[center][h1][b] [color=black]🎲[/color][color=gold] 𝒜𝓁𝑒𝒸𝒽𝒾𝑜𝓇 [/color][color=black]🎺[/color] [/b][/h1][/center] Alechior just laughed, tilting their head with an unbothered grin they wore better than any crown. “Then come collect, Yzechr, a bet’s a bet. I lost fair and square, and I’ll pay up when you knock on my door. Just make sure you bring that smile of yours when you do.” Alechior watched the streak of black mist vanish into the horizon with a grin stretched across their face. They had lost. Not by much, not by intent, but a loss was a loss, and that made their blood hum with an electric thrill. “Well, well,” they murmured to themselves, clasping their hands behind their back as they drifted in a lazy spin above the world. “Guess the house wins this round.” Losing was part of the fun. Losing meant the game was real, the stakes mattered, and someone out there was sharp enough to pull ahead. The bet had been a gamble worth taking, and the colorful deity savored it even if it wasn’t a winning one. Whatever favor Yzechr demanded, whatever game they chose to play next, Alechior would meet it head-on. After all, losing a wager only meant the next one would be sweeter. And Alechior lived for the next one. [@Cmmelody] [hr][hr][hr] After Yzechr left, Alechior drifted lazily above the shore. Below, the chaos unfolded as two divines, a dog-god and a evil-looking-serious guy started fighting. Sarhush lunging, striking, bleeding divine ichor into the black water, Saries snapping, clawing, yelping, rolling through the waves like a living storm. Alechior whistled a tuneless little note. “And here we have the opening gambit,” they said, voice carrying over the roar of the ocean and the barks of the beast. “Look at that form! Precision, brute force, sheer audacity! The Artifact-thing, ladies and gents, now in play. And oh? What’s this? A counterstrike! Spectacular! Divine ichor on black sand, Who knew blood could look so...festive?” Their eyes sparkled as the struggle descended into the depths, waves slamming the two combatants. Alechior’s grin widened, tapping an invisible stopwatch against their palm. “And they’re under! The Riptide Edition! Sarhush refuses to let go, Saries refuses to concede. Technique, stamina, sheer stubbornness! Who will claim victory? And there it is! The Artifact-thing shatters! What a move! Unbelievable! A bold gamble to use the prize as a weapon but it pays off, folks! Chaos, carnage, artistry! That’s a ten out of ten for commitment, but the theatrics? Absolutely unmatched. Amazing fight from both parties!” Alechior leaned forward, eyes scanning the black waves from above like a hawk surveying a racetrack. “Alright, folks,” they said, “we lost sight of the players as they dove into the Riptide Edition of the ocean, but there’s always a trail.” Fingers twirling in the air, they traced the shimmering currents, the faint sight of divine ichor and the scattered stuff from the Artifact-thing still clinging to the waves. “If I were a betting god and I am, our two champions are headed there,” they said, nodding at a jagged little island rising from the ocean. They drifted down toward the island. The chaos of the waves faded as they approached. The island was alive with movement: mortals walked among a riot of plants, soil cradling seedlings and small trees. Dogs, sheep, and cattle wandered freely, some sniffing at the humans, others grazing, while birds flitted through the branches overhead. Everything seemed to hum with life. Alechior’s eyes traced the threads of life, following the subtle interactions between the humans and the beasts. Some seemed to have taken a liking to the animals. "Interesting...lesser creatures. Mortals? Perfect." they said with a laugh. A small group of the primitive type of mortals shuffled toward the edge of the island. Stopping, they crouched low, scratched at the ground, and after a few noises that sounded almost like words but weren’t quite. One of them jabbed a stick at a clump of grass and jumped back, half in triumph, half in fear, while another tried to mimic a bird overhead, flapping their arms with little success. Alechior couldn’t help but grin, floating a little closer, still invisible to their eyes. “Ah, the classics,” they muttered, voice amused. “The first mortals, still figuring out which end of the stick to wave around. Cute!” Alechior leaned back on an invisible chair, watching as the humans fumbled and stumbled, completely uncoordinated. Every misstep, every confused glance, every clumsy attempt at mimicry was a like and Alechior chuckled. But something was missing from them. It was clear from how they looked that they'll always stay the same. Maybe some might grow more hair or bigger muscles but that clearly wasn't enough. Alechior’s grin widened, eyes sparkling as they hovered above the mortals. With a lazy wave of a hand, the small group of the primitive mortals lifted off the ground, floating gently in the air as though weightless. Alechior’s fingers traced arcs through the air, calming them giving them a bit of their happiness. “Easy, little mortals,” they murmured, “let’s see what you can really do when someone’s minding the table.” Their gaze flicked across the island, scanning for the humans who had been given the Me of Animal Husbandry. Spotting one, a taller, steadier figure with a tiny spark of awareness in their eyes, Alechior extended a hand. The smarter mortal floated up next to the others, still unaware of the invisible god holding them. One by one, Alechior made the group fall into a soft slumber. Alechior guided them through the air, transporting to another island closer to the shore, one they've seen when they followed the two fighting gods. The island was devoid of mortal life but plants and animals seemed to have appeared. Drifting down toward the island, the mortals still softly asleep in Alechior's grip. With a gentle tap, they set each one down on the grass, the descent barely disturbing the plants and small animals that had already begun to populate the island. “Alright, little ones,” they said, “time to wake up.” Their hand waved once more, a soft shimmer rippling through the mortals’ minds, their eyelids opening and their senses alerted. One by one, they stirred, blinked at the sky and the island around them, a mix of confusion and curiosity in their eyes. Alechior’s eyes settled on the one smarter mortal, the one who had the faint spark of understanding. They floated a little closer, hovering just above the ground so their presence was undeniable. Pointing at the mortal, Alechior’s voice was calm but firm. “You,” they said, “you’ve got a gift. Make sure to teach the others what you know. Show them how to tend the animals, keep them safe, guide them. They won’t understand all of it yet, but you’ll do your best, won’t you?” The mortal blinked, their comprehension partial at best, yet the weight of Alechior’s gaze and the tone of command seemed to impress upon them a sense of purpose. Alechior gave a small, satisfied nod, hovering above them as the mortals began to stir and settle, the faint stirrings of curiosity and attentiveness already taking root. "Oh, and one more thing. Your current forms? Clearly not enough. There you go! You'll love your descendants." Alechior added as a golden light descended upon the mortals. The godly blessing of genetic gambling was bestowed upon them. When their children will be born, they will be "human" for a few minutes before, eventually, magically alternating themselves randomly. Some would be bigger than big, some smaller than small. Some would grow impressive beards and be short of stature. Others would have long ears and slender bodies. While others...others might have different skin color, diseases or so. Anything was on the table as long as a table existed. Soon after, Alechior drifted upward. They brought their hands together in a slow clap, and when they pulled them apart, a soft shower of spores drifted down from their palms. Tiny motes of life floated through the air, settling across the island, seeding the soil with a new type of plant. A happy plant. [hider=Actions] Alechior sees the fight between Sarhush and Saries and comments on it like a sports commenter. As they follow them, they notice humans/mundane animals/plants appeared. They decide the humans are just not enough to be like they are so they kidnap a few humans, move them to a different island close to the shore and blesses them with the gift of genetic randomness. Genetic Gamble – Grants mortals and their descendants indefinite, unpredictable physical variation. Each child may differ in size, build, facial features, ears, skin tone, or other anatomical traits. Outcomes are random and have no limit. Some may be extraordinary, others mundane. Effects persist across all future generations. This may also result in weird creations that may not be able to be sustainable with diseases that could appear as the genetics of the newborn not being able to survive, tho' the chances are very low in the first generations, later generations will see more randomness. In Domain Action - Hazy - -1 Conviction Happy Plant - It's a plant made by Alechior that when fully rooted into the ground, it magically affects animals, mortals etc and makes them almost unable to cause conscious violence. It instead makes them be happy or content if the desire for violence is high enough. Strong willpowered individuals are able to resist this effect if there aren't too many Happy Plants around. In simpler words, this plant stops conscious violence from happening unless one's willpower is strong enough to resist them and even then, they would feel like walking in quicksand. In Domain Action - Hazy - -1 Conviction 3 Conviction Left [/hider]