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    1. BBeast 12 yrs ago

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Recent Statuses

7 yrs ago
Current I'm now a professional physicist. Isn't that awesome?
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8 yrs ago
Exams are done! I'm free!
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8 yrs ago
"Life is complex - it has real and imaginary parts."
2 likes
9 yrs ago
Science doesn't rest
9 yrs ago
Reason Reified, Lord Logiker, Sciencomancer Superbus

Bio

I am a Roleplayer with an interest in science fiction and fantasy, with a preference for Casual. I have been roleplaying for several years, and have even taken a stab at running a few RPs.

Outside the Guild, I am an Australian science student, gamer, musician and roleplayer (that's right, IRL too).


Most Recent Posts

@Muttonhawk To do that, Vestec would have to first find the Prometheans (very difficult) and then obtain administrator privileges (for Vestec, not too hard).

Why else do you think Teknall put the Prometheans a safe tens of billions of lightyears away?






Teknall had been surveying the universe. In secret, he had scouted the space around each Orb of Darkness that he could find, trying to find an Orb in the right environment and of the right size. Eventually he found one: an Orb on the tiny end of the spectrum, a meagre two hundred thousand kilometers in radius, that was on a 'close' approach to a blue supergiant, passing within a few tens of billions of kilometers over about a Galbaric century, in a galaxy far from Galbar. Stars with planetary systems were present within several light years. It was about as close to ideal conditions as Teknall would find for his designs.

In his Workshop, Teknall began to bring his plans to life. The Orb was far too big for even a god to practically manipulate it, let alone fit into his Workshop, so his plans involved an intermediate step; some thing which would be able to cover enough space in order to carry out this construction project, and any future cosmic-scale construction projects. And, as always, he had a design in mind.

He assembled metal plates, actuators, circuits, capacitors, servo motors, transducers, wiring, metal beams and other parts into a mechanical device, two metres tall, highly geometric and box-like in form, with four flat faces along its sides. It had four triangular legs at its corners, holding it above the ground. On each of its faces were hatches. Teknall took a power cable and plugged it into the machine, and it clicked into life. A mind of semiconductor silicon activated, and into this electronic mind Teknall gave it thought.

Running initialisation sequence
Systems scan: All systems optimal
Admin list is empty. Input system administrator ID:
> "Teknall"
New admin "Teknall" approved
Initialisation complete
Task list is empty. Entering idle mode
> new_task(Type="craft",Target=item.metal_plate.type_M1,Quantity=2)
New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000001)
Processing Task No. 000001

The robot began to move, its four legs walking it across the ground. Nearby was a stack of iron ingots, which the robot approached. A hatch slid open, and out emerged a jointed metal arm with a fractal array of metal fingers. The manipulator arm picked up the ingots one by one and placed them inside the robot through another hatch on its top side. The shimmer of heated air could be seen rising from that opened hatch. After a few seconds had passed, a hatch opened underneath the robot and another, shorter arm emerged. This arm deposited a stream of molten iron onto the ground and scanned backwards and forwards, laying down the iron into a sheet. Another couple of arms emerged to smooth the sheet and refine its shape. Soon the sheet cooled into solid iron, and the robot moved to a fresh patch of floor to build another plate. With the robot no longer standing over it, the metal plate could be seen to match the side face of the robot. It was not long before it had finished the second plate.

Task No. 000001 complete
Task list is empty. Entering idle mode

Teknall picked up the produced plates and inspected them. The quality of the work was adequate. Not excellent, although no craft work could possibly compare to Teknall's, but pretty good considering the speed with which they were made, without needing a mold. The quality would improve as the robot had time and opportunity to test various different methods. Time and opportunity would come soon. But first, a true test.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=1,Inheritance="copy")
New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000002)
Processing Task No. 000002

Teknall also told the robot how to access materials from the Elemental Siphon and to interface with some of the more useful tools in the Workshop, such as the furnaces. He also made sure to adjust the list of things the robot would and would not attempt to break down for parts, just so it wouldn't try to disassemble his Workshop.

Then he watched as the robot got to work. It created two more Type M1 Metal Plates, then worked on building more metal plates, and then some machined parts and circuitry and electric motors. It soon became apparent that its crafting target, a 'Promethean Manipulator', was in fact a replica of itself.

The construction process took time, for a Promethean Manipulator was a fiendishly complicated machine. But the same cause for the complication of construction was the reason it could create such complicated objects in the first place. The Manipulator's arms, of which it actually had many, were equipped for a vast array of transformations, from heavy lifting to precise manipulation, from hammering to cutting, from laser etching to three-dimensional printing. With the steady supply of resources from the Elemental Siphon, the robot was able to work continuously, until two Promethean Manipulators stood in the Workshop.

promethean.M000001: promethean.manipulator created (ID: M000002)
promethean.M000001: Setting promethean.M000002 settings, Inheritance mode: copy
promethean.M000002: Running initialisation sequence
promethean.M000002: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.M000002: Inheriting settings from promethean.M000001
promethean.M000002: New admin "Teknall" approved
promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list with promethean.M000001
promethean.M000002: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000001: Task No. 000002 complete
promethean.M000001: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode
promethean.M000002: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode

Teknall walked around the Promethean Manipulator M000002, which had just been made. He checked the components himself, and ran a scan of the electronic brain, and was satisfied that the robot had been constructed without error.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=5,Inheritance="copy")
promethean.M000001: New task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000003)
promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list with promethean.M000001
promethean.M000001: Processing Task No. 000003
promethean.M000002: Processing Task No. 000003

The two Prometheans got to work on creating more of themselves, communicating via radio waves, working in parallel. Leaving them to work, Teknall moved on to prepare the next part of his design.

Out in the wild, the Prometheans would not be able to simply tap into the Stellar Engine by Teknall's Workshop. They would require some kind of power supply. And Teknall had an idea.

He had been inspired by the generator he had seen within Father Dominus. The generator inside the Ark was a cold fusion reactor catalysed by the metabolism of Other tissue. Simply feeding it water was adequate to produce energy to run the Ark and its thrusters. However, Teknall had no intention of copying the design, primarily because there was way too much meat to be useful to the Prometheans. But a regular fusion reactor was entirely within Teknall's capabilities. Fusion power had fairly abundant fuel, for water and hydrogen gas could be found almost anywhere in the universe. And it produced ample supplies of energy, which would be necessary for operating power hungry manufacturing tools.

So Teknall built a miniaturised fusion reactor which could be installed within Prometheans. The roughly spherical metal device used lasers and superconducting electromagnets to confine hydrogen plasma into a swirling orb and compress it until fusion temperatures were achieved. The heat generated was converted into electricity, and the excess heat vented away. Hydrogen was injected into the fusion chamber, and the resulting helium could be siphoned off, separated by mass. One of the two disadvantages with the design was that it required a large amount of energy to start the reactor, although once it was running it would continue to run provided it was continuously fed hydrogen and the excess heat could be discarded.

The other disadvantage of the design was its complexity and the rare elements used in it. While Teknall had ensured that the Manipulators were sufficiently dexterous to create such machines, it would be quite expensive to create in terms of materials, time and energy. But this was a cost which Teknall decided was appropriate for the benefits it gave.

promethean.M000003: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000004: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000005: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000006: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000007: Initialisation complete
promethean.M000001: Task No. 000003 complete
promethean.M000001: Task list is empty. Entering idle mode

Teknall looked over to the seven Promethean Manipulators which now stood in his Workshop. They were still all plugged into the Stellar Engine, so would require their own internal power sources before being sent out of the Workshop.

> blueprints.append(item.fusion_core)
> new_task(Type="upgrade",Target=promethean.manipulator,Add=item.fusion_core)
New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000004)
Synchronising task list
Processing Task No. 000004

The Prometheans got to work on constructing these fusion cores, for to install an item first one has to build it. They were extremely intricate and time consuming to create, although with a team of Manipulators the work was able to be shared around. Some could process the materials, creating the superconductors and other advanced materials, while others could machine the individual parts, and then all these parts could be brought together.

It took the seven Prometheans many, many hours to manufacture just one fusion core. The process of installation was trivial by comparison. One Promethean was powered down. Panels were removed by another Promethean. Interior components were rearranged, and the fusion core was inserted and attached. As a corollary, the cooling systems of that Promethean were given a substantial upgrade, to compensate for the additional heat production. The Promethean was then sealed back up, and plugged into the Stellar Engine to give the fusion reactor a jump start.

promethean.M000002: Running reboot sequence
promethean.M000002: Systems scan: New power supply detected
promethean.M000002: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.M000002: Reboot complete
promethean.M000002: Synchronising task list
promethean.M000002: Processing Task No. 000004

Once active, Promethean M000002 was able to disconnect from the Stellar Engine and move independently. It collected water from the available taps about the Workshop, electrolysed it, ejected the excess oxygen and bottled up the hydrogen within for use in nuclear fusion.

The seven Manipulators continued to manufacture fusion cores under Teknall's supervision. As they worked Teknall provided adjustments and feedback into their processes, improving their manufacturing techniques. After some time, all seven Prometheans were equipped with fusion cores.

But they could not stay in the Workshop indefinitely. That would defeat the purpose, and if there were too many more of them they would not fit. Teknall opened up a rift, and ordered the Prometheans through it. Obediently they followed, and found themselves on the surface of a planet.

This planet was rocky, and its atmosphere was inert. The sun was distant in the sky, so the air and ground was cool. A lake of frozen water was nearby. In the sky, although it was still partially lit, could be seen a few bright stars. The Prometheans meandered around aimlessly. One went down to the lake and scooped up some of the ice to make more hydrogen.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.manipulator,Quantity=100,Inheritance="copy")
New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000005)
Synchronising task list
Processing Task No. 000005

The Manipulators got to work. Teknall provided inputs and advice as they worked. He told them how to find mineral ores. He guided them on the hazards of outdoors work, such as avoiding getting trapped while mining and keeping a track of the external temperature so as to not be unexpectedly caught unable to vent heat. And then he set them loose. He gave them some advice on logistical pathways, storing resources for later use. But most importantly he ensured that their adaptive algorithms were functioning, since those would grant the power to learn and experiment.

It would take a long time for these seven to create a hundred Manipulators. So Teknall had time to go off and make some more Prometheans.

The Manipulators could perform myriad tasks. They made Swiss Army Knives look like blunt twigs. Yet their vast versatility came at the cost of efficiency in specific tasks, for they were about as unspecialised as possible. As such, the Prometheans needed some specialists.

The first specialist Teknall decided to create was the Harvester. This Promethean was much larger than the Manipulators, with this particular specimen being a cuboid approximately 8 metres on a side, although out in the wild they could be built to be far larger. It had very short and stumpy legs, which allowed it to crawl along slowly but steadily. On its front was a massive metallic maw of wheels and grinding gears with scoops and buckets, designed to chew through stone with ease. Most of its insides were dedicated to preliminary mineral processing, separating useful minerals from worthless stone, and performing basic smelting to convert metal ores into usable metal ingots. The Harvester also boasted a sizeable storage capacity, with compartments which could expand outwards to provide more storage capacity.

Teknall took the Harvester to the planet on which the other Prometheans were working and activated it.

promethean.H000001: Running initialisation sequence
promethean.H000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.H000001: Initialisation complete
promethean.H000001: Synchronising task list
promethean.H000001: Processing Task No. 000005

The Prometheans, Harvester and Manipulators combined, subdivided and distributed the task among each other. The Harvester drove into the ground and churned it up. It dug through the ground, its pace unhindered by the solid earth, creating a large pit as it moved in wide circles. Gravel was sprayed from a chute on the Harvester in a great arc onto a quickly growing pile some distance from the pit. Manipulators came to the Harvester and collected metal ingots from hatches in the Harvester's sides. In return, the Manipulators would feed the Harvester hydrogen, such that it would not have to stop its work to refuel. The presence of the Harvester greatly accelerated the collection of resources.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.harvester,Quantity=10,Inheritance="copy")
New Task received from "Teknall" (Task No. 000006)
Synchronising task list
Processing Task No. 000006

The Prometheans internally readjusted their list of sub-tasks, coalesced duplicates, and redefined priorities to add this new task. And Teknall left them to work as he returned to his Workshop to make the next specialist.

One factor which severely slowed down the rate at which new Prometheans could be made was the micro-fusion core. This component was very costly and complicated and time consuming to create. As such, it would be far more cost effective to have a single large power supply which was shared amongst a group of Prometheans, such as the Stellar Engine, but more portable. It was for this purpose that Teknall designed the Energiser.

The chassis of this Promethean was a dodecahedron 10 meters across. The bottom face had six robotic legs to provide locomotion. The ten side faces each had many small hatches, from which actuated power cables could extend like tentacles, as well as some hatches for resource collection and input. The top face had several metallic spires dedicated to communication and sensors. The interior of the Energiser was almost entirely dedicated to a fusion core. Ironically, it was far easier to build this large version of the fusion core, for the challenge of compacting all the essential components into a small space was lessened.

Like the Harvester, Teknall sent the Engeriser to the planet and activated it.

promethean.E000001: Running initialisation sequence
promethean.E000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.E000001: Initialisation complete
promethean.E000001: Identifying dependents
promethean.E000001: No dependents detected. Entering idle mode

The Energiser, of course, was presently unneeded, because all Prometheans present had their own micro-fusion cores. However, that would soon change. There was no reason to remove the fusion cores from the existing Prometheans, but Teknall did modify the default design such that they contained batteries instead of fusion cores.

This, however, meant teaching the Prometheans how to make batteries, which in turn required a functional understanding of chemistry. Teknall was quite capable of providing such information, and soon the Prometheans held more knowledge of chemistry in their collective memories than the rest of mortal civilisation combined. While this might have overwhelmed most mortals, the Prometheans were designed to be able to withstand and process such data dumps. The information was filed away to be called upon when needed.

Teknall also taught the Prometheans about the functioning and use of electricity. With this knowledge, they would be able to effective transport power and energy over distances, and understand how the Energiser could give energy. To aid in their work, the Manipulators constructed metal cables from where the Energiser was stationed and electrical transformers at either end to step up and down the voltages for transport and use respectively, such that the Prometheans could work at a distance from the Energiser and still receive power. Teknall was happy to see this development, for it showed initiative and an eye for optimisation.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.energiser,Quantity=1,Inheritance="copy")

Teknall left the Prometheans to continue on their work as he went to make yet another specialist in his Workshop.

The Manipulators were excellent crafters, yet their lack of specialisation made them inefficient in many tasks, even crafting tasks. To fill this gap, Teknall created a Processor. The Processor vaguely resembled a Manipulator, with four inwardly sloping faces with hatches, plus a hatch on the top face, although it was larger than a Manipulator, with this specimen being 8 meters tall, and it apparently lacked legs. Also unlike the Manipulator, it had a sturdy ramp going down each face, which could carry resources up to the top hatch, and also had treads on the underside to allow for basic locomotion. The interior was also similar to that of a Manipulator, although far, far simpler.

The Processor was to be a mobile factory. When built, it would be programmed to create a certain set of items within itself. Changing this set of items would require physical modification. While far less versatile than the Manipulators, this allowed the Processor to have specialised tools for the task, allowing for much faster production rates than those possible by Manipulators. Some Processors would make mechanical and electrical components, including the complex fusion core, while some Processors would be outfitted as chemical plants, creating materials more complex than pure metals.

Teknall brought the Processor over to the planet and activated it.

promethean.P000001: Running initialisation sequence
promethean.P000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.P000001: Initialisation complete
promethean.P000001: Manufacturing capabilities: (item.battery)
promethean.P000001: Synchronising task list

Receiving its tasks, the Processor began producing batteries for use in the new Prometheans.

> new_task(Type="craft",Target=promethean.processor,Quantity=20,Inheritance="copy")

More Processors would be needed to achieve mass production at any reasonable scale. The Processors would constitute essential parts of the logistical chain of production, which at present was focused on creating more Prometheans. And if Teknall wanted to get anything done in a reasonable time frame, he needed the Prometheans to be really effective at mass production.

But for this the Prometheans needed oversight and coordination. For this purpose, Teknall created one more specialist.

This Promethean was built as a great tower, 30 meters wide and 40 meters tall. It had been so large, in fact, that Teknall had been required to make it in pieces and assemble it on the planet. It was shaped like a hexagonal-based pyramid, with a truncated top. Several large hatches like doors were present on its sides, with ledges large enough to support a smaller Promethean. The top face had long metallic spires protruding from it, which acted as a sophisticated radio communications array and sensory network. It had a set of treads on the underside to permit locomotion, although most of the time this Promethean would be firmly fixed in one location, like the Processors.

This towering creation was the Nexus. It was outfitted for performing vital functions for the Promethean colony. Its interior was a specialised factory, made exclusively for manufacturing and assembling Prometheans. This would allow the Nexus to accelerate the rate of Promethean production. The spires and antennae it had gave it superior range in communication, such that it could act as a communications hub for Prometheans spread across a very large area.

And, most importantly, it contained a supercomputer's worth of semiconductor mind and computational power. Nexi were to be the brains of the Promethean colonies. With their superior intelligence, they were suited for organising the Prometheans and leading them. They had the capacity to oversee the operations, provide innovation and adapt to changing circumstances.

promethean.N000001: Running initialisation sequence
promethean.N000001: Systems scan: All systems optimal
promethean.N000001: Initialisation complete

To the other Prometheans, Teknall said,

> add_admin(promethean.N000001)
New admin promethean.N000001 approved
promethean.N000001: New dependents detected
promethean.N000001: Synchronising task list

The Nexus sent messages to the Prometheans in its colony. It arranged subtasks. It sought optimisations. And Teknall assisted. Teknall provided the Nexus with assistance an all matters of logistics, production and construction. With the permissions granted to the Nexus, it was able to create tasks and distribute them amongst the Prometheans. The Prometheans were soon organised into groups. Processors were made to fill key roles in production. Harvesters were sent to places where necessary minerals and materials had been identified. Manipulators were arranged into task forces and construction teams. Energisers were moved to strategic locations.

Teknall provided more knowledge to the Nexus. It was to be able to design and innovate, to find optimisations and to invent. For this, Teknall equipped it with the tools of mathematics and physics. Teknall had helped write the physics of the Universe, so was able to teach physics in a form raw and unfiltered by the limitations of observation or experimentation. And, without the biases of past experience or the limitations of a fleshy brain, the Promethean Nexus was able to absorb it all. With this information and the associated skills, the Prometheans would be able to adapt their own design to suit changing circumstances and needs.

All that was left was to tell the Nexus what to do.

> new_directive("Expand the colony")
> new_directive("Create new colonies")
promethean.N000001: Directive No. 000001 received
promethean.N000001: Directive No. 000002 received

The colony moved under the direction of the Nexus. More Prometheans would be made. When logistically feasible, the Nexus would be expanded, adding more layers and height, allowing for creating larger Prometheans, and eventually for creating new Nexi.

Back in his Workshop, Teknall repurposed and upgraded the manufacturing lines to create Prometheans rather than Stellar Engine Collectors. The colonies would need that boost in population, and at the moment Prometheans were more useful to Teknall than more Collectors. Then Teknall left the Prometheans to their own devices. He had more designs for them, but they would need to consolidate and expand before they would be ready.



@Antarctic Termite, for the record I can generally make sense of what's going on in your posts.
I tasted a good dose of piss in my cereal this morning. It turns out I am short one course from graduating my degree. After several hours of exhausting all options on the phone, looks like it's one more semester for me, woooo...


Damn, that must suck. At least you'll be underloading.
@Kho, I've read the mega summary. You are doing a good job with it. (Brevity is, unfortunately, lacking, but I struggled with that too)

There is one edit which I hadn't pushed forwards, though. At 135, the number is repeated. In my personal copy I had fixed that numbering (and the following numbers), although I hadn't published it. Additionally, you have duplicated 303. Below is a copy with the corrected numbering:


<Snipped quote by BBeast>

Why in the hell would you do that to yourself?


You clearly haven't been around here long enough to know that I like maths.

@BBeast Did Teknall ever have that chat with Jvan about all the raping and altering of mortal minds against their will which featured heavily in Violence's accusation against her in Stand? I know he chatted with her after Vowzra was killed, but not sure if he did talk about this matter in particular. If he didn't, the consequences might feature in a future post of mine.


Now that I'm well rested, I'll give an extended response to this question.

Just to confirm that we're talking about the same thing, I presume we're talking about Sculptors. They're the only mortals who are routinely altered by Jvan; all else are rare and isolated incidents.

Of note is that Sculptors, when the transformation process begins, always have a part of them that was (at least initially) willing to become a Sculptor, although not necessarily aware of the full ramifications of that process. Thus, the Sculptor transformation is not entirely against their will. Informed consent is definitely lacking, though. Many Sculptors accept the transformation even before it's complete (Flux was an outlier. Termite said so), although you could argue that this is because their minds are bent to accept it. The morality of the matter is slightly more ambiguous than portrayed by Violence, although it is admittedly still morally wrong on numerous levels.

Thus, one hurdle for Teknall in discussing the matter with Jvan is explaining the concept of informed consent to an amoral god who generally views mortals as tools and toys.

Another hurdle is the fact that mature Sculptors are useful for Teknall's own ends. The peculiar intellect and personality of a Sculptor, while usually used for frivolous things, can be directed towards functions which are beneficial for Civilisation, such as medicine and alchemy. For Teknall, the typical process of making a Sculptor is immoral, but the Sculptors themselves are good and useful.

Is this hypocritical? Probably. Will he do anything about it? Possibly, although he might avoid the issue as long as he can.
I'm back! I've caught up on the OOC. It's late, though, so I'll read the IC and Kho's extension of the mega-summary tomorrow.


@BBeast Did you ever continue the great summary beyond page 13? Because if you haven't I think I might add to it as I read. If you have, let me know so our effort isn't victim to ignorant inefficiency


I have not updated the summary beyond that point. Feel free to help out. Just remember to include all Might expenditure, and be certain to highlight the creation and naming of everything (within reason. For instance, the entire genealogy of the Eskandars I deemed as excessive for the mega-summary). It is intended as a reference of key events. Events which have no lasting influence need only the briefest mention, while events which influence the world at large should be noted.

@BBeast Did Teknall ever have that chat with Jvan about all the raping and altering of mortal minds against their will which featured heavily in Violence's accusation against her in Stand? I know he chatted with her after Vowzra was killed, but not sure if he did talk about this matter in particular. If he didn't, the consequences might feature in a future post of mine.


Teknall did not bring up that topic. Teknall was mostly talking to Phi at the time. On that topic, he wanted Jvan's own opinions, not whatever PR lies Phi could concoct.

<Snipped quote by Slime>

Wait...what?! We have a wiki page?! Dude! May I have the link? Also, I'm a bit lost as to what to have Athanasios do next. I Want him to level up and do something purposeful, but I just can't seem to find even a half-reasonable excuse for it.
I blame summer school.
You're basically teaching yourself.
Math.
I fucking hate math unless it involves me getting more money or music from the iTunes store.


I've spent a reasonable portion of my holidays teaching myself maths. Of my own free will.

Guys, question.

What are your thoughts on the potential...merger...of divine beings? I.e a demigod and a god, or a god and a god, or a demigod and a demigod, becoming 'one being'. What implications would that have for the Might, level, domains(portfolios) etc. of said being/s?
I mean, with Vestec we see a rather disharmonious and destructive instance, but what would happen if a more harmonious merger occurred? Or, at least, a more 'natural' merger.


Intriguing. This is definitely something to be carefully considered on a case by case basis.

The new entity should be considered as a regular god/demigod. My thoughts: Either they would obtain an average level or the level of the greatest. The Might would probably combine, up to the cap. Domains/Portfolios would probably combine, up to the level cap. Excess Domains/Portfolios would be lost, although might may be dumped into levelling up. It is possible that Domains/Portfolios could be modified so they would coalesce into a single Domain/Portfolio.

P.S. I also agree with what Mutton wrote.
What I think we can quickly agree on is that the new entity will need to exist within the rules of gods or demigods (whichever is appropriate), meaning in particular that there will be a cap on Portfolios and Domains. Additionally, I believe any such mergers would need to be explicitly approved by the GMs, for essentially this is a new player character we are talking about.

<Snipped quote by Vec>

If he would enforce them then that's that - and you've got a surefire way of involving a Primordial in pretty much anything you want, which is unprecedented.
If he doesn't enforce them, then it's interesting that those who are swearing by him are doing so - they clearly think he would. It would have various ramifications if an oath in his name is broken and nothing happens. I mean, I never expected a being like Heartworm to view Amul in such high regard that it would consider swearing by him binding - it certainly would change its view on the world tremendously if that was shaken due to Amul doing nothing, no?

As I say, whether or whether not Amul enforces these oaths, we end up with a rather interesting situation. Am I making sense? Is any of this half as important/interesting as I think it is? Three days of doing nothing but read ICs has me more involved with Divinus than with Earth. I aspire towards becoming a Divinus scholar. I will soon be able to quote Conata posts by rote.


This is indeed an interesting thought. My thinking is that Amul might get involved directly if his name is abused in a particularly significant manner, although I feel like Primordials might be a bit above the petty politics of the pantheon. This is definitely worthy of GM'ly discussion (it might help if we knew what the hell Amul is meant to do, though). It is possible that Amul might intervene, but indirectly.

If, on the other hand, Might has been expended on the deal (as it was between Vestec and Teknall all those eons ago, in the events leading up to Stand. I guess that the latest Phi post includes similar stuff, although I'm not sure since I haven't read it yet), then the godly Might itself enforces the deal, bringing a curse of some description on the breaker of the oath. Perhaps spending Might on an oath in Amul's name might just garner his attention, although the chances may be slim.

Considering that you've been around for a while, has there been any previous incidents involving the Primordials in previous iterations of Divinus?


The Great Artisan, Divine Mason, Builder of Civilisations
Level 5 God of Crafting (Masonry, Carpentry, Smithing, Alchemy)

36 Might & 2 Free Points


The gleaming white spires were visible for many a days walk in all directions. These spires, which had literally sprung from the ground, were now the crowning jewel of Loralom and the envy of Yorum. The Loralom Spires were the unmistakable mark of Toun. They signalled his material support for Loralom. While the surrounding nations marvelled at this wonder, pilgrims flocked to the structure. Some merely wanted to see the Spires with their own eyes. Some wished to pay homage to Toun. Others had heard that the Spires could grant enlightenment.

Among the pilgrims was one dressed as a craftshain, with a leather apron and satchel. Some might assume that he was a Chipper, although none recognised him. Regardless of his identity, this hain walked over one of the major bridges leading into the Spires. His beak turned slowly from side to side, his eyes taking in the incredible architecture of this holy site.

His walk took him to the central spire, Akol’s spear. The tall white point was held up on its ground level by pillars around its circular base. Each pillar delimited flowing porcelain archways that produced the telltale murmur of a hain crowd. Hundreds of pilgrims were gathered around the smooth floor around the tower. The Chipper had to stretch his legs almost straight to see over the heads of the crowd, only to see the entrances guarded by Loralom soldiers with maces and shields. Past them was a soft blue light that dominated the shadow indoors.

The soldiers, it appeared, were only present to keep the peace. Pilgrims filed in and out in a polite fashion through the archways, standing and quietly looking up at the light. Others lowered themselves to seat for a while. Some were dirty, some were clean. Well dressed and poor. All raised their palms at intermittent points. Their faces were akin to those lost in a desert, having just found a great blue oasis to cool their suffering. Immersed in that cool light, they were at peace.

The Chipper walked in with the other pilgrims, although he paid them only a small amount of attention. He walked slowly, circling the floor of the tower, and his eyes scanned the ceiling and walls to inspect the glowing blue stone and the myriad characters of Tounic calligraphy on the inside porcelain surface. Some characters were massive, the size of a cart, while others were so small as to be illegible to the naked eye from this distance. To most, these characters formed some strange, indecipherable script. To some of the local monks who studied the character closely and meditated on them, they may have determined the meaning of a small handful of these symbols. But this particular Chipper’s eyes betrayed an understanding beyond that, for his eyes were not enraptured or confused. He calculated.

The Loralom Spires was an unusual gesture for Toun. Toun used mortals as a means to an end, so this structure would have been no act of mere charity. Toun must have had a plan of some kind, a plan for a paradise most likely, and Loralom and these spires were somehow part of it.

This Chipper hain contemplated further. What might this paradise be? he thought. Perhaps a world where he and his siblings could create without fear of each other? Yet there was one who threatened that ideal, who would burn the world to a cinder and start over if given the chance. One who had said ’You are not a warrior. You do not breathe death as I do. You can only build.’

Then I shall build until I hold power which surpasses your own. When I have built, I will not fear you, but instead you will fear me, because-

Teknall caught himself. He shook out of that trail of thought. The distractions came while studying the calligraphy. And as he discerned the functions, he could see where these thoughts had come from. The characters, it seemed, exerted a subtle mental manipulation to construct fake memories of a better self and society. And the viewer’s greatest flaw. It explained the rumours of visions and prophecies from those who meditated under the Spire.

In addition to this, some of the calligraphy appeared to supplement godly perception which originated from the glowing blue stone, which confirmed the doctrine that Toun watches over the pilgrims in the Spire, and suggested that Toun was watching over much more than that. The rest appeared incomplete, but suggested some kind of interconnectedness, that there were meant to be others.

"What are you up to, Toun?" Teknall muttered.

The blue stone above Teknall grew brighter by just a few shades. Much of the meditating crowd 'aah'd at the change. Teknall knew better; Toun knew he was there.

While the pilgrims remained in their divine experience, Teknall heard a voice that cut through them all. "Planning." It jarred the serenity of the place with a familiar condescending mutter. "In fact, you have saved me some time by coming here, brother."

"Is that so? What did you wish to speak about, then?" Teknall replied to Toun. None of the hain around him even registered the conversation.

"Grave news," Toun intoned. "The return of a sibling. And what must be done in his wake." The flat statement was above the usual disdain Toun gave. "Unless you wish to sit with the hain around you for comfort, you may come to Cornerstone. This is...a family matter."

The return of a sibling? Zephyrion? Yet Toun’s tone suggested something more. What has he done?

Teknall replied. "I shall be there promptly."

Teknall turned and walked out from the nearest exit. As soon as no one was paying attention to him any longer, he vanished, and reappeared near the centre of the bright white expanse of Cornerstone. He gave a quick glance to the constructs being created around him, something which looked suspiciously like an army, before approaching Toun. His porcelain brother was standing patiently with his hands behind his robed back, looking back.

"I am here, brother," Teknall said. "Now tell me of this grave news."

Toun was as blunt as Teknall's request. "Zephyrion has fractured. He escaped Chronos by entering a realm of pure alteration. There, his essence split in twain. A piece of him reached me, and conveyed a memory most distressing." Toun's blue eye blinked. "Kyre was murdered."

Teknall was silent as the news sunk in. "Oh." Teknall’s hand reached up and pressed against his head. "Oh, Kyre. That’s dreadful." Teknall walked in a small circle, head bowed down in grief. "Why would Zephyrion kill Kyre? How could someone defeat Kyre?"

"Were you not listening?" Toun's acerbic side resurfaced. "Zephyrion was not the one who defeated Kyre. Something else did. I suspect it is another piece of Zephyrion, a different one to that which informed me, that...Aihtiraq creature. No, this shard was something dark. Something vengeant and hungry. It had a weapon. A greater weapon than has been raised by a god since we were born." Toun extended an open hand angled down towards Teknall's hain head. "Allow me to show you."

Teknall hesitated. Past experience was not in favour, and something inside him told him to keep his mind safe from others. Yet he trusted Toun. With appropriate mental guards in place, Teknall stepped forwards. Toun’s palm touched the top of his head. A nudge. Red symbols rushed and flooded his mind's eye until they coalesced into two figures.

One had a sword drawn. The armoured shape of Kyre stood defiantly. The other figure was a whirling shape of shifting shadows. The memory played in identical order to what Aihtiraq provided Toun. Shouts of retribution. A surge of power from a point of entropy. Kyre's essence evaporated in its fire. Little sense of time was preserved in the vision, and the red symbols threw Teknal back to reality before he could readjust his balance from the violence of it.

Toun's hand curled back around behind him. "It will kill again. I need your help."

Teknall’s eyes were wide. Not only from Kyre’s murder, but the horrific display of power involved in it. His eyes closed and opened. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words were forthcoming. He tried again. "The power in that black pearl of energy. It’s...frightening. We must find some way to contain it. Control it."

"Contain it?" Toun's brow pinched low. "You believe we cannot destroy it? It killed our brother!"

Teknall flinched, then stopped to think for a moment. "Ah, yes, destroying it would probably be better. Quite dangerous in the wrong hands. The trick would be figuring out how. Although the memory was vague about the pertinent details, it looked like some object of raw energy rather than a constructed device. Such an artefact would not be simple to destroy."

Toun's eye shut tight. His head angled half a turn away as a sigh escaped his non-existent nose. His own pause for thought could have just as likely been an effort not to chastise his brother. There was no justification to do so. "If it cannot be destroyed," Toun concluded. "It must be contained."

Teknall was not out of ideas. "While it might be difficult to destroy pure energy, it may be possible to transmute it. Convert it into a less harmful form, or possibly even invert it entirely. That would negate the destructive power of this weapon."

Toun's eye opened to Teknall. He seethed less now that there was progress. "We would need to steal it away first. Then study it." Toun pondered further. "This creature, this murderer. It must be punished as well. That must be resolved first. If I were to incapacitate the creature, with help against its abominable power, would it be imprisonable?" He asked. The thought of some act of revenge made his voice quiver with an anxious mix of emotions. "Killing any more gods is anathema to me. But greater anathema is allowing this one to kill in my complicity."

Teknall’s eyes narrowed in calculation. "A prison for a god..." He thought a while longer. "It would be difficult. Gods are powerful. Even if we had something strong enough, gods can travel through space and across dimensions at a whim. A dimensional prison of some sort would be the most likely solution, but it would require some truly mighty barriers to prevent him from leaving. I’d suggest the Gap, but throwing anyone there would be fatal. But, perhaps…I designed the barriers preventing things from leaving the Gap. Perhaps it might be possible to apply similar barriers elsewhere."

"A self-contained plane," Toun elaborated to himself. He turned on his heel and paced, talking at the tiled floor. "A barrier for each dimension, looping its change in position back into its origin. Trapping the contents." Toun stopped and turned his head across to Teknall again. "Can you build it?"

"Hypertoroidal space, nested recursively. Add a few barriers." Teknall paused as he considered it. "I'd need to do some extra research, but it sounds like it is within the realms of possibility. Jvan’s pretty good with manipulating the geometry of space. If she weren’t half-comatose, she might be able to provide useful input."

"Jvan need not be awoken. She has built a similar construct before, though dissimilar in design and purpose, from her own body. I have seen it. We have spoken to it."

Teknall took a moment to connect the dots in his head. "Chiral Phi."

"Quite," Toun confirmed. "But this prison should ideally not scurry off exploring its sentience. All we need is the prison so it may be hidden away. An artefact, not a mind." He straightened to face Teknall fully. "I need you to build this, brother. Focus your efforts. When you complete it, leave the creature's arrest to me. I have a plan."

Teknall nodded affirmatively. He then paused. Toun’s plan was vague, yet he appeared confident in it. As Teknall pondered this riddle, he looked around at Cornerstone.

Toun took no notice to his eyes prying around the fortress.

Teknall broke the silence. "I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be building an…army here. Any particular reason?"

Curiously, Toun turned to survey the handiwork of the slave hain surrounding them. Each inanimate construct on the tiles was irrefutably built for combat. Toun answered as if it was a matter of course. "Do you remember, a time ago, when I mentioned working towards obtaining the Codex? This is one measure that I must take."

"Ah," Teknall said, understanding. "It wouldn’t happen to be linked to the Loralom Spire, would it?"

Toun's eye narrowed, though his tone did not change. "It may. In time."

"Hmm..." This hadn’t really answered the question, but it seemed that Toun had secrets of his own.

Still, the question of Toun's other machinations was an aside. Teknall still hadn’t figured out the riddle of Toun’s plan versus Kyre's murderer. He returned to the topic, and asked with a twinge of concern. "Are you sure you’re able to handle arresting this creature on your own? You saw what it was capable of."

"I shall not face it alone." Toun's confidence rebuffed any concern expressed towards him. "I will call upon another who is capable of much."

Teknall’s eyes narrowed. "Who?"



A slave hain working a distance away was distracted by the gods' conversation. He turned his oblivious eyes to the familiar shape of the hain in the apron. He really should have been finishing the ankle joint on the legionnaire, but...why was one hain out of place? Why did he wear that brown stuff? What is he doing so close to dear father?

Dear father said something. The hain in the apron staggered in place and stammered a response. Huh, looks surprised. Must be punishment. But dear father didn't look angry? There was a few more moments of conversation and then the hain in the apron turned and vanished.

Back to the ankle joint, then.


@Kho Does this mean you'll hand over the fire whip to us?
@Muttonhawk Seems good and coherent to me. Good post.
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