<Snipped quote by Cmmelody>

It's totally fine, I am thankful you even dedicated this much time already!

To summarize things, because I feel we might have dipped our toes a little too deep in philosophical issues, I accept your character submission, but with two conditions:

1.) Change the Perception domain to Deception. You mentioned you could play either, and Deception aligns far better with your described role of protecting and concealing evil. This also resolves the thematic inconsistency, as Perception implies awareness and truth-seeking, while Deception fits the tempter who cloaks their followers' crimes and enables them to operate unseen.

2.) Update your character sheet to honestly portray Yzechr as a villainous antagonist: a cosmic tempter who radicalizes the desperate, protects the evil path itself, and finds societal collapse entertaining. Remove any language suggesting benevolence, reluctant salvation or the creation of perception itself. Keep Corruption, it kinda works for the degradation your followers willingly embrace, but I'm more looking forward to seeing how you develop this dark, complex deity IC.

I am also looking forward to what other players will come up with now that we have a definite villain here.

okay!
I will make the update profile by tomorrow.

The Three Studies Of Magic
The Three Studies of Magic are fields of study that mages use to cast spells by channeling The "Ideals". Ideals are the Abstract and Perfect: Ideals are not physical objects; they are abstract ideals that embody the perfect version of qualities such as beauty, justice, and equality. For example, while many beautiful things exist in the world, they are all imperfect copies of the Ideal of Beauty itself. Forms are timeless and unchanging concepts, basically existing outside of our space and time.

In a way, Ideals are extra "domains", only they don't belong to gods per se. A domain is basically everywhere in the universe, but Forms, or "Ideals" as they are also called, are outside time and space. Thus, a mage can't manipulate Domains, though a Priest/Cleric can. A mage CAN however, call upon these Ideals/Forms for their power.

Alchemy
Alchemy is basically a form of philosophy called "Ideals(s)". Ideals are concepts that represent true reality, which exert their power over the flawed reality of the physical world. This doctrine of Ideals states that every alchemical ingredient has attributes, which indicate the possible powers it may yield when blended in a potion. Alchemy needs physical ingredients to function, which differentiates it from magick. Alchemy is not merely cheap magic, or potion brewing, but a way to exact change in the world, and in themselves through said potions.

Magick
Magick is the most classical "Use hand gestures and spoken words for power" type of spell casting. In order to create a magical object, or to enchant one's self or someone else, rituals have to be performed perfectly. The reason for this is that Magick is basically channeling The Ideal(s) that the Mage knows into reality. Most Mages combine Alchemy and Magick together to cast spells. Think of Magick as whispers of Ideals. Magicians that learn Magick typically earn their knowledge from scrolls, spell books, and other inscriptions, rarely, but sometimes through oral recitations. The "magic words" are given power through these rituals and repetitious spell castings, rather than by being innately powerful like the spells of Wizardry.

Magicians are given the power to manipulate reality through channeling these Ideals, and depending on their level of expertise and skill, they can generally do so only a few or maybe several times a day before their spells begin to drain their strength or even their life force.

Wizardry
While the other spells can be used from different languages, Wizardry it'self is cast by words that are innately magical. Spells from wizards are words that are innately powerful. Master wizards rarely cast spells of this form of magic with more than three words in a chain at once. Even three Words in one spell is equated to that of a master. Wizardry speaks Ideal into existence directly.

Wizardry is a process of studying Ideals. Proper study of Ideal(s) will allow the Wizard to learn more about magic, making the Wizard more like what they study until they are no longer just studying The Ideal, but infuse themselves with the power and esoteric qualities of Ideal(s) it'self.

There comes a cost to accruing too much knowledge and power through Wizardry. This is why proper Wizards require years, decades or sometimes even life times to Master, and why they are often depicted as wizened old men. Mastering more than one Ideal exacts the cost of acquiring the characteristics of said Ideal. If the proper precautions - rest, focus of technique, and meditation are not practiced regularly, the Wizard is no longer the same man or woman.

"Through madness, ethical, philosophical and other such psychological changes, and in many cases even physiological changes such as petrified skin—in the case of Wizards of Earth—in the Wizard, they change into a different person, thus they are effectively lost. Some Wizards may even find themselves sacrificing their very lives in order to cast a desperately needed Wizard spell, whatever the reason, as without the proper casting, Wizard spells can be very dangerous."

@ActRaiserTheReturned Remove this: "Lastly, especially experienced and powerful mages can absolutely unleash quickened spells on their enemies or desperate friends/allies without a ritual or repetitious casting. To do so, the mage needs a deep understanding of their Ideal they channel from."

Reword the last paragraph in Wizardry to this: "Through madness, ethical, philosophical and other such psychological changes, and in many cases even physiological changes such as petrified skin—in the case of Wizards of Earth—in the Wizard, they change into a different person, thus they are effectively lost. Some Wizards may even find themselves sacrificing their very lives in order to cast a desperately needed Wizard spell, whatever the reason, as without the proper casting, Wizard spells can be very dangerous."

And we are ok :) If you have any issues, I am open to discussing why Magick should not have incantation-less casting, even in high mastery levels.

@ActRaiserTheReturned Remove this: "Lastly, especially experienced and powerful mages can absolutely unleash quickened spells on their enemies or desperate friends/allies without a ritual or repetitious casting. To do so, the mage needs a deep understanding of their Ideal they channel from."

Reword the last paragraph in Wizardry to this: "Through madness, ethical, philosophical and other such psychological changes, and in many cases even physiological changes such as petrified skin—in the case of Wizards of Earth—in the Wizard, they change into a different person, thus they are effectively lost. Some Wizards may even find themselves sacrificing their very lives in order to cast a desperately needed Wizard spell, whatever the reason, as without the proper casting, Wizard spells can be very dangerous."

And we are ok :) If you have any issues, I am open to discussing why Magick should not have incantation-less casting, even in high mastery levels.

I'm just curious, why these changes, especially the changes for Magick?

<Snipped quote by Vec>

I'm just curious, why these changes, especially the changes for Magick?

As I said before, I think you should give each school a domain of excellence: e.g., Alchemy excels at persistent effects (potions last days/weeks), Magick excels at large-scale or group effects, Wizardry excels at precision and speed. This solves the power level debate, as they don't even compete against each other anymore, there are simply different uses for each one and they all excel at what they are intended to do.

If we follow your new revision, why would anyone become a Wizard if they can still study a Form and become a master Magician instead, if they can unleash powerful magick with no repercussion, repetition, or cost? As for the Wizardry changes, I feel that just having psychological effects is not enough to make Wizards stand out in lore. I like the wizened old man feel you have going on there, however wouldn't it be infinitely more cool if they had some physical manifestation of their long years of study that affected their very form? It would give them a point of uniqueness; when you found a Wizard while traveling around the world, you would instantly be able to recognize what they are, and depending on how intense the alterations to their bodies would be, the stronger their power could potentially be. It is a double edged sword that gives them a lot of in-game roleplay potential, both as NPCs and as potential player characters.

Okay this makes sense.
I was thinking of adding witchcraft to the magic system.

Witches learn power from the Ideals via a special intermediary called a Patron. A Patron is an intelligent spirit like being that represents The Ideal. While Wizards and Mages are like people who melt ice and snow to drink water directly, the Witch's Patron are like water filters.
Boons and Hexes are spells that effect changes representing the witch's interpretation of what the Ideal is,
but aren't always as strong as a Mage or Wizard's spells. On the other hand, the lack of potency from a Witch's spells might actually be an advantage rather than a deficit. Reality won't punish the witch as harshly as a Wizard of Mage.

But this easier access to magic can be tempting, and is still dangerous with over use.

Thoughts?

Okay this makes sense.
I was thinking of adding witchcraft to the magic system.

Witches learn power from the Ideals via a special intermediary called a Patron. A Patron is an intelligent spirit like being that represents The Ideal. While Wizards and Mages are like people who melt ice and snow to drink water directly, the Witch's Patron are like water filters.
Boons and Hexes are spells that effect changes representing the witch's interpretation of what the Ideal is,
but aren't always as strong as a Mage or Wizard's spells. On the other hand, the lack of potency from a Witch's spells might actually be an advantage rather than a deficit. Reality won't punish the witch as harshly as a Wizard of Mage.

But this easier access to magic can be tempting, and is still dangerous with over use.

Thoughts?

Do witches summon these spirits and cast their magic through them, or can they cast their magic without the aid of the spirit? I quite like the former, but not so the latter.

<Snipped quote by ActRaiserTheReturned>

Do witches summon these spirits and cast their magic through them, or can they cast their magic without the aid of the spirit? I quite like the former, but not so the latter.

More so the former rather than the latter. Patrons are entities that half way exist in the universe and half way don't. Without access to the Patrons, the witch loses her/his power.

Very very interested! Got an idea for an Earth and Secret domain deity centered around the underground, deep caverns, gems and ores, a bit inspired by chthonic deities if you get my vibe. Will try to post my application later tonight, if I've got time (it will be up tomorrow at the latest).

@Vec Here's the new one. Let me know if there is something that need to change.

If we can get 1 or 2 more players to jump in, I'll start preparing the OOC thread so we can start migrating there.

Finished my character! It was a good excuse to whip out the charcoal again too, so that was fun (pls ignore my complete lack of understanding of anatomy, I usually only draw landscapes, so I never learned how to draw people lol. Just think of it as Khthon not really knowing how to look convincingly human ig)

@Rekkuza I am currently outside so I can't properly sit down and got through your cs. Once I am back home in a couple of hours Ill take a look at it!

@Rekkuza Alright so, I see a very good character sheet here with generally good thematic coherence, but there are some questions that I have, mainly with regards to the Secrets domain: How does Khthon's mastery over Secrets manifest? What can he/his clerics do with this domain that Earth alone wouldn't cover? I understand the "things get buried underground, therefore secrets" thing you have going on here, and by all means I like it, so please help me understand better how he would be governing such a Domain. Can he hear any secret whispered, or just underground? Can he create/destroy secrets or just store them? Does he control who discovers secret knowledge? What constitutes a Secret? How far does his authority over a 'secret' go before it transgresses into the Domain of Knowledge? I hope you see where I am going with this.

I am asking these so I can push you along to start thinking about how this Domain would be of use to your deity later down the line, cause at the early game, and definitely before mortals emerge, it really won't be that prevalent or useful. If you think you can make it work, by all means go ahead and take it :) At least the two Domains have a good enough connection to warrant the choice.

Secondly, can you give me 3 examples of "proper offerings" and 3 examples of "taking more than given" so I understand where the line is? For example: A miner prays, finds a gold vein, mines it all. Did they take "more than given"? How much of the vein was the gift? It could be said I am arguing over semantics here, and I could be called nit-picky for pointing them out, but It's just something to think over whilst we are still waiting for new people to apply.

Regardless, your CS is approved if you decide to go ahead with Secrets, otherwise we'll have to take a look at it once again if you decide to get a different Domain.

hallo, this all looks really interesting. I'm still building my cs, but I'm thinking of making a god with the domains of dreams and oblivion, someone who welcomes the delusional and the desperate when they lose themselves in him to run away from their problems. will have the cs up within the next couple of days, hopefully.

@ActRaiserTheReturned your magic system is very interesting. would you mind if I built off it a little? just in terms of how people could possibly use the 3 studies of magic to reach or interact with my god's domain, that sort of thing. @Vec do let me know if this is okay too.

hallo, this all looks really interesting. I'm still building my cs, but I'm thinking of making a god with the domains of dreams and oblivion, someone who welcomes the delusional and the desperate when they lose themselves in him to run away from their problems. will have the cs up within the next couple of days, hopefully.

@ActRaiserTheReturned your magic system is very interesting. would you mind if I built off it a little? just in terms of how people could possibly use the 3 studies of magic to reach or interact with my god's domain, that sort of thing. @Vec do let me know if this is okay too.

I love the enthusiasm :) You can do whatever you like, player made lore has not been established yet (we don't start till next week) so you can brainstorm to your hearts desire.

hallo, this all looks really interesting. I'm still building my cs, but I'm thinking of making a god with the domains of dreams and oblivion, someone who welcomes the delusional and the desperate when they lose themselves in him to run away from their problems. will have the cs up within the next couple of days, hopefully.

@ActRaiserTheReturned your magic system is very interesting. would you mind if I built off it a little? just in terms of how people could possibly use the 3 studies of magic to reach or interact with my god's domain, that sort of thing. @Vec do let me know if this is okay too.

Witchcraft has been added to the other three studies of magic, too. :

@Vec For the secrets things, I was thinking around the lines that when people wished to hide things or make them disappear, whether physical evidence or knowledge they wanted to remain secret, they could give it to Khthon and he would keep it hidden. So like, his thing would be hidden wealth and storing secrets, and to a lesser extant hidden truths and forgotten knowledge. He can't control who discovers secret knowledge in general, only the secrets he specifically protects. I also really like the idea of him being able to hear all secrets whispered underground. Before Mortals come around, he'd probably use the Secrets Domain to hide himself and his treasures from the other Gods when he doesn't feel like dealing with them.

For offerings, most things would work if done sincerely. Like mentioned in my cs, Khthon doesn't really need more valuables (though he certainly likes them anyways! Mortal craftsmanship is surprisingly lovely). A peasant uttering a sincere prayer could be more than enough for him, while he'd expect a king to make some more efforts. The more you give, the more you will receive in exchange.

For physical offerings, he has a particular fondness for gems and metals, especially when Mortals have crafted them into intricate tools, coins or jewelry, as well as stone sculptures, glass trinkets, fossils, and bone ornaments. Precious things that do not decay. He does not care for food and drink, nor for live sacrifices. He prefers his prayers and ceremonies to be silent, rather than loud or boisterous.

Some examples: Miners praying to find ore before going down in the mine for their shift would be a proper offering, and so would be burying some jewelry or small sculptures with a deceased loved one and asking for their grave to be protected. Explorers going spelunking can leave some of their wealth in the caverns they explore to ask for protection while within Khthon's domain, and someone trying to hide evidence (or bury treasure for safekeeping) could bury some coins along what needs to disappear so that it never surfaces again. As long as the physical offerings are placed within his domain (so underground in some way) then he can receive them.

If no offerings are made, then no boon will be granted: hidden things can be discovered, no protection will be given, ore will remain hidden, and buried treasures might be claimed by the God and never again be found by the one who hid it.

Taking more than his given is something done with intent. A miner mining the entirety of a gold vein he found in a cave or a tunnel would be fine, especially if he prayed first. If that gold vein was that easy to find, it was probably meant to be found. What is not fine would be doing stuff like aggressively blasting to try and extract just a bit more ore, grave robbing for the valuables that were buried with the dead (Khthon considers them within his domain, and so the valuables are his now), or desecrating and destroying his caverns, and any life that might dwell within them, for any reason at all (visiting and exploring is fine, just don't damage them).

Above all, the selfishness of taking and destroying without asking first or giving back is what he abhors the most.

I hope that clarifies what I'm going for with the Secrets Domain! I feel like I might a gone a bit overboard haha
If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask ^_^

@Rekkuza It seems like you have a thought out idea in your head. I hope it works out well in practice and we get great stories out of it ;)

The Four Studies Of Magic
The Four Studies of Magic are fields of study that mages use to cast spells by channeling The "Ideals". Ideals are the Abstract and Perfect: Ideals are not physical objects; they are abstract ideals that embody the perfect version of qualities such as beauty, justice, and equality. For example, while many beautiful things exist in the world, they are all imperfect copies of the Ideal of Beauty itself. Forms are timeless and unchanging concepts, basically existing outside of our space and time.

In a way, Ideals are extra "domains", only they don't belong to gods per se. A domain is basically everywhere in the universe, but Forms, or "Ideals" as they are also called, are outside time and space. Thus, a mage can't manipulate Domains, though a Priest/Cleric can. A mage CAN however, call upon these Ideals/Forms for their power.

Alchemy
Alchemy is basically a form of philosophy called "Ideals(s)". Ideals are concepts that represent true reality, which exert their power over the flawed reality of the physical world. This doctrine of Ideals states that every alchemical ingredient has attributes, which indicate the possible powers it may yield when blended in a potion. Alchemy needs physical ingredients to function, which differentiates it from magick. Alchemy is not merely cheap magic, or potion brewing, but a way to exact change in the world, and in themselves through said potions.

Magick
Magick is the most classical "Use hand gestures and spoken words for power" type of spell casting. In order to create a magical object, or to enchant one's self or someone else, rituals have to be performed perfectly. The reason for this is that Magick is basically channeling The Ideal(s) that the Mage knows into reality. Most Mages combine Alchemy and Magick together to cast spells. Think of Magick as whispers of Ideals. Magicians that learn Magick typically earn their knowledge from scrolls, spell books, and other inscriptions, rarely, but sometimes through oral recitations. The "magic words" are given power through these rituals and repetitious spell castings, rather than by being innately powerful like the spells of Wizardry.

Magicians are given the power to manipulate reality through channeling these Ideals, and depending on their level of expertise and skill, they can generally do so only a few or maybe several times a day before their spells begin to drain their strength or even their life force.

Wizardry
While the other spells can be used from different languages, Wizardry it'self is cast by words that are innately magical. Spells from wizards are words that are innately powerful. Master wizards rarely cast spells of this form of magic with more than three words in a chain at once. Even three Words in one spell is equated to that of a master. Wizardry speaks Ideal into existence directly.

Wizardry is a process of studying Ideals. Proper study of Ideal(s) will allow the Wizard to learn more about magic, making the Wizard more like what they study until they are no longer just studying The Ideal, but infuse themselves with the power and esoteric qualities of Ideal(s) it'self.

There comes a cost to accruing too much knowledge and power through Wizardry. This is why proper Wizards require years, decades or sometimes even life times to Master, and why they are often depicted as wizened old men. Mastering more than one Ideal exacts the cost of acquiring the characteristics of said Ideal. If the proper precautions - rest, focus of technique, and meditation are not practiced regularly, the Wizard is no longer the same man or woman.

"Through madness, ethical, philosophical and other such psychological changes, and in many cases even physiological changes such as petrified skin—in the case of Wizards of Earth—in the Wizard, they change into a different person, thus they are effectively lost. Some Wizards may even find themselves sacrificing their very lives in order to cast a desperately needed Wizard spell, whatever the reason, as without the proper casting, Wizard spells can be very dangerous."

Witchcraft
Witches learn power from the Ideals via a special intermediary called a Patron. A Patron is an intelligent spirit like being that represents The Ideal. While Wizards and Mages are like people who melt ice and snow to drink water directly, the Witch's Patron are like water filters.
Boons and Hexes are spells that effect changes representing the witch's interpretation of what the Ideal is,
but aren't always as strong as a Mage or Wizard's spells. On the other hand, the lack of potency from a Witch's spells might actually be an advantage rather than a deficit. Reality won't punish the witch as harshly as a Wizard of Mage.

But this easier access to magic can be tempting, and is still dangerous with over use. If witches should for some reason lose access to their Patron or anger them, they lose access to their magic.