Crusader Lord

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Leannah

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...This was concerning. It helped her keep evolving her theories, sure, but the test was concerning. Yet its similarity to some big puzzle-filled adventure-action game with a mute elf-eared guy pushing block and yelling 'HIYAH' was enough to put her at some minute sense of ease. Well, a minute bit more at ease was the better way to phrase it, really, as she was still dealing with a puzzle from a seemingly-mad God of Knowledge that she'd managed to get in am upbeat mood by suggesting a 'game'. Perhaps otherwise it was a bad idea in hindsight, but at the same time it was not as bad as other potential outcomes when she was having to ad-lib on the spot to keep her furry tail and hide intact.

Well, if Lazhira knew this temple well enough then perhaps she'd find where that crystal had been left. Not that it was connected to this place at all, if anywhere else was connected to this place at all beyond these rooms, but it'd be a hopeful sign that Leannah had been there and that something was 'up'. Hopefully Narkissa and the other guy were also ok for that matter, not that the latter had ever been introduced to her. Wait. She hadn't even asked him in the first place!

The catgirl slapped her forehead lightly with the palm of her right hand, before letting out a sigh and stretching her arms and legs. It was a moment or few to think for a second before acting this time.

'Well it seems I was wrong about his mother...Delphiti was his mother then? So the other 'goddess' is his 'Auntie' then perhaps? That would explain the moon thing when I first saw her, and the hooded person dropping the white-eyed child into the ocean.

Plus if that place was meant to lock her up, or whichever goddess of all things, then the whole cracking glass, moon turning red and all stuff when I first met her was maybe like some prison alarm going off or something? Maybe something Delphiti placed on her or did to keeps tabs on her?'

It was a another big leap to take, and like anything else prior was potentially far from being right (or alternately far from wrong) in some fashion or another.

But all the same she would walk over, putting the note on the operating table to be held in the picture book with the journal page in her 'inventory' as it were.

'Right...let's get started with this then!'

If the operating table was one clue, though, something was literally 'taken' from another, if 'Knowledge was birthed by The moons demand, but it was knowledge stolen' was any indication. So when the Illuminator mentioned his 'mother', did that mean his 'birth' mother or Delphiti taking him and acting as his 'mother'? The latter currently felt more likely, and if this god was indeed 'mad' enough then a lunar connection was perfect. 'Lunacy', after all, was tied to the moon and madness back in Earth mythology...at least somewhere or another.

It could also mean taking knowledge from the mortals races, or at the very least humanity, and coalescing it into a god perchance? Either that or Ms. Ocean was his Auntie who had some aspect of her stolen by Delphiti and used to make a god of knowledge. All incredibly rough and unrefined guesswork at best on the fly, but it was what she initially had to go on when working on her feet.

From here she would investigate the rest of the main room some more.

Around what seemed to be the door at the top of some stairs on a raised platform were four slots for some round spheres.

Yes, there were those slots on the door that seemed to be slots for some kind of orbs that would act as keys then. That was the most easy assumption to work from initially, so she'd do it. After this would come taking a doorway-side quick glance at each of those four rooms.

The northern room -

Seems to be a rather simple room. A large stream of water runs through the middle of it, and one of the aforementioned statues is submerged pretty far in the stream. The stream moves fairly slowly from one end of a wall to another - a grate at one end while there's one at the other end. You'd need to enter it to see more of it.

The southern room -

Seems to be a room without light, save for the orb in one of the statues on some sort of elevated platform. Hard to see anything else in here as of now.

The eastern room -

Seems to be a completely bare room, except for the statue which is being suspended above the floor by metal chains.

The western room -

Seems...completely out of place. Large glass cylinders line either side of the room with a large black slab of stone against the far wall that pulses slowly with blue energy. A statue sits in front of it. The room reminds you lightly of the prison and the cylinders the things Leannah and the others came out of.

Hmm...interesting.

Notably, you can see what is likely the objective. Various statuettes holding several spheres. The statues also have distinguishing features - one has extremely long, gangly arms. One is standing on some rather tall, slender legs, another has a head with horns similar to the motifs you've seen through the temple, and the fourth has a torso with a large hole in it.

Ok, context clues here were going to be key to figure it out correctly. Likewise the correspondence of the orb-holding statue in each room in turn to something back in the Library puzzle was especially useful. Would she overthink it? Likely. But having solved the Library puzzle she knew this:

The stone necklace upon the vase holding the statue. The crystal sphere on the outstretched hand. The Crystal necklace on the hooded figure's neck. Immediately upon placing the last object upon where it last rested, there was an audible click.

Yes. Ok. So she had some stuff to put together first so she could build her knowledge base, then she could try to apply what she'd learned thus far to the room with some context clues and so forth.

One-

A statue of what seems to be a woman in a flowing robe. She is holding a vase in her hands, and is sitting upon some sort of pillar. Water flows from the vase into a cistern below. The statue smirks knowingly. Its centered at the back of the room against the wall. Bookshelves flank either side of it.

“Thus, the exodus was made. The beloved Sage led from the place of birth, the heretics cursed to remain. The moon wept once more, the cistern overflowing, and brought life back to the land. This, would in turn give birth to Knowledge, which in turn gave birth to the desire for the secrets of the Oceans. Desire turned into actuality, and thus a seal was made by their accord.”

-...this was the statue with a 'knowing' smirk and inscription back in the Library. Aka: The Smirking Statue. It got the heavy carved necklace upon its neck, which came from the Hooded Figure.

A robed statue is kneeling at the other end. Their face is covered by a hood, arms outstretched towards a carving in the wall. The carving is of a crescent moon, a star situated in the empty part of it. Tears seem to flow down its face into a basin below, where the water collects and flows away under the front wall. Upon their neck is a carved necklace that seems to detach from the statue.

Said Carved Necklace was far heavier than it should have been. Like a great burden, and if the crying part of the Hooded Figure was right then it was a burden like unto mourning and crying or guilt or such. Like something had been lost. This burden was then removed from the crying Hooded Figure, being placed on the Smirking Statue who had been holding the vase that had the Crystal Orb in it.

This led to the Crystal Orb's end location, as it was taken from the Smirking Statue and given to-

Another statue is tucked away on the wall opposite to the door you had walked in. A rather macabre thing this one is. A two faced bust statue that seems somewhat to resemble a pair of theater masks, split down the middle of an old man angrily shouting and a woman laughing manically. Atop the head, some sort of claw is reaching up, many tentacles and appendages reaching for the ceiling as though its trying to grab something.

...The Two-Faced Bust, which had a hand reaching up for something.

She still assumed this one was The Illuminator. A two-faced mad god, at one time happy and jovial and at others full of anger and hatred. Just like he'd been in front of her in their short experience around each other. If not that, then Delphiti herself was the mad goddess, given the associations of the moon with lunacy or madness.

Right or wrong, the hand had received the Crystal Orb, which if it was the "Secrets of the Oceans" in any capacity was so desired by the hand. So whoever it was had wanted to get those secrets, whichever deity it was anyways, and had achieved this somehow.

Then the final object: The Crystal Necklace.

A final statue, this time on the same wall as the one you walked in on. Rather than a person, it seems to be some sort of carving. Of a tower. You might vaguely recall the same tower you saw off in the distance in the prison you woke up in. Seems as though it might be hollow.

Said necklace came from the Hollow Tower, which had been a prison for the Illuminator's 'Auntie' if he was to be believed. This had been placed on the Hooded Figure statue.

So what did this all mean in the end? What did it translate to, which might help her in this new puzzle about The Illuminator's origins and history?

The Smirking Statue was holding a vase that contained what could be the "Secrets of the Oceans" in it, which was to be given to the hand reaching out from the Two-Faced Bust.

The Hooded Figure bore a great burden, in the form of the heavier-than-it-seemed Carved Necklace, which was given to the Smirking Statue and ultimately put into the vase it held.

The Hollow Tower contained the Crystal Necklace, which was given to the Hooded Figure after breaking open the Tower.

Ok. Now to try to make a story out of it.

The Prison she and the others were formed in was made to contain a goddess, The Illuminator's "Auntie" as it were. Likewise he had noted he helped his 'mother' make herself and the other world-jumping peoples' bodies, and he knew they were reincarnates. A crescent moon was on the dark pillar that 'sealed the way' to the prison. Also 'Knowledge was birthed by The moons demand, but it was knowledge stolen'. Like it was 'foolish mortal pride' that maybe led that...'thing' in the prison to be that way.

“The old tower...the old Lab...it was before my time, but she lets me play with the inmates every now and then. Really, poor sods the lot of them. All because they wanted to lock auntie up. Ah well, mortals will be prideful and foolish mortals...that’s what makes them fun.”

Yes. That as well.

Time to theory-test then.

A goddess, Delphiti, made the lab to create life, but eventually most of the humans she made there left. The remaining humans wanted to do something horrible, aka: lock The Illuminator's aunt. A goddess. Delphiti mourned this, as well as how those that remained sought to chain up a goddess...her sister...potentially an Ocean Goddess. So for this they were punished, doomed to be eternal toys for The Illuminator and his mother's permission Likewise that statue golem killing machine thing was put there to prevent them from escaping. That lattermost bit was the small part that made a lot of sense and seemed more grounded. Foolish mortal pride, thinking they could contain if not chain-up a goddess on a goddess' turf no less.

If running the place was the 'burden' that the Carved Necklace represented, then Delphiti handed off the 'Warden' position there to The Illuminator's Aunt. It was a great weight to her to bear all the crap from there thus far, so she simply handed it off without giving up dominion of the place itself. After all, The Illuminator had noted that he'd helped his mother make her and the others' bodies, as well as being allowed to toy with the 'inmates' there. But why hand off Warden-ship to the goddess who others were trying to lock up in there? That was a big question.

Still, the Crystal Necklace had gone to the Hooded Figure she had assumed was Delphiti in the Library puzzle. So did the mantle of Ocean Goddess get taken by Delphiti in exchange for making her sister the warden of the prison? Either way Delphiti was, if Lazhira's tale about the legend was true it meant Delphiti owned the oceans and manifested life from them after that. It 'brought life back to the land', and she had abandoned the use of the now-prison. This also led to the birth of The Illuminator himself, whose existence led to a desire for the 'Secrets of the Oceans' or what potentially was analogous to 'how to create life'.

If Delphiti, his mother, held these secrets and power, then she'd likely stolen it or the secrets of how to create life from her Ocean Goddess sister in their 'trade', forcing her burden on her and using those Secrets of the Oceans to birth new life from the Ocean. Maybe she even made the lab with her sister's help, before or after stealing that knowledge. Regardless, in turn The Illuminator desired this knowledge from his mother. So she gave it to him, the "Secrets of the Oceans" as it were, but this deal was a pact to hand over this knowledge in return for sealing away the prison complex forever. And even if the sister goddess wasn't a 'Warden', per-say, the 'Secrets of the Oceans' were stolen from her.

In other words, Delphiti made a lab to create humans with or without the help of a potential sister Ocean Goddess. In time a division of opinion happened among the humans, and most left whilst the 'heretics' stayed to try to lock up her sister...also a goddess. This failed terribly, resulting in Delphiti mourning not only being abandoned by her creations but also how some of them turned on the gods in their vanity and 'foolish pride'.

Having had enough of the crap, Delphiti took the "Secrets of the Oceans" represented by the Crystal Necklace and left. She took this knowledge from her sister, who the 'inmates' had attempted to lock up, and used it to take control fully over the oceans and birth new life into the world. Thus 'The moon wept once more, the cistern overflowing, and brought life back to the land' made perfect sense, as once again life returned to the lands of the world by her actions. This making of life by Delphiti would lead to the birth of The Illuminator, her 'son', who would in time desire the 'Secrets of the Oceans' for himself. So Delphiti made a deal with him, a pact as it were, to satiate his desire for this knowledge but also clean up her 'old messes' in the process. He helped her seal away the 'old lab' in return for the knowledge he so greatly desired, which he so desperately wanted. In that sense Delphiti and The Illuminator were kind of 'Wardens' of that prison then, not another goddess.

Then, however many centuries or millennia later, a goddess had gotten ahold of the souls of herself and several others from Earth. Either it was a facet or side of Delphiti, that Ocean Goddess sister theory proved true, or someone else. Had Delphiti snapped and split herself into two goddesses, by thus making a hot mess of things? But that goddess made the bodies, and The Illuminator had helped her by his own words...as well as calling her 'mother'. Then, in essence, was Delphiti a damaged, broken goddess who had lost herself in making life, stealing the secrets to create it and not being in a rather good spot?

Ugh. She was making her own brain hurt. For a second, then, the catgirl lied down on the operating table to rest her head. Whilst she did she'd look for anything suspicious or so forth, if it didn't clamp on her like some trap, and whether something was found or not she'd ultimately get off of the operating table.

From here Leannah would scour the main room, from the door the the operating table to anything else in there as closely and as detailed as she could in a similar process. Ceiling, floor, slots, weak tiles, breakable things, inscriptions, etc. Anything she could get. Yet whether anything was gained or not from the efforts she would eventually wrap up her investigation and enter the Western Room...the one that looked like the prison complex she and the others had escaped from.

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Arira - Goddess of Cycles

Rise of the Brynlic

A collab by @Zinita and @Crusader Lord

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When the Coilbrywen arrived in this world, they quickly noticed their group was too big to be sustained by the deadlands under the eternal night. While their supplies from the dimension they previously inhabited would help for some time, soon they would need to scavenge for food, and as such it was decided that they would split up in three bands of numbers more fit to survive of the little the wastelands could provide.

Realta the Lucky’s group so far hadn’t had, quite ironically, a lot of luck. At least it seemed the world was slowly becoming more fit for them to live with a day-night cycle and gente rains, but the lack of forests was disencouraging. They did find a swamp, but it just wasn’t the type of land fit for them, while their hooves-like feet were good for hills and forests, in the mud they were too short and immobile to be useful, so the group merely gathered what they could and continued their nomadic journey in search of good lands.

“But a thousand days have passed since!” said Brynn, finishing another chapter of her chronicle of the group’s adventure. Realta was not pleased at all with the smug tone. But what could she do? Brynn was one of the last who truly believed in her. The youngest Elder of the three bands they had formed, a young adult at the prime age of 50.

“Please add a note saying the days were moving really fast. Otherwise it's just unfair, it has been three days since we stopped here to gather water, and we just stopped.”

“If you double my rations I will'' Brynn joked. “Okay okay. Don’t get pouty.” as she finished adding the note to the paper, a far more grumpy Coilbrywen approached them, saying the jars had been enchanted, fixed and filled with water, it was time to continue their journey.

The young elder sighed, grabbing her things and setting off again. She took the lead which was typically left to the scouts, something she was before she became a leader. It was during that time that she got her surname, famously surviving encounters with forty six deadly creatures out of pure luck. They never realized that her propensity to almost becoming dinner was because she was really, really clumsy, and shy, shy enough she couldn’t turn them down when they made her leader.

“Yeesh.” Brynn shook her head. “That was a cold look back there, you better get that luck working Realta, or they will demote you for sure.”

“People need to stop thinking my luck is outright magic, I can’t just make it so a verdant field just shows up as soon as we are past these rocky hills. Though if they pick someone else as elder, fine, it's shameful but better than this. I think even having been lunch to one of those monsters would have been better than this.”

They continued their short trip, soon moving past the rocks that blocked their view of the horizon, as they skillfully climbed up a hill. When they caught a glimpse of the other side, they gasped in unison. It was a large, verdant field, further still they could see rolling hills, forests and a great lake with no human village in sight. It was paradise.

Brynn whistled and laughed. “Welp. You did it! Quite amazing. Now you are basically an elder for life.” the chronicle keeper laughed, the mood of the others had also immediately shifted, it was only Realta who was having mixed feelings over the prospect of at least one more century of leadership in her future.

The small furry humanoids quickly moved to the fields with newfound energy, setting up a small camp and starting to scout the area for things fit to transform and domesticate and places that could be good to settle.

---

Far away, deep into the woods and farther beyond even the rolling hills and smaller forests and such, a certain goddess was hovering over the treetops as she zoomed over it using divine power. It had been her first task, before anything else, to observe these lands after the rejuvenation of this region into something...and a short rest. The freshwater inland sea was something of note, and the rivers as well as one great lake to the north would provide plenty of water and space. The generic wildlife seemed to enjoy it, and the cordgrass and cardinal bushes seemed to work well where they had been specially placed. The trees were alive, birds sang, and all seemed to be well in order for the most part.

She would have to work on her people at the Paradise, as well as fill the land with things to thrive alongside them and make the region a real ‘home’ as it were.

...However, it seemed something or some-things had wandered in already! That much her divine senses could tell from afar. They didn’t seem to be from this Shard of Creation at the least, maybe a creation of another deity? No, they didn’t seem that either. Hmmm. Still, neither did they seem to be hostile or trying to tear up the place.

In that vein the goddess would take pause in the air, looking off in the direction of the interlopers, before letting out a sigh and zooming away in their direction.

---

The Coilbrywen had made a little clearing in the middle of the field where they were now sharing resources, discussing plans, and overall just enjoying that sweet, sweet feeling of hope the fields had given them. The golden age of carelessness however was quickly brought to an end as from their place in the small hill they could hear a loud noise, trees shaking and a whirlwind trail of leaves.

Realta stood still, looking up at the incoming creature in a passive stance, all others were either hiding behind her to use her as a human shield or scurrying off, hiding into burrows and fallen logs. The elder however knew that it was not worth running, that thing was clearly very powerful, likely divine, so she simply adjusted her blue hair and long furry ears to make herself more presentable to whatever was coming in the chance it wasn’t set on murdering them.

And indeed, the Coilbrywen would not have to wait long for whatever was approaching them to arrive. Descending down slowly upon them, after she stopped in the air over the correct spot, was another humanoid being. Her skin was impeccably fair, softer and smoother than silk and without blemish. Her hair was long and tan, or perhaps a very fair blonde, and even her grey-blue eyes seemed to shine with a beautiful countenance about her. Golden ornaments of beyond-mortal make clung to her body all around, and she was wearing a beautiful light blue gown. Even a crown of leaves and berries sat atop her head, as if to mark her as having authority of some kind, though her mouth seemed to be twisted into an inquisitive look.

As she landed on the ground before Realta, Arira took a distinct pause and gave a brief glance around the area before looking back at the elder before her. Then the moment of realization and reflection came.

“Ah. My sincerest apologies, little ones, I seem to hath frightened you a good bit with mine arrival indeed.” she said in a gentle and soft tone, before giving a very light yet humble bow, “I am Arira, Goddess of Cycles, and by mine power hath I seeded this land to stand as an example of what I pray the rest of the world whilst receive in due time.

Pray tell, however, what are you, and how did you come to be in this Shard of Creation?”

She’d just done the things the other gods had done to her people, but to these ones. Ironic.

Realta, while initially calm, soon started to become a bit more tense as the goddess started to speak. She was expecting a god but a polite one just meant she had to put an effort into what she had to say. She fiddled with her wooly poncho and her tail moved about nervously, almost in a wag. “Ah. You see… We are the uhm. Coilbrywen. We came here… by accident?”

Brynn, a short Coilbrywen with fluffy white hair, a pair of ram-like horns and olive skin, soon peeked from behind her friend and leader, and soon seeing the situation, advanced to also greet the goddess. “We who stand in front of you, oh graceful goddess, are the Coilbrywen. We were stuck in a world of wilderness for countless generations, our homeland lost even to our memory. Recently, however, a sister of yours, the goddess of storms, Paratiri, entered said realm and in that way she opened the path for us to come into this world of yours.” she bowed cordially to Arira, crossing one goat leg over the other

The young elder sighed in relief as her friend did a proper introduction. She took a long breath and calmed herself. “There are not many of us. Only my band and two more very far away, I am the leader of this group, Elder Realta the Lucky. I hope our presence here is not troublesome to you, oh uhm… awesome…? Goddess.” As she talked, the rest of the group left their hidey places, a band of small fluffy humanoids, many had furred limbs and bodies, some were mostly smooth skinned like humans, all of them had tails and long ears. They did not have much at the moment, a cart with jars of water that emanated an alien magical aura, a bit of food. Some wore rags while others even lacked clothes.

The goddess gave a nod as Brynn introduced herself, but even so listened intently to the two females as they explained their peoples’ situation. Arira even put a hand to her own chin, however, as her brows would soon furrow in deep thought after the two Coilbrywen spoke and the other emerged from their hiding. Yet soon she would let out a small sigh, lowering her hand to her side once more and gently smiling at Brynn and Realta.

“Your journey has been long and arduous indeed, little ones, though I must confess Paratiti and I have never had the chance to be acquainted. It seems, however, that she left you wanderers in a strange and devastated world by consequence of her actions.

Yet all has led to your arrival here, and such is a blessing indeed. Wherefore, fear me not oh Children of the Wandering Wood, Coilbrywen, for I have an offer to make to you if you all are willing.”

Soon the whispering and chitchat started behind the young elder and her loyal friend. Small voices talking about how this goddess was totally better than the last one they met, how she was so nice and pretty and not murderous, and that they should agree to whatever she asks, but Brynn soon stared at them and did a little gesture with her hand saying they should keep it down.

Realta took a moment looking up at the goddess, “The journey was long but we never lost hope, yet never even in my dreams had I hoped to stumble upon a land of such beauty. What is your proposal, goddess, we are small but willing to help anyone who shows us generosity.”

Arira simply smiled a little wider in return.

“Then I shall give thee mine blessing, a transformation that will shape thee into something familiar yet greater. Something similar to thine selves as thou art now, but which shall allow thee to yet greater prosper. I shall also take a few of thee after, a few to grow and prosper in mine own paradise. That is all I asketh of thee.

In return, thou wilt have reign to live upon this land and prosper for er’more. To have homes and places to build, to make mischief and peace, and so forth as thine seed shall do from this day hence.

But know this, that others shall be seeded here as well over time, and there wilt be other peoples who come to live here. Such are the ways of mortals. Not always shall there be peace, not always shall there be war. Not always a feast, yet naught always a famine.”

The goddess then spread her arms widely, as if to gesture out to all the Coilbrywen, “So...what sayest thee, oh Children of the Wandering Wood? Wilt thou make this pact with me, and be among those peoples that shall be mine children evermore?”

The proposal was quite radical, even though they were mesmerized with all they had seen so far, the Coilbrywen in general seemed to have many doubts. Brynn thought about saying something, but instead she just smiled at Realta, knowing their rightful leader would talk sense into the others. “It is understandable that there is doubt among you.” the young elder spoke. “But I have faith that Arira means well for us, I have few qualities but seeing the good in others is one of them. Also uh… if she wanted to kidnap us or do something evil she could just do that so yeah…?” the other Coilbrywen were forced to nod, their leader did speak with wisdom.

“Still, I will not force any of you to take this oath, it is not our way to force this upon others.” but as she looked back at her band, she saw that all of them were in agreement at this point. With a sincere smile, Realta turned back to Arira. “We, the Coilbrywen, Children of the Wandering Woods, will accept your generous offer, Arira.” the elder said politely.

Brynn laughed, wiggling in place as she became excited at this. “Transforming sounds so fun. Now that will be some good material to add to the chronicles.” she whispered in a more brattish tone, nothing like the polite one she used for the goddess.

Arira’s smile seemed to be beaming at this point, yet with a solemn nod she would gesture for the Coilbrywen to follow her. All the way she would lead them to the side of the great lake, into a patch of woods on the southwestern side of its banks. Here she would arrange them about her in semicircles, as a mother might arrange her children to tell an old story.

“Oh little ones, take this song I shall sing into your hearts. Pass it down to you children, and you children’s children. Let this song be sung in times of plenty, and to bring hope in times of great sorrow. Let it be sung to herald a new birth, and yet to see off a life whose cycle has ended.

Let this melody be the very song of your people, that by which you shall always know each other and remember where you came from. Let iit stir the memories in your blood of generations that will one day be long passed, that even your descendants shall give heed and respect to what once was.”

Listen To This As You Read

Then...Arira began to sing.

Her voice at first was soft, and yet as it moved on seemed to take on an enchanted tone as the words passed her sweet lips.

The tune was gentle to the ears, like the breeze that now began to blow, and though still as soft as the grass the Colibrywen sat upon.

Yet to the minds of those hearing it brought back, something began to stir to the front of their minds, like lingering things that had ever sat upon the edge of their minds but were returning in vivid detail. Emotions. Memories.

Songs their grandparents used to sing to them near the fire, which brought them comfort in dark times.

The smile of a long-lost friend or sibling who had perished, and the joy that leapt into their breast when playing with them.

Gentle lullabies their mothers would give them, easing the tired body and mind and soul as they drifted off into a sweet slumber.

The warm smile of a father showing them the world for the first time from the comfort of his arms, and the wonder of feeling the air upon their faces for the first time and seeing the brightness of the beautiful sun.

Such were the things that were stirred up within them, and more, but even as such went on they would notice more about them. Sparks of minute white light, and greens and reds and blues and so forth in time, began to appear above the water and flitter about the top of the lake immediately behind Arira. They seemed to dance upon the water with joy, to flit about without a care about the apocalypse that lied beyond those borders.

As these dainty sparks danced, so too the more things come.

Golden drops of light, like an aetherial liquid, began to appear float upward from the waters of the lake...even from the ground that the Coilbrywen sat upon and ground round about that.

More and more the goddess’ voice too seemed to echo about the air, as if the winds and trees and grasses and world were beginning to sing along with her. A warm feeling began to spread throughout the bodies of the people in turn, and if any paid attention their bodies would begin to glow with a faint but spreading silvery light.

Images of beautiful vistas and open plains, of forest untouched and seas uncharted would begin to flow into their minds as well, even more beautiful things that tugged at the heart like a musician to the strings of a harp. The good, the bad, the ugly. The suffering, the salvation. All of it seemed to bubble up all at once more, like a great chorus within each of them.

The silvery light too would spread over their bodies all, and the warmth would sink into the depths of their souls as it did so.

Yet...before one could blink, before any might realize, it would suddenly dissipate about each of them in a shower of celebratory but soft silvery sparks that would quickly vanish. Arira’s voice and the ringing out of the song would soften again to quiet. The sparks on the lake and golden light that floated up to the heavens would eventually fade and disappear. Even the emotions and memories too would return to where they once more.

...And so it was done. Though only after a moment of still, soft silence did the goddess speak up once more, a single tear rolling down one of her cheeks. .

“Rise...my children. First of my beautiful children made on this land, oh Children of the Feywoods, oh sweet...sweet Brynlic…” she said, even as a few more small tears began to roll down her cheeks, “Oh my...t-this is a most welcome warmness I feel within mine breast…a beautiful thing, though it brings me to tears...oh my children...”

The Brynlic were dazed for a moment, their minds still returning from the moment of memories and wonder they had just experienced, their reflexes adapting to the new aspects of their bodies. While there existed some Coilbrywen that were fully furred before, the shape the goddess had gifted for them was far more consistent, a full coat of dazzling beauty, fluffy and warm. They took a long moment marveling at it as they looked at their reflection upon the lake waters.

Brynn was the first one to look up, towards Arira, with a satisfied smile at her new puff cloud aesthetic. She saw the goddess crying in joy and decided to casually approach her, unlike any other of her band could. “Hey. This is pretty great. You are truly amazing… and I want to give you a thank you hug.” she extended her hands towards the goddess, simply ignoring the hierarchy like only a trickster brat could.

Arira would gently go down to her knees, only to accept the hug from Brynn wholeheartedly and silently. No talking, just a hug. A warm, fuzzy hug from what was now a magical fey folk...but also her children. She was simply so happy, however, that one question didn’t exactly come to mind yet…

...How would her parent react to this?!

Summary

A group of the Coilbrywen entered the territory Arira fixed up, which really has no official name as of yet, and were rapidly noticed by the goddess. She noticed them as she surveyed the land, doing so to double-check her work after a brief resting period post-revitalizing-the-region-around-the-Ariran-Paradise. She managed to naturally spook the poor little folk, which she found ironic, but ultimately heard of their tale of travel and how they got onto this Shard of Creation.

Taking pity on them, but also needing to put some peoples onto the land of her region to settle it, she made the group of Coilbrywen an offer: Be transformed by a pact with me, and you can settle on this land. Of course she let them know life wasn't guaranteed to be perfect, but in the end of the group accepted. Arira then sang a magical divine song that transformed them, and got a hug afterwards. Also Chak has an unofficial adopted mortal race as grandkids now, so that's both exciting as well as terrifying.

MA Summary

1 MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Arira created the race of the Brynlic (a race she considers among 'her children') out of a group of willing Coilbrywen, and has allowed them to initially settle in the north of the region she revitalized.

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Arira - Goddess of Cycles

What Is A Land, But Soil And Sweet Sorrows?

---

The land. The seasons. The cycles, all so broken or absent or incomplete. It tore at her ever so, eternally crying to her for relief. It was night maddening all the same, no matter what work she'd done with the technical and lovely I'Iro, no matter that she'd made her embassy upon Mount Divinus, no matter the help Algrim had been and his kind face, and no matter the myriad times she'd gone back to teach the mortals thus far and continued to educate them and give them guidance. Pain. Continuing pain rippled ever throughout her mind and wracked her body more and more so the longer things went unchecked and unfixed, and there had to be something to do. Her paradise offered only so much solace to somewhat reduce the pains for a moment, a minute place of balance that brought her some relief but far from enough.

"Oh goddess, your visage is most auspicious to this day!"

"Oh blessed Arira, thine countenance is as a lovely morning beam or gentle breeze"

"Oh great one, let thine eyes watch upon our children, that they may grow hearty and strong in thine sight!"

Even the humans showered her with praises, and before them and so many others she kept up her smiling face. Before them she maintained that lovely visage of a goddess, serene and yet more than potent nonetheless. Already it seemed the goods of her paradise were having some effect, with the children that were being born being more vibrant and lovely than the generation prior by some amount. Yes. In due time these humans would be reshaped simply by the intake of the fruit of her divinely-appointed land. It would be some generations yet, but even so it was something significant in her eyes. A fruit of hope to come.

...Yet the pain. The pain she bore was great still, despite it all. But there was something she had realized could be done. Something great, yet which would make her burden easier. If her paradise was a framework for what stable cycles and so forth were, then a greater expanse, lesser much so than her divine paradise, would provide a framework as the cycles of the world were stabilized. A zone that could serve as a general blueprint, a pillar, even a marker to work from and base things on in some respect or another.

A land that bore the fruits of stability, from which she could work to stretch those fruits of stable cycles to the rest of the world. Yes! It was a brilliant idea, though she wished the Goddess of Dreams had been here to discuss it with at this time. Alas. It made her heart pang...or perhaps she was inheriting her parent's dramatic anecdotes. Considering how Chakravarti was, they had perhaps made many another deity bonded to them with closer ties...or had annoyed them into submission with all the subtlety of a thirsty, giant, rampaging beast blitzing toward the nearest pool of water to get a life-sustaining drink.

Even so, it would take much for her to make this work. Other deities had laid certain groundworks, and now she would borrow some of that with her power to make this region right. Whatever races were upon the land would be ministered to by her grace in the days and weeks and such thereafter, organizing them in a general sense so they could live better lives. Of course conflict and so forth was inevitable at some point, but an initial peace from which to build and grow and find rest was at least a start to bettering this shard of creation that floated about the void. It had to be.

So it was that the goddess Arira departed her paradise, her promise to return eventually the same as ever, but this day her mission was something greater than she'd done before this point.

She rose above the land far and wide, moving southeast from her paradise and the great mountains that entirely hid it round-about. Wind whipped past as she flew, propelled by the might of divinity only some ways before she stood high and far above in the air. And yet...

...Below her the land far, far below was charred by apocalypse. Destruction wrought, instability ever-present, demons ever-wandering, the skies ever-tumultuous and inmabalnced, and races that for all she knew would be changed by the power that would soon enter this area. It made her slightly grimace in sorrow at it all, even wince as her pains flared up once more with vigor, though soon she began to take deep breaths. In and out. In and out.

Gently the goddess raised her arms with open palms facing upward, her eyes remaining closed as she envisioned and focused her energies and power outward. The minute seeds of what she'd laid some time ago, right after her birth, began to respond to her touch and in spirit reached out for her like an infant to its parent. Then the apocalyptic chaos seemed to begin to slow, as even demons looked up upon her with raised eyes and roars and so forth.

Her hands began to tremble slightly, as if a great weight was being placed upon her more so, her own aches and the groaning of the world wearing on her far more as she built up greater and greater energies to exert, pushing herself more and more and more as she prepared an almighty action that would take root upon this world.

"...L-Little brother, I dearly hope you can bear witness to this."

The fair-skinned goddess whispered under her breath, almost akin to a mortal's prayer, and yet right after her eyes would shoot open once more. Her teeth would grit, her brows would furrow greatly, and swiftly she turned her palms down and swung her arms down as she dropped her great power upon the landscape below. As she did so, she did so with a thunderous cry that would shake the skies, one that would reverberate and echo throughout the skies of the rest of the world like a mighty thunderclap or a lion's great roar!

And so from her being would drop a great, shining ball of light. It was the most blazing and bright white light, incandescent and ethereal, radiant yet utterly blinding in its sheer divine luminescence. It dropped down slow at first, and yet accelerated quickly to become like a great meteor....no. It was a brilliant fallen star from the highest of the heavens had fallen from the skies, shooting faster and faster down toward the devastated section of world far below. It was a sight like none other.

By the time it reached the ground the great ball of light crashed with an almighty force beyond any mortal comprehension, erupting into a supervolcanic-scale pillar of light that eclipsed the lights of the void and beyond! It too began to rapidly spread in all directions from its point of impact, spreading out like the water of a shattered dam as it roared like a wall of thunder down and outward onto all else about it.

The region itself trembled and shook in awe, all as the effect spread faster than most eyes could perceive, and any divinity worth their salt would be able to feel the ripples of divine power as it rapidly consumed the land and sky.

...And yet in the blink of an eye, one which seemed to all within like an eternity in the span of a moment, it was done.

Vast plains rustled as their rugged wild grasses and golden wild wheats rippled like an ocean before a gentle breeze. Were one to look from a high enough point, it would all seem to stretch out almost forever.

Great and verdant forests of various sorts and heights and kinds stretched out upon the landscape, all brimming with the sound of songbirds or otherwise bustling with the calls and sounds of new life running about.

Hills rose and fell with deep greens and lovely hues upon them, rolling about without a care upon this particular area of landscape covered more so in Cordgrass. Even the hardy Cardinal Bushes had found places to take root on a rare few of these hills, and even upon a few places about the rocky crags within the lower areas of the mountains surrounding the Ariran Paradise (among other bushes and hardy things in the mountains).

Along the ocean coasts there were sprawling beaches, covered in innumerable sands that seemed to gently accept the ebb and flow of the ocean tide. Small crustaceans skittered about upon them, whilst small saltwater fishes fed in rare rock-sheltered shallows and pools near the rejuvenated shores. Even seaside cliffs where the land had risen higher, and the salty smell of the sea breeze seemed to only compliment the tropical trees and fruits and nuts that grew on and close to these beaches.

And so the region about the Ariran Paradise has become something far more, far more than the few residents it had left could have imagined in their wildest dreams. Life was vibrant, and stability was asserted there in a way the rest of the world had yet to see. It was a miracle among miracles, though whilst its plenty and so forth was great it paled in comparison to the far smaller paradise its saving goddess has already built.

If one went high up enough in the atmosphere, if one went far enough away by land, and so forth, the apocalypse that gripped the rest of the world in some fashion or another was very much still present. The land in this region had been saved, but...it was far from a stable and saved world overall.

But even so it stood, stood proudly as an example of what was feasibly possible to be for the rest of this shard of creation. In other words, not only rebirth...but also:

Hope.

Summary

After setting up her embassy on Mount Divinus, Arira, despite being in a constant pain as the unstable world cries out to her from balance, decided to create a more stable spot in the form of the region round about the Ariran Paradise and out toward the coast. This would be able to act as a blueprint for later stabilization of the rest of the Shard of Creation, as well as make things better in the area's inhabitants at least, but on the side would create a space that makes her pains a little easier to bear at this point in time moving forward.

She flew over, high up in the air, using her powers as a goddess. From here she gathered up a great amount of her power, before unleashing them in a fantastic display of power on the region of the world she was targeting below. Whilst it created an idyllic layout of terrain and so forth, it is still distanced a good bit from the divine 'true paradise' she created around her birthplace (the Ariran Paradise). Likewise this act is far from fixing the rest of the world's problems by far, and took a lot out of her for the moment to do given her current status.

MA Summary

Arira created a thriving region around where the Ariran Paradise is, terraforming the land and creating a stable airspace about it all the way to the coast of said region. Aside from wild beasts, and some stuff like cordgrass incorporated in some spots, it is a stable and proper ecosphere that could very much serve as a blueprint of sorts for the deities of the world to help them stabilize the rest of the world.

The only inhabitants beyond wild beasts and so forth naturally there now would most likely be stuff like:

1. The minute amount of remaining but likely weakened demons not 'entirely' shredded by Arira's massive use of divine power on the land, which weakened demons themselves wouldn't be enough to destroy these lands she fixed here

AND

2. Any mortal survivors (human or otherwise I left it open for) that lived in this once apocalyptic region.

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Leannah

---

Well, even this brief exchange had granted her something of value in information. The Illuminator's "mother", literal or otherwise, was the goddess who'd brought them here. The same goddess who had their bodies custom if not tailor-made to certain specifications, which her "son" had helped her create. Likewise that 'thing' in there had at some point perhaps been toyed with by this god...made sense with how twisted it was...she almost pitied it a bit now for the briefest glimmer of a moment. Plus now it was more than likely at this venture there were or had been more of those things like the one she'd killed back there. Not to mention the chances of other creatures lurking about that place at the behest and perhaps 'creative spirit' of a toying, playful, mad god of knowledge.

But the whole complex was seemingly made to lock up The Illuminator's "auntie", which if she had a guess was likely Delphiti based on her limited information thus far. Which would make his 'mother' the 'sister' of Delphiti, not the daughter or child of her thereof. Well...potentially at least. It was all speculation at best. For all she knew Delphiti was that white-eyed child dropped into the ocean, and the goddess she'd seen was just usurping Delphiti's stuff or something. Again simply another wild theory, but a theory with even the tiniest potential evidence and grounds to exist in her mind at the moment nonetheless.

Plus there was that journal page. Yes. Someone who had infiltrated this place before it was left to the elements, specifically getting into this god's cult to seemingly get revenge. It had reminded her of some plot in the prequel movies for some space opera back home, one which her father had been rather the fan of rather intensely actually. It was one of his few passions that didn't involve her training for hours and days and more at a time with some martial arts masters around the globe. Ah. But she was getting away with her thoughts there. She had no idea how long ago the journal page was written! Yet considering Lazhira was able to get to the temple and back so easily despite the fog and danger, especially with some of markings on the temple were eerily similar to what she'd seen on the cheerful girl, she had growing suspicions about how well Lazhira was acclimated with this place in reality. It was all so...convenient. Too convenient. She didn't think the girl meant them all ill-harm at least, but one thing was for certain in the catgirl's mind: Lazhira was potentially connected to this place somehow. Connected to The Illuminator and his worshippers here.

More than that, apparently the Kyrinth was not just a creature but a deer. Sentient, based on context and inferring things from that context, and it being ancient even more likely given a deity called it an 'old deer'. Then again it could be some ancient deer beast roaming the woods, but based on what she'd heard the strange guy ask Lazhira earlier things like 'sentient' and 'ancient' and likely 'powerful' were applicable to it. Like some fickle woodland nature god from that "Princess Something" movie that studio in Japan had made years ago. She'd liked the movie, really, just not remembered the name after so long was all. Still it was a more solid inference to make than some prior things she'd theorized or assumed back in the trapped library.

This in the end left her with a few more worries and a very distinctly-toned offer before, the latter due to her 'big mouth' in this particular situation. Not that she'd had time to think about it, but who ever could have had the time under the same accidental and rather pressing circumstances with literally zero experience talking to a crazy knowledge god?! But that theoretical argument could be saved for later...much much later in fact. Right now she had to decide.

Throughout The Illuminator's words with her so far, odd pricking sensations that seemed unnatural or at least 'off' after he noted he knew about her and the others and a dark chuckle about mortals, a warping hall before her appearing in full, and the shifting between joyfully reminiscent and heavily hostile left her with a definite impression. No choice was safe, and no outcome was certain, and for all she knew the cake was going to kill her or turn her into a kookaburra and she'd be damned for eternity.

Yet the god's desire to 'play games' and toy with mortals seemed to be the more sure thing of all right now. That was what she could rely on, what she could at least work with, aside from the fact this being was otherwise unpredictable. That and if this deity had read her like a book or similarly during the 'creation process', which was a big potential there among other side things, there was danger of being played like a fool in a poker game to boot. Heck, she wasn't even sure if there was some kind of 'rules of hospitality' around here or if the god was just prodding with his lure to get her hook-line-and-sinker.

Was this how the legends of ancient myth felt, like when Oedipus faced the Sphinx with the threat of death?

Was this how Neferkaptah felt, knowing he was digging up the Book of Thoth and likely to face divine punishment? Or how Prince Setna, foolish son of the greatest Pharaoh as he was, felt when he played that dangerous game in Neferkaptah's tomb?

There was only one way to find out for herself, and the god's attempt at bullying with a hostile tone at the end wasn't going to impact her decision...even if she was going to be going along with it by virtue of her own judgement and a still-lingering curiosity otherwise.

Curiosity had better not kill this cat today though! That she'd do her best to ensure. But if she was to face the Labyrinth...she'd have to channel her inner Theseus, and she'd have to gamble like Ptolemy I Soter heading out to steal Alexander the Great's corpse.

"How could I refuse such a hospitable offer to enter your home! It would be far too dull to not take up such an opportunity!" Leannah said with a beaming smile, gently placing her chunk of crystal on the center of the room floor (this one she had originally stepped into from the pool of water area) before walking forward to enter the winding hall and such before her that seemed to be made of some kind of marble-like smooth stone, "I must say, you have me quite excited! And terrified. Kind equally both things really, and that's the best part~"

She did silently pray to the Bastelian goddess in her mind, however, for some guidance and wisdom where moving forward through this place. It wasn't a serious prayer as much as a silent coping mechanism, but if it reached the cute bird sun goddess safely then all the better potentially. She at least wasn't sending some lunatic prayer in the middle of a fight with big stupid birds, if nothing else!

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Leannah

---

Leannah noted to herself that practicing telekinesis later would be a good idea. She was no master at magic, but truthfully it more and more seemed enough like martial arts with all the need for practice, discipline, caution, and so forth. So for the time being, unless proven otherwise, she'd run with that type of approach.

More importantly, however, her attempts to solve the riddle were something that seemed to fall more than flat. It had attracted the attention of the Illuminator himself! She hadn't really put much into the solution, or rather had simply overthought things and tossed out knowingly wrong answers to try to whittle down her thoughts on the fly. The thrill of exploration and so forth had in the process left her a bit hasty in her rough attempts to solve it as well. Bit of panic from being separated from the others, the temporarily being trapped ina puzzle-library, trying to avoid possible dangers at the pool, falling in a tar pit, finding cool crystals that glowed in the dark, all of it was something new and exciting...as well as equally menacing and very much potentially lethal. It was both the thrill she'd wanted in her past life, and yet the sort of thing she was still adjusting to and trying to roll with.

...But this was perhaps the most dangerous thing she'd come before in this world thus far as well.

The cute sun goddess bird had shown her well enough the menace and power that could be displayed in a vision alone. Now she was not in a vision, though, but standing in the middle of a puzzle-filled abandoned temple...before an engraving on a wall with an impossible riddle...from which a tricky, danger-causing, crown-taking, smug yet crazy deity of KNOWLEDGE was very literally and actually speaking to her. That all whilst he sounded like the Mad Hatter to some extent! To say that 'one wrong step' could kill her was an understatement, especially with the type of fickle and very odd deity that this one seemed to be.

"At least it wasn't a When, Why, or Where, though those would be fascinating ways to try to approach the question. Imagine if my next guesses was going to be 'cranberry' or 'homunculus' or a 'clone' or the 'beginning'! Haha!

Hmm...but my brain could be full of fur perhaps, I was just born yesterday. Got reincarnated into this world from another by a Goddess of all things! Woke up in a neat little area that looked part 'abandoned lab' and 'cursed prison with monsters in it'. Dueled a magical stone construct and stuck a spear into it and almost died just to get away from it and get out!"

So maybe the way to survive was to play along then? Yes. And she wasn't lying either, so perhaps something she had experienced or done would prod interest or a long-winded mad ramble. Hell, maybe she could get some answers! Mostly she just wanted to buy time and hope that the rest of her group would be able to find her here. Or something...truth be told she didn't have the luxury of being able to think too far ahead on this. Right now was more improv and trying not to die most of all!

"Really, truly though, I came here to learn about you! The Great Illuminator! I traveled all this way to venture into this old temple, just to see what I could find and learn! I'd heard a story or two on the way here from someone in that silly village, hoped to find some pristine artifacts, and all of that!

I also heard something there is something called a 'Kyrinth' or some nonsense, really, along the way. Not that it seems much anyone back there even listens to that thing anyways! I don't even understand it. Or perhaps I didn't look into that enough. Mostly I just almost blew some friends and new acquaintances by accident with a fireball. Oops."

Leannah kept up a merry but still casual tone, channeling a bit of that panic and energy as excitement rather than fear or so forth. She had no acting skills, but this was a situation that demanded it! Besides, she wasn't lying to the god either, just tossing out info as she briefly chatted him and introduced herself and her reason for being here (which was rather truthful as well). She was just choosing the manner of doing all of this to be...'uniquely presented' and delivered in this case. To almost imitate manner of the god in some sense as she went back and forth a bit in what she said, trying to adapt to the situation and being before her with all of her nonexistent experience with deities (beyond one vision) at all.

Or perhaps she was dooming herself faster. Either way there was no going back, but to her she felt perhaps getting to the point promptly now would be best...

"Still, I would be most humbled to know more about you! As much as I can learn! That would be but my humble request really. Though of course I am not ever against a fun guessing game or the like for the information, if you wish! This temple has been quite the adventure so far, and I have heard you rather enjoy seeing how far mortals would go to learn something!"

The catgirl gave a deep and humble bow before the engraving after speaking, even giving a flourish of her arms in a ye olden fashion as a means of respect but not faltering in that face of excitement either.

Still...maybe a guessing game? Not that she knew if the mention would work, but if her guesses amused the god then perhaps she could learn and keep him amused at the same time? It was a rush plan, no real time to think but on her feet.

If she died, she prayed there was a death goddess who would take some pity on her. Maybe.

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Oneiro - Goddess of Dreams

and

Arira - Goddess of Cycles

Of Cycles and Dreams

A collab by @Double Capybara and @Crusader Lord

---

A blueish green comet had been circling the skies of Galbar for quite a while. There was much data that needed to be gathered after all, and many things to fix were I’Iro to attain a decent diversity of mortals to interact with in her search of meaning and wisdom. Many locations had got her attention, but none quite as much as what she had just seen. Hidden among gentle valleys was a paradise of both nature and civilization, the perfume of divine presence was easily tracked to this area not only by the unique sensory input innate to the gods but the sheer abundance and planning in the location was simply unnatural, ongoing apocalypse or not.

In form the dream goddess was far more gentle and quiet than the last visitor to the temple-fortress. In actions, however, she had the same divine aloofness and insensibility. Without thinking of what the mortals in the land would think of a green comet going straight for the centre of their capital at ultrasonic speeds, she simply swooped down, landing in the nearest clearing to the temple, dismounting her dragon and observing with curiosity the community around her.

To say the least, a glowing green comet descending directly upon them from the sky was not something the residents were used to. Just as they had become more accustomed to the higher-altitude life and being surrounded by mountains that concealed their home from detection otherwise, and now something was coming from the one direction that anything could hope to notice the great paradise valley from. Still, as I’Iro looked about she’d see in the distance the pregnant women and children were hurried away to safety as the adult men and women who could fight were taking up arms for defense and raising palisades about their humbles homes and entrance to the temple that was visible from the dream deity’s landing spot.

In terms of armaments, they would in some ways notably differ from what had been seen before by a certain Earth God during his arrival. A tiny amount of matchlocks, as well as: properly metal-tipped spears, very few pikes, and in final a few crossbows or more primitive bows even were among those tools of war being carried and hefted about by would-be defenders. Naturally, it seemed the goddess of this paradise had been teaching the people a bit more, and it wasn’t as if the valley didn’t provide an eternal plenty of all the resources the residents would need to make things as well. Even so…against the smooth, shiny metal carapace of the dragon and I’Iro’s own appearance they were still very much primitive in comparison ‘at best’.

However, even as the defenders worked in a seemingly well-practiced haste, a figure would appear already at the doorway of the temple. Tan hair of a silky and divine softness, pale and smooth skin that saw not a single blemish, elf-like pointed ears, beautiful attire and a woven crown and golden ornaments far beyond mortal comprehension covering her form, and in final soft grey-blue eyes looking outward directly at where the new arrival had landed. Despite her soft and gentle smile, looking at her would give a sense of...exasperation? A brief flicker of familiarity yet tiredness behind those eyes and smile?

The goddess quickly started to pick up hints of what was happening around her as the panic had set into the city, and although it took time she finally realized her “gafe”. My truly sincere apology. she said to the nearest human to her, not realizing it was just a low ranked town militia I had forgotten that such a sudden arrival would likely spart fears into mortals due to your existential fragility. I am I’Iro goddess of dreams. Greetings. And I do not mean harm up the land. She gave a little apologetic bow to the confused human and then simply ignored the madness she had caused to focus on the fellow divine who had appeared. The machine goddess moved towards Arira with gentle steps, her synthetic unnatural clothing and cold expression the same as always. Greetings. I am sorry for the sudden arrival. I merely noticed your village while flying and it truly sparked my curiosity. Do you have a moment to engage in communication?

At first the worried but middle-aged man, holding a spear, paused in initial fear of being suddenly approached and spoken to...but the being before him didn’t seem to care he was just one citizen among those living here. It wasn’t a large city around the temple-fortress, at least as of yet, but the inhabitants had been hard at work all around. But as she spoke to him he seemed to calm down a bit, and after she just simply walked past him he seemed to let out an exasperated sigh as a look of recognition ran over his face. He then ran a hand down his face and began to run over to the others who were still moving people and supplies and so forth about.

But how-

“Everyone! Hey! It’s just another of those friendly divines, so this one doesn’t want to kill us either! _{...I hope.}”

-...Oh. Oh. This wasn’t the first time an ultimately ‘friendly’ deity had roared into the place with all the grace of a frothing berserker in a room full of pottery, was it?. Of course they had kept up caution since last time, all as a ‘just in case’ since there were likely many more deities in the world now, but still...apparently this was ‘round two’ and not the one man’s first time either. So as the man’s message spread, the defenders began to calm down bit by bit once more. The word would spread duly over the course of the hour, but even so Arira helped calm those between herself and the approaching mechanical goddess for the sake of simplicity.

“Greetings fair I’Iro, Goddess of Dreams. I do have time to speak with thee, yes, though perhaps we should proceed to the throne room of my temple-fortress here first as the people calm down.”

Arira would then turn to the side, politely motioning for the other goddess to follow. If the other goddess would follow, Arira would begin to lead her through the temple-fortress. Up and up they’d climb, through grand hallways, past smaller branching paths to various types of rooms along the sides of those grand hallways, until they came to a set of grand doors. A pair of armored, poleaxe-toting mortals, their appearances and much else concealed underneath the armor, who with a wave of the goddess’ hand would open the doors for the duo to progress.

Though if she’d move forward to enter alongside the hosting goddess, Arira would speak once more to her as they walked a little more.

“Mine speeth is’t strange compared to some others of our divine kin, but it is simply what I hath chosen to use as part of mine own preferences. The make of your steed is most excellent, and I must say that your choice of chassis in this world is most intricate and well-built to mine eyes as well. I am open to any questions about this place or mine self, but...perhaps let us not cause more panic among the mortals. They have seen much in their years, and only since mine birth at this place hast they seen much of peace thus far…”

As they walked in down the main walk through the center of the room, the first thing that would be apparent was its size. It was like a grand lecture hall room, or a great classroom, with rows of pews with desk-like writing places before them for those sitting. All were neatly lined about on the left and right sides of the room...all looking up at the only slightly-raised throne at the far back center of the room.

The wide main walk went right up to the throne itself rather directly, aside from where it branched here and there near the doorway to lead to the pew seating on either side, and Arira would approach and sit upon her throne in turn. The chair in and of itself was a rather ornate golden chair, depicted with fitting designs of world cycles and scenes of learning to hint at this throne room’s purpose. Yet without skipping a beat the goddess would lightly conjure a similar chair right, one just as golden and ornate and facing her own throne whilst being on level with it.

It bore mechanical designs where Arira’s was more ornate, circuit-like blueprints scattered about with dream-like designs covering it and depicting I’Iro’s own domain. A very fancy thing to do for a guest, especially a divine one, indeed.

I’Iro could not help but gently giggle at the chair. [color=7bcdc8]How nice. This is the first time another entity has made something in dedication to me. It is incredibly fascinating to see how my form is reflected in the mirror of your mind.[/color] she sat by the side of her fellow goddess, although she did not feel the need for it she was able to follow social protocol quite easily. In fact this whole palace and the city around it are very interesting. I do not believe any other god has engaged in such complex social systems or intricate designs yet. Your ability to seek out your objectives and diligent mindset are enviable. the goddess would lean forward a bit closer to better observe Arira. However. It does make one wonder what drove you to create this location. Was it a sense of magnanimous empathy towards mortals? Or was there something you wished to do or discover here?

“In truth, this place is where I was born. My parent, Chakravarti, came upon this place as they sought the mortal kin of a formerly human babe who is now my demigod brother. Here they were assaulted by mortals who thought them to be a demon, and after some argument and realizing the mortals here would avenge each other in a ‘cycle’ until they were all dead if they had to...from this my parent was ’aroused’...and from this gave birth to me.”

Arira seemed to deliver the last line with no small amount of embarrassment and exasperated resignation, but lightly shook her head before continuing. Even deities could have those embarrassing parent moments...even if those moments were how they were born into the world.

“Circumstances as they were, I put the mortals at ease and consecrated this place as the sacred place of my birth, setting rules and coming to begin to teach the mortals here as I have worked upon the world.

Since then things have also changed. Alrgrim, God of Earth, approached my domain and desired to place a pillar here to help stop the shaking and quaking of the world. As my paradise was in the location he desired, and his intentions were just, I did grant him assistance and helped place this pillar here to help stabilize the world. It lies in a grand chamber dug underneath this temple-fortress...the very temple-fortress we sit within the highest chamber of here and now.

Prior to this time I have taken up the task of understanding space-time better, and continue to come from time to time to teach and educate the mortals living here as my subjects.”

I’Iro was deeply fascinated by all she had heard. So. You are a god born from another god. One that was born from human interaction no less. I guess this could explain many things. Although most gods are days old there is much to be understood on why the inexplicable laws of the universe saw fit to bring you to this world as a second generation. Through mortal-like birth no less. The goddess was so deep in thought that she even stopped looking straight towards Arira. On the topic that there is a god slowly stabilizing this world. I did have such suspicions. In this area there is a clear difference in the geo-magnetic stability. This is good because it brings me straight to my topic. Which is the health of this planet. As while a stable lithosphere is created the situation of the atmosphere remains stagnant. Quite literally.

The dream goddess adjusted her eye contact and then guided the other goddess to look at the nearest window. As it stands today the Shard of Galbar is unchanging. In the south the land is always cold. In the north it is always warm. And the center as you must have seen is always in the comfortable barrier between both. Flowers mix up their time to flower and their time to fruit. However. As the goddess of cycles. Do you think this is the normal and most healthy state of the land?

After a moment, the cyclical goddess let out a long and drawn-out sigh.

[color=FFE4E1]“It is not, dear I’Iro. The land cries to me, the skies, the atmosphere, the plants, the animals, all of it that remains out of balance cries to me. I sought to seed the land some at first with the makings of balance and stability, but in the end could only lay preparations for and ‘seed’ the land in ways that will help more rapidly restore things once proper cycles begin to take root round-about the region of land this paradise exists in. But before a great storm in the north and other instabilities blocked my efforts from going farther...and it made me wonder.

Thusly pondering, I came back here to study and see if I can derive any useful information from these studies of space-time to apply in reinvigorating this Fragment of Creation. Some ways and some data that can be extrapolated and built-upon soundly to create a most fitting solution.

But what has become more and more clear, in truth, is that it cannot be done alone. I cannot silence all those cries from creation alone, even though my heart yearns to do fix things as rapidly as I can,” she said, using two of her fingers on her left hand to rub her temple, though trailing off a little at the end before looking back up, her true feelings of tiredness and stress about the matter on-display for a brief moment before I’Iro’s eyes in all their relevance, though soon after the goddess sought to put back on her usual airs and self, “It is most vexing, sorely so as a problem, yet I still believe hope remains. My conclusion thus far in my studies and work has pointed to needing more of us to unite to get this to work.”

I’Iro nodded. Arira truly was a sister to mortalkind. I too thought I should do more than I was able. It was a mistake that almost put my life at peril over reckless behaviour. It seems the lesson that cooperation is necessary is one taught to gods through pain and exhaustion. the goddess mood was initially low to accompany Arira’s struggles but it suddenly became more positive. The solution to this problem. However. Seems to be deep in your heart. In the walls of your palace there are many cycles. One such is a cycle of nature. A balance between blooming and ripening. Of times of warm rains and cold winds. I already had a great expectation that you could help me from the fact weather is intimately related to the water cycle. However. That you already had the solution printed out before I even presented the problem… It is astounding.[

I’Iro extended her hand and showed a map of the Shard. As such. I have decided that the least I can do is work towards the more physical actual solution to the issue. There is a location southward that seems to be the origin of cold winds in this continent. If my suspicions are right… It could be the first step towards a proper seasonal cycle. You are to be the ultimate master of it. Of course. But you already have much to care about. So leave the hard. World traveling part to me. I will report back to you from time to time and I am sure you will be able to craft a proper healthy climate for the Shard out of whatever I find. Along the way I will try to contact other gods with domains or interests towards the climate to further alleviate the burden of the task.

Arira seemed to perk up as I’Iro spoke, a light behind her eyes more so as she leaned forward to speak again.

“That might work, but...if I may?”

The goddess reached over to the map I’Iro displayed, only taking a moment to look before projecting a larger map between the two of them. On the 3D magic-formed display, various dots and designs appeared to mark locations and issues and so forth. One bigger dot appeared at the top of the Mons Divinus (name pending*).

“Among others, you perhaps might understand what I am now going to propose best and most quickly.”

She drew lines between various points of issues, meeting at the big dot on top of the Mons Divinus.

“I propose we, even if temporarily, use the central place of this world as the ‘axle’ of a great wheel, a central hub from which I could perhaps guide efforts and coordinate yourself and any others along the way who are willing to help out in the field. From there I could process and connect to what yourself and any others alert me of out there, and assist your efforts out there remotely using either a limited mental connection to yourself and the others...or perhaps something else like beacons that can be carried about.

Alas...it isn’t a perfect plan per-say, a thing I have just thought of off-the-cuff as it were. It could work with simply the two of us, but if others were willing then efforts could be expanded more rapidly and multi-tasked using this design. I could simply leave a part of myself here, a projection controlled by my mind as I focus the rest of myself to this work…

...your thoughts?”

This map… this is extremely valuable data. Wait… As she finished hearing Arira, I’Iro looked puzzled. It seems our minds think alike. Perhaps as a trait of us both being logical thinkers? Nevertheless. What if I told you that there is already a facility at the center.of Mons Divinus meant to be a place of connection and dialogue between the gods? Me and the illusion goddess Astella started this exact project when we met at the central summit.

Arira blinked in surprise, before her gentle smile returned just as quickly (if not a bit happier than before).

“That would be brilliant! A good central location, and as the world’s center it is a literal and symbolic center akin to the axle of a wheel! It would make setting up easier, as well as give a greater ease to projecting my power into the field from such long distances! Even the map could be most properly filled in as more information from other deities is gathered-!”

She paused for a moment, before letting out a small cough.

“Mmm...I beg thine pardon. I have become most excited by this most welcome news. Pray tell, how soon could we begin to arrange things that I might set myself upon there to begin work?

Mayhaps mine eagerness is far too great, but...the sooner this world hast been brought into stable peace the better it would bode for any future efforts to shape things perchance?”

In my conclusions I cannot say anything but as soon as possible. I know that for sure as soon as I leave this palace I will set straight to the south to explore the cold lands and discover their secrets. If I do manage to set up something in the south then the immediate worry will be the North: The contrasting warm winds to the southern cold winds. Meanwhile. It would be beneficial for you to travel to Mons Divinus and set up your embassy there. Every god is allowed a… sector to build in it a facility in whatever shape or purpose of their liking. Within reason. I’Iro explained in a very even toned voice.

However, a pang of disappointment became clear soon enough. It is a shame I came here in such a hurry. You seem to be a very knowledgeable goddess and this city is fascinating with its high mortal population. As a goddess seeking to understand the mind and teach mortals how to best use theirs… It really felt like I could make good progress here if given the chance.

Arira’s smile stayed in place, even as she put a reassuring and kind hand on I’Iro’s shoulder. Her touch was not harsh, nor stiff, nor stubborn, nor hostile or having any ill-intent.

“I shall go set forth mine embassy upon Mons Divinus in its proper place, and straightaway begin mine work from there. First in this work I shall seek to forge a connection with thine mind, that we might communicate from afar with greater ease as thou goest to investigate in the south. From mine embassy I shalt assist thine work thusly in the south.

Any thou findest to join in this plan, invitest them to this plan that we may forge a connection with them and further ease the work.”

She then stood up from her seat gently, standing before I’Iro and putting both hands on the other goddess’ shoulders as well. Her visage was now beaming with joy, and gently she took her hands off to but put a single gentle hand under to caress the other deity’s chin. In this she would softly lift her head up to look into her eyes as she moved her face closer to the dream deity’s.

“And dear I’Iro, I shalt make this next part clear. Thou art welcome in this mine Paradise always, to help teach and guide the people as I do. It shall be further instruction for those who seek it here.

From this room thou shalt have space to teach as much as I hath, and thine guidance shalt be further refinement for those living here. Mind that this is mine paradise, mine sacred place of birth, but I shall not chase thee away from this dream of thine heart and mind.”

I’Iro nodded at Arira even though she really didn’t understand these sudden movements the other gods made. It was understandable that she had adjusted I’Iro’s face to an socially acceptable angle but why was the hand still there, she wondered. [code]I am happy to hear that. I do not have a clear mind like you. There is doubt on how I should pursue my own core directives. It is incredibly generous of you to allow me to interact with your followers and even open up your very home to me. Know that I cherish this and I promise I will make this partnership of yours worthwhile. the goddess of dreams ended her sentence with a gentle and sincere smile.

Summary

I’Iro is journeying the world when she notices Paradise and accidentally becomes the second deity to cause them all to become very stressed once she decides to explore the place.

She meets Arira and soon the two start talking about recent events and the health of Galbar.
I’Iro brings up how the climate in what is left of Galbar is stagnant and unhealthy.

Arira agrees but she is also very tired with her hands full over so many broken cycles.

So I’Iro proposes she will do some of the hard work of bringing back seasons herself while Arira can handle things remotely as ultimately her domain is the master of the seasonal cycle.

Arira also says I’Iro is free to come join her intellectual company for activities such as mortal lectures or study dates.

Arira also agreed to go to Mount Divinus after this to set up her embassy/allotted spot there. Then after that she'll try to make a mental link with I’Iro to get started with the work at hand.

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Leannah

---

Interesting...but all the same Leannah did not want to risk diving into a pool full of eel-like fish. Especially when in the temple of a perhaps maddened trickster God of Knowledge who liked to see how far people would go to learn knowledge. Then again divinity was its own kind of perspective, perhaps, but was a perspective she didn't have all the same. She was a mortal like the others, and was most unlike the cute sun goddess or peculiar goddess who brought them into this world in that regard. Still, the statue with the flowing dress which turned to water...the one back in the library with the knowing look to boot...she suspected this was who had brought them here. The one she'd placed the stone necklace on, which was taken from the hooded figure. It was another working theory at least, so she was open to being proven wrong or confirmed right if the right information came along.

Regardless, after looking at both rooms she felt she had some kind of plan. If this was a temple to a deity of knowledge, then she could at least try to be clever! Not the stupid kind of 'clever' that got you killed, she hoped, but maybe enough to get things done in a less 'I am going to die' kind of fashion. That or she would eliminate approaches by the process of elimination, and hopefully not blow up the room or herself or the like somehow.

With this in mind the catgirl first returned to the pool, and opened up her right hand as she aimed her palm out at whatever was glinting off of her light. That cage and whatever was in within it at the bottom of the pool would be what she was aiming for. She then began to focus on it, beginning to channel mana again and let it flow like a gentle river at first. Good. That was step one. She then put two fingers of her other hand to her temple, and using the hand with an open palm pointed out at where the cage and contents were in the pool she seriously focused/concentrated her efforts and mana like she was some superpowered person using telekinesis. She used the strong mental image and imagination of using telekinesis to 'grab' onto the cage and contents, in other words, as the 'form' to channel the use of her mana into. Ah. In other words, she was using a strong mental image to shape the use of her mana to cast a telekinesis spell to try to grab onto the cage and contents to lift them out of the pool. Simply using magic to try to use telekinesis in a sense, really. She would put all of her focus and effort and strength into the effort, as well as exerting as much self-control and precision and care as she could muster to keep track of things and make sure she didn't lose control.

If these efforts bore fruit, and she managed to lift the cage and its contents out of the water and over near herself, then it would warrant a carefully investigation of the cage and contents that would now be on dry (enough) land and out of the water. She'd hopefully be able to find something good, if anything good was in there, and if she had to bust open the cage somehow she'd have to try that if it wasn't already broken

If what she tried didn't work or felt any bit along the way like it threatened danger or losing control, she'd stop herself and stop trying altogether. Better than wasting her time trying to kill herself or do something worse.

Once she was done with the stuff at the pool, successful or not, she would ultimately return back up to the hallway she'd just scouted. Here she would simply speak aloud where the carving was and say "A book!" aloud to the carving/pillar...and if speaking the answer didn't work she had another idea. In such a case she'd backtrack to the library she was formerly trapped in, seeing if she could grab some intact-enough book to bring back to the carving and see if there was any place to put it or such to trigger some kind of opening mechanism. In such a case it would be worth a shot.

And if a book wasn't the answer, she'd have to go back to the drawing board really fast and would likely next trying saying "A library!" and then "A baby!" aloud to the carving/pillar. She wasn't as sure of those two, but if the first answer failed it was worth trying too.

Still, through everything she was going to keep a careful eye and ear and so forth out for trouble. Creepy old temples were not known in any Earth media for being safe or free of worse traps and such.

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Arira - Goddess of Cycles

A Space-Time Conundrum

---

It had been some time since the goddess had set about trying to help restore the land in some capacity, going about and seeking to bring a new cycle of life and death to the land that would bring about nature and a more hospitable place to live. Of course with the atmosphere being in its own kind of issue, and a storm moving about, there was only so much that could be done at this point in time. Even so she at the least laid the seeds of a proper cycle of life and death, things and plants and so forth that would arise at the right time when conditions had been improved enough. Rain from the storming was at least better than nothing. In that vein it wasn't as much detailed work as she'd been hoping to achieve, and it only covered so much land thus far rather than all of it...yet it wasn't all she'd done so far.

She'd even visited the Temple-Fortress once or twice during this time, where she'd begun to regail the mortals with teachings about things such as the cycle of life and death and war and peace and so forth. She'd even begun to teach them a little some inventions, such as the water wheel and some of weapons she'd prepared at the Temple-Fortress, so they might make better use of the tools and weapons she'd given them to protect the paradise they now lived in. It was a basic first-step, however, and after an attack or two by bandits trying to enter the paradise or seize it she'd given a few of them an introduction to basic gunpowder and working with it as well as its dangers. It was all simply for the sake of the location itself, as well as those who now inhabited the special place in her service. Still, in her work with the land so far she'd go and do a bit more to shape the landscape about the large paradisiacal valley than in other places...all part of the plan to make her birthplace that much more secure over the long term.

More importantly, however, in her work she'd run across some strange spaces where time and space seemed 'inconsistent'. Wibbly-wobbly time, errant space, the kind of apocalyptic instabilities that arose when this chuck of creation became a chunk. That, in her mind, was far more of a concerning matter at the moment than more work to revitalize the land. Without a consistent flow of time and space, there was nothing it wouldn't affect if not taken care of in the long term. Cycles of seasons, day and night, and so forth would not be stable either, which being under her purview was something of even more note.

With this in mind, she'd returned to the paradise once more after scouting out the problems a bit. Here would be a perfect place to centralize all of her work on the matter, making it simpler to work on...unlike trying to revitalize the land at the moment. This was simply a matter of increasing efficiency in this work, however, not a matter at all of limitations to one location or another. But if she wanted to put in the raw time to fix time-space for the long term betterment of this remnant of creation, she felt taking the time and investing the extra effort would be most suitable.

And so she began her work, creating a floating shrine in the air high above the fortress-temple from where she could most intensely focus on her work. It was almost egg-shaped, if not a bit wider, gilded in great amounts of gold and white porcelain-colored exterior parts and had giant windows facing out every direction. Truly a divine abode, it existed above that which was mundane whilst letting her new followers know she was still with them. Admittedly this was more a side effect of her choice of location, but all the same she began her work with intense fervor. Her hands wound about the weave of time-space as she stood in the central room of this shrine, her power stretching out across the land and working to help shape, stabilize, and give time-space in this remnant of creation a proper consistency.

Past. Present. Future. She would work to keep them all laid out in a clear, orderly fashion, and seek to observe them in her quest to manipulate and bring order to it. 'Layers' of the past, memories engraved into the land of all things before, would be set in their proper places, the present would be more clearly defined, and the future would be open and uncluttered. Space would be stable and stilled, rather than remain in that constant state of flux. She would master it, she would retain it, and she would embrace it all within herself. Such was necessary, and so it would be done.

"Wind back, oh back, oh hands of time,

And forward, and forward, and forward we'll climb,

Flow, oh flow, oh flow, let the flow be smooth and so settle,

Yea unfold, unfold, unfold, like Arira's grace-

-as a flower's petal."

An Anonymous Poem About Arira, circa ????

Summary

Arira went about to help try to revitalize the land some, but between the effects of atmospheric change and encounters with Paratiti's storm she basically only helped placed the 'seeds' and roots for a stable new cycle of life and death upon a good amount of the landmass (but not all of it). More so she ran into a problem that worried her more, aka unstable flows of space-time around the remnant of creation. Deciding this, as it would affect cycles and so forth, was important to fix...she has created a floating shrine at her paradise, sitting high above the temple-fortress in the air. Not sure if I need to make an MA tab for that, mostly was just a quick thing she made to give her a centralized spot to work from.

But basically she'll be working for a few posts on stabilizing and mastering space-time to the benefit of this Remnant of Creation in the long-run and to better assist in securing its overall stability. Mostly just wanted to establish that in this post so further ones can further flesh out her work and stories/thing occurring along the way in the future can occur. :3

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Chakravarti - The Matripatrihierarch

and

Arira - Goddess of Cycles

The First Birth

A collab by @AdorableSaucer and @Crusader Lord, and the latter's "Post 0"

---

A time had already passed since the Family God’s inception, and with the company of their first son, they had toured the endless burning deserts, fighting the rampant storms and terrible quakes of the earth around them. The weather brought rain, granted, so that was a much needed solace in this world of death. Chakravarti had pondered this loudly to his son - was this the world of the upset state of the universe, or could there be others like him out there?

Magic cracked across the sky in great, colourful arcs, frequently blasting the ground around them. Had Chakravarti been anything less than divine, they would have joined the garden of bones and skeletons protruding the ashes they walked. To ward their son’s safety, they constantly shielded him with four of their arms, chaotic energies singing their caramel skin, but leaving the young boy untouched. The god walked somewhat aimlessly, even divine senses seeming somewhat useless in locating other enclaves of survivors. That was when they looked down at little Doile, renamed Ossurman the First, and pursed their lips.

”Have you any family left, actually? Distant branches, perhaps? Removed cousins?” The baby cooed sleepily and the god frowned. ”What do you mean ‘I don’t understand what that is’? To lose oversight of the family tree is quite a disgrace, young man. I will have no choice but to drill this into your head before you are to further my line.”

The baby cooed again.

”No, a line as in…” A sigh. ”Perhaps you are too young for this still. What misfortune that the blood of my blood should be so limited in intelligence. Albeit a baby, you are still my son, and the sons and daughters of Chakravarti are to be kept to a standard befitting of my dynasty.”

“Goom-bah…”

”’Goombah’... What are you trying to say? Compass? Gum? I appreciate your attempt to maintain this conversation, but--...” The god stopped to blink, a thought having struck them like an arrow to the mind. ”A compass. Of course! Oh, my little genius, my little sage!” They skipped gleefully around in circles as the earth around them snapped with apocalyptic tension and the heavens quaked with energy. Chakravarti hugged the little baby with motherly tenderness and kissed him on the forehead. ”You may just become a dynastic legend yet, my son. Now watch your mother work her magic.” In one of their palms, Chakravarti conjured forth a small, simple disc, adorned with a single golden arrow that laid suspended in its centre. The god pursed their lips and shook it softly in their hand - it did not respond.

”Alright… Now let’s try…” The god placed it on Ossurman’s belly, and the arrow immediately twisted around and shot a course to the east-south-east. Two pairs of the god’s hands clapped excitedly. ”Oh, marvellous! You have living family! We have living family!” Another giddy skip tossed the god over a bottomless ravine. ”Perhaps they are not alone! Quick! We must make haste!” Ballerina gaits brought the god to a mighty pace, fueled by curiosity and anticipation. In their arms, Ossurman burbled with excitement.

---

After what felt like days of travel, the two eventually arrived at a great ruin, an ancient stronghold of sorts: Gray stone walls had been coloured black by soot, and a shattered gate served more as an invitation to enter rather than a barrier against invaders. A sacred sniff revealed that the ruin was anything but uninhabited, however; the stinks of fire, sweat, blood and feces oozed from inside, along with the sounds of coughing, weeping and whining. Chakravarti took out the compass again and placed it on Ossurman’s sleeping belly. They wrinkled their nose, but remained firm in their expression. ”Fear not, my son. The compass has led us here and thus, you must have living family left. You must.” They then stepped inside.

They quickly realised why this had been chosen as a shelter despite its decrepit state: Despite the gate’s disrepair, the halls of the fortress were nothing short of labyrinthian - had it not been for their sacred senses, Chakravarti would have been lost in these tunnels for days. Luckily the ever-present stench of wounds, blood and refuse kept the god on their trail, all up to a tunnel with flickering light at its end. A sudden rush of feet told them they had been spotted, and the god drew a slow breath and turned the corner at the end of the hall.

As they did, they said, ”Fire not! I seek only the kin of Ossurman the First--”, but was instantly struck by a hail of arrows, all of which bounced off the three arms which had been raised to shield his son. While no improvised arrow could wound a mighty god, the attack had come as a surprise, and Chakravarti lowered their shield with an expression of shock. ”You DARE?!”

“By the gods, what IS that?!” shouted one of the archers - eleven more were busily knocking new arrows; seven stared in disbelief at the creature entering their hideout; and a much greater number of men, women and children of all ages or conditions that could not fight hunkered down in the far corner of the room. As Chakravarti briefly shifted their gaze to take in the details of the room, another band of warriors armed with sticks tipped with crude metal scrap and rusty knives came in from each side of the entrance, screaming their warcries. With seven hands, Chakravarti could seven spears and snapped them in an instant, one of the hands then snapping out and closing around one of the warrior’s throats. The suddenness and incredibility of what had just transpired froze the rest of the warband, and the civilians in the far back all screamed out the last of their hope.

“NO! DADDY!” came a small girl’s voice. Two more of Chakravarti’s hands trapped another warrior who stood a little too close in a paralysing hold.

”What insolence; what utter disrespect!” thundered the god with a voice that knocked everyone in the room back a pace. Their grips tightened on their two hostages, and several humans fell to their knees some distance away and folded their hands

“P-p-please don’t hurt them! W-w-w-we thought y-you--”

”Though WHAT, exactly? You conspire to have me murdered - your GOD?! Did you think your little trap would work, groveling fools?!” Divine muscle tensed with rage and the man he was choking seemed to lose consciousness. ”Hold you your lives in such wastefully low regard that--”

“We thought you were Sirukh!”

A fourth arm shot out and grabbed the yeller by the hand, snapping it back with a cringing crack of bone. The yeller, a woman, screamed. ”And you interrupt me, as well - to think my person, my dynasty, holds no higher status in this world! Lo, it should all descend into chaos, ask you me!” They scowled in disgust down at the crying woman and rolled their eyes. ”What? Does it huwt, hmm? Does it feew owie-owie in the handy, hmm?” Another two hands discreetly dusted off their torso. ”Remind me not to interact with the peasantry again in the future, Ossurman… Why are we here again?”

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!” came a squeal from the back of the hall, and a young boy, barely fifteen most likely but down a leg, came limping over with the help of a cane. Behind him, a ragged woman, his mother, shouted,

“GIROH, NO, IT’LL KILL YOU!”

Chakravarti straightened themselves a little taller and dropped the man they were choking, released the man in the hold and let go of the woman’s hand - all three of them were quickly tended to by their comrades. The family god raised a curious brow at the cripple and tilted their neck from side to side with intimidating cracks. ”Or what?”

“Or--!” the boy panted, “or I’ll beat you within an inch of your life, you monster!”

Chakravarti pursed their lips smugly. ”Oh? Will you now? Giroh…” They sniffed his odour and grimaced. ”Common blood - not so much as a scent of royalty, heroism or, well, anything.” They stepped right on past the warriors who had attacked them, bypassing hastily evacuated bedrolls, still smouldering campfires and other clutter abandoned upon their entry. The room was like a cave, and the space between Chakravarti and the crippled boy was open and empty like an arena displaying its two greatest champions for the masses. ”Your courage is admirable, at least, though I understand it is rooted in your condition, yes? What life is half a life, am I right?”

“Oh, I have plenty of will to live, demon! You will witness it all, I promise you!”

”Heh. What part of you believes I am killable? What madness are you overcome with in these times wherein I am defeatable? Are you blind, as well, to not have seen how easily I broke my assailants? How their arrows struck my skin like the wind blows feebly at the mountain?”

“I do not care for that!” The two now stood face-to-face, the small cripple glaring up at the towering god. “All I know is that you hurt my sister. So on my honour…”

Chakravarti’s scowl turned to a playful smirk. ”On your honour, is that it? Well, then, honourable one - what happens when I kill you? You have failed in your mission, have you not? Your quest to defeat me?”

“No! For I will be avenged!”

The smirk returned to an impressed purse of the lips. [colour=goldenrod]”Avenged, you say? Who would take up your mission, then? Who here would--”[/colour

“I would!” came a shout from one of the warriors. Chakravarti turned with a frown.

”Ugh, interruptions… And you are?”

“Giroh’s cousin, Finlor!”

Now the family god seemed genuinely intrigued. ”Interesting. And after you?”

“I would!” shouted a woman. “Cilmi, Finlor’s wife!”

“Asdai, daughter of Finlor and Cilmi!”

“Visigah, cousin of Giroh!”

“Sasagah, mother of Visigah!”

“Lindo, brother of Sasagah!”

As more and more people in the room voiced their wishes to die for their family, Chakravarti’s frown gradually turned into a most excited grin. With a bite of their lower lip, they picked up Giroh by the collar of their rags, immediately silencing the room. With a manic smile, they said, ”Oh my, this is all so incredibly fascinating! So you’re telling me, essentially, that you would all, no matter the cost, die for each other in a perpetual circle so long as the end goal was my demise?”

The people in the hall all exchanged looks of confusion and disbelief. Giroh was stunned. “W-what?”

They put him back down again, although not so carefully that he actually had a chance to land properly. As the boy’s family hastened over to collect him, Chakravarti bit playfully at one of their fingers. ”What selfless love; what boundless conviction! What, what an outright arousing level of self-sacrifice!”

The hall collectively lost control of their jaws to gravity. The boy’s mother burst out, “A-arousing?!”

Chakravarti hugged themself with four arms. “Oh, oh what is this feeling? This, this… I’m…!” In a spasmic display that no one in the room could truly describe, the god’s belly seemed to swell at an incredible rate, like a pregnancy completed in the span of minutes. An exploding light burst from their form, blinding momentarily all who could not look away in time - and who could from a sight like this? When the eyes adjusted again, the humans in the cave all beheld a most unexpected sight: Chakravarti had been laid flat on the ground, their form returned to normal, albeit panting like a dog on a hot day. Next to them stood a wholly different form.

It is...Her

Before the very much confused humans, and the incomprehensibly aroused deity before them, a new figure stood upon the dusty floor of the room...and indeed her appearance was something to behold. Fair and lovely skin clad her form in a gentle radiance, paired with a soft smile that seemed to gently assuage those about her like a calm breeze. Her soft blue-grey eyes seemed to look about the room as well, her gaze caressing each human and thing in the room and even glancing outside with a sort of softness to put others at ease...yet also a piercing intellect that seemed to take things in one at a time in stride. Even her ears were admittedly peculiar, pointed even, and her hair was long, flowing, and a pale tan color to boot!

Even her garb was something of note, covered in golden adornments from her hair down to her thighs. A crown or headband of leaves and flowers adorned her lovely head, and the very light blue dress she wore was something of a make and raw quality beyond mortals entirely.

“It seems I have been born of most peculiar circumstances into this world. A world rather broken, so many of the cycles of things broken and left astray...it pains me to feel it so.”

A small frown appeared on the face of the goddess as she spoke, a glint of sorrow in her eyes and she let out a sigh. Her eyes then once more turned toward the mortals, before focusing upon Giroh, the crippled boy. To him she simply extended a hand, as if to invite him. A small smile returned to her face.

“Well, such suffering I cannot abide here at the place of my birth. Thus if you all shall accept, and believe, I shall give you gifts this day. Is that not what mortals do on a day of birth?

So to you...if you wish to be healed, young one, and regain your leg’s use once more, I shall give you this as your gift.”

The humans seemed to lessen in their cowering, and the boy even dared speak up, “What, what are you? What are either of you?”

“I am the beginning and the end. The start and the finish. I am Arira, young one, Goddess of Cycles. A divine being, born into this world by the other deity behind me to help repair and save it as well as help save mortals such as yourselves. Not all that is divine is good, however, but as for myself I am here to help.

Of course the circumstances of my birth here are...strange and rather sudden, even for my own tastes, yet all the same I am here now. Should you take my hand, you shall be healed. Should your loved ones come to me after, I shall grant them boons. The choice is yours, whether to live amidst a cycle of perpetual fear and pain, or come and be reborn anew.”

The cycle of the body replacing the broken tissues and parts, a process and cycle that ever wrought upon mortal forms. She could move that wheel forward, and he would be restored. It would, however, all depend on the boy and his family’s acceptance of her gift. This was now the place of her birth, to be sacred, and as it was her ‘birthday’ she felt the mortal tradition of giving gifts was appropriate for this setting. She didn’t even flinch at the boy’s words, nor take offense, but simply smile gently and seek to reinforce and explain herself.

Giroh and his family gasped at the miracle, and the boy stood up with a quiver of difficulty, but then shouted, “I can walk! Ma, I, I can walk!” From all corners of the room, people rushed over towards Arira, lifting their hands to the ceiling and shouting, “a miracle! A saviour has come and her name is Arira!” The wounded and the crippled were helped up close to receive the same treatment as the young boy.

To the wounded and crippled, Arira would give healing as she’d given Giroh. To the suffering, she would give succor and relief. To the already dying, she would place their precious souls into the cycle of rebirth. To the mourning, she would give them comfort. Such was the cycle of life and death.

Arira would then turn her gaze outside of the room, out to the dusty and devastated landscape about this stronghold ruin. No, this simply wouldn’t do at all! She could do a little something for this particular spot at least...it’d be something befitting the place of her birth at least. Thus the goddess would stretch forth her left hand this time, and a warm silver glow would emerge from it and wash over the fortress and area about it. For mortals, it would be something to cover their eyes from, but even so would not blind them as much as just obscure their vision...but when they could look again they would find things rather different for them.

A great carving of a wheel, intricate beyond what any human hands could manage and filled/surrounded with depictions of various cycles, was carved into the middle of the room’s floor. It seemed to give off an almost sacred aura from it, a sort of passive reverence at that. Torches hung on the walls, and in fact the room itself seemed to be like brand new once more! If the mortals looked outside, they would too see something that went beyond their wildest dreams...greenery. Trees bearing fruits, vegetables being born from the fertile soil that replaced the dust, grasses swaying in a gentle breeze and animals running about...even the presence of a couple of lakes, and a river running from a rock formation that had been drawn up in this now flourishing space.

Yet a long ways out, just beyond a shimmering border of very faint silver, the wasteland and its devastations were still present. It was as if this area has been dedicated...no, consecrated to flourish and thrive. All the same, it was a great miracle.

The mortals were speechless and may rubbed their eyes and pinched each other to verify whether the sights were true. Behind Arira, a softened panting hinted that the other holy being in the room had regained their senses and risen to their feet. They regarded the room with genuine marvel and reached two pairs of hands out to softly and lovingly caress their daughter’s shoulders and neck. ”My, you truly are blood of my blood - you have existed for a blink of the eye and already you turn ruins into temples and death into life.” The god wept a small, clear tear away and let a hand play with her hair. ”My daughter, my Arira - pride of my soul and house. What fantastic art you have created so suddenly; what compassion you show for the poor and wounded.”

“This place shall be a holy sanctuary to me always. It’s lands shall be plentiful, and this stronghold shall remain both a stronghold and now a sacred temple to mark the place of my birth. You shall find this fortress-temple stocked with weapons and tools and supplies further in turn.

Care for it all wisely, oh mortals, but not become gluttonous and lazy upon it. Have wisdom in your actions here. Defend it, for it is a sacred place. I shall always know what goes on here, ever-seeing, ever-knowing. Yet still, find peace here. Find rest, and food, and supplies aplenty of all kinds and sorts within these borders. But mind ye where ye stay from this day forward-,”

As the goddess was speaking to the mortals, simply laying down the ground rules and such as it were, Chakravarti’s sudden two pairs of hands caressing her neck and shoulders made her suddenly take pause...and then sigh once more. Arira turned around to look at her progenitor, shrugging off the hands and walking closer to Chakravarti and the little Ossurman resting in the other deity’s arms.

“It was simply natural that I should show compassion here, even on this day of my birth and upon the place of it thereof. It is merely my duty to help bring this world from the brink of destruction and into a new cycle of plenty. All the same, I could not abide such suffering either.

Still, even if from most ‘peculiar’ circumstances...I give thee thanks for bearing me into the world this day. Though who is this little one, who beareth your ichor within?”

Gently Arira reached over and touched the tiny cheek of Ossurman, softly, like a mother or big sister might do. She then carefully pulled her hand back and looked back at that which had spawned her. Three of Chakravarti’s hands ignored Arira’s attempt to dodge caresses, and went right back to playing with her hair and massaging her shoulders.

”Oh, isn’t he beautiful? This, my child, is your older brother, Ossurman the First, the first of my house - the first of our house.” Two hands gently pulled silk wraps aside to reveal the little face looking curiously up at Arira. ”He is quite the conversationalist; he may just be a bit shy in the beginning. He’s very sharp, though; very sharp.”

“Awiwa,” cooed the baby and clenched his bun-like fists in his sister’s direction as if trying to reach out to her. Chakravarti gasped.

”Aaaaaw! Arira, he even knows your name already! Oh me, oh my, this is just… So precious.” Three hands took up the task of fanning away the gods overflow of giddiness. ”Big brother meets little sister, oh! Lo, I am smitten! Smitten, I say!”

The younger goddess let out another small sigh, lightly with her other hand trying to shoo the extra arms away, but all the same gave a smile to the little demigod in her parent’s arms. She put her hand down to the little baby, where he could grab onto one of her fingers if he so desired. Adorable indeed, that much was very correct, and sharp if he was able to grasp her name this quickly. Then again he was a demigod, so there was the matter of that already affecting his development and so forth naturally. Still...

“We have a most…‘eccentric’ parent indeed, Little One. Perhaps we shall have enough room to breathe eventually. Even so, I shall be your sister and you my brother….that feels most right, does it not?”

She whispered close to the ear of her tiny now half-divine brother, before letting out a small chuckle at their shared little conversation. The baby giggled in a bubbly manner and clapped his doughy hands. Above, Chakravarti chuckled a motherly laugh and gestured around the room, shouting, ”Behold, peasants! This is the power of my dynasty. Your queen for all eternity has arrived and her name is Arira, daughter of Chakravarti, second of her house!” They leaned over to kiss the reluctant goddess’s forehead and said, ”I expect you to take good care of your new vassals, your new clansworn, my sweet.”

Arira simply sighed again...she felt this would be far, far from the last time she did so at the antics and such of her also-divine parent. The same for her brother Ossurman as well. They would have each other regardless, so it was only natural that they be united on that front! Was fitting for siblings, she felt, to best weather the ever-repeating ‘cycle’ of parental embarrassment and prodding. Haha.

Even so the goddess turned once more to the mortals, after glancing out at the apocalypse still ongoing a long distance away, and gave to them a simple and gentle nod.

“Be well here, but be wise and vigilant. For as the cycles of this world continue to turn round and round, so can the hands of time and fate also turn one way or another when the foolish begin to sit about idly and vainly.

I shall I watch over thee and this place eternally, however, such is my promise. Therefore wait for my next arrival with great patience, as I must go and tend to this shattered place beyond this paradise. This shall too be a cycle of its own, as I leave to do my work and return at times to teach thee and thine descendants in this place evermore.

So too pray that my work to help this land shall flourish, and be ready for my guidance each time I return. In time I shall also hide this paradise away from destruction, grant it protections, shield it with defenders and defenses round-about, and you too in time shall be its guardians as well.”

Turning her head back to her peculiar parent, Arira then gave a nod.

“I must go away. This shattered land calls to me, and I cannot abide its pain so long as I exist. I shall go and tend to the land itself, to bring about a cycle of rebirth to its myriad places that life and so forth will return.

You and my brother are both welcome always so long as it is in peace or defense of this place, and he too is more welcome to live here if he so chooses to stay, but...please be kind to the mortals here. They and their own families have been through much.”

With this, Arira would raise her right hand, a soft glowing light emitting from it until it shone bright once more. Upon the light fading and looking where she had stood, though, there was now naught but the design on the floor that still sat there. She had left, and yet she had too promised to return. A cycle of leaving and returning to this place had been set forth.

”Then go with my blessing, my daughter, my pride - bring honour and glory to our house! They waved four arms at the ceiling of the great temple and looked down smilingly at their firstborn. Ossurman cooed quietly and the family god blinked in realisation. They turned to the still-dumbfounded humans, held up their son and said, ”Oh, of course. Does anyone recognise this baby?”

Summary!

The post opens with Chak strolling about with Ossurman in tow. Chak asks if Ossurman has any more family alive. Ossurman naturally doesn’t answer quite clearly and Chak gets upset, though somehow comes to the conclusion that Ossurman said “compass” in babyspeak and makes a compass that can track his kin. This brings them to a hideout inside an old ruin. Chak tries to enter, but gets attacked by desperate defenders.

This pisses the family god off to an extreme level, so much so that they nearly kill (or actually kill) two people and break that hand of a third. After breaking the hand, a crippled boy comes limping over and says he will beat Chak to death. Chak tests his courage and asks what happens after they kill him when he fails. They then figure out that a lot of people in this enclave are family that would die to avenge each other.

Witnessing so many oaths to persevere in vengeance for their fallen kin, Chak gives birth to Arira, the Goddess of Cycles, who immediately heals the wounded and calms the atmosphere a lot. Shrugging off her mother-father’s attempt to cuddle with her, she turns the ruin and surrounding lands into a fertile valley surrounding a temple fortress dedicated to herself. After earning the love and loyalty of the survivors, she disappears to help save the world.

In short, Arira after the end of this post has headed out to do therest of her intended "Post 0" stuff and help restore the land of the world.

Major Actions!

1MA (reduced to 0) - Create the Ariran Paradise, a great, large, fertile, and fruitful valley surrounding a temple-fortress in the center dedicated to Arira, Goddess of Cycles.

Divinus: The Deity Roleplay, Mk. V

Arira

Name

Arira

Domain

Goddess of Cycles - Within all things there is a pattern that lies beneath it all, a force of existence that normally is associated with change. From the changing of the seasons, to the growth of plants and animals, to the to the ever-circling flow of life and death and rebirth, to even changing of the time from day to night and vice-versa, these various 'cycles' and patterns of things form the basis for many things in the world. What rises from the dust will return to it, and from the dust will rise something else to take its place. Some cycles will end, and yet from this others will rise to take their place. Even mortals and gods alike, it seems, are intertwined in their own cycles of rising and falling and so forth. It is the way of all things, for some to rise and some to fall, for some to live and some to die, for some to grow and some to wither away, for some to remain trapped in a maddening loop of perpetuity, and so forth.

Cycles are a deathless concept, an eternal thing rooted in the ebb and flow of existence, a phantasmal 'deus-ex-machina' plinking about within the background of all things...watching on even if others are unaware of it. Even within stagnation, a lack of change, there is a cycle of perpetual idleness and decay that will either snuff itself out, continue on perpetually, or be eventually broken and replaced. Such is the nature of cycles, and such is the nature of their fate.

More Detailed Domain Explanation

To attempt to be more defined, Arira can tweak cycles in a specific sort of way. Imagine it like 'controlling the time of something'. Arira can 'turn back' the cycle of life to give someone youth. She can 'end' the cycle of a disease in the body so it dies off. She can 'fast forward' the cycle of plant growth and accelerate it to a certain point in its life cycle. She can 'halt' the cycle of something, such as aging, in order to give eternal youth (not immortality, just youth). If a curse was placed on a land for 100 years, she can fast-forward the land itself (not the stuff on it or things living in it mind) to the point where the curse is gone...or rewind the cycle back to what it was like before the curse was placed.

She cannot, however, do things outside of what a given 'cycle' naturally contains. Unlike a nature goddess, she could not 'tweak' crops to be extra fruitful or more fertile or more potent. Unlike a life goddess, she can only wind back the cycle of death and bring a dead person back to a point they were at during the cycle in their life before dying....or otherwise push the soul into a cycle of rebirth to get a new body and be born again. But she cannot simply infuse the dead body with life energies, or necromancy it from the dead as a skelly-boi, or so forth.

To a devastated landscape she can return it to a past fruitful and whole state here in current times, but she cannot control the weather to ensure the land will prosper or be extra fertile or so forth. But if a place has always and forever been devastated desert sands then she can't really do anything unless it was somehow part of an ocean in primordial times (which would mean suddenly an ocean within a desert out of the blue if she used her powers to revert to that).

If she tries to end a cycle of maddening war going on in an area, it might accelerate the damage or cut things off abruptly but will bring peace about quicker. However, if those involved still want to make war her power doesn't stop them from doing so. Etc.

~Saucer Comments~

1. When affecting areas or whole wars, the powers affect more than just the land, but interpersonal relations which may stretch far beyond the land. And that's just the mortal-centric view: this world is animist, and trees, flowers and rocks could all potentially have relation networks that span the continent.

I doubt anyone will actually RP a rock or a tree, though, so I won't force you to take that into account, but still.

2. What makes an event cyclical is that it repeats itself, no matter what you do, really, be it reincarnation, the seasons, Chinese dynasties, whatever. I am hesitant to view learning a skill, for example, as a cyclical concept, or to tie cycles too closely to time, because time, no matter how circular a phenomenon, seems to always be that which moves forward. Time never repeats itself; events in time do. If you actually go for the Time domain, of course, the two won't be mutually exclusive, so when that is achieved, you can disregard that comment.

Myth

(One of potentially more, just need to think of more over time is all.)

Myth 1: The Goddess' First Descent, and The Founding

In a humble rural town far, far away, the farmers had long plied their trade underneath the gaze of the gods. They had been humble as their priest demanded, they had been devout as their families had raised them to be, and all seemed to be right with the world. None knew what was to come, the era of doom that was to wash over like a tidal wave....and indeed, when the world began to burn they were left alone and with nothing but despair.

The old gods did not answer their calls and pleas and cries for help.

The clergy disappeared or succumbed to the flames.

The fields were choked by monstrous beasts emerging from the woods, slaughtering cattle and anyone else foolish enough to be outside when they emerged.

Plagues ravaged the humble town, tearing apart families that had long sown the soil and reaped the harvests over untold generations.

Every day was a waking nightmare they were forced to wade through, and so it was for their children and children's children after them. Some spoke as if the world was going to end, abandoning all and leaving, and yet the people desperately sought salvation in any form they could find it. They prayed and toiled, cursed and screamed, anything that some higher power might take pity upon them and save them from their hell.

...And so it was the goddess would ultimately in that town descend the night of one brilliant harvest moon, bright and reddish-orange like the great fires themselves. From sleep were the farmers awoken, being stirred from their restless slumber by a voice as gentle as the night breeze. Outside of their homes they gathered, some hiding in fear and others rushing forward to see what the matter was. Into the town square the majority would come, even as the one who had called them was manifested before their very eyes.

The beasts fled from before her as they had from none else, and yet her appearance gave off a gentle glow that brought the people's hearts to comfort.

But who was this divine figure, who had so brazenly appeared before them? Why had she called them?

"Be not afraid, oh children of the land, for your prayers have finally been heard after all this time.

Be not frightened of the desolation and pain about you, for at this time your sufferings and patience over so long will be at long last rewarded.

I am she who keeps the forces of the world turning. I am the end and the beginning, the beginning and the end.

I am Arira, Goddess of Cycles."

Some questioned her words, some simply stood in awe, others turned away, and more so began to beg and plead upon their knees before her for relief. To each she lent her ear, and to many she gave answer.

In the end, she made them all a promise. They would wake to find their livestock reborn, their fields growing with plenty, their dying finally passed on in peace, and their children healthy and growing. They would be helped to bring an end to the cycle of monsters harassing them in turn, and her first great Prophet would come to them. "So it would be," the goddess said, "and so it shall be done." She would then vanish in a brilliant explosion of light...and immediately after the people would finally awaken from this great vision they had all shared.

It was morning now, and upon all leaving their homes and investigating their loved ones and so forth the people would thusly find her words to be true. The fields, once devastated, had been cycled back to a healthy and growing state full of crops. Their livestock, many once dead from famine and monster attacks, were given rebirth and were now plump and happy and mighty in number. The dying that had been long suffering from disease or ailment were found smiling, gently at peace and having passed on. Their children were too vibrant, full of life, and any of them with maladies found the cycle of those maladies ended in their bodies. It was a grand miracle, a saving grace, something beyond words that those in the town could only look upon in awe and reverence.

And oh, how they did praise that day!

On the morrow her Prophet would arrive, humble and yet in service, donning a simple cloak and yet bringing with him years of battle-hardened experience and the word of his patron Goddess. Yea he would direct them to build a center of worship to Arira in her name, and so would be built the first, grandest, and greatest of her temples to rise from the ground and be built to withstand the test of time. To commemorate the mighty vision they had all shared, they would celebrate her honors every harvest moon and give thanks for her helping them.

Yet as also promised, the great Prophet would begin to organize some among them and teach them the ways to fight and hunt the monsters and disasters that plagued their land. His expertise from years and years of battle served the people well, teaching them and guiding them to wield shot and sword and spear and so forth to protect the land and protect their own. These "Hunters of the Cycle", as they so took on the name of, would dedicate themselves to the Goddess, gain her blessing for and maintain it if they kept their creed, and become a major force to help end the old cycle of terror that had gripped their homeland.

Base Form

To Some A Beginning...

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”

Scripture of the Ararian Church or "Cyclican Church", Book 1, Sermon 1, Verse 1 (IC) (IRL Quote Source: T.S. Elliot)

(Note: She is 5'6" tall.)

Angry Form

(Very very rare to see normally...not a good sign at all if you do ever see it though.)

...To Others and End

“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”

First Leader of the "Hunters of the Cycle" (IC) (IRL Quote Source: William Congreve)

True Form

The Beginning And The End

“That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.”

The First Prophet of Arira (IC) (actual IRL quote from: H.P. Lovecraft)

Musical Theme

~Base Form~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgVuQ_Fbs5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k1F3PjY948

~Angry Form~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RzA_Oomra8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rdt5XNvPkc

~True Form~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdxaUJ9J_ew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbwq8ev-EXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qFqpMa3DyA