BBeast

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

It only took 6 months, but I present to you the next installment of Gerrik's adventures.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Collaboratively written by BBeast, Kho and Double Capybara

Gerrik Far-Teacher

Level 10 Hain Hero
24 Prestige

circa 14 years Post Realta

When we last saw our heroes…

Gerrik had set out with Elword on his final journey.
They were heading to Fibeslay (old map attached).
There are some events from further back which are relevant to this post if you need a refresher.
Gerrik meets Salassar.
First conflict with Shammik.
Last conflict with Shammik.

Sunlight glimmered off the surface of the ocean which stretched along the coast. The water circled about an island which sat in the middle of a small bay, fed by a couple of rivers. Hundreds of boats were dotted across the coast, with fisherhain casting their nets and throwing their lines and spears. Rounded huts made from smoothed clay, rawhide and leather covered the land surrounding the bay and sat upon the island. A tall tower stood upon the highest point of the island, visible for many miles. And within the town bustled the white shells of thousands of hain.

Elword clicked his tongue in astonishment. "It's pretty big."

"It's grown since I've last seen it," Gerrik commented.

They looked over Fibeslay for a minute longer, until Gerrik said, "Come on, let's go."

They descended from the hill and started walking through the outskirts of Fibeslay. Here were farms which helped to feed the village. Although most of Fibeslay's food came from fishing, agriculture was starting to be implemented. Gerrik noticed with a touch of pride that some of the farmers were using instructional aides produced in Tallgrass to help establish their fields.

They soon made it to the town proper, with huts and houses crammed together along narrow muddy streets. They navigated around busy hain carrying bundles of food or materials or crafted goods, past groups of children playing and around racks of things drying. As Elword followed behind Gerrik, he noticed that Gerrik wasn't really looking where he was going, or anywhere in particular, although he was having no trouble navigating.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Elword said.

Gerrik nodded slightly. "Yes. I can't perceive it all at once, so we may be walking for a bit."

They wandered through the streets of Fibeslay, zig-zagging along to cover the most area. As they passed near the chieftain's hut, Gerrik glanced towards it. "Bard's not there any more."

"Who?" Elword asked.

"The chief when I was last here. He wasn't exactly young when I met him, and it's been a few years since then."

Elword inspected Gerrik's face as they kept walking. Gerrik appeared unperturbed. "What's it like, living so long? Things like this would happen often."

"Not as often as you'd think. I've rarely visited the same village twice on my travels, so outliving people has not been a huge concern of mine until recently," Gerrik replied.

"You don't want to outlive your family."

Gerrik was silent for a moment. "No, I don't. Although, there are benefits. You have a nearly unlimited amount of time in which to learn new things, train new skills and travel to distant places. And, with any luck, you'll outlive your enemies."

"Let me guess, you haven't found Shammik."

"Not yet. It's not definitive; he could be elsewhere. I can tell that someone has taken over Bard's position as chief, which implies either his death or retirement. Shammik was just a craftshain, and there are many of those around, although his absence is promising. There are still some of the other craftshain who were there with him, though, but I can't say whether they've kept to Shammik's lies or seen sense without more information."

A short while later Gerrik and Elword reached the market. The market sat by the docks, where merchant ships could unload to sell their wares and buy goods which could be shipped abroad. A wide road led from the market out of the village to allow overland merchants easy access to the market. The market contained many stalls where merchants were brokering deals and showing their wares. There was even a human amidst the hain merchants, easily spotted due to her height, who was selling fine silk from a distant land.

Gerrik pushed his way through the crowd, with Elword trailing behind him, until he reached some sailors unpacking boxes of spices from their boat. "Hello! Is business going well?" Gerrik hailed.

The sailors looked up, and one of them paused from his work to greet Gerrik. "Hello. Yes, so far. We've managed to ship these spices from down south. We should be able to get a good return on them." He gestured to the crates, as though offering for Gerrik to sample some.

Gerrik ignored the spices. "I'm more interested in travel. Have you ever sailed to Alefpria?"

"Alefpria! That's an ambitious destination," the sailor-merchant exclaimed. "Never been there myself, but I've heard about it. They've got a lighthouse, I hear, and the biggest docks you've ever seen. Ruled by a child of the gods, they say. People of races you haven't even heard of gather there. And they have riches beyond measure." He let out a hearty laugh. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to go there," Gerrik replied.

"Ah, well, it's a long trip there, I hear. On the far side of the ocean, beyond the range of any of our boats. Maybe you could take the journey in pieces."

Gerrik nodded. "I expected as much. Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem. Good luck on your adventure."

Gerrik turned back to Elword and stepped away from the sailors.

"What now?" Elword asked.

Gerrik pointed over the heads of the crowd along the dock. "We ask those two."

It is difficult for most non-hain to be inconspicuous amongst hain due to the great difference in height, but these two were particularly conspicuous due to their bright colours. The taller one was iridescent green, while the shorter one (although still much taller than any hain) was green and brown. Both had skin, but no hair, and they had webbing and frills protruding from some of their fleshy bits. They moved gracefully and wore fine clothing.

"Quara korala," Gerrik said, "I met one when I learned of Alefpria. Part of an order called the Grand Parade. Their homeland isn't far from Alefpria, so they're probably our best chance for getting to Alefpria. Provided they're not being secretive or something."

More successful in maintaining his secrecy was a rather inconspicuous elderly hain who sat behind a stall of clay pots and figurines, watching the duo with interest. Old Maro had not thought he would live to see the return of Gerrik, but there he was. And, unless his old eyes deceived him, the hain looked not a day older than fourteen years ago. Evidence confirming, to Maro's believing heart, that Gerrik had been right all those years ago and that he had not strayed in taking up his teachings and calling the craftshain of Fibeslay to venerating him. And Maro had known that Gerrik would not simply leave them to Shammik's heretical and dangerous ways, knew with certainty that he would return one day. And there he was.

'Gerraken,' old Maro spoke. A young craftshain beside him looked up.

'Yes, master?' Maro gestured with a hand towards Gerrik and his companion.

'Do you see those two?' The young craftshain turned his head to the side and looked in the direction Maro had pointed. Spying the two strange hain, he nodded. 'I may be old and half-way senile, but that's one face I can't ever forget. That's Gerrik-Lightbringer, or I'm a toadstool.'

Gerraken's eyes widened momentarily before his beak rose up in joy. 'I will go to him and bid him come with me!' The excited craftshain said, rising. Maro nodded, reaching for his walking stick and rising also.

'I will have the others gather at the usual place. The day of our redemption is here at last.' And the old craftshain hobbled off as Gerraken rushed off, paying no heed to the stall and all on it.

As Gerrik and Elword made their way through the crowd, Gerrik said quietly, "Someone's following us."

Elword's beak turned slightly (it does not take much for a hain to look behind them).

"A supporter, it seems," Gerrik continued in conspiratorial tones, not breaking his stride. "Maro was one of the few craftshain who were perhaps on my side back then, although was unable to act in my favour against Shammik. From what he just said, there are other supporters who he is gathering now. He called me 'Lightbringer' and said this is the day of their redemption. It appears that the lies spread by Shammik have taken hold among some, but a resistance has formed. Also, the young hain following us is called Gerraken, at least by Maro. A very telling name. He's about a few moultings past his second hatching, I'd say, which means he's adopted the name at some point rather than receiving it at birth. Regardless, it means things have gotten a lot more interesting than I anticipated over the past few years.

"Don't worry too much about him yet, though. We'll deal with the quara first." Gerrik and Elword finally made it to the quara korala just as they had finished speaking with some other merchants. Gerrik hailed them. "Hello. How was your journey here?"

The taller Quara just sideglanced at the traveler while continuing to work on polishing up a small silver bracelet. The shorter one smiled and nodded at the Hain. "Good day! Our journey was thankfully safe, even as we visited many, many lands since when we first left the grand city of Alefpria."

"That is fortunate. In fact, I am planning to travel to Alefpria myself. Would it be possible for you to provide any assistance in that matter?" Gerrik asked.

The taller one turned towards him. "It depends on what you define as assistance.." he shook his head. "We can provide maps, we can perhaps sell things that could help in such a journey, but our religion does not allow for foreign people in our caravans; we are a pilgrimage, after all, and we follow very strict rules."

Gerrik cocked his head. "Is that so? The pilgrimage I met led by Salassar-Madori contained at least one foreigner. Susa and Lakshmi might not be foreigners to Alefpria, but it was quite clear that Chroma was very foreign."

The short one looked to the tall one, both staring at each other for a moment, communicating in unspoken words by use of their color shifting skin. To know about all that, about Susa, about Chroma...

"You know master Salassar?" the short one asked, turning towards Gerrik; in a trick move, he spoke in Alefprian.

The language was totally unfamiliar to Gerrik, although 'Salassar' needed no translating and the inflection indicated a question. "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that language. Did you ask something about Salassar?"

The tall one said, "We asked you about whether you knew master Salassar. He had spoken in Alefprian, which would be useful for someone going to Alefpria to know." Which, from the complexity of the language, implied that the hain had no place there.

"I met Salassar and the First Parade fifteen years ago in the village of Susa. I had been directed there by a dream, and went to meet Susa the Huntress, a fellow travelling teacher. When I got there she had only just returned from a long absence, and Salassar was with her and was able to translate between us. I stayed the day and night with them, and we conversed. Salassar suggested that I go here to see some of the work the Grand Parade had done. It was here that I discovered a lighthouse had been commissioned by the Grand Parade, yet no one could build it, so I designed the lighthouse and oversaw its construction." Gerrik gestured across the bay to the lighthouse on Hillisle.

"The lighthouse... you must be Gerrik. We have heard much about you," the tall one said. “Even after traveling so much, we have trouble telling apart any of the Quara that were not Korala.”

The short one grabbed Gerrik by the shoulder. "You should have told us your name sooner, friend. Although, I could tell you were no ordinary hain. You had an aura of distinction about you."

"I think some proper introductions are in order. I am Gerrik Far-Teacher, and this is my apprentice Elword," Gerrik said.

"To keep it brief, I am Mugnas and this is Zantor," the tall one said.

"Do not be too worried about the language. It is my god-given talent to learn quickly, and there should be enough time on the trip over," Gerrik said.

"We travel here on special boats direct from the capital," Mugnas explained, "They are a bit uncomfortable for us mortals, but they are faster than any other means of transportation. The lighthouse cloaks the ships in illusions so that they are invisible in the dock, although you should have no trouble seeing through such illusions."

"When do you depart?" Gerrik inquired, "Since I have some unexpected important business here to attend to and I am unsure how long it will be."

"I suspected that might be the case. We leave tomorrow evening. However, another boat carrying cargo from the capital will be here at the end of the week, although there will be no one on that boat."

Gerrik's jaw clenched briefly. Time would be tight. "Thank you, Mugnas and Zantor. You have been of great assistance."

Then Gerrik turned and stepped away into the crowd of hain milling around the docks. He stopped suddenly in front of Gerraken.

"Did you wish to see me?" Gerrik asked.

Gerraken, who had busied himself with studying the wares of various stalls while keeping a close eye on Gerrik and his companion, was taken aback by the abruptness of the approach. He did, however, manage to regain enough composure to whisper, "Master, are you Gerrik Lightbringer?"

Gerrik nodded. "I am Gerrik Far-Teacher, whom you call Lightbringer." Gerraken raised an open palm heavenward in clear joy and, looking behind him warily, gestured for Gerrik and Elword to follow him.

‘If you would, Master, there are those who are waiting for you.’ And backing away, Gerraken turned and began making his slow and cautious way through the streets. Once Gerrik and Elword were beside him, he inquired about Elword’s name before explaining to both in hushed whispers, as they wove their way through back-alleys and little-known paths, about how they had been expecting Gerrik Lightbringer, the greatest of the Chippers, the most enlightened and true to the ways of Stone Chipper. ‘I was but a hatchling when you first came, and I can’t well remember what happened beyond that terrible creature from the sky, but Master Maro tells us Shammik and his people treated you horribly and cast you out. They have not ceased cursing your noble name since, Master! I am certain that if they knew you were here they would go into a frenzy!’

Gerrik nodded gravely. “I suspected as much. Tell me, Gerraken, is Shammik still around?”

The other hain shook his head. ‘No Master, Shammik perished in an odd incident not too long ago. I don’t know much about the details, but he was found crushed under a rock he managed to force from the great lighthouse. He always disliked it - perhaps he thought to bring it down somehow. Either way, the damage he did was quickly fixed.’

“He had wanted to tear down the lighthouse back when he ‘banished’ me, although Maro managed to talk him and the others down from that extreme,” Gerrik said. He reflected silently on the news of Shammik’s passing for a few moments. Then Gerrik looked ahead. “I see we are almost there. I look forward to meeting the other faithful Chippers.”

And with those final words from the great master, Gerraken paused and looked with a single eye to the darkening sky above. Night falls, he thought, and darkness descends - but our light here ascends. And he turned into a doorway and led Gerrik and Elword through a narrow passage at the end of which was a round wooden door. Gerraken knocked on it and, after a brief wait, it swung open to reveal a large well-lit gallery filled with hain of all shapes and sizes staring expectantly.

‘The Master is returned!’ a declaration sounded, and Elword was immediately swept aside as hands reached out for Gerrik and he was carried on shoulders - even as all in the room attempted to navigate closer to him - to a raised wooden chair at the other end of the great room. Gerraken, who had also been swept aside in the excitement, looked to Elword and raised an open palm sheepishly.
‘Forgive them sir, they are full of joy and relief - they meant no insult.’

Elword was still staring in disbelief at the scene in front of him. He had known Gerrik for years. He had seen many other Chippers in his time. But never had he seen any group of Chippers so fanatical. Elword flicked his hand towards Gerraken in a gesture which ended with an upwards palm. “Uh, yes.”

With Gerrik firmly established on his throne of sorts, and with old Maro seated on a stool before the others, silence slowly began to fall. And all eyes turned to Gerrik in expectation.

Gerrik’s eyes scanned across the expectant faces. Although he was almost as surprised as Elword at this greeting, he did not show it. Once he had their attention, Gerrik spoke. “Faithful Chippers, I thank you for this warm greeting. I see that you have been troubled by Shammik’s followers. It grieved me to see, fourteen years ago, Shammik lead astray so many Chippers from the will of Stone Chipper. And I see that his zealotry to stop the mission of the Chippers lives on to this day. So I ask you all this: What have you done about it?”

His words were met with an excited surge in noise as each faithful Chipper attempted to explain, in so many words, what they had been through and the countermeasures they had individually and communally implemented. The barrage of noise continued for some thirty seconds before all those gathered realised they were not getting anywhere and quietened down. But though it may have been indecipherable noise to Elword or Gerraken, Gerrik heard.

‘When that Ono tried to steal my innovative tomato and pea soup - with a sprinkle of sea-salt, that’s very important - I showed him whatfo-’ one young male Chipper chirruped, before his voice trailed away into silence. ‘And I led the effort to fix the lighthouse when that nefarious Shammik died trying to sabotage it!’ A female declared - and some dozen others around her rushed to claim that they had helped too. ‘And I spoke with young Jindchin here - why he was a right Shammikist zealot not more than a year ago - and I made him see the light!’ And the rather elderly hain who spoke was quick to bring Jindchin forward for Gerrik to see.

When silence fell, the one who stood to speak declared that it had been his idea to have a safe haven in the growing town of Fibeslay, a place none would notice or know of, where they would be safe from the constant harassment and repressive ways of the Shammikists. ‘And more importantly,’ he declared, ‘a place from where we can build up and prepare - Fibeslay must be purged of the Shammikist scourge!’ There were some murmurs of approval here and there, and disgruntled harrumphs.

Maro, who had remained seated and silent, spoke up. ‘Now Goxiq, we have spoken of this matter before and it is no way to go about this. Whatever our quarrel with Shammik’s disciples, we do not spill blood. We have no such authority. When Shammik called for the death of the Master, was that not the retort that stayed the Shammikist hand Master?’ And so saying, Maro turned to Gerrik expectantly.

Gerrik pointed a scowl at Goxiq. “That is true, Maro. I had pointedly asserted that the authority to banish or execute lay with the chief alone. What you propose, Goxiq, is nothing short of murder, and Stone Chipper would be appalled at the thought. Put those foolish ideas aside and let us discuss a more civil solution.”

Goxiq was visibly crestfallen at Gerrik’s decision and made to protest, ‘but Master - these people are not civil. For fourteen years they have preyed on us and incited the people against Chippers. For fourteen years they have cursed your name and warned the people of Fibeslay against you and your potential return - lying and defaming your good name, painting your generosity in saving Fibeslay as some kind of divine retribution against them all for harbouring you. Their sole purpose has been our destruction - how are we to be civil with the likes of these?’

Gerrik grit his teeth. This was what he had hoped wouldn’t happen in his absence. Another hurdle to deal with. Gerrik leaned forwards to address Goxiq. “Tell me, Goxiq, have you ever killed a hain?”

The Chipper shook his head firmly at this. ‘No Master, I have never had cause or reason, and the matter is unpalatable to me. I am a Chipper, not a killer.’

“And yet you suggest that ‘Fibeslay must be purged of the Shammikist scourge’?”

‘But Master, we are manifestly in the right, and they are astray - and not only astray, but ruthlessly insistent on being so. What is to be done with such as these? You have the weight of Stone Chipper behind you, His judgment and justice. What does He command? You will find us faithful and obedient, trusting in Stone Chipper’s justice.’

Gerrik leaned back slowly and closed his eyes briefly.

A solid conundrum.

Your advice?

You have everything I taught you. Collect more data on the Shammikists. See if you can find any way to dissuade or subvert them.

Gerrik opened his eyes and spoke. “Never before have Chippers been asked to take up arms in Stone Chipper’s name, and he does not ask it now. Our ways are peaceful. Those who reject Stone Chipper’s light may wallow in ignorance, but it is not our place to force ourselves upon others. Do not let Stone Chipper’s name by stained by blood you spill.” Gerrik turned his eyes towards the other hain and his focus settled on Jindchin. “Jindchin, you used to follow Shammik’s teaching. Why did you change?”

The young hain - perhaps eighteen or nineteen years - seemed terrified at being addressed directly by Gerrik himself. ‘W-why did uh- I? Well, uh. Sodir,’ he gestured to the old hain who had pushed him forward, ‘was very- very convincing. He told me a g-great deal about … well, everything. It made me want to know more - that’s good, right? Wanting to know. That’s why I’m here. Are you- you’re not angry with me are you? I didn’t do anything wrong!’

Gerrik stared down Jindchin for a couple of seconds. Gerrik could read every subtle cue in the young hain’s body language and physiology, and their message to Gerrik was particularly blatant. “I just wanted to know more,” he finally said, before casting his focus back to the room as a whole.

“If we want Chippers to be able to act freely in Fibeslay, it won’t be enough to get rid of the Shammikists. An outburst of violence would only reinforce the fear which the general populace have for us, which the Shammikists have sown. Even if the Shammikists were to be removed peacefully, the ideas they have sown amongst the people of Fibeslay would remain. Our efforts, then, must be to undermine Shammik’s lies and turn public opinion in our favour.” Gerrik paused for a moment, then continued. “Have you seen the artwork obtained from the trade routes towards the south? Specifically, that artwork with diagrams of tools, plants and other instructional aids. I saw farmers using such items, and I’d guess that many of you would possess such items as well.”

The gathered Chippers murmured and nodded, clearly aware of these. ‘I got my pea and tomato soup idea from something I saw in one of those! But the salt was my idea - lots of experimenting true, but it tastes divine.’

“I made those, along with my apprentice Elword,” Gerrik briefly gestured towards Elword up the back to identify him to the crowd and all heads immediately turned to the apprentice in admiration (other than Goxiq, who seemed rather shocked), “so that we can teach without even being present. And that Chipper business spread through Fibeslay in spite of the Shammikists.

“We have a key advantage over the Shammikists. The population of Fibeslay has grown enormously since I was last here. Many of these people have migrated here from distant villages. They do not share the cultural prejudices of the natives. Their ancestors never warred against Chippers. They never falsely thought of the Blinding Purge as being sent by Stone Chipper. Chippers practice freely in lands beyond Shammik’s reach, and many of them must have come here. Tell me, what happens when a new Chipper arrives in Fibeslay?”

Goxiq stepped up to respond, glancing ever so briefly at Elword before responding, ‘My experience, Master, is not unique. I am not of Fibeslay, but was for a long time a travelling Chipper, as were my fathers and grandfathers before me. We followed in the footsteps of Stone Chipper and His chosen apprentice - you. I had for many years desired to… well, that is of no matter. My travels brought me here, where I was almost immediately set upon by those fiends. They castigated me for coming here with my beliefs and ideas, they called upon the people to cast me out or have me imprisoned. No one responded, naturally - at least, not everyone. Some places I could not venture or else I would be stoned or pelted with filth. In some neighbourhoods they bribed the children into harassing me in groups. When I offered my services to any, they cajoled and blackmailed them until they refrained from dealing with me. I desired very much to leave, and had I not been taken in by these faithful Chippers - who promised me that Gerrik had been here once and would return anew - I would surely have left. Sodir there, he is older than me, nearly as old as Maro; his travels brought him here also and they had no mercy even on an old hain such as he. And the stories are endless Master. But it is true that in recent years more and more Chippers have begun to slip through unharmed - so long as one does not stay too long, they might not even notice the Shammikists at all. But we locals know and feel it all too well.’

Even as Goxiq spoke, young Jindchin backed away from where Sodir had placed him and made a silent exit. Gerraken gave him an odd look, then murmured something to Elword about the relatively new Adventist being overwhelmed and meaning no disrespect.

Just as Jindchin placed his hand on the door, Gerrik called out, “Where are you going, Jindchin?”

The young hain froze in his steps and looked over his shoulder. ‘I- I must go, M-Master. This gathering- uh. This gathering was called for at a very, very short notice. It is late, my sister- she is not well today. And my father is- she needs me, is what I’m trying to say. So please, if you don’t mind. I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I’ll go quietly.’ He began to open the door, still looking behind him in mild terror.

Gerrik rose to his feet and began to walk towards Jindchin. “Oh, it’s no trouble. I’ll see you out safely to the street; make sure no Shammikists hinder your journey.” Despite his clear fear, Jindchin remained rooted in his place.

‘I-I really don’t think- but if you say so. I- I guess I’m safer with… you.’

“Good, good,” Gerrik said as he reached Jindchin, laid a hand on his shoulder and led the young hain out the door. Before the door closed behind them, Gerrik said to the Chippers, “Talk amongst yourselves.” Then the door shut.

Gerrik led Jindchin a few paces away from the door, away from any eavesdroppers. With a firm hand on Jindchin’s shoulder, Gerrik said in a low voice, “Sodir never convinced you of anything, didn’t he?”
‘Wh- what do-’
“I’m not going to hurt you. I meant what I said about that. But don’t think I can’t see through your lies.”
Jindchin was silent for a few seconds, his eyes wide. He gulped silently and his teeth chattered somewhat as he looked at the older hain. ‘I don’t care for Shammik. I- I don’t care for… for… you,’ he winced slightly and his chattering grew louder. ‘If I tell them everything, they’ll let my father go. Forgive his debt. That is all. Please, let me go.’

Gerrik thought for a few moments, although his eyes clearly softened. “Is your father being held unlawfully?”

Jindchin shook his head. ‘They’re not as evil as you people make out. Of course it’s not unlawful - they reported him to the chief, and the chief had him detained. Unless the debt is paid or is forgiven, he will not be released. If I do this, they will forgive it. Th- that is all. Please…’

“First, how much do you know of the Shammikists? How many of them are there? What’s their power structure? What resources do they control?”

‘I- I don’t know. I only ever spoke with Vidin. But your people know many of them by name and face - their leader is Heyek. I saw him when he was with the chief. The chief listened to him seriously. Nothing we said could dissuade him when Heyek brought the matter before him. But he doesn’t seem cruel - if I keep my end he’ll… uh. Vidin is… a thug. I mean, I don’t know if he’s really a thug, but he’s not very nice to me. He, uh, he has a daughter. P-pretty. But she’s not with them. I don’t think. Your people know the others, I don’t know anyone else. Please.’ He seemed to have calmed down somewhat, somewhat secure in the knowledge that Gerrik wished him no harm, ‘will you… you said you would let me go. No harm.’

Gerrik stared into Jindchin’s eyes for a few moments longer. Then he released his grip on the hain’s shoulder. “How long until you deliver your report to them?”

Jindchin hesitated, then spoke more certainly. ‘Vidin hates it when I come to him late at night. Last time I did he kicked me and wouldn’t listen. I have to go tell him now - b-but maybe he won’t listen. Then I’ll tell him in the morning.’ He glanced up the dark passageway then back at Gerrik, as if waiting for his permission.

“I hope things turn out better for you,” Gerrik said. He turned back to the door. “I’ll see you later.”

‘P-please sir,’ Jindchin chittered, ‘you’re… you’re good, I see that. Don’t tell the others. I- I don’t want them to hate me.’ And without waiting for a response, he turned and fled up the passageway and into the night.

Gerrik paused for a couple of seconds to watch him go. Then he opened the door and stepped back into the gallery.

The Chippers were huddled in groups within talking with a greater sobriety than had existed before. The matter of how to deal with the Shammikists had clearly haunted them for a very long time and what Gerrik presented to them was not the immediate deliverance they had foreseen. Goxiq had made his way towards Elword and appeared to be deep in conversation with the other hain. Despite the situation, Goxiq was already deep into explaining his idea for explaining the concept of nothing in mathematical terms. ‘We have numbers of course, one hain, two hain, three hain - but how would we explain no hain mathematically? I’ve been haunted by this for the longest time - but see, I think I might just have the solution…’

On Gerrik’s entry, all eyes turned to him and Gerraken took a peek out the door to see if Jindchin was still there. ‘Is everything alright Master? Jindchin seemed to be in quite a state.’

“Jindchin’s family is in a poor state at the moment and he is quite distressed about it. I sent him safely on his way.” Gerrik closed the door behind him. “But now, to the matter at hand. The Shammikists clearly have considerable resources and influence, with which they can manipulate the population against us. To plan our countermeasures, I will need to know details. How many Shammikists are there? Who are their key members? What assets do they control? What assets do we control? And also, tell me about Fibeslay’s chief.”

Goxiq and Maro took it in turns to explain the situation. The current chief was a second cousin of the one Gerrik had known and had overseen the swift expansion of his village into a bustling centre of trade. The influx of foreigners meant that he emphasised the importance of law and order - those who did not respect his laws and the peace of Fibeslay were punished swiftly and severely.
The Shammikists formed a powerful guild of sorts - many of them were traders and craftsmen who worked together, agreeing on prices and ensuring the quality of their wares never fell below a certain level. They prided themselves on the quality of their wares and for being the “truly authentic” craftsmen and traders of Fibeslay. There was no great hostility between them and the general populace, and the chief generally listened to them and accepted their generous “donations” to the cause of Fibeslay’s growth and prosperity. They did not take kindly, however, to self-professed Chippers, and this was known. Many attributed this distaste for Chippers to the fact that they could compete with the wares and prices the Shammikists offered - though any close examination of this theory revealed that it was fallacious, for the Shammikists did not treat with suspicion exotic people from across the sea who came with strange and wonderful goods. But that was the view most held, and no one thought too much on it.

The central figure in this “Shammikist guild” was Heyek, a close friend and disciple of Shammik. He was a metalsmith, and a skilled one at that, though he had for the past few years taken to buying and selling goods and leaving his forge to a few of his apprentices. Heyek, Goxiq admitted, did not wish for an all out war to start of Fibeslay’s streets - he favoured threats and blackmail, and proselytisation. On the one occasion Goxiq had conversed with the hain he had made clear that Chipper disputes should stay between Chippers, and it seemed his view had not changed in that regard.

As for those who awaited Gerrik’s return, they were few - many had left Fibeslay over the years. Those who remained were skilled craftsmen or apprentices. The Shammikists considered them competitors and advised all merchants and craftsmen in Fibeslay to charge them extra and not buy their goods, and that had meant that many of them had to sell their shops and find other means of work - most did simple labour, though senior citizens of Fibeslay (like Maro) commanded enough respect not to be targeted. Maro’s wares alone sustained a few families. Goxiq - whose wares were of such quality that merchants could not resist buying them - supported the greatest number of families. With their profits going on ensuring others survived, little remained to expand their businesses or compete with the Shammikists.

Once Maro and Goxiq had said all they could think of they fell silent and looked to Gerrik.

Gerrik sat for a while in silent contemplation. Synthesising the just-received data and his hundreds of years of experience with hain interactions, Gerrik imagined scenarios and trailed strategies in them. It seemed that the balance of power was stacked against him and these Chippers, and he could not expect the kind of intervention received at Hillfort. But there was still one path which could be taken.

Gerrik finally spoke, breaking the silence. “What do Chippers do?”

The assembled hain were silent for a few moments as they considered this odd and direct question. ‘Chippers build!’ Someone declared.
‘No! The answer is obvious and is in our very name - the essence of Chippers is to chip. Chipping is a specific craft, but it represents all crafts in general. And so that is what Chippers are - craftshain and artisans.’ Other disputed this and gave their own definitions - chipping is not a craft, but rather a metaphor for the act that a Chipper does, and that is to chip at ignorance; that Chippers follow Stone Chipper, that being what they ultimately do above all else; that the essence of being a Chipper is in fact in travelling and seeing and coming to know the world; that to be a Chipper is to seek truth; that Chippers, at their heart, seek mastery of the worldly elements -, but finally Gerrik spoke.

“Chippers seek knowledge and learning,” Gerrik said, “And after obtaining that knowledge, they seek to teach it to others, and use it to improve society. If we wish to overcome the resistance of the Shammikists, it is this we must focus on. We can’t beat them by crafting, so we shall teach. We shall find what the people desire to know, give it to them, and thus gain their trust. We must do this fearlessly and persistently, for will the people reject what they can see for themselves to be good? The Shammikists are strong, but they are a mere twig against the will of Stone Chipper, and they too are bound by the laws of this town.

“Now, listen carefully, for time is short. I shall tell you what each of you must do. We must capitalise on each of our talents, and reinforce where we are deficient, if we are to be successful. And each of you have a part to play if we wish for Chippers to be able to speak freely in this town.”

Over the next few hours, Gerrik provided clear instructions to each hain gathered. He spoke with them, identified the strengths and weaknesses of each individual, built up his knowledge of Fibeslay, and assigned tasks to each Chipper. Some were to teach the young. Some were to provide aid to the needy. Some were to treat the ill. Many were to raise conversations with their colleagues while labouring. A few were to travel to neighbouring towns outside the reach of the Shammikists and enlist support from other Chippers, especially covering skills which were lacking among the Chippers in Fibeslay. If specialist knowledge was needed for any of the tasks, Gerrik provided it in a form that was clear and concise. Elword would be present to provide assistance where it was most needed, and provide teaching expertise in the most valuable areas. In this way Gerrik outlined how the Chippers would evangelise to the people of Fibeslay. The last person to be covered in Gerrik’s plan was himself.

“As for myself, at dawn I shall attain an audience with the chief. Individually, you can enact change among the people you interact with on a daily basis; the importance of this cannot be understated. But I can reach a higher sphere of influence. I shall gain the chieftain’s support, and I shall also seek a project similar to the lighthouse for which we can utilise our skills.”

Gerrik stood up and walked forwards. “There is one last thing to do before we retire to our beds for the night.” He turned around and pointed at the wooden throne. “While a generous gesture, this chair must go.” Gerrik held up a palm to still the protests of the hain. “Imagine the slander the Shammikists would spread if they discovered that you had built a throne for a foreign chief. It cannot stay here as it is.”

Maro looked to Goxiq, and the proud Chipper looked away uncomfortably. The brief silence was broken by Maro.

‘It will be as you say, Mast- hmm, it will be as you say, Gerrik, for your advice is sound.’ And with that the gathered Chippers began to make their way out. Some approached Gerrik with questions, others simply wanted to touch to touch his shoulder in a display of respect. Goxiq watched quietly for a minute or so, clearly deep in thought. None approached him, and he departed alone.

Gerrik watched as the gathered hain trickled out. Gerrik got a few hain to help him move the wooden throne aside and hid it under some cloths and behind some furniture. Then Maro led Gerrik and Elword out through the streets of Fibeslay to his own home, where he offered to let them stay during their time in Fibeslay. They had supper before Elword and Maro retired for the night, for it was late. Gerrik, however, turned towards the doorway.

“Where are you off to?”

The question came from Elword, laying in his hammock.

“Scouting and investigating,” Gerrik replied. “I have until tomorrow morning to know the layout and situation of this town.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to sleep? You have a big day tomorrow.”

“You should sleep. As for me, the overall impact of a missed night’s sleep on my performance is negligible.” Just as he was about to leave, Maro made his presence known.

‘Gerrik, if you are going then take this,’ and he handed the master Chipper a small, wooden sculpture, ‘it is for Goxiq. He is a proud hain - and with good reason - and the events of this day have no doubt shaken him. Perhaps you should reassure him. He sits at the top of the lighthouse whenever things weigh him down.’ Leaving the small piece with Gerrik, Maro retreated to his chamber and all was quiet once more. Gerrik then pushed his way through the curtain of Maro’s abode and exited into the night.

It would indeed be a big day tomorrow.

Summary

Gerrik and Elword arrive in Fibeslay. It has grown a lot since they last visited. They tour briefly (noting that a new chief has come into power) before coming to the docks.

Gerrik makes inquiries about how to get to Alefpria, and he comes upon two Quara Korala merchants named Mugnas and Zantor. They’re cagey until they realised who Gerrik is, at which point they offer him a trip on their magic speedboat, express to Alefpria. The catch: they leave tomorrow night. If Gerrik misses that, there is an unmanned boat leaving in a week.

But Gerrik has also been spotted by old Maro and young Gerraken.

When Gerrik last left Fibeslay, he had been shunned by Shammik and his followers who taught a heretical version of Chipper ideology. Let’s call them the Doctrinal Shammikists. However, a few of the hain, primarily Maro, still supported Gerrik, believing his way to be right. This faction developed the belief that Gerrik would return to save them from Shammik’s lies and oppression. Let’s call them the Gerrik Adventists.

Gerraken in one of the Adventists. He leads Gerrik and Elword to their secret hideout, where the most fanatical crowd of Chippers on the planet greets Gerrik and throws him onto a wooden throne.

A lengthy discussion ensues. The Adventists and all other Chippers in Fibeslay have been aggressively oppressed by the Shammikists, who have formed a craftshain and trade union and are able to leverage their considerable wealth and influence to make life difficult for Chippers. Shammik himself died recently, but the Shammikists persist, now led by Heyek, who still wants to see the Chippers rooted out of Fibeslay but also believes that the conflict should remain internal.

Leading the Adventists are Maro and Goxiq. Maro desires a peaceful resolution, and is quite old. Goxiq was a travelling Chipper following in Stone Chipper’s footsteps, hoping to become Gerrik’s apprentice (and low-key feels disappointed/jealous that Elword scooped him), and is in his own right a brilliant and intelligent craftshain. Goxiq desires the Shammikists to be purged from Fibeslay.

Gerrik crushes any idea of a violent resolution, and instead seeks ways to subvert and circumvent the Shammikists and their influence.

In the middle of the meeting, a hain named Jindchin makes to leave. Gerrik notices and escorts him out. Jindchin is privately interrogated. Turns out Jindchin is a spy, but not a willing one; the Shammikists have called in a debt his father owed and had him imprisoned; Jindchin’s father’s debt would be forgiven if Jindchin spied on the Adventists. After extracting what little information Jindchin had (we hear of Vidin, a thug-like Shammikist), Gerrik has compassion on Jindchin and lets him depart. The secret hideout would not be so secret come morning.

The latter portion of the meeting has Gerrik declaring that, to overcome the Shammikists, they must go back to the roots of what it means to be a Chipper: to learn, teach and apply knowledge. Gerrik develops a thorough evangelism strategy which should swing public opinion in their favour and establish a foothold for Chippers. Reinforcements are being called from neighbouring villages.

As the meeting wraps up, Gerrik says that the throne can’t stay, lest the Shammikists find out and charge the Adventists with treason. Goxiq appears miffed- he probably built it or something. Gerrik will go and reassure Goxiq later.

Gerrik and Elword take lodgings in Maro’s house. Gerrik doesn’t sleep, though; he scouts out the town instead. Gotta get that data for tomorrow.

Prestige Summary
Start: 24 Prestige
Spent: 8 Prestige (to establish Chipper evangelism)
Earned: 10 Prestige (44000+ characters)
End: 26 Prestige

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

I had went on an read that part of the post without the song. The second piece of music linked worked fine, though.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Muttonhawk That was worth the read.

Although, I have one criticism.

[+]

D:
How could you betray your Australian mates like this?

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Lauder Amestris are the city states which lie between the Ironhearts (on their East slopes) and the Metatic Ocean. The city of Xerxes used to be their capital, and Amartia used to be their leader.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Muttonhawk *barely contained excitement* Is it time now? Can Teknall meet Conata now?

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@Vec@Cyclone, further, a full reboot allows us to re-write the rules, which is something that we realised we wanted to do when we made Godspeed.

We can decide where we want to go after we reach the end of this one.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

The Great Artisan, Divine Mason, Builder of Civilisations
Level 5 God of Crafting (Masonry, Carpentry, Smithing, Alchemy, Armaments)
22 Might & 1 Free Point

The Meek
Level 4 Demigod of Crafting (Machinery)
23.5 Might

The Muse. Weaver of Dreams.
Beauty (Stories, Colors, Aesthetic, Flowers, Glass, Jewelry)

Might: -1
Free Points: 0
Level 9

A collab between BBeast and Double Capybara

His voice was low pitched. Devoid of anything but warning. "Xos will kill one more. See that it is not you. See that it is not any of the children. And as far as you can act, see that it is none amongst our siblings."

Teknall swallowed. "I will be vigilant."

Toun's eye softened. "This is no bluster or pride, brother. I have...seen this outcome for myself. Promise me you shall be vigilant. Please."

Teknall dipped his beak slightly. "I will be vigilant, I promise."

roleplayerguild.com/posts/4608406

There hadn't been any sign of Xos' personal presence on Galbar recently, but that was no reason not to be cautious. Masking his essence to the extent of his ability, the scenery flicked past Teknall as he blinked through the essence-rich Holy Sites which dotted Galbar. (Among these locations were the Temples of the God in the Stone. Was this where Belruarc had gone? And was that Vowzra's essence? These were mysteries for another day.) Then, after an inter-dimensional jaunt through his Workshop, Teknall arrived within Pictaraika.

Specifically, he appeared near a work site. Ropes, cables and pulleys stretched down a shaft, leading deeper into Pictaraika. Marionettes ferried parts and tools towards the shaft and carried rock and debris away. An iron steam engine connected to all the ropes and pulleys. The engine was fed by a boiler burning coal and spewing out smoke, with a couple of marionettes fueling and stoking the flames. And next to the engine stood Kinesis.

"Kinesis, my daughter," Teknall greeted.

Kinesis spun around, surprise and happiness on her soot-covered face. "Father!" She wiped her hands on her apron, transferring some of the grime, and embraced her father.

"How have you been? I see Ilunabar's given you a place to set up shop."

"She has. The technology pales in comparison to your Workshop, but this place is so big that there's always something more to do." Kinesis gestured at the shaft in the ground. "Right now I'm building an elevator. Pictaraika is layered, but there isn't an easy, direct, high-capacity route between the layers. Not yet, anyway. Building this thing is a good challenge. I forged this steam engine to provide mechanical power where I need it, as power on demand is another thing this place lacks. Although the solar forge does provide ample heat for metalworking. The marionettes are another matter. I've been able to tinker with them and apply a few optimisations, but making larger improvements is challenging. I can replace the wooden bodies with other materials to further refine them, but the real limitation are the fiberlings which operate them. They don't take well to metal wires. I've been experimenting with polymers, but the synthetic facilities here are limited. But they make a good workforce all the same, and there is a wonderful elegance in their design and aesthetic."

"You've been enjoying creating things, I see."

Kinesis nodded her head vigorously. "Yes."

There was a noise as one of the pulleys rattled, as its rope was tugged at from within the shaft. Kinesis stepped back towards the steam engine and pulled a lever. Gears dropped into place and the rope was steadily winched upwards.

Teknall glanced around at the working marionettes. A few of them had been built with bodies of brass rather than the typical wood, and seemed to be undertaking more complex tasks than the others. "I will have to show you the Prometheans some time." Before Kinesis could enquire further he waved a dismissive hand. "Another time, though. Tell me, where's Jydshi?"

"She decided to continue travelling when I settled down here," Kinesis said.

Teknall nodded. "From what you've told me of her personality, I wouldn't take her to be one to settle down."

"How is Conata going?" Kinesis asked.

"She is going well. She has found a nice community in Alefpria to set up shop in, and has been exercising kindheartedness. She's come up with a grand scheme to gain Lifprasil's audience." Teknall chuckled. "She has created a big metal cone which she intends to fly through the roof of the palace into Lifprasil's room! She's even forged an adamantine tip for it, and that was no easy feat. I can't wait to see her pull it off."

Kinesis laughed, but as she pictured Conata longing for her sister grew in her heart. "You will tell her soon, right? It's well past her seventeenth birthday."

"I will, you can be sure of that. But it would be a shame to let her effort go to waste."

There were a few moments of quiet between the two, then Teknall spoke again. "There is something quite serious I must tell you about, my daughter."

Kinesis bowed her head demurely. "What is it, father?"

"A murderer is out there. Xos; a shadow of who Zephyrion once was. He killed Kyre. He blew up the Celestial Citadel. He fought Vestec, Jvan and Toun, who were all lucky to make it away alive. He has stirred the djinn of Galbar into a civil war of terrifying ferocity. And he wields a weapon of such horrific power that it could shatter planets if used to its full potential."

Kinesis' face went pale and she cupped a hand over her gaping mouth.

Teknall put a gentle hand on Kinesis' cheek. "I tell you this to warn you. He may strike again before he can be dealt with, and I don't want to see you hurt. Stay inside Pictaraika for now. Keep safe, and don't hesitate to call for help if anything happens. Okay?"

Kinesis held Teknall's hand which was on her cheek. She nodded and softly replied, "Okay." A moment later, she added, "What about Conata?"

"I'll keep a close eye on her, you can be sure of that. Ilunabar should be able to keep you under her protection here." Teknall kissed Kinesis on the forehead then stepped back.

Teknall then inspected Kinesis with a critical eye. ”You’re not armed.”

Kinesis was caught off guard by the comment. ”No?”

”How are you meant to defend yourself if you are unarmed? There’s not much you can do if Xos comes, but suppose you face a stormlord or something? What then? We’ll need to fix that.”

At this moment, the sound of a metal clacking echoed around the workshop as a set of bronze pipes fell to the ground. Near them, impressively, was Ilunabar, who had entered into the room unnoticed, hands still in the air in the overall direction of the pipes she had failed to notice and failed to catch. So much for keeping a dramatic timing. In an instant, she straightened up her position and smiled as if nothing had happened.

”Ah, Teknall, it is nice to see you again.” she said. ”You wouldn’t need to worry about Storm Djinns up here. There are Julkofyrian-era defences in the jagged mountains that nest this region and my own measures too. Not to say you should not gift your daughter a weapon, those can be useful at times, unfortunately.”

Teknall spun around when Ilunabar announced herself. ”Ah, Ilunabar, nice to see you too,” Teknall said. ”I didn’t mean to detract from your defences, but times like these call us to be vigilant.”

Teknall hesitated for a moment, attention split between Ilunabar and Kinesis. Then he turned to Kinesis, opened his satchel and scooped out twenty five metal canisters with colour-coded markings. ”Alchemical munitions. Might be useful,” Teknall explained. He pointed to each different canister. ”Valley of Peace mist. High explosives. Cryogenic. Alchemists’ cement. Obscuring fog. There’s a nice recipe for a fire quencher I can give you. And then there’s black powder, made from saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur. Get creative. Test them out. I can answer questions and resupply a little later. For now, I would guess that Ilunabar might want to talk?” He turned his head to look at Ilunabar.

The goddess had moved towards the other two and was paying close attention to the elements Teknall handed to Kinesis. She made a mental note at first but then decided to just express her opinion out aloud. "You should teach mortals some of this later."

”Already on it. Many Sculptors are experimenting in alchemy. They are ideally suited for the task,” Teknall said.

That, however, was far from the main topics Ilunabar desired to talk with Teknall, though it was loosely related to one of her ideas. "I listened to your conversation earlier, I hope you do not mind, and it answered many of the questions I planned on asking you. As terrible as those answers may be."

Gently, very gently, she waved a hand behind her back. On the brass reflection of their image, the two gods started a conversation, their mouths moving in the mirrors while in reality silence still ruled the room.

"You said the Celestial Citadel was blown up." She took a deep breath. "I also take that, given your duties a god, you are good at identifying metals. Did you see a pool of mercury or a crescent-shaped golden frame among the ruins? There was this contraption I made. A mirror. A gift to Zephyrion's servant and to the god himself. It was capable of scrying any location on Galbar. If that was not destroyed in the battle..."

”I looked over the wreckage quite carefully. The explosion occurred in the main spire. Most of the Citadel crashed to the ground, but the uppermost rooms remained aloft. I did not find any sign of such a device in the remains on the ground.”

"The mirror was in the uppermost floor. I imagine a fight up there ought to have broken it, yet, there is the possibility it survived. I imagine I could break it right now, but, that would immediately attract unwanted danger. Right now I am casting an illusion so this conversation is truly private.”

”I noticed that illusion. It’s a nice trick.” Teknall then froze as realisation caught up with him. ”A mirror which can scry anywhere on Galbar, in Xos’ hands. An ideal way for him to track down terrestrial targets.” Teknall cast a very brief sideways glance at Kinesis, who was busying herself with the alchemical munitions. ”This mirror is your responsibility. Either option has its perils.”

Ilunabar shook her head. "Logos had no mirror yet he had little trouble finding gods.” she said. "The hazard is not in finding who is where, but in finding out any possible surprise party being set up. Luckily, the mirror takes time to focus and can truly only look at one region at a time, as such, much is probably lost to the user’s gaze, yet, there is the slight chance it is not lost. That could be disadvantageous… or maybe, it could be an opportunity. Imagine being told to be ready for a blizzard just to end up facing a heat wave.”

”One could find Jvan from orbit, and when Logos found me it was because I was going loud. But I get your point. Are you suggesting we construct a decoy?”

”Is that the right word? Nevertheless, I could create a constant state of deceit for mirrors, but the longer it is used, the easier it will be for some noticeable mistake to happen. Ideally, we would need to act only if we were to know for sure there is scrying happening. I reckon this is within the range of what I could do, yet I lack the technique to turn that into something real. The only thing similar to what I’m imagining is that hideous little device Lazarus used to identify even the most minute of godly presences, but I know nothing about how it can do such a thing.”

”Lazarus’ device?” Teknall reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a simple wooden contraption covered in magic runes with a gem embedded in the middle. ”I traded with Lazarus for this prototype. It contains data on the baseline absence of divine essence, and is able to measure levels of divine essence. It should be able to be adapted for this purpose.”

Gently taking and inspecting it, Ilunabar found more insights in the words of her brother than in the artifact itself. ”Absence! Of course... So that is how he pulled that trick. Considering how much I need to work with conceptual presence and absence when it comes to the Pictaraika, I should have noticed. Hmm. All I need to do is to take account of all that which is not reflected. Wait an instant.”

She looked at the gem for a moment, it was very useful that it used such a catalyst, as it made it simpler for Ilunabar to copy to process once she had a plan. Then, with a tap, she added her own flair of data to the collection in the device… and, in typical fashion, may have discreetly made a copy of it all for personal use.

”With a world of mirrors down in the Pictaraika, it all became too simple once I knew how to identify them. I can now confirm my mirror survived, though it has not been used in a day. What I did is better than just knowing if it is looking at you, you can outright track it.” the goddess smiled, there was pride in her face, but also some tension.

Teknall smiled too as he inspected the modified device. ”Excellent. If he uses the mirror to spy on targets beforehand, we’ll know and can prepare accordingly. This is helpful.”

”I hope it can be useful in turning the tides of this situation. Maybe… it could even help to find out the nature of the shadow and where the one who is casting it. Zephyrion was a good brother. We did not talk much at the citadel, but you just had to appreciate his sense of grandiose as a host.” the goddess sighed. ”Heh, to think I thought things were bad back then, what is a little moon being launched from orbit compared to god killers and all consuming voids.”

”Things have escalated, indeed.” Teknall paused for a moment, then asked, ”Did you receive Jvan’s message-in-a-brain?”

”Message? I have been quite focused on my work here, the Pictaraika might be finished as foundation, but there is much work to be done before it is functional, as such, I have not been at my most attentive, if Jvan sent me something, there is a chance I might have missed it, yet, her work is usually quite… sturdy… and this is my realm, the thoughts can likely outlive its host.”

”You may find it informative regarding Xos; it is a complete recording of Xos’ fight with Jvan,” Teknall said.

The goddess tilted her head slightly, a sudden urgency in her expression. ”Must not be a nice watch, considering your previous words about the fight. I will try to retrieve it soon then.” The suddenly found focus on it was not exactly born from a desire to understand Xos, though she was surely interested in that, but in a slight suspicion that such memories would be better off not left unwatched anywhere near Glamour and Dreams.

A loud bang suddenly rang out from down a corridor. The vibrations toppled a few more brass pipes, which clanked onto the ground, and dislodged dust from the walls. Teknall’s head turned towards the source of the explosion, although he was unperturbed. ”It’s just Kinesis trying out the explosives. She’s fine.”

”She is quite active! I like her, hehe, it seems like it was just yesterday that she was nothing but scribbles on paper sheets.”

Teknall turned his head back to Ilunabar. ”I notice that you’ve been working over in Western Mesathalassa, helping to cultivate the civilisations and cultures there.”

The goddess actually widened her eyes, she thought she had been more discreet than that. ”Oh, you noticed. I guess magical crowns and colorful fishes that work like flags had a bit of my signature on it.” she chuckled lightly, downplaying it. ”Mesathalassa is an unique region in its isolation. Not only from the rest of Galbar… but also from the intrigues of the gods, godlings and those exalted by the former two. In all honesty, we had one approach so far of serving mankind with godly empires led by exalted heroes or demi-gods. However, looking at Alefpria, Xerxes, Dundee… can you say it worked?”

”No, not really. Those civilisations blossomed in their time, but their growth was fully dependent on their divine patrons, who were themselves targets for divine meddling. Amartia’s power went to his head and he waged war on the pantheon, with well-known consequences. Amestria is now a squabble of city states, who could probably contest with Mesathalassa if they could move on from their god-king days. Lifprasil’s hubris led to his debilitation, and now Alefpria stagnates, although Jvan’s been trying to salvage pieces of it, and existing trade connections means it continues to be of influence. Lazarus- I don’t even know where Lazarus has disappeared to. Probably some experiment gone awry. Regardless, Dundee has been laid to waste by magma elementals, and the dwarves have dispersed leader-less to their other citadels and to their colonies on the other planets. But those are not the only civilisations. Metera is currently flourishing, in no small part due to Chiral Phi’s bureaucratic mastery, although they have little space to grow. The Rovaick have a fairly sturdy civilisation stretching through the Ironhearts, forged in conflict and hardship, most of that time spent independent of us gods. We’re yet to see the full results of Toun’s strong theocratic influence there. The region of Yorum also developed independently of the gods and other civilisations, although Toun has stretched his influence there too, but otherwise it’s not dissimilar to conditions in Mesathalassa. Vetros, though led by a mortal lineage exalted by Zephyrion, has also received little attention from most of the pantheon, and it is a flourishing place and one of the oldest single civilisations on Galbar. Neighbouring Rukbany has been around a similar amount of time, and has received even less divine attention. The Ogres have formed a strong and alarmingly expansionist empire under their immortal leader Ommok, although all evidence indicates that if Ommok is ever removed from the picture their empire will quickly splinter and turn in on itself. The Grotlings, the resurrected Pronobii, and whatever Vestec’s cooking up on the Changing Plains are too new to tell if anything good will come from them. The Valley of Peace, well, nothing really happens there. Then we have the Tlacans in Axotal, in the kingdom Tauga and Heartworm have been building there. We see the sort of rapid technological advance that is characteristic of god-led kingdoms. Yet…” Teknall hesitated, then continued, ”With Heartworm gone, I fear we may see another collapse.

”Then there is Mesathalassa. While it’s definitely been sheltered from most of the gods, it’s hardly been sheltered from you.” Teknall chuckled. ”While you take a relatively hands-off approach, you have been extremely active all the same. You inject cultural, technological and political pressure in just the right points to make things keep moving. And then you’ve just been dumping industrial quantities of dream-magic on the northern border, which is already producing some havoc.

”But, I suppose, your influence for the most part is covert rather than overt, and that makes the difference. We can see that the pattern of a lasting civilisation involves that civilisation being mostly mortal-driven. This gives them astounding resilience against conflicts happening within the pantheon, and, in the words of Phi, mortals are power; it is amazing what they can achieve if allowed to do so.”

Ilunabar chuckled. ”You overestimate how much I have done in Mesathalassa. The injection of dream-magic, or, in proper terms, Glamour, in the north is mostly accidental. Furthermore, the way I am influencing mortals, it has a certain philosophy to it, all of it is within the realm of the possible, futures that could have existed even in a godless world. All I do is to make sure that certain talented people do not get distracted by a small butterfly and end up missing the opportunity that would lead them to glory, among other examples. By keep such a limit, I have found I can do my duty towards mortals without ruining the, eh… organic aspect of their societies.

”The value of that goes beyond the lack of a reliance on divine sources. I have yet to find the proper words to describe it, but it is quite amazing… Take the gods they worship, for example, in one land they fused Toun and Niciel into one god that is both gentle and vengeful; in another, they think Toun is your severed hand; in another, there is no Toun, but many other gods, some of which are real. It’s curious how mortals can create gods with more ease than the divine themselves.

"I have never mentioned it to you, but in the Raka, I can access the dreams and tales of Arcon. It was a truly eye opening experience, as it is such a different world that the humans from there almost feel like a different species from the ones found here. Godly presence there was both ever-present and almost inexistent. Comparing what I found there with what was here was what truly made me question the godking empires, despite their great success at the time. This led me through many phases. At first, I thought about just becoming a distant observer, but I am not like Niciel; my hand itches to act even when I am scared and inaction is torture like no other to my mind, I watched idly as a city with great potential was slowly reconquered by the dust, that showed me I was taking the wrong path. I started to think about how means justified the end, and for a moment truly thought I could act like some sort of Phi, influencing the many pieces in a great scheme, yet, once again, I failed at that. When faced with a situation where my plan would need to destroy the happiness of a person who really deserved it… I just couldn’t, even if it would bring joy to many at the cost of one.

”Forced in a situation where inaction and action where both flawed choices, I was struggling to find a way to act. Thankfully, the Pictariaka and its archives made it easy to revisit eons of history, and Galbar itself held many living examples of divine-mortal interaction, as you mentioned. Post-realta Vetros, Yorum, and, curiously, the city of Thau, which would not have reached its heights had my plans succeeded. Unlike Arcon, Galbar needs some level of divine guidance, there is a reason why galbarian humans are different despite the relatively small time passed since their arrival, the hazards are plenty and in some regions it was hard to find an elder who had lived in the same village for his whole life without facing a tragedy or three that ruined everything they knew in instants.

”It took me a while, but I finally elaborated a plan and started to test it in Mesathalassa. Above all, the core of it is a just and impartial one, favorites would not be picked, if two warring cities had generals with great potential then both could be blessed; Instead of giving mortals knowledge or divine teachers, I focused on enabling local potential and, most importantly, making sure there is no great loss of knowledge and tradition, going as far as making copies of lost writings and reintroducing them to the culture. I applied some control of the nature, such as gently, very gently, manipulating elementals so they are more of the Nymph sort, which despite being a swear word that compares these gentler elementals to insect larvae, are typically much better to have around a capital than living typhoons, yet natural disasters, such as droughts, should be allowed to exist.”

Ilunabar sighed ”It is all very early, I am still rethinking much of it and finding new ways to keep a healthy balance of measures. I do not know the future of the region, that is the whole point of the system I am trying to create. As the grand parade becomes larger and more sophisticated and as the Pictaraika reaches its full functionality, I will probably have a much better structure to manage so much minutiae. In fact, I could even expand it beyond Mesathalassa, maybe to the successors of Dundee, or… well, to wherever a nice temple or palace would fit.”

”It is a good system. The diversity and creativity it spawns is quite refreshing. I’m still looking to contribute more to Galbarian civilisations myself. I spent a very long time as Stone Chipper, and while that has yielded a bountiful harvest among the hain, I missed out on contributing to the early cities of other species. It left me with a lot of catching up to do. The dwarves are probably a good fit for my abilities; they have a space-faring empire well ahead of their time, and with Lazarus gone they have no one to teach them vital skills to make the most of their position. If I can beat Jvan to it.”

The goddess smiled. ”I think it did well to you, to travel the lands as a Hain. Despite the dispassionate nature of your realm, you managed to stay ever empathetic to mortal struggles, and that is admirable. I am actually already acting a little on the dwarven successor states, a little mission and a lot of data collection. If the latter is of use, it is available in the Index, which is, of course, always open to you.”

”Thank you, Ilunabar. I shall peruse the Index some time, then.” There was a loud hiss of pressurised gas and a yelp from down the corridor. Teknall glanced in that direction. ”I think I should see to Kinesis first,” Teknall looked down at the modified Lazarusian divinity detector he was still holding and put it in his apron pocket before adding, ”and other pressing matters, too. But thank you for this good conversation.”

For a moment the muse had genuine worry on her face, she then shook her head and smiled. ”Yes. When you visit again, do not forget to say hi, this was a pleasant conversation despite the explosions and smoke, imagine how nice it could be with some tea, a quaint location and a brighter day.”

”Indeed. I’ll see you later, Ilunabar,” Teknall said. He gave Ilunabar a brief hug, then headed off down the corridor.

A little meeting

Kinesis is in Pictaraika, doing Machinery work such as optimising the marionettes and building an elevator. (Free Machinery action) She is quite enjoying herself. (-6 MP to level up from 4 to 5)

Teknall pops by for a chat and catch-up. It is revealed that Teknall is aware of Jydshi’s status, and also that he has been watching Conata closely and relaying the stories to Kinesis. Teknall will tell Conata who her father is soon, promise.

The real reason for this visit, though, is that Teknall is warning Kinesis of the threat of Xos as part of his promise to be vigilant. Kinesis should be safe in Pictaraika, or so they hope. Meanwhile Teknall will keep a close watch over Conata.

Noting that Kinesis is unarmed and has zero combat training, Teknall offers her a bunch of alchemical munitions and teaches her how to make explosives. (Free Alchemy and Armaments action)

Ilunabar arrives. Ilunabar and Teknall go off to have a private conversation, which Ilunabar makes super private with mirror illusions.

They discuss Xos. There is concerns that Xos is in possession of the scrying mirror Ilunabar had built. Eventually, Ilunabar tweaks the prototype god-detector Lazarus had given to Teknall a while back such that it will track the activity of the mirror (I’m guessing this was done as a free Glass and Jewelry action, considering Ilunabar has no Might).

Ilunabar hasn’t looked at Jvan’s message-in-a-brain, although she should probably retrieve it before its contents leak into Raka or something.

The conversation turns to Mesathalassa and civilisations. A lot of words, although general consensus seems to be that godkings don’t really work out and that mortals need some room to grow on their own (although total inactivity doesn’t work for Galbar either). Some interest is expressed in the dwarves, whose present state provides opportunities to those inclined to civilisation-building.

Kinesis Might Summary
Start: 23.5 MP, Level 4
Spent: 6 MP for +1 Level
End: 17.5 MP, Level 5

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Turn change incoming!

After 9 months of waiting, we've finally decided to tick the Turn counter over. You all have about 1 week. Please update the spreadsheet with your current Might.

P.S. The spreadsheet is on the 0'th post of the IC.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

@LokiLeo789 We're chugging along slowly but surely, don't you worry.