Hidden 1 yr ago Post by ANYM
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Yep, you've got the gist of it. There are numerous angels and demons available for contracting, many with unique and varied powers like the examples you mentioned. Funnily enough, you managed to hit on the exact two powers that have lore relevance to this story. One of the seven Ascended demigods possesses the power to reverse time by a limited amount, while it was a war against a Void demigod (shapeshifter type) that ultimately drove Regret to ascend. So yeah, there's absolutely all kinds of demigod spirits to contract with.

What makes Ascendants like Regret stand out from all the rest is that they are the only ones with mortal forms. As such, Regret is the only demigod you can contract with whom you can actually see in person with your own eyes.


>I see. In that regard is it possible to ascend to god level proper? Or is that largely impossible due to them being forces of nature.
Hidden 1 yr ago Post by Thinslayer
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@Zyx
The gods are essentially forces of nature, with their respective characters embodied in the laws of nature. As such, I'm not sure whether ascension to godhood proper is possible in this universe's lore. There's certainly no precedent for it.

Oh, and there's one limit to magic I forgot to talk about: Authority. While I don't want to bog it down too much in numbers and rules, as a rule of thumb, demigods have enough magical authority (think mana) to do something that'll slightly affect the whole world. When divided up between their contractors, it's usually sufficient to do something flashy and overpowering once per encounter. It's strong, but you won't be burning holes to the planet's core without incurring backlash.
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by SilverPaw
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So, the easiest way a character to do/have magic would be through Regret, right? Is it possible to have more than one contract? Also, if they contracted to someone/something before becoming a champion for Regret, does that contract still hold over after their resurrection?
Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by Thinslayer
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Yes, the easiest way to acquire magic power is to contract with Regret. You will receive immortality and a handful of synergizing abilities in the bargain.

As for whether you can have more than one patron, absolutely. That's the premise of this RP, in fact - and it's to demonstrate the reason why people usually don't contract with more than one patron. That reason is because, if your patrons' priorities conflict, the consequences could be deadly for the contractor. Now, if you know from the outset that you'll be taking on multiple patrons, you can certainly include language in your contracts to resolve any conflicts that arise. So there are safe ways to do it if you come prepared.

And yes, any preexisting contracts would still be valid unless stipulated otherwise. It is the contractor's responsibility to ensure all their patrons are satisfied.
Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by SilverPaw
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You mentioned our characters memories with Regret are lost. Then, have they also absolutely zero recollection of their previous life initially? Whether yes or no, do they they regain their memories over time? Or does it vary case by case, maybe even depends on whether they try to remember or other factors?

When did Regret become involved with Aetherion, when she was still human or afterwards? Does she consider it 'her' kingdom/does she show it preference? How infuential is she as a demigodess? I take it Ydrogg is an unusual exception as a contractor in how much he can defy his patron (and creator)? Is that because Regret was too lenient in their contract, gave him too much power for 'free'? Or did he also manage to rebel because of his innate will?
Hidden 1 yr ago 1 yr ago Post by Thinslayer
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You mentioned our characters memories with Regret are lost. Then, have they also absolutely zero recollection of their previous life initially?

This element is primarily a plot device added to give me leeway to introduce your characters to Regret over time, since granting them full knowledge of their former patron will make choosing her too easy and complicate my efforts to characterize her properly (because how do you convey an entire relationship with a friend in a few paragraphs?). But I also think they should retain some knowledge of their past lives before they met Regret so that their personalities can properly form. So given the specificity with which their memories were lost, I'll have to say Yddrog probably wiped them on purpose during their creation/summoning ceremony.

Do they they regain their memories over time? Or does it vary case by case, maybe even depends on whether they try to remember or other factors?

My working plan for this is to roleplay out "character memories" between the Champions and Regret whenever they accomplish something significant. But I've rarely known RPs to pan out the way I intended, so this is subject to change. In short, it'll vary and may depend on various other factors. Off the top of my head, I can envision them recovering their memories through things like:
* Adjusting their bond with her
* Meeting people she associated with
* Doing things she'd appreciate

When did Regret become involved with Aetherion, when she was still human or afterwards?

Several thousand years ago. She was an ordinary human colonist back then, a microbiologist paid for her contributions to terraforming endeavors. When a Rift opened and the Voidspawn started pouring out to conquer her world, she shifted gears to become a doctor and help the war effort, and eventually took on additional roles as the situation grew worse. Long story short, humanity lost that war and was driven to extinction. Regret was the last human standing on the entire planet. She bargained with her god to grant her power and immortality so she could avenge the fallen, challenging him whether the extinction of humanity and victory of evil was truly his will. She got her wish, and over the next thousand years proceeded to hunt down the Voidspawn one by one until she'd wiped the planet clean of them. The abilities she developed during that lonely war are the ones that'll be handed down to the players - Healing and Rot, Adrenaline Rush/Hysteria, and Offensive Reincarnation being the three key ones.

Does she consider it 'her' kingdom/does she show it preference?

That was part of her second bargain with her god at the conclusion of her Lonely War. When she'd finally avenged humanity of its enemies, she challenged her god once again whether a barren, lifeless world without man was truly his will, and offered to restore new life to the world in exchange for undying life of her own. She got her wish, trading away her power in exchange for increased authority and keeping her immortality, and continues to nurture the world as its mother and guardian to this day. Aetherion in particular is a nation grown from her direct descendants, so it holds a special place in her heart.

How influential is she as a demigoddess?

Uniquely so. As the only patron with a physical, mortal presence on this world, and one who grants immortality at that, her name is widely known here, though her level of influence depends on whether they have a good opinion of her. In Aetherion, her word might as well be law.

I take it Yddrog is an unusual exception as a contractor in how much he can defy his patron (and creator)? Is that because Regret was too lenient in their contract, gave him too much power for 'free'? Or did he also manage to rebel because of his innate will?

Yeah, he's an unusual case. She was a fairly new Ascendant back when she created him, so she was inexperienced with the creation of magical contracts. Her contract with him did not include anything that bonded their minds together, so his will was almost entirely free of external influence. This proved to be her undoing. Naturally, she did not make the same mistake again when she contracted with her Champions.
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by Thinslayer
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Got an idea of what kind of character you want to play?
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Hm, I've been thinking a past prince of a kingdom who either died as its hero or hero-king...So, he'd have this desire to see what came to be of his country.

A thousand years later, that may be many things...maybe it still exists, and he's now part of its myth/legend - yet, his current self wouldn't be recognized as such, of course. Or maybe it's gone and/or his memory entirely forgotten by his people (possibly because Regret's influence likely has a way of overriding the greateness of any mortal heroes even if they had been affiliated with her).

Either way, I can see Yddrog playing into the 'see what became of this land and how all you did for them is now meaningless?' revenge appeal. I don't *think* my character would be willing to entirely turn against them, but maybe he'd try to bargain that he manage this land in the dragon's stead/for him when it's all over. He's almost certain to eventually turn to Regret instead, but I can see him believing Ydrogg that things are like this because of her, and he'd have to realize that no matter how hard he works for the dragon, things will be always worse. Now, if he has this realizatio too late...who knows.
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@SilverPaw
Ooh. I'm liking this character already. I think you've got a knack for this. Wanna make him a former king of Aetherion? If we're looking to make the state of his kingdom uncertain, perhaps his domain is a smaller nation that got absorbed into the larger kingdom. Maybe his kingdom joined an alliance which later transitioned to a state within Aetherion's constitutional monarchy. Or, perhaps a war broke out that got his kingdom conquered and absorbed, whether by Aetherion or by a rival state.

For a more tragic scenario, maybe the entire domain fell under Yddrog's rule, its human population enslaved and replaced with monsters or allied mortal races (like orcs). Perhaps one small, dwindling human settlement remained in hiding within a cave, and Yddrog could throw the prince a bone by giving him authority over the settlement. Maybe something like, "As long as you can procure me a pure maiden to sacrifice every ten years, I see no reason not to allow their pitiful existence. What a generous ruler I am, yes? Feel free to thank me."
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@SilverPaw
Ooh. I'm liking this character already. I think you've got a knack for this. Wanna make him a former king of Aetherion? If we're looking to make the state of his kingdom uncertain, perhaps his domain is a smaller nation that got absorbed into the larger kingdom. Maybe his kingdom joined an alliance which later transitioned to a state within Aetherion's constitutional monarchy. Or, perhaps a war broke out that got his kingdom conquered and absorbed, whether by Aetherion or by a rival state.

For a more tragic scenario, maybe the entire domain fell under Yddrog's rule, its human population enslaved and replaced with monsters or allied mortal races (like orcs). Perhaps one small, dwindling human settlement remained in hiding within a cave, and Yddrog could throw the prince a bone by giving him authority over the settlement. Maybe something like, "As long as you can procure me a pure maiden to sacrifice every ten years, I see no reason not to allow their pitiful existence. What a generous ruler I am, yes? Feel free to thank me."


Thank you! I was thinking something along the lines of the first paragraph, though the second one is intriguing too! Definitely all delicious ideas, and something I'll have to ponder on.
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I just had a eureka moment: if we go with the tragic second-paragraph plotline, what if Zyx's character was a citizen of SilverPaw's kingdom, perhaps even the king's bodyguard, brother, or friend? Because, for someone to feel such an intense level of vindictiveness against the gods and conviction in the betterment of humanity, I imagine something incredibly tragic must have happened to them and the people around them. The demigod Yddrog slaughtered everyone he ever loved, and the demigod Regret was the one who created him. And lest one think that the other patrons are more acceptable, perhaps Yddrog's mages were responsible for the devastation. That kind of experience might cause anyone to swear off all demigods entirely - and drive him toward Regret in search of power and time to exact his revenge.

Just an idea.

Edit: If we want to cut down on the tragedies and go for a more upbeat tale, then the first-paragraph plotline of the kingdom joining the alliance opens up a different set of possibilities. People don't always need to experience tragedy before they'll feel a strong conviction for something. Oftentimes, a really good upbringing will do that just as well. Perhaps Zyx's character did extraordinarily well in life; maybe he was a commoner who got rich enough to buy into nobility, or an inventor who managed to change the world, or even just a priest who, after having met thousands of good, strong people in his life, learned the rich wellspring of strength that humans were capable of without demigods to support them.

Which brings me to a question: do you have a story idea in mind for your character, Zyx?
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I think it makes more sense for each of us to polish our own idea first, and then see if there's ways to make connections if we want to. At least, that's the way I intend to do it, esp. cause I'd like to get a better feel for the tone/plotline that I'd like to go for, first.
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That's fair. Speaking of which, I should probably start nailing down some aspects of the world we'll be playing in.

Roggwall



Roggwall is one of the major underground cities of Yddrog's empire. The pillars holding up the roof of this vast subterranean city are actually primitive arcologies, based largely on the designs of the ancient arcologies that once dotted this world. Magic is the primary power source for the city's inhabitants, and its duergar artificers are known to be among the best in the world. You'll find all sorts of magical tools and knickknacks here, as well as numerous priests who are more than willing to introduce you to their patrons - for a price, of course.

Sounds like heaven for neophyte adventurers in the Dark Dragon's employ, yes? Normally it would be, except that nobody really likes you. You may be homonculi born and bound to Yddrog's service, but at the end of the day, you're still human to them, both in visual appearance and in how you think. Anti-human racism runs rampant here, so you'd better watch your back.
_____

Bestiary




More to come!
Hidden 1 yr ago Post by ANYM
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I just had a eureka moment: if we go with the tragic second-paragraph plotline, what if Zyx's character was a citizen of SilverPaw's kingdom, perhaps even the king's bodyguard, brother, or friend? Because, for someone to feel such an intense level of vindictiveness against the gods and conviction in the betterment of humanity, I imagine something incredibly tragic must have happened to them and the people around them. The demigod Yddrog slaughtered everyone he ever loved, and the demigod Regret was the one who created him. And lest one think that the other patrons are more acceptable, perhaps Yddrog's mages were responsible for the devastation. That kind of experience might cause anyone to swear off all demigods entirely - and drive him toward Regret in search of power and time to exact his revenge.

Just an idea.

Edit: If we want to cut down on the tragedies and go for a more upbeat tale, then the first-paragraph plotline of the kingdom joining the alliance opens up a different set of possibilities. People don't always need to experience tragedy before they'll feel a strong conviction for something. Oftentimes, a really good upbringing will do that just as well. Perhaps Zyx's character did extraordinarily well in life; maybe he was a commoner who got rich enough to buy into nobility, or an inventor who managed to change the world, or even just a priest who, after having met thousands of good, strong people in his life, learned the rich wellspring of strength that humans were capable of without demigods to support them.

Which brings me to a question: do you have a story idea in mind for your character, Zyx?


>I mean Yddrog exists, and has enslaved our characters, so I don't see someone needing to go that far to justify a dislike/hatred of the local gods. As for plots, the ideas I have mainly center around finding a way to kill Yddrog for the time being. Beyond that they'll probably want to purge or shackle every deity to humanity's will regardless of the god's alignment and intentions.

>Basically the same stance mankind has to xenos in 40k, that's what this individual has here. They just aren't so stupid that they'd avoid taking power which puts them on an even playing field. I could see this going tragically as well, or if you wanted to they could be the antagonist of a future RP, but for now it's primarily find a way to kill the dragon and then worry about everything else later.
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Enslaving the gods, eh? I look forward to seeing how he pulls that off. I imagine some contract shenanigans would be involved, like some expertly worded fine print that backfires on the patron at some point. If you can get your hands on a Bane weapon, it may be possible to kill the patrons outright. True Bane weapons are blessed by the gods, like actual highest-level gods (i.e. beyond demigods), to condemn to the afterlife whoever receives of them a mortal wound, regardless of any other mortality considerations. So if you were to smite a demigod's avatar with it, their soul would immediately lose all its authority and gravitate to the afterlife, even if that individual would normally have the Divine Authority to live beyond death. Bane weapons are really only effective against higher beings, since mortals are already dragged to the afterlife upon death, so a Bane weapon wouldn't affect them any differently.

True Bane/Godbane weapons capable of indiscriminate slaughter of demigods are little more than a myth right now. However, Regret was able to create Demibane weapons from her own lifeblood capable of canceling the inherited immortality powers of her contractors. They only work on those empowered by Regret (though not on Regret herself). They're mandatory for killing Yddrog again, so the players will eventually get their hands on these. There's also a lesser version, Rot weapons, that cancel all cell division in the injured area and poison the target's body with enchanted Blood of Regret. Normally her blood would grant immortality to whoever it flows through, but she can flip its effect with an enchantment to sap life instead. The target will visibly age and rot away as the poison makes its way through their body. So anyone with unascended/biological forms of immortality, like vampires or zombies, will rapidly fall to this weapon.

Yddrog has his own equivalent, Dragonbane weapons, that can pierce any inheritor of Yddrog's blood by "commanding" it on contact to make way for the king. Take a wild guess who it's meant for! e_e
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Enslaving the gods, eh? I look forward to seeing how he pulls that off. I imagine some contract shenanigans would be involved, like some expertly worded fine print that backfires on the patron at some point. If you can get your hands on a Bane weapon, it may be possible to kill the patrons outright. True Bane weapons are blessed by the gods, like actual highest-level gods (i.e. beyond demigods), to condemn to the afterlife whoever receives of them a mortal wound, regardless of any other mortality considerations. So if you were to smite a demigod's avatar with it, their soul would immediately lose all its authority and gravitate to the afterlife, even if that individual would normally have the Divine Authority to live beyond death. Bane weapons are really only effective against higher beings, since mortals are already dragged to the afterlife upon death, so a Bane weapon wouldn't affect them any differently.

True Bane/Godbane weapons capable of indiscriminate slaughter of demigods are little more than a myth right now. However, Regret was able to create Demibane weapons from her own lifeblood capable of canceling the inherited immortality powers of her contractors. They only work on those empowered by Regret (though not on Regret herself). They're mandatory for killing Yddrog again, so the players will eventually get their hands on these. There's also a lesser version, Rot weapons, that cancel all cell division in the injured area and poison the target's body with enchanted Blood of Regret. Normally her blood would grant immortality to whoever it flows through, but she can flip its effect with an enchantment to sap life instead. The target will visibly age and rot away as the poison makes its way through their body. So anyone with unascended/biological forms of immortality, like vampires or zombies, will rapidly fall to this weapon.

Yddrog has his own equivalent, Dragonbane weapons, that can pierce any inheritor of Yddrog's blood by "commanding" it on contact to make way for the king. Take a wild guess who it's meant for! e_e


>Hopefully the mechanics of will don't go so far as to create a consensus reality, because if so then you can guarantee they'll try to make a Technocracy. Even if they don't know exactly how to science.
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Think we should wait for one or two more players, or should we start with who we have now? Any preferences?
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Try an int. check in the causal and/or advanced sections, might gain some additional interest.
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Hidden 1 yr ago Post by ANYM
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>I agree that an interest check is a good idea.
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@Zyx@SilverPaw
I remade the interest check to rework or clarify a few lore elements. Let me know what y'all think of it before I go and post it to the Casual Interest Checks thread?

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