[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CatDIhj.png[/img] Artifex gets ominous [/center] In antiquity, the door of Artifex’s realm opened and out from it a large ant scuttled, heading for the noticeboard of the gods. Atop its back a small platform was stuck, holding a legless writing desk complete with parchment and a fountain pen and a large number of bees. The ant dutifully trundled up to the board and stopped as if to read it. When it did, the bees grabbed the pen together, hoisting it into the air, and begin replicating the various notes written down about the nature of the zodiac and omens. Deep within Artifex’s realm in his workshop at the core of the Acropolis, a stone chisel raised into the air and began copying the writing being done by the bees, making a more permanent record of their ink based writing. A goblinoid Artifex watched this out of the corner of one eye till the process was complete. Once it did he set aside the reports Kallak had copied from the curators of the omen spire and parrused these new documents, sipping lightly from a watered down glass of wine as he read the detailed writings of another god. [color=lime]”Ah, so that is why the Servants cant reach each other. Interesting.”[/color] He muttered while reading about the abilities of meteorites, before moving on to read about omens. Once he was done he made a quick scan around Galbar and found The Augur's Legend and the books and records of magical hotspots located around it. Artifex briefly perused these, but primarily focused on the central power of the monument. [color=lime]”How convenient”[/color] the god noted approvingly as he mentally walked around the monument [color=lime]”Ways to communicate things to mortals without having to keep an eye on everything, or gauchely butt in whenever something needs to be conveyed.”[/color] The wine glass was set aside and pen picked up in their palace [color=lime]”Now let’s see what we can do with it”[/color] [hr] [i]drip drip drip[/i] “What. huh?” grumbled the goblin who had been watching over the base of the omen spire as he awoke. He shook his head and then looked up at the drops of information imbued water falling from the top of the obelisk, caused by the structure’s detection of Omens by how they affected the ambient mana. The goblin dutifully wandered over to the bowl, and checked the patterns of the ripples against a chart of the known omens. Then he looked back at the ripples. Back at the chart with a frown before realization dawned on his face. “Oh heck. Boss! Boss!” the goblin cried out as he ran to fetch the Itztli in-charge of the structure. Several minutes later, the room was swarming with mages clamoring around the central vessel hurriedly writing things down while arguing about what the new patterns could mean. Little was agreed upon, but this much was clear: the number of types of omens had increased dramatically and the curators were going to have their work cut out for them figuring out what they all meant. [hr] Artifex finished making the last of his adjustments, a special little machine based off the glass butterfly prayer autoresponders, which would create a butterfly or moth upon the ascension of a new ruler. Each one would have highly detailed patterns representing the reviewer (and thereby his own) opinion of the new ruler, as well as provide some subtle hints as to what they would need to do to improve or maintain his opinion of them or contain warnings about what threatened their position, either now or in the future. He set down the little machine, which fluttered off to join the small swarm of autoresponders and picked up his wine glass again as he sat back to admire his work. Almost immediately, the reviewer started flashing, its triangular wings shifting thought patterns until it settled upon a design. Artifex squinted at it until he saw what it represented: a skull, being crushed between a pair of barbed horns like those he used to represent himself symbolically. [color=lime]”What?!”[/color] [hr] Down below, Teagan swatted a large and obnoxious butterfly that had flown into Ha-Dûna’s city hall before continuing to consolidate Sigeran’s (and by extension his) new command over the city. Outside, the work on the new temples to the druidic gods had been abandoned and the efforts of the workers turned back to the art of war. The people either clamored for blood, meekly complied with the new order or fled for their lives in the night, following the cities former leaders into exile. In the village to which they had fled, a rod of metal from the scattered debris of the Lanturn moon fell from the sky, striking the earth with a thunderous boom and heralding the doom would soon approach their temporary sanctuary. Above in Artifex’s realm glass shattered against a wall as the god raged and cursed Sigeran's name. [hider=summary] Artifex marks copies of Sirius’ notes about the zodiac and omens from the notice board of the gods. After reviewing them he takes a look at the Augur's Legend and decides to make some omens (listed in their own hider). In the library this new influx of omens causes quite a stir. Artifex makes a small machine that reviews newly appointed rulers and makes a specially patterned moth or butterfly to commemorate their ascension and simultaneously review their worthiness in Artifex’s eyes. The first review happens to be Teagan, new master of Ha-Dûna who’s elevation of the war god Sigeran above all others spits in the face of Artifex and Gibbou’s work in the region. Artifex is very, very angry about this. [/hider] [hider=New omens] Good: If a parrot lands on your ship while you are setting off on a voyage across the ocean away from the safety of the shore and doesn’t leave, then you will surely see land again. If an Oceant boards a ship on its maiden voyage, and is not chased off, then the vessel is surly blessed by Artifex If a structure pleases Artifex, then it’s foundation stone will transform into pitch black marble. This stone can be removed and put on display (as a cornerstone for example) but will return to its natural state if removed from the premises of its parent structure. Neutral: A large butterfly(or moth if the ruler is nocturnal) will try to land on a newly appointed ruler, even if it isn't the right season for them, and the patterns on its wings can communicate a myriad of things about the ruler. This can be anything from warnings of threats, blatant disapproval by certain gods or the people, predictions of things they will achieve and approval/veneration of previous events and so on. These patterns range from fairly blatant to highly vague depending on the strength of the feeling or the level of artistic whimsy that the splinter of Artifex handling these omens is feeling that day. A close study of the behavior of bumble bees can be used for crude weather forecasting If a cloud moth with black wool flies over the home of a birth in progress then that child is destined to leave a lasting mark on the world. Bad: Swarms of carrion eating insects forcing their way into a place of command is indicative of its leaders' actions have displeased Artifex. If a shard of the Lantern Moon crashes down on an area then doom is sure to follow and the people of the area must prepare for the worst if they wish to survive. If an Oceant bites the rudder of a ship then calamity is sure to strike its voyage if it continues along its present course and/or schedule. [/hider] [hider=mp/fp/prestige] The Library +4 prestige [@Legion02] The Augur's Legend +4 prestige [@Leotamer] Start 3MP/1DP 3MP, claim Port - Legitimacy: Legitimacy is right, respect and acceptance of the authority of a regime by the people a regime claims to command. A lack of legitimacy can prove fatal, as the regime’s commands may be ignored due to being seen as incompetent or unable to be enforced, challengers may rise to replace the regime’s rulers or sections of the realm may leave it entirely, preferring to strike out on their own. Conversely a high degree of legitimacy results in loyalty, compliance and/or enthusiastic support by those the regime rules. Legitimacy is a fickle thing however, and comes from many sources that vary from culture to culture and place to place. Legitimacy might be drawn from the election of a ruler by a subset of the people, it may be claimed by ancestry, by success in battle, from the will of god, mastery of magic, by the erection of civil infrastructure or monuments and many other places. With legitimacy Artifex can shore up, gift or provide opportunity for a regime he approves of to gain legitimacy, or he can instead damage or destroy that of one he disapproves of. 1 civilisation dp empowered by legitimacy to make the ruler reviewing Ai which handles the reviewing of new leaders and generates wing patterns based on Artifex’s opinions of them. 2/5 arcane monuments 4/5 for Biokinisis (+1 for custom butterflies) 5/5 mad science 1/5 for medicine 4/5 for military End 0MP/0DP [/hider]