STATUS:
Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've just... been struggling to get the energy to write something up. I'm trying some new meds through so hopefully that will change soon.
9 yrs ago
Current
Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I've just... been struggling to get the energy to write something up. I'm trying some new meds through so hopefully that will change soon.
Within the first minute of coming into being, disagreements and struggle about who should be in charge had began. While he was sure that others would quickly jump in and naturally playful debate would turn into bitter arguments and brutal warfare that would last until the end that their creator had predicted, Vatarr instead quietly walked up to the body of their fallen... Father? Predecessor?
The horned skull of his head tilted slightly as he pondered the question for a moment before he reached out to press two of his fingers against the corpses forehead, their eyes closing for just a moment as the knowledge that the dead god had wished to share was passed onto him, making it three deities with access to it. Ignoring the conversation happening behind him for the moment, he gazed down at the dead god with an unreadable expression, sorting through the rather complex feelings they felt for the stranger that was their creator.
Bowing his head as a third finger was pressed against the head of the deceased, Vatarr closed their eyes in quiet respect and mourning, there was a small build up of their divine power before it faded away, leaving no trace of what it might have been used for before he brushed his fingers away as he turned and grinned as he stepped towards his fellows. "Come now. It's not as if the world is coming to an end right this minute. We have time for everyone who desires to make their case as to why we should follow them to step forward and do so. While clearly Monica and... he paused for a moment as his head tilted, looking at the 'older sister' for a moment before finishing in a playful tease "Whoever the old hag is have already stepped forward, I'm sure there are others who wish to step forwards and speak up."
Vataar pays respects to their... whatever Peninal was to them, using some might for... something and then turning around and saying "Calm down. We've got time to work this out. Who else thinks they should be in charge?"
Vatarr created maggots inside of Peninals skull while he was paying his respects in order to start the decomposing process as soon as possible, tailored made to consume and break down divine flesh and material.
1 Might to create maggots... inside of Peninal's skull. 1 Might is spend so they can eat divine tissue rather quickly.
As a deity that represents the cycle of life, death and renewal Vatarr's form is in something of a state in-between all three of those states at once. Standing above humans in height, Vatarr's body is a mixture of plant and meat that is in a slow but constant state of flex; There will be parts of his body that are in fully bloom/in prime condition, others that are actively rotting and falling off in chunks like decaying meat on a body being moved... with a third section that is clearly new flesh and plants that are actively growing. As the older parts start to decay and die and the newer growths flourish in the fertile patches left once the rotting process is complete, it is rare for Vatarr to look exactly the same in-between meetings with them.
The one constant is their head, which has a mask/skull like quality to it, covered by growths and bumps that on closer inspection turn out to be a variety of fungi. The horns appear to be optional, appearing in different states of growth at Vatarr's desire.
Personality: Vatarr is a jolly fellow who never seems to be without a smile on their face. No matter the circumstances that arise, Vatarr will always consider and act like he is talking to a friend he has known for eons, be they god or mortal. This doesn't necessarily means he'll intervene in a given situation since strive, suffering and death are all natural parts of life... but he'll happily listen as someone vents about their troubles all the same.
Will: Life, Death and Renewal/Rebirth. Where other deities are hung up on life having to be a certain way, Vatarr is more concerned with creating a world in which life happens at all. To him, the ideal world that could be created is one in which life and death are apart of the same never ending cycle: Living things are born and live out their lives pursuing their desires before one day they will lay down and die, their remains returning to the world and enriching it, allowing for new life to be created and for the cycle to start again.
In the event of total victory, Vatarr's ideal world wouldn't have a fixed form. Species, the environment, weather... all of it would be left to their own devices without any interference. The only time Vatarr would act would be in the event that something happened to wipe out all life on the planet in such a way that nothing can survive and new life cannot form... in which case he will seed the world with life anew and restart the cycle anew.
As a deity that represents the cycle of life, death and renewal Vatarr's form is in something of a state in-between all three of those states at once. Standing above humans in height, Vatarr's body is a mixture of plant and meat that is in a slow but constant state of flex; There will be parts of his body that are in fully bloom/in prime condition, others that are actively rotting and falling off in chunks like decaying meat on a body being moved... with a third section that is clearly new flesh and plants that are actively growing. As the older parts start to decay and die and the newer growths flourish in the fertile patches left once the rotting process is complete, it is rare for Vatarr to look exactly the same in-between meetings with them.
The one constant is their head, which has a mask/skull like quality to it, covered by growths and bumps that on closer inspection turn out to be a variety of fungi. The horns appear to be optional, appearing in different states of growth at Vatarr's desire.
Personality: Vatarr is a jolly fellow who never seems to be without a smile on their face. No matter the circumstances that arise, Vatarr will always consider and act like he is talking to a friend he has known for eons, be they god or mortal. This doesn't necessarily means he'll intervene in a given situation since strive, suffering and death are all natural parts of life... but he'll happily listen as someone vents about their troubles all the same.
Will: Life, Death and Renewal/Rebirth. Where other deities are hung up on life having to be a certain way, Vatarr is more concerned with creating a world in which life happens at all. To him, the ideal world that could be created is one in which life and death are apart of the same never ending cycle: Living things are born and live out their lives pursuing their desires before one day they will lay down and die, their remains returning to the world and enriching it, allowing for new life to be created and for the cycle to start again.
In the event of total victory, Vatarr's ideal world wouldn't have a fixed form. Species, the environment, weather... all of it would be left to their own devices without any interference. The only time Vatarr would act would be in the event that something happened to wipe out all life on the planet in such a way that nothing can survive and new life cannot form... in which case he will seed the world with life anew and restart the cycle anew.
As a deity that represents the cycle of life, death and renewal Vatarr's form is in something of a state in-between all three of those states at once. Standing above humans in height, Vatarr's body is a mixture of plant and meat that is in a slow but constant state of flex; There will be parts of his body that are in fully bloom/in prime condition, others that are actively rotting and falling off in chunks like decaying meat on a body being moved... with a third section that is clearly new flesh and plants that are actively growing. As the older parts start to decay and die and the newer growths flourish in the fertile patches left once the rotting process is complete, it is rare for Vatarr to look exactly the same in-between meetings with them.
The one constant is their head, which has a mask/skull like quality to it, covered by growths and bumps that on closer inspection turn out to be a variety of fungi. The horns appear to be optional, appearing in different states of growth at Vatarr's desire.
Personality: Vatarr is a jolly fellow who never seems to be without a smile on their face. No matter the circumstances that arise, Vatarr will always consider and act like he is talking to a friend he has known for eons, be they god or mortal. This doesn't necessarily means he'll intervene in a given situation since strive, suffering and death are all natural parts of life... but he'll happily listen as someone vents about their troubles all the same.
Will: Life, Death and Renewal/Rebirth. Where other deities are hung up on life having to be a certain way, Vatarr is more concerned with creating a world in which life happens at all. To him, the ideal world that could be created is one in which life and death are apart of the same never ending cycle: Living things are born and live out their lives pursuing their desires before one day they will lay down and die, their remains returning to the world and enriching it, allowing for new life to be created and for the cycle to start again.
Roxanna... kind of lost track of all the people who were hanging around at the moment. She had gone through a big day, fought some freaking monsters, still have some work to do before she could turn in for the night and get some sleep...
Feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her body, Roxanna took a deep breath as she strove to keep things together long enough to get home. "...Look, I'm happy to share my number with people and get numbers in return. However, I've got to get home and purify the kamifuda and kifuda that got dirtied due to the wengidos attacking my stall... melt some wendigo hearts on said fire as well to make sure they can't reform because nothing like a cleansing holy bonfire to deal with the unholy... Maybe we can meet up again under better circumstances, alright?" This wasn't the undying declaration of friendship that MDP was likely hoping for, but 'I'll give you another chance when I'm less grumpy and tired' was the best she was going to get.
Which one moved her legs? Which one lifted her arms? Which one tilted her head and gazed around their surroundings? Though her body had been restored, it did not belong to her, and Fear remained a prisoner, trapped within the tumultuous confines of her fragmented mind. As Annoyance and Pride competed for complete dominance, the remaining weaker voices shrieked and warred with each other in the shadows where Fear had been shoved and had found no way of escaping.
Even as one prisoner among many, she was still given the unique privilege of being pulled forth by Annoyance to the fore of her being where she could watch as a spectator to the heinous acts her demonic self committed with her body. Annoyance and the parasite within her had an accord, as the latter found that while Annoyance provided the most delicious sustenance whenever she lied or murdered, it was not enough without the regret that Fear held in abundance.
Over the course of their journey, the possessed champion could not discern where they had traveled towards, only recognizing that they were still south of the dark ring and nowhere near Keltra. She was left wondering where they would go as she continued to follow Zima, how far, and what terrible suffering they would leave in their wake? She struggled to maintain any semblance of coherent thoughts as the cacophony of incoherent voices continued to scream as they assailed her sanity, and Fear allowed herself to surrender to them once again.
It was Annoyance that spoke aloud, dulcet and mocking with her sweet voice and forked tongue. “When are we going to plant this seed? Jeez, are you still lost and afraid? I’ve a few suggestions if you care to hear them, hmm.” She moved closer to the wraith, capering and humming with every step while internally lashing out at both Fear and Pride like a frenzied animal that howled with vicious laughter.
Zima seemed to drift in an unseen breeze as she walked, never turning her head back to glance at Annoyance. "To think you would be the one so dominant a personality." She grumbled. "I don't care to hear any suggestions, least of all from you. I know precisely where we are going, you would know that if you had any faculties that paid attention." She hissed.
Annoyance let out an amused chuckle while Fear wept, and pressed on. “I’m here because of you, brother. We’ve a special bond. The God of Hunger simply said beyond the desert, and we’re beyond the desert! Anywhere will do now, so…” With a flamboyant display of acrobatics, she languidly tumbled and somersaulted ahead of Zima. She alighted with agility and purpose, before gesturing all around. “Why not here?” She asked.
Zima didn't even look at her as she walked ahead of her. "These plains are far too open. Do you think the God of Hunger would be happy with us if any old mortal came and burned his seed if it was just left out in the open? Think for once, it needs natural defenses, a place it can grow to protect itself." She pointed ahead, and there in the distance came a rocky outcropping that jutted out from the earth, like a sword leaning sideways. "We shall plant it there and sit around for however long it takes for it to root. As per the Lord's wishes." She sighed.
“That was my second suggestion, ya. Seems very natural defenselike, I think. Well then, what are we waiting for!?!” Annoyance said as she leapt high into the air, and then fell back down, before she turned and began marching towards the chosen location with false nobility in her stride, like a drunk warrior about to walk into battle. “We can’t disappoint our Lord, lest I become terribly transformed and you find yourself facing his wrath. Oh it’d be awfully annoying if I lost the seed somehow.” The possessed champion cheerfully called back.
"A tragedy indeed." Zima confirmed. "Though I assure you, no transformation would save you from my own wrath." Zima skirted across the ground and out in front of Fear, gaining the lead as if she were a part of the wind. "Do not tally, and do try to be aware of your surroundings. Who knows, perhaps there might be a snack waiting for you." Zima then resumed her pace and before long they were before the great rock. A solitary hill formed rose with the rock, a great monument it could have been, now used for a more profane act.
"Plant the seed at the base of this rock." Zima pointed to where the hill smoothed out on top, right at the base of the towering behemoth. "Do it and I shall go scout the land for any… Inconveniences."
“You could say please…” Annoyance and Pride replied simultaneously, causing the possessed champion to falter for a moment, until she swiftly strode to where Zima directed, and began digging a small hole. Afterwards, she sank her hand into her chest and pulled out the seed so that she could bury it. In the end, the whole process was rather mundane, as she shoveled dirt roughly to where it was before, and Annoyance sang a short nonsensical song as she stood over her finished work.
"That's one task done." Zima said, hands folded behind her back. "Now we wait in boredom for it to sprout." She looked at Fear. "Once that is done we shall be free to travel where we choose. I have half a mind to return to Keltra to enact some revenge but that would be foolish. If that owl survived," she shot Fear a dark glance, "They may already be looking for us. I've a feeling the next we meet your sister’s it will be out here," she vaguely gestured at the horizon, "Somewhere." She spun and began to pace. "We shall have to be ready for that. Tell me… What secrets might there be to share? What makes the honorable tick?" Her eyes narrowed in devilish intent.
“Hmm… I would say that our names convey much, but is that true? Courage and Curiosity never kept secrets, and Wanderer would say the strangest things when she did speak. It’s a shame I’ve severed my bond with most of them, or you could just ask them yourself. Only little Pride remains, and soon I’ll kill her as well.” Annoyance answered nonchalantly. “It doesn’t matter… Fear wasn’t very honorable, so how should we know?”
"I'm sure Fear keeps secrets, even from you. But no, Fear was not honorable. She tried but failed and now only a coward remains. Say," Zima raised an eyebrow, "Why is that of all your countless personas, only you remain at the forefront? Where is anger or hate? Greed or lust? Why Annoyance? Surely not because I named you that?"
“As I’ve said before; I’m here because of you. Names like Anger and Hate have no meaning when I’m with you. Eh, are you disappointed? Would you prefer someone else? That’s rather rude!” Annoyance feigned hurt, crossing her arms and turning her gaze away from Zima. She then close her eyes and sought where Fear and Pride had sequestered themselves because torturing them would improve her mood, not that she was irked or anything like that, she told herself. With a mental gesture, she summoned forth Anger, Hatred, Greed, and Lust, and commanded them to seek out the missing pieces of her mind and unleash all of their cruelty upon them before bringing them back before her. Externally, Annoyance began to giggle.
"If only…" the wraith murmured. "Don't do anything foolish while I'm away."
It was in the distance that life betrayed its presence in the darkness of Galbar’s night. It started, simply enough, with a spark. A dark red, unnerving flame that seemingly floated by itself as it traveled along the plains at a surprisingly quick speed.
It was joined by other flames coming out of the darkness, all the same disturbing dark red color manifesting an aura of unease into the night. While none of them seemed to share a point of origin, they all appeared to be heading in the same direction. A strange sight to be sure… and mortals would almost certainly have been freaked out by it if any were present to witness it by itself. But it was soon joined by a melody that drifted on the wind, finding a welcome stage in the silence of night. A slow, melancholic yet strangely upbeat and energetic tune that sounded like the very wind itself made it.
Annoyance looked back and forth between the red flames and Zima before she shrugged. “Speak of devils, and they shall appear. My family can be rather dramatic. Hmm… would you rather face them or hide?” She asked, speaking softly.
Zima strode past her and looked out at the peculiar sight. Her brow furrowed. "I doubt this is the work of your siblings. Unless they've suddenly become fleeting flames. Most curious all the same, Annoyance. We should not leave the seed but what if our mere presence beside it were enough to draw attention? Decisions decisions." She mused, gripping her chin with a hand.
While the traveling flames were fleeting in their appearance and the tune on the air faded away, they would prove to be merely the prologue of strange things to appear on this cold and otherwise quiet night. It was the creaking of wooden wheels that was first to be heard, but out of the darkness itself a wagon was pulled.
Its appearance was strange for a few reasons, but the one that would almost certainly be sending a warning into Zima’s head above all else was the fact that there had been no trace of it coming into sight. One moment the plains had been empty apart from the sound of creaking wood… and seemingly within a moment in which neither Zima or the many personalities within the body of what formerly belonged to Fear had been looking at the same spot it had appeared, moving at a steady pace but slowly coming to a stop in front of the pair of them.
Had either of them cared about mortal designs or even just the local mortal cultures they might have registered some decorative and design choices that would have easily exposed that this wagon wasn’t built locally, from the timber used from non-local trees to the black and red coloration the wood appeared to have been colored with. However, even without the knowledge of local customs and designs the steed in question would reveal its outlandish origins, because bugs generally didn’t grow that big here.
Six black legs gracefully and carefully walked the ground, poking out of a cloth like material that covered their body and swayed as it moved. The shape of its body under the strange cloth suggested the body of some kind of beetle, but its head rested at the top of a long, craning neck, hidden under what appeared to be some kind of white mask as it looked down at the pair of them. It was hooked up to pull the wagon… but there weren’t any signs of reins or a means for the driver of the wagon to control it.
Now that the cart had completely stopped, the ‘driver’ in question did in fact leap down from their position. They stood tall, draped in some kind of beautiful cloak and gazing at the pair of them with pure red eyes. There was a brief moment of silence… before the figure offered the pair of them a bow. “Wonderful… Wonderful! I was hoping to run into the stars of the westernlands dreamscape in all their dark, infamous glory. I didn’t expect to come across you so soon though. Still, hiccups are a part of any performance, no matter how planned or rehearsed they might be, and thus all we can do is push on. How are your evenings going, ladies?” The figure spoke with a surprising energy. Some would find it dark and unsettling, but he seemed legitimately happy to see them.
“No, you’re definitely right... My sisters wouldn’t be involved in this… Well then, shall we kill them?” Annoyance asked, tilting her head as she peered beyond the stranger greeting them to the wagon itself, a predatory glitter in her eyes.
The stranger offered a small grin… before they seemed to move from where they had been standing to before the contested body of Fear in the blink of an eye, left hand pulled across his chest by his face and brought down swiftly and harshly against the cheek of Annoyance. There was a crack of something that wasn’t flesh and blood as the world seemed to get… hazy for a second. And then there were two as the personality known as Annoyance was flung away from the main body, for the first time having a form of her very own.
“Why were you seeking us?” Asked Pride with all hint of levity gone, addressing the stranger as she prevented Fear’s body from just collapsing, and choosing to ignore as Annoyance fell backwards until suddenly the second personality was soaring towards Zima and crashed into the spirit, crying aloud. “Oh dear, I seem to have slipped, catch me brother!”
Zima caught Annoyance and then let go once she was steady, "Patience." Zima commanded the personality. If at all any of it had intrigued or alarmed Zima, her face remained neutral as she looked at the newcomer. “You belong to the Keeper, don’t you?” she said with little emotion. “Such a devious trick.” Her eyes danced all around them, as if she saw something more but said nothing else.
“I was empowered by the Creator of the Sea of Dreams, but my loyalties lay with another. While I don’t know the name Keeper, the fey deity does seem to enjoy changing their name at a whim.” the figure answered truthfully, before they turned to gaze at Pride. “My interest was purely that of curiosity. Between the carnage and survivors you’ve left in your collective wakes, your presence serves as a source of dread among the dreamers of this continent, twisted and morphed by story and attempts to explain the unknown. It’s still early days yet, but I have a feeling that the two of you will haunt mortal legends for a very, very long time. Who wouldn’t want to meet such legendary figures in the flesh?”
There was a brief pause as the figure glanced towards Annoyance and Zima before adding with a small degree of amusement “...As a matter of speaking, of course.”
"You fit well enough with what I imagine that deity could conjure, different names or not." Zima tilted her head, slightly narrowing her eyes at the strange being. "I have never heard of this Sea of Dreams but it seems we've left well enough an impression to drag out a seeker, as you say. Curious." She held her hands together letting them fall just below her waist. "Though you may know our names, introductions are in order. I am Zima and that is Fear. She has… She is a bit of a mess, apologies if any of her personas offend you. She will behave, won't she?" It wasn't so much a question but a veiled threat as Zima glanced between Fear and Annoyance. "And who or what, might you be?" She asked the newcomer. "I have never seen the likes of your kind before and this… Power you conjur."
For their part, the cloaked figure shook his head. “Oh no. Your names aren’t mentioned at all. It’s not like you’re in the habit of politely introducing yourselves to people who are going to survive the encounter after all. As for myself… I am Grimm.” There was a small bow with the usage of his name, though nowhere near the extent of the earlier, performance like bow from before. “Truth be told, I’m inclined to offer you both an invitation to the Troupe I’m putting together at the behest of my master. We always need new agents and performers… and I can personally attest to the fact that joining is a wonderful way to start anew with the weight of the past burned away.”
There was an earnest smile on his face as he decided to add “Of course, all of our recruits were damned in some way before they were brought into the Troupe. I’m afraid it would be difficult for any of you to empathize, since despite your current hardships Lady Zima… you passed the trials of the afterlife but decided to return.” The smile faded for a terrible moment of seriousness. “Those who fail don’t usually get the option to go back.”
"Intriguing. You knew not my name but know of that?" Her hands untangled from themselves and fell to her sides. "A creature of mystery indeed."
There was a small shrug. “You are a creature that is between the living and the dead. Considering the murderous fury towards the living that is a hallmark of your performance on the dream scape, this is not your natural state of being. Considering you lack the magical markings of having been raised from the dead by a third party, you came back on your own… and considering those that fail the trials of the afterlife are dumped into the Ashen Planes, you didn’t fail.”
"Perceptive too." She murmured.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to decline your offer, Grimm, as we’ve other obligations elsewhere, and I’ve never been one to pretend the past is something so easily forgotten.” Pride quietly replied, remaining still where she stood before, as Annoyance had begun pacing back and forth excitedly. The second body of Fear came closer to the first with a malicious grin, playfully poking and prodding the back of her previous shape’s head, while the latter simply ignored her presence.
There was a second shrug, before a simple “If you ever change your mind, we’ll happily accept you. However, the night is young and I am needed elsewhere. I wish you good fortune with your endeavors ladies.” For the third time that evening, Grimm bowed before he turned to return to his wagon. He paused for a moment, looking over his shoulder as he added “Oh that reminds me. Do kindly leave the members of my Troupe alone as they go about their business. Death is meaningless to us, but we do have a schedule to keep and delays are annoying.”
"Oh but of course." Zima said, giving a slight bow of her head. "Safe travels." She stared, watching him go. Pride bid him a faint farewell, while Annoyance idly waved once before turning her gaze to Zima and raising a hand as if seeking her attention through the noticeable gesture. “Question! Why are we letting this one speak for us? Joining could’ve been fun, you know.” She asked as she pouted.
Hopping up back onto the wagon, Grimm merely offered a small wave to the girls in question before his strange mount started to skitter away, pulling the wagon behind it. As more and more distance was put between the two parties, Annoyance would feel a firm pull on her person… “Seems my time is up.” She muttered. The pull was mild at first, but in time it became simply too great to ignore as she was recalled back into the tormented body of Fear to rejoin the rest of the offkey chorus.
Zima’s expression soured as the night returned to normal. She turned to Fear with a glowering expression. "Joining would have been counterintuitive. You'd be just another pawn, nothing more. But this little chance encounter does paint one thing in my mind. We need weapons, perhaps our own minions…" She grew silent.
“How pitiful.” Pride murmured, staring at Zima for a time before she shook her head and let out a sigh. It was an arduous effort, protecting Fear from Annoyance, as she also maintained command of their body, but the alternative was letting the latter regain control which would be much worse. The Keeper of Keltra was perhaps a little grateful to Grimm, as he had temporarily banished the worst among Fear’s inner demons from her body. There would be peace for Fear, for a little while.
"Pitiful indeed." Zima hissed back, before she flew off into the night. Off to go scout no doubt, leaving Fear to herselves. Fear was never alone after all, and Pride mentally consoled the one whom this body truly belonged to as she listened to her cry. Now they could only wait for Zima to return, and for the seed they had been given by Yesaris to grow.
-Fear has lost control of herself, and Annoyance becomes bored while wandering with Zima in search of a place to plant the seed given to them from Yesaris.
-There’s a rock outcropping that seems suitable, so they plant the seed there, and afterward have a brief conversation before being interrupted.
-The strange and ethereal arrival of Grimm occurs wherein he offers the two an invitation to join his troupe, but is refused.
-After he leaves, Zima flies off into the night, and Fear has become possessed by Pride.
Raethel took a deep breath as he sat down on the wooden seat, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt some of the pressure on his old bones be eased and letting out a sigh of relief because of it. The scent of the food on the table before him was delicious smelling, but he didn't even think of eating it as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for a conversation that he knew needed to happen, but he had been putting off for some time now.
For the moment he resisted the urge to scratch an inch that had been on his arm for some time now on a patch of skin that had been exposed by the loss of a patch of his paling fur as he breathed deeply again in preparation and spoke aloud to an empty room and an opened door leading to the balcony "Aethel, tender of mana, Raethel Norvegicus the first of the Rattus invites you to discuss a matter of divine relevance over lunch. I hope to see you soon, but I will understand if you are busy."
As far as prayers went it wasn't exactly a great one but the Rattus didn't really pray all that much. Part of Aethel's teachings (and a side effect of having them hang around for an extended period of time) was to only call upon the divine in relation to divine matters. Calling upon them for a matter that could be taken care of by mortal means, even if it was difficult to do so, was just as likely for them to either ignore the plea or be annoyed by mortal laziness as much as they might be inclined to help if you caught them in a good mood.
However, there were benefits for keeping prayer reserved for matters that were truly out of mortal paws and belonged squarely in the paws of the divine. They weren't being distracted by 'lazy' prayers for a start, but they would also take a prayer from the Rattus much more seriously because the matter being brought to their attention was almost certainly worth investigating personally. It also helped to be respectful and offer a meal as the matter was discussed beforehand provided that the situation could afford such a thing (if it couldn't, the meal would be offered afterwards. Basic hospitality was a must after all).
So it was that slightly over a minute after the prayer had been offered and Raethel rested with his eyes closed, Aethel appeared on the balcony in the equine form that they tended to favor around the Rattus, looking around at both the tree that they were going to be meeting in and the settlement around it with an impressed, excited gleam in their eyes. However, before saying anything in regard to that the co-creator of the Rattus stepped into the room and announced "Raethel! It's been a long time and we're not meeting in a desert! You've really gone up in the world, haven't you?" They joked, walking over to take a seat at the table while chuckling softly to themselves.
In fairness, a few chuckles escaped and joined the gods as Raethel's opened eyes gazed back with a smile on his face. "Welcome to the Greenland Dockyard, Master Aethel. We took your challenge to set paw on a landmass that wasn't connected to our homeland seriously and so far settling on Greenland has proven a vital step in relation to that. It's not why I called you, but we're currently giving the ocean craft we intend to complete the challenge with a test voyage from here to the port of Firstbarrows before coming back."
For their part Aethel did look interested in this news, but even as they accepted the offer of a rather tastefully steamed fish with herbs there was a question that needed to be raised. "Wonderful news of course but... why have you asked for my presence? Beyond enjoying this delightful fish I mean."
Raethel... sighed as they finally scratched the itch on their arm. "I am aware that time and age mean little to you Master Aethel, but for a mortal like myself... it catches up to you in the end." Watching as the deity ate their fish, Raethel continued "I am nearing the end of my life. I'm not asking you to change that or anything, but I wanted to discuss with you what would happen to the blessing you gave me back when I first awakened when my time comes. Will it just fade away? Be given to a new Rattus?"
Aethel for their part thought about it until after they had swallowed their mouthful of fish before speaking. "A reasonable concern. The blessing you speak of will not disappear in the event of your death. It will be granted to a new Rattus of my choosing." There was a small, thoughtful pause as the deity considered something... even as they reached up to remove a fish bone from their teeth. "I'll need some time to think of a suitable means of deciding who. Do not worry, your time on this plane of existence isn't as dire as it seems. We will have a successor for your blessing sorted out long before your time comes."
A weight hanging over Raethel's head seemed to lessen at the announcement, relaxing slightly as he reached to start enjoying some of his own fish... before pausing as he requested respectfully "If I might make a suggestion?" Looking at his dining partner, Aethel clearly was eating and wouldn't talk until their mouth was empty again, but with a gesture they made it clear that they would at least hear their champion out. "I would recommend that the next champion in line should be a pup. Young enough to be educated in both their powers and the role they are going to play in society, but old enough not to throw a tantrum and accidentally kill people with the power they have been given. The choice is of course yours, but that is the wisdom I have to offer on the subject."
Aethel chewed silently for a little longer before swallowing, making a thoughtful sound as they slowly nodded. "You make a good argument. I won't promise that it'll play a part in the test itself, but I will try to factor it in." Offering a smile, they quickly changed the subject as they started "Now that the important business has been taken care of for the time being, you will have to introduce me to your cook because I've never tasted anything quite as delicious as this before!"
Raethel prays to Aethel, requesting a face to face meeting to discuss a divine matter over a steamed and seasoned fish dinner. Aethel arrives about a minute later and takes a seat to talk with his champion. Raethel reveals that he is growing old and his time is limited and he wants to know what exactly will happen to his champion blessing when he dies. Aethel answers that the blessing will pass to another Rattus of their choice and now that the matter has been brought to their attention, they will come up with a test or trial in order to figure out who this should be, as well as informing Raethel that he'll easily live long enough for this succession situation to be resolved.
Relieved by this news, Raethel recommends to Aethel that they should try to pick a candidate young enough to be properly educated in both the power of the champion blessing and their future role in society but old enough to understand that they have a lot of power and could easily hurt or kill people by accident and that is a bad thing. Aethel acknowledges that it's a wise piece of council and while they refuse to promise it'll be a deciding factor in the trial they'll create, they will take it into account when designing such trial.
Start: 3
+1 Main character +1 Present for more then a sentence +1 10 Paragraphs. Divine Quest: Claim the Land of Deserts and Hidden Rivers for the Rattus (In progress) Divine Quest: Discover a new land across the sea (Plus discover the ability to sail on the ocean) (In progress) Divine Quest: Create safe passage through the Great Dragon Range so Rattus can explore the other side.
For her part, Roxanna just... looked confused. From the moment MDP started to nearly cry, to the arrival of Lily to calm her down, MDP's response to her request and the Angel... kind of chastising her as well? "Why is everyone acting like I just made fun of her for having a lisp or something? All I did was polity ask that she stop actively baby talking if it wasn't something forced by the transformation because it makes her difficult to understand. She admitted that she doesn't have to, she just does it because she wants too. Just because her and her friend says that she's ditzy isn't an excuse!"
Reaching up to start rubbing her forehead with her thumb and index/middle fingers, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to calm down. She was clearly getting worked up by this and that wouldn't help anyone. Forcing herself to be calm until the boiling frustrating passed and she was actually calm, Roxanna turned her attention fully on MDP as she softly explained "Look, I'm sorry. My parents raised me to always try and speak clearly to show respect to the person trying to have a conversation with you. Even if we've only just met, you are a peer and thus deserve respect as such until I know you better as a person... and all your baby talk says to me is that you don't respect me or anyone else enough to talk to them as an equal. I don't like being talked down to Magical... even if that wasn't your intent."
If there was one thing that having the embodiment of Socialism in ones head, it was that one learned how to express a grievous in a clear, easy to understand manner. Roxanna didn't want to get into a fight over this or to turn MDP into an enemy when she clearly wanted to make friends... but to bury the frustrations and ignore the problem wouldn't change anything. At least this way, MDP would at least see where her frustration was becoming from and hopefully wouldn't take offense to it.
Also there was some kind of drone on her shoulder... and Roxanna felt the need to ask "Is that meant to be there?"
It had taken a great deal of time, but Raethel stood front and center by the waterside of the docks to observe this historic occasion. Years ago, when they had designed craft out of reeds to travel along the River Rattus they had called them water craft. When they colonized Greenland and started using wood as a building material names had changed, with the reed craft taking the humble name of river craft while their wooden descendants claimed the title of water craft.
This new craft through... it would be the first of the true ocean craft. Yes, the water craft before it had traveled the great waters between the two lands of the Rattus successfully but this... this one was designed to fulfill the mandate that Aethel had handed down last time they had been present amongst the Rattus. While the others were suitable for crossing the water that ran between the connected lands of Greenland and Firstbarrows, this one would sail down south along the coast and into the unknown in search of a land that wasn't connected to their home. Where its crew could set down paws on soil that no Rattus could walk to given enough time.
It wouldn't be setting sail today: At least not for its true grand voyage anyway. Today was simply it leaving the dry-dock and entering the water for the first time. The dry dock had been designed with a simply ramp system in mind for the ocean craft to slide down into the water, but with some minor concerns that the craft might have been a bit too big to properly slide two of the water friends had been reluctantly pulled from their local river homes in order to be harnessed up to the craft in order to pull it along and make sure it reached its destination.
Water friends proved rather willing and able to carry or pull along what would be considered heavy loads to the average Rattus, but they never liked being too far away from a source of water or mud in order to rest and play around in. Along the larger tunnels in Firstbarrows in which such transportation was used to quickly move goods, not only was the air generally cool, but at regular intervals along the passage walls were side rooms designed with pools of water and mud aplenty so that any of the creatures that were feeling uncomfortable for having been away from them for a bit too long could take a break and recover.
The same measures had been taken here, only on the surface level rather then underground. The water friends were currently resting comfortably in their respective mud pools, waiting until they were called upon to stand and start pulling. They had even been given baskets filled with plants they liked in order to snack on as they waited for their big moment and they could return to their territory.
And with a word from their carers, that time came as the great beasts rose from the mud, the substance sticking to them or sloshing off in seemingly equal measure as they moved into position to have lines wrapped around them. Wooden supports preventing the ocean craft were knocked away one by one and the crowd watching seemed to hold its breath as the last of the supports gave way and the massive craft started to move...
The presence of the Water Friends proved vital, but not for their intended purpose. The fears about the ocean craft being too big to properly slide down the ramp proved unfounded; Instead it looked like it was all too eager to touch the water. Too eager in fact. For a terrible moment it looked like it was going way to quickly and possibly damage the craft in the process before it had even floated on water for the first time. The powerful grey beasts proved their worth by being quickly turned around and pulling back in the opposite direction, slowing the decent in a major fashion but not quite stopping it, allowing the ocean craft to gently enter the water for the first time.
With disaster averted and the process successful, the crowd of Rattus watching started to cheer and applaud the event, with Raethel reaching up to place a paw on his chest to try and calm his rapidly beating heart. It had been a concern of his for a while now, through one that he kept quiet about. He knew that he had been getting on in years for some time now and under such circumstances one tended to reflect on their mortality, but the slight scare aside this was not going to be a concern for today. But he would need to enact his plan for the future relatively soon in order to make sure that things would carry on without any trouble once he was gone.
But today... today his eyes gazed enough the first true ocean craft and he beamed with pride at how far his people had come.
Raethel watches the first true ocean ship leave the dry dock of Greenland Docks. While there is almost an accident, the presence of hippos tied to the ship in order to assist the process saved the day.
Raethel has some brief concerns about his health in his old age and plans for the future, through those plans are not being shared just yet.
Start: 1
+1 for being there. +1 for being main character
Divine Quest: Claim the Land of Deserts and Hidden Rivers for the Rattus (In progress) Divine Quest: Discover a new land across the sea (Plus discover the ability to sail on the ocean) (In progress) Divine Quest: Create safe passage through the Great Dragon Range so Rattus can explore the other side.
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Not a Sayan
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Veilsight