[/color] Artifex agreed with a smile [color=lime]”I’m very much looking forwards to when the mortals really get the hang of glass making inorder to see what they end up coming up with.”[/color] [color=lime]”As for all this? Me and an uncountable number of communal insects of every shape at size. Working following my designs in the case of this study, my lab or MUSE. However it is the designs of mortals that are responsible for most of what you see out the window. That step pyramid over there?”[/color] Artifex began pointing out a few of the structures [color=lime]”Just got built in a place called Zuanwa, over there’s the House of Perfection from Ketrefa and over there’s a lovely little collection of temples from the Kylsar Isles.”[/color] [color=lime]”Whenever mortals set out to build something, it starts and ends here. First as a proof of concept when they dream it up, and then once it is complete it stands as an immortalisation of what they achieved. Wind or war or time or tide may take that legacy on galbar, but up here their triumphs will stand for as long as we will.”[/color] Artifex proclaimed dramatically, before picking up the flagon from the center of the table and, back in the realm of the mundane, asking Gibbou [color=lime]”Also would you care for something to drink? Wine perhaps? or mead, water or fruit juice?”[/color] [color=lightblue]”Fruit juice, please,”[/color] the goddess snuck in before continuing, [color=lightblue]”Woah, that’s amazing! So you’re telling me, like, buildings from before the Lonely Days are here?”[/color] She couldn’t help but hop up from her chair again and shuffling over to the windowpane to look for those skin tents and lay-tos of old. [color=lightblue]”Remind me that I gotta take a tour before I leave - oh, uh, if that’s cool with you, of course.”[/color] Artifex tapped the side of the flagon before pouring them both a glass of mixed fruit juices from it into the two cups before sliding one over to Gibbou and taking the other for himself [color=lime]”The Lonely Days? That is a good name for that time. As for the structures, there was a slight delay while I was focused dealing with the Lantern Moon, ah, debacle. So excluding the first two hundred and seven years more or less everything that has ever been built is down there, or at least that is the intent. It is somewhat difficult to verify.”[/color] The god took a sip from his drink before getting up and walking over to stand beside her comparatively towering form. [color=lime]”As for a tour, I’d be delighted. We’d have to go down a bit to see what once was but which no longer stands of course. The city of Solkra, as it stoon its prime, is down under...”[/color] he paused for a moment before pointing to a pile of Iskrill build dwellings, [color=lime]”There for example, in mint condition. On the fresher end of the spectrum you have the Aiviri’s Solar bastion and Heart Piercer Spire over there,”[/color] He pointed to two opposing titans of construction, before gliding his finger over to a city upon which tiny specs could be seen rushing around building it up, [color=lime]”and the expanding city of Ha-Dûna over there.”[/color] Gibbou offered a soft [color=lightblue]”woah”[/color] as she perused the mortal architecture from afar - it seemed that she missed the remark about the Lantern Moon. She squinted at Solkra and itched her cheek. [color=lightblue]”Huh. Now -that’s- a new one. You know what lives over there?”[/color] the god furrowed his brow at her question, [color=lime]”Hmm. My knowledge and sight of the area it is in are fuzzy... let me check if MUSE has any idea,[/color] Artifex said, before he pulled out a small slate of stone from a pocket and laid a hand upon it, causing green energy to pulse over its surface. Once he took his hand away it revealed writing, freshly carved, that regarded details of the location that MUSE had picked up from its Inventors [color=lime]”Mortals known as Iskrill captured it from humans who worshiped the sun goddess some time ago apparently. The Acadian human who MUSE got the info from considers them to be monsters worthy of using his gifts to create weapons designed specifically to kill them. To be fair the man did not seem to think particularly highly of any of the other non-humans in the area except the ‘Merelli’ who I can't say I’ve heard much of either.”[/color] Artifex looked up from the slate and back at the crude works of the Iskrill and shook his head disappointedly [color=lime]”Can’t say I am too fond of what the Iskrill have done with the palace however. It was rather beautiful. Still, they do seem to have been rather more constructive as of late, judging from the fresh works being added, so perhaps they will improve with time?”[/color] Gibbou frowned. [color=lightblue]”Yeah, I’ve heard of Iskrill. I get the occasional prayer about them, usually something akin to ‘OH GODS, PLEASE HELP’, so yeah, not a personal favourite either. That they have their own settlement now, too, is, uh, unsettling.”[/color] She turned to Ha-Dûna instead. [color=lightblue]”Hmm… Say, Arti - it’s cool if I call you Arti, right?”[/color] [color=lime]”If you wish”[/color] Artifex replied, sounding lightly pleased by this development [color=lightblue]”If you compare Ha-Dûna to, say, Acadia or Ketrefa, what’s immediately missing?”[/color] [color=lime]”Walls, though the entire thing seems to be a work in progress so I don't entirely blame them for not putting those up quite yet. You find the odd for where the builders had no forethought and everything ends up sprawled outside the walls, which is neither aesthetically pleasing nor particularly practical.”[/color] Artifex noted as he looked upon the latest addition to the endless cityscape. The goddess nodded. [color=lightblue]”Indeed. Well, sure, there are palisades, but as their, uh… Recent skirmishes… Ugh…”[/color] She created in an instant a pillow, held it to her face and screamed her lungs out in a muffled cry of frustration. [color=lightblue]”Sorry, needed to vent…”[/color] she mumbled and snapped the pillow back into nothingness. [color=lightblue]”As I said, as their recent skirmishes have proven, palisades aren’t nearly as safe as walls when it comes to shutting out attackers.”[/color] She squinted at Artifex knowingly. [color=lightblue]”Shall we take care of that?”[/color] [color=lime]”I don’t have any particularly pressing plans for my current reserves of power,”[/color] the god replied before finishing his drink, setting aside the glass and cracking his knuckles [color=lime]”So yes. Let's do this”[/color] Gibbou nodded and, with a twist of her hand, reached out to the citizens of Ha-Dûna down below, using the city model for reference for where to build it. [hr] Sitting on a wooden fence overlooking their budding crops were two middle-aged men, each cradling a wooden pipe in their hands and sharing stories with one another. “And then I said, that’s not a knife, that’s a spoon!” The other guy raised a brow. “And?” “What’re you talkin’ about ‘and’, that’s the story.” There came a scoff. “That’s dumb. You know what that story needs?” “What?” [color=lightblue]”Better walls. Preferably something like rammed earth. Yeah, that’d be nice.”[/color] “Wait, really?” “I mean… It’d be better if it did.” [color=lightblue]”So it would be! You should go tell your superiors about it and share these plans for them. I’m thinking they should be plaaaaced… Here, aaaand here.”[/color] The men looked at one another, then up at the sky. “Did we just--” “Less talkin’, more doin’ a goddess bidding!” shouted the other and the two went sprinting at full speed towards the town centre. Later that evening, many more in the town found that they were struck with the same idea, and the builders of Ha-Dûna thus understood how to switch out the palisade for a stronger rammed earth wall. [hr] [color=lightblue]”I can’t help but feel a little sad about strengthening the capital of people who, just a few years ago, were butchering others all over… For safety, I’ll just do this.”[/color] With another snap of her fingers, rammed earth walls popped up around the villages closest to Ha-Dûna’s borders. She then looked to Artifex with a grin. [color=lightblue]”What do you think?”[/color] [color=lime]”Lovely work. Practical, easy to maintain,”[/color] Artifex replied, nodding approvingly. [color=lime]”Of course, you need to be able to garrison them properly for them to be useful, instead of running around in a panic like headless cockroaches like the people you just gave those walls to so let's just add a little something here”[/color] Artifex replied, mentaly shifting the gears if a few suitable heads, instilling them with an interest in, and knowledge of, defensive and anti-siege military tactics including, conveniently, how to prevent or reduce panic in a population presently trapped behind their walls. As the peoples of the outer villages calmed Artifex turned his attention back to Ha-Dûna [color=lime]”As for the capital, you said they were butchering others all over? Why was that, and why did they stop?”[/color] Gibbou sighed. [color=lightblue]”Well, apparently, there was a food issue or something - y’know, threat of outgrowing their ability to feed themselves or whatever - so they wanted more land. Turns out, though, that ‘wanting more land’ included a footnote reminding them to also ‘butcher those living on that land’. It’s apparently related to their system of inheritance or something, from what I can see, where only the oldest child inherits, y’know. This, combined with the fact that Dûnans apparently must be related to rabbits, leaves a lot of people without anything to inherit. So they move out.”[/color] She sighed again, bordering on a groan. [color=lightblue]”... Oraelia then blessed their fields so food wouldn’t be an issue - for a while at least - and I guess they have enough land to settle on for the time being?”[/color] She shrugged. [color=lightblue]”It’s a bit of a mess. I’m not sure that they have entirely stopped, either. Their prayers don’t tell me a lot about -attacking-, to put it that way.”[/color] [color=lightblue]”And despite all this… I find it just… Really, really hard to stay mad at them. They’ve done bad! Don’t get me wrong!”[/color] She crouched down and hugged her knees to her chest, comfortably rolling back onto her bum. [color=lightblue]”... I guess that I’m just really, really bad at punishing things.”[/color] [color=lime]”I see,”[/color] Artifex replied, putting his hand on his chin thoughtfully as he sat down cross legged next to the moping goddess [color=lime]”Well if they’ve stopped, then in a sense continuing to be angry and punishing them would be counterproductive, be taken as a sign that you are displeased with where they are now rather than at what they did? What’s done is done, so maybe we can find ways to stop them entering that violently expansionist phase again instead?”[/color] The goddess hummed, then nodded. [color=lightblue]”Hey, hey yeah, that’s something! What’ve you got in mind?”[/color] [color=lime]”I was thinking we find something for the non-inheriting offspring to do that doesn't involve looting and pillaging”[/color] [hr] After much discussion and brainstorming, the two eventually laid their plans. First, they plopped down the Town Hall, a marble temple that took the place of an old cliff that had been both an eyesore and a logistical nightmare for downtown planning in Ha-Dûna. The temple was a mass of pillars, holding up a triangular prism for a roof. Within the pillars was one large room within which was a strategic table with real-life representations of the surrounding lands. [centre][img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/018/029/805/large/trevanadri-elbert-1-2.jpg?1558203947[/img][/centre] Immediately, it was employed by the Dûnans, praised as yet another great gift from the gods. The pair also taught the Dûnans to build temples in place of their altars - the megalith circle with the altars was very beautiful, naturally, but both Gibbou and Artifex agreed that a very convenient way of making certain the Dûnans wouldn’t go to war for a good while, was to teach them to build temples of wood, thatch, peat and stone. Hopefully, these would take so long and so many resources to construct that the Dûnans would virtually forget all about war by the time they were done. By the time the first temples were done, they so grand that they would eventually run out of druids to staff them if they kept building. Thus they were instead staffed with monks and nuns. Being ordained as a monk or nun within those temples gave those who would not inherit land another avenue to social status beyond seeking to acquire their own land. These received none of the privileges of the druids, necessarily, but the temples themselves could provide them with food, drink, community and work. Druids would lead these temples, but they would be staffed by the lesser clergy. [hr] [color=lightblue]”Yaaay!”[/color] Gibbou clapped in celebration. [color=lightblue]”Look at them go! They’re like ants - pink and brown ants dressed in wool, that is - building temples like their lives depend on it! Well, I guess if you set the alternative as ‘warfare’, their lives -would- depend on it, huh. Anyway, great work, Arti!”[/color] [color=lime]”Thank you, you’re too kind and your work has been equally if not more marvelous.”[/color] Artifex replied grinning as he watched the city using a replica of the town hall’s three dimensional map table. [color=lime]”I do have one more suggestion however, something to stamp our mark on the land and leave a lasting institution of peace,”[/color] he added before showing her a series of three paintings he’d prepared on the side, depicting women born through the skies on mothine wings. In one painting the woman stood between a child and a ravionosue Iskril, a warhammer held in her hands. In another between two armed humans, her arms and wings spread wide to keep them apart, causing the two warriors to pause in the violence they were about to commit. in the final one showed them spinning silk and using it to bandage an injured man while another used it to shore up a crumbling wall. [color=lime]”Something to aspire to, a reward for those who are kind, noble and spread peace across the land,”[/color] Artifex explained as he showed them to her The moon goddess gasped with eyes like the starry sky. [color=lightblue]”All of my yes!”[/color] she shouted and shot a hand up into the air. Then she squinted at the paintings and brought a curled index to her chin. [color=lightblue]”... Buuut I have some notes… How abooouut…”[/color] She drew at the paintings with her finger, twisting the images into new poses and shapes. The Iskrill instead faced a mothine woman dressed in silvery armour, surrounded by an aura of glowing, gray dust. In the image showing the lady separating two fighters, the image turned to her bringing them together to shake hands under an aura of the same glowing dust. In the final image, the silk appeared both as a bandage around the man’s leg, as building support, and finally, as armoured bracers on a third woman fighting off a shadowy threat. Gibbou tapped her chin again thoughtfully. [color=lightblue]”What do you think?”[/color] Artifex, supremely pleased by Gibbou’s enthusiasm, took a moment to drink in the new additions to his proposal before nodding in vigorous approval [color=lime]”Marvalouse additions one and all! Now all we need is to find mortals worthy of these gifts.”[/color] [color=lightblue]”What sort of qualities are we looking for? I’m thinking protective, kind-hearted, generous, selfless and all that smooth jazz.”[/color] [color=lime]”Noble virtues indeed. The skill and wisdom necessary to use their gifts, resilience in the face of hardship and the desire to nurture others so that they might be able to follow in their footsteps would be practical traits to seek as well.”[/color] Artifex replied after some thought. [color=lightblue]”Sounds good! Let’s take a look!”[/color] She focused back down on the town. [hr] Tonight was the night. Aimil could feel it in her bones even before she climbed onto the roof of her family home and gazed upon the two moons rising together in their fullness into a cloudless silver hued sky. It had been weeks since the gods had whispered in her mind, a thing not quite so absurd these days as it had once seemed, yet instead of orders or grand wisdoms they had praised her skill as a blacksmith and her caring heart that had led her to help several prisoners escape from slavery and to adopt a boy who’d lost his parents to the city’s agression. They had told her of the reward and responsibility they wished to give her, and instructed her to build a simple shrine in their honor. There had been no specifics in how the shrine should be made, how complex or humble, but as she looked upon the construction she had made as she followed her heart she knew it was right. it was a deeply personal thing, cluttered with keepsakes and carved with images of those she held dear, of what good she had done, and what she had wished she had the strength to do. at its center sat a round shield with Gibbou’s crescent moon carved upon on half, mirrored by a crescent of thorned horns on the other. She sat cross-legged upon the shield, surrounded by depictions of her achievement, failures, hopes and dreams and gazed up at the moons as they drew closer together in the dark sky. She took in a deep breath, cleared her mind of any doubts or fears, and meditated. Her head filled with thoughts of the calm night, of the peace and tranquility so evident in the world around her that it almost felt like a texture softly massaging at her skin like bands of silk. A purpose flickered at the back of her mind, and she concentrated to bring it to light. The sensations of silk grew stronger, and she felt her breathing slow to a beat. The purpose grew clearer and clearer, but it was still not clear enough to define. She felt the tranquility brush against her cheeks and her body felt embraced somehow. Her focus kept her from opening her eyes - she was too focused on finding this thought. There - a purpose. She was a guardian - a shield that would defend those who could not defend themselves; a rescuer - she would save those in danger, even if it would cost her her life; a negotiator - she would be a diplomat between parties in disagreement. She would be a Mother. With that, the silk chrysalis that had formed around her as she had meditated cracked open, revealing her new form. High above her the twin moons hung atop the sky, their light reflecting in her eyes, one silver one purple, calling to her. with instinctual ease she rose, born upon gossamer wings. She rose, high above the city, chasing the light until she came to her senses and looked down upon the world so far below. at the sprawling city, at the villages beyond and at the vast tracts of land in between that made the works of humankind look like weak vulnerable specks. They were so small and yet at the same time there was so much that deserved her love and protection. The weight of what she had accepted clawed at her mind till she looked up, and saw the others fluttering around her, banishing her trepidation. The task was mighty, the challenges would be great, but as she gazed at the other mothers and the looming moons, she knew she was not alone. [hr] As the Mothers gathered together above the city of druids two alcohol free glasses clinked in Artifex’s high tower as the gods celebrated their handiwork. [color=lime]”A toast. To peace in their time and all times that follow!”[/color] [color=lightblue]”Cheeeeers!”[/color] Artifex sipped from his drink though smiling lips, before plopping his cup down on the table [color=lime]”Now that our work is complete, for now, I was wondering about that tour you mentioned wanting to go on earlier?”[/color] Artifex gestured to the open elevator [color=lime]”I’d be happy to show you some of the highlights.”[/color] Gibbou chugged her whole glass in uncannily few gulps. [color=lightblue]”Would I?! Lead the way!”[/color] and with that, the two gods stepped away from the diorama of the city they had been using, leaving the fate of the Dûnan in their own hands once more. [hider=summary] Gibbou mopes about Ha-Dûna’s continued attempts to brutalise people despite her curse blatantly foiling their every attempt and decides to go for a walk. She runs across the Noticeboard of the Gods and notices that Artifex is attempting to survey all of the gods in order to work out what gods exist and what they can all do. intrigues, she makes her way to his realm, meets a moth and then is invited up to his parlor, which sits in a tall tower providing great views of the city planet that constitutes Artifex’s realm. there she meets artifex in his civilization goblin form, and the two get to talking a bit about the view, with artifex explaining that everything that is ever built on Gablar can be found in his realm, before pointing out some highlights. one is the ruins of Solkra built atop a perfect replcia of the city, which prompts a brief investigation by the pair who find out is infested by Iskrill, much to Gibbou’s concern. Another is the expanding city of Ha-Dûna. Gibbou notes its lack of walls and then easily convinces Artifex to help her do improvement based meddling with the city. First they teach them how to make rammed earth walls around it, magiclay create a bunch of walls for the surrounding villages and teach the people how to properly utilize these walls to survive sieges. Gibbou then talks about how the Dûnans used to be bloodthirsty conquerors and how she feels she should still be mad about it but can't, because she recognises that food shortages and the local inheritance system leaving all but the first sons without a guarantee of land ora futute drove them to expand. Artifex suggests that instead of focusing on that they instead see if they can prevent them from doing so in future by redirecting their energies elsewhere, namly temple building. They teach them how to build some swanky temples that the Druids use to show off their prestige while also providing potential positions of lesser status for the non first born children of the realm as nuns or monks carteaking those those temples for their druid leaders. They also build a central temple/town hall featuring a top down holographic map of the area to help the druids with their city planning. Finally, they collaboratively create the Mothers, a group of women chosen to be the champions of peace, compassion and cooperation in the area. They select a number of noble souls to become the first of their order, telling them to construct highly personal shrines within which they meditate beneath the moon and are transformed into holy mothwomen. The Mothers ascend to the sky and meet one another for the first time while the gods toast their own success. Finally Artifex takes Gibbou on a guided tour of his realm, leaving Ha-Dûna free of divine meddling once again. For the time being at least. [/hider] [hider=MP] Gibbou 4MP/3DP 1DP - Teach the Dûnans to make rammed earth walls. (⅕ for Walls port) 2DP - Perform godly feat. Give rammed earth walls to the villages outside of Ha-Dûna’s immediate borders, causing mass panic, but safety at least. 3MP - Claim portfolio - Armour: Armour is the heart of personal defense against those strikes too hard, too quick or too unexpected to dodge. From shields and plate to hides and pads - all falls under the compass of armour. It is restricted to what is worn, however - while a spear may be used to block, it is not born with the main intent of doing so, as opposed to the shield. With this power, Gibbou specialises in providing and empowering all sorts of armour to withstand different kinds of attacks. End 1MP/0DP Artifex 5MP/5DP Untarnished Stonework II (free stoneworking): The stone of the building will remain pristine as they day it was carved with but the lightest of maintenance, weathering weathering and staining with miraculous ease. Organise the realm II (2 civ dp): the town hall features a table at the center of its main meeting chambers with a large 3d map of the surrounding area (with a radius twice that of the city’s walls) that keeps itself update with any changes made to the city or land around it. Useful for city planning, local military actions and for giving a general understating of the land the hall’s owner command. 1 construction dp to teach them how to build temples 2 mp and 1 construction dp for the Mothers Drowsy Dust I (free with peace): the wings of a Mother produce a faint dust that induces calm in low doses and sleep in high ones Silk Spinners II (1 construction dp, 1 free armor): Mothers can produce a fair amount of silk thread which makes for a useful building material, adhesive or fabric. The silk, when spun under the light of the moon, can be woven into moonlit silver, a strong and hardy metal comparable to bronze, though it is poor at holding an edge. This metal makes for excellent Armor and will glow softly when exposed to moon light. The highest quality moonlit silver is forged beneath two full moons on an anvil of metal that fell from the lantern moon eons ago. Moth-body II 2 (insect empowered) mp): the Mother gains the antenna, and wings of a moth gaining flight and enhanced nocturnal senses as a result. They also develop a neck ruff, patches of moth fur and a fluffy tail styled after a moth's abdomen which provide primarily aesthetic benefits and a touch of insulation against the cool night air. 2/5 arcane monuments 3/5 for Biokinisis (+2 from moth body) 5/5 mad science 1/5 for medicine 5/5 for Legitimacy/govornance (+2 from organise the realm, +1 from temples (they are a theocracy)) 4/5 for military (+1 for wall defence training + 1 for silk spinning (armor forging)) 3MP/2DP [/hider]