AvaP

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

As she approached the building, Ayvee nearly ran over the young man coming around the corner. It took a lot of willpower not to go for her gun, as on edge as she was. Thankfully, she quickly registered that the guy was at least familiar. He gave an odd wave and a smile.

"Hey, Ayvee, right? I got grazed yesterday night and now there's supposed to be a new mission? Other than that, I do not know what to talk about." he said as Ayvee wracked her brain to remember his name. There was a bit of an awkward pause before she put on a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I just got here myself. That bird strike on takeoff was a run of some bad luck, but hey, it means I got it out of the way, right? But yeah, I only just arrived, so I don't know anything about a new mission. More importantly, what the hell happened while I was getting checked out by the doctors? Tell me about what the hell happened with that, cause I signed up to fly planes, drop bombs, and shoot missiles, not pound the ground and catch bullets. Typically in our line of work, that means shits hit the fan." Ayvee said.

There was a friendly, somewhat joking tone to her voice, but there was an undertone of nervous laughter. She was no doorkicking, rifle-shooting grunt and she intended to keep it that way if she could help it.

@Letter Bee

In Secret We Lie: False Gods & Human Servants

A procession moved towards the grand palace of the Gods. People dressed in deep blue robes wearing porcelain masks walked in muffled, whispered tones. Towards the front, regal, almost ominous figures we clad in the deep sea blues accented with striking yellows and gilded gold, their masks of equal brilliance of geometric simplicity, featuring only eye slits and curved lines of gold, creating an almost half orbit from top to bottom. Along the flanks, more humble appearances were abound, their robes of the same striking blue, but not guilded in gold, their masks of an even simpler design, of a lighter shade of blue. Finally, those who brought up the rear wore more conventional attire, robes of brown and black, their faces shrouded by cloth, unlike their peers.

They all walked, however, in no great marching step. It was a roughly organized crowd, and all eyes and ears seemed to be focused on its center. Hovering across the ground, a being of its unique splendor was the center of attention. It floated with graceful elegance, a large white and black cape billowing behind. Golden halos encircled a golden pentakisdodecahedron, which hovered above a metallic body. Occasionally, this "head" would rotate in place, addressing one of the group's members. Voices would never rise above normal levels, and everything was kept to a respectful, muffled whisper.

A bizarre sight to those not of this world. Yet, to those who lived in these lands, this was the holy procession of the Anterian Temple, escorting their god to the Grand Feast.

---

"Great Chronicler, if I am to understand this correctly, the earthquakes of our lands come not from the turbulent winds, but from the ground itself? Wouldn't that mean the movement of such masses would cause untold destruction constantly?"

The question came from one of the younger acolytes of the church. Antero's mind processed the information, grasping to recall the human's name. He chastised himself for letting it slip his mana banks. This was his job, for heaven's sake!

"Indeed, Qaed, you pose a natural query to such a conclusion. Indeed, such movement of immense bodies would, but it is not the speed, but the force behind it that causes such events. When one pushes against a cart, they do not do it with great speed but with great force. Now consider this as the mass of land pushes slowly against each other, the energy is released, the resulting release causing such quakes," he returned, his manacore cooling after recalling the young human's name. His voice rang out with a hollow, reverberating tone as he vibrated specialized carbon structures to simulate their speech. To the humans, it sounded unnatural, but such was his position that these details now only served to further that ruse.

The human nodded slightly, her clothed mask adjusting only slightly as understanding appeared to cross her veiled face. In his millennia of studying humans, he had become quite adept at reading their emotions through their body language. All the more frustrating this damn religion had developed a fetish for wearing hard masks. He quietly thanked fate for having such a younger, more curious mind to ponder this question than the older scholars. Frankly, their attire all unsettled him, but there was a part of him who deeply admired the thought and craftsmanship of the more affluent members.

The other humans of the group nodded along, some further discussing the subject amongst themselves. This was Antero's favorite part of the journey and a more welcome tradition to have come out of this feast. While the Palace of the Gods would select the servants for the feast, his temple would hold a raffle. Any member, from a lowly acolyte in training to the eldest of sages, was eligible to have the honor of escorting their god to the palace for the feast. This was a rare opportunity for the members of his temple to directly interact with their god and a truly privileged honor. For Antero, it was important to freshen up on how to socialize again after being isolated in his studies for the rest of his time. He always mused with some joy how quickly the curious minds of his temple would get over their initial reverence and move towards endless discussions, questions, and debates of academia. He became less of a living god at that point and more of an elder schoolmaster. He'd share bits and pieces of his vast wealth of knowledge, and in turn, he'd pick their brains. These members were one part student, one part test subject, and the last part, much-needed feedback machines to help prepare themselves for the gathering. Of course, they never seemed to pick up on this, too overwhelmed and enraptured by the whole experience. Only one among them had any inclination to the contrary.

Finally, the procession stopped at the head of the land bridge that connected the Palace of the Gods to the rest of the land. They all respectfully bowed and gave great thanks for the wisdom shared in unison before turning and stepping away, leaving only one to remain. A human male, garbed in the deep blue attire and his porcelain mask, stood with the god, staring at the palace.

"It never fails to impress me. The immense amount of engineering it must have taken to combat the surging tides alone must have been a peak to conquer," said the masked man. What amounted to a guffaw came from Antero.

"Vanity. Nothing more." Came Antero's reply.

The wind swept through, and Antero's simulated sensors picked up a large amount of salt on the breeze. The man next to him inhaled deeply and sighed before turning to Antero.

"Farewell, old teacher. Until I come to collect you at the end of the festival," he said with a bow, sweeping his arms low. The pentakisdodecahedron rolled, and the man chuckled. He gave his bow, arms sweeping out, before returning with the rest of the group.

Antero swept his cloak and began to approach the palace, a rising sense of trepidation filling his mana-cognition systems. The fun part was over. Now came the work.

---

The gates opened as if gently pushed by the wind as Antero's magics swept them aside. Servants bowed low, and he floated through the courtyard, his grand appearance now on full display. He manipulated the local currents to billow his cape a bit, the crystalline structures of his halo swiftly recycling the surface to shine with a polished gold, his metal core gleaming in the setting sun. Vanity as it may be, Antero's pride could show through in odd ways as he took careful craftsmanship of his form. He billowed past the greeter, barely giving any outward acknowledgement, but already his crystalline lattice network was carving his features into memory. Every year, he memorized the faces of the chosen, another way of keeping a finger on the pulse of humanity. He hovered through the palace to his quarters. Unlike the others, his was a sequestered tower, with no real way to access its top unless one could levitate like he could.

Floating to the top floor, he surveyed his surroundings. Many metallic tomes sat neatly and orderly on their respective shelves. Measuring tools and instruments lay across different parts. He generated some wind to blow the accumulated dust from the room and hovered over to his little project. On the right, a carefully assembled globe and on the left, a slab table with a thin sheet of an aluminum-copper alloy. During his previous visits, whenever he had precious time, he busied himself with this little project. Small, in the grand scheme of life and fate, but something he took personal joy in. A map he was slowly creating, based on gathered knowledge, his memories, and calculations he had performed.

All was where it should be.

He floated back down the tower and proceeded to the galley. His sensory crystals detected that the palace hadn't changed during all this time. Every stone he had scanned any number of times remained in its place. His subroutines of thought immediately started documenting rates of erosion, taking further note of how the sea breeze must be slowly scouring this whole structure and estimating times when structure integrity would be in jeopardy. He let those mana-thought systems run in the background as his main consciousness focused on the ball at hand. Unlike the others who wore masks, he hardly bothered changing his appearance. His age and unique nature had earned him that privilege and he'd be damned if he starting playing dress up any more than he had to.

He could barely tolerate taking this form as it was.

Antero entered the ballroom with billowing grandeur. His form was on immaculate display as he strode through the great doors. The reflective golden head regarded the fellow gods with curt rotations, and soon turned towards an ever-familiar face.

"Aeliana Elidi, the sun's own. You seek to cause trouble amongst your peers already? We should be spared of such foolishness at least for the first night of reveries, lest you antagonize this ceremony more than it needs to be." He announced to her as he gracefully floated over. The vibrations had been finally calibrated to something less hurtful to the ear, but maintained their hollow, near-monotone reverb. The head slowly rotated and adjusted, taking in the goddess's experience. "Perhaps I can buy my fellow guests time then from your distractions. I am not unfamiliar with noble sacrifice, of course. To what foolishness have you gotten up to since our last meeting, oh daughter of the sun?"

Despite his rhetoric, Antero felt his mana core cool slightly. It was always almost nostalgic meeting Aeliana again, in which his core found comfort.
@NekoKyu

In Secret We Lie: False Gods & Human Servants

Antero || Mana Crystal Entity || Time, Fate, & Knowledge

Antero the Allsearer, the Soothsayer, the Great Chronicler
God of Time, Fate, and Divination

Name: Antero
Title: God of Fate, Time, and Divination
Gender/Sex: Unknown, projects a masculine voice, but has been known to switch between the many millennia depending on the era and person it speaks to.
Age: 12,001 years, though its true age is unknown to all but it.
Species: Manakin
Information: In all but the rarest of chances or perhaps the greatest example of causality, this creature arose when special minerals imbued with mana began to form a geometric web of thoughts and a consciousness. A soul was formed among the rock and learned and listened, finally gaining mastery over gravitational magic to allow itself to propel itself forward in the first time of its existence. As it is aware, it is a rare entity. Even among the monsters, its species was that of incredible rarity and scarcity. As far as it knows, after the war, it very well could be the last of its kind. They were especially hunted, as those of both monster and human alike desired their immense store of raw, magical power. Only the strongest could fend off the poachers...
Appearance: Antero can take on many different shapes and forms, but they are all of inorganic nature. Its crystalline body is held aloft through gravitational magics, where it may levitate across the ground with graceful ease. In its "comfortable form", many graphite tendrils and spectral observers would float in an almost orbit-like configuration, like the orbits of planets around a star. When presenting itself to humans and other monsters, however, it will reshape itself into a more recognizable form of that of a humanoid. Its many surfaces shine with a polished reflectiveness, the centerpiece appearing as the "head", graphite-like tendrils forming pseudo arms. Finally, a halo of glowing mana crystal would orbit the head like a crown. All of this to ease communication and be of a more "pleasant" shape to human and monster alike, recognizing that its more natural form could and would make either creature uncomfortable.

Personality:Antero's voice echoes wisdom and thoughtfulness, but will often lack emotion in its voice. Though that is not to say it lacks emotion in itself. In fact, despite its incredibly cold appearance and very physical form, Antero is quite passionate about its fixations. Antero is a simple creature who seeks to observe, learn, and be ultimately left alone. It does not mind companionship, will not bristle with outright hostility, but belies the ever-evolving drama of the gods and humans alike with great distaste. Sees such things as unnecessary distractions and frustrations that could have been avoided altogether.

As such, Antero can seem to have a persistent, almost smug outward tone towards its peers. You can almost hear the "I told you so" behind every sentence, every word, as it patiently tries to lecture both gods and humans alike about what should have been done instead. Antero is not ignorant of the social nuances of relationships or culture; in fact, Antero is quite knowledgeable of the latter, but absolutely refuses to waste its time with double meanings and dramanomics. Ironic, as those who worship it always seem to have five thousand interpretations of its words.

Thus, to its godlike peers, Antero is a blunt creature with a trusting sense of superiority and smugness in its words. But to those who see past this exterior and develop true friendship, they will find a deep caring for all life, one who mourns the death of culture, gods, and people alike, and is well and truly exhausted by its long, long life.

History: When it first emerged from the rock, the great depths of long forgotten caves, it had already wandered the endless, maze-like caverns for generations. It mapped. It studied. It learned. Absorbing the mana below, it continued until one fateful day, it emerged into the land above. Before it, a world larger and teeming with more possibilities than it could have ever known from the dark depths of the caves. It wandered among the many forests, the great fields, the blowing deserts.

It wondered. It wandered. It learned.

It stared up at the stars with awe and studied them to predict the ever-changing heavens. It stared intently for a hundred years at a single piece of moss, growing upon a boulder, watching the life that developed all around. And then, among the violence of magma and rock, where it dutifully noted how the cooling would create new minerals, it met its first "cousin". A being, like it, made of minerals and mana, not carbon and water. Alucio The Cherufe, a creature of magma.

An annoyance.

A nuisance.

It's first friend.

And it continued to wander, now given a name. Antero held this name as an oddity, a curiosity. It wandered, it met with other creatures. Saw their cultures spread and grow. Asked questions, given answers. For a time, it was a curiosity to these creatures as much as they were to it. Humans, they eventually called themselves. At first, Antero could study them up close, live among them. Sometimes, it would disguise itself as an unassuming pile of rubble and observe for a hundred years. Othertimes, it would trade its knowledge for more, be invited into the towns and villages, teach, and in doing so, learn.

It was a fascinating time. An interesting time.

A painfully brief time.

Soon, it was not allowed into those towns. Creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never witnessed. It was no stranger to the nature of violence. In the great chasms of the abyss to the peaks of exploding volcanoes, it had seen all manner of violence. Yet, creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never seen. And soon, that violence was directed at itself. Ravenous magi, "Witches", they were called. Sought his accumulated power. Other monsters also desired his own "flesh" to empower themselves.

It fought. It killed. It wept.

The war had begun, and it elected to hide. Sequester itself atop the highest of peaks to avoid this horrible conflict altogether. It saw all of this as meaningless slaughter, a waste of precious life. A total destruction of history. But then, the first friend came. Alucio The Cherufe sought Antero, desired its wisdom, magic power, and its companionship in this war.

It hesitated. It agreed. It regretted.

The war was terrible. Uncountable lives lost. Many more spirits broken. It studied strategy and battles won and lost. It advised its friend on the course of action, trying to find a golden path through the many paths of destruction. Yet, as the war waged on, its predictions continued to come back to the same fate. It did not want to acknowledge this fate. For the first time in its life, it lied to itself about this fate, that it could be avoided. If just the right battle could be won, the right act of diplomacy, the right leader.

It could not save its friend.

Thus, as the inevitable drew near and Antero could no longer ignore it, it told its friend his final fate. To its shock, Alucio accepted his fate. He would die as he would, and Antero would escape the battle. If it was fated to lose its friend in life, it would preserve its friend in death. The memories would be the only way to save what was left. After the great defeat, it vowed to never forget any who were lost. Not monster, not human, not anyone. All would be preserved, so that this war would not be destruction in totality.

It fled. It hid. It mourned.

In the millennia following, Antero sequestered itself upon a tall mountain. It built a memorial there to honor the fallen and to quietly mourn. It would idly study the stars and feel adrift in the ever-flowing tides of fate. Never, in its many thousands of years of life, had it ever felt so alone.

And then, visitors. For the first time, humans had finally managed to reach the peak of their mountain. It prepared to flee, not wanting to end more of these pitiful creatures' lives, but instead, they prostrated themselves in worship upon finding him. They begged for aid, not caring or even knowing of the Great War, only seeing a divine being that could levitate the very rock around it. Confused, intrigued, and with much trepidation, it began to acknowledge these humans. It aided them, providing life-saving knowledge that avoided a famine. It predicted the times of rain and drought, allowing them to prepare, and as a result, their fledgling civilization in the valley below grew.

It divined. It lectured. It was worshipped.

And thus the farce began, and its myth grew.

Mythical Significance:
Antero tried to explain the nature of its being, despising this "worship". But soon, it had little choice. The reemergence of the "monsters" pressured it into playing along. So, if it were forced to play the role, it would at least set the terms. Priests of its temple would pass down its "divine revelations" to the people below. Predictions of rain, of disaster, and so on were given, and the humans quickly began to venerate their god. But worship was kept at a tendril's length.

It created a temple of knowledge, wisdom, and study. Members of the Anterian Temple and its priests do not proselytize, and are, in fact, almost as shut in as their god. Instead, they act to only better their communities with knowledge and learning as well as direct them via their god's holy divination scrolls. Small temples would be built in the neighboring communities and would be satellites of Antero's Peak, a large fortress monastery atop a great mountain. The upper levels and the peak of the mountain are forbidden holy ground, where it is said the very god itself resides. The lower levels are where those who are picked for their wisdom and curiosity are sent to learn and study under the High Priests of the temple. Messengers would make the treacherous ascent to the very edge of the forbidden ground, where they would receive the divination of Antero.

Members of the Antero Temple of Divination are known to be somewhat reserved but generally knowledgeable and helpful towards others. They are fairly tolerant of other temples and ensure their practices do not interfere with others. They celebrate days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as days of fasting, reflection, and observance of the stars. These practices were never directly dictated by Antero, but merely reflective of its nature. It seems the god's passion for the stars has rubbed off on its followers.

Relationships: To be Determined
Color: 1a98c3
Other: Antero knows that this disguise of gods will not last forever, but puts up the act under threat and fear of its fellow gods. Antero hates it and has tried time and time again to convince its peers that this will backfire in their faces, but to no success. Antero attends this festival out of obligation, not pleasure.

In Secret We Lie: False Gods & Human Servants

Eyyyyy nice! I'll translate my god over and see about finally working on that human idea.

ISWL Retired Thread

So long as you link it, no issue here!

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

"All set, looks like everything is in order. Best of luck out there, Miss Reagan."

Ayvee nodded to the nurse and left the hospital with a bit of a spring in her step. Just her luck that she'd crash on takeoff first thing on the job. But then, how was she supposed to see the unfortunate vulture that struck her intake? Regardless, the landing had been a bit harder than she'd like, Malta not exactly known for having much room for an easy emergency landing. A couple of bone fractures, a concussion, and her aircraft suffered serious landing gear and body damage. All in all, she was fortunate to have suffered only that much.

That said, Ayvee did not want more of that kind of "luck" and hopped on a bus heading to the base. She hadn't even had a chance to get settled, but had plenty of time browsing for hotels and rooms for rent. She found a place not too far from the base. A little pricey, but nothing she couldn't afford. She had booked it at the hospital and called the base to transfer her belongings to it. A list of things to do had been slowly growing, ranging from inspecting the aircraft to trying out all the restaurants she could only browse while waiting for an all clear from the doctor.

Above all, however, she needed to report in to her commander and at least let him know she was mission-ready again. Getting off the bus, she stopped at her new place, unpacked the gear that had survived the crash, changed into her usual kit, and then made her way to the base.

Immediately, she noticed something was off. Security was heightened, nervous even. She had to show her discharge papers along with her ID and a few other documents before finally being allowed the pass the security checkpoint.

"The hell happened? What's got everyone so jumpy?" she asked as she put away her folder into her backpack. The security guard shook his head and gestured towards a maintenance hangar on the airfield.

"Some sort of firefight. Some people infiltrated the site and fired shots. I've been told it's been handled, but everyone's on edge Miss Reagan," the guard said. Ayvee raised an eyebrow at this. So that's what she heard? She thought she had heard muffled gunshots in the distance while at the hospital yesterday, but wasn't sure until now. The guard continued, "Crazy thing is you're squadron where the ones that dealt with them. Hell of a thing, I swear some of you pilots are armed heavier than we are half the time," he finished with a chuckle. At this, Ayvee merely shrugged.

"If you're getting shot at, then you gotta shoot back. Either way, thanks for the heads up. Where's Cobalt's squad lead located?" Ayvee asked.

The guard gestured to a nearby map of the airport. "Just make your way to the FOB over here. Should be in admin."

Ayvee made her way towards the building, unsure of what to expect as her hand unconsciously drifted to her holster.

This deployment was already off to a great start...

Shattered Steel - An Ace Combat/Project Wingman/etc inspired aircraft-based RP

Heyo, just wanted to say I'm back and with @Rhona W permission, I will be posting again soon with my original character. Will probs be tomorrow or today!

ISWL Retired Thread

Antero || Mana Crystal Entity || Time, Fate, & Knowledge

Antero the Allsearer, the Soothsayer, the Great Chronicler
God of Time, Fate, and Divination

Name: Antero
Title: God of Fate, Time, and Divination
Gender/Sex: Unknown, projects a masculine voice, but has been known to switch between the many millennia depending on the era and person it speaks to.
Age: 12,001 years, though its true age is unknown to all but it.
Species: Manakin
Information: In all but the rarest of chances or perhaps the greatest example of causality, this creature arose when special minerals imbued with mana began to form a geometric web of thoughts and a consciousness. A soul was formed among the rock and learned and listened, finally gaining mastery over gravitational magic to allow itself to propel itself forward in the first time of its existence. As it is aware, it is a rare entity. Even among the monsters, its species was that of incredible rarity and scarcity. As far as it knows, after the war, it very well could be the last of its kind. They were especially hunted, as those of both monster and human alike desired their immense store of raw, magical power. Only the strongest could fend off the poachers...
Appearance: Antero can take on many different shapes and forms, but they are all of inorganic nature. Its crystalline body is held aloft through gravitational magics, where it may levitate across the ground with graceful ease. In its "comfortable form", many graphite tendrils and spectral observers would float in an almost orbit-like configuration, like the orbits of planets around a star. When presenting itself to humans and other monsters, however, it will reshape itself into a more recognizable form of that of a humanoid. Its many surfaces shine with a polished reflectiveness, the centerpiece appearing as the "head", graphite-like tendrils forming pseudo arms. Finally, a halo of glowing mana crystal would orbit the head like a crown. All of this to ease communication and be of a more "pleasant" shape to human and monster alike, recognizing that its more natural form could and would make either creature uncomfortable.

Personality:Antero's voice echoes wisdom and thoughtfulness, but will often lack emotion in its voice. Though that is not to say it lacks emotion in itself. In fact, despite its incredibly cold appearance and very physical form, Antero is quite passionate about its fixations. Antero is a simple creature who seeks to observe, learn, and be ultimately left alone. It does not mind companionship, will not bristle with outright hostility, but belies the ever-evolving drama of the gods and humans alike with great distaste. Sees such things as unnecessary distractions and frustrations that could have been avoided altogether.

As such, Antero can seem to have a persistent, almost smug outward tone towards its peers. You can almost hear the "I told you so" behind every sentence, every word, as it patiently tries to lecture both gods and humans alike about what should have been done instead. Antero is not ignorant of the social nuances of relationships or culture; in fact, Antero is quite knowledgeable of the latter, but absolutely refuses to waste its time with double meanings and dramanomics. Ironic, as those who worship it always seem to have five thousand interpretations of its words.

Thus, to its godlike peers, Antero is a blunt creature with a trusting sense of superiority and smugness in its words. But to those who see past this exterior and develop true friendship, they will find a deep caring for all life, one who mourns the death of culture, gods, and people alike, and is well and truly exhausted by its long, long life.

History: When it first emerged from the rock, the great depths of long forgotten caves, it had already wandered the endless, maze-like caverns for generations. It mapped. It studied. It learned. Absorbing the mana below, it continued until one fateful day, it emerged into the land above. Before it, a world larger and teeming with more possibilities than it could have ever known from the dark depths of the caves. It wandered among the many forests, the great fields, the blowing deserts.

It wondered. It wandered. It learned.

It stared up at the stars with awe and studied them to predict the ever-changing heavens. It stared intently for a hundred years at a single piece of moss, growing upon a boulder, watching the life that developed all around. And then, among the violence of magma and rock, where it dutifully noted how the cooling would create new minerals, it met its first "cousin". A being, like it, made of minerals and mana, not carbon and water. Alucio The Cherufe, a creature of magma.

An annoyance.

A nuisance.

It's first friend.

And it continued to wander, now given a name. Antero held this name as an oddity, a curiosity. It wandered, it met with other creatures. Saw their cultures spread and grow. Asked questions, given answers. For a time, it was a curiosity to these creatures as much as they were to it. Humans, they eventually called themselves. At first, Antero could study them up close, live among them. Sometimes, it would disguise itself as an unassuming pile of rubble and observe for a hundred years. Othertimes, it would trade its knowledge for more, be invited into the towns and villages, teach, and in doing so, learn.

It was a fascinating time. An interesting time.

A painfully brief time.

Soon, it was not allowed into those towns. Creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never witnessed. It was no stranger to the nature of violence. In the great chasms of the abyss to the peaks of exploding volcanoes, it had seen all manner of violence. Yet, creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never seen. And soon, that violence was directed at itself. Ravenous magi, "Witches", they were called. Sought his accumulated power. Other monsters also desired his own "flesh" to empower themselves.

It fought. It killed. It wept.

The war had begun, and it elected to hide. Sequester itself atop the highest of peaks to avoid this horrible conflict altogether. It saw all of this as meaningless slaughter, a waste of precious life. A total destruction of history. But then, the first friend came. Alucio The Cherufe sought Antero, desired its wisdom, magic power, and its companionship in this war.

It hesitated. It agreed. It regretted.

The war was terrible. Uncountable lives lost. Many more spirits broken. It studied strategy and battles won and lost. It advised its friend on the course of action, trying to find a golden path through the many paths of destruction. Yet, as the war waged on, its predictions continued to come back to the same fate. It did not want to acknowledge this fate. For the first time in its life, it lied to itself about this fate, that it could be avoided. If just the right battle could be won, the right act of diplomacy, the right leader.

It could not save its friend.

Thus, as the inevitable drew near and Antero could no longer ignore it, it told its friend his final fate. To its shock, Alucio accepted his fate. He would die as he would, and Antero would escape the battle. If it was fated to lose its friend in life, it would preserve its friend in death. The memories would be the only way to save what was left. After the great defeat, it vowed to never forget any who were lost. Not monster, not human, not anyone. All would be preserved, so that this war would not be destruction in totality.

It fled. It hid. It mourned.

In the millennia following, Antero sequestered itself upon a tall mountain. It built a memorial there to honor the fallen and to quietly mourn. It would idly study the stars and feel adrift in the ever-flowing tides of fate. Never, in its many thousands of years of life, had it ever felt so alone.

And then, visitors. For the first time, humans had finally managed to reach the peak of their mountain. It prepared to flee, not wanting to end more of these pitiful creatures' lives, but instead, they prostrated themselves in worship upon finding him. They begged for aid, not caring or even knowing of the Great War, only seeing a divine being that could levitate the very rock around it. Confused, intrigued, and with much trepidation, it began to acknowledge these humans. It aided them, providing life-saving knowledge that avoided a famine. It predicted the times of rain and drought, allowing them to prepare, and as a result, their fledgling civilization in the valley below grew.

It divined. It lectured. It was worshipped.

And thus the farce began, and its myth grew.

Mythical Significance:
Antero tried to explain the nature of its being, despising this "worship". But soon, it had little choice. The reemergence of the "monsters" pressured it into playing along. So, if it were forced to play the role, it would at least set the terms. Priests of its temple would pass down its "divine revelations" to the people below. Predictions of rain, of disaster, and so on were given, and the humans quickly began to venerate their god. But worship was kept at a tendril's length.

It created a temple of knowledge, wisdom, and study. Members of the Anterian Temple and its priests do not proselytize, and are, in fact, almost as shut in as their god. Instead, they act to only better their communities with knowledge and learning as well as direct them via their god's holy divination scrolls. Small temples would be built in the neighboring communities and would be satellites of Antero's Peak, a large fortress monastery atop a great mountain. The upper levels and the peak of the mountain are forbidden holy ground, where it is said the very god itself resides. The lower levels are where those who are picked for their wisdom and curiosity are sent to learn and study under the High Priests of the temple. Messengers would make the treacherous ascent to the very edge of the forbidden ground, where they would receive the divination of Antero.

Members of the Antero Temple of Divination are known to be somewhat reserved but generally knowledgeable and helpful towards others. They are fairly tolerant of other temples and ensure their practices do not interfere with others. They celebrate days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as days of fasting, reflection, and observance of the stars. These practices were never directly dictated by Antero, but merely reflective of its nature. It seems the god's passion for the stars has rubbed off on its followers.

Relationships: To be Determined
Color: 1a98c3
Other: Antero knows that this disguise of gods will not last forever, but puts up the act under threat and fear of its fellow gods. Antero hates it and has tried time and time again to convince its peers that this will backfire in their faces, but to no success. Antero attends this festival out of obligation, not pleasure.

ISWL Retired Thread

Alright, here is my God Character. Let me know what you think! I will be working on my human next.

Antero || Mana Crystal Entity || Time, Fate, & Knowledge

Antero the Allsearer, the Soothsayer, the Great Chronicler
God of Time, Fate, and Divination

Name: Antero
Title: God of Fate, Time, and Divination
Gender/Sex: Unknown, projects a masculine voice, but has been known to switch between the many millennia depending on the era and person it speaks to.
Age: 12,001 years, though its true age is unknown to all but it.
Species: Manakin
Information: In all but the rarest of chances or perhaps the greatest example of causality, this creature arose when special minerals imbued with mana began to form a geometric web of thoughts and a consciousness. A soul was formed among the rock and learned and listened, finally gaining mastery over gravitational magic to allow itself to propel itself forward in the first time of its existence. As it is aware, it is a rare entity. Even among the monsters, its species was that of incredible rarity and scarcity. As far as it knows, after the war, it very well could be the last of its kind. They were especially hunted, as those of both monster and human alike desired their immense store of raw, magical power. Only the strongest could fend off the poachers...
Appearance: Antero can take on many different shapes and forms, but they are all of inorganic nature. Its crystalline body is held aloft through gravitational magics, where it may levitate across the ground with graceful ease. In its "comfortable form", many graphite tendrils and spectral observers would float in an almost orbit-like configuration, like the orbits of planets around a star. When presenting itself to humans and other monsters, however, it will reshape itself into a more recognizable form of that of a humanoid. Its many surfaces shine with a polished reflectiveness, the centerpiece appearing as the "head", graphite-like tendrils forming pseudo arms. Finally, a halo of glowing mana crystal would orbit the head like a crown. All of this to ease communication and be of a more "pleasant" shape to human and monster alike, recognizing that its more natural form could and would make either creature uncomfortable.

Personality:Antero's voice echoes wisdom and thoughtfulness, but will often lack emotion in its voice. Though that is not to say it lacks emotion in itself. In fact, despite its incredibly cold appearance and very physical form, Antero is quite passionate about its fixations. Antero is a simple creature who seeks to observe, learn, and be ultimately left alone. It does not mind companionship, will not bristle with outright hostility, but belies the ever-evolving drama of the gods and humans alike with great distaste. Sees such things as unnecessary distractions and frustrations that could have been avoided altogether.

As such, Antero can seem to have a persistent, almost smug outward tone towards its peers. You can almost hear the "I told you so" behind every sentence, every word, as it patiently tries to lecture both gods and humans alike about what should have been done instead. Antero is not ignorant of the social nuances of relationships or culture; in fact, Antero is quite knowledgeable of the latter, but absolutely refuses to waste its time with double meanings and dramanomics. Ironic, as those who worship it always seem to have five thousand interpretations of its words.

Thus, to its godlike peers, Antero is a blunt creature with a trusting sense of superiority and smugness in its words. But to those who see past this exterior and develop true friendship, they will find a deep caring for all life, one who mourns the death of culture, gods, and people alike, and is well and truly exhausted by its long, long life.

History: When it first emerged from the rock, the great depths of long forgotten caves, it had already wandered the endless, maze-like caverns for generations. It mapped. It studied. It learned. Absorbing the mana below, it continued until one fateful day, it emerged into the land above. Before it, a world larger and teeming with more possibilities than it could have ever known from the dark depths of the caves. It wandered among the many forests, the great fields, the blowing deserts.

It wondered. It wandered. It learned.

It stared up at the stars with awe and studied them to predict the ever-changing heavens. It stared intently for a hundred years at a single piece of moss, growing upon a boulder, watching the life that developed all around. And then, among the violence of magma and rock, where it dutifully noted how the cooling would create new minerals, it met its first "cousin". A being, like it, made of minerals and mana, not carbon and water. Alucio The Cherufe, a creature of magma.

An annoyance.

A nuisance.

It's first friend.

And it continued to wander, now given a name. Antero held this name as an oddity, a curiosity. It wandered, it met with other creatures. Saw their cultures spread and grow. Asked questions, given answers. For a time, it was a curiosity to these creatures as much as they were to it. Humans, they eventually called themselves. At first, Antero could study them up close, live among them. Sometimes, it would disguise itself as an unassuming pile of rubble and observe for a hundred years. Othertimes, it would trade its knowledge for more, be invited into the towns and villages, teach, and in doing so, learn.

It was a fascinating time. An interesting time.

A painfully brief time.

Soon, it was not allowed into those towns. Creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never witnessed. It was no stranger to the nature of violence. In the great chasms of the abyss to the peaks of exploding volcanoes, it had seen all manner of violence. Yet, creatures began to set upon each other with violence it had never seen. And soon, that violence was directed at itself. Ravenous magi, "Witches", they were called. Sought his accumulated power. Other monsters also desired his own "flesh" to empower themselves.

It fought. It killed. It wept.

The war had begun, and it elected to hide. Sequester itself atop the highest of peaks to avoid this horrible conflict altogether. It saw all of this as meaningless slaughter, a waste of precious life. A total destruction of history. But then, the first friend came. Alucio The Cherufe sought Antero, desired its wisdom, magic power, and its companionship in this war.

It hesitated. It agreed. It regretted.

The war was terrible. Uncountable lives lost. Many more spirits broken. It studied strategy and battles won and lost. It advised its friend on the course of action, trying to find a golden path through the many paths of destruction. Yet, as the war waged on, its predictions continued to come back to the same fate. It did not want to acknowledge this fate. For the first time in its life, it lied to itself about this fate, that it could be avoided. If just the right battle could be won, the right act of diplomacy, the right leader.

It could not save its friend.

Thus, as the inevitable drew near and Antero could no longer ignore it, it told its friend his final fate. To its shock, Alucio accepted his fate. He would die as he would, and Antero would escape the battle. If it was fated to lose its friend in life, it would preserve its friend in death. The memories would be the only way to save what was left. After the great defeat, it vowed to never forget any who were lost. Not monster, not human, not anyone. All would be preserved, so that this war would not be destruction in totality.

It fled. It hid. It mourned.

In the millennia following, Antero sequestered itself upon a tall mountain. It built a memorial there to honor the fallen and to quietly mourn. It would idly study the stars and feel adrift in the ever-flowing tides of fate. Never, in its many thousands of years of life, had it ever felt so alone.

And then, visitors. For the first time, humans had finally managed to reach the peak of their mountain. It prepared to flee, not wanting to end more of these pitiful creatures' lives, but instead, they prostrated themselves in worship upon finding him. They begged for aid, not caring or even knowing of the Great War, only seeing a divine being that could levitate the very rock around it. Confused, intrigued, and with much trepidation, it began to acknowledge these humans. It aided them, providing life-saving knowledge that avoided a famine. It predicted the times of rain and drought, allowing them to prepare, and as a result, their fledgling civilization in the valley below grew.

It divined. It lectured. It was worshipped.

And thus the farce began, and its myth grew.

Mythical Significance:
Antero tried to explain the nature of its being, despising this "worship". But soon, it had little choice. The reemergence of the "monsters" pressured it into playing along. So, if it were forced to play the role, it would at least set the terms. Priests of its temple would pass down its "divine revelations" to the people below. Predictions of rain, of disaster, and so on were given, and the humans quickly began to venerate their god. But worship was kept at a tendril's length.

It created a temple of knowledge, wisdom, and study. Members of the Anterian Temple and its priests do not proselytize, and are, in fact, almost as shut in as their god. Instead, they act to only better their communities with knowledge and learning as well as direct them via their god's holy divination scrolls. Small temples would be built in the neighboring communities and would be satellites of Antero's Peak, a large fortress monastery atop a great mountain. The upper levels and the peak of the mountain are forbidden holy ground, where it is said the very god itself resides. The lower levels are where those who are picked for their wisdom and curiosity are sent to learn and study under the High Priests of the temple. Messengers would make the treacherous ascent to the very edge of the forbidden ground, where they would receive the divination of Antero.

Members of the Antero Temple of Divination are known to be somewhat reserved but generally knowledgeable and helpful towards others. They are fairly tolerant of other temples and ensure their practices do not interfere with others. They celebrate days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as days of fasting, reflection, and observance of the stars. These practices were never directly dictated by Antero, but merely reflective of its nature. It seems the god's passion for the stars has rubbed off on its followers.

Relationships: To be Determined
Color: 1a98c3
Other: Antero knows that this disguise of gods will not last forever, but puts up the act under threat and fear of its fellow gods. Antero hates it and has tried time and time again to convince its peers that this will backfire in their faces, but to no success. Antero attends this festival out of obligation, not pleasure.

ISWL Retired Thread

Awesome! I'll be getting a character up soon. As previously mentioned, Im thinking one god, one human