[color=7bcdc8][h3][center]Sunset and then...[/center][/h3][/color]

Ahead was a sea of glowing red, lethargic waves of molten rock moving slowly but causing nearby rocks to crash with great force, for any mortal a second of exposure to this and they would be a charred lifeless husk, for the goddess, however, the whole place was survivable, but far from pleasant.

She had never realised how much of her nimble movement was tied to her cape, not until she found herself struggling to skip properly between the flowing rocks atop the lava, though there was no option, the closer she got to the node, the more chaotic the world became, so it was better to leave the humans behind with her cape as a shield while she went alone for this last stretch of the journey.

The node was getting closer, yet to finally reach it there was one last challenge, the flat lake of lava gave away to a massive pillar of stone rising from the earth, the molten rock pouring down it in torrents of flame further making it harder to climb. Despite the task ahead, the goddess couldn't even imagine herself giving up now, not because of courage or diligence, but because the closer she got to the node the more attracted she became to it, not unlike a moth to a flame.

At the top of the volcano, she could see the small black pillar at its centre, the Node, the core of this region. There was no safe path to it, so there was nothing left but to go for a leap of faith, diving down with hands extended and touching the mysterious obelisk. She wondered if the slick black stone would even be possible to grab, it did not matter, with the mere touch of the finger of her finger upon the unclaimed stone her fall stopped, the bubbling of the lava and the very heat it emanated stopped, everything was frozen along with time itself. And then she felt everything at once.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Ey2Myva.png[/img][/center]

A flower rising up, a flower growing down, these were the images spreading across Dzallitsunya's mind as her power exploded across the environment before reaching its limits, be it the skies above or the world below as well as the still chaotic nodes nearby, then it all flowed back in equally violent and sudden power.

All she had done before felt like the acts of a mere lowly magician, this power, this feeling of having a presence that was greater than her body, this was what godhood truly had to be, this was her land now and she was its ruler. It was now time to shape it.

[hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/xcL7XPD.png[/img][/center]

The final design was perhaps unusual but far from impossible. Making use of the lava carved topology already present but now as a cradle for life and civilisation, Dzallitsunya made Node 7 into a massive green valley.

The zone was surrounded by a massive ring of mountains with some chains splitting and marching inland though smaller and broken, around these mountains were mostly highlands and plateaus, dry but inhabitable, the jewel of the province was however the lowest stratum, formed of dense jungles and swamps. Finally, at the very core, the last remnant of the region's previous state, a tamed volcano crater, the swamp turning into hot springs and geysers as it approached the mountain that contained the lava and the temple that now housed the Node.

The water cycle of the region was peculiar, the high peaks at the border kept humidity in, that humidity went down in the form of rivers, which pooled around the volcano, where the hot temperatures evaporated them, it was a notably sunless water cycle and very much self-contained. This also made rain a constant factor in the region, no four seasons much less the tropical dry vs wet seasons, the only seasonal change in this swampland was the amount of snow melting off from the peaks.

In stark contrast to the wetlands below, the highlands lacked rain, having humid air yet very dry soil. This was also a factor in the unusual water system of the province. Hot air can carry more water than cold air, rain is created when hot air cools down, the highlands however were in general hotter than the lowlands, the reverse of the process that makes rain, this trapped all water, creating a constant wet mist in the air that rarely ever turned into rain. To further make the issue worse, the rivers that streamed down the mountains were centred around canyons, leaving them out of reach for most animals and any people without the proper technology.

These stretches of highland were thin enough to avoid becoming too dry however, with one exception, directly south there was a massive plateau that created a full dry frontier between this land and the coastal one to the south. 

With the constant fog even in the drylands, the rain clouds and the volcano's own black smokes, the skies of Node 7 were always mantled with a thick layer of this or that, always blocking the sun, at night, however, with cooler winds, the skies cleared up to reveal the moon and stars,,, The goddess had not put an intentional effort towards that way, but her preference was unquestionable and her rule upon the land had unconsciously worked towards that. And as she finally fell down, not unto a lake of lava but the cool and elegant floor tiles of the Node's temple, she was more than happy to look up and see no blazing sunlight overwhelming her vision.

[color=7bcdc8][h3][center]... Afterglow[/center][/h3][/color]

In her first outfit change since birth, the goddess had made her skirt knee high and then raised it further by tying it to her wait, her cape too had shortened and her blouse was airier and looser. Most importantly, she had weaponized herself, carrying a less than formidable sharp wooden spear to slay equally puny beasts of nature, such as fishes.

Zed, sitting in nearby mangrove branches, whined. "My goddess, is it really necessary for us to mudlark? Not that I am lazy but... I get a bit tired of having to untangle my feet from river reeds or plop out those dreadful leeches. Can you not cast today's dinner with your divine will? Why since you became more powerful since this land was established, with that pleasant glow of yours only increasing, I was thinking..."

The goddess merely pressed her lips together and the message was understood by the cave tribe leader. The surface tribe leader however did not make things silent and understood merely by subtext. 

"Bah! What happened to mister oh my goddess we will work the land while you watch the heavens? Stop being so delicate and come help me get these eels, we all gotta suffer and struggle here!"

Dzallitsunya sighed and smiled. [color=7bcdc8]"It's not about struggle or suffering, it is merely that it is necessary. I cannot be a provider and caretaker because I cannot guarantee I will always be around, no? Furthermore, it is a bit offensive that you think of this blessed jungle of my making to be that unpleasant, Zed. Do you think I am unpleasant as well?"[/color] the goddess added, splashing at him, not that it mattered since it was already raining, as it always was.

"No no my goddess, on the contrary," he said. "It is just that perhaps... you could have gone lighter on the mosquitoes?" he dared to add.

"Gonna have to agree on that one with ol' Zed here lady." Croll added. "They are a bit annoying."

[color=7bcdc8]"Well... I will admit I did not expect them to be so widespread. That said, there is a root around here that when burned will repel them.[/color] a mischievous grin spread over her face. [color=7bcdc8]"Which one though? It is a mystery~""[/color]

Having guaranteed a meal, the group returned to their current base. Near the rivers land that was stable and dry, especially those held by a large rock, had proven themselves to be prime space for settling when natural formations weren't available, a series of reed huts could be built and provide for good enough long-term (for the time, a year or two) homes, wooden logs were used to make less stable temporary platforms as the united people of Zed and Croll worked together to make a living in this lush territory.

Although they worked together, the goddess could not help but notice how the ties between the two tribes were still mostly among themselves. She had been thinking about solutions to this, from forcing a new culture by her own hand to promoting marriages between the two groups, though she did not like to overthink such topics and felt like she had more time to wait and observe these humans before actually making decisions.

The central part of the village was a gazebo of bamboo pillars with a thick thatched roof, under it, a rock cauldron would receive what had been gathered or hunted down in the day was now added to a stew. Eels, frogs, fishes, roots, even fruits as well as some of the tastier grasses.  In the jungle, this was also a good way to keep the food from spoiling by keeping it bubbling constantly, everyday one person had to spend the night keeping the low fire alive and stirring the soup with a stick, not even the clan leaders or the goddess (by her own request) had been saved from the soup duty and today it was Zed's turn.

It was a lone job, but he found himself in the presence of a pouting goddess, of course, he assumed it was something he was doing wrong. "I am sorry for whatever I did, my goddess, even if I am yet to know what it was!" he blurted, wondering if as he was stirring with a distracted mind he had allowed some bug to fall in, and not one of the tasty ones at that.

The goddess looked at him and smiled, her pallid face and flowing silk white hair gaining a new lively tint when lit by the low fire, the contrast of light and darkness only making her look more ethereal. [color=7bcdc8]"Oh I am sorry, it has nothing to do with you, no."[/color] she looked south for a moment and then back. [color=7bcdc8]"It is just that I think some of my siblings have settled south of here, and I was wondering if it wouldn't be nice to give them a few gifts from these lands."[/color]

Zed nodded. "Better to be on good terms with the neighbours, I say."

[color=7bcdc8]"I will prepare a basket when I have the time then, amber, river pearls, fancy feathers..."[/color]

"You should get some food too, just saying, maybe a caiman boot, or a live one to put on her pond, assuming she has a pond."

The goddess nodded and then just sort of stood there, humming for a few moments, making Zed nervous before he decided to have a go at more small talk. "I don't know how you managed to spend your time on soup duty, it's boring for me, I imagine for a god it's ten times more boring, with it being something so lowly, and yet you were humming and happy the whole time."

[color=7bcdc8]"What do you mean? What do you do when you are stirring the soup?"[/color]

"Well I uh... I just think about things all the time." he started "I have so many responsibilities and so many plan, my mind focuses on that while I am stuck on it"

The goddess put a hand on her hip and widened her eyes. [color=7bcdc8]"And then when those responsibilities and plans come, you do them poorly because you are so distracted."[/color] she immediately noticed how harsh she was being with Zed and shook her head. [color=7bcdc8]"What I mean is... I do not believe that is the way to go. You had to live in the present, be here in the moment, and focus on what you are doing. Otherwise, you will just waste your whole life thinking about the next thing and never be focused on the current one."[/color]

Suddenly she stepped forward, between the man and the pot, and seized his arm, holding the stick with him. [color=7bcdc8]"I feel like I am not saying it well with words, so lets try to do it together, so I can lead you."[/color] she announced. [color=7bcdc8]"Your focus should be here, in the movements you do, in the bubbling of the water, in the aroma of the ingredients within. Think about the taste of the food you are making, see how it cooks in the fire. If at some moment you are without things to think, then just allow your mind to go blank, you do not need to be busy thinking."[/color] she explained, as she guided his arm and helped him about, the man now trying to not get too distracted with the goddess leaning against his arm.

Dzallitsunya felt help with things as they were right now. The land was pleasant, the tribe was full of people she loved, Zed, Croll, Daga, Muna, Bima and Tuug, Yud, Rida, Boto, and all the other humans who she knew by name. She didn't need much more in life, fishing and cooking the fish, sharing that meal with everyone, sleeping, wasn't that good enough?

and yet

The thoughts of the explosion of power she felt when claiming the node filled her mind, that high was now long gone, but it had been more than just a preview, even right now, she could feel she was more than just her body, there was an echoing hum, a flower-like wave, but weaker and quieter, that was also her, spreading from west to east, north to south, within her node, all of it was under her presence and if she stopped to focus, she could feel it all.

and although she had just said one should not be distracted, whenever she focused on that hum, she could not help but wonder

wonder if maybe, with more nodes, that feeling couldn't reach farther, if it couldn't go deeper and if it couldn't rise high to touch the sun and the stars.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tcHCMRh.gif[/img][/center]


[hider=Summary]
Dzillatsunya establishes her cool swamp-jungle land! She fishes and ponders about many things.
Zed stirs soup
Also maybe having used the node was a bit addictive to the goddess, that rush of crashing power... is something.
[/hider]

[hider=Might]
0 (starting)

0 might+1 node: (Tier one)Raise a civilization to the stone age (fire, simple homes, stone knapping
[/hider]